#alan bennett is incredible

[wolfstargazer]

I appreciate and understand the love for Dead Poets Society in the Marauder-era fandom. The aesthetic is immaculate.

As a Brit and an older fan I would like to make a public service announcement that you're all sleeping on The History Boys. And would encourage everyone to go watch it.

[gayestshakespearecouples]

Sorry, I like to use this blog to post about any play I go to see since y'all are Theatre People -

I went to see Alan Bennett's The History Boys last night, went in completely blind. And I was thinking okay like. Surely he doesn't ACTUALLY mean to play off this major character sexually assaulting his students as harmless and a joke, right? And then today I look into it and He Literally Does Mean Exactly That And Is On Record Saying It. So that's fun!

[callahanscorner]

WIP intro time!

Are you so certain of the difference, Mr. Lake? Between dark and the light? The Black and the Bright? You’d best learn fast, for those who gaze too long into the Black may soon find themselves unable to stomach the Bright.

GENRE: Eldritch Noir (detective novel with a touch of cosmic horror!)

AUDIENCE: Adults, I guess? Solid R rating, probably, but it won’t get too bad I don’t think

STATUS: Drafting!

COMPARISONS AND INSPIRATIONS: Alan Wake-esque blurring of reality with all the noir drama of things like The 39 Steps, Marlowe, The Maltese Falcon, etc.

THEMES: The nature of humanity and its place in the universe, humanity vs inhumanity, hope and love in the gaze of the abyss

AESTHETIC: Rain pounding a foggy window, mist and fog obscuring a streetlamp, the clack of shoes in an empty alley, a cigarette being lit in the dark, the buzz of the harsh lights of a diner, thick black smoke swallowing the world around it, the clatter of a metro train overhead, an empty flask, coffee-stained papers haphazardly strewn on a desk

PLAYLIST (in progress!): dark, moody, atmospheric, melancholic, a LOT of jazz.

SYNOPSIS:

Three years after the worst day of his life, Adam Lake is doing better. After all, he’s got a paying (if unstable) job as a private investigator for his best friend, Defense Attorney Cole Parker. Hell, he’s even managed to drink away the memory of Elise Conway, the girl that shattered his heart along with his dreams of becoming an archaeologist. Things are calm. Things are… good.

Enter Evelyn Montclaire, ex-actress and model, current movie producer, and dangerously charming client. Something’s off on her new set, and she wants Adam to find a book that’s gone missing from her office. He’s inclined to say no, but it turns out Cole talked to a young assistant on that very production who’s being accused of murder! Can Adam navigate silver screen politics and the wicked world of the fabulously wealthy? If he wants any chance at making rent, he’ll have to.

CHARACTERS:

Adam Lake: The detective. Ex-archaeology student and police department washout (insubordination, of course), Adam was picked up by Cole Parker as a private investigator for his new solo law venture. Hates corruption, hates rich people. Simple as.

Cole Parker: The lawyer. Cole is a defense attorney whose father was imprisoned and executed for a crime he didn’t commit. Shares and respects Adam’s contempt for the corrupt police force of Strand City. Loves jazz music and poetry.

Elise Conway: The scholar. An ex-classmate and ex-lover of Adam, Elise has been called upon by Evelyn Montclaire to help her study and decipher a strange book that has come into her possession. Jumped at the chance. Loves history, language, and men with their shit together.

Judy Love: The starlet. Found dead in her dressing room at Panessa Studios under incredibly mysterious circumstances. Filming for her new movie, Concrete Midnights, has been halted.

Evelyn Montclaire: The producer. A lot of history in the movies, currently trying to revive Strand City’s dying film industry. Cold, calculating, and deadly charming.

Annie Hartwell: The assistant. Accused of jealous murder, Annie is desperately seeking the help of Cole. She seems like a scared newcomer to the city, but is it just an act?

Cliff Calloway: The co-star. An older man doing his last movie as a favor to Evelyn. Used to be a huge name in the movies, has been aging out of the leading roles that won him his fame.

Ethan Bennett: Adam’s old partner on the force. Cares a lot about Adam, but firmly believes he can change the system from the inside. Still, has been known to slip Adam classified info as a favor, though it takes some convincing.

Disclaimer!!!!!

If you’ve read this far, you’re probably wondering about the setting of this book. Concrete Midnights takes place in a fictionalized city in the American Pacific Northwest during the 1930s. I feel like I should take the opportunity to mention this book takes place in an alternative history, and will do its absolute best to steer away from the topics of racism and sexism! Nobody wants to deal with that stuff, least of all me, a white man! That’s gross!

As always, thanks for reading, and I’ll see you around!

[mttmurduck]

BRUCE BANNER COMIC APPEARANCES RATED

no one was kidding when they said bruce banner had no consistent appearance. this is me failing to reconcile each one i’ve come across. send me more if you want me to rate them.

Matteo Scalera - Indestructible Hulk #9

point for looking fucked up. not a fan of the short hair, but maybe that’s because of the whole prisoner of SHIELD thing, so whatever. 1/10.

Ryan Ottley - Hulk (2021) #1

-10000/10 WHO IS THIS???? NOTHING TO INDICATE THIS IS A MAN OF SCIENCE, EVERYTHING TO INDICATE THE DIVE IN PLOT AND CHARACTERIZATION.

Derec Aucoin - Spider-Man Family #9

THE super nerd. a little young, but hides behind a thin veneer of calm well. the tweed and bowtie is an interesting choice. hope he doesn’t mind if they get ripped. 8/10.

Veronica Fish - Spider-Woman (2016) #11

a bit of a heart-throb???? looks like a long suffering grad student more than a man who’s been running from the military for years. where are his glasses? 4/10.

Lee Garbett - Immortal Hulk #6

super grizzled and super tired. trust me, this issue was exhaustion to the max. this is the haunted (hunted) man, and i’m honestly digging the flannel. gotta show those midwestern roots somehow. unfortunately all of these pluses don’t add up to an iconic bruce banner look, unless he was trying to steal wolverine’s. 5/10.

Adam Kubert - The Incredible Hulk (1968) #466

the scientist! prideful and yet kind, hiding a deep well of sadness and anti-military sentiments. 10/10.

Stefano Caselli - Avengers Assemble (2012) #9

glasses! scientist! a little tired but doing better :) 10/10.

Alan Davis - Totally Awesome Hulk #8

the smile! a very fresh bruce banner. looks like just some guy. 8/10.

Joe Bennett - Immortal Hulk #2

unfortunately i’m not a big fan of the detailed, almost grotesque art style. but, i concede that it’s fitting for this run. anyway, this is a very expressive and tired bruce that still tries. 7/10.

Tom Fowler - Hulk Season One

a dangerous bruce. a scientist and a loner that is intimately aware of the potential to do both harm and good. the glasses are used really well in this comic, trust me. 100/10.

Salvador Larroca - Avengers (2013) #28

okay, i think im going to get some flak for this, but i really like this bruce. dangerous, but still looks like a guy off the street. the hair has the perfect amount of flop. i’ll forgive the lack of glasses and round up. 10/10.

Larroca again! This time from the previous issue.

this alternate universe bruce is soft. a real deceptive one here. and tragic. he steals 616 bruce’s sandwich btw. that’s all i’ll say. 10/10.

Stefano Caselli again! This time from Avengers World #5

really showing us how even the same artist will draw the same guy differently. this time, Stark (tm) edition. unfortunately this means he fits the “asshole engineer” profile more than the “scientist” one. 6/10.

Mike McKone - Avengers: Endless Wartime

a scientist with sadness in his eyes, but he still finds things to smile about, maybe. probably more of a nervous smile. 9/10.

[freakingoutthesquares]

Cocker Lips Now! Words: Johnny Dee, Photographer: Derek Ridgers Taken from the New Musical Express, 4 December 1993 Transcription: Acrylic Afternoons

He's raw sex in hipsters, he's old enough to know better and he's out to make his strange suburban madness a household brand. Johnny Dee braves the shoddiest TV show in the world to bring you Pulp - and the gospel according to Jarvis Cocker.

Pulp singer Jarvis Cocker, a man with the deadpan attitude of Alan Bennett and the raw sexuality of Barry White, doesn't like the idea of Virtual Reality. He doesn't like it at all. "I don't want to sound like an old guffer," he apologises, "but a dose of reality would be better for most people interested in Virtual Reality. I mean, most people would be freaked out if you went round and, you know gagged 'em, drugged 'em or something, stuck them in the boot of a car and dumped them in the middle of a field in North Yorkshire. That would freak most people out more than having some headset on."

The Pulp members - Russell (guitar/violin), Steve (bass), Candida (keyboards), Nick (drums) - are used to such typical Jarvis pronouncements, all delivered with a sanguine matter-of-factness. Jarvis is forever calm and unflustered, a man who'd refuse to panic if his arse was on fire. But this time he's gone too far.

"Bloody hell, Jarvis," says Russell, wrapped up in a tight pale blue PVC jacket that matches his eye shadow. "Well," says Jarvis Cocker. "You'd take the gag off afterwards."

Who needs Virtual Reality anyway? Close your eyes and imagine an endless, white corridor. Here, years ago, a perm-haired kids TV presenter called Mick Robertson crouched on his knees at the end of a row of coins denoting the success of the latest Magpie charity appeal. At the end of the corridor is Room 101 - Pulp's dressing room for the night. We are in TV world...

Well, we're in Teddington Lock, Middlesex for the filming of The Word in a TV centre that feels like a maximum security Holiday Inn. Since fellow guests Onyx have received several death threats throughout the day, there are uniformed men resembling Viz comic parkies stationed at the end of each hallway. On every wall there are unnervingly huge colour pictures of celebrities - Eric Morecambe, Cilia Black, Judith Chalmers. The Magpie appeals no longer worm their way around the maze of studios, but in the canteen, Rory Bremner is tucking into quiche and chips.

In Room 101 Pulp siphon Smirnoff into a Highland Spring bottle to beat the draconian on-set alcohol ban. They've been here since 11am: drinking, having their shirts ironed (since guests get their clothes pressed for free, they've all bought along a week's washing) and make-up done and arguing about "the gap".

Their new single 'Lip Gloss' has a two-second break in the middle, which The Word's people maintain isn't on the record (it is) and are worried that the audience will think it's the end of the song and start clapping like chimps (they do). "The gap" becomes an incredibly significant Pulp moment. If they agree to cut it out they'll be compromising. So Sheffield's finest popmongers decide to make the gap longer. Much longer.

It's been a long day spent in stardom's waiting room, but little things have made it worthwhile. Drummer Nick, for instance, overheard Dani Behr call someone "a f***in' c***". Russell saw a raincoated man bent over and struggling with a heavy box in the gents' loo. He opened the door for him and the man flashed a cheesy grin. "It was Des O'Connor! Des O' flippin' Connor!"

It's now 9pm and Pulp are on stage for the last dress rehearsal. It feels more than just a rehearsal for a sensationalist TV show; it feels like a rehearsal for stardom itself. Pulp have been together with various line-ups for ten years now through punk, new romance, C86 and grunge - always defiantly different.

They've survived disasters: Jarvis once being confined to a wheelchair after he jumped from a window to impress a girl; Fire Records putting their third album on hold for two years during legal wrangles. And they've coped with personality crises, too: Russell going through a disciplinary dictator phase, when Pulp ran to a strict regimented timetable; ex-drummer Magnus leaving the band and going barmy after deciding he was the moon... But over the past two years each successive single has been better and sold more than the last, and their audience has got bigger and younger. Now, incredibly, they're on a major label, their records are available in Woolworths, they're on daytime radio and on TV.

Huge day-glo shapes hang from the ceiling as they perform 'Lip Gloss' to a barren studio, Jarvis snaking across the stage in too-tight, thick, purple corduroy trousers, shaping hand movements not witnessed since Alvin Stardust rolled his ringladen fingers for the Pops' cameras. The only people here to witness this are skivvies fussing around with clip-boards, and the dancers - looking like clichéd Freemans catalogue versions of teenagers - who are paid to show off. As Jarvis sings of lipstick-stained fags and being chucked, these young bucks, with bare, greased-up torsos vogue over-enthusiastically on podiums. Half-naked 18-year-olds pretending to rave and having a fake wild time is bizarre enough but then so are Pulp. The camera cuts from Jarvis in karate mode to someone's bum cheek escaping from a pair of midget Homme pants and then back again to bassist Steve, desperately trying not to laugh.

The lovers portrayed in 'Lip Gloss' are worlds away from this forced environment of The Word. Like many Pulp songs, 'Lip Gloss' celebrates the strangeness of the ordinary and stretches a subject so mundane no-one's dared sing about it before. In this case, being pissed off after you've been chucked because you wasted time getting to know his/her mates who you never liked in the first place.

"I've got a bit of a hang-up about songs and films presenting an idealised version of things," explains Jarvis. "It makes people dissatisfied with their own lot in life. But it's something that never existed, it's just been made up by someone. Yes, we do glamorise the everyday but, you know, a bus journey can be exciting. You can treat it just like a journey and sit there like a plank or you can wonder what other people on the bus do with their lives."

Read any article about Pulp and at least three, if not all of these things will be mentioned alongside "the 'w' word" (wacky) or "the 'k' word" (kitsch). Perhaps all the detritus and trash that's associated with Pulp has masked something fantastic. Maybe Pulp really are going to be pop stars. At 11.35pm on Friday night, watching the TV set in room 101, Pulp's manager, Geoff Travis - who was previously the boss of Rough Trade - is sure of it. Tonight is a turning point, Pulp are contenders.

Do Pulp really want fame or are they content to carry on as nearly-made-it confectionery for the talking classes? Is siphoning vodka into water bottles, moaning about "gaps", getting your clothes ironed for free the behaviour of pop stars or forever sixth-form underachievers?

"Oh, we want to be famous," claims Jarvis. "It's what we've always wanted." But do you honestly believe you can appeal to 15-year-old girls? "I'm always trying. We want to appeal to everyone. I'd like to think we're not only trying to appeal to students and grocers. You can't choose who buys your record - it's in a shop, it could be murderers or bakers. But, we've been going so long it's not like we expect to get to Number One or anything."

It could happen, Pulp could really become stars. They'll never be on the cover of teen magazines, flashing torsos or sporting exotic hairstyles they're too old for all that. But it could be fun - Jarvis on What's Up, Doc? corrupting the nation's youth with dark tales of urban normality. Yet... why do they want to go through it, why do they want fame? Jarvis smiles and puffs on an Embassy regal.

[manmetaphysical]

I will be giving a talk at the Rudolph Steiner House for the Astrological Lodge on Monday 4th March at 7pm. See the website for details.

I will be exploring two topics close to my heart: Astrology and Yoga: I am calling it Salutation to the Stars. But what would such a yoga sequence even look like? Are you an astrologer? Are you a yogi/yogini? If so do you practise both together? How can that be done effectively? This is what is now called Yogastrology.

Have you ever wondered how Astrology overlaps with Yoga in so many interesting ways? Does each practice have the same goals? What are the parallels and what are the differences? How does yoga interact with Ayurveda as well, along with Astrology? Are they completely different, or do they share any core beliefs or practices or are they three sister sciences dancing together? I hope to answer all these questions.

Mostly I want to analyse the charts of some of the central figures emerging out of India: Sri Yukteswar, Swami Vivekananda, Yogananda Paramhamsa, Sri Aurobindo, Krishnamacharya, BKS Iyengar, Patthabi Jois, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, Sir Bhagwan Rajneesh and of course Bikram Choudury.

I want to ask what set these guys apart from others? How did they become yogis? They set out on a mission to bring yoga to the West and we have to wonder, were they successful? Did they complete their intentions? Is there something in their charts that indicates that? Most people would say yes since both yoga and astrology are on the rise What is in their charts that would indicate they would be successful?

So what are the key drivers and aspects of their charts? I will explore these leading players setting their incredible stories in a historical context and picking out key signatures in their charts including asteroids and astrocartography.

Not to forget the role of women in yoga too although this could probably be a whole other talk in its own right to do it justice. There may not be time. But I will take a brief glance at the astrology of some of the key female yogis too:. Blanche de Vries, Indra Devi, Ida Rolf, Tao Porchon-Lynch and Guru Jagat.

There are other key players too in the sidelines such as Alan Bennett, Aleister Crowley, Sr Ramakrishna, Pierre Bernard and Theos Bernard .They were all key influencers on the growth of yoga. All that in just one hour will certainly be a challenge. The session begins at 7pm so hope to see you there.

[monsterintheballroom]

Interview under the cut :-)

Penelope Wilton and Luke Evans to star in Queen Mother comedy in the West End

Michael Grandage will direct Wilton as the Queen Mother, with Evans playing her most loyal servant, in new play Backstairs Billy this autumn

Luke Evans will return to the West End this autumn to star alongside Penelope Wilton in a new play about the Queen Mother’s relationship with her most loyal servant.

Evans, whose films include Fast & Furious 6 and Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, has not performed on stage in more than a decade. The Welsh actor is now set to play William Tallon in Marcelo Dos Santos’s comedy Backstairs Billy at the Duke of York’s theatre in London.

Set in 1979, against the backdrop of civil unrest, the play examines the relationship between the Queen Mother and Tallon, who served the royal household for over half a century.

“When I read the script, it made me giggle out loud so hard,” said Evans. “It’s just so entertaining and such a joyous story about these two people: the Queen Mother, who was super famous, but also Billy. He was always there and spent most of his life working for her.”

Evans, 44, “started on the West End stage”, he said. “I left it and now feels like the right time to come back in this new comedy, which is written so beautifully. I’ve gone through all the emotions, all the feels of excitement, trepidation, nerves, doubt and then thinking, you know what, this was my world from the second I graduated [from London Studio Centre in 2000] and I loved it. I can’t wait to get stuck into rehearsals.”

Wilton described Backstairs Billy, which features a company of 12, as “a joyful and compassionate play. It brings the Queen Mother into Technicolor rather than being a pastel person in pale chiffon. She suddenly becomes a very vibrant person and we see her for herself, not just for being the Queen’s mother. Billy allowed her to be who she was.”

She stressed that, despite being a comedy, the play is by no means a “send-up”. It is “a celebration of the Queen Mother, who has been rather sidelined”, Wilton said, adding: “It’s very nice to be in on the birth of a new comedy because there aren’t that many around. This is a new comedy voice. [Dos Santos] has a mixture of Alan Bennett, Alan Ayckbourn and – dare I say – Noël Coward.” Dos Santos’s plays include Feeling Afraid As If Something Terrible Is Going to Happen, a solo show about a comedian played by Samuel Barnett, which opened at the Edinburgh fringe last summer and will run at the Bush theatre from November.

Backstairs Billy will be directed by Michael Grandage who met the Queen Mother and Tallon while attending a reception in 1997. “There was very much a hierarchy in place in that one was serving the other but there was an incredible respect and depth of something going on, where you knew each was reliant on the other in some way,” he remembered. “It really was like watching a double act.”

Backstairs Billy runs at the Duke of York’s theatre from 27 October until 27 January.

[tellthemeerkatsitsfine]

I watched this movie Blue Jean last night. It’s an independent movie about a lesbian gym teacher, and some other lesbians, living in Newcastle under Thatcher’s Section 28 (link because I hadn’t known about that specific law, not being versed on every bit of British history from the 80s and 90s beyond “Thatcher very very bad, miners on strike”, though I know Canada’s had similar legislation). I realize that plot sounds like something someone would make up if they were trying to describe the stereotype of a hypothetical indie movie. I really, really liked it anyway. Or maybe I shouldn’t say “anyway”, as though I liked it in spite of it being a stereotypical indie movie. What’s wrong with being that?

I’m the sort of person who should be really into indie movies, given everything else about me. My dad and I share an interest in Canadian folk music and British comedy, and he’s also really into independent movies, and by rights I should share that one with him too. But I’m just not that into movies generally. If everything that happens is on the surface, two hours isn’t long enough for me to get hugely invested the way I do with a book or TV show, and if there’s enough subtle artsy stuff going on to imbue it with extra meaning, I tend to not know enough about how that works to catch most of it.

There are exceptions. I think my favourite movie might be The History Boys, for which I try to find a lot explanations for why it’s not really equating homosexuality to adult male teachers who touch up male children. Obviously that would not be the message from Alan Bennett and the real message is about what homophobic repression does to people, but also, sometimes it’s hard to justify when the surface message very much is “homosexuality means adult male teachers who touch up male students”.

Anyway. Blue Jean. It is not The History Boys; it has a gay teacher but she very specifically does not touch up any of the students. It is really, really good. I can’t remember the last time I enjoyed a movie that much. I don’t know enough about cinema to explain this, but I’m pretty sure the acting was very good. And the directing or editing or whatever leads to all the shots that convey a hundred things in eight seconds with no dialogue.

All right, this got long, so after finishing this post I’ve come back up her to add a “keep reading” link. It also takes a turn for the increasingly personal after this point that I didn’t really plan, so... fair warning on that. Also, honestly, this post was kind of hard to write, so I’m not going to edit it, sorry that it’s full of errors. I feel better for having written it, though.

The intensity with which they make you feel everything that happened is amazing. Or that was my experience, at least, and I usually come out of movies where people say that’s what’ll happen and think I don’t get it. I got this one though. They did something right. My attention span did not even begin to waver for the 95-ish minutes.

It was an interesting way to learn some history, a bit of what it was like to be gay in Thatcher’s England, specifically in a school setting in Thatcher’s Northern England. And harrowing how little some of it changed for a couple of decades, which I hesitate to say because I’m incredibly lucky to have no idea what it was like to be gay anywhere in the 80s. But also, fucking hell, they took a few little shots to make the horrors of being gay in a high school gym class change room radiate off the screen. That, at least, was not that different in Canada in 2005 from this blue-hued indie movie in Thatcher’s England. You feel that terror just from a few seconds of watching the movie. And you say, “Ah, this is how movies are supposed to work, getting you that invested despite not having that much runtime.” Again, by “you”, I mean “me”.

It did really starkly remind me how much that was the scariest part for me, as a teenager. It took me a couple of years to go from “okay, as long as I never tell anyone this and never write it down or say it out loud, it’ll be okay and doesn’t have to ruin my life” (age 15) to “yeah I’m pretty much out, I’ve told most people I know well and I no longer swear people to secrecy when I tell them… except telling them not to tell girls on the team, obviously” (age 17). It wasn’t until several years after that that I stopped worrying about girls from sports knowing, that one was terrifying for so much longer than everything else. Being in change rooms with them and doing contact sports with them was scary enough just when I thought they might know, and sometimes, those fears weren’t unfounded. Sometimes, they did say shitty things in change rooms, because teenage girls can tell there’s something off, whether you tell them or not.

This of course makes me think of rhetoric around trans people now. I hate saying “what people said about gay people in the past is what they say about trans people now”, because it ignores the fact that they still say those things about gay people, and they said those things about trans people back then too. Also, it’s not separate, it’s a general sense of anyone who seems like they don’t “belong” in the safe space of the change room being targeted. Trans people who have the wrong bodies, gay girls who will look at the straight girls the wrong way – all unsafe, predators just by being there.

But these days, there is a lot of specific mainstream rhetoric around trans people just existing in change rooms being a threat to girls and kids generally. And somehow, that rhetoric manages to pretend that cis gay people are the victims of those trans people, rather than being the victims of that same rhetoric that thinks the wrong people being in a change room is an automatic threat. Change rooms are supposed to be a safe space for girls to not have gross people looking at them sexually, and any gay or trans person has always been seen as a threat to that (even though, I hope it goes without saying, gay and trans people are overwhelmingly likely to be the ones carefully staring at the change room wall in fear of being accused of seeing anything they shouldn’t see, they’re not looking at anyone sexually in there), which is how people end up calling someone an abuser or a predator just for being trans near a child.

I read something just recently about how trans women ruin change rooms’ status as safe spaces for teenage girls, and all I could think was how they did not feel safe for me as a teenager. I don’t need to get into all my high school gym class experiences, but the change room was definitely not a safe space free from fear or harassment for me. I’d probably have felt safer if I’d had some trans people in there, feeling like I wasn’t the only one ruining their otherwise perfect environment.

Anyway. Despite all the flashback-inducing shots of high school gym class from a gay girl’s perspective, that wasn’t what brought back the most memories. That would be the main character, a gym teacher who makes every move carefully, watches every step, for fear that she’ll be found out and accused of being a predator just for being a lesbian in the presence of teenage girls. Fucking hell, that was well done in that movie. I’m pretty sure that main actor was very good. I don’t know enough about acting to say, but I’m pretty sure good acting was involved in why that hit so hard.

That brought back fun memories of the time I was 22 and had a fifteen-year-old girl come to me for help because she was suicidal and in an abusive home, but beg me to not tell anyone, and I got to navigate the line of “break the trust of a teenage girl who came to me in confidence, who’s already had every adult in her life violate her trust and she told me this left her unable to talk to anyone but I’d been so kind to her and she was so scared that she took a chance on telling me”, or “not tell anyone what she told me and possibly have a teenage girl kill herself because I didn’t do enough to prevent it.” While also knowing that just about anyone I could report it to would tell her parents, and I had good reason to believe that would only make the situation worse. I remember her sending me a text that said “I Googled what to do if I want to kill myself and it said to tell an adult”, and I almost wrote back to say “Yeah holy fuck go fucking do that”, until I realized she was doing that. Again, I was 22.

Long story that spans the next year of me making lists for her of confidential hotlines and sources of therapy and professional crisis support, and making anonymous calls to her school board to find out how much she could open up to them about without her parents getting told so I could encourage her to talk to a guidance counselor, making her promise to call me if she needed me, making sure my phone was always charged and always had the volume up loud enough to wake me up if it rang in the middle of the night, missing social events and sometimes my university classes to take her calls every time, having nightmares about her dying and it being my fault.

Her mother never knew most of what was happening, but at some point she found out I was gay and coaching her daughter, and then decided that the small amount she did know of her daughter’s mental health problems were my fault. That I was a predator grooming her daughter and trying to make her like me. She threatened all kinds of things, and then I had a new thing to be terrified of. Either I’d respect the mother’s demands that I stay away from her daughter and then a girl might die if she was cut off from support, or I tried to keep in touch anyway, get accused of horrible things, and my life is ruined. Coaching was my life, I knew I wanted to pursue a career working with youth, all that would be gone.

Stayed in this difficult position for about six months, still taking the girl’s calls but terrified of her mother. I started having people I knew come to me to tell me this mother had cornered them to tell them that I was a danger to teenage girls and they needed to know there was a gay predator in their midst. God knows how many people she said that to who didn’t come tell me about it.

At the national championships, my friends told me they saw this mother yelling at her daughter outside, at first they wouldn’t tell me what she’d said beyond the fact that it was really bad, but eventually I got them to tell me one direct quote, which was: “If that fucking dyke ever comes near you again, I’m calling the fucking cops.” Weirdly, my first question was who else was around to hear that – I guess because I already knew the mother hated me and the daughter knew it, but if my friends who already knew the story overheard it, then some people in our community who didn’t know the story but did know me might have heard. They said our university coach was standing nearby and they were pretty sure he heard.

I had this confirmed a couple of years later, when that university coach got worried that I was trying to recruit one of my former athletes back from him (which I fucking wasn’t, he drove that guy away all on his own, but that’s another issue), and he told that athlete not to trust me because I have an history of being sexually predatory toward my athletes. I was devastated when I heard that, because that guy was my coach for two years. My high school coach was horrible (again, different story), but my university coach seemed like a nice guy when I was there, helped me through some difficult stuff, gave me good advice, I looked up to him and trusted him. And he knew me, I was shocked that he’d believe something like that about me just from overhearing a few things shouted by a woman he didn’t know. Honestly, he probably didn’t believe it, he was just using it to play politics. Playing politics with something that absolutely traumatized me – I mean, you’d think that some things would be off limits even in the cutthroat world of recruiting one fucking kid for your varsity team. Though he may not have known how bad it was for me. I wouldn’t know what he thought, I haven’t been on speaking terms with him since this happened like eight years ago. I did watch him yell pointlessly at an athletic director in a coaches’ meeting at a tournament two months ago, though, and wonder why I ever gave a shit what he thought of me.

It didn’t work, either. The athlete he was trying to turn against me did know me, and he knew the story of why that mother had spread those rumours about me. He didn’t tell me what the coach had said, though. He told a mutual friend of ours, and made her promise not to repeat it to me. She got drunk and told me about a year later. Desperately hoping she’d somehow gotten the story wrong, the next time I saw that athlete, I asked him, “Last year, when [coach] was trying to turn you against me, did he say anything that you’ve never told me?” And he said, “Are you sure you really want to know?” And I said, “I think you’ve just told me.” And he said, “Did she get drunk and tell you?” And I said, “Yep.”

And he said, “I’m sorry, I only tried to keep it from you because you’d already been through so much and I didn’t think you deserved to hear something so awful. You know I’d never believe a word from that homophobic asshole, right?” And then he gave me a hug and told me I’d been like a mother to him. And for the record, that guy is Muslim, and everyone in this story who treated me like shit is white. I’m only mentioning that part to say that people who think Muslims are the big threat to gay people can fuck off right alongside the people who think trans people are the big threat to gay people (yes, Islam and all religions can be a threat to gay people, but Islam is mainly a threat to gay Muslims, so hating all Muslims is not a great solution).

Anyway. Writing all this is making me want to say “trigger warning” about that Blue Jean movie, because it turns out if you watch it and you were once accused of being a predator for being a gay woman who works with teenage girls, it might drag up some traumatizing memories. But that doesn’t mean people shouldn’t watch it, it just means, you know, maybe save it for a time when you can handle that. I meant for this post to be mainly about the movie, and did not realize how much I needed to write all this out until I started doing it. That movie did bring up some stuff.

In case anyone was wondering, the girl survived. She finished high school and moved several hours away from her mother, and we’re still in touch sometimes. She’s just started a PhD. She came out as gay a couple of years after high school, and I had a small breakdown, terrified that her mother had been right all along, I had, in fact, been somehow grooming her and turning her gay (please note that I did have the sense to not express this to the girl in question). One I had a horrible panic attack about it and expressed this fear to someone at a mental health hotline, a number I still had in my phone from when I’d first sent it to this girl when she was fifteen. The person on the phone pointed out that if there’s any way in which it’s not a coincidence that she came to me for help and turned out to be gay like me, it’s because she sensed that I she could trust me because I was like her, even if she didn’t know why yet. Which I think may be true. I saw her in person a few months ago, when I went to a tournament in the city where she’s living now. She told me she’s now several years older than I was when she first came to me for help, and she now realizes how young I was and how hard it must have been for me, but she appreciates everything I did for her. She did not say I made her gay.

After I finished watching the movie Blue Jean last night, I watched the new Hannah Gadsby special, Something Special. It’s lighter than he last two shows, about how she fell in love with, and then married, her now-wife. “Show that’s all about how I got into my relationship” is usually not a type of comedy show I love, but that one was pretty perfect for last night. Watching Blue Jean made me really enjoy seeing a lesbian who grew up in the 80s and 90s tell us her love story with the woman she married. Because as much as I’ve been through some shit, I have no fucking idea what it was like to be gay under Thatcher, or under those similar laws in Canada at the time, or anywhere in the 80s and 90s, or in a place that’s liberal than urban Canada now. I’m very lucky to not know that, and I felt genuinely inspired by seeing a woman who has been through that tell a positive story. I don’t even want to analyze its merits as a comedy show or anything (good though, it was good), it was just perfect for last night.

Watching those two things in a row last night was pretty cool. If anyone wants a night of watching cool lesbian things, may I recommend the movie Blue Jean followed by the Hannah Gadsby show Something Special? Made for a very gay night – the gayest night I’ve had since I broke up with my girlfriend last year. Anyway. I’m doing fine. I’m going to go back to listening to The Bugle now. With Andy Zaltzman, who was making jokes about the absurdity of anti-gay marriage arguments in 2007, and that wasn’t exactly a revolutionary stance for a leftie alternative comedian to take even back then (I’m still not clear on exactly what an “alternative comedian” is, but whatever definition you use, Andy Zaltzman is it), but still, it wasn’t the mainstream view at the time. Also, Andy Zaltzman has an agender sister (I believe the specific identity is “unsubscribed from gender”, and I’m pretty sure Helen Zaltzman is still cool with the word “sister”, correct me if I’m wrong) whom he fully supports, and the only time I’ve heard him make a joke about trans people is when Boris Johnson said “We’ve sacrificed to keep Britain safe” during the pandemic, and Andy pointed out that it is “overwhelmingly a good thing” that people can use any pronouns they want these day, the only time when anyone should be stopped from using any pronoun is in that one instance, Boris Johnson doesn’t get to say “we” there.

[honeyleesblog]

Providing In-Depth Horoscope and Personality Analysis for May 9 Birthdays

These individuals are loaded with thoughts and undertakings, and they have what it takes to carry out them. They are very lovely in character. They like solace and extravagance, yet are hesitant to be new and unprecedented. They express open talking abilities that they can grow brilliantly, and they can proceed to become political pioneers. They are held and sure of their power. In any case, they have created and superfluous convictions of their own significance, some of the time totally outlandish. That presumption tracks down no premise in anything, and can make the climate unfriendly towards them. They like to investigate, yet they additionally need to act with constancy and outcome. They have an incredible compassion toward human expression, particularly the applied kind or singing. They battle perseveringly for riches and are exceptionally fulfilled. In business, they generally leave a protected outlet. The imperfections related with this birthday incorporate, most importantly, exorbitant crabbiness. At the point when bothered they become extremely hesitant to think twice about. They are not extremely wonderful to others as a day to day existence friend. What undermines them: That their work in life may not be compensated, either in light of their pointless obstinacy or, in actuality, as a result of their hesitation. Providing In-Depth Horoscope and Personality Analysis for May 9 Birthdays 

 Assuming that your birthday is on May 9, your zodiac sign is Taurus May 9 - character and character character: laborer, liberal, ethical, enthusiastic, loquacious, curious; calling: pilot, veterinarian, engineer; colors: green, cream, blue; stone: spinel; creature: ostrich; plant: Zinnia; fortunate numbers: 5,10,42,49,53,59 very fortunate number: 25 Occasions and observances - May 9 Goku Day in Japan. Triumph Day over Nazism. Long periods of Recognition and Compromise (in celebration of WWII). Europe Day. May 9 VIP birthday events. Who was conceived that very day as you? 1904: Grete Harsh, disenadora y fotდ³grafa alemana (f. 1999). 1905: Lilდ­ დ?lvarez, tenista espanola (f. 1998). 1907: Baldur von Schirach, oficial alemდ¡n nazi (f. 1974). 1912: Pedro Armendდ¡riz, entertainer mexicano (f. 1963). 1918: Mike Wallace, periodista estadounidense (f. 2012). 1920: Richard Adams, escritor britდ¡nico (f. 2016). 1921: Sophie Scholl, dirigente y activista antinazi del movimiento Rosa Blanca (f. 1943). 1923: Carlos Bousono, poeta y filდ³logo espanol (f. 2015). 1924: Fernando Vidal, magistrado espanol, presidente del Council Predominant de Justicia de Asturias (f. 2012). 1924: Bulat Okudzhava, poeta, novelista y cantautor ruso (f. 1997). 1927: Manfred Eigen, fდ­sico y quდ­mico alemდ¡n, premio nobel de quდ­mica en 1967. 1928: Colin Chapman, ingeniero britდ¡nico, fabricante de automდ³viles (f. 1982). 1928: Pancho Gonzales, tenista estadounidense (f. 1995). 1928: Barbara Ann Scott, patinadora canadiense (f. 2012). 1934: Alan Bennett, escritor britდ¡nico. 1936: Albert Finney, entertainer britდ¡nico. 1936: Glenda Jackson, actriz britდ¡nica. 1937: Rafael Moneo, arquitecto espanol. 1939: Dolores Abril, cantaora espanola. 1939: Ricardo Aguirre, mდºsico venezolano (f. 1969). 1940: James L. Streams, productor, guionista y cineasta estadounidense. 1942: John Ashcroft, polდ­tico estadounidense. 1942: Mirko Sandiე‡, waterpolista y entrenador serbio (f. 2006). 1944: Richie Furay, mდºsico estadounidense, de la banda Bison Springfield. 1945: Jupp Heynckes, entrenador de fდºtbol alemდ¡n. 1946: Candice Bergen, actriz estadounidense. 1947: Vდ­ctor Ullate, bailarდ­n espanol. 1949: Marდ­a Eugenia Dდ¡vila, actriz y dramaturga colombiana (f. 2015). 1949: Ibrahim Barდ© Mainassara, militar y polდ­tico nigeriano (f. 1999). 1949: Billy Joel, mდºsico estadounidense. 1949: Andreu Martდ­n, escritor espanol. 1949: Adriდ¡n Paenza, matemდ¡tico argentino. 1950: Cristina Tejedor, actriz argentina. 1952: Adriana Varela, cantante argentina de tangos. 1955: Kevin Peter Lobby, entertainer estadounidense (f. 1991). 1955: Anne-Sofie von Otter, mezzosoprano sueca. 1955: Meles Zenawi, polდ­tico y preliminary ministro etდ­ope (f. 2012). 1956: Ludovica Squirru, astrდ³loga argentina. 1959: Christian Bach, actriz mexicana de origen argentino. 1959: Dis Berlდ­n, pintor, escultor y fotდ³grafo espanol. 1959: Miguel დ?ngel Gambier, futbolista argentino (f. 2016). 1960: Richard Horne, escritor britდ¡nico de libros infantiles. 1961: John Corbett, entertainer estadounidense. 1962: David Gahan, cantante britდ¡nico, de la banda Depeche Mode. 1962: Beatriz Gimeno, activista espanola de los derechos de LGBT. 1963: Emilio Maillდ©, chief de cine argentino. 1964: Genar Andrinua, futbolista espanol. 1964: Nacho Mastretta, mდºsico y printer espanol. 1964: Kevin Saunderson, DJ de mდºsica electrდ³nica. 1964: Miguel Tapia, mდºsico chileno. 1968: Marie-Josდ© Perec, atleta francesa. 1968: Ruth Kelly, polდ­tica britდ¡nica perteneciente al partido laborista. 1969: Golden, cantante holandesa. 1970: Ghostface Killah, rapero estadounidense, de la banda Wu-Tang Family. 1971: Paul McGuigan, bajista britდ¡nico, de la banda Desert garden. 1972: Daniela Silivaვ?, gimnasta rumana. 1973: Francisca Merino, actriz chilena. 1975: Juan Antonio Bayona, cineasta espanol. 1976: Tamia, cantante canadiense. 1976: Mდ³nica Godoy, actriz chilena. 1977: დ?nigo Landaluze, ciclista espanol. 1978: Bebe, cantante espanola. 1978: Joscha Sauer dibujante de cდ³mics alemდ¡n. 1978: Daniel Franzese, entertainer estadounidense. 1978: Leandro Cufrდ©, futbolista argentino. 1978: Marwan al-Shehhi, terrorista emiratდ­ que participდ³ en el 11S (f. 2001). 1979: Pierre Bouvier, cantante canadiense, de la banda Straightforward Arrangement. 1979: Rosario Dawson, actriz estadounidense. 1979: Matt Morris, cantante y typesetter estadounidense. 1980: Award Hackett, nadador australiano. 1980: Nicolae Dicე?, futbolista rumano. 1980: Estდ­baliz Martდ­nez, gimnasta espanola. 1981: Josდ© Luis Garcდ©s, futbolista panameno. 1981: Johnny Herrera, futbolista chileno. 1983: Gilles Mდ¼ller, tenista luxemburguდ©s. 1985: Audrina Patridge, actriz y modelo estadounidense. 1990: Jace Peterson, beisbolista estadounidense. 1991: Oswaldo Arcia, beisbolista venezolano. 1993: Ryosuke Yamada, entertainer y cantante japonდ©s.

[inchwormy]

by request, here's some library music recs! I mostly listen to albums but I'll list a few of my favorite songs from each one

Future World by Mars Lasar - from parry music library, made using the fairlight synthesizer. best tracks: "Skyfox", "Exotica", "Moto"

Synthesis by Claude Larson - a cute and playful collection by one of my favorite library music artists. best tracks: "Nitrogen," "Plastic Boogie," "Pink Keyboard"

Larson made a lot of albums and not all of them are great, but some others I like are Digital Patterns, Synchronistic Patterns (lots of patterns going on) and Texture.

Research and Development Part 2 by Dave Hewson - very fun 90s jams done for KPM. best tracks: "Robotica," "Crystal Clear," "Energizer"

Music Machine by Alan Hawkshaw, Brian Bennett & Dave Lawson - on Bruton Music. best tracks: "Autopower," "Pro-Motion," "Drive On"

Info Highway by Various Artists - on Abaco Music. a nice comp with some incredibly cheesy songs with incredibly cheesy computer-related titles. best tracks: "Mysterious Machinery," "Netware"

To be completely fair, most songs on any given album of library music are not "masterpieces" but they are mostly total vibes if you like retro-futurist tackiness and that sort of thing, which I do. and occasionally you'll find something totally amazing!

Also, library music is all about the fun of crate-digging, so if you like any of these, check out some other things released by the same music library or artist and you might find more good stuff. This is just a jumping off point. Hope this helps.

library musicians in the 70s and 80s would compose the greatest synth masterpieces of all time only for them to be used in the background of like 3 obscure TV movies and then forgotten for decades

[cherubinhell]

Manville has not watched Smith’s performance: it was broadcast shortly after she’d had her son, a year that was “a blur of nappies and milk”, and she thought it wouldn’t be helpful to watch it now. Comparisons aren’t welcome. “Come on. You’ve got to pass the baton over and have things that are up for grabs again. I’m not looking to please people. I’m looking to create this character and put my own take on it.”

» The Sunday Times, 14 June 2020

[shipcestuous]

I searched your blog to see if this one came up but I can't find it - An Ordinary Woman, which is an episode from the 2020 monologue series Talking Heads. It's about a mother developing incestuous feelings for her son. It's very uncomfortable viewing (especially as I personally do not support parent/guardian/aunt/uncle and child incest). Also a warning that the son is only 15. Sarah Lancashire's acting is incredible though.

Thanks for telling us about this, Anon!

Gwen begins to develop incestuous thoughts about her 15-year-old son Michael. She is unable to confide in her husband and sees herself as too normal to admit to anything so shocking, until a revelation brings matters to a head.

Alan Bennett's Talking Heads S1E2

[brian-in-finance]

REVEALED: ALL THE WINNERS AT THE GOSSIES 2022

SOME OF IRELAND’S BIGGEST STARS STEPPED OUT FOR GOSS.IE’S SEVENTH ANNUAL AWARDS SHOW, THE GOSSIES 2022, ON APRIL 8TH.

The glitzy awards bash, which was held at The Convention Centre Dublin, saw major Irish stars from TV, radio, music, and social media grace the red carpet.

Hosted by the fabulous Lucy Kennedy, the ceremony will be broadcast on Goss.ie’s YouTube channel on April 10th – so you can catch the winner’s speeches, see all the glitz and glam from the red carpet, and all the laughs in between.

Lucy Kennedy at The Gossies Awards 2022 at The Convention Centre, Dublin. Picture: Brian McEvoy

Celebrity guests on the night included: Maura Higgins, Love Island’s Faye Winter and Teddy Soares, Dáithí Ó Sé, Claudine Keane, Grainne Seoige, Alan Hughes, Martin King, Clare Dunne, Erica Cody, Holly Carpenter, Rosanna Davison, Erin McGregor, Doireann Garrihy, Stephen Byrne, Thalia Heffernan, Dr. Ciara Kelly, Aoife Walsh, Pamela Uba, and Ellen Keane.

A host of influencers and social media stars also made an appearance, including: James Patrice, Carl Mullan, Tadhg Fleming, Rachel Gorry, Sophie Murray, Kiki Nugent, Keilidh Cashell, Lauren Whelan, Miriam Mullins, Shauna Lindsay, Katja Mia, Enya Martin, Victoria Adeyinka, Bonnie Ryan, Aideen Kate Murphy, and Paddy Smyth.

On the night, 19 awards were presented to the winners of each category. Check out the full list of winners below:

https://goss.ie/featured/revealed-all-the-winners-at-the-gossies-2022-290945

Other well-known guests at The Gossies included: Lea Heart, Soulé, Triona McCarthy, Fiona Fagan, Chloe Markham, Corina Gaffey, Laura Jordan, Grainne Gallanagh, Emily O’Donnell, Lynn Kelly, Rebecca Rose, Fionnghuala O’Reilly, Kerri-Nicole Blanc, Rosalind Lipsett, Kelly Horrigan, Lynsey Bennett, Ceira Lambert, Denise Kenny Byrne, Linda Stinson, Aoife McNamara, Aisling Kavanagh, Sue Brophy, Paula Callan, Jade Mullet, Yvonne Maher, Ciara Ryan, and Gogglebox Ireland’s John and Dave.

Guests were treated to a fabulous three-course meal during the ceremony, and were entertained by The Event Band – who had everyone up on their feet throughout the night.

Before the show, our nominees and celebrity guests were invited to our official Gifting and Pamper Suite.

They were given glam makeovers by our Official Makeup Partner KASH Beauty, and had their hair transformed by our Hair Partner Silke Hair & Beauty.

Ahead of the ceremony, nominees also had their skin prepped by our Official Skincare Partner REFORM Skincare.

On top of that, nominees were treated to gifts from some of our incredible brand partners this year, including treats from: 17 now available at Boots, Aperol Spritz Ireland, humm, NOW, Ór Jewellery, Carry Out, Expert Electrical, and Oakpark Foods.

As always, guests also took home a luxury goodie bag from The Gossies, which included products/vouchers from our brand partners, and more treats from category sponsors SHEIN, Flowers.ie, and O’Donnell’s Crisps.

https://www.odonnellscrisps.com/about#OurStory

Remember… in 2007 Ed O’Donnell, a young seventh generation farmer wanted to diversify as farming was looking bleak at the time. He saw a niche in the market for an Irish hand cooked cooked crisp and decided to make crisps from the potatoes grown on his farm. Ed believed it was important that the product and flavours were Irish and artisan so he sourced local food producers to give the crisps fantastic individual flavours. In June 2010 O’DONNELLS Crisps were born!

[mysticalhearth]

P

Parade - Avery Fisher Hall, Lincoln Center - February 16, 2015 (SJ Bernly's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Jeremy Jordan (Leo Frank), Laura Benanti (Lucille Frank), Charlie Franklin (Frankie Epps), Emerson Steele (Mary Phagan), John Ellison Conlee (Hugh Dorsey), Alan Campbell (Governor John Slaton), Joshua Henry (Jim Conley), Nathaniel Stampley (Newt Lee), Andy Mientus (Britt Craig), Eric Anderson (J.N. Starnes), Davis Gaines (Judge Roan), Ramin Karimloo (Tom Watson), Andrea Jones-Sojola (Minola McKnight), Katie Rose Clarke (Mrs. Phagan), Rachel de Benedet (Sally Slaton), John Jellison (Mr. Peavy), Caitlin Houlahan (Iola Stover), Allie Trimm (Essie), Ephie Aardema (Monteen), John Jellison (Luther Rosser), Andrea Jones-Sojola (Angela), Charlie Franklin (Young Confederate Soldier), Eric Leviton (Officer Ivery), Nathaniel Stampley (Riley) NOTES: A fantastic capture of this one-night-only concert at Avery Fisher Hall. Jeremy and Laura give incredible performances, as does Joshua Henry and too many others to name. Jason Robert Brown gives a speech after the curtain call. Truly an epic night of theatre. This is a very near perfect video with no obstruction and only slight washout in wide shots. There are two quick dropouts in the first few minutes, but the concert is otherwise fully captured. It’s filmed in 16:9, with a mix of wides, mediums, and close-ups. The sound is excellent. Includes curtain call, Jason’s speech, and playbill scans. Parade - Broadway - December 8, 1998 (Preview) (House-Cam's master) FORMAT:  VOB (no smalls) (SD) CAST: Brent Carver (Leo Frank), Carolee Carmello (Lucille Frank), Kirk McDonald (Frankie Epps), Christy Carlson Romano (Mary Phagan), Herndon Lackey (Hugh Dorsey), John Hickok (Governor John Slaton), Rufus Bonds Jr (Jim Conley), Evan Pappas (Britt Craig), Don Chastain (Judge Roan), John Leslie Wolfe (Tom Watson), Jessica Molaskey (Mrs. Phagan), Brooke Sunny Moriber (Iola Stover), Megan McGinnis NOTES: Made from closed-circuit system in Vivian Beaumont Theatre. Stage shot entire time; decent picture and good sound. Also possibly from February 27, 1999. Parade - Mark Taper Forum, Los Angeles - November 1, 2009 (Matinee) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: T R Knight (Leo Frank), Lara Pulver (Lucille Frank), Curt Hansen (Frankie Epps), Rose Sezniak (Mary Phagan), Michael Berresse (Governor John Slaton), David St Louis (Jim Conley), Davis Gaines (Judge Roan), PJ Griffith (Tom Watson) NOTES: Released as 2 Disc DVD. One short blackout in the first act, and some washout in the wides; very little obstruction with some heads on the bottom and the sides, but nothing major; good clear and steady video with nice picture and sound. Passion - Netherlands - 2004 (Pro-Shot's master) FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Vera Mann (Fosca), Stanley Burleson (Giorgio), Pia Douwes (Clara) Peter Pan (National Theatre) - London - 2016-, 2017 (Pro-Shot's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Paul Hilton (Peter Pan), Anna Francolini (Captain Hook), Madeleine Worrall (Wendy Darling), Marc Antolin (John Darling), John Pfumojena (Michael Darling), Felix Hayes (Mr Darling), Saikat Ahamed (Tinkerbell), Felix Hayes (Smee), Saikat Ahamed (Curly), Lois Chimimba (Tiger Lily), Lois Chimimba (Slightly), Laura Cubitt (Twin One), Felix Hayes (Twin Two), Amaka Okafor (Jane), Ekow Quartey (Nana), Ekow Quartey (Tootles), Anna Francolini (Mrs. Darling) Phantom (Yeston/Kopit) - North Shore Music Theatre - 1994 FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Ron Baker (Erik/The Phantom), Kristin Chenoweth (Christine Daaé), Marc Kudisch (Count Philippe de Chandon), Michael Dantuono (Gérard Carrière), SuEllen Estey (Carlotta) Phantom (Yeston/Kopit) - Takarazuka - 2011 (Pro-Shot's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Tomu Ranju (Erik/The Phantom), Ranno Hana (Christine Daaé)

Piaf - The Netherlands - January 9, 2009 (Pro-Shot's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (SD) CAST: Liesbeth List (Edith Piaf), Esther Roord (Toine), Daphne Flint (Young Edith Piaf), Geert Hoes (Marcel), Ara Halici (Paul), Jan Elbertse (Lucien), Eliane Feijen (Madeleine) Pippin - Broadway Revival - July 13, 2013 (SunsetBlvd79's master) FORMAT:  VOB (no smalls) (SD) CAST: Patina Miller (Leading Player), Matthew James Thomas (Pippin), Terrence Mann (Charles), Charlotte d'Amboise (Fastrada), Andrea Martin (Berthe), Rachel Bay Jones (Catherine), Erik Altemus (Lewis), Ashton Woerz (Theo) NOTES: Beautiful HD capture of the 2013 Tony Winning Revival. I certainly see why Patina and Andrea won their Tonys. A sleek and stunning revival with performances and ideas to die for! Certainly not to be missed! A Pippin - Broadway Revival - June 14, 2014 (SunsetBlvd79's master) FORMAT:  VOB (no smalls) (SD) CAST: Ciara Renée (Leading Player), Kyle Dean Massey (Pippin), Terrence Mann (Charles), Charlotte d'Amboise (Fastrada), Andrea Martin (Berthe), Rachel Bay Jones (Catherine), Erik Altemus (Lewis), Andrew Cekala (Theo) NOTES: Wonderful HD capture of the new leads who have joined the cast. The show is still in top shape, Kyle gives a great Pippin and beautiful voice to match! Ciara gives some great vocal variations of her own. A Pippin - Broadway Revival - December 30, 2014 FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) |  TRADER'S NOTES: Working on uploading, PLEASE DO NOT REQUEST CAST: Carly Hughes (Leading Player), Josh Kaufman (Pippin), John Dossett (Charles), Charlotte d'Amboise (Fastrada), Priscilla Lopez (Berthe), Rachel Bay Jones (Catherine), Mike Schwitter (Lewis), Eli Tokash (Theo)   Pippin - World AIDS Day Benefit Concert - November 29, 2004 FORMAT:  VOB (no smalls) (SD) CAST: Ben Vereen (Leading Player), Billy Porter (Leading Player), Darius de Haas (Leading Player), Kate Shindle (Leading Player), Rosie O’Donnell (Leading Player), Michael Arden (Pippin), Terrence Mann (Charles), Julia Murney (Fastrada), Charles Busch (Berthe), Laura Benanti (Catherine), Cameron Mathison (Lewis), Harrison Chad (Theo), Adam Fleming, Barrett Foa, Caitlin van Zandt, Cheyenne Jackson, Colin Hanlon, Erin Quill, Jenna Leigh Green, Jennifer Malenke, John Tartaglia, Jordan Gelber, Josh Young, Julie Garnye, Kate Pazakis, Kearran Giovanni, Kristoffer Cusick, Marty Thomas, Michael Longoria, Natalie Joy Johnson, Randy Redd, Robb Sapp, Sara Chase, Sriram Ganesan NOTES: If you've been wanting to see Rosie O'Donnell perform "Magic To Do" with a dancer in a bikini top grinding up on her, then look no further! *Ben Vereen, Darius de Haas, Billy Porter, Rosie O'Donell, Kate Shindle as the leading players The Pirate Queen - Broadway - March 24, 2007 (Preview) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Stephanie J Block (Grace (Gráinne) O'Malley), Linda Balgord (Queen Elizabeth I), Hadley Fraser (Tiernan), Marcus Chait (Donal O'Flaherty), Jeff McCarthy (Dubhdara), William Youmans (Sir Richard Bingham) The Pirate Queen - Broadway - April 11, 2007 FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Stephanie J Block (Grace (Gráinne) O'Malley), Linda Balgord (Queen Elizabeth I), Hadley Fraser (Tiernan), Marcus Chait (Donal O'Flaherty), Jeff McCarthy (Dubhdara), William Youmans (Sir Richard Bingham) The Pirate Queen - Broadway - April 13, 2007 (SunsetBlvd79's master) FORMAT:  VOB (no smalls) (SD) CAST: Stephanie J Block (Grace (Gráinne) O'Malley), Linda Balgord (Queen Elizabeth I), Hadley Fraser (Tiernan), Marcus Chait (Donal O'Flaherty), Jeff McCarthy (Dubhdara), William Youmans (Sir Richard Bingham) NOTES: Wonderful crystal clear capture and top notch amazing performances. Much improved from Chicago version. Includes performance on the the View. A+ The Pirate Queen - Pre-Broadway / Chicago - October 8, 2006 FORMAT:  MP4 (SD) |  TRADER'S NOTES: PLEASE DO NOT REQUEST. Working on uploading :) CAST: Stephanie J Block (Grace (Gráinne) O'Malley), Linda Balgord (Queen Elizabeth I), Hadley Fraser (Tiernan), Marcus Chait (Donal O'Flaherty), Jeff McCarthy (Dubhdara), William Youmans (Sir Richard Bingham) The Play That Goes Wrong - Broadway - May, 2018 (NYCG8R's master) FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Mark Evans (Chris Bean), Preston Truman Boyd (Robert Grove), Jonathan Fielding (Jonathan Harris), Amelia McClain (Sandra Wilkinson), Alex Mandell (Max Bennett), Harrison Unger (Dennis Tyde), Ashley Bryant (Annie Twilliol), Akron Watson (Trevor Watson) NOTES: (not Master's notes) Beginning from pre-show where the comedy 'bit' of the set breaking starts. Throughout, very clearly shot with no obstructions, in a mixture of wides and closes, following the action well. I think it's shot from the front of the circle. Once or twice the camera falls but never during key moments, and is quickly fixed. No long blackouts. Audience energy is great. The Play That Goes Wrong - West End (Duchess Theatre) - March, 2020 (hitmewithyourbethshot's master) FORMAT:  MTS CAST: Ross Green (Chris Bean), Tom Bulpett (s/b Robert Grove), James Watterson (e/c Jonathan Harris), Ellie Morris (Sandra Wilkinson), Milo Clarke (Max Bennett), Michael Keene (Dennis Tyde), Leah Penston (s/b Annie Twilliol), Blayar Benn (Trevor Watson) Pokémon Live! - First National Tour - December 30, 2000 (House-Cam's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (SD) CAST: Dominic Nolfi (Ash Ketchum), Heidi Michelle Weyhmueller (Misty), Dennis Kenney (Brock), Darren Dunstan (Giovanni), Lauren Kling (Jessie), Andrew Rannells (James), Dee Roscioli (Delia Ketchum), Patrick Frankfort (Professor Oak), Jennifer Risser (Pikachu), Kathleen Roche (Meowth), Leah Smith (Psyduck), Shaun Bradley (Mewtwo), Leah Smith (Jigglypuff), Natalie Weld (Nurse Joy), Suzanne Wogisch (Officer Jenny), Sinclair Mitchell (Dexter) NOTES: HOUSE-CAM and soundboard. Shot from the back of the theatre with some washout. Upgraded file with audience heads cut out and cropped image retaining all action Potted Potter: The Unauthorized Harry Experience - Off-Broadway - May 23, 2012 FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Daniel Clarkson, Jefferson Turner NOTES: All seven Harry Potter books condensed into seventy minutes. Full/mid stage shot. Pretty Woman: The Musical - Broadway - January 16, 2019 FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Samantha Barks (Vivian Ward), Adam Pascal (t/r Edward Lewis), Jennifer Sanchez (u/s Kit De Luca) NOTES: A lot of washout. Wide shot. Shot from the mez. Pretty Woman: The Musical - Broadway - February, 2019 (NYCG8R's master) FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Samantha Barks (Vivian Ward), Adam Pascal (Edward Lewis), Eric Anderson (Mr. Thompson/Happy Man), Jason Danieley (Philip Stuckey), Kingsley Leggs (James Morse), Orfeh (Kit De Luca), Tommy Bracco (Giulio) NOTES: (not Master notes) Seems a fantastic capture of the show. Virtually no dropouts, obstructions and spotlight washout. Filmed more centre than the preview recording by the same master; mix of wides, mediums and some closeups; very good capture of the sets and actor choreography. Both are worth watching. Pretty Woman: The Musical - Broadway - July, 2018 (Preview) (NYCG8R's master) FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Samantha Barks (Vivian Ward), Andy Karl (Edward Lewis), Eric Anderson (Mr. Thompson/Happy Man), Jason Danieley (Philip Stuckey), Ezra Knight (James Morse), Orfeh (Kit De Luca), Allison Blackwell (Violetta), Tommy Bracco (Giulio), Brian Cali (Fred/Alfredo), Robby Clater (David Morse), Anna Eilinsfeld (Susan/Scarlett) NOTES: (not Master notes) Seems a fantastic capture of the show. Virtually no dropouts or obstructions. More spotlight washout than the Feb 2019 recording by the same master, but it's very minimal. Filmed at slight angle and with more closeups compared to the other recording. Very good capture of the actors' expressions. Both are worth watching. Pretty Woman: The Musical - Hamburg - September 25, 2019 (Preview) (Rumpel's master) FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Patricia Meeden (Vivian Ward), Mark Seibert (Edward Lewis), Paul Kribbe (Mr. Thompson/Happy Man), Nigel Casey (Philip Stuckey), Frank Logemann (James Morse), Maricel (Kit De Luca) Pretty Woman: The Musical - Pre-Broadway/Chicago - April 13, 2018 (SunsetBlvd79's master) FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Samantha Barks (Vivian Ward), Steve Kazee (Edward Lewis), Eric Anderson (Mr. Thompson/Happy Man), Jason Danieley (Philip Stuckey), Kingsley Leggs (James Morse), Orfeh (Kit De Luca) NOTES: Beautiful HD capture of the PreBroadway production. This includes Steve as Edward before he left the production prior to Broadway. Such a fun show with terrific performances and a rare glimpse of Steve in the role! A Pride and Prejudice - TheatreWorks Silicon Valley - December, 2019 (Pro-Shot's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Mary Mattison (Elizabeth Bennet), Sharon Rietkerk (Jane Bennet), Justin Mortelliti (Fitzwilliam Darcy), Travis Leland (Charles Bingley), Monique Hafen (Caroline Bingley) NOTES: Streamed by TheaterMania on April 10, 2020. Hosted by Julie James, Laura Osnes, and Beth Leavel. The Prince of Egypt - West End - March 5, 2020 (BwaytoWestEnd's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Luke Brady (Moses), Liam Tamne (Ramses), Alexia Khadime (Miriam), Christine Allado (Tzipporah), Gary Wilmot (Jethro), Silas Wyatt-Barke (Aaron), Joe Dixon (Seti), Debbie Kurup (Queen Tuya), Tanisha Spring (Nefertari), Adam Pearce (Hotep), Mercedesz Csampai (Yocheved) NOTES: Approx 12 gb stageshot filmed from stalls. Audio is awful most of the time. Master of this is BwaytoWestEnd The Prince of Egypt - West End - February, 2020 (hitmewithyourbethshot's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Luke Brady (Moses), Liam Tamne (Ramses), Alexia Khadime (Miriam), Christine Allado (Tzipporah), Gary Wilmot (Jethro), Silas Wyatt-Barke (Aaron), Joe Dixon (Seti), Debbie Kurup (Queen Tuya), Tanisha Spring (Nefertari), Adam Pearce (Hotep), Mercedesz Csampai (Yocheved), Iman Pabani (Young Miriam/Leah/Young Hebrew Girl), Leo Babet (Young Aaron/Young Egyptian Boy/Young Midian Boy) NOTES: This video is never to be publicly shared on YouTube, tumblr, Facebook, Stage Dork etc. The Prince of Egypt - West End - February, 2020 (hitmewithyourbethshot's master)

FORMAT: video CAST: Luke Brady (Moses), Liam Tamne (Ramses), Alexia Khadime (Miriam), Christine Allado (Tzipporah), Gary Wilmot (Jethro), Silas Wyatt-Barke (Aaron), Joe Dixon (Seti), Debbie Kurup (Queen Tuya), Tanisha Spring (Nefertari), Adam Pearce (Hotep), Mercedesz Csampai (Yocheved), Iman Pabani (Young Miriam/Leah/Young Hebrew Girl), Leo Babet (Young Aaron/Young Egyptian Boy/Young Midian Boy) NOTES: This video is never to be publicly shared on YouTube, tumblr, Facebook, Stage Dork etc. The Producers - Hollywood Bowl - July 28, 2012 FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Richard Kind (Max Bialystock), Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Leo Bloom), Gary Beach (Roger De Bris), Roger Bart (Carmen Ghia), Rebecca Romijn (Ulla), Dane Cook (Franz Liebkind) NOTES: Excellent capture of this year's Hollywood Bowl production. Action is followed well with a mix of wides, mediums, and close-ups. The first minute of the show is missing, and the next few minutes are a bit shaky with scattered blackouts, but after "The King of Broadway" it settles and the majority of the show is captured nicely. SPOILER: Before "Keep It Gay" started, when Roger says "What's the word?" someone from the audience shouted out "Gay" which sent the cast into a laughing fit. The Prom - Broadway - August 11, 2019 (Matinee) (Closing Night) (StarCuffedJeans's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Caitlin Kinnunen (Emma Nolan), Brooks Ashmanskas (Barry Glickman), Isabelle McCalla (Alyssa Greene), Beth Leavel (Dee Dee Allen), Christopher Sieber (Trent Oliver), Michael Genet (Mr. Hawkins), Angie Schworer (Angie), Courtenay Collins (Mrs. Greene), Josh Lamon (Sheldon Saperstein), Becca Lee (Kaylee), Kalyn West (Shelby), Teddy Toye (Nick), Josh Franklin (Motel Clerk), Drew Redington (Kevin), Courtney Balan (Olivia Keating), Anthony Norman, Brittany Conigatti, Fernell Hogan, Jack Sippel, Jerusha Cavazos, Joomin Hwang, Mary Antonini, Shelby Finnie, Sheldon Henry, Vasthy Mompoint NOTES: Gift upon request. Unobstructed closing performance with the full cast! Starts in the beginning of "Changing Lives" and is a little washed out. For whatever reason my camera was mad at me and didn't want to focus in the beginning of Act One. It warmed up and got better, and to be honest I opted for wider shots because everyone was doing crazy things and I didn't want to miss anything. I stood up for all but one of the standing ovations and when I did so I have no idea what my camera did or what it was looking at. I would say sorry but it wouldn't be true. I'm just so damn proud of all of these people. Please do not post this bootleg publicly! The Prom - Broadway - February, 2019 (NYCG8R's master) FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Caitlin Kinnunen (Emma Nolan), Josh Lamon (u/s Barry Glickman), Isabelle McCalla (Alyssa Greene), Beth Leavel (Dee Dee Allen), Christopher Sieber (Trent Oliver), Michael Genet (Mr. Hawkins), Angie Schworer (Angie), Courtenay Collins (Mrs. Greene), David Josefsberg (u/s Sheldon Saperstein) NOTES: Excellent capture! Josh mistakenly mentions Alyssa in 'Tonight Belongs to You' despite not being meant to know her name at this point. The last three minutes of the show are from a different performance, during previews, with Brooks Ashmanskas as Barry and Josh Lamon as Sheldon, but it is a full video in total. The Prom - Broadway - March, 2019 (StarCuffedJeans's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Gabi Campo (u/s Emma Nolan), Brooks Ashmanskas (Barry Glickman), Isabelle McCalla (Alyssa Greene), Beth Leavel (Dee Dee Allen), Christopher Sieber (Trent Oliver), Michael Potts (Mr. Hawkins), Angie Schworer (Angie), Courtenay Collins (Mrs. Greene), David Josefsberg (u/s Sheldon Saperstein), Becca Lee (Kaylee), Susie Carroll (s/w Shelby), Teddy Toye (Nick), Drew Redington (Kevin), Courtney Balan (Olivia Keating) NOTES: This video starts at "Dance With You" and is super focused on Gabi. There are less heads in this than most of my videos and a railing that gets in the way occasionally, but they were mostly worked around. The cast as a whole is doing top notch work, though at times you can tell that Brooks and Izzy are just back from being sick. Overall this is a really great video of one of my favorite shows, and I'm really proud of myself for containing my crying at the end of act one. The Prom - Pre-Broadway / Atlanta - September 17, 2016 (SunsetBlvd79's master) FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Caitlin Kinnunen (Emma Nolan), Brooks Ashmanskas (Barry Glickman), Anna Grace Barlow (Alyssa Greene), Beth Leavel (Dee Dee Allen), Christopher Sieber (Trent Oliver), Martin Moran (Mr. Hawkins), Angie Schworer (Angie), Josh Lamon (Sheldon Saperstein) NOTES: Beautiful HD capture of the Pre-Broadway tryout. A really touching and funny new musical, led by a hilarious cast of Broadway veterans. A perfect mix of comedy and drama.

[psychocly]

Behind the scene of Alan Bennett's Talking Heads -

“Her Big Chance” by (my favorite) Jodie Comer

That page was full of lines lmao...

God, Jodie is incredible✨

[hawthorn-and-nettles]

PSRC 2020

A book that's published in 2020 - Darling Rose Gold - Stephanie Wrobel

A book by a trans or nonbinary author - All the Birds In the Sky - Charlie Jane Anders

A book with a great first line - Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury

A book about a book club - The Accidental Bookclub - Jennifer Scottt

A book set in a city that has hosted the Olympics - Angels and Demons - Dan Brown

A bildungsroman - Playlist for the Dead - Michelle Folkoff

The first book you touch on a shelf with your eyes closed - Fire Touched - Patricia Briggs

A book with an upside-down image on the cover - Verity - Colleen Hoover

A book with a map - Bone Crossed - Patricia Briggs

A book recommended by your favorite blog, vlog, podcast, or online book club - World War Z - Max Brooks

An anthology - Tiny Crimes - Various Authors

A book that passes the Bechdel test - Frost Burnes - Patricia Briggs

A book with the same title as a movie or TV show but is unrelated to it - The Passengers - John Marrs

A book by an author with flora or fauna in their name - My Lady’s Choosing - Kitty Curran and Larissa Zageris

A book about or involving social media - The Future of Us - Carolyn Mackler and Jay Asher

A book that has a book on the cover - Silver Borne - Patricia Briggs

A medical thriller - Post Mortem - Patricia Cornwell

A book with a made-up language - The Tales of Beetle the Bard - J.K. Rowling

A book set in a country beginning with "C" - The Incredible Journey - Sheila Burnford

A book you picked because the title caught your attention - The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes - Suzanne Collins

A book published the month of your birthday - Thin Air - Lisa Gray

A book about or by a woman in STEM -  Women in Science: 50 Fearless Pioneers Who Changed the World -Rachel Ignotofsy

A book that won an award in 2019 - Scrublands - Chris Hammern

A book on a subject you know nothing about -  Wide-Open World: How Volunteering Around the Globe Changed One Family's Lives Forever - John Marshall

A book with only words on the cover, no images or graphics - The Strain - Guillermo Del Toro and Chick Hogan

A book with a pun in the title - Crime Brulee - Nancy Fairbanks

A book featuring one of the seven deadly sins - The Lust Killer - Anne Rule

A book with a robot, cyborg, or AI character - SF 18 - Various Authors

A book with a bird on the cover - Beastkeeper - Cat Hellison

A fiction or nonfiction book about a world leader - THe Uncommon Reader - Alan Bennett

A book with "gold," "silver," or "bronze" in the title - Heart of Gold - Robin Lee Hatchen

A book by a WOC - Silver Sparrow - Tayari JOnes

A book with at least a four-star rating on Goodreads - I am Legend - RIchard Matheson

A book you meant to read in 2019 - The Photo Ark - Joel Sartore

A book with a three-word title -One Word Kill - Mark Lawrence

A book with a pink cover - Girl on a Plane - Miriam Moss

A Western - Silver Lining - Maggie Osbourne

A book by or about a journalist - The Imperfectionists - Tom Rachman

Read a banned book during Banned Books Week - The Giver - Louis Lowry

Your favorite prompt from a past POPSUGAR Reading Challenge - The Heist - Janet Evanovich

Advanced

A book written by an author in their 20s -Vicious - V.E.Schwab

A book with "20" or "twenty" in the title - 24/7 - Jim Brown

A book with a character with a vision impairment or enhancement (a nod to 20/20 vision) - Tangerine - Edward Bloom

A book set in the 1920s - Death Scene - Jane A. Adams

A book set in Japan, host of the 2020 Olympics - Tokyo Heist - Dianna Renn

A book by an author who has written more than 20 books - The Fall - Chuck Hogan

A book with more than 20 letters in its title - Quidditch through the ages by Kennilworthy Whisp / J.K. Rowling

A book published in the 20th century - The Phantom Tollbooth - Norton Juster

A book from a series with more than 20 books - Night Broken - Patricia Briggs

A book with a main character in their 20s - Howl’s Moving Castle - Dianna Wynne Jones