#John Lee Jelks

[reginaldstroudus]

Missing Ingredient With Martial Artist It's Not About Fight Records

[callmebrycelee]

NEW AMSTERDAM REACTION

This reaction is for the season 5, sixth episode titled "Give Me a Sign" which originally aired on October 25, 2022. The episode was written by Gisselle Legere and directed by Jean E. Lee. Spoilers ahead!

New Amsterdam really is on a roll this season and I know some of you may not agree with this sentiment but, as much as I love Dr. Helen Sharpe (Freema Agyeman), I'm not really missing her presence. Her and Max's relationship and the whole going back and forth between New York City and London became exhausting over time and it also hindered Max from doing the job he set out to do in season one. I don't want to blame everything that happened last season on Max and Helen, but it's very telling that Max seems more centered now that he's out of that relationship. 

So, let's talk about the episode. There were five separate stories in this episode so I'm going to go story by story. Let's start with Dr. Lauren Bloom. When nurse Casey Acosta (Alejandro Hernandez) returns to New Amsterdam, everyone in the ER is excited to have him back, including Lauren who absolutely refuses to admit she is happy to have him back. When Lauren is working on a patient, her phone starts to ring. As Casey attempts to silence the ringer, he sees that Lauren is getting texts from her sister Vanessa.

Casey confronts Lauren, privately, about her being in contact with Vanessa. He asks her what he missed while he was gone. Lauren finally admits that she did miss him while he was gone and she talks about how she would turn to him to ask him for his advice but he wouldn't be there. Since the beginning of the show, Casey has served as Lauren's surrogate older sibling. He always gives it to her straight, even if she doesn't always want to hear it. She calls him her touchstone and her best friend which is such a sweet sentiment. Casey asks why Lauren is so intent to look after her sister at the expense of not taking care of herself. Lauren blames herself for Vanessa's addiction and doesn't want to abandon her.

Lauren checks her voicemail and sees one from Vanessa. It turns out to be a butt-dial and she listens as her sister talks about getting high and drunk. The message ends with her sister telling someone she is going downstairs to get liquor from a place called Leo's. Lauren googles the address, but rather than go confront her sister, she goes to an AA meeting instead. This is growth and hopefully a step in the right direction for Lauren. We've seen her go up and down over the last several seasons and I'm so happy that she is taking baby steps towards prioritizing her health and well-being over others. 

Next up is Dr. Floyd Reynolds. Floyd is still intent on trying to help his dead-beat dad. What I find most interesting about this particular plotline is how a few episodes ago, Iggy made a diagnosis based on the very limited information Floyd provided him and now Floyd has taken that diagnosis and ran with it. I'm no medical professional but I think he should've gotten his father properly diagnosed by qualified medical professionals before going to him and telling him that he is bipolar. Ever since Floyd told his dad that he was bipolar he has taken this information and run with it. 

I was listening to a podcast earlier today, and one of the hosts who is a mental health expert said something along the lines of trauma being something that's not the fault of the person but it's up to that person to take steps to manage their trauma. I feel like the moment Horace Reynolds (John Earl Jelks) learned he was potentially bipolar, instead of taking steps to manage it, he used it to scapegoat Floyd's mother and absolve himself of the trauma he inflicted on his family. 

When Horace starts acting erratically and putting himself in mortal danger by standing in the middle of traffic, Floyd is faced with making a difficult decision. Recognizing his dad is a danger to himself and possibly others, he has him put on an involuntary 72-hour hold. I know there will be some fallout from Floyd's decision and I hope whatever happens, he takes a page out of Lauren's book and decides to put himself first.

Dr. Max Goodwin and Dr. Elizabeth Wilder's stories intersect at the beginning of the episode, but I found hers way more compelling than his. Wildwin is very much in motion, literally, because when we first see these two they are jogging together. I've said before that I like the idea of these two being love interests and I think they do a great job of not making Wilder a replacement for Sharpe, but I wish we got to see their burgeoning relationship from her point-of-view. Everything we see regarding them is filtered through Max's perspective and I wonder what she thinks about him. Max keeps Elizabeth from nearly being mowed down by a car but two other passersby aren't so lucky. A young man named Rafael (KJ Aikens) and his grandmother, Ana (Delores Hunter) are struck by the vehicle and taken to New Amsterdam hospital. While Elizabeth goes to work treating the two patients, Max is accosted by a kooky lawyer named Callie Cruz (Aida Turturro). This is where Max and Elizabeth's stories diverge. 

Max's storyline is the weakest of the episode. Long story short, Max takes it upon himself to get a crosswalk installed at the very same intersection where the accident happened. We watch as he has time to go to court with Callie Cruz and even find some city workers to paint the crosswalk. In true Max fashion, all of his efforts are seemingly for naught and the episode ends with him, Elizabeth and Callie illegally painting a crosswalk that will more than likely end up getting painted over. 

Elizabeth's storyline is way more compelling and frankly more realistic. While Max is off galavanting around New York City, Elizabeth stays behind to treat Rafael and his grandmother. Rafael manages to come away from the accident with a few bumps and bruises but Ana isn't so fortunate. Ana needs to have surgery, an extremely risky surgery that could result in her being paralyzed from the waist down, and with Ana unable to make the decision herself, Rafael is left to make it on her behalf as her designated healthcare proxy. 

I felt so bad for Rafael. I can't imagine being that young and having to make a decision where there was a 50/50 chance the person you love is going to be able to walk or not afterwards. I thought Elizabeth and Floyd did a great job of being honest with Rafael and coaching him through a very difficult decision. Rafael determines that his grandmother should have the surgery because she is the type of person who never backs down from a situation. Ultimately, the worse becomes reality when Ana is left paralyzed after the surgery. The scene that follows was beyond heartbreaking. I felt so bad for Rafael because he will have to go the rest of his life questioning whether or not he made the right decision. He, like Lauren and Floyd, made the best decision they could make in a shitty situation and unfortunately there are consequences. 

Our final story of the night is actually my favorite and it involves a very competent Dr. Iggy Frome, something we don't often get on this show. At the beginning of the episode, we get a Iggy gets his groove back montage. We see him petting puppies, at an art museum, on a nature hike, and attending a wine tasting. The museum tour guide asks Iggy what feelings the painting he is standing in front of is invoking in him and that's when Iggy says that he has ruined his life. I think that's a bit of an overstatement but I do think Iggy was very rash in his decision to leave Martin and probably should've thought things through a little bit.

Iggy doesn't have too long to contemplate his navel because his case of the day involves a young boy named Jael Gonzalez (Oliver Reilly) who is deaf. Jael, clearly, has been having a difficult time as of late and has even been acting out and when Iggy asks his parents (Justin Huen, Natalie Woolams-Torres) if he knows ASL, they tell him that Jael's pediatrician recommended not having him learn sign language, holding out hope that he can become a verbal communicator. Iggy tells the parents that because he has gone so long without being able to communicate, his development is stunted. I felt so bad for Jael. I can't imagine not being able to communicate with those around me. He is unable to communicate using words and he is being discouraged from talking with his hands. To make matters worse, the pandemic came and people started wearing masks which means now Jael can't read lips. The level of isolation Jael is feeling can't be fully understood because he can't effectively communicate how he feels. If the theme of this episode is people being placed in situations where they have to make difficult decisions, it's safe to say that Jael's parents' decision to keep him cut off from the world was a poor, poor decision. 

Iggy does what he does best by sitting Jael down and having a conversation with him using a mixture of hand gestures and carefully sounding out words so Jael can read his lips. In the moments we see Jael interact with Iggy, it's like he's a brand-new person. There's a light within him that we didn't see when we first met him and it took very little effort on Iggy's part to bring that light to his eyes.

The solution to Jael's case comes in the form of Iggy telling his parents that he has found a school in Massachusetts, which is four hours away, where Jael can be treated. Admittedly it must be hard to send your small child away to a different state to be treated but honestly, I feel like the parents owe it to Jael because their action, or rather their inaction, has placed him in the position he is currently in. I thought Iggy was wonderful in this story and this is the Iggy I wish we got more of. He is super competent at his job and we finally got to see it.

Iggy's story arc ends with him going to the very small gym in New Amsterdam. Now this scene threw me at first because I thought Iggy was vibing with the guy lifting weights. Turns out that was not the point of this scene. The guy encourages Iggy to do some dead-lifts and Iggy does one. After he does one rep, we are led to believe that he has an epiphany of sorts. the Iggy we saw at the beginning of this episode was lamenting the direction his life is heading in. Hopefully going forward, Iggy will begin to put the pieces of his shattered existence back together again.

Overall, I would rate this episode a 7.5 out of 10. I think we've gotten better episodes this season and I think we have some amazing episodes headed our way. What really weighed this episode down was Max and Floyd's storylines. Max works best when he's in the hospital, so taking him out of New Amsterdam felt jarring at times and I kept thinking to myself, surely this man can't be this naive about how the world works. As for Floyd, I'm still unsure as to what his endgame is when it comes to his dad. I think he'd be better off investing his time in relationships that could actually go somewhere. I've always suspected that while Dr. Floyd Reynolds is a great doctor, the writers don't know what to do with him when he's outside of the operating room. As for what worked about this episode, I really like Elizabeth and Iggy's storylines. I thought they did a great job of illustrating how the decisions we make in our day to day life can have a lasting impact on those we love. After the episode, I saw the preview for the next episode and it looks like our characters will be dealing with the overturning of Roe v. Wade. I'm sure this will be a powerful episode and I can't wait to watch it and write about it. Until next time ...

[writemarcus]

In the News: Wicked Will Broadcast Live on TikTok October 12, Casting for L.A. Paradise Blue, More

In the News: Wicked Will Broadcast Live on TikTok October 12, Casting for L.A. Paradise Blue, More

BY TALAURA HARMS

OCT 12, 2021

Plus: Tony winner Shuler Hensley has been named artistic director of Georgia's City Springs Theatre Company.

Read on for more theatre news you may have missed in today's headlines.

Wicked Goes Live on TikTok October 12 As the grand finale of TikTok’s "Broadway is Back" campaign, Wicked will go live on the app October 12 at 8 PM ET with a performance of “Defying Gravity” recorded live at all three currently running productions: Broadway, West End, and the U.S. National Tour. The live broadcast will also feature a Q&A with cast members backstage. Other musicals participating in the campaign and broadcasting from their theatres have included Waitress and The Lion King. Follow Wicked on TikTok (@wicked_musical) to be notified when the broadcast begins.

Shuler Hensley Named Artist Director of City Springs Theatre Company Tony-winning actor and Georgia native Shuler Hensley (Oklahoma!, The Ferryman) will lead City Springs Theatre Company, now in its fourth season, as its new artistic director. Hensley has been involved with the company since its founding, most recently serving as associate artistic director. "My goal is, and has always been, to deepen the connection between our Atlanta theatre family with the talent, resources and support of the Broadway district," said Hensely. In addition to his work with City Springs, Hensley, along with Executive Director Natalie DeLancey, produces the Georgia High School Musical Theatre Awards, known as The Shuler Awards. The current City Springs season includes a Mistletoe Magic, a holiday revue, as well as A Chorus Line, directed by Baayork Lee, The Color Purple, and West Side Story.

Casting Announced for West Coast Premiere of Paradise Blue Los Angeles' Geffen Theatre has announced full casting for its production of Dominique Morisseau's Paradise Blue. Wendell B. Franklin will lead the cast as club owner Blue, faced with selling his Detroit jazz club in gentrifying neighborhood. The cast also includes Tyla Abercrumbie, Alani iLongwe, Tony nominee John Earl Jelks, and Shayna Small. Stori Ayers directs the production, running November 9–December 12. Paradise Blue is one of the three plays that make up Morisseau's Detroit Plays collection, along with Skeleton Crew, arriving on Broadway December 2021, and Detroit ’67. For tickets, visit GeffenPlayhouse.org.

New York Stage and Film Announces Founders’ and Pfaelzer Award Recipients NYSAF, the non-profit dedicated to the development of new works for stage and screen, has announced the winners of its 2021 Founders' Award, given annually to an emerging artist and selected by recent recipients of the awards, and Pfaelzer Award, selected in consultation with namesake Producing Director Johanna Pfaelzer. jeremy o'brian, the Founders' recipient, and Elisa Bocanegra, the Pfaelzer recipient, will both receive financial and administrative support, as well as a residency to develop new work. o’brian will curate multiple events in proximity to World AIDS Day, including a reading of his play boys don’t look at boys and a live and streaming conversation centering Black, Queer, HIV-positive artists. This year’s finalists for the Founders’ Award were Troy Anthony, Zeniba Now, Banna Desta, Gethsemane Herron-Coward, Katie Madison, and Marcus Scott.

[nyslovesfilm]

New York Films Head to Park City for Sundance Film Festival

Nineteen films and two pilots that participated in the New York State Film Tax Credit Program will be screened next month at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival. Since 1985, hundreds of films launched at Sundance—one of the world’s largest film festivals—have gained critical recognition, received commercial distribution and reached global audiences eager for fresh perspectives and new voices.   Films that shoot or do post-production work in New York have traditionally been well-represented at Sundance, set for Jan. 18-28 in Park City, Utah. In addition to their Sundance recognition, this year’s crop of New York films also had an impressive economic impact while they were in production and post production, spending an estimated $38 million in New York and creating an estimated 2,448 hires.

New York’s incentive program, designed to strengthen the state’s film production and post-production industries, is one of the main reasons filmmakers choose to film here.   Houston King, producer of Hearts Beat Loud, which will premiere at Sundance, offered an example. "From the inception of Hearts Beat Loud, we wanted to highlight one of our favorite NYC neighborhoods - Red Hook, Brooklyn.  Without New York State’s incentive we very likely would have been forced to shoot the film in another state and changed the location of our story,” King said. “The incentive was key to giving our investors comfort that shooting in NYC was the right thing for their investment and the film."

The following projects, screening at Sundance, shot in New York State and participated in the New York State Film Production Tax Credit program: Franchesca Director: Kaitlin Fontana; Executive Producers: Topic Studios, Franchesca Ramsey, Kara Welker Cast: Franchesca Ramsey Hearts Beat Loud Director: Brett Haley; Screenwriters: Brett Haley, Marc Basch; Producers: Houston King, Sam Bisbee, Sam Slater Cast: Nick Offerman, Kiersey Clemons, Ted Danson, Sasha Lane, Blythe Danner, Toni Collette I Think We’re Alone Now Director: Reed Morano; Screenwriter: Mike Makowsky; Producers: Fred Berger, Brian Kavanaugh-Jones, Fernando Loureiro, Roberto Vasconcellos, Peter Dinklage, Mike Makowsky Cast: Peter Dinklage, Elle Fanning A Kid Like Jake Director: Silas Howard; Screenwriter: Daniel Pearle; Producers: Jim Parsons, Todd Spiewak, Eric Norsoph, Paul Bernon, Rachel Song Cast: Claire Danes, Jim Parsons, Octavia Spencer, Priyanka Chopra, Ann Dowd, Amy Landecker The Kindergarten Teacher Director and screenwriter: Sara Colangelo; Producers: Celine Rattray, Trudie Styler, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Osnat Handelsman-Keren, Talia Kleinhendler Cast: Maggie Gyllenhaal, Parker Sevak, Rosa Salazar, Anna Barynishikov, Michael Chernus, Gael Garcia Bernal The Miseducation of Cameron Post Director: Desiree Akhavan; Screenwriters: Desiree Akhavan, Cecilia Frugiuele; Producers: Cecilia Frugiuele, Jonathan Montepare, Michael B. Clark, Alex Turtletaub Cast: Chloë Grace Moretz, Sasha Lane, Forrest Goodluck, John Gallagher Jr., Jennifer Ehle Monster Director: Anthony Mandler; Screenwriters: Radha Blank, Cole Wiley, Janece Shaffer; Producers: Tonya Lewis Lee, Nikki Silver, Aaron L. Gilbert, Mike Jackson, Edward Tyler Nahem Cast: Kelvin Harrison Jr., Jeffrey Wright, Jennifer Hudson, Rakim Mayers, Jennifer Ehle, Tim Blake Nelson Nancy Director and screenwriter: Christina Choe;  Producers: Amy Lo, Michelle Cameron, Andrea Riseborough Cast: Andrea Riseborough, J. Smith-Cameron, Steve Buscemi, Ann Dowd, John Leguizamo Night Comes On  Director: Jordana Spiro; Screenwriters: Jordana Spiro, Angelica Nwandu; Producers: Jonathan Montepare, Alvaro R. Valente, Danielle Renfrew Behrens Cast: Dominique Fishback, Tatum Hall, John Earl Jelks, Max Casella, James McDaniel Paint Creator and director: Michael Walker Cast: Joshua Caras, Olivia Luccardi, Paul Cooper, Amy Hargreaves, David Patrick Kelley Piercing Director and screenwriter: Nicolas Pesce; Producers: Josh Mond, Antonio Campos, Schuyler Weiss, Jake Wasserman Cast: Christopher Abbott, Mia Wasikowska, Laia Costa, Marin Ireland, Maria Dizzia, Wendell Pierce Puzzle Director: Marc Turtletaub; Screenwriter: Oren Moverman; Producers: Peter Saraf, Wren Arthur, Guy Stodel Cast: Kelly Macdonald, Irrfan Khan, David Denman, Bubba Weiler, Austin Abrams, Liv Hewson We The Animals  Director: Jeremiah Zagar; Screenwriters: Daniel Kitrosser, Jeremiah Zagar; Producers: Jeremy Yaches, Christina D. King, Andrew Goldman, Paul Mezey Cast: Raul Castillo, Sheila Vand, Evan Rosado, Isaiah Kristian, Josiah Santiago The following films shot outside New York State but came here to do their post-production and take advantage of New York State’s Post-Production Tax Credit program: Beirut Director: Brad Anderson; Screenwriter: Tony Gilroy Cast: Jon Hamm, Rosamund Pike, Shea Whigham, Dean Norris Come Sunday Director: Joshua Marston; Screenwriter: Marcus Hinchey; Producers: Ira Glass, Alissa Shipp, Julie Goldstein, James Stern, Lucas Smith, Cindy Kirven Cast: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Danny Glover, Condola Rashad, Jason Segel, Lakeith Stanfield, Martin Sheen Dead Pigs Director and screenwriter: Cathy Yan; Producers: Clarissa Zhang, Jane Zheng, Zhangke Jia, Mick Aniceto, Amy Aniceto Cast: Vivian Wu, Haoyu Yang, Mason Lee, Meng Li, David Rysdahl Juliet, Naked Director: Jesse Peretz; Screenwriters: Tamara Jenkins, Jim Taylor, Phil Alden Robinson, Evgenia Peretz; Producers: Judd Apatow, Barry Mendel, Albert Berger, Ron Yerxa Cast: Rose Byrne, Ethan Hawke, Chris O’Dowd Lizzie Director: Craig William Macneill; Screenwriter: Bryce Kass; Producers: Naomi Despres, Liz Destro Cast: Chloë Sevigny, Kristen Stewart, Jamey Sheridan, Fiona Shaw, Kim Dickens, Denis O’Hare Pass Over Director: Spike Lee; Playwright/Screenwriter: Antoinette Nwandu Cast: Jon Michael Hill, Julian Parker, Ryan Hallahan, Blake Delong Untitled Debra Granik Project Director: Debra Granik; Screenwriters: Debra Granik, Anne Rosellini; Producers: Anne Harrison, Linda Reisman, Anne Rosellini Cast: Ben Foster, Thomasin Harcourt McKenzie, Jeff Korber, Dale Dickey

Wildlife Director: Paul Dano; Screenwriters: Paul Dano, Zoe Kazan; Producers: Andrew Duncan, Alex Saks, Oren Moverman, Ann Ruark, Jake Gyllenhaal, Riva Marker Cast: Carey Mulligan, Ed Oxenbould, Bill Camp, Jake Gyllenhaal