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

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

ramble on

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

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

disturbia

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.

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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?

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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.


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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.

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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!

the most wonderous of all wonderbras

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

cleaning out the closet

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

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.