Retroscena: Adventures in Entertainment

sirena

2011-06-12T23:45:00.000-07:00

While an entirely unimaginative name for a mermaid, it is a great name for an agency: like the one I just signed with this week!

Points for segue!

You can check em out right here: Sirena Models

mermaids!

2011-06-12T23:30:00.000-07:00

Just saw POTC 4. Came away with one definite conclusion: my 5 year old self was entirely right...mermaids are the awesomest!

What isn't great about mermaids? They are beautiful, and magical and part fish, and they can breathe everywhere, and they are beautiful and magical.

Maggie Age 5 is invigorated and alive within Adult Maggie! Now, to make myself a tail.

I know that mermaids have long hair because
1. They don't have scissors under the ocean
2. They need something to cover their ta-tas when they are being filmed/painted/photographed/animated
...but I think I'd make a pretty awesome mermaid. And think of all the time I'd save, not having to sit on rocks and comb my hair. Much more room in my schedule to swim around and eat sailors.

Also, POTC writers, I won't get into other issues I had with the film but re: mermaid's name...SIRENA? REALLY? That's the MOST CREATIVE NAME you could come up with? C'mon dudes. I think the only less-inventive option would've been Ariel.

In other arts-consumption news: I saw Friendly Fires on Friday (whee!) at the Music Box, and they were brilliant, and Rusty & I danced our booties off. Highly recommend checking out Pala, their new record.

with love
Maggie Moon

on girls (running the world)

2011-06-11T23:30:00.000-07:00

Beyonce is the best at her job.

I love me some Gaga (not so much the current album, but the woman breaks ground with a sledgehammer on the regular, so I'm not gonna kvetch too hard about this 90s Ultimate Dance Party thing she's doing), and Katy Perry is my roommate's boss...and she's pretty damn cool too. The thing I admire most about the women of Pop nowadays is how HARD these chicks WORK. They are round the clock circle the globe hustlers. Respect.

Watch Beyonce do ANYTHING pertaining to being a lady pop star, and you are watching the true master. I will default to Gaga or Rihanna when I'm pop-rockin in my car, but once in awhile, when I get on a youtube binge for inspiration, it is Beyonce all the way...

The mark of mastery is that effortless grace she's got. You can still see the blood & sweat in other pop work. You KNOW B is workin, she has been for years. But lights camera action and she is smoother than smooth.

THAT is what I aspire to. To be a woman who conquers the entertainment industry, and doesn't let the effort show. It's not a weakness thing, and it's beautiful when certain celebrities show vulnerability, or cry in regards to their passions. I simply desire to be so comfortable and so deeply satisfied by what I'm doing that when I'm elbow-deep in the weeds of creation, or juggling 20 projects at once...the look on my face is one of serenity and joy.

I'm putting together this music video for Hell&Lula, and I'm really excited by the diversity of our creative team. We have a beautiful, multi-ethnic mix of girls & guys pooling their talents together to make this little film a knockout.

And what I love most about it is the way this whole project treats women.

This all-guy band is letting me, a woman, direct & exec produce. I am calling the shots (with their input, of course!), and our star is a woman. This star is going to dance on a pole...

But there will not be a moment where this comes across as degrading, or exploitative. She will have ALL of the power.

I briefly participated in meetings for an organization called 50/50 in 2020. I should catch up with them again. Their goal was to achieve parity in playwriting by 2020 - the ratio of produced plays written by men vs. by women right now is truly disgusting. It feels like the right time for this to change.

The comedy world - by the hands of Tina Fey, Amy Pohler and Kristin Wiig - is transforming. The pop world is FINALLY full of female artists who call their own shots.
It's time for the rest of the arts world to join the party.

More on this later.

structure

2011-06-07T23:26:00.000-07:00

In this era of actual problems - i.e. tornadoes & earthquakes & bloody revolutions - I have a hard time blogging about The Struggle of my day-to-day. It feels more than a little trivial, compared to "What's Really Going On." That said, this is my own little piece of internet, and I feel an expression coming on that is greater than 140 characters...

I have not had a lot of formal structure in my life, but I was blessed somehow with an ability to fumble my way into a method that controls the madness. Before college/Nei-Play, I was an unschooler, or a "self-directed learner" as my pal Blake calls it. (Actually, I highly recommend checking out his latest initiative for the cause of self-educating: Zero Tuition College) Years of unschooling were good prep for freelance artistry, because it was up to me to figure out my education, pursue a high school diploma, get into college, etc. My parents helped, naturally, but I'm a bit of a bossy, so once I figured out I could do it myself, they were cool enough to let me take the reins.

Then, I did the college thing, and I got soft. Someone dictated where I needed to be, and what I needed to do, for the most part. The NP conservatory program was incredibly demanding, and I poured every ounce of my being into my work there. It was so nice.

Thusly once out of structured school, I had to re-teach myself how to...well...exist.

When you're a freelancer, especially in the arts, long periods of unemployment (or semi-employment) can drive you absolutely looney tunes. I know there are people out there who can appreciate a day off, or even more simply, not feel guilty for a day spent watching 30 Rock on Netflix.

I am not one of those people.

A day where I am not required to get out of my pajamas can be more stressful to me than any job, because I will inevitably spend all of said day mentally berating myself for not Being a Success. I have actually had some very Successful days in pajamas, but I have a very short memory when I'm engrossed in a particularly juicy career-based guilt-spiral.

Nowadays, I have a very helpful support structure (i.e. Rusty & Daisy) that I can call upon when in the midst of a mental beat down. Daisy is great at reassuring me that although I only went to yoga and wrote emails today, "you have, until now, just worked for 15 days straight without a break."

I don't think I'll ever be as good as Daisy is at creating Invented Schedules. She's a genius at creating activities to get her out into the world, and make a day that would otherwise be a big yawning nothing into potential networking. My skills are little more internet-y. My favorite thing to do on a particularly useless afternoon is to dig deep into the caverns of Craigslist, Model Mayhem, and the cobwebby nooks in my Gmail inbox for as-yet undiscovered (or forgotten) opportunities. Never underestimate your ancient facebook messages! That early 2009 "what's up" from that guy you knew in the eighth grade could turn out to be just the meeting you needed this week...

It's exciting to me that although I can never stick to a rigid routine, my weird roundabout methods are starting to pay off in career advancement and even American dollars! My refusal to incorporate a Plan B, even in the midst of the economic plague, is not necessarily leaving me a shoeless beggarwoman. I have a savings account now. And a CAR!

So, to other likeminded artsy worrywarts, I say: if you are in your pajamas and you cannot color-code your schedule, stop kicking your own arse. There is plenty of Mean Ol' World to take you down a notch; getting in your own way just adds to the pile of bad vibes. You can follow the path that is in your gut, and it will work out. Keep the faith, yo.

And putting on pants to walk to the store will probably make you feel like less of a Super Lazy, so, there's always that.

Crashed Pilot Concept Shoot

2011-04-30T23:07:00.000-07:00

So very proud of THIS SHOOT. Justin (photog), Mallory (model) and I woke up at dawn to get Mal all messy, then trekked out into the far reaches of her hometown (about 5 minutes from the Coachella grounds, for a point of reference) to snap these shots. Ultimately we wound up in a semi-deserted area of a golf course - quite nearly got kicked off our spot by the groundskeeper, but Justin is a genius at those types of situations and quickly "school project"-ed our way into a permit. After we got back to Mal's place and napped a bit, Justin pushed for another round of shots which you can see right HERE. I was definitely not feeling up for more shooting when we got rolling on these, but I'm so glad he insisted: the shots of Mal in that amazing dangling chair thing are incredible.

I've got a pile of headshots from today's video casting to go through and a bucket of US invite-emails to send...back to work!

xo
Maggie Moon

the latest

2011-04-16T23:22:00.000-07:00

6 AM on a Shoot. Photo by M. Silverberg

Update from NoHo:

This month has been wild, I tell ya! Wild!

As soon as I got back from NYC, I fell into a nearly full time fit modeling gig, which is still ongoing (and fantastic). Then booked a hair show with Wella. Work at SOL-LA Music Academy picked up, as we began planning a program of kids theatre presentations (with classical music incorporated) for next year, and I took over for their web designer. Add in rehearsals at UCLA, Hell & Lula returning from the road, and a sketch comedy video shoot, and you have a recipe for no sleep but loads of work-happiness.

I can only hope that this good fortune keeps on rolling. So lucky!

I'm exceptionally stoked for an upcoming video shoot for Hell & Lula's new song "The Quidam." The video concept is radical, and the team we've assembled to make it is unbelievable. I will be at the directing post this time around (yay!), with my buddy Patricio as DP. We're planning to roll into another video fairly soon after, with him in the director's chair; myself as creative/art director.

Action Scotty's in the living room, watching Peter Pan, whilst our other housemates soak in good tunes at Coachella. A part of me longs to be out in the desert with mad good music (and Rusty), but another is very grateful for this quiet day. I'll be out in the desert next weekend, wearing my stylist/MUA hat for a photo shoot with the amazing Justin Bettman & new Ford model, Mallory. So many hats!

Love
Maggie Moon

recently signed!

2011-03-13T22:16:00.000-07:00

In the past month, I've signed with The Perfect Fit (for fit modeling) and Chic Models (for hair modeling)!

Work has begun at UCLA for the May workshop of US, and I am off-the-charts thrilled about it. The collaboration is so exciting - the students, the faculty, the everything...I feel it in my bones that what we're about to create will be extraordinary.

I've hopped across the country (yet again) for a quick gig in NYC, and have been microblogging my thumbs off over at twitter.com/MaggieLevin. A longer blog is long overdue, but I've got an early one tomorrow...so for now, I'll leave you with a little bit of fun (with a hilarious/unfortunate thumbnail!!) from late January:

Seigal Photography

2011-02-10T19:14:00.000-08:00

Yo Bloggies. I had a SICK session with the ever-radical BK coffee-connoisseur Louis Seigal right before I bounced outta NYC. Have I mentioned how much I love this guy? Both of our shoots have been so relaxed and kick-ass. He told me to remember him when I'm famous. Personally, I think if I become famous, it will be because of pictures he took.

Check it: Portrait Shoot

stomp stomp i've arrived

2011-02-10T18:40:00.001-08:00

I live in LA. Stuff is bananas. B-A-N-A-N-A-S.

LovesIck

2010-12-18T08:49:00.000-08:00

shooting "ficelles"

Since I got back to NYC, things have a mixture of FREEZING and BUSY.

In the "Effing Cool" department - I spent a day being a featured "Merkin Flasher" in an Amanda Palmer video, for her new DANCE TRACK, "Map of Tasmania." Yep. Amanda Palmer wrote a dance track, and Maggie wore a merkin. As of right now, I'm not at liberty to post pics of the merkin (which was actually beautiful, and created by the ultra-cool Cassandra Long), but as soon as the video is out, pics will come, OBVI.

Also shot an industrial/commercial thang for "Real Candy" for which I got to rap & sing (funtown), did a couple of (semi-disastrous) workshops at Actors Connection, worked a Tron screening (yay for black catsuits), worked a lot of SVA classes, went to some holiday par-tays (including one for Rosie's Theater Kids, and got to meet Rosie, who is super FO REAL, which I love, and followed that up with a ridiculous Warren-Tricomi fiesta at the Plaza...), and so on and so on.

my brother gets back from russia in a few days!

There's a LOT of news recently that points towards a riotous 2011 experience, career-wise. We're definitely shooting "LovesIck," a short I wrote about two brokenhearted hipster kids - I'm really stoked about the series of collaborations that will make that film happen. Also, US is finally on the move, and will be seeing the light of day in Los Angeles throughout the spring. Yesssssss...

Deeper thoughts later. Gotta go fight the tundra to take some yoga down the block.

til later,
Maggie Moon

a darn good day

2010-12-02T00:13:00.001-08:00

Back in NYC. It's hella chilly out, but my room is super cosy. It was so lovely to be greeted by the pajama-clad Daisy and (previously unmentioned) Lex, and re-greet our Queens apartment. Previously, coming home from LA trips meant a cold, untended place, likely with something growing in the fridge. It took a few hours to get the fires burning again.

Perhaps it is easier than ever to maintain that inner-glow all the way across the country, because I had such a DARN GOOD DAY.

Here's the skinny. Last night, Russell brought up a discussion we had a few days prior about Lemonlime, the agency we've both been crushing on for several months now. With the tagline "Talent with a Twist," this amazingly awesome boutique boasts a roster of ultra-rad alterna-talent, and is run by two of my favorite twitter-folk: @ChaimMagnum and @AgentwithaChirp. They are Lemonlime, and though I don't know them personally, their 140-character perspectives on life & the business are something I look forward to whenever I log on. And some of their tweets have kept me inspired and motivated through a month of really scraping to find good quality work, and get myself as out there as possible.

Anyway, Russell suggests - nay, insists - that I follow through on a random idea of bringing a photo/resume by their office. Though I've already sent in an e-submission, and I have been told my whole life that waltzing in to an agency without an invitation is not only pointless - do it at the wrong place, and it can be very damaging. They may never call. I've heard all sorts of horror stories.

Nonetheless, Rusty points out, you love these guys, and you should go in there and Braveheart speech about how hard you work, and how hard you wanna work FOR and WITH them.

Me: (grumpy, resistant) I can't give a Braveheart speech to a receptionist.
Rusty: Well. You can write them a heartfelt note, and put the speech in there.

This morning, at 8:30, I was hardly more enthused. This plan was robbing us of sleep, and cuddle time, and I was going to make a fool of myself if I went through with it anyhow. But Rusty hops out of bed...makes me coffee...and tells me to get up.

Have I mentioned how awesome this guy is?

In the midst of packing and dressing, I realize that this is actually great. I am always striving to have greater courage, really grab the bull by the horns, and make increasingly bold moves. Rusty has presented the challenge, and I must accept.

Fast forward two hours, I walk in to the Lemonlime office with my note and my pictures in hand, and am greeted by an adorable Yorkie named Foxy. No receptionist - just puppy kisses! Shortly thereafter, Mr. Magnum emerges, I get up off the floor (yes, I will ALWAYS happily sprawl out on a strangers' carpet to better play with an adorable dog), and I introduce myself, saying something like:

Me: Hi! I'm Maggie - I'm actually on my way to the airport - but I wanted to stop by with my stuff cuz I have a huge crush on your agency.

(This is very very true.)

Mr. Magnum is super cool, and we talk about Foxy and twitter for a bit, and he says he'll give my stuff to the person who sets meetings (which I don't really read into), and I should send him a message on twitter so we can talk there. Sweetness! I was thrilled. I got back in the car, not even trying to analyze it all, just excited.

Through the magic of twitter, within the hour, I hear from Mr. Magnum:
"Maggie thanks for stopping in, I have your pic in my pile of people to set up for a meeting, see you soon ;"

And then he tweets to the general public: "Dont try this at home, lol, or at every Agents office, but @maggieLevin just stopped by dropped off pic and got herself a real meeting w/us"

Rusty and I go for lunch, and faux-tango in a Del Taco.

I fly out of LAX feeling loved and feeling the proverbial Love.

Auditions and writing and more to do in the New York morning, and it's already 4 AM EST. Gah! Bedtime.

xoxo
MaggieMoon

thank you for the music

2010-11-27T15:55:00.000-08:00

Man in Space, being awesome, yesterday. From my vantage point, on the couch at the rehearsal studio. I am grateful for a life filled with days like these.

light in our eyes

2010-11-25T23:00:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgivin', ya'll. Rusty's next to me on the couch, practicing for the Man in Space show on Saturday night in San Francisco (also, merrily exclaiming "Three thousand and five fans on Facebook! That's more than {insert rival-ish band}! And they opened for {insert band that's only famous cuz of its prettyboy frontman}!). On the adjacent couch, Action Scotty is chillin. Action Scotty hasn't been introduced via blahg before - he's Rusty's brother, a bass player (my favorite kind of person), and has a recurring role on Glee. As the bass player. :)

I spent Monday shootin a student film, where I starred as a jealous girlfriend. Good times! As soon as we wrapped, Rusty, Action Scotty & I hiked it on up to the bay for some fambly time with their parentals and beyond. I am way full of delicious food, and there's a round TWO on Saturday. Their tradition is a "small" gathering on Thursday (this year it was 22 people. Small?), and the "big" celebration is Saturday. Wowzer town.

Anyway, the latter half of my day was (ratherironically) stuffing...envelopes full of my model pics and posting them to modeling agencies.

Off to write more cover letters!

PS Eliza Cummings is my new hero. This makes me feel a bit...well, old...since she's all of 19. Anyway. Dear Universe: Please let me work with that chick.

set the world on fire

2010-11-14T14:52:00.000-08:00

HELL&LULA "Set the World on Fire" from Andrew H. Petersen on Vimeo.

Rusty's band. Check him out, on the bass gee-tar.

space ghost coast to coast

2010-11-14T14:44:00.000-08:00

Hello from the practice room of Hell & Lula! In beautiful, sometimes sunny Los Angeles. Yep. Coast hopping. Again. Well. Soon to be “for good.”

WHAT WHAT WHAT you say?
It’s true. Maggie Levin is looking at her last Gotham winter for a long while. A couple of things have happened over the past few months that lead to the inevitable West Coast conclusion.

Firstly: I’ve officially “gotten back into performing.” Okay, so I feel like a mondo dorkface typing something like that. I never LEFT entertainment, performing, what have you. However, after two years of rigorous acting training, I had the overwhelming desire to create – something other than characters. Or rather, many characters at once. Plus the clothes they wear, the music they dance to, and the lights that they dance under. Plays. Shows. And that’s what I’ve been up to ever since. Writing, directing, gluegunning sparkles onto costumes…creating.

But somewhere in the midst of creating one of my favorite things (ahem, my ever-glam'rous relationship/artistic partnership with Rusty), I hacked off all my hair, started wearing higher heels, and had the desire to get out from behind the camera. I got interested in myself as the artwork. Warholian? Maybe. Narcissistic? Possibly…

The truth is, in the year 2010, I have come one giant leap closer to the Ms. Maggie Levin that I always had in my mind’s eye. And I kinda feel like she would be really suited for some plays and some iPod commercials. So, in addition to the usual stack of creative professions I embody, I’ve brought modeling & acting up to the forefront for a spell.

Secondly (Totally unrelatedly): A few people I know went to a screening of Julie Taymor’s “Tempest” and got to hear Lady Tay herself speak afterwards. I am informed that after the talk, my acquaintances were chatting, and someone referred to Lady Tay as “Maggie Levin on acid.”
Um, HELLS YES. Show me the acid. I will get there.

Thirdly: Everyone’s just so relaxed here! I don’t know how to handle it sometimes. But it occurs to me I should maybe enjoy my youth while it’s here, and not spend it ALLL…freaked out about “making it.”

Fourthly: If I wanna make it on the level I’m REALLY shooting for, LA is the fast track. I will be delighted to return to NYC in five years to reopen the doors of my theatre company and make some well-attended art. And start raising some crazy little East Coast babies.

Fifthly: Eff yeah, fast track!!!

updates

2010-10-26T20:19:00.000-07:00

Website, freshly overhauled!

Life, beautiful!

Details, soon!

xoxo
M

are you RECording?

2010-08-10T21:25:00.000-07:00

This what Minnie & I did yesterday:

hitRECord submission

In hopes of joining "Regular Joe" (as in Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and a gaggle of collaborative filmmakers, who've made magic on the hitRECord site, at their live presentation here in NYC. If it doesn't happen, ain't no thang cuz MAKING our video was so much fun, and I will definitely be participating (making RECords!) in the future.

And this is what Minnie and I will be doing tomorrow:

Documentary shoot with Douglas Adesko

...who is cool enough to bring his project up north to Spanish Harlem.

S'all for now!

xoxo
Maggie Moon

armour love

2010-08-04T20:45:00.000-07:00

Hallo out there in bloggy land! I'm gonna go on posting Israel pictures because 1. they're rad, 2. they remind me that I hauled my exhausted butt out of bed and up mountains for 12 days for good reasons and 3. I think they make me look sort of mighty, despite bizarre fashion choices.

I'm up in the home-ville of upstate NY for a hot minute. My parentals are upstairs, sleeping peaceful. Tonight my stepmom gave me this gorgeous white eyelet dress that she never wore, and they both gave me TONS of support for how I'm running my life. Dad and her could not possibly be more gung-ho-positive that I am doing exactly the right thing, and have got my shtuff together. Which is funny, coz a lot of the time, I feel like I am climbing the most futile, crumbly mountain. I lucked out in the parental department.

Got a call from scam-a-lam Michael Zanuck agency today; that was exciting!

Must keep swimming, must keep swimming...

xoxo
Maggie Moon

readysteadygo

2010-08-02T23:07:00.001-07:00

Alright, so Israel is old news. So is this photo of Rusty and I at an event for the American Folk Art Museum (for which I did makeup for some of my pole dancer pals to perform in), back in early June. The late spring/early summer was a good 'un, but now I'm getting that summertime ICK that happens if you stay in NYC for the bulk of it. It's hot, it's sticky, it's sloooowww.

I don't particularly fancy being on vacation. I like a lot of work; drowning in it, preferably!

There's been some happenings - some wild evenings out with the gang I went to Israel with (Bamba), some short plays and long plays begun (some even finished) and submitted to assorted festivals, some gigs with White Rabbit & his band, some old furniture reupholstered...

No, really, it's that dead up in here.

On the horizon, some madness: gonna be working 'round the clock for ESPN during the US Open, along with Daisy D., and MOVING to Astoria at the same time. Gah! Plans are also solidifying for November & December in Los Angeles.

Anyway, check the twitter for the day-to-day. Foxfire & I have got a show in NYMF this year, which is badass...details soon.

Love
Maggie Moon

i went to israel. and it was good.

2010-08-02T23:04:00.000-07:00

OBVI!

tweet!

2010-05-26T22:07:00.000-07:00

If you'd like to hear me chatter in 140-character snippets, I am an avid twitterer:

www.twitter.com/moomusic

...and I will be delighted to tweet with you!

the happening

2010-05-26T21:40:00.000-07:00

First of all, TIGI chopped all my hair off, and I love it. It is me. It is the inner me haircut. I feel like myself. And doubt I shall rock a lengthy style for quite some time.

Second of all, some absolute madness went down this spring, typical Levin-style, but with some extra dramatic twists. The Neighborhood Playhouse final plays were costumed successfully - all 10 plays, all 84 costumes - thanks in no small part to never-wavering support and assistance from Minnie. I signed on to direct a play at Theater for the New City that I was really excited about, and that situation crashed and burned like nothing I've ever experienced. It's actually the greatest disappointment I think I've had, professionally speaking - primarily because it still doesn't make any sense to me. Essentially, communication was awful, personalities clashed and I was backed into a corner where I had to quit, mere days before rehearsals began. I hope nothing like that EVER occurs in my career EVER again - the lesson from it being, I have reached the point where I really do have to be careful what I'm signing up to work on.

A bizarre feeling, since I still have that fresh-out-of-the-gate panic in me from time to time of TAKE ALL THE WORK YOU CAN! But no. Situations need advance scrutiny and consideration. No more diving in without so much as a glance at the water below.

Onward!

I have teamed up with a gal we'll call Harvard on a piece of hers that goes up at the UN on June 17th. I'm part of the 7-women-strong creative team she's assembled to organize this flash mob performance as part of a Culture Project thing regarding human trafficking. Really interesting stuff, and I'm excited to see how it turns out.

I also co-directed a music video for the rock band of the lovely Ms. Foxfire! We're shooting some performance footage for that on Wednesday, but I cannot wait to get into the editing room and cut this baby together! Last week's footage is absolutely incredible.

There's some other bits and pieces on the horizon, not the least of which is a Birthright trip to Israel (!!!!) with friends, and a long-awaited full production of Gorey Stories later this summer. I am also confirmed to return to NBTSC this year, and lead another Make a Musical workshop, which is spectacular news.

The full moon has my insides doing dances, and this heat makes it even harder to stay cool...there's script writing to do, so I'm off for now...

xoxo
Maggie Moon

biz update!

2010-02-26T22:47:00.000-08:00

Here's the regular news: what's goin' on in Maggie Moon's "Professional" Life

-I've been invited to return to Not Back to School Camp this coming August, to teach the "Make a Musical" workshop with my partner Zen Zenith, as last years' effort was such a success. Exciting!

-There's finally some motion on US, and there will most definitely be a reading, or workshop, or several of both happening in California this year.

-I'm going out on auditions again; rather unusual for me, and nice to be acting a bit.

-I just wrapped up a huge costume gig at the Playhouse for their Shetacular. Utter madness, and classic NP fun. 5 nun costumes, 10 Grease jackets, all from scratch in 2 days. Thank heaven for my talented crew girls!

-In LA, I took a writing workshop with Miss Pamela Des Barres, author of I'm With the Band (among many other books!), and a huge personal hero. The workshop absolutely rocked, and it was SO cool to chill in that environment, with other super chill ladies, and write from the heart for four hours. I was allowed in for that one night only due to the generosity of one of Rusty's pals, Nichole, who I imagine will become a much closer friend should I go West this spring.

It was also something of an anniversary gift from Rusty. :)

-There's an inkling of movement on ALLIES again, as well!

-I'm kicking off a collaborative project with Minnie this week, aiming to perform in the Figment festival on Governor's Island this summer. Based on Peter Pan, and highly interactive, it uses 12 actors in a multitude of ways to turn a classic tale inside out, upside down and backwards...

-There's more! I'm just too tired to get to it all. Updates in the daylight.

xo
Maggie Moon

don't cry; mary ann (this is a long one, ya'll)

2010-02-26T22:26:00.000-08:00

Hello. I'm feeling mighty bloggy tonight.

Back in the day, I had a livejournal I would pour endless novels worth of ramblings about my own life, while remaining just as prolific with a paper journal, and almost just as personal. Now livejournals have been replaced with photos and 140-character snippets of social networking; I think I've even begun to think in status-update-length vignettes.

Most of the time, when I come to Retroscena, it's for patter about my professional life, or muse about how lucky I am, or how moody I feel. At the moment, I'm feeling moody AND lucky. And very "take the gloves off," regardless of whoever is or isn't reading.

I went to a preview of "The Temperamentals" at New World Stages last night. A friend invited me, it was very enjoyable, the suits were impeccable. Afterwards, we gorged ourselves as a pair of happy carnivores should in the middle of a blizzard in the theater district: at 5 Napkin Burger. We caught up on life in general, old gossip, and the dark cloud of a Man that still hangs over my existence from time to time. It was around Man's grand exit period that I stopped the personal aspect of Retroscena, and while I keep it honest, I try to keep it business.

Man works a lot in the NY Theatre scene. Oddly, the NY Theatre scene is a place I sort of dance around the outskirts of - I think of myself as something of a theatrical bandit. I think I'm about to launch a project WAY beyond my 25 years. I'm sending proposals out left and right and doing all manner of weird performance things as usual. But when I come face to face with real NY Theatre community folk, I recognize that I am definitely an outsider. So, I don't run into Man at all. And we don't speak. So I hear these grapeviney things, and they are like twisty twisty knives in my gut. Because I know he's out there, probably hurting someone else really badly.

Minnie and I had ourselves a decent, if tumultuous time, on semi-intertwining paths in Los Angeles last week. We are planning a potential coast-hop for a long stretch - maybe 3 months, 6 months, or a year. Depending on work of course. One of the not-so-fine features of this journey was Miss Bensky getting EXPERTLY effed-over by a thoughtless young rocker. I feel somewhat personally responsible - I introduced the two of them back in November, having no idea how truly shallow this dude was. Is.

These points connect, I promise. Right here.

I don't think that it's worthwhile to go around spewing your opinion all over the internet. I also don't think that I am going to solve the age-old question of: Why do men cheat? John Patrick Shanley did a whole (awesome) MOVIE on the subject, didn't get to an answer. I think there are a thousand reasons.

I also know that now I am a deeply, almost religious believer in Strict Monogamy. I am not gonna force my belief on anybody else, nor do I think that there aren't people out there in the world making Open Relationships and Sleeping Around and Polygamy work. I'm sure it all works for someone, and makes somebody happy. But I will definitely express my extreme sadness and anger that our world practically promotes infidelity, and that it is absolutely acceptable shrug-off-able behaviour, especially in young men, especially young men in 'glamorous' professions.

Heck, I personally know (and work with!) an actor & a director who are collaborating on a whole film dedicated to an astrological excuse for treating women as disposable. Yeah. Dude can't help himself, cuz of his star sign.

Sleeping with as many people as you can doesn't make you a rock star.

It just makes you prone to VD, and responsible for a lot of hurt feelings.

I am really amazed and inspired by a lot of the love I see spring up around me. So encountering crap like this - that brings the whole realm of my friends that work in music & theatre down to some common Lifetime drama - is super disappointing. And I can't not take it personally. I went to the Neighborhood Playhouse, where we are taught to take everything personally.

This is a cause, my blog-readers, whoever you might be. A big addition to my grand but short list of

Things that Really REALLY Bug Me.
#1: Wasted Talent
#2: Wasted Talent
#3: Hurtful Infidelity
#4: Obstinate Ignorance

Rant concluded.

let's go crazy!

2010-01-22T23:09:00.000-08:00

Look what I made!

With the help of Miss Bensky & Rusty himself, this galactic makeup was created for Rusty's Lady Gaga audition. He made it several rounds in, and looked damn amazing as he did so.

The Gaga audition was a SCENE. Rusty graciously let me loiter about and fuss over him...if I had tried to go anywhere or do anything else, I wouldn't have been able to focus to save my life. Anyway, it's been awhile since I've been to a cattle call, and this one, though containing musicians instead of actors, was the most chaotic mess I've ever encountered. Callback day was significantly calmer, albeit still strangely disorganized. Weird.

Now Rusty's back on the West Coast, and I'm back to taking my laptop into bed with me. I got hired (thanks to my rad visual-artist cousin Samantha) to do some costuming for a production of "Alice in Wonderland" going up at the Actor's Temple in about a week. The job requires some sprucing up of old pieces and the creation of some new ones. Either way, Alice is my JAM, so I'm a merry sequin-gluin' tulle-sewin' gal.

xoxo
Maggie Moon

NBR

2010-01-13T13:52:00.000-08:00

I found a dress! And I signed fancy people in, to award each other things. It was fun. I got a bunch of swag, drank a lot of champagne, caught up with old friends. Stood next to Sam Rockwell, shook hands with Woody Harrelson. It was neat.

Now I'm off to see the finale costumes that Minnie and I worked so hard to make in Talent Unlimited's production of "A Chorus Line"....stoked!

to do list: january oh-ten edition

2010-01-09T18:40:00.000-08:00

tomorrow, sunday, i need to:

-buy dress for National Board of Review awards on Tuesday
-do laundry, for f's sake
-NOT watch another episode of The Tudors
-purchase large quantity of spray glitter in varying shades of gold
-go to pole class (goodbye holiday slack-body)
-write another song on the rad keyboard that Rusty got me for Xmas (yes, i'm bragging)
-begin aggressively pursuing second HAUS venue
-continue Watermill application
-put Real Theatre paperwork in envelopes and binder
-brainstorm re: amazing fundraising ideas in crap economy with only art on my side
-invoice people
-meditate on creating magic for the masses

so lucky

2009-12-09T23:06:00.000-08:00

I am so lucky. I am so lucky. Will you look at this picture? The gifts of 2009 are so glorious. There was struggle, but oh, the gifts. I have been tasteful, and I have not done a silly internet blabber about how awesome Rusty is, but he is so awesome, I could write volumes. About how he is a perfectly complementary being to my being. About how when we get on video chat and he just make faces at me for ten minutes, I am in paradise.

On a contrasting note, there is a lot of pain happening for a lot of my dear friends right now, and I am not sure what's up with that. I was feeling hella out of whack right along with them, until I painted half a wall and decided firmly that I must return to the basics of my artmaking. Craft projects and loud music and journal musing. It's been good. But I want the pain to ease for my pals, and for the holidays not to hurt.

Brother (another gift in my life) invited me to come to a taping of Artists Den (a PBS series) that his Dad's company was doing the video for. It was a very very intimate Tori Amos show at the Park Avenue Armory - which is, by the way, the effing COOLEST place, all huge and old and beautiful and carved out of everything. And Tori! Who knew! I have a couple of her albums, and have been known to fall into a Tori period from time to time. When I am feeling like I need to wrench something very primal and feminine out of my guts. I've never seen any live footage of her, so her performance came as a total shock to me. In my head, she's a voice, and some red hair. In person? Holy moly. She didn't talk - said maybe two words the whole set. No matter. She sucked us all in. She held us, toyed with us, flirted and wailed, and whispered and beckoned and by the end of it, I had goosebumps and hovering tears. Arresting - disarming - wholly engrossing, is Ms. Amos. It was very inspiring. Many thanks to Brother.

There were stars in our murky city sky tonight. Real stars.

middle of the night update

2009-11-15T22:30:00.000-08:00

I've been a way busy cookie this week - HAUS of Plays went exceptionally well, I'm pleased to say, and we're already planning the next. I've been working like mad at SHOCKra Studio, and I'm excited to say that come December, I'll likely be teaching a smattering of classes there! I've been wanting to teach pole classes for a really long time, and I'm very excited to finally get my chance.

Play-production will be slowin down for the holidays, but there are a smattering of events: a re-run of my piece from the HAUS for the 5 Flights Theater Company fundraiser on December 8th, and maybe maybe maybe creating a dance troupe to do something awesome at a concert with these guys:

More news a-comin soon.

xo
Maggie

wow

2009-11-05T19:33:00.000-08:00

I've been offline here for awhile. A couple of random starts, and then nada. Blogdeath.

Well, for those of you that might still be listening, an update, of sorts.

First of all, I'm alive and kickin', which is always a good start. HAUS of Plays is finally underway in terms of rehearsal, and opens next Thursday. My piece for the HAUS, "The Curious Sofa," will also be a part of a fundraising evening in December for the 5 Flights Theatre Company - who are opening things up to multi-company collaborations.

That's the way to go these days, really. Pool ones resources.

Speaking of resource-pooling, The Latchkey Kids had their first event during Halloween week - The Dead Celebrity Halloween Ball. It went off very very well. People enjoyed themselves. The performances were rad. I finally got a chance to sort of work with my cousin Samantha, who's a badass visual artist. She brought some of her artist friends and they did live painting and drawing, Exquisite Corpse style, during the party. I have a particularly kooky one, ready to be put on a wall, once I have a wall that's suitable.

What else? Rusty was here for a few weeks, which was wonderful. NBTSC went really well - and we wrote "Cliche - the Musical!" in about 5 days. Pretty amazing. Someday I hope to put the piece up in full on some public internet source. I also went to Toronto for ten days to observe on Robert Lepage's take on Stravinsky's "Nightingale" at the Canadian Opera Company. Ten days in a gorgeous new opera house? Yes, please, thank you.

All in all, it's been a pretty amazing fall. Even glossing over it all like that, skipping the work on "Hurricane" w/ Ryan & Karen Ann Ledger, the trip to the Winchester Mystery House (a surprise from Rusty when I was staying with him in Redwood City), gettin' to have dinner with my hero in Toronto, free house seats to "Faust" at the Metropolitan Opera, a trip to DC with Rusty & Dizzy Balloon, a new job at SHOCKra Studio...

It's been busy times, I suppose!

Lookin' forward to HAUS - if you'd like to attend, send a note to:

rsvp@realtheatrecompany.com

xoxo
Maggie Moon

legendary

2009-08-18T23:36:00.000-07:00

"But it doesn't really matter what a man does in his life. All that really matters in the end is the legend that grows up around him."
- Jerry Divine/Velvet Goldmine

In my community of theatre-makers, we have a kind of relegion, a unique brand of faith that helps us keep on truckin' through the stack-ups of rejection. Catch-phrases, susperstitions, dream boards, and positive visualization. Tarot cards, diary entries, poetry and emblems of the future. And constant feedback and support lent to one another, reinforcing the fact that we are deserving, and entitled to our own success. There is not a working day that passes me by where I do not think:

What have I done for my career today?

or run over the series of warnings and firestarters that my business teacher - the teacher I fancied the least during school but whose advice I valued the highest upon graduation - repeated to us on early mornings in the dance studio:

Only you can get in the way of your own success.
Get up every day and take a step.
Who are you, and why should I know you?

Nowadays, no matter what you do, if you are waltzing in the realm of the entertainment world, you have to be prepared for branding. My graduating class was packed to the gills with talent - 26 of us, rarin' to go take on the big bad world. The red doors closed forever in May 2007. It's September 2009 and I can count the amount of those left fighting the good fight on my fingers. And it all comes down to the wretched wrestling match between art and marketing. Creating characters vs. selling yourself.

Sure, you can play a mean Medea, but why the hell should I cast you?

I sound like one of those magnets I'm always tempted to buy from Barnes & Noble: Life isn't about finding yourself; it's about creating yourself.

Well, no shit. Why the musing, Maggie Moon?

Because, as I brushed my teeth tonight and thought about what I did for my career today, while a good half of it was actual art-making, the things I was most pleased about fell more in the category of self-improvement and self-sales:

A yoga class. A finely composed email. A perusal of a business deal. An outfit I felt fit to converse with important people in.

Yeah, I rehearsed, I made script cuts, I learned how to make a ninja mask out of a t-shirt. I picked out sound cues and had fun with actors. But my mind circles back to a moment, walking out of yoga with Daisy and putting my sunglasses on. Where for a split second, the weird little catch-phrasey law of attraction based faith I subscribe to works, and I feel like Maggie Levin, Writer Director Producer Extraordinaire, strong and sweaty and sexy, next to her best friend the Almighty Actress. And we walk off into the sun to get Starbucks.

What have I done for my career today?

Well, for exactly 30 seconds, I felt exactly like I want to feel all the time.

In other news, Rusty, my fella, is lookin hella gorgeous:

over on the left, there, with the long hair.

He's been rockin' out with Dizzy Balloon on their tour this month. I miss the heck out of him.

Til next time,
Ms. Moon

New Show! Happening This Week!

2009-08-15T21:57:00.000-07:00

Me, Betsey Johnson, & Ms. Foxfire
Late night blogging to loud Lady Gaga. Yeah, I've been listening to her. Gotta admire a chick like that - she's a smart cookie, and she's doing what she wants to do on a humongous scale. Plus the tunes are so damn catchy...

Anywho, at the last minute, I got invited to direct THREE brand new short plays as part of a brand new comedy festival called (it's a mouthful..): "Hilarity/Belly Laughs & Snorts." I really dig on the plays I was assigned - it's great to spend a week exploring the magic of sock puppets and ninjas.

Here's the skinny -

The Dates: August 20 & 21 (Thursday & Friday) at 8 PM
The Place: Richmond Shepard Theatre, 309 E 26th Street
Tix: $18 at the door, $15 in advance from smarttix.

Lots more in the works - full update coming soon!

pony

2009-08-05T21:34:00.000-07:00

I've been riding the highs and lows of life changes, moon cycles and caffeine for the last few days - which led to my somewhat moody post last night. It's a day til the moon is full and my heart is doing jumping jacks in response. Despite hops from Chelsea housesitting to East Harlem, to LA and back, rarely ever leaving a vibe of urban sprawl, I am reminded of my connection to nature quite often. I don't care much about the sun - in fact, am not a major fan due to recent disastrous beach-begotten sunburn that has almost fully peeled away now - but OH the MOON.

Anyway, tonight was a bit of fun with Piercing Metal Ken, at the Highline Ballroom. Earlier today, a series of successful and interesting meetings. Life in the wake of the US reading has been oddly relaxed, in a way I find sometimes glorious and sometimes very disturbing. A workaholic not working can hardly feel at ease. However, it has allowed for some excellent lounging about with Rusty, and the start up of fresh inspiration, and such. There's been a recent spike in work, and I'm excited to pursue it.

More later.
M

blah

2009-08-04T21:59:00.000-07:00

i find summer perpetually confusing.

boom boom ka

2009-07-10T23:33:00.000-07:00

I'd be biting my nails in anticipation of many things, except I just got them "did" today, and don't care to ruin them.

Packages were mailed off today - to a Dad, a producer, and a rock star. Foxfire stood with me in line at the Post Office and helped me to imbue each package with "good juju." One moment I will never forget about Foxfire as long as I live: when I brought the Axl Rose belt to her apartment on the day of the Allies reading, she wrapped it around her neck in a coil. She then writhed around on her bed, ecstatic smile on her face, cooing about the "good juju" Axl was giving her. Hilarium. The process of good-juju-ing the packages was not as involved (since we were in public), but I feel it was still worthwhile.

Speaking of the Lady Foxfire, check out the totally badass Diva Talk interview she gave for Playbill! It features a mighty sweet shoutout. In fact, it's so sweet, I'm just gonna repost it here:

"I was handed [another] project by my friend Maggie Levin, who is Tony Levin's daughter. Tony Levin is a very famous bass player— he's Peter Gabriel's bass player. I had booked this reading over a year ago to star in this new Peter Gabriel musical, and the funding had dropped out. The writer and I had become really good friends because I had asked her to help me write the Heart musical. Finally I was just like, "Look, I'll produce the reading of your Peter Gabriel musical because it needs to happen because it's really good." So I produced that reading, and it went really, really well. We're actually talking to bigger producers. I'm just a baby producer. I'll do readings and stuff like that and get things going."

Mail and shoutouts aside, she & I got to chill a bit today and talk about new projects, weddings, Rock-Offs and whatnot. All good stuff. 2009 has been a killer year for our collaboration, and I see only good things in the future.

------------

Tomorrow I head off to LA to see Rusty. A much needed visit. We're in the beginning stages of a project that's been on my mind for a number of years; one that's sure to be filled to the brim with rock tunes and explosive epic-ness. And because it's my thang, there're already roles written in for Daisy, Foxfire and Rooney (from Allies!). I'm psyched to have ten days away in which to work on this and other pieces floating in my creative hemisphere. I get kinda bogged down with silliness and time-wasting busywork on the homefront.

Also continuing development with Ryan on "One Angry Dwarf," with Stephen on The Wall, and with Daniel on a bunch of things.

Meeeeeeep. Bedtime.

forever in my life

2009-06-29T22:46:00.000-07:00

How to even begin with catch up?

The US reading went...well, it couldn't have gone better. I guess this is what it feels like to have a passion project get somewhat realized. HAIR was my last big love, and sitting in the back of Rita Morgenthau for this felt similarly exhilarating. Only different. Less like hurtling myself off of a cliff and not being sure if I was going to land. No, with this group of artists, landing was very much assured.

My dear metal friend, Mr. Ken Pierce, and his photographer Peter Parrella were kind enough to cover the reading in detail, and I am truly honored. Check it out:

Piercing Metal talks about US

In the days since, I've been somewhat recuperating while determining my next move while preparing a reading package for Mr. Gabriel while bopping around NYC for the usual summertime fun. I've been missing the hell out of Rusty, who had to return West to record with Please Do Not Fight on their new EP. I'll be seeing a good deal of the other coast as the summer progresses - a mid-July visit to LA, and a late August stint in Oregon on the staff of Not Back to School Camp. Remember my mention of learning to dress like a lady, back in February? Well, my tights-as-shirt apparently made a lasting impression...in my staff bio, NBTSC director (the amazing Grace) has written: "Maggie was a camper back in 2001-2002, during which time she taught hip-hop workshops, sang a lot with Abbi, and wore ripped up pairs of tights as shirts."

Word. Maybe I'll rip up a new pair for the occasion.

Tights aside, I am very excited about returning and working with unschoolers. Back in the day, I used to get a major recharge of my spiritual battery by being out in the forest frolicking with a group of such alternatively-minded people. It's been seven years...bout time for a recharge!

On the work horizon, I've been asked to direct (or put in directing input, as I will be away for part of the rehearsal period) a reading of a musical written by my very good, old school pal Daniel Kelley. Daniel used to have a silent 3 in the middle of his name. He also used to write really hysterical, brilliant plays, and still does. I'm also directing/co-conceptualizing (there has got to be a shorter way to say that!) a one-man show for/with Ryan Bogner, based on the songs of Ben Folds. Um, hells yes. Plus Ryan (who was stage direction-reader for ALLIES, and a Company member in US) is a killer singer, and great writer...so I get to spend my summer working with great, talented writer dudes. Fine by me.

I almost forgot about working with Foxfire's pal Stephen Amato - another funny, talented writer dude. We're hoping to put together an evening or several of spectacular "straight plays" (Maggie do a non-musical?! Crazytalk!) that Real Theatre will likely produce...perhaps in conjuction with Foxfire's production company...or perhaps we'll form the mega-production-company that's already unofficially begun...

It's late and we'll see. We'll see. We'll see.

M

US Cast

2009-06-05T23:30:00.000-07:00

BROOKE JACE: Celina Carvajal
HUNTER JACE: Bryce Ryness
MESA JACE: Robin Skye

ZEPHYR: Jason Tam
DREW: Kevin Massey

HELEN: Helen Highfield
ANTHONY: Anthony Stanford

THE COMPANY
Dylan Bandy
Danielle Bensky
Ryan Bogner
Kai Chapman
Bryce Hodgson
Megan Neale
Laura Sessoms
Lauren Schacher
David Rubin
& Katie Venezia

seduced by the noise and the bright things that glisten

2009-06-05T22:30:00.000-07:00

Pre-production for the US reading is in full swing. Rehearsals start on Monday. I never thought I'd get here. Last year, around this time, US Version One went kersplat. I met Foxfire for the first time, when she came into that room with wretched acoustics in the corner of the Shetler penthouse, and blew our minds singing "Alone." I went home and downloaded the song that night (wasn't too familiar with Heart's work back then!). The next morning, I called Deb (musical director for US) and asked:

"Do you really think I oughta hire her without a callback?"

See, in my mind, the character of Brooke Jace was possibly bi-racial, small, and brooding. She definitely had dark features, dark hair, and could rock a leather jacket like this little townie girl I knew from upstate. No one has ever worn a leather jacket as good as that girl did.

Brooke Jace was not a tall, milk-white starlet with shockingly red hair. But Ms. Foxfire Carvajal had a voice that I could not forget. A voice that could and would morph my entire vision of this character.

"I think if you don't hire that girl now, someone else is gonna get her fast," Deb said.

I called Foxfire's agent. When I didn't get the agent, I immediately panicked, and called her manager.

Thus, Team Allies was sort of born.

Tonight, as I tweak the opening of Act II for Monday's rehearsal, I can't help but be grateful for...well...everything. Oh, I know, SHMALTZY Maggie. Thanking the universe again! It's not like that all the time. When things are petty and icky and like, arrgh rehearsal space and arrgh budget, I usually don't feel like blogging. I feel like watching "Superbad" or playing iPod solitaire. I feel like camping out in my house and not returning phone calls. But I have gotten way better, since last year, at that phase lasting one hour, as opposed to one week or one month. And I have been so blessed in 2009, when things are good, it is good to remember to open my arms up and whisper-screech "Thank you!!" to my dark room. To whatever forces are listening.

I am such a hippie.

In eleven days, US will be LIVE! Heard out loud! A tangible something I can point at.

Just the start, really. Aiming for "pet project" phase. Where we build a Manor with magical whirlygigs inside and out, and have King Arthur shows opening in Australia. Ahem.

don'tcha monkey with the monkey

2009-05-21T12:04:00.000-07:00

Hey now hey now! AMERICA won the Best Audience Award for the Downtown Urban Theatre Festival! How cool is that?

Click on the video above to see the 9 Americans get their monkey on at the HERE Arts Center. Matt Lundy gets some serious height on that big pole thing...

After the month of mayhem, I've been on semi-vacation out in California, staying with my boyfriend (the briefly aforementioned Rusty). While doing long distance pre-production for US, I've been tourin' around a bit with his absolutely drop-your-drawers incredible band: Django James & the Midnight Squires.

Didn't click on that? Well, click on it here: myspace.com/djangojamesmusic.

No, really. I insist. They are the first legit glam band to happen since the 70s, I feel. And I loves me some glam. Go listen. You shan't regret.

i drive a rolls royce; cuz it's good for my voice

2009-05-14T22:01:00.000-07:00

Long time no blog. Shamefully long time! It's because things have been ultra ultra busy. I know, I know. "Maggie is always busy." No, in April and May, Maggie was more busy than should've been humanly possible. I'm damn proud to have lived to tell about it.

To recap, between last entry and today, I have worked on 10 projects, or shows, in varying capacities. In chronological order, they were:

1. CLUBSCENE
A pilot for a TV show, based on a short film of the same name. I served as "art director" - although it was more like set decorator. It was nice to get to work with my pal Broc, who was starring/co-producing on this piece, and meet a lot of amicable Italians. There's a photo of me & actor Carmine DiBennedetto on set here.

2-7. The Neighborhood Playhouse Final Plays...subcategorized as...
a. The Bald Soprano
b. Vincent 1979
c. The Real Inspector Hound
d. People in the Wind
e. Animal Keepers
f. Lord Byron's Love Letter

Exhausted.

8. Screenwriters' Night - part of the School of Visual Arts Dusty Awards
This was cool - got to production manage while most everyone I know and love performed. Got to work in gorgeous new renovated theatre. Got to chill with badass lighting designer/production guru Tom Zak, who rocks my socks!

9. Pop & Death
It's as fun as smoking crystal meetttth...this was a part of At Hand Theatre Company's annual fundraiser, POP. Written by Marty, and starring my pals Aussie, Nelly, Rubin, and Judy. I didn't get to see all of the performances, since I was running around trying to manage the Nei-Plays and America, but from what I did witness of the event, it went swimmingly. And I was honored to take part in it.

10. AMERICA (eff-yeah!)
Some technical difficulties aside, this one-night-only show was just a glorious experience. This particular group of actors was so special and bonded so elegantly, it was a pleasure to watch. I may post some video from it very soon.

Oh, crap - missed one. How to Succeed at Talent Unlimited. Ah, well.

Til next time,
Maggie

lovestoned

2009-03-25T11:46:00.000-07:00

Brother in 'Shock the Monkey' Test Makeup
What ISN'T going on! Too much to blog about. I'm somewhat dancing around at the beginning of a giant, triumphant race...gun's about to fire...and really JUST about - we're at .2 seconds or something. But to break it down into interweb news bits, for ya...

ALLIES

Still truckin' along, with potential benefit performance in July. Going to be VERY different. Foxfire & I are working on so many projects right now, and she's been busy with Rooms (which you may see me representin' on NY1 or the lobby of New World Stages, depending on if they used anything from the fan-interview Daisy & I did for them this past Saturday), but ALLIES is still very much at the forefront of our minds. We want to be bringin' you Heart tunes, really, we do!

US

US has finally gone into real development - even if most of that development currently takes place in my apartment. Sessoms and I are meeting tonight to start on costume designs - and I will likely make her the guinea pig...guinea monkey?...for more makeup trials.

As soon as all the biz is done (and that's consuming my day today; fun with contracts and budgets), I'll post a cast list. Foxfire is of course, still starring, and Daisy & Rabbit in their namesake roles.

Other Shows

We're locked and loaded for Songs for a New World this August, America starts rehearsals on Friday, and I'm working on three other projects in other capacities...costumes for the NP Final Shows (yay for being asked back for enjoyable jobs, two years running!), the TU final Show (How to Succeed in Business), and production management on the School of Visual Arts Screenwriters Night.

If it hasn't been mentioned RTC has really, truly recieved its 501(c)(3) status - we are certified Not-for-Profit. Thank you, IRS! Big sigh of relief there!

Random Update

Item One:

Mama, at my age
(c. Arthur Elgort, 1980)
Item Two:
I have this big, giddy smile on my face that I've been unable to shake for weeks now...

my heart goin boom boom boom

2009-03-10T12:11:00.000-07:00

Peter Gabriel's US

Staged Reading at the Neighborhood Playhouse
June 15th, 2009

BE THERE!

ramble on

2009-03-03T12:47:00.000-08:00

Today's post sponsored by the Zep. Cuz they inspire me to greatness and madness.

AMERICA Update:

Casting went so well, and I am pleased to announce that on May 12th, at the HERE Arts Center, you can come see the following performers explore the most challenging piece of theatre-art I've ever worked on.

BLACK: Rafael Jordan
NEW ASIA: Hwalan
LATINA: Mariana Soares
DYKE-MAN: Dylan Bandy & Logan Hall
WHITE: Angela Canalese
NATIVE AMERICAN: Kai Chapman

Even the character titles make one go "EEEK!" This is good. Challenging is good. Scary is good. Fear = Impending Growth.

I'm very very excited about this cast. They have great energy. Plus Aussie and I finally get to properly collaborate, which is so grand.

I am such a hippie sometimes, but as K said "We're going off of vibes here. This is a very vibes show."

Seein Shows Update:

I urge you to check out ROOMS at New World Stages. Produced by my newfound friend Van, and lead role understudied by Ms. Foxfire, it is a very worthy evening of musical fun. Scottish accents, rock music, and a very simple, lovely love story make for a groovy 90 minutes. As you can see, Daisy & I had ourselves a ball when we attended the second preview:

Random Update:

Dad's off with PG in South America in the coming weeks. Last night, he told me all about the schedule day off to visit...the RAINFOREST. The actual rainforest. With monkeys and trees and all sorts of wildlife I can't even imagine. Apparently the part they're visiting is where mosquitoes COME FROM (ooh, fun!), and they have to get more vaccinations than Dad has ever heard of before. Even worse than the ones you need to go to Africa.

Over n out,
Maggie

u got the look

2009-02-25T09:56:00.000-08:00

Today's post is sponsored by the Purple One himself.
Not for any particular reason - one should never need a reason for more Prince in one's life.

So, UPDATESKIS.
Last I spoke was still somewhat in the ALLIES-reading aftermath, which resulted in some partying and hobnobbing around NYC as Foxfire's winglady. The advantages? I'm actually paying attention to the clothes I wear - a long overdue step in my Becoming a Grown Up. As a teenager, I was ultraconcerned with clothes...in the sense that I took great pains to be the weirdest/flashiest dressed person in the room. Lots of leopard print, stripes, ripped up fishnets, and white eye makeup. In fact, observe interesting fashion choices Exhibit A - age 17, at Not Back to School Camp in Oregon:

Yeah...I was wearing a pair of tights as a shirt. Not that they look so terrible, but that was like dressing down for me in 02. I wish there were pictures of me during my vinyl-or-neon-or-both-midriff-shirt-period. I had a midriff shirt for every day of the week.

I think I wore that tight-shirt on my first date with Man, actually. I know why it was originally created - Valentine's Day date with Boy, also in 02. We both wore lots of red and saw Chicago. Having a gay boyfriend wouldn't really work for me nowadays, but back then, it was a lot of fun.

Getting back to 2009 - I'm learning to dress nice, on a budget, since ALLIES and US are not, you know, on Broadway or in Vegas or touring internationally. Yet. And I'm finding that my guy friends are strangely more aware of how to dress than I am. Especially, lifesaver of all lifesavers, Mr. Plaid from all plaidout. He helped me out majorly today, so I encourage you...my little base of blog-followers (I know there are a few of you!)...if you haven't already, pay plaidout a visit.

Foxfire and I took a trip to Calli-forn-ya to talk ALLIES with some folks. The talking went quite well; I saw Jeff (who took an old NP reference about taco salad literally and met me at a Mexican restaurant) who looks better than ever, and most significantly, I (re)connected with a friend from the aforementioned Not Back to School Camp - Rusty. And he rocks, in oh so many ways. He is supposedly building a blog for his glamtastic band over the next few days, so I'll link it up once there's an address.

Aussie has joined the creative team for America, and we're FINALLY FINALLY casting that this week - since the playwright (K) got it into the Downtown Urban Theatre Festival. Performance on May 15th, huzzah! Choreopoeming here I come! The piece is also the kickoff artistic event in a larger thing that K is organizing, called The America Project, which will organize and connect all varieties of humanitarians in North & South America.

Expect updates to the Real Theatre website very soon. We're working on an event for the School of Visual Arts in May, right before America happens, and co-producing "Songs for a New World" with Kalish, the amazingly tenacious chick who was our SM for Hair (round 1, at NP).

Til next time,

xoxo
Maggie

review on piercingmetal.com

2009-02-10T11:42:00.000-08:00

Man, long time no update!

The ALLIES Concert went so so well. Our friends, family, and plenty of industry came out to support. Amongst them, Ken Pierce of Piercing Metal.com, who wrote an awesome review which you can check out here:

ALLIES Review

OTHER NEWS...

-Foxfire and I are continuing our work with ALLIES, and working on new collaborations and old ones as well. Which leads me to the following news item...

-There is also finally some movement on Peter Gabriel's US - I've just begun to set up for a private reading of the script in the spring, and should be meeting with Monsieur Lepage in April to discuss.

-I'm currently casting a reading (readings readings readings!) for America. Dates to follow.

-Just finished casting a video for my bread job at Orphmedia. This will be the first industrial script I've written, ever. And also the first non-youtube video I've completely production-managed. I'm proud of myself, cuz the team assembled is pretty killer.

-My life is one big MEETING, interspersed with hours of online research and web design.

on the road home

2009-01-28T11:11:00.000-08:00

Well, it's been two days, and though I thought I'd be living a somewhat Heart-free existence, I can't seem to get those Wilson sister-tunes outta my head. Perhaps it was because Ms. Carvajal, Mr. Rooney & Mr. Hall sang the bejeezus out of them on Monday night. Maybe it's because "Cardiac Arrest," lead by our musical director Paul Leschen, played each one to absolute perfection.

Maybe it's because Heart songs just make me happy.

Foxfire (is it silly to keep on using her blog-alias when everyone knows it's Celina? eh, for funsies, I'll keep up the name-game) is off in the mountains, taking a load off after the tremendous task of producing the reading. When she gets back, I should have clearer news about the future of ALLIES. For now, I am content having been a creative participant in one of the most fun, kick-ass collaborations I will probably ever experience.

Thank you to everyone that came to see the reading! I was delighted to see you all!

Much love,
Maggie

ALLIES location change

2009-01-19T19:43:00.000-08:00

Due to the closing of the Zipper Factory (frowny face), the reading (still at the same Bat-time) will be in a different Bat-place...

BLVD on 199 Bowery at Spring Street

Tickets can still be reserved at Allies the Musical.com!

ALLIES Press!

2009-01-12T09:12:00.000-08:00

The press release for ALLIES went out this Friday! Check us out on:

•Variety
•Playbill
•Broadway World
•Theatre Mania

And if you haven't already, please visit the ALLIES site to reserve tix for our concert reading!

P.S. For you oldtime blog followers (all 3 of you), what most amuses me about the press release is the synopsis (which I wrote myself), featuring the full name of the character I named after Numbers...'seductive,' and 'secretive' ol' Numbers...sounds more like Swank, actually.

grounds for divorce

2009-01-06T09:37:00.000-08:00

The Rock of Ages Set. From the THIRD time I saw this show. How is it that I've seen this show 3 times? Everytime the Castaway kids come into NYC, they wanna see this hairbandy bit of ridiculous. But I keep going with. Cuz I like them. And now, I'm afraid the thing has grown on me, somewhat.

It's only 6 days deep into January, and lemme tell ya, what I've seen of 2009...is fantastic!

I heart 2009.

Firstly, an ALLIES update: please check out Allies the Musical.com, and reserve your seats now for our concert reading at the Zipper! The script is totally revamped and pure rock n' roll melodrama. I'm sure in the process of developing this thing, it'll go through a million other incarnations, but after this last draft, I feel like we're reading to kick it out in front of a live audience.

I am so grateful for Foxfire for bringing me on the project, and trusting me with her brainchild. I've never written as part of a team before, and it's been an altogether wonderful experience thus far.

Later on this month comes the NBR Award dinner, another Baby Bear shoot, Infernal Machine-ing; Later on this week comes an outing to the midnight madness Rocky Horror Picture Show (haven't been to one in ages!), possible Fuerzabruta, a Young Playwrights reception (haven't been to YPI in ages either!)...and who knows what else. Exciting times.

Plus, Obama! Obama! Obama!

Yeah, the economy sucks. Life's tough. But I'm in the mood to say yes, and to accept every invitation. To be boldly optimistic, and stop letting the weight of the world prevent artmaking. So half of Broadway's gone dark. So what. I'll do a show in my living room.

long december

2008-12-22T12:05:00.000-08:00

Project Update:

Infernal Machine
I've been asked to assemble a salon version of the show for late January/early February. Everyone's a bit displaced for the holidays, but rehearsals for that should be kicking in very shortly.

I sent Robert {Lepage} & Lynda a holiday card and was graciously reciprocated with a rad-lookin calendar, filled with stills from Le Moulin à Images - the premiere of which I attended with my family back in July. This thing, like all of Robert's projects, was mind-boggling and gorgeous. Looking at the calendar, I caught a craving for more Lepage, and began poking around on the Ex Machina site - and happened upon the rehearsal videos for a new work in progress, called Eonnagata. Although Onnagata/Kabuki would not (in my mind) suit the Cocteau piece, there's something about the feel I get from these tapes...something about the look in the light...it is definitely food for thought.

ALLIES

US
Nothing new to report...

Rocky Horror
There was rumor of another Castaway Rocky occurring, but it seems like this project may be dead in the water.

However, having become so very addicted to the show - perhaps even worse than I was when I was 16, and habitually attending the Midnight Madness on weekends - I woke up one morning last week, sudddenly determined to produce a Brooklyn version. The Rocky Horror to end all Rocky Horrors. Midnight Madness will PALE in comparison.

I suppose them's fightin' words.

if you like it then you shoulda put a ring on it

2008-12-02T13:33:00.000-08:00

Hello from Norman Thomas high. One of my students showed up today - yay, hooray, ONE. Laaaaaaame. Thus, I am sitting here til 5 PM, typing, before I head out to BK for the first Allies readthrough.

I haven't put a title page on the thing yet. Oops.

So, in recent life there's been:

-hangtime with Cooch
-hangtime with Jon, Spunky & Sprightly (who need new blog names); Spunky is producing her own short film that Edward Allen Baker has written for her (BAD ASS!), and Sprightly is producing her own multimedia event in Vancouver to raise funding for a program called Operation Eyesight (they do eye surgery & treatment for people in third world countries)... altogether, these girls are kicking major butt in the world, and I am majorly impressed.
-meetings about America (the choreopoem)
-lots of Allies revising
-Thanksgivin' at The Commune, which was partially a Paper Planes screening as well.
-lots of Pole time at SHOCKra Studio
-the official mailing of RTC's 1023 form
-hangtime with Jive (where we discuss meditation and new plans)
-hangtime with Gold at the infamous Beauty Bar
-hangtime with Boss
-buckets of mind re-alignment and plans to hunt down representation...
-buckets of web design (blah)
-and lots of sewing sparkly things onto leotards, and spray-painting tights.

Alright. I'm gonna drink this here mini-carton of milk and haul out to Foxfire's place.

xoxo
M

Yes I's Finished on Ya'lls Farmlands

2008-12-01T13:16:00.000-08:00

This keeps popping up on my feed as friends have been doing it a lot lately. And here I am, a little bored and needing a break from the string sweatshop I've created for myself. So here I go.

1. Put your music on shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS!

IF SOMEONE SAYS "IS THIS OKAY" YOU SAY?
Rebel Prince

WHAT WOULD BEST DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONALITY?
Supermodel Diet (uh, def. not)

WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL?
Solsbury Hill (I suppose, symbolically, this could work?)

HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY?
Watch Her Disappear

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE'S PURPOSE?
Mrs. O

WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO?
Step by Step (oh, totally!)

WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?
Love Alive

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?
Air (hmm, not so much.)

WHAT IS 2+2?
If God is a DJ...

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?
No Diggity

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
Cereal & Milk

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?
Afterlife

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?
Luscious (oh, hells yes.)

WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
We March

WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?
Day by Day (sort of matches the motto, eh?)

WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?
Oochie Wally (that will be...entertaining.)

WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?
Maneater (oh my gosh!)

WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?
So Long Toots (I guess my hobby is ditching people?)

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?
Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! A Man After Midnight

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?
NPG Operator

WHAT'S THE WORST THING THAT COULD HAPPEN?
Still Not a Player

HOW WILL YOU DIE?
The Happening (does this mean that plants are going to kill me?)

WHAT IS THE ONE THING YOU REGRET?
Sailor Song

WHAT MAKES YOU LAUGH?
Boat Ride

WHAT MAKES YOU CRY?
Over my Head

WILL YOU EVER GET MARRIED?
Front Row

WHAT SCARES YOU THE MOST?
The Blowers Daughter

DOES ANYONE LIKE YOU?
I'm Afraid of Americans

IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME, WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE?
The Love of Your Life, But Just For Tonight (now that is creepy...)

WHAT HURTS RIGHT NOW?
The Beautiful People

WHAT WILL YOU POST THIS AS?
Yes I's Finished on Ya'lls Farmlands

between love and hate

2008-11-23T17:14:00.000-08:00

I had a weekend.

Such a weekend.

I've been ruminating and renovating my life, as well as repainting everything the color of a purple My Little Pony. Mom and I shuffled all the stuff around and now this place looks...well...very different. All that's left to do is walk around with a smudge stick, and I may have the aura of Man fully removed from my living space.

Love is such a strange experience. I am grateful to the universe for teaching me what it has, so far, about the L-Word, and I am grateful to whatever gene I got that allows me to fall so hard. I like feeling like I've dropped from a deathly height into a puddle. I'm still a little shocked that Man and I are DONE DONE and DONE. One expects that after a hard fall and a six year journey together, that it will not end in such an ugly, common fashion. But hey, it's all been real interesting. And I wish him major well-ness.

Back to the regularly scheduled Fledgling Director news. Which does relate to above item, regarding Love.

First off, Allies is coming along very well. First official table read is coming up December 2nd, and I will meet these lovely actors Foxfire speaks so highly of. Prior to that, I've invited Sessoms, Jive and Nelly over on Wednesday for an unofficial table read so I won't be unpleasantly shocked by anything read aloud in December. I had enough nasty moments during the table readings of US - realizing some deep, heartfelt monologue in your head sounds like absolute crap in the mouth of a great actor...well...sucks.

Saw a reading at the Lark last night with Stormy. It is definitely reading season - last week, Marty from At Hand hosted a reading of his show (which I can't help but call "School Shooting - The Musical!" in my head, but in truth, is title-less at the moment), then upcoming there's the Allies reading, Sessoms' play reading, the America reading (more on that later)....it's a readathon, folks. This reading was part of a Mexican playwright exchange thing, and the play itself was kinda like The Wire on the water (as Stormy's fella put it) or a Tarantino movie in boats. Afterwards, there was catch-up, good food and margaritas with Stormy & the entire production. Good times.

I carried on from there to meet up with Boss, and carried on...and carried on...until some ungodly hour.

I must speak of 'America' - this choreopoem I was given by a playwright named Kim Yaged. This woman is absolutely awesome, and I love this piece like I haven't loved a new work maybe...ever. It might be a years-and-years undertaking, but awesome. Bring it.

And since I haven't yet posted, please check out The Good Idea Gang in Paper Planes!

all grown ups are pirates

2008-11-16T22:28:00.000-08:00

Where have I been?

I don't know.

Life's been a little on the topsy turvy side.

But what you should know, dearest blog readers (do I have those? I'm not even sure.), is that ALLIES is set for a concert reading at the Zipper on January 26th, 2009! Wicked exciting.

Also on the horizon - costumes for Firebird at Talent Unlimited, another show at Norman Thomas. Lots of readings and stuff for RTC, although that definitely requires some extra assembly. Every night this week, I'm at a reading or a meeting or a discussion about a new show. Exciting, but I'm ready to be out of Phase One. Done talkin. Let's DO somethin.

xoxo
M

a millie

2008-11-01T12:14:00.000-07:00

ROCKY was incredible fun. I don't want to go deep into it without the photos available online. There are millions. The magic, the makeup, it must be seen to be believed.

I shall soon return to my reality in NYC. I look forward to the COMPLETION of Paper Planes (finally!), the continued work on Allies, and to one day, hopefully soon, seeing Man when he returneth from Arkansas, where he's been taking care of his Dad. However, I'm sticking round one more night to go roller skating with the Creatures of the Night.

We're pretty tame Creatures. Post-show, we went to a diner. But that's basically what there is to do after 2 AM in K-Town.

I'm very very excited about meeting Linus, the guy who ran lights for the show, who's also a photographer & a filmmaker. His site, which should be featuring some Rocky photos soon, is here. He can crip-walk. (Crypt-walk? Krip-walk? I dunno, I live in El Barrio, but sometimes I'm still just a white girl.) Mostly excited because he's also into the music video thing, and perhaps he can teach me some stuff about it.

more soon

xoxo
M

bal masque

2008-10-21T19:44:00.000-07:00

Tres successful.

I am so pleased.

Thank you so much to everyone who came.

I had all these plans for what I was going to do this evening and I appear to have done almost none of them.

Alas!

rock of ages

2008-10-13T19:55:00.000-07:00

Oh, forgot to follow up.

Rock of Ages?

FANTASTICALLY FANTASTICALLY horrible. I mean this as a high compliment. GOD, what a terrible show. I LOVED it. God bless the At Hand boys. You are truly wonderful.

win/fail/shame

2008-10-13T19:26:00.000-07:00

And here we are, in our full freakish glory. Ready to rock. Myself, Riff-Raff, and Columbia. Riff-Raff's traditional nickname amidst this group of people is Cooch, so thusly, it becomes his blog name. I think I'll keep Columbia for the lady.

Life, she is good. And I am a major procrastinator. I have spent the majority of the day, sitting about, being useless, and reflecting on the loveliness of the weekend. It was hardly productive - most of it was spent hangin out with the Castaways, talkin smack and cracking off-color jokes - but it was totally lovely. At Frankie's show in Woodstock, I ran into some faces from the way past - kids I worked with back in the Out of the Nest days, who I miss like the dickens. Miss Anna Rexia among them! O, how my life is lacking in Anna Rexia and the Mon Kee girls! A sigh for times gone by...

The highlight of the weekend, besides Rehearsal in General, had to be the four hours spent at a diner in K-Town, where we took up two booths to eat and blather and play Never Have I Ever. A game whose presence I haven't been graced with since quite some time ago.

Real Theatre benefit is next week. I have my fingers crossed so hard for a decent turn out. We need it. Bad. In these frightening times, making money for the arts is even more tricky than usual. But I believe very strongly in what we've got to offer for 2009, so we must must must achieve something with this event. Just a little something.

with held breath and crossed toes, I remain yours ever,
Maggie

it's just a jump to the left (and then five steps to the right)

2008-10-06T12:03:00.000-07:00

I am tres tres fatigue.

Yesterday's 8 hour Rocky rehearsal didn't feel so hard at the time, but boy. After a 5 AM bus ride back to Manhattan, a script drop-off, a creative meeting with the guys at At Hand Theatre Co., and finally getting to my bread job at 1 PM...sitting here, I can feel rehearsal. Especially in my neck. Or maybe that's the weird position I slept in for part of the bus ride. Whatever it is. Time Warping and Hot Patootie-ing all day in spike heels will mess with you. But I'm pretty psyched about it nonetheless.

Tonight is the first informal readthrough of La Machine Infernale. The RTC staff plus a number of actors we don't typically work with (ok, Judy and Metro are 'old hat' I guess, but I love them so...), and Monsieur Jean Cocteau.

EQUUS was phenomenal. I was so excited about it, I bought a mug. Which they claimed was $15 dollars. The charge that showed up on my statement was $20. What the hell? Either way, it's a lot of money for a mug. But that beautiful EQUUS publicity photo is on it, so, oh well.

BOYS' LIFE was fun. Man & I sat right by Michael Grief, the designer, and their assistants, so we got to hear the little whispers of final dress notes throughout the show. It made me feel excellent that there are things that even Michael Grief has to whisper about on final dress.

This week, because I am blessed with awesome people being awesome and generous in my life, I will be seeing ROCK OF AGES (starring Constantine...!) on Thursday. Words cannot describe the joy...!

how do we ever keep this secret?

2008-09-27T16:22:00.000-07:00

ROCK N' ROLL!

Just finished the last scene in the "Allies" script. I sent the magical Foxfire a copy of Act I. I hear the ticking of the clock/I'm lying here, the room's pitch dark..

So, with every just finished comes a just started:

Just started putting together a readthrough for La Machine Infernale.

Times is tough. It's a fight to stay rockin and rollin. So fight on, and fear not, my bloggy friends.

legally blonde closing oct. 19th

2008-09-26T12:12:00.000-07:00

Well, my year and a half with Legally Blonde on Broadway officially comes to a close in three weeks. I know certain people are jumping for joy that our fluffy pinkness won't be prancing about at the Palace any longer, but that's not really necessary. No show closing is a thing to celebrate; it most certainly puts good people out of a job.

In other news, the "Paper Planes" video is in the can. Fike Mox & I will be sitting down to start editing next Tuesday.

This week has been a bit of a bummer - maybe it's the dreary weather - briefly lit up by dance classes, a Guitar Hero callback, and a night at Ensemble Studio Theatre's "Close Ties,' w/ Daisy. Next week is jammed, and excitingly so - attending the invited dress for "Boys' Life" at 2ndStage on Wednesday (Man worked on their build), "Equus" on Thursday, show at the Bowery Poetry Club on Friday (plus PPAS showcase if I can make it).

to sunnier days,
Maggie

bucket list roles

2008-09-16T06:48:00.000-07:00

1. Magenta in Rocky Horror
2. Miss Hannigan in Annie
3. Ophelia in Hamlet
4. Donna in a dreamer examines his pillow
5. Titania in Midsummer

And now, I can cross numero uno off that list!!!

Seanathon has called, and told me of a Halloween-night special midnight performance of Rocky he's been asked to direct. And invited me to play the domestic herself. It's in K-Town, so I'll be out of NYC for All Hallows festivities, but WHO CARES! MAGENTA! YAY!

the exploding white privileged townhouse

2008-09-13T09:06:00.000-07:00

The reading that Kindred invited Daisy & I to participate in was quite fun. A little bit of gratuitous nudity in the piece (to illustrate that these radicals, while they make bombs, still practice free love..), but with every line punctuated by the word "man," how could it not be a blast?

Seems like we'll be doing a workshop in public sometime soon.

TheatreVision insists that all directors sign a contract guaranteeing you'll bring 15 audience members. And you have to attend an "orientation"...? This is kinda sketch. It's a non-paying gig, how exactly can they punish you if you don't bring an audience?

RTC was recently offered a space at Theatre Row for the Xmas season, so perhaps 2008 won't be a dead year after all! We're tossing different ideas about right now; I shall post as soon as a decision is made. Oh, in the midst of these troubled times, how lucky we are to play make-believe as our profession...and how lucky I am that this year's nasty failures haven't taken a permanent toll...

I'm feeling very hug-the-world right now.

xoxoxoxoxoxo
Maggie

disturbia

2008-09-10T07:40:00.000-07:00

Currently waiting for Verizon to come by the Bread Job and install new phone lines. They've got an hour and fifteen left in the designated window. I am not particularly optimistic. My experience with these guys and the demons over at Time Warner Cable is equally wretched.

--------------------

Aussie has been mentioning her interest in starting a monologue group up for actor-practice. I need to keep my chops in good working order as well, and I told her I would be psyched to hang out, tweak, critique and help shape one-minutes, two-minutes, Shakespeares, contemporaries, etc. once a week. We could work out of the Commune in Queens (where Aussie, PJ, Sessoms & Miss Kim all live), or all throw down about 5 bucks and rent a TR or Shetler space. I'm more in favor of the rental; rehearsals in a house tend to be distracting. Anyone interested?

-------------------

Man is sound board op for King of Shadows down at Theater for the New City. I went to the opening with Sessoms on Sunday. Besides the room being downright frosty, it was a decent experience. The sound design (done by the delightful M.L. Dogg) was actually my favorite part - in fact, the design of everything was gorgeous. The performances were a little, er, confusing to me - a lot of the show seemed muddled, and very disconnected. I kept wanting to yell "Talk like humans!," but I don't know if this was the fault of actors, director, or writer...or if it was done intentionally.

-------------

The first "real" theatre work I ever did in NYC, I was 17. I had an internship at Chicago City Limits, and I was submitting my ten minute play "Spoons" to every address I could find. The very prolific Theatre Studio Inc. Playtime series picked it up. I was stoked.

I wound up doing a bunch of things at TSI around that time - acting in several other plays, doing a few different runs of "Spoons." It wasn't particularly glamorous, but it was a really great, friendly way to get broken in to the theatre scene. I haven't been back to TSI since 2003, when I performed as Sudi in a show my friend wrote called "Sudi's Day Comes." I hear they got a new space, revamped their programs (they're caled TheatreVision now), and I keep seeing their calls for directors in Backstage.

So...I bit the bullet, and sent an email saying whattup.

I recieved a response pretty quickly, and I gather I will be directing a...something?...for the Octoberfest Bar-ometrics Pressures Festival. Rock n roll.

-----------------

In Other News:

-Congrats to Daisy for booking Theatreworks Christmas Carol tour!! Daisy definitely has the biggest rack of any Tiny Tim ever. I am allowed to say this cuz we is BFF.

-Please come check out RTC's Bal Masqué, to raise funds for our 2009 season. We have some really wonderful performances planned and will be silent-auctioning off a lot of cool shtuff - framed, signed David Bowie artwork, an original '79 Rocky Horror poster, tix to NY City Ballet, baskets of alcohol...come!

-I don't know what to be for Halloween yet. This is not good!

i've been working on a cocktail

2008-09-04T23:22:00.000-07:00

Standoff with Bugs.
Hour 4.
Have killed one nasty hairy spindly water-centipede I found in Brother's room.

Have not killed any of 3 Roaches (or perhaps the same one, swapping locations throughout the evening to fuck with me), coming out and staring at me and twitching their antennae and looking generally huge and shiny and horrible.

WHY. WHY WHY WHY. Because I live in New York, yes, that's why. But really, my house is decently clean. Sometimes the dishes linger, but it's certainly not grounds for infestation.

I blame the new neighbors below. The bugs no longer have a big empty apartment to scuttle about in, so tonight, they're checking out the penthouse.

My pest problem aside, I am actually working on some projects worth a mention, since this is supposedly a blog about directing. On the directing front, Baby Bear Productions is a scant 2.5 weeks away from the Paper Planes shoot. On the writing front, been plugging away at the Heart show w/ Ms. Foxfire (met her at the US auditions; she's slated to play Brooke whenever that gets-a-goin again). On the design front, I'm doing costumes for a show called "What a Life," with a company I've never worked with before - and THAT is always exciting! And on the (GASP) acting front, I'm actually reading something aloud with MORE people that I've never worked with before. My friend Kindred (who brought me to a lovely goth-trash-rock show and encourages me to co-write letters to Guillermo del Toro with him) invited me and Daisy and some other folk to read a new play aloud next Friday.

And Gorey Stories co-author Stephen Currens dropped me a line last week, asking about the RTC production! I told him we've postponed, so we'll be meeting for a drink & discuss when he visits NYC in October.

Just putting this into the blagosphere, as a wish, since I've sent the letter (gloriously translated by Daisy's stepmom) to Pierre Bergè, asking for permission to perform it: La Machine Infernale.

i like books about vampires, aliens, and whores.

2008-08-30T19:56:00.000-07:00

What I Read in the Summer of 2008:

-Candy Girl by Diablo Cody
-Twilight by Stephanie Meyer
-The Queen's Fool by Phillipa Gregory
-New Moon by Stephanie Meyer
-Eclipse by Stephanie Meyer
-In Other Words: Women Directors Speak by Helen Manfull
-The Virgin's Lover by Phillipa Gregory
-Breaking Dawn by Stephanie Meyer
-Eleven Minutes by Paulo Coehlo (this was a re-read)
-Theater Games for Rehearsal: A Director's Handbook by Viola Spolin
-Equus by Peter Schaffer (also a re-read)
-The Infernal Machine by Jean Cocteau
-The Host by Stephanie Meyer (have now read everything she's published)
-Secret Diary of a Call Girl by Anonymous

What I Watched on a Big Screen in the Summer of 2008:

-The Dark Knight (no shit, so did everyone; I loved it, so did everyone)
-Iron Man (<---favorite movie of the summer)
-Mamma Mia!
-Sex & the City
-The Hulk* (by far the worst movie of all released this summer)
-The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor* (oh, no wait, this was the worst.)
-Tropic Thunder*
-Pineapple Express
-Indiana Jones: Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (also v. dumb)

What Shows I Attended in the Summer of 2008:

-Johnny Cigar Presents: Give Me That Old By and By
-North Shore Fish
-The Bully Pulpit
-A Chorus Line
-Sympathetic Division
-HAIR in the park
-Green Eyes: A New Musical

------------------------------

Well, altogether, I'm a little embarassed about how few shows I've attended...and there weren't enough concerts to merit a list (and they all involved my Dad anyhow). I could get into DVD rentals, but eh. Even if it was the entire collected works of Stephanie Meyer, books win!

*NBR Screening

the most wonderous of all wonderbras

2008-08-20T13:02:00.000-07:00

Okay. I have purchased THE MOST magical bra, ever made, ever. At least for my particular rack. I probably shouldn't talk about it, let alone blog about it, in case that somehow reduces its power. But I MUST. I must share the shocking feeling of walking down the street and suddenly being aware...that I am being watched...by almost everyone.

This bra is also the world's best gay-dar. I am the worst when it comes to making eyes at gay men (because what can I tell you, I like PRETTY, and that shouldn't be a crime), and the bra is a fucking fool proof indicator of sexual orientation.

The thing about this bra is, when I first saw it in Victoria's Secret, I wasn't particularly impressed. It's a decent color - creamy, lacy - with this odd metal clasp in the middle. I looked at the clasp - a little heart shaped thing that didn't close all the way. WTF? I took it to the dressing room with several other options. I didn't think it would be the winner.

Then, when I put it on, I discovered the function of the unclosable clasp.

Cleavage Adjustment.

Fucking brilliant.

So I bought it.

I have yet to put it on a high setting, but it doesn't matter. There's something about the make of it, combined with my body that makes everything...um...bounce. Doesn't matter what shirt I wear. Bounce bounce bounce. It's a little unnerving, all that extra movement in an area that's usually just kinda there. But once I adjust, my walk starts to change a little bit...I stand up a little straighter to accommodate...and then it becomes dangerous to walk through construction areas.

There was a dude sitting in the showroom window of Artistic Tile on 21st street, next to his wife and kids, who made eye contact with me, then the rack, then me again...then grin...I mean, turn around dude, you're buying tiles with your wife! Dude at Chipotle gave me free chips and didn't charge me for my water either. And the street commentary? Classic.

Situation: I am carrying a cup full of Red Mango yogurt for my boss.
Courier/Messenger Boy Comment: Hey mami, that looks mad tasty. So does your ice cream.

Situation: I am in Bank of America
Dude in a Suit: Come here often?
Me: Um, it's the bank.
Dude in a Suit: Yeah, do you come to this one often?
Me: Sure.
Dude in a Suit: So do I. Maybe we'll get to be friends.
Me: Sounds great. (I promptly exit...)

Situation: I am carrying a yoga mat.
Young Thug: Check it out, brah, she's fuckin' flexible too.
Young Thug 2: Nice legs, sexy.
Young Thug: Think of me when you do that upside down shit! I put you upside down too, sexy!

I'm not trying to boast. It's just blowing my mind, man. I mean, my friends - Aussie, Daisy, Judy - THOSE girls have boobs. When I wear a short skirt in my neighborhood, I hear about it, but I'm not really the type that gets hollered at 24-7. So heck. I'm gonna enjoy it.

Me & the wonderbra must take to the streets now...work day is over.

xoxo
M

money, baby

2008-08-17T19:18:00.000-07:00

Ah, another long day at the office otherwise known at Times2, otherwise known as the Armpit of New York.

I actually don't find it particularly depressing anymore. And as I sit here, in my favorite pajamas, a brand new black Macbook charging by my feet, life in bleak ol' 2008 seems pretty ok. The LegaBlonde team got pretty deep today - the discussion in front of TKTS was economic crisis, gas prices, radical politics, conspiracy theory; big stuff! And yeah, shit SUCKS all over the place right now. All of my working artist or arts-related friends? You are mad lucky people. The most common topics of conversation nowadays seem to be:

1. taking on too many bread jobs
2. going in for unpaid student films
3. not getting called for anything
and, of course
4. how the fuck do I keep getting up in the morning for all of this?

How indeed!

It's New York (and I gotta stop watching movies about L.A. that make it seem like things might be more fun out there. L.A. is no place for a theatre girl!), and today, I got up for New York. To see my Dad's name on the marquee of the Nokia theatre, and to buy a ticket to see Equus by myself in a few months. Because even though I don't have the spare 80 bucks, I dug it up so I've got something to get up for on October 4th - a date with Peter Schaffer, horses and a play that's so good I could throw up. Say what you will about Harry Potter - I can't imagine how you could fuck that play up so much that I wouldn't love it. It's EQUUS.

Last night, Brother and I stood in the front door of a bar on 46th and watched Phelps & the rest of the American swim team take that final gold and break records. It was pretty awesome. The bar went nuts. It's not very often that I'm psyched to be American - I can probably count those moments on one hand. But yeah. Pretty psyched. Screamin' for some swimmin'.

New pretty Macbook is charged, and I have bread job dos to get up for in the morning. But I also have ALLIES, an At Hand reading, and a gangsta rap video to get up for as well. The newly established music video company has a name (Baby Bear Productions), and four more shoots to do...so look out for more of the gang in coming weeks. In the meantime, I leave you with the finished product of our initial efforts, for those who haven't already seen it twenty times over.

post fragment

2008-08-12T07:59:00.000-07:00

I feel pretty demented right now.

The reading for Little Trees got canceled yesterday, due to the playwright being overwhelmed - she's in another play, and the co-director of another theatre company.

DAMMIT!

Silly as it was, I was sorta hanging my hat on that making things a little brighter, so when I got that phone call in the elevator at work, it was like....fuuuuuck, man!

So I spent yesterday (and Sunday, albeit for different reasons) being angry and resentful of anyone who was in a remotely good mood. But today is a new day, and I'm back at the office, typin' away and contemplating what is, can and will be good. It seems to me being a freelance artist of any kind (or maybe a person of any kind...? the Suit doesn't seem to have feelings like this...) is a constant process of propping yourself up. Unless you're one of those rare creatures that doesn't give a damn about rejection of any kind, and rolls from audition to audition without a care.

zip

2008-07-27T08:56:00.000-07:00

I found another unpublished blog fragment. It is all poignant and heartfelt and such from the week that Man & I decided he should move out. So, ya'll should see it, before I continue on to sunnier topics.

"Hello.

Well, it's a marvel to me how the universe has chosen to spin things in the summer of 2008. Almost everyone near and dear to me has experienced some kind of super-traumatic heartbreak, and now I'm the last to join the gang.

Not to get into melodrama, but Man is moving out, and I am hella sad. As is he. Does this completely spell curtains for the two of us? Perhaps not. But right now, I have a little E.T. inside of me, constantly uttering "Ouch.." and pointing his glowy finger at my heart. The weirdest thing is not knowing what to do with shit like my facebook relationship status. Like, I can deal with talking to Man, and having dinner with Man, and sleeping next to Man without issue (well, sorta), but I click on my effin' profile and have a small heart attack."

So that was that. That is that. Or whatever. Truth is, we get along better since things got all horrible. The impending separation makes us kinder to one another, I think. But it is funny. This past Saturday, Man & I arrived together at Judy's birthday, which I think took people by surprise. And it was fun, gleefully explaining the weird okay-ness of the situation to Numbers. Numbers! Le sigh. Remember when...I was naught but a ickle theatre student, chasing madly after cute boys? When did I get so serious?

Something about the evening made me aware of my seriousness and determined to remedy that ASAP. So when Minnie took my hand and led me up to the bar to dance...on top of it...I happily obliged. We danced on the boring half of the bar for a minute, then switched to the better side; got two shots for our efforts, and a lot of creepy yuppie dudes grabbing our feet. Later in the night, we got back on the bar with Judy, Candie, Metro's ex-maybe-not-ex (?) Jewel, and Slayer...for what seemed like ages. Four songs? Five? When I came down, I demanded that Man & I get in a cab immediately. I vaguely remember a conversation after our arrival home about disliking fruit punch.

The Real Theatre Company is having a benefit - and I need volunteers for living statues. Anyone wanna get painted gold and walk around the party lookin' exotic?

Also, directing a reading for the At Hand Theatre Company at Gene Frankel Theatre (*gasp* *choke* I am so so so terrified of the woman that runs this theatre...basically burnt the RTC for a grand...and I just DO NOT want to deal with the confrontation...though I know I must). The play is called "Little Trees" and I really dig it. Lookin forward to expanding my little world to include some people who did not go to Nei-Play...much as I love the NP scene, it's been over a year and it's time to branch out.

A Good Idea should be up tonight - I'll post a link.

xoxo
M

it was like shooting a sitting duck

2008-07-20T06:57:00.001-07:00

Written on 7/20, realized I never posted..

This past Thursday, my first bit of directing since 'Tempest'; a music video concotion of my own for OkGO's song "A Good Idea at the Time.' I haven't directed any film since I was about 15, and then it was just me with a bunch of dolls and a camera I rented from the YellowPages. Actually, the camera wound up coming from a porno shop, and added to the story that I think helped me win that "Freaks and Geeks" film contest.

My friends keep telling me I need to get back in touch with the F&G gang, since they're all mega-stars now. It's true, I definitely should. I haven't a clue where I would find Paul Feig & Jason Segel's email addresses, which I once had and wrote to regularly...but that was about five laptops ago, and I'm almost certain if said laptop would even run, I've probably disposed of it anyway.

But, the 'Good Idea' shoot was not me and a porno-cam, it had a real cameraman an' everythang!

you walked me down 14th street

2008-06-19T18:22:00.000-07:00

Summertime...

What the fuck is going on, dude?

I feel very disconnected from my life, man. Kinda floating above it, glancing at it, and giggling. Brother is over, listening to angry Eminem tracks (it's a nostalgic thing, I gather). I'm hangin out in a cowboy hat, from PJ's collection (he used to sell hats and soap for extra cash...), and anticipating an evening of Chinese food and Batman Begins. I am surrounded by a pile of incomplete work and emails.

We're producing a show at NP in August, that PJ is directing. The title being tossed around was "Will It Hurt?" but it strikes me as inappropriate (despite it being apropos of the content) and makes Sessoms think of anal sex, so at the moment, it's still without a name.

Ah, we've moved on to bluegrass. The original version of "Man of Constant Sorrow." Highly recommended.

Out and about in the village with Sessoms, Rye and eventually Boss proved highly successful, and soothed my soul. Going out and getting plastered is not the answer to life's problems, but it definitely helps on occasion. Especially when dancing, wicked DJs, ghetto mixes of Smirnoff and vitamin water, purple shirts and intrigue are involved.

Ah, we've moved onto the Dirty Dancing soundtrack. Brother proves to be a mildly skitzophrenic DJ.

I did manage to snag a new bread job, thanks to my ever-generous friend Mr. John Gallagher, who helps me out more than I feel I deserve. (Oh no, Brother has returned to the living room with months-old dregs found in various drawers - "We don't have to scrape the bowl!" he declares gleefully) Other things on the ol' noggin':

-How to keep Jive in the country...what is life without a giddy blonde to take you out to watch soccer and speak Italian? What is life without long, bi-or-trilingual messages about lord-only-knows left on your voicemail?

-Rufus Wainwright's "14th Street" on a constant loop

-...occasionally interrupted by Pat Benatar wailing "We Belong"

-celebrity chefs

-the Grand Guignol and how to recreate 19th century blood effects

-Gas prices. If I'm assistant to the director on "Digger" and Ariel in the Tempest, I will, presumably, be driving. And thus, filling a gas tank. Blast!

-your mom...

xoxo

{it's not even near} twilight

2008-06-06T14:09:00.000-07:00

Today was one of those whatever-can-go-will-go kinda mornings. Trying to put together one scene for the United Way showcase has proved exceedingly difficult, what with students getting grounded, the boss going on spontaneous vay-cays all the time, and the fact that "Finance" (whoever they are) has become mysteriously incapable of cutting me or my associates a check. Alls I know is: tomorrow at 4 PM, my contract with the Grand Street Settlement will be complete (for now) and although it's been an exciting ride, I'm not disappointed.

A new gig would be nice, though, and I am on a fairly dedicated search for the next project.

I've been doing a lot of Bikram (read: hot n sweaty) Yoga at this shmancy studio in Union Square. It's a nice place to be, if you're rich and pseudo-spiritual, or unemployed and trying to branch out. I fall into this second category. They have a pretty sweet deal on a month of unlimited classes, so several times a week, I go and sweat my sillies out - sometimes next to Casey from Make Me a Supermodel, and his girlfriend, sometimes next to 9 year old children who are better at it than me, and their moms. The thing I like about Bikram is it is usually such a task to just get through it, that I give up, I have no inner monologue, I just listen and sweat and move and sweat and listen, and drink a whole lot of water. Sometimes I think Dear God, I am going to die, let me out of this stinky box full of sweaty people, but then when I leave the room at the end of 90 minutes, I feel incredible. Renewed, relaxed, and like I could give a shit if we have to do a different scene at the United Way Showcase because Adeline's Dad is punishing her.

Need to get a move on. Peace.

cleaning out the closet

2008-05-31T10:55:00.000-07:00

I must face it. I'm a freakin' pack rat. I have so much junk, and half of it isn't even in my apartment.

So, as it pours outside, and I am thusly relieved of my Legally Blonde-hawkin', I stay put and try desperately to part with some of the crap that I own. Some of it is really nice crap. Please, if you are interested in owning some superfunky cool clothes, let me know. I want them to have a home.

If my life were a reality show, I would say that these last few months have been "like, such an emotional rollercoaster." Only, like, I'm not competing for Bret Michaels affections, or the key to Tila's heart. I am no one's rock of love, nor am I particularly fierce. But man, I rocked me some shows in the last few months. That whole list is down, and now, after a week of post-show depression, I'm teeter-tottering back onto the horse to pick up all the projects I dropped during my frantic gallop through the spring.

Oh, oops, there's US, better grab that. Oh fuck me, I dropped all of the RTC season shows too? Crap.

There's only so many shows a person can pull off at one time. Boy did I learn that the hard way.

Last night, in between screeching phone arguments with Man, Daisy & I helped Aussie & PJ repaint their old room white - having just moved into their full-on HOUSE in Astoria. As we slathered on a few coats of the cheapest paint the local hardware place could offer ($17.99 a can, and it lived up to its price), and danced around the perimeter of their abandoned bed-bugged bed, PJ started up the theatre nostalgia questions.

PJ: What was your first role in a play?
Aussie: I played a daisy in a spring performance.
Me: I was Mother Earth in Snow White. Even though there is no Mother Earth in Snow White.
Daisy: That is so Woodstock.
PJ: So what were you, Daisy?
Daisy: I was Maria in Twelfth Night. In Shakespeare Camp.
Me, Aussie, PJ: Whoooo, fancy!

I like my friends.

I need to pack for Woodstock. Now everything looks so cleaned-up and serene - even Man, who's asleep on the couch - I don't want to leave it. But I have more closets to gut through up there, and a Grandma to visit.

xoxo
M

award show thought

2008-02-24T20:31:00.000-08:00

I would really like to win one of those, like, right before a big Nei-Play reunion or something. A Tony. Yeah. I said it. I would like two other people I know to win some also. And I'd like 'em all to be for the same show.

I would file this under "do-able."

Come on. Don't act like you don't want one too.
You know you spend tonight planning your speech.
You wouldn't be a normal performing artist if you didn't.

We did a wicked-fun photo shoot this morning for the PG project (Boy, Man, Aussie, PJ, Babydoll, and Boy's boy all took part)....for which it was difficult to wake up on time, as I spent last night watching the Nei-Play Shetacular 2008 and drinking altogether too much. Last night actually marked my first time ever leaving Blackstone's in a good mood. As I reflected to Man when we arrived home, it was much due to the fact that I {well, we} were able to do 'the fun part' of acting like single people, but still wind up at home with each other. I will be the first to admit, I flirted SHAMELESSLY with a couple of people (cough...cough...Kiwi...cough), then ran around with Man actually unhooking girls' bra straps...yeah. And I managed to exit the bar in this jovial mood! Most nights I've spent in a shameless flirt at Blackstone's end up with me, or one of my girlfriends, crying or almost-crying, and storming home drunk and unhappy. So score for changing history!

Um...over n out.

hey, what's your rush, what's your hurry

2008-02-23T13:20:00.000-08:00

a horrible habit, beating mysteries bloody
they simply don't scream

i am dying to know your secret
at the same time, loving how elegantly it is kept from me
cupped ever so
in your mouth
and your ear, pressed to my ribs

i think you know everything
when you listen like that.
not meaning to, my skin starts to gossip
it gets ugly, man.

forgive me
sometimes i'm a painfully
regular girl
trying to stamp and file what came to her
from the stars.

grey skies are gonna clear up

2008-01-23T08:56:00.000-08:00

Been up for eight hours on two hours of sleep, and it's only noon! Man and I are literally on opposite schedules - he went to bed just as I was leaving the house this morning. Albeit I was leaving at five AM to work a SpikeTV Pros VS Joes event at Madison Square Garden. Now I've come home, crawled into bed, and awakened him so he can get to work by one.

Lots is new, and lots is awesome. Man moved from Texas to NYC, and we are having a time of it. We did, in fact, have champagne in Tennessee on New Years' Eve. We are nearly moved out of the apartment on 106th street, which is depressing, but onwards and upwards! We are moving uptown by a few blocks, into Mom's apartment - as she is moving out, to live with Teach! It's quite the shuffle. Most of our days consist of downloading an absurd amount of movies, trading pants, working weird hours, doing RTC biz and chattering to each other in strange voices.

Heath Ledger died. What the fuck.

I got this fantastic job, working with kids in the Drop-Out Prevention Program at Norman Thomas High School, here in Manhattan. I'll be directing the first play they've done in 15 years, and I think we'll be writing an original. The woman who hired me was interested in putting up "Waiting for Godot" with a similar design to the Out of the Nest production I did a few years ago, but when I got to the site, the kids seemed way...disinterested in that. I'll take my cues off them and see what we can put together. Either way, I'm following through on the promise I made to myself when I walked out of the Central Park Boathouse in May 2007 - if I have to starve first, I will make my living in the theatre realm, and I will not take a shitty full time bread job.

And I have nearly starved (in fact, still working on crawling out of the hole a bit, but I can see the light) waiting for a job - this job - the right job. Here I am. STOKED, man.

And look out for the RTC, because we are about to do a HUGE marketing and fundraising push...because we have all kinds of good stuff up-n-comin.

2008 SHOW SCHEDULE (thus far):

1) Tango Ballet Performance
by Sophomore Dancers at Talent Unlimited HS
When: February
Role: Costume Designer

2) Decades Ballet Performance
by Junior/Senior Dancers at Talent Unlimited HS
When: March
Role: Costume Designer

3) Beckett Shorts including Catastrophe, Play, and Come & Go
by The Real Theatre Company at Trinity High School, Talent Unlimited, and possibly other schools
When: Throughout the spring
Role: Director/Producer

4) Untitled Show
at Norman Thomas High School
When: May
Role: Producer/Director, possibly Playwright

5) Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
at Talent Unlimited HS
When: May
Role: Costume Designer

6) How I Learned to Drive
by The Real Theatre Company at Theatre Row (directed by PJ)
When: June
Role: Co-Producer

7) Gorey Stories
by The Real Theatre Company
When: October
Role: Director

8) Bye Bye Birdie
by The Real Theatre Company
When: December
Role: Director

Holy...gosh. It's only January and there's 8 shows booked. I'm terrified, but that's like catnip for me. I wanna put that list on the floor and roll around in its wonderful fantasticness.

Oh, and as of yesterday, I've been fingerprinted by the Department of Education - I'm in the system, man. Eeeeek!

merry

2007-12-24T20:18:00.000-08:00

Brother is listening to the All Saints. Or rather, Brother is having us all listen to the all saints. "All" being Sarah Mae and myself. It's 12:30 AM on Christmas Eve/Christmas Morning. For everything being so super different, this scene is remarkably like last year.

The differences:

-Brother is only here for a few weeks, before returning to snowy Wisconsin to continue his edumacation at Lawrence College. There are so many people whose college graduations I am HIGHLY anticipating, and his is certainly the highest. Let's see...three and a half years left to go!

-I will be going to Arkansas in two days. "But ah," you say, "You did that very thing last year." Correct! But last year I did not return with Man and all of Man's earthly posessions in a rental van. Last year I spent New Year's at the apartamento, making Pina Coladas and playing Scene It!, and following drunken friends in the rain through the village. This year, I will be in a hotel, probably in Tennessee, and I will hopefully be pouring champagne all over Man's chest.

Ahem.

-Mom's new boyfriend, Teach, is here. I am a fan of Teach. He fits in with all the weirdness here.

---------------

And without further adieu, I will start a new entry for THE BEST of 2007.

cover letters

2007-11-25T21:05:00.000-08:00

"I am an actress who sings, dances, and sparkles. I'd love to show you what I can do if there are still appointment times available!"

"I am reliable, responsible, articulate and educated."

"In-your-production you say. Well wait till you get a loud of me. Thank you for your time none the less"

"My goal of the acting is to build the only one character in the world as an actor for each play or film."

"I recently shot a Heinz Ketchup commercial, and am currently climbing the film/theatre/entertainment industry ladder. It would be an honor to work with you."

"Dear Abby Marcus:"

"Please accept this P/R in consideration for an audition. I do not sing, as you can see form my resume, but I would love the oppertunity to be a part of your Theatre company." (This girl goes on to list her name, and beneath it, "Actor/Writer.")

"Dear Blank:"

"I have two contemporary monologs." (This was all the note said.)

"Very goo dear with dialects as well."

"What is this you are casting? I feel lost and alone and unsure of your specifications."

"As you can notice it, I'm french. I think that's could be a great advantage for such a part. My accent, I think, is not that much pronounced but it could help for the part you're trying to fill."

"Wait!!! I know you must be getting a million resumes each day, but are you looking for a creative actress/Solid Gold dancer/dog groomer/janitor for your upcoming season?"

blubberface

2007-11-24T22:00:00.000-08:00

Just saw the Dead Poet's Society for the first time, and I cried like a freakin' baby.

Full moon or great movie?

Jury's still out.

won't you step into this cloud of steam

2007-11-05T16:26:00.000-08:00

I think it's time to go back to New York now. I've got that feeling.

hot thing

2007-10-27T13:01:00.000-07:00

I denied that it would happen to us. That syndrome the teachers warned us about and I saw happen to the class of 06 as the spread and scattered throughout New York and the world and tried getting their careers started. But here it is. The big, gaping yawn of WHAT NOW? We're all surviving, but when I look at it and take stock, I get kind of depressed.

Here I am. Temping and shooting student films in Texas. Sometimes all I want is to go back to New York on the spot, but other days, I never want to return to "reality."
Boss went to Europe. She wants to come home, she wants to stay, she's not sure what she wants.
Sessoms is stuck in NYC. She took the good job, and will be selling wedding dresses soon. And she's dreading it.
Daisy D. called me yesterday and for a half hour, she and I bemoaned our complete lack of artistic impulses.
Man doesn't know what he wants to do with his life. Again.
So what, is this just a trend hitting my particular group of friends?
Because it seems like several months after getting out of school, this happens to everybody.

So my question is, when the fuck does it end?
I'm tired of floundering. I'd like some solid answers and some success. Which means I can't afford NOT to have artistic impulses. Is it easier to take a real break or will it be impossible to pick up again from a dead stop?

Aaarrrrgh.

howdy

2007-10-22T23:48:00.000-07:00

A catalogue of what I did today.
I took a modern dance class for the first time in I don't even know how long. I finished The Other Boleyn Girl and am tempted to purchase other Phillipa Gregory fictionalized history novels. I attempted to start reading Les Miserables and thought again how odd it is that I've never seen that show. I drove the big gold pick-up that the only other Jew in Austin has generously lent to me for the next few weeks. I drove it, and my boyfriend, to a Wal-Mart at one AM so we could look at TVs. I watched him clean things. I made pancakes. I went to a job interview. I decided I'm probably going to work at a Starbucks for a few weeks. I skipped a student film audition.

I don't really know what this period of time means in the grand scheme of things, but I think I can be okay with that.

games without frontiers/war without tears

2007-09-25T01:11:00.001-07:00

Claude died in his Converse sneakers tonight.

That is the only negative comment I will let fly from my mouth (or uh, keyboard) about the Public's concert presentation of "Hair," which I saw tonight at the Delacourte Theatre. Being as ingrained as I have been in the HAiR universe, I was beyond lucky to not only see it for free, but without waiting in any kind of line whatsoever. I say this not to brag, but to acknowledge my good fortune and to emphasize something I wish several people had when they came to see our show for free: any piece of theatre that is well put together represents the sweat and blood of many many people. If you see the final product and don't even pay for it, to speak against it is both selfish and spoiled. As if their work was done just to please you, and you didn't even shell out a dollar for it.

However. I have shelled out many a dollar to acquire my opinions and understanding of HAiR. Both myself and the company have researched this thing beyond reason. What I appreciated most tonight was where I could see, very clearly, Jim's hand in the piece. Bizarre for me, the former fan of freewheeling actor riffing and taking a piece and fucking with it until it's barely recognizable. For so long, I was little miss mess-with-it. But you know...I spent so much time, with so many dedicated and brilliant people, learning what the sinews and the soul of this piece are. So I found myself searching for that. And I found it. It was small, but there it was - shockingly, in the show's starlet, Mr. Jonathan Groff.

Just saw Spring Awakening two weeks ago. Was very confused that they cast this...um...spitter...in this uber famous tricky role, despite his obvious vocal talent and nice looks.

But there it was! In the acting of the scenes - not really in the songs, which I gather were discussed a lot more musically than they were acting-wise - I could see Jim's work. I could see that Jim had explained what he was talking about. Which is MANDATORY, I think, for HAiR. Someone's gotta sit the leads down and be like: "Look. You're saying THIS. Not THAT or THAT, but THIS. It's up to you how to act it, but know that this is the definition of what is coming out of your mouth."

Because it's not obvious. It's very very confusing to look at the HAiR book cold. You miss 80 percent of it without a tour guide. I was so blessed to have one of the two who could do it best, plus several others - Nina Dayton, Anthony D'Amato, Robert Camuto.

But I digress. The point is, after the trip, when Mr. Groff started in on wanting to be invisible, I saw that he got it. Maybe not pitch-perfect, maybe a few more weeks before he felt really in it, but he knew what he was saying, and so he came out and said it, and I was with him, man. I dig it. I dig it.

Now as for the platform shoes on various tribe members...I don't. I don't.

endless rain into a paper cup

2007-09-20T22:58:00.000-07:00

I met Julie Taymor at the New York Film Festival premiere of Frieda. I didn't buy the book, so I asked her to sign my journal. She was kind of a bitch about it, but I liked her anyway. How could I not? For an aspiring female theatre director, there's not a lot of folks out there to idolize. There's Taymor and there's Zimmerman. I'm sure someone more academic than I could list off a bunch more, but the directors I know about are mostly...well...men. So Taymor takes the cake.

I saw Across the Universe tonight. This is not my review of it. I had a wonderful art-experience, and that is all I would like to say. If I go into further detail, I'll start critiquing, and I would rather not ruin the experience by picking it apart.

Man and I are on a vacation, of sorts. I don't know how we're managing it, but we are. HAIR Part II ended and we are tying its' loose ends, while slowly floating through New York, Woodstock. There's talk of Austin soon. We have good company meetings. We watch a lot of movies. We learn to exist with each other on a regular basis, which neither of us is accustomed to. Mostly we talk about work, and the shows we want to put on, and the sort of empire of artmaking we are interested in creating with the people we love. He has a mouth on him, that boy. Boy oh boy. Today we were down at the Public, passing costumes back to Mr. Rado, and Jim politely asked, sorta excited, if we were coming. Man explodes:

"You mean paying 200 dollars or standing in line all morning? FUCK no."

I blush, but sure enough, Jim stammers something about maybe being able to get us some. I won't count my chickens, but it was sort of a nice surprise to be even worthy of consideration.

I am worried about my friend, who I love, and who is sad right now. I wish I knew how to fix things for her.

There's a lot of things on the horizon. Plenty of plays and such. Right now I'm coasting, and craving a cup of tea.

mid-afternoon thought

2007-08-09T11:03:00.000-07:00

Why am I so damn sad?

no comment

2007-08-07T22:15:00.000-07:00

More than awhile.

The directing life has been time consuming. The life has been time consuming.

We're doing HAIR again, yes indeedy. Rehearsals have begun and they're going gorgeously. However, I find myself daily in this producers...tangle. Pun absolutely intended. The worst part about it being that I can no longer open my big mouth about damn near anything. My conversations have become so peculiar, as I pick and choose, weed out and wonder when I'm saying too much. I used to publish my entire life in my livejournal. Down to some really personal details and bad poetry. And because I'm working with my friends most of the time, it's even worse, because my instinct is to just throw everything on the table. But in the interest of making everything work seamlessly, I must bide my time, wait for concrete decisions and news, and save the blow-by-blow for those that must know.

Some cool features of the last week:

-Kick ass fundraiser party, thrown at the Shetler Penthouse, organized by Boss. Johnny G came out and threw us some majorly awesome support, everyone had a grand time, and a fella I met on my layover in Chicago a few weeks ago, who we'll call Piano, came by. I think Piano will be a friend for quite some time now.

-The HAIR archives, Bill Louis, Nina Dayton...and getting lost with my posse in Hatfield, MA, when all we wanted was some ice cream. Mice in the bed. Amazing breakfast. Beaver! The crab. Snipe hunting.

-OM-ing in the Theater Row elevator with Geoffrey, Jim, Jake, Stephen, Laura, and Linz.

oof, bedtime.

a little more regular

2007-07-05T16:51:00.000-07:00

Okay, now that I got that wacky post out of my system, I am trying to beat my flyaway brain and post something tangible. Despite the heavy haze, I have a feeling I'm going to need to remember this period of time. It seems significant.

So "Hair" opened and "Hair" closed. Without a doubt the most difficult mounting of a show I've ever experienced, because of the scale, and because for the first time ever, really, the buck stopped here. So every major problem came down to me. Which was incredible, and I learned so much so fast, which contributed heavily to my shellshockyness right now. But before you get the idea that I'm bitching, I had a LOT of help. My nearest and dearest were all sewing and shopping and sorting and light hanging and fuckin' a did that show take a village. It took our village. And we got it done.

We got it so done, people we didn't even know came back all three nights. Tom O'Horgan came and saw the show, and Jim came three times. Even though there were of course parts that could have used some polish, I never EVER expected the quality level of our show to be so high. Thursday night, the band was in such shambles that our limited audience left, and then I left at the end of the first act because I was so appalled and upset. That night Sessoms, Kingston and Man went for food after we'd shut NP down, and I passed out in Man's lap, right in the booth. I listened a little as they talked about how to fix it. I was thinking about pulling the plug.

And then wham bam. Awoke in the morning, and Man let me flip the fuck out, and sit on my couch paralyzed and crying and sure we were going to be a tremendous failure. Then we headed to the theatre and got down to business. Like ya do. Throw a little tantrum, then realize that a lot of people are there not only counting on you, but HELPING you, and you buckle down, fire the bassist, and call a goddamn piano tuner. And then run around and paint Apache, and realize that everyone pretty much fuckin' rocks, and when curtain time comes, the audience overflows into the aisle, sitting on the floor.

The Real Theatre Company is rolling. We even got our first review:

"And as for HAIR, I saw this weekend long non-Equity revival at the
Neighborhood Playhouse on 54th Street, where I had never been before.
The cast was made up primarily of Neighborhood Playhouse students and
alumni. Since they did not cut a single number from the score - they
even did "Dead End" and "The Bed" - it ran three hours. Luckily, it
was a very good production. And the more I think about it, it was
eerily authentic. Why? Because HAIR is not meant to be a polished
show. It's supposed to be a happening, an Off-Off-Broadway piece of
alternative theater, though once on Broadway. Here was a production in
a small intimate space, where most of the cast was not vocally
outstanding, but totally committed physically and dramatically. It is
this kind of authenticity that professional concert productions of
HAIR - Actors Fund, Encores - all lack."

-Matt Windman AM NY

Yay!

s-e-x, y-o-u, wooooow

2007-07-05T16:00:00.000-07:00

Hairache and Hair triumph leads to skitz brain, tres similar to effects of long term acid use. Think in little fragments or long drawn out conversations. Good for reading, wretched for writing. Email skills even have deteriorated.

Roommate purchases Harry Potter tickets. Just saw Transformers. First two movies I have/will have seen since March. My life and directorial experiences are moving along at such a rapid pace, I feel like I'm on a pull string attached to a Kawasaki goin full tilt on a superhighway. Can no longer do math. Amazing shows. Amazing Blackfoot Tunkashila.

Need to eat healthier. Show diet consists of coffee and everything purchasable within one block radius of Playhouse, i.e. bagels, sandwiches, sushi, and Starfucks.

Last night of the show, ran about trying to dispose of mass quantities of condoms donated to our company by the city. Three cases, three thousand units, plus a thousand little lube packets. I filled Soulflower's entire backpack, plus her boyfriend's (Flapjack), and gave bags to Apache (aka Cali) & Desert Dawn. How many pounds of condoms and glitter and come to the Be-In flyers did we chuck? Did Mr. B really ask us to come back anytime? Is this really my life? Am I really being pitched and pulled and have I really put myself here?

Indeed I have.

I pulled the Knight of Cups yesterday, when I asked my Tarot deck the Tarot-question equivalent of "What the fuck, yo?"
A proposition in the field of art.
Well what do I do about that?
The Chariot.
Ride out the storm. Get ready to be pulled in many directions. Steer hard, stay steady, strong, and success is guaranteed.

So I have my hands on the reins. I'm reading a lot. I am lighting some candles. I am trying to return to my body and my normal mind, so doing things like getting an eye exam this morning helped. But I dunno, kids. Life has kinda grabbed me full force, so I think I gotta just go with it.

Trippily yours,
Maggie

beads flowers freedom happiness

2007-06-14T10:29:00.002-07:00

Directing this woolly mammoth of a show is the greatest kamikaze director/producer experience of my life so far. Thank God a month ago I opted for semi-poverty and did not take a bread job. Every waking hour (with the exception of a few minutes here and there where I maybe, possibly talk about something else) is devoted to combing this tangly Hair.

Woof, formerly known as White Rabbit, calls me on rehearsal days for check-in. His call today made me laugh a lot. When I told him we were adding him into "White Boys," with Sarah & Kim, he said okay. A few minutes later he says:

"Oh, KIM! I thought you said Tim. And I first I was like, who the hell is Tim? But then I figured it's just one of those people that gets added in last minute like in every Maggie Levin production."

It's too true. I am the queen of "Of course you can be in it! Yes! Come in! No acting experience? No music experience? Never been to a theatre before? Ah, fuck it, the more the merrier."

Although I have been a bit more selective, and gathered quite a talented bunch for this show, the nature of No-Pay Theatre is...sometimes you take what you can get. Another aspect of No-Pay Theatre - a lot of people are bound to flake. So back up people are muy importante.

But I didn't wanna talk about the pitfalls. There's so much good, and there's two weeks left. I wake up with Easy to Be Hard in my head, and go to sleep with the Electric Blues. To be perfectly frank, there's a lot of um...BALLS...in this show. Our girls are awesome, and gorgeous (and rather well endowed in the rack department), but normal in the modesty department. The boys? Ridiculous. Woof in particular - I'll turn around to give someone a note, and when I turn back, WHAM! Where'd his pants go? Who knows? And he won't put them back on unless I tell him he's distracting me. I know I should be able to just adjust...it's just a body...but with a cast that is all clothed, but for one...well, it pulls one's eye, for sure.

We have a fundraiser party, and a rehearsal tonight. I must go hang tapestries in our party room, and prepare for the draft card burning scene.

HAIR

2007-06-14T10:29:00.001-07:00

Directed by Maggie F. Levin
Choreographed by Wilhelmina Frankfurt
Musical Direction by Peter Saxe

Starring: Adam Schneider, Anthony Stanford, Crystal Price, Emma Canalese, Geoffrey Bryant, Helen Highfield, Jake Hartmann, Jefferson Rogers, Jessica Walck, Kai Chapman, Katie Venezia, Kimberley Mitchell, Laura Sessoms, Lauren Schacher, Lindsay Bleier, Logan Hall, Mack Exilus, Ryan Stone, Sarah Jones, Stephen Winburn & Steve Lundberg.

The Neighborhood Playhouse
340 East 54th Street between 1st and 2nd Avenue

June 29th at 8 PM
June 30th at 2 & 8 PM
July 1st at 8 PM

united & divided

2007-05-30T21:53:00.000-07:00

Hullo all you cats out there in blag land.

It's been awhile.

I was just flipping through my first year journal and getting a little sad that I don't seem to write much, anywhere, anymore.
The truth is, I thought that my post Nei-Play days would slow down a tad, and give me time for mass reflection. But it seems on "Red Doors Close Forever" day, everything just sped the fuck up.

We're less than a month away from Hair's opening night. I know this is supposedly my director blog, and I should have been keeping up with all of the exciting crazy news. But it seems that the HAIR universe is hard to blog about - the business side of it is super businessy and swarming with politics (funny, for a show about hippies, to have all kinds of politics), and the artistic side of it seems to be finding its' way. However with a (radiantly gorgeous talented and ridiculously cool) cast of 21 people, sometimes I feel like I need to pull a director stereotype, and get myself a chair, a hat, and a bullhorn. Then start shouting:

"YEAH! CHRISSY! TAKE A HARDER DRAG OFF THAT JOINT!"
"BERGER! DON'T JUST MIME HUMPING HER! REALLY DO THAT!"

Et cetera.

But on the real, folks, running a theatre company is some tough stuff. As I poured my philosophical soul out to someone at a Starbucks today, I got into talking about why I do what I do. About how anyone who gets to do theatre is SO fucking lucky. We are smiled upon by the Gods, man. To get up in the morning and go the theatre to play? Even to go to the bank and do banking for my theatre company is a privilege. I am a blessed human being to be in this industry, no matter how much hell it puts me through.

I am trying to think about these sorts of things as I strap on the ol' boxing gloves to go out there every afternoon. At every corner, there are little monsters, hiding out and waiting to take you out of the race. No one wants to shell out money to a fledgling theatre company. I can't yell at my musical director for missing rehearsal because he had to take care of his sick four-year-old brother. I can't get angry with my unpaid cast for missing rehearsals so they can work and make rent. Every step of this process, there's little kinks and quirks, and I can't iron them out, I am powerless against them. Sometimes when I get into the studio, I'm amazed I have a creative bone left in my body, because I've spent the day trying to be a producer, a director, a company manager, a promoter, a financial director and a designer all at once. My phone bill is through the fucking roof, and I can't take a regular job, because this show can't happen if I go to work.

Wow. I didn't think I was going to let myself talk about all that.

But the upshot of it is, it's all happening. Really happening.

And the people who are in and around this show are just incredible.

Incredible.

And I love them.

I am so fucking lucky.

a little supernatu naturalitee

2007-05-06T21:34:00.000-07:00

I FINISHED THE GREEK PLAY.

Now to finish all the costumes for Footloose, all the performance of Metropolitan Operas, and attend all the first year final-scenes this week, without losing my mind, killing someone, or crying in front of Blackstone's. Again.

RTC was invited to a theatre networking event that I will post info about very very soon. I think all actors, designers, etc. should go to this thing - I was invited by Emily Oh, who, since Alice, has taken on marketing as her thang. And she's quite good at it too. You can check her out at emilyowenspr.com.

Also, after being very very wrapped up in Final Pros over at NP (where the whole gang is kickin' major ass - Sessoms, Daisy, Boss rock the house with full preparations; uber-sexy Stormy & can-I-drool-on-my-lap-over-him-any-more Swank play a married couple that hate each other; Sweetheart steals my heart, of course, as a very unusual bum)...I was thrown back into HAIR-ville today, after not thinking on it for a whole four days. That's a lot for me! I toured around Central Park with Stone, Man's best friend from Arkansas, who's been living here since the days when Man & I actually lived in one city. Throwback of all throwbacks. Much like Man & I, yet much unlike Man & I, he's with the same gal as he used to be, and still hackin' away at a theatre career. He did HAIR in Summerstock a few years ago, and just got back from playing Riff in an Illinois company of "West Side Story." Man recommended highly that I take him on, and although I was sorta full up on white boys, my instincts said this was a must-take. I invited him sight-unseen since 2002, and today, I realized why. We met on the corner of 96th, and from across the street, it was like "Oh, yep. There's my missing peg."

I can't explain it. I wasn't missing a character, or anyone at all. But Stone's got an energy that will complete the Tribe. So as far as I know, we're fully cast, and ready to roll on May 15th.

So other readers out there in Retroland...if you'd like to come see Final Pros, check out the Second Year website for all the info you'll need.

I'm in Metropolitan Operas, which runs on the 7th & 9th at 7:30 PM, and the 11th at 2 PM. It's a tico tico experience.

for laura

2007-04-30T21:28:00.000-07:00

The Bride
by Rainer Maria Rilke

Call to me, love, call to me loudly!
Don't let your bride stand so long at the window.
In the old shaded plane-tree avenues
the evening no longer wakes:
they are empty.

And if you don't come and lock me up with your voice
in the deep nocturnal house,
then I must pour myself out of my hands
into the gardens of
dark blue . . .

once upon a lookin for donna

2007-04-28T07:06:00.000-07:00

An Update on HAIR: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical

This is show is living at the forefront of my brain all hours of the day. I dream about it. My iPod does that psychic shuffle to the various soundtracks. I left the ol' NYC for a few days, and was brought to a fantastic record store that had about 10 different versions on LP, and although I don't even own a record player, I left the store with three of them. Consider me the proud owner of the French, Japanese, and original (pre-'Fresh Hair' mix) British cast. I've begun bidding on turntables on eBay and craigslist. My "decorative" record collection has grown too large to justify the dust they collect.

To give you an idea of just how many recordings there are of "Hair" - although the French record claims there are actually six hundred and eight - check out this guy's blog.

On the artistic front, the show is practically assembling itself. I've discovered a handful of actors I don't know and thrown them in the mix with my nearest and dearest, and the bonding was rather instantaneous. The last two rehearsals were tricky at first, as half my cast is currently rehearsing for "The Bride of Olneyville Square," a.k.a. The Final Play That I Am Not In, and this show is a mammoth two-act drama. When I come breezing in for one or two-hour rehearsals for "Fiat," I run into Olneyville friends of mine...who have been there for six or seven hours already. The lobby of NP looks like a base camp. When I come in to say hi to Sessoms or Daisy or Boss, others greet me like I'm a stranger from a far-away land.

"How aaaare you? Oh my god, I haven't seen you in foreeeeevvverrrrr."

And it's sort of true...they've been in that theatre for the last three weeks.

But I digress. HAIR.

On the business front, this is my first time assembling a show with a real budget. Not just $100 in singles and quarters that I raised off a bake sale (true story - that was the budget for "Alice through the Subway System" in its' first incarnation in Woodstock). I am learning quickly that had I had ANY time whatsoever during the earlier part of this year, I should've been fundraising for this thing. Because the more elaborate the set gets, and the more shows we wanna do...the more I keep hearing that cash register noise in my head. However, I have (and here comes a little 'Secret' brainwashing for ya...) UNWAVERING FAITH that I will accumulate this budget. I have friends who are helping to fundraise - as much as they can, as they are still trapped in Olneyville without a life raft - and a mother who is helping a lot...last night we compiled about 200 addresses of people we know, and love....and will therefore hit up for money.

While Swank can't bring me to any of the official Hair gatherings he attends (or maybe he's just afraid I'll become like his mother and pull out embarassing photos from First Year?), I am brought news of L.A. productions, Michael Butler blogs, and original cast info...which I sort of salivate over, jealously. At least until D'Amato calls to answer the Aluminum Coxman question, and we wind up delving into the details of the show, and by the end of the chat, oh, how I love my hippie life. Seriously, thank heavens for the generosity of Anthony D'Amato. Go see Hedwig tonight. Go to his website. Build him a shrine, and leave him guitar-and-platform-shoe offerings upon it.

I immediately call Man and ask him if we can rake the stage. He says:

"Fuck it, man, I'd love to. Let's kick up the budget and find $30,000."

This might as well be "a million-zillion"...but you know...UNWAVERING FAITH, man. I'll find it someplace.

nobody puts baby in a corner

2007-04-17T21:07:00.001-07:00

Today was a damn good day.

tornado body with a hand grenade head

2007-04-14T23:40:00.000-07:00

Brother, Sister & I went on an Urban Adventure today, to a section of Jersey I had not yet explored. Our quest? To see Anthony D'Amato's production of Hedwig & the Angry Inch. Bizarrely, this was the second production I've seen in a week - the first was the Barnard Queer Association's version, up in Morningside Heights, where Sessoms and I found the man who will hopefully be drumming for Hair.

D'Amato's, naturally, surpassed the Barnard production...and the surrounding quest was even longer, with more unusual twists, than the frozen march we took on the West Side a week ago. This one involved multiple trains, checking out the sketchy side of town, fragrant cab rides, witnessing two arrests (!) and a possible drug deal, rocking out in a Dunkin Donuts, and as our last train pulled out of the Asbury Park station, a fist-fight between a couple of kids. But frankly, I rather liked the amount of gritty insanity we witnessed. It made the whole day so much more gorgeous.

No matter what, I lose it during "Midnite Radio." This Miss Hedwig made such an AWESOME transition through the Tommy Gnosis section into that song, I was blubbering like a little girl. Oh, and "Exquisite Corpse"...! When they got into it (and that band fucking rocked that song like it is meant to be rocked; it felt sexy), it pushed right on that little button lodged somewhere in my chest. The button activates the part of me that still longs to be in a rock band and wishes she was free to call Morelli. To put Hideous Underwear back together.

...And you can trace the lines of these erased designs that map across my body
A collage!
I'm all sewn up
A montage!
I'm all sewn up...

an extremely ME ME ME blog

2007-04-12T20:23:00.000-07:00

As I start to de-Nei-Play myself, I find these pockets of frenzied activity are bookended by long periods of hanging out with my laptop like it might give me the secret to life. So I come home after pouring my artistic guts out to Sessoms (and she, as usual, added that extra oomph to the idea and made it twice as exciting*), and fill a cup with Coke from last Thursday's Jack n' Coke brigade.

"At least you got a free bottle of Coke out of it all," Swank had said to me late that night.
It's funny how long a journey from one Thursday to another can be.

I rehearsed "Fiat" today with Jeff & Kingston. After thinking I sorta got the shaft, I believe maybe I got...this enormously challenging role. "You're only the mother of God!," Sessoms remarked over dinner. Ah. Yes. And I come to bring a man, dying of AIDS, who has taken a bottle of Seconals, to heaven. I sing a song. And spend half the play with a Brazilian accent, and the other half with some holy spirit voice. But I really didn't give half a damn til Kingston started talking about finding the mother in myself. The woman who will sit next to her husband when he dies, and say "It's okay. It's okay. Look, I'm bringing you up. You can pass through me."

Well, that hit home, just a smidge.

It's been nearly a year since Tom died in my mother's arms.
Heysus, Choseph and Maria. Me.

------------------------------

On the career warpath these days. Yesterday I got new headshots at the studio of one Mr. Arthur Elgort. This morning, our class met Bernie Telsey. He talked about "Rent" & Idina a bunch, which was beyond helpful. I've been formulating a plan for myself, a plan to keep acting and not just slink into my directors chair hoping no one will notice. I think I'm gonna take the ol' Shettastic's advice this time. Although Renthead I am not, there's a part in that show that should be mine, at least for awhile.

In order to keep propping myself up and keep my pace going, I'm using room cleaning as a method of momentum. I went in and gutted out my bathroom, bleached the whole goddamn thing, screwed a shelf into the wall and reorganized the cabinets. Then sat down and wrote two scenes. Did all the laundry. Sat down and wrote my bio for the Estrogenius festival. Last night, at midnight, I tackled a clothing clean out and I'm going to sell all of it at Buffalo Exchange on Saturday. I feel like I did after my car accident two years ago. Like just get it out of here. Just get it out. I can't live within this wall of STUFF anymore. Like my personal belongings are actually dragging me down as I try to sprint.

The first few weeks were bound to be difficult. They're not so bad, but I've got to keep myself up here, hovering. Every minor dip feels like utter disaster. Fuck it. "Caaaall on meeeeee, call on me!"

-------------------------------

Yo, my shower curtain rod hates me since I cleaned. It keeps fallin' the hell down.

-------------------------------

I think I'd like to start another band.

second morning

2007-04-06T11:33:00.000-07:00

There's a thing I do that I think must be very specific to freelancers and people in the arts. It's called the Second Morning.

So you get up for the first time. You're running just barely on time to make a morning appointment for your Bread Job, an audition, a rehearsal, a something. The Something takes an hour or two, you finally eat something. You head home. Then, when you put your key in the door, the Second Morning begins. It's still very much daylight, and it's although it's 2 or 3 or 4 PM, the house is still in a state of 10 AM. You make coffee. Maybe you even get back in your pajamas. Take that shower you didn't have time to take when you breezed out for the First Morning. You check your email.

I love Second Mornings. I'm already on the go, so I'm more inspired to do all the personal work I have to do - theatre paperwork, character research and the like - but there's not that nasty time factor when there's a pressing outside world appointment impending. The outside world has been handled. Now all I have is a show to attend tonight, when the sun is down. The day is mine, and I can face the rest of it in sweatpants.

-----------------------

The Playhouse time is fairly complete. I got a strange cameo role in the Final Plays - I'm the Madonna in a Pintauro short called "Fiat." I am slightly disappointed, but I think it might turn out to be a surprise. And I can't look a gift horse in the mouth here. I'm involved in three other productions that require my immediate attention, and I've totally neglected them in favor of being a Nei-Play slave. Now I've been given the time to work on these things. And get a real job. So, to add to the list I made months ago, 2007 shows now include:

#6: "Footloose" at Talent Unlimited High School
I will be: the costume designer

#7: Undetermined Real Theater Company Straight Play, starring Sessoms
I will be: the director/producer

and work for "Greece is the Word," (formerly known as "Untitled Greek Mythology Play") at Hunter Elementary, and the RTC production of "Hair" are in full swing.

-------------------------

Mom & I are each other's primary collaborators. I usually have a second and a third floating around, and it seems the primaries in 2007 are definitely Sessoms and Swank. I got very lucky, because...they both kick major ass, for very different reasons. The things I have in development for 2008 and beyond seem so much more possible because of the two of them.

Last night, after our final Gary Ramsey presentation (oh thank heaven!), Swank, Sweetheart, Daisy & I met up with Sessoms at Blackstone's...in daylight, which was truly bizarre. The bar was full of suits, so we ate our food, drank our beer and headed up to my place. Boss & Metro are in Disneyworld, so it was a weird Maggie Moon-hosted party, and Swank became my co-host (I bought eggs to dye and halfway through our shared bottle of Hypnotiq, had a very difficult time figuring out how to hard-boil them, so he assisted). With Sessoms came the ever-mysterious Professor and another first year, Goldlist. Somewhere along the line, far into the alcohol, past the egg-dye, the SceneIt! and the altercation with my {gap-toothed lazy bitchass} next door neighbor, Sessoms & Professor are in the bathroom having one of their talks, Daisy & Sweetheart are thumbing through my Hippie book together, and Swank and I are dancing about. Goldlist exclaims, in frustration:

"This is just great. Here I am with the adorable redheads, the glam-rock biters, and the crazy drama couple. Great."

Later, when it was nothing but the biters hanging out, I spilled my life dream for Swank's perusal. He got a grin on his face that made me feel like a magician.

Today, I got a job at the Central Park Boathouse. Looks like Daisy, my old directorial pal Nikki, and me shall be hash slinging hostesses this summer. Unless something more lucrative comes along.

I'm imagining myself living in abundance...

2007-04-03T21:47:00.001-07:00

I feel like I'm taking crazy pills.