Poppy: The Success of a Youtube Persona-life

in , , , , , , ,

So she's been around a couple of years, but when NPR interviews her, you know she's made it to some sort of new level. I'm talking about Poppy. That 20-something, eerie, but empathetic blonde who occasionally resembles a slightly southern Marilyn Monroe, but, like her eyebrows, has a darker undertone, and a satiric bite about the very idea of fame which has made her famous. So who is Poppy and why do I want to take the time and space to write about her?...

Read More

Motherhood in Theatre Forums 2017: Breaking the Silence

in , , , , , ,

If you're a parent in theatre, and have encountered some challenges or figured out some solutions to this ever-present balancing act of art and children, check out this important new advocacy group touching on this not-talked-about-enough subject...

Read More

Compassion, Empathy and Kindness: In Theatre and Beyond

in , ,

Compassion and empathy are essential in theatre--from its inception at the written word to the performers, directors and production team. I love that it can be a tool used to dig into our humanity to pull out the recognition of ourselves in someone else--someone whom perhaps we never saw a connection to before. I'm not the only one who is attracted to the workings of a villain, of a hero with a fatal flaw, the person who does exactly what they should not do, but yet, we discover there is humanity beneath it all. Can this villain be redeemed? Can this villain show remorse? Could we say we would act differently if we were in that situation? If we were not only in that situation, but if we were that person?...

Read More

Mothers In and Out of Theatre

in , , , , ,

If you're a woman in the arts (and we'll talk about theatre here), you are going to face many similar issues women in any field face, but it typically is compounded by an intimate environment, late or odd hours, no simple "Human Resources" department to turn to, and lines that blur far more easily than most fields...

Read More

Does Your Siri Make You Smile: The Nuts and Bolts of AI Comedy

in , ,

I wrote for a robot one summer during graduate school, one of about six part-time jobs I took between school years (along with university "telefunder," lab rat, health/fitness teacher to girls in the inner city, and data entrant). It was a fantastic experience to bring personality to a rudimentary AI creation and work with a team of writers and robotic engineers. Our robo-ceptionist had high hopes of becoming a lounge singer, had to navigate the world of dating a Chevy Impala, and still encountered arguments with her overbearing Motherboard--all the while having the map of the building on hand to assist visitors finding their way around the facility....

Read More

Calvin and Hobbes: Perfect Summer Reading

in , , , , , ,

I was visiting my parents' house this summer which is always bound to stir up childhood memories, but I got a special burst of elated nostalgia when my 7-year-old son came to me with a comic book of mine he found at their house entitled, Revenge of the Babysat. Now, anyone who really knows the comic I'm going to talk about will immediately know who I'm talking about, and hopefully, it will bring about a huge smile for them too. I'm talking about the namesakes of that famous theologian who gave us Reformed Protestantism (touting Predestination), and the political philosopher who gave us social contract theory--yes, I'm talking about none other than Calvin and Hobbes.

Read More

"Forgiveness and Defeat At A Pokémon Gym": A new comedic monologue

in , , , , , ,

With all the craze of the augmented reality game, Pokemon Go, I would be remiss if i didn't acknowledge its success, dramatic relevance, and at least write a little monologue about it...So consider the first two points acknowledged, and check out my pokemon-related monologue below. This 1 minute monologue contains some comedy, some romance, some lightning bolts on a bike, and of course, some pokemon drama...Read the monologue below, entitled Forgiveness and Defeat at a Pokemon Gym.

Read More

3 Year Old Reads "Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type" by Doreen Cronin

in , , , , , , ,

Okay, so he's not actually reading here, but at three years old, this is as close as this little guy gets to it.  One thing I love about this is how you can hear his dramatic interpretation of the events (and even a slight southern accent for the farmer)...

Read More

Murder Mystery Party - My night at Farthingay Manor...

in , ,

So I was one of those kids. One of those kids who made a “carnival” with my brothers in our yard for the neighborhood to participate in (we’re talking carnival games, scheduled shows of magic, puppetry and science, and winning prizes from Oriental Trading and guppies from my parents’ fish tank)....

Read More