I'm Excited

So, it's been a long, cold winter without a show for your Uncle P, though to be honest, that's mostly by choice. The older I get (no cracks from the Peanut Gallery, please - Oh, that's a give-away), the more I'm inclined to work on writing than performing. Still, the prospect of directing another show for the JTMF has me feeling young again.

As you probably know, this year's show is Del Shores' Sordid Lives, a black comedy about a white trash family from Southern Texas, gathering and preparing for the funeral of their matriarch Peggy, who died when she hit her head on a motel room sink, after tripping over the wooden legs of the Vietnam vet with whom she'd been having an affair.

A JTMF show is unlike any other I've ever done in more than 30 years of live theatre experience. Artists gather to not only honor the memory of a fallen comrade, but to raise money for both AIDS support groups and Arts Education charities. We only do three performances, two of which feature a gala reception and silent auction. All ticket sales go to the Open Arms Foundation and the James Tolin Memorial Scholarship at Mercer County Community College. A JTMF show is like working with family and egos are set aside for our common goal. I have been privileged to direct 5 of the 7 shows we've done, while appearing in the first two. This is our 8th year, and we are thrilled to still be doing what we do.

Auditions for the show are this coming Saturday, and while I admit that some roles have already been cast with actors I know will give the kinds of performances I am looking for, I am always excited to meet and cast people who have something new to bring to our considerable (and ever-growing) talent pool.

Tickets to this year's event are already available at the Kelsey Theater website. If you are unable to attend, but would like to make a secure donation via PayPal, you can do so at the JTMF website, www.jtmf.org.

If you are on the West Coast or in Canada, you can also help by visiting our sister organization, JTMF West in Edmonton, Alberta. The JTMF West will be holding their first fund raising event next weekend, April 17th at the Catalyst Theatre in Edmonton.

More, anon.
Prospero

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Dear D and My Rock, K, Revealed! (sort of)

Okay, so maybe it's not the best photo ever. Still, here are two of my best friends posing for a rather incestuous pre-publicity shot for the upcoming JTMF production of Del Shores' "Black Comedy About White Trash," Sordid Lives. That's D in the cowboy hat looking rather lustfully at K, who will be playing his great aunt in the show. And yes, that's a real casket behind them. The very gracious folks at the Peppler Funeral Home in Bordentown, NJ allowed us to shoot some photos there tonight (and no, there is no one in the casket).

For those unfamiliar, Sordid Lives tells the story of a south Texas family gathering for the funeral of their beloved matriarch, who has died as the result of a head injury sustained while tripping over her lover's wooden legs on her way to the bathroom in the cheap motel in which they were spending the night. The play addresses addictions; infidelity; homosexuality; familial relations and bad anti-gay therapy, among many other topics. The show was made into a film in 2000, starring Bonnie Bedelia; Beth Grant; Olivia Newton-John; Beau Bridges; Delta Burke and Leslie Jordan. It was also adapted into a short-lived series on the LGBT cable network, Logo.

I'm the kind of director who likes to work with people he knows and can trust, and while the show hasn't been completely cast yet, I know and trust (and love) D and K enough to know I want them in this production. Both of them appeared in last year's production of The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told and both of them will be amazing in this year's show.

The James Tolin Memorial Fund was established in 2002 to both honor a fallen friend and to make a difference. We produce an annual show to raise funds for HIV support groups and Arts Education charities in New Jersey. And recently, one of our co-founders who has since moved to the Great White North (a long story involving the NHL), established the JTMFWest in Edmonton, Alberta, making the JTMF a truly international organization. The JTMFWest supports HIV Edmonton and helps spread the message that HIV/AIDS is truly a global issue that still needs support and research funding. This coming December, we will be producing out first ever Winter Fundraiser, a radio play version of It's a Wonderful Life.

If you haven't joined our Facebook pages, I urge you to do so. If you live in (or travel to) central NJ or the greater Edmonton area, I also urge you to attend our shows. Your money goes to good causes and you are pretty much guaranteed a great time. Our annual summer event features a catered reception and silent auction, as well as live musical entertainment before and after the play. Proceeds from the NJ events benefit The Open Arms Foundation and the James Tollin Memorial Scholarship at MCCC, while proceeds from the JTMFWest event benefit HIV Edmonton.

Tickets to the JTMF production of Sordid Lives can be purchased here, and tickets for the JTMFWest premiere production are available here. We hope to see you there!

More, anon.
Prospero

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Back In a Flash...

First, a little confession: this post really has very little to do with the DC Comics character in the tight red outfit and the bulging... muscles. I say very little, because in all fairness, the "flash" figures in very much in the main subject of tonight's post. But, as you may have read, more of that, anon.

Now, I'm hardly ashamed to admit that I love Superhero movies. I think most of us agree that a good Superhero movie is fun and uplifting no matter how dark it is, while a bad one can be irksome; stupid; embarrassing and downright wrath-inducing. And while I have read (and can certainly appreciate) several graphic novels; I was more of an Eerie; Creepy and Famous Monsters kind of kid, than a Marvel Universe kind of kid (Hmmm - imagine that! Who would ever have thought...?)

Anyway, while looking for an appropriate image that wouldn't give everything away, I found the one above (or to your left, depending on your browser) and was surprised to learn how little I actually knew about the DC character also known as "The Scarlet Speedster." That nick name, for one. Or that The Flash, much like Green Lantern, has multiple alter-egos. I know... "What the hell is he talking about now?" You'll see the connection in a minute, I promise. I just thought I'd share some useless knowledge with you which might someday win you a bar bet, or at least a full pie in Trivial Pursuit (though Mr. Rader probably already knew all that, anyway). But, I digress.

The 'Flash' in tonight's post title actually refers to Flash Mob, something yours truly is about to embark upon the planning of.

Shhh.. it's a secret!

Said event is to promote, well... something; which will be taking place, well... somewhere, sometime later this year.

Uncle P has been fascinated by the idea of the Flash Mob, ever since I first heard of the concept. For those unfamiliar (or just too lazy to read the Wikipedia article hyper-linked above), a Flash Mob is a group of people who assemble in a public place at a designated date and time, perform a (usually) pointless act for a set period of time, and then disperse quickly. What started out as technological performance art (the first flash mob participants were usually notified via text message among network of friends and acquaintances), has since been co-opted as advertising and/or promotional events designed to sell a product or promote an event.

There are all kinds of Flash Mobs, and the best ones are usually just for fun. Probably one the most famous Flash Mobs is Frozen Grand Central, staged by the group Improv Everywhere, in which participants made their way through New York City's Grand Central Central Station and all froze at once, remained frozen for several minutes and then simply continued on as though nothing had happened:

And honestly, can anyone doubt that everyone in Antwerp's Central Station had a great time when this happened?:

I imagine that for the participants, a Flash Mob must be an exhilarating experience. All the performers out there know the rush of performance for its own sake. It's intoxicating. And to be a part of something that makes me people stop and smile and have a good time, is even more of a rush. Of course it's great to get paid to perform, but real performers do it for the joy of performing. Watch the faces of the folks participating in and watching these seemingly spontaneous events. The spectators are particularly fun to watch, as their expressions change from confusion to curiosity to smiles as they realize what's happening. And watch the faces of of the dancers/actors/participants as they perform. Who cares if their selling something, as long as everyone is having a good time, right?

Yes, that was very much a commercial Flash Mob. But did you see anyone that wasn't having a good time? And you may have noticed that train stations seem to be excellent places to stage a Flash Mob, but really, any crowded public place will do. The baech is used quite effectively in one of my favorite flash mobs (and one I've posted before), this clip promoting Australia's 2009 Gay Mardi Gras:

Or this one, celebrating the 30th anniversary of The Who's "Tommy" in San Francisco, last year:

And a Flash Mob doesn't always have to include music and dancing (or more than six people):

So, I am excited and full of ideas for planning and pulling off a Flash Mob of my own, especially since it will be promoting a, well... very good cause. If you're interested participating in this mad experiment, let me know in the comments and I will send you details as they emerge.

More, anon.*
Prospero

*I may be taking a night or two off this week. The Muse has struck and I am in the midst of feverishly writing a new screenplay. But I promise I'm not abandoning you. See this post's title for reassurance.

P.

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Tomorrow is World AIDS Day

Never forget those we've lost. Never give up on those we love. Volunteer. Donate. Take Action. Now. Educate to Eradicate. Go here to help:

The James Tolin Memorial Fund

Amfar

The Elton John AIDS Foundation

God's Love, We Deliver

Or Google "HIV/AIDS+Charities+Agencies+(Your City)" to find out how to help in your own backyard. Think globally; act locally.

Rant over. Back to our regularly scheduled nonsense, anon.
Prospero

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