“Sylvia” : at the Paper Wing Theatre
Have you ever felt a little “disconnected” from the world around you?
“Sylvia” may seem to be a story about a man and his dog, but the underlying theme directly tackles that feeling of disconnect through the relationship. When Greg (Jay Devine) returns home one evening with stray pet Sylvia (Tatum Tollner), we are introduced to a man whose life has become disconnected. His children are out of the home, his wife is focused on her career, and his work is becoming more “abstract” as time goes on. Sylvia seems like a godsend to him, a lifeline in a world that’s become more confusing and unconnected to the increasingly thoughtful Greg. Her adoration for him provides an anchor, and his talks with the dog manage to fulfill the missing pieces from his own life. And the increasingly jealous Kate (Chris Caffrey) finds herself competing with the dog for the affection and loyalty of a man who suddenly seems very distant from her.
Jodi Gilmore tackles the role of “Everybody Else”… an amalgam of three different people who find themselves caught in the story. There’s the high society New Yorker friend of Kate, the fellow dog owner, and the “gender-questionable” couples therapist; all of whom reflect an outsiders’ view of the story to humorous effect. His appearances often shake up the story to humorous effect, though my favorite was the book-quoting dog owner in the park who constantly brings up book titles that are increasingly ridiculous.
The shows dramatic compass hinges on the audiences connection with Greg, and Jay Devine constantly finds moments to shine in the show. We feel for the connection he has with Sylvia, we can understand what he’s lost over the years, and we’re constantly wanting Kate to just stop and ‘listen’ to what Greg is saying throughout the show. The story revolves around Sylvia, but it’s really about this couple and whether they will manage to rediscover the connection they once had with each other. Kates’ cold practicality can seem off-putting to an audience that is already predisposed to “side” with the affable Greg, but there is an honest hurt beneath façade that our “hero” also has to come to terms with.
With all of that, however, Sylvia is a story about a dog. Tatum Tollner consistently dominates in the title role as a mixed breed mutt rescued by Greg. Her honest portrayal of the dog is riddled with hyper-active adoration, nervous energy, and a frankness that can be downright vulgar on occasion. Sylvia speaks with a pure honesty that addresses the needs of Greg, all while telling him that she’s not going to understand the deeper thoughts running through his head… for her the world is fairly simple. Going “out” is the greatest thing in the world and her greatest challenge is sneaking a sit on the ever elusive “couch” where all comfort could be found. She constantly paws this piece of furniture, constantly circles, and ultimately looks for every excuse possible to find herself lounging across it. I found myself laughing so hard throughout her exchange with the “Cat” that I couldn’t breathe, so that moment has to be mentioned as the absolute highlight of the show for me.
Monday, November 19, 2012
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
3 Reviews! Devil's Carnival, Psycho Gothic Lolita, and Exit Humanity.
The Devil’s Carnival:
The creators of “Repo: The Genetic Opera” reunite to bring fans a follow up to the cult favorite. But rather than dwelling in the same world as the original production, the cast and crew are reunited for what may become an entirely new and episodic horror musical independently financed and distributed by the creators themselves.
“The Devil’s Carnival” is the destination for three lost souls; John, a tormented father looking for his son; Tamara, a naïve woman escaping an abusive relationship; and ____, a kleptomaniac on the run from police. The Devil presents their stories as three musical renditions of “Aesops Fables” with a cast of carnival attractions ranging from clowns and magicians to dancers and knife throwers. The three fables are represented with interesting twists and an absolutely amazing costume and set design, every detail extraordinarily elaborate. Director Bousman makes a good choice in centering most of the over-arching story around John (Sean Patrick Flannery), whose character seems to anchor the audience with a degree of sympathy regarding his own sins and grief. The carnival side show attractions have incredible fun with their parts, with grand gestures and an overly dramatic flair.
The songs are an interesting change of pace from the techno-industrial flair in Repo, making a conscious effort to sound much more “carny” with horns, strings, and uneven tempos. Each story tends to follow with a pair of songs describing the personal story of the character and further thought on the Fable associated with their tale. I liked the songs personally, but some were near-misses with me and others who were forced to listen to my new CD in the car.
Though comparisons to their previous feature may seem unfair; the advertising boasts that this is a reunion for various cast, crew, and the creators behind Repo! The Genetic Opera. And in that vein “The Devil’s Carnival” is somewhat inferior as a stand-alone project. It lacks the character depth of the previous project and its’ pacing seems all over the place, clocking in at 55 minutes with little having been accomplished in that time. We hear some small fables, we see some interesting characters, but the movie ends with a bit of a cliff hanger as both Bousman and Zdunich have made claims that this is intended to be an episodic piece with a more expansive story. But without those later tales, the film only has itself to judge it by. So to that end, The Devil’s Carnival is a fun ride that doesn’t quite live up to it’s predecessor.
4 out of 5.
Psycho Gothic Lolita
It’s time for some more WTF-Japan!
After her mother is assassinated by a gang of ruthless street criminals, Yuki dons the fashionably cute Lolita garb with a black leather Gothic twist in order to exact her bloody violent revenge on the killers. With a premise as short and tempting as that, how could I possibly resist this feature on a lazy Sunday morning? HOW?!?!! And here’s what I expected… blood geysers, fetish-wear, screaming, sub-titles, and really strange wire work. That’s what I got…. And it was well done. While not quite as gore-ified as “Machine Girl”, the movie had its’ fair share of slapstick blood and guts and was just silly enough to be entertaining without being overwhelming. The story is fairly predictable with a few twists and turns, but this is largely “action-horror” anime straight out of the 90’s with little narrative thought throughout. The movie knows what it is and relishes in it.
3.5 out of 5.
Exit Humanity
This one was an odd duck… so bear with me on it, because I really think genre fans should definitely give it a go.
The story is about a Civil War veteran who returns home to find his wife and son have been attacked by zombies, a horror he once faced during the war of the states. Surrendering to his grief, our lead protagonist takes us on a journey to dispose of his sons’ ashes near the falls where he once found peace during the war. The story unfolds as a journey through the desolate wasteland left behind in the aftermath of the war, zombies roaming the country-side, and desperate survivors struggling with the monsters and one another. Though hampered by the budget, the film somehow manages to feel much bigger than it is and it has an almost epic feel to it. The lead character manages to carry the film on his back, often wandering alone through major chunks of the film with a skeleton cast of ensemble actors filling in various roles.
If you enjoy low budget films struggling to make the most of their budget, this film is for you. Every dollar is on the screen for your examination but this isn’t just some sort of zombie “shoot ‘em up”… this is far more “Western” and character study than it is a gore-filled ride through violence. Taking note that this movie is one of the few to violate my major “rule” regarding the genre, the movie doesn’t use the moment for cheap shock and gives it the impact and emotional depth such a thing should incur.
5 out of 5.
The creators of “Repo: The Genetic Opera” reunite to bring fans a follow up to the cult favorite. But rather than dwelling in the same world as the original production, the cast and crew are reunited for what may become an entirely new and episodic horror musical independently financed and distributed by the creators themselves.
“The Devil’s Carnival” is the destination for three lost souls; John, a tormented father looking for his son; Tamara, a naïve woman escaping an abusive relationship; and ____, a kleptomaniac on the run from police. The Devil presents their stories as three musical renditions of “Aesops Fables” with a cast of carnival attractions ranging from clowns and magicians to dancers and knife throwers. The three fables are represented with interesting twists and an absolutely amazing costume and set design, every detail extraordinarily elaborate. Director Bousman makes a good choice in centering most of the over-arching story around John (Sean Patrick Flannery), whose character seems to anchor the audience with a degree of sympathy regarding his own sins and grief. The carnival side show attractions have incredible fun with their parts, with grand gestures and an overly dramatic flair.
The songs are an interesting change of pace from the techno-industrial flair in Repo, making a conscious effort to sound much more “carny” with horns, strings, and uneven tempos. Each story tends to follow with a pair of songs describing the personal story of the character and further thought on the Fable associated with their tale. I liked the songs personally, but some were near-misses with me and others who were forced to listen to my new CD in the car.
Though comparisons to their previous feature may seem unfair; the advertising boasts that this is a reunion for various cast, crew, and the creators behind Repo! The Genetic Opera. And in that vein “The Devil’s Carnival” is somewhat inferior as a stand-alone project. It lacks the character depth of the previous project and its’ pacing seems all over the place, clocking in at 55 minutes with little having been accomplished in that time. We hear some small fables, we see some interesting characters, but the movie ends with a bit of a cliff hanger as both Bousman and Zdunich have made claims that this is intended to be an episodic piece with a more expansive story. But without those later tales, the film only has itself to judge it by. So to that end, The Devil’s Carnival is a fun ride that doesn’t quite live up to it’s predecessor.
4 out of 5.
Psycho Gothic Lolita
It’s time for some more WTF-Japan!
After her mother is assassinated by a gang of ruthless street criminals, Yuki dons the fashionably cute Lolita garb with a black leather Gothic twist in order to exact her bloody violent revenge on the killers. With a premise as short and tempting as that, how could I possibly resist this feature on a lazy Sunday morning? HOW?!?!! And here’s what I expected… blood geysers, fetish-wear, screaming, sub-titles, and really strange wire work. That’s what I got…. And it was well done. While not quite as gore-ified as “Machine Girl”, the movie had its’ fair share of slapstick blood and guts and was just silly enough to be entertaining without being overwhelming. The story is fairly predictable with a few twists and turns, but this is largely “action-horror” anime straight out of the 90’s with little narrative thought throughout. The movie knows what it is and relishes in it.
3.5 out of 5.
Exit Humanity
This one was an odd duck… so bear with me on it, because I really think genre fans should definitely give it a go.
The story is about a Civil War veteran who returns home to find his wife and son have been attacked by zombies, a horror he once faced during the war of the states. Surrendering to his grief, our lead protagonist takes us on a journey to dispose of his sons’ ashes near the falls where he once found peace during the war. The story unfolds as a journey through the desolate wasteland left behind in the aftermath of the war, zombies roaming the country-side, and desperate survivors struggling with the monsters and one another. Though hampered by the budget, the film somehow manages to feel much bigger than it is and it has an almost epic feel to it. The lead character manages to carry the film on his back, often wandering alone through major chunks of the film with a skeleton cast of ensemble actors filling in various roles.
If you enjoy low budget films struggling to make the most of their budget, this film is for you. Every dollar is on the screen for your examination but this isn’t just some sort of zombie “shoot ‘em up”… this is far more “Western” and character study than it is a gore-filled ride through violence. Taking note that this movie is one of the few to violate my major “rule” regarding the genre, the movie doesn’t use the moment for cheap shock and gives it the impact and emotional depth such a thing should incur.
5 out of 5.
Monday, September 24, 2012
Don Juan In Hell: There are no easy answers.
Don Juan In Hell
I’m not a fan of George Bernard Shaw. Let me make this clear… his politics sicken me, his view of the world annoys me, and I find him an unbelievably elitist scumbag whose Pygmalion flat out insults my sense of freedom and liberty. (Oddly, I do happen to love “My Fair Lady”, which is based upon the latter work but features enough music and additional characters to distract me from the original point of Pyg.) So with all of that in mind, I wasn’t quite certain what to expect when Jourdain Barton decided to adapt one of his pieces for the Paperwing Stage. Her previous adaptation, “Prometheus Bound”, hit to close to the heart with many of my own frustrations and railing against the gods of convention and paradigm. Barton has a way of taking a work known for promoting one view and sort of turning it in on itself, exposing several bits of raw hypocrisy and laying open a great many hard questions without the benefit of an easy answer. I love that and decided I needed to see what she did with this work.
Don Juan In Hell is another successful venture in philosophical torment. The titular character, Juan(Timothy Saminiego), is truly suffering an eternity of torment surrounded by the exquisite horror of false love and beauty. The Father of Lies (Erik Morton) isn’t about to roast the wicked in eternal fires of damnation, not when there’s so much love to share with one another. And the crux of the story is the debate between two beings who are diametrically opposed to one another in philosophy, ideals, and goals. This is a debate that has gone on before… time and again, by the introductions from both characters and their endearments to one another. But all great events begin with a catalyst, and the final decision on whether Juan stays in Hell or moves on is brought to a head by the arrival of Dona Ana. (Taylor Noel Young)
The most famous paramour in the stories of Don Juan passes at the ripe age of 77. Her first meeting in the new plane is with Juan, who fails to recognize her at first. He tells her where she is, he explains the new “rules”… or lack thereof… regarding the form of the spiritual body. They are soon joined by Ana’s doomed father, The General (Jodi Gilmore). The two men have long since put their past behind them and have become fast friends in the time since their passing. In fact, the General is actually visiting from the Heavenly Host… much to his daughters disapproval. And the only comfort either father or one-time lover can offer is disillusionment.
And that disillusion is no better embodied than by The General, who has chosen to exist in the form of his own marble statue and bask in the glory of his own dashing image. Gilmore provides terrific comedic timing with the image of a right proper gentleman, mocking the seriousness of their debate and declaring his intention to find permanent residence with the damned. His confessions and desires embarrass and occasionally horrify Ana.
We get the feeling that the debate has gone on before… the argument between the Devil, Juan, and the General feels somewhat “old hat” between the three friends. And that’s where Ana comes into play… because whether they admit to it or not, they are struggling to convince this newest addition to their discussion on the various points of their arguments. The devil declares that the only things of worth-while value are love and beauty and social standing and adoration and it simply does not matter whether any of these things are “true” or not. Only that they are and that people enjoy them. Heaven is a place for boring contemplation, we're told. Endless contemplation for the promotion of “life” and creation and the universe and ones place in it. It’s also flat out boring, at least according to our three characters in the "know". The devil sells his Kingdom with all the passion of a zealot… Mortons’ performance is flat out chilling to this particular viewer. He is absolutely the Father of Lies, in all his twisted glory and as seductive in his assurances, promises, and twisted rhetoric as one could imagine such a creature to be.
But Juan refutes the empty promises with equal passion, intelligence, and understanding of just how deceitful this kind of eternity truly is. Samaniego cuts through to the quick on his performance with equal parts biting humor and depressing impact. He doesn’t as much as defend “heaven” and “life” so much as he refutes the basic lie of his current existence. And while he has obviously had this conversation before, the newest addition to their little discussion provides a vehicle through which Juan struggles to reach a new understanding. But, make no mistake,Ana is more than the rope between the characters in some sort of tug-war and starts to take various stands, rising to the dialogue with equal ferocity and questioning the points of all three. Taylor delivers a moving performance of her own, dismantling the points of all three gentlemen with the view of a woman and her own role in their existence.
I don’t want to spoil anything for anybody… the climax is amazing and every person may get something different from the experience. Thirty people watching the same show and my guess is that not one of them had the same view regarding the "point" of the discussion or precisely who "won" the debate. The show has one more weekend and that means two more opportunities to catch these amazing performances. The Paperwing Gallerie Threatre repeatedly delivers on the full immersion experience. Support the local arts and check this show out!
5 out of 5.
I’m not a fan of George Bernard Shaw. Let me make this clear… his politics sicken me, his view of the world annoys me, and I find him an unbelievably elitist scumbag whose Pygmalion flat out insults my sense of freedom and liberty. (Oddly, I do happen to love “My Fair Lady”, which is based upon the latter work but features enough music and additional characters to distract me from the original point of Pyg.) So with all of that in mind, I wasn’t quite certain what to expect when Jourdain Barton decided to adapt one of his pieces for the Paperwing Stage. Her previous adaptation, “Prometheus Bound”, hit to close to the heart with many of my own frustrations and railing against the gods of convention and paradigm. Barton has a way of taking a work known for promoting one view and sort of turning it in on itself, exposing several bits of raw hypocrisy and laying open a great many hard questions without the benefit of an easy answer. I love that and decided I needed to see what she did with this work.
Don Juan In Hell is another successful venture in philosophical torment. The titular character, Juan(Timothy Saminiego), is truly suffering an eternity of torment surrounded by the exquisite horror of false love and beauty. The Father of Lies (Erik Morton) isn’t about to roast the wicked in eternal fires of damnation, not when there’s so much love to share with one another. And the crux of the story is the debate between two beings who are diametrically opposed to one another in philosophy, ideals, and goals. This is a debate that has gone on before… time and again, by the introductions from both characters and their endearments to one another. But all great events begin with a catalyst, and the final decision on whether Juan stays in Hell or moves on is brought to a head by the arrival of Dona Ana. (Taylor Noel Young)
The most famous paramour in the stories of Don Juan passes at the ripe age of 77. Her first meeting in the new plane is with Juan, who fails to recognize her at first. He tells her where she is, he explains the new “rules”… or lack thereof… regarding the form of the spiritual body. They are soon joined by Ana’s doomed father, The General (Jodi Gilmore). The two men have long since put their past behind them and have become fast friends in the time since their passing. In fact, the General is actually visiting from the Heavenly Host… much to his daughters disapproval. And the only comfort either father or one-time lover can offer is disillusionment.
And that disillusion is no better embodied than by The General, who has chosen to exist in the form of his own marble statue and bask in the glory of his own dashing image. Gilmore provides terrific comedic timing with the image of a right proper gentleman, mocking the seriousness of their debate and declaring his intention to find permanent residence with the damned. His confessions and desires embarrass and occasionally horrify Ana.
We get the feeling that the debate has gone on before… the argument between the Devil, Juan, and the General feels somewhat “old hat” between the three friends. And that’s where Ana comes into play… because whether they admit to it or not, they are struggling to convince this newest addition to their discussion on the various points of their arguments. The devil declares that the only things of worth-while value are love and beauty and social standing and adoration and it simply does not matter whether any of these things are “true” or not. Only that they are and that people enjoy them. Heaven is a place for boring contemplation, we're told. Endless contemplation for the promotion of “life” and creation and the universe and ones place in it. It’s also flat out boring, at least according to our three characters in the "know". The devil sells his Kingdom with all the passion of a zealot… Mortons’ performance is flat out chilling to this particular viewer. He is absolutely the Father of Lies, in all his twisted glory and as seductive in his assurances, promises, and twisted rhetoric as one could imagine such a creature to be.
But Juan refutes the empty promises with equal passion, intelligence, and understanding of just how deceitful this kind of eternity truly is. Samaniego cuts through to the quick on his performance with equal parts biting humor and depressing impact. He doesn’t as much as defend “heaven” and “life” so much as he refutes the basic lie of his current existence. And while he has obviously had this conversation before, the newest addition to their little discussion provides a vehicle through which Juan struggles to reach a new understanding. But, make no mistake,Ana is more than the rope between the characters in some sort of tug-war and starts to take various stands, rising to the dialogue with equal ferocity and questioning the points of all three. Taylor delivers a moving performance of her own, dismantling the points of all three gentlemen with the view of a woman and her own role in their existence.
I don’t want to spoil anything for anybody… the climax is amazing and every person may get something different from the experience. Thirty people watching the same show and my guess is that not one of them had the same view regarding the "point" of the discussion or precisely who "won" the debate. The show has one more weekend and that means two more opportunities to catch these amazing performances. The Paperwing Gallerie Threatre repeatedly delivers on the full immersion experience. Support the local arts and check this show out!
5 out of 5.
Monday, September 17, 2012
Night of Champions Thoughts.
Night of Champions is a fairly minor annual PPV in the WWE… it features every title in the company being put on the line and is usually the start of a build up toward Survivor Series. I don’t normally buy these kinds of PPV’s, but some of the advertised matches and storyline build up to this PPV just felt really intriguing to me. Add in a main event with the newly “Heel” version of CM Punk defending his title against Hometown Hero and resident Superman, John Cena, and you have a pretty big match on hand with two guys who work extremely well together.
IC Title Fatal Fourway: Rey Mysterio vs. Sin Cara vs. Cody Rhodes vs. The Miz (C)
This match featured two legendary lucha libre stars against two of the hottest young heel workers in the company, and it opened the show with a good performance. There were some good spots, but a fatal fourway often works to prevent any meaningful psychology. Most people wanted to see Mysterio and Cara face one another, but with both acting face it was difficult to build a story around that angle. Miz retained the IC title in an amusing spot where Cara placed an extra mask (intended for Rhodes) over the face of Miz, and the champion accidentally hit Rhodes with his finisher. Seeing as how this was a fatal four way, though, it didn’t have the kind of impact it might have had if Miz and Rhodes had been allies ahead of time.
3 out of 5.
U.S. Title match, Antonio Cesaro (c ) vs. Zack Ryder
Ryder won a pre-show battle royal that I missed in order to earn this shot, which set up a storyline where the heelish Cesaro complained about being unable to prepare for the opponent. Cesaro continues to play up his European Superiority angle… and I think Ryder may have been the perfect opponent for Cesaro to build his gimmick. With Ryder being the internet-savvy fan favorite, he pretty much rose up from the ashes of an unpromising career to become a real standout on the roster… this match played to Ryders’ strengths and helped Cesaro get over on a true baby-face. Cesaro wins after some interference from manager Aksana.
3 out of 5
Tag Title Match: Kingston and Truth (c) vs. Team Friendship
Truth and Kingston were sort of thrown together a few months back when Kingstons’ normal partner failed a wellness policy test and then injured himself. The pair works well together, but they haven’t exactly put the tag team titles on fire… but they’ve had some very decent matches with the young boys in town. But now we have a new team, brought together through their Anger Management classes… Daniel Bryan and Kane. They don’t like each other at all, they don’t work well together, and that’s build a great storyline within the tag division with a series of vignettes putting them together. I wish there was more to be said about Truth and Kingston, but no one really expected them to walk out with the titles when you have such an entertaining combination in Team Friendship. Good match that could have been better with more emphasis on enmity BETWEEN the two teams.
3.5 out of 5.
Orton vs. Dolph Ziggler. No title on the line.
Ziggles is on the verge of breaking out… and this match did nothing to hurt or elevate him. Don’t get me wrong, because the match quality was excellent and the two men worked well together, but there wasn’t much on the line between them. JBL, on announcing, did an excellent job on trying to build more of a story between them then there really was… Orton prevented Ziggler from cashing in his Money in the Bank briefcase. Ziggles wants ‘revenge’… but he can really just cash it in at another time later. Orton didn’t really prevent much of anything. And then the end of the match saw Orton hitting his RKO and then Ziggles did the job. Kind of a shame, because most every fan knows that Orton is about to take time off to film the new "12 Rounds" film. Ziggles needed a push here and instead he got held back again for a superstar who should be stepping back in light of a number of screw-ups recently. This match could have been the show stealer, but I never felt like either guy was really invested in the television time.
3.5 out of 5.
Diva Title: Layla ( c ) vs. Eve
It was supposed to be Kaitlyn getting the title chance, but she was attacked by a “mysterious” person back stage and hurt her ankle. Even with some backstage stuff between her and Booker where she blatantly manipulated him into offering her the shot. Eve was put in the match after build up on her angle about being a “nice” person now, and having changed. Well, she didn’t … we knew she didn’t… and the opportunist took advantage to win the Diva Championship in what was a much better match than I could have imagined from her. Both women worked pretty hard during this match, each one hitting a couple of decent spots before Layla eventually missed a double spring inverted body-block... and Eve capitalized. We see some heel heat with Eve accepting a hand shake at one point, and she uses it to kick the crap out of Layla. Seriously, excellent ladies match.
4 out of 5.
World championship : Sheamus ( c ) vs. Del Rio
The Brogue Kick was banned leading up to this match… and in typical WWE booking, the move was suddenly put back into place and thus negating what might have been an interesting twist to an otherwise boring feud. Still, we had some good psychology as Del Rio continuously avoided Sheamus’ attempts at the Brogue Kick… they teased the Cloverleaf a few times, Del Rio locked on his armbar submission twice and forced Sheamus to work for those ropes. The two men are working tonight, putting in more effort than I've previously seen from either of them in the build up to this match. Back and forth action saw no interference from Ricardo Rodriguez, surprisingly… and Del Rio lost to (what else?) the Brogue kick. And hopefully this ends what has become a gratingly annoying feud. Both men need different guys to work with… Sheamus especially. Del Rio needs to change up his gimmick somehow, or he’s just going to be a minor foot note in Pro Wrestling.
3.5 out of 5.
Interesting Bit back stage with Kane and Bryan. A few vignettes and commercials… and we get to the Main Event.
WWE Championship: CM Punk ( C ) vs. John Cena
Paul Heyman hits the ring and delivers a promo… it’s cold, it’s calculated, and it builds more heat than half the guys who are pretending to be arrogant all the time. There’s purpose to this promo and it builds up the angle surrounding Punk, putting him over as a deserving and much maligned champion. And when the challenger hits the ring, he gets all the fan fare of a home town welcome. He’s got a bit of a stare for the uncaring Heyman, and settles down to wait for the champion… and here comes Punk, taking the traditional championship entrance and coming out second. And with the unzipping of his jacket, Punk utterly BURIES John Cena shine with a tidal wave of heel heat… his trunks are white with dark blue pinstripes, dark blue stars, and he has matching boots and kneepads. Dressed in traditional Yankee colors, CM Punk walks down the aisle through the jeering Boston masses and the game is ON!!! The referee checks both men and CM Punk lifts the title up high… and just stands there. He isn’t soaking in the response… he’s building a whole new response without a word, with only the most minimal of actions, and this man has FOUND his niche as top heel in the company.
The match starts and both men feel each other out before Punk takes a quick advantage. Solid mat work, opportunist moments with quick throws and long wear down holds. Cena is selling like crazy and we’re seeing some uncertainty in the Super-Cena before he ever starts to make a comeback. The crowd is eating this up and we’re on the edge of our seat back home… me and my friends are getting into this match and things escalate quickly. Back and forth… both men hit finishers, both men lock their submission holds, and we see some power from Cena before Punk takes to the air with the elbow. Every move they give, the other man takes… everything they take, they give right back. Punk with the Rock Bottom, mocking the Hollywood superstar he put down a few weeks earlier… and eventually, we get a turnbuckle German Suplex from John Cena! Shoulders are down … .and the referee counts THREE!!! The hometown crowd goes crazy… while I’m laughing. I see what the ref saw…. So while John CEna is celebrating, we see the dusty-finish coming. Music stops and the referee shakes off Cena’s celebration… shoulders were down, alright… John Cena did not bridge on the German Suplex, leaving his own shoulders on the mat for the three count and both men pull the draw…. So, STILL WWE champion… CM PUNK!!!!
HEEL HEAT GALORE!!!! Cena is in shock… and then Cena is PLOWED by the WWE title and CM Punk stands victorious! Great ending and more build up to Cena / Punk rematch at a much later date.
5 out of 5.
Monday, August 20, 2012
Of Dice and Men thoughts...
“Of Dice and Men”
I first played D&D when I was 11 or 12 with a girl who barely understood the mechanics and we quickly became distracted by other things like dog walking and riding our bikes. I wouldn’t get another opportunity to play the game until I was just about to turn 17 and that came when another girl invited me to play with her, her sister, and their DM. But let me just say that RPG’s were probably one of the most important discoveries in my life and The Game became my primary social outlet for years to come. As a painfully shy, brutally awkward, and physically scarred “weirdo”, D&D became an outlet through which I could reach out to others and enjoy a goal oriented activity that allowed my imagination to thrive. It wasn’t long before I took up the mantle of DM and began to design my own stories and adventures for various systems. I met my wife through White Wolf’s “World of Darkness” series and I’ve attended a couple of conventions, made various friends, and I’ve enjoyed a number of different worlds and settings throughout the years. It may even be more important than professional wrestling with regards to my personal growth and the influence it has had on me throughout the years.
I read about “Of Dice and Men” in our local Weekly newspaper, a brief blurb that mentioned the opening of the show and that it was about a group of gamers coping with adulthood. Let me preface this by saying most stories and television shows and even movies tend to portray Gamers in a negative light… at best we’re portrayed as harmless nerds with no social skills. At worst, we’re portrayed as psychotic and delusional. The only exception I’ve ever been able to find is the “Dead Gentlemen” indie film, so I was a little nervous about what this production would offer and held my head up high just in case. I didn’t just hold it up high… They offered “cosplay” night, with a 50% discount if we came in costumes and I am THAT much of a geek. And so on went the kimono as my wife dressed as the “Fall Faerie”. We were ready for whatever may come! So let’s take this over to the “2X4 BASH” presentation at Hartnell…
GREAT!!! “Of Dice And Men” is a fantastic play that finally treats MY hobby with the respect and honesty it deserves, portraying it’s characters as more than just the predictable stereotypes so often found. That’s not to say the stereotype isn’t touched upon, because it is… and it’s treated with the humor and acceptance so many in the hobby have struggled to find. And our main character doubles as the narrator as well as the Dungeon Master, telling us about his discovery of the hobby and his earliest friendship with his first player. We meet a colorful selection of characters… and THEIR characters, the rogue, fighters, wizard, and cleric that make up the typical adventuring party in just about every game. Each actor doubles as a character in the play AND a character in the game, dressing in the elaborate costume for each of the games larger than life adventurers. But, even more than that, these characters also represent the inner core of each character… what makes each person unique in how they view and approach The Game.
Our DM is packing his books and getting ready to move after having accepted a job across the country. But while this is a major change in the lives of these friends, it is not the driving change of the story. Just before he is able to make his announcement, the DM is beaten to the punch by another player who announces his own major life decision. The group is split and the reactions are mixed, but nothing is going to be the same again for any of these people. In order to cope with all of the major challenges, our DM is forced to re-evaluate his life and the lives of his friends. Feeling responsible for the care of everyone around him, our DM conjures memories of the past and brings the audience into the present and we watch him adapt to the changes around him. The story is told from a single perspective so we don’t see what the players are really thinking or how they feel, which is important for a number of later revelations. We’re not flies on the wall in this spectacle… we’re the DM’s audience and his confessors. He’s talking to us and this is his story. And it’s definitely one worth hearing.
Now... I'd like to tell you about the performers themselves, but this moron lost his program. Seriously... dropped it or lost it in the car or whatever and I'm honestly not familiar with all the performers. I've worked with one of them before, but I don't think it's fair to mention one without mentioning the others and they were all so very good. So go check out the show yourselves, pick up your own programs, and read the names there. Thanks for reading, faceless readers!
I first played D&D when I was 11 or 12 with a girl who barely understood the mechanics and we quickly became distracted by other things like dog walking and riding our bikes. I wouldn’t get another opportunity to play the game until I was just about to turn 17 and that came when another girl invited me to play with her, her sister, and their DM. But let me just say that RPG’s were probably one of the most important discoveries in my life and The Game became my primary social outlet for years to come. As a painfully shy, brutally awkward, and physically scarred “weirdo”, D&D became an outlet through which I could reach out to others and enjoy a goal oriented activity that allowed my imagination to thrive. It wasn’t long before I took up the mantle of DM and began to design my own stories and adventures for various systems. I met my wife through White Wolf’s “World of Darkness” series and I’ve attended a couple of conventions, made various friends, and I’ve enjoyed a number of different worlds and settings throughout the years. It may even be more important than professional wrestling with regards to my personal growth and the influence it has had on me throughout the years.
I read about “Of Dice and Men” in our local Weekly newspaper, a brief blurb that mentioned the opening of the show and that it was about a group of gamers coping with adulthood. Let me preface this by saying most stories and television shows and even movies tend to portray Gamers in a negative light… at best we’re portrayed as harmless nerds with no social skills. At worst, we’re portrayed as psychotic and delusional. The only exception I’ve ever been able to find is the “Dead Gentlemen” indie film, so I was a little nervous about what this production would offer and held my head up high just in case. I didn’t just hold it up high… They offered “cosplay” night, with a 50% discount if we came in costumes and I am THAT much of a geek. And so on went the kimono as my wife dressed as the “Fall Faerie”. We were ready for whatever may come! So let’s take this over to the “2X4 BASH” presentation at Hartnell…
GREAT!!! “Of Dice And Men” is a fantastic play that finally treats MY hobby with the respect and honesty it deserves, portraying it’s characters as more than just the predictable stereotypes so often found. That’s not to say the stereotype isn’t touched upon, because it is… and it’s treated with the humor and acceptance so many in the hobby have struggled to find. And our main character doubles as the narrator as well as the Dungeon Master, telling us about his discovery of the hobby and his earliest friendship with his first player. We meet a colorful selection of characters… and THEIR characters, the rogue, fighters, wizard, and cleric that make up the typical adventuring party in just about every game. Each actor doubles as a character in the play AND a character in the game, dressing in the elaborate costume for each of the games larger than life adventurers. But, even more than that, these characters also represent the inner core of each character… what makes each person unique in how they view and approach The Game.
Our DM is packing his books and getting ready to move after having accepted a job across the country. But while this is a major change in the lives of these friends, it is not the driving change of the story. Just before he is able to make his announcement, the DM is beaten to the punch by another player who announces his own major life decision. The group is split and the reactions are mixed, but nothing is going to be the same again for any of these people. In order to cope with all of the major challenges, our DM is forced to re-evaluate his life and the lives of his friends. Feeling responsible for the care of everyone around him, our DM conjures memories of the past and brings the audience into the present and we watch him adapt to the changes around him. The story is told from a single perspective so we don’t see what the players are really thinking or how they feel, which is important for a number of later revelations. We’re not flies on the wall in this spectacle… we’re the DM’s audience and his confessors. He’s talking to us and this is his story. And it’s definitely one worth hearing.
Now... I'd like to tell you about the performers themselves, but this moron lost his program. Seriously... dropped it or lost it in the car or whatever and I'm honestly not familiar with all the performers. I've worked with one of them before, but I don't think it's fair to mention one without mentioning the others and they were all so very good. So go check out the show yourselves, pick up your own programs, and read the names there. Thanks for reading, faceless readers!
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Thoughts: August Osage County at Paperwing Theatre
“Art isn’t safe.” Bill Mosely attributed the quote to Rob Zombie on the day he had to shoot an extremely rough scene during “the Devil’s Rejects”. It was a phrase that stuck in my own mind through the years… because art isn’t safe. I like the phrase and it’s appropriate here. Art isn’t always beautiful, it isn’t always victorious, and it isn’t always going to shine a line through the shadows. Sometimes it will drag you through the broken glass and remind you of hurts and pains, it gives you an outlet for a good cry and it simply affects you in a way that can be cathartic. It can help us face the shadows within ourselves. But it still isn’t safe.
“August, Osage County” is that kind of art… a dark comedy about a dysfunctional family. They’re not the trailer trash definition of dysfunctional, either… these are middle-class, educated, and total poison to one another kind of dysfunction. Family dinners with verbal jabs and deflating dismissals, people who can’t even resist tearing one another down at the worst of times. When we first meet the patriarch, Beverly (Richard Mueller) is interviewing a young Cheyenne woman(Norma Barocio as the grounded "Johnna") for a live-in house-maid. We find out, through the course of the show, that he was once a successful poet whose work earned great honors in his youth. He was never able to follow up the success and became an established professor at the local university. His mood waxes and wanes throughout the conversation and he admits to his own alcoholism before introducing us to the family’s matriarch, Violet; Drug addled, diagnosed with mouth cancer, and cruel. She is played by Deanna Edwards in a deeply moving portrayal; chain-smoking through several scenes, baiting her relatives and opening wounds with malicious intentions and the occasional honeyed words. When Beverly goes missing, the rest of the family rushes to Violet’s side and things quickly escalate. Actually, the crap hits the fan. There are plenty of laughs, but intermission comes with a much needed reprieve for myself. The well-timed concession break gave me time to prepare for the roller coaster ride of the second half, where the fan starts hitting back with a vengeance. Big revelations, twists, turns, and some truly cathartic moments worthy of cheers. And it’s hilarious!
Okay, when you pick up a program and open the pages I want you to study every actor on the page… they are all amazing. All of them blew me away! When I first started writing this I had to try and think about a way to make this whole thing make a lick of sense without spoiling anything, but if I were to even touch on who ALL the characters are and what they did throughout their performance it would spoil just too much. Each character adds a specific dimension to the story, people we can admire, hate, feel pity for, and just flat out disgust in some cases. Some characters turn out to be not what they first seem while others become something less than what they seem. And while I want to talk about the fantastic work from each and every performer, whether they made me hate, love, cheer, or jeer for them… I just can’t figure out a way to do it without spoiling the story for others. And I want other people to walk into this as blind as I did… I only knew it was about this family and specifically focused on the mother and her relationship with the three daughters during this crisis. That was pretty much it.
I have to mention one performer, however… the physicality of her performance and the raw emotion on display deserves high praise. Linda Dale is the eldest daughter, Barbara. Playing opposite Charlotte throughout much of the show, Barbara is set as a constant foil to her mother. The two play verbal games of cat and mouse, each one struggling for a position of authority within all the chaos. The mother/daughter bond between the two characters is strong and incredibly frightening. I was moved to tears through the performance of these two women and their dynamic with one another is heart wrenching.
5 out of 5.
Saturday, July 7, 2012
Cyrano De Bergerac at the Outdoor Forest Theater in Carmel
Cyrano De Bergerac was a real man.
No, seriously, he really existed... though he's best remembered for the works of fiction thus based on his life. Though his nose was not nearly so long as described in those fictions, he was a noted duelist and composer of tragedies. The play is by Edmond Rosand and was adapted into English by writer Anthony Burgess. And this story is about the real soul of a man (Richard Boynton as the titular character) hampered by a physical deformity. He's an artist, a duelist, a courageous man willing to battle 100 men at one time for no more than the opportunity to defend a mere acquaintance. Despite his courage, his talent, and his skill he is plagued with doubt because of the very large nose which he feels deforms his face. So while he is in love with paramour "Roxanne"(Michelle Vallentyne), he is unwilling to woo said strumpet.
The crux of the story is this: Roxanne is attracted to the handsome Christian de Newillette (Timothy Samaniego), a new recruit to the same regiment as Cyrano. When she tells her dear friend and cousin, de Bergerac, he is heartbroken but conceives of an idea to help his courageous new sword-brother to woo the lovely Roxanne by using his own words. Christian, a brave but not too terribly bright young fighter, accepts the help of Cyrano and successfully wins the heart of Roxanne. But for how long can they maintain the charade, and what will be the final cost to all three?
The ensemble cast is fantastic, providing a moving background of interesting characters who shine in various ways. We believe these people are really the friends and associates of Cyrano, that they feature prominently in his life, and that our brief glimpses into them remind us that Cyrano is just one story of many in the streets of Paris. Samaniego and Boynton shine on stage together, with the latter somehow managing to win the respect of Cyrano despite his foolishness and the jealousy between them. Act 2 truly gives the relationship between the three characters an opportunity to shine, with Roxanne reacting with near-orgasmic pleasure to the words of de Bergerac as he and Christian alternate in the wooing beneath her balcony. The epic battle scene in the 3rd act is well staged and fantastically choreographed with various duels taking place throughout the wilderness surrounding the Outdoor Theater. Use of the natural setting is uses at various points throughout the production, allowing the audience to feel as though we are in the thick of events and possibly more than just mere flies on the wall.
If you get a chance, check out the Outdoor Forest Theater in Carmel and enjoy some good refreshments while kicking back to this entertaining performance. If that's not enough to convince you, there's a juggler opening the show! Small slight of hand magic tricks are performed before the audience is sucked into the world of Paris, 1640.
5 out of 5.
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