#shakespeare and then makes that into an entirely new story its FANTASTIC and you should definitely read that AND macbeth together

[denimbex1986]

'Andrew Scott’s career has been a slow yet steady one. Like many other British actors, he started in the theater and had small roles in both movies and TV. With his talent, little by little, he earned better roles until they hired him to play Moriarty in Benedict Cumberbatch’s Sherlock. For many, he came out of nowhere, but by then, he had been a working actor for more than a decade.

After that role, many new opportunities arose: a villain in Spectre, and especially, his performance in the second season of Fleabag. With that, some new, interesting offers came. Later this year, he’ll be Ripley in the Netflix adaptation of Patricia Highsmith’s character, made popular by Matt Damon. This year, he should have gotten a nomination for an Academy Award for his incredible performance in All of Us Strangers. Today, we’re looking at his TV career and his best performances in that medium.

10. The Hollow Crown (2012-2016)

The Hollow Crown was an interesting project: using Shakespeare’s plays about the different English Kings, with every episode being about one of them. Ben Wishaw had one of his best performances ever playing King Richard II, and so did Jeremy Irons as King Henry IV.

This Role Wasn't His First Shakespeare Rodeo

The actor has worked in the theater before, so this wasn’t his first time saying the words of Shakespeare, and it shows. Scott appeared as King Louis XI of France in the story of Henry VI (Tom Sturridge), and he makes his Louis both regal and noble yet capricious and irascible, making his time on screen count while also moving the plot along.

9. Band of Brothers (2001)

Produced by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks, Band of Brothers is still one of the greatest TV shows about war, even all these years later. The show follows the Easy Company of the U.S. Army 101st Airborne Division during World War II.

The Actor Leaves a Mark

The show was one of the first chances for many actors who would become known, from Simon Pegg and Damien Lewis, to Tom Hardy, Michael Fassbender, and Andrew Scott. The actor only appears in one episode, “Day of Days,” as John “Cowboy” Hall. They say there’s no small part, only small actors, and Scott proves it here, as even if it’s a small role, the actor leaves a mark, especially on the audience and the character played by Damien Lewis.

8. Black Mirror (2011-Present)

Black Mirror has become the smartest sci-fi show on TV. Every episode is its own thing, and that allows for great closed stories like "San Junipero" or "The Entire History of You" and getting fantastic actors to play those parts. Bryce Dallas Howard, Mackenzie Davis, Jesse Plemons, Daniel Kaluuya, Hayley Atwell, and Scott are just some of the actors to appear in this anthology series.

The Actor Plays Tragic, Broken, and Devastated, Spectacularly

Scott was the lead actor in season five's “Smithereens,” playing a tragic character named Chris. The character is a ride-share driver who kidnaps a worker at the social media company, Smithereen. The actor plays tragic, broken, and devastated, spectacularly. As the story goes forward, he portrays even more dark and sad layers to this character, who is completely lost in life after a tragic accident.

7. Oslo (2021)

Based on the play of the same name written by J.T. Rogers, Oslo is a TV movie about the secret negotiations in the Oslo Accords between Israel and Palestine. The accords wouldn’t have worked without a Norwegian couple, diplomats in the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mona Juul (Ruth Wilson) and her husband, Terje Rød-Larsen (Scott).

He Plays the Doting Husband With Grace

Scott is great at playing the doting husband, who is trying to help while acknowledging their roles might put both him and his wife in trouble. As the host, his character tries to take some weight off the conversations by creating a space with free-flowing whiskey and food, and the actor sells that idea and how much in his element is when he’s able to know more about the people who are with him, and not their position in the negotiations.

6. The Pursuit of Love (2019)

Written and directed by Emily Mortimer, The Pursuit of Love adapts the book of the same name written by Nancy Mitford. This is the story of two cousins in 1945, Fanny (Emily Beecham) and Linda (Lily James), as the two couldn’t be more different and want different things in life.

He Steals Every Scene He’s in

Scott has the most eccentric and fun character in the whole show, Lord Merlin, a neighbor for whom the word dandy was created. The character and Linda are two peas in a pod, and Lord Merlin tries to protect her from her many romantic adventures, good and bad. The actor steals every scene he’s in, as his Lord Merlin always knows what funny things to say, loves parties, and even dyes his pigeons in strange colors. If you’re still not convinced, watch his introduction in the show to understand how crazy the character he plays is.

5. School of Roars (2017-Present)

School of Roars is an English-animated show for kids. Their lead characters are five monsters who go to Monster Preschool to learn how to deal with many problems, from not breaking things to not being a sore loser.

Scott’s Voice Acting Talent on Full Display

It might feel weird to find the actor who has played Moriarty and the “Hot Priest” and who is going to be playing Mr. Ripley, doing voices in a kids' show, but such are the talents of Andrew Scott. The actor has done voiceovers before, and in this show, he voices many adult characters. He’s the narrator, but also Mr. Snapper, Mr. Bogglelots, and Mr. Marrow, having his voice-acting talent on full display and proving he can do anything.

4. Modern Love (2019-Present)

Modern Love is one of the most underrated series on Prime Video. Based on the weekly column of the same name, published by The New York Times. This anthology series is all about those kinds of stories with an incredible cast, from Anne Hathaway to Dev Patel, Tina Fey, Julia Garner, and Andrew Scott.

He Perfectly Sells His Character’s Evolution

Scott’s biggest role is in the episode “Hers Was a World of One,” where he plays one-half of a gay couple adopting the future baby of pregnant Karla (Olivia Cooke). The actor plays the uptight member of the couple; the one who isn’t comfortable with the arrangement, especially when she moves with them. Once they live together, his character has many problems with Karla’s way of life in the third trimester of her pregnancy. Scott and Cooke have great chemistry together, and both perfectly show how their characters find common grounds and evolve just before she goes into labor.​​​​​​​

3. His Dark Materials (2019-2022)

Based on the novels by Philip Pullman, His Dark Materials was a TV series about Lyra (Dafne Keen), an orphan girl who is looking for a missing friend and finds a conspiracy to get the most important material in the whole world, Dust. In this alternate reality, every character has an animal companion named daemon.

The Actor Is Having the Time of His Life With This Character

He’s an explorer; he’s a powerful being; he has lived many lives. The actor is having the time of his life playing this magical character with a traumatic past, as it allows him to display all his acting talents. Scott appeared in seven episodes as John Parry/Jopari, a marine and explorer and father to Will (Amir Wilson), one of the most important characters in the show. Fun fact: the show has a Fleabag reunion, as Scott’s character daemon is voiced by Phoebe Waller-Bridge.

2. Sherlock (2010-2017)

Sherlock was the latest look at the famous character. This time, by moving him to present-day London. It has a breakout performance by Benedict Cumberbatch as the detective, with the support of Martin Freeman as Watson. The show had three 90-minute episodes a season, and its last season was in 2017. Even then, audiences are still hoping it might come back.

He Played Sherlock’s Nemesis, Moriarty

Scott appeared in nine episodes as Sherlock’s nemesis, Jim Moriarty, in the performance most first saw him in. This Moriarty was a much more unhinged and cruel villain, a full-on sociopath whose only objective was to kill Sherlock, and Scott sold the hell out of that character. The creators were so impressed by his performance that they kept adding him in new episodes, so he could continue doing his crazy Moriarty thing, tormenting the heroes and creating absolutely Machiavellian plans.

1. Fleabag (2016-2019)

Scott was the most important part of Fleabag’s season two, after Phoebe Waller-Bridge herself, as he played the “hot priest”. The character was as complicated a mess as the show’s heroine, and that’s why they understood each other and fit together so well, so much so that he was the only one who could see Fleabag was breaking the fourth wall and looking at the audience every once in a while.

A Nuanced and Beautiful Performance

For many, Fleabag is one of the greatest TV shows of all time, and Scott’s performance had a hand in that. His priest is not the typical one, as he’s conflicted and has his own crisis of faith. He’s also in love with Fleabag. The actor is able to convey those conflicting feelings perfectly, with nuance, and show them to the audience all at once. His “It’ll pass,” is one of the most devastating yet beautiful words said by the actor in his career, as it says everything it needs, making for one of the best endings in TV history.'

[glorioustidalwavedefendor]

should we do fascism to stop a vague fantastical threat? should we kill this guy if that means causing a vague fantastical threat?

I mean answering yes, makes perfect sence if you believe in the „great man theory“ of history

-> very popular idea among right wingers that the people who change the world are indevidual great men.

Which is not and exclusively right-wing idea but it has been the way that a lot of stories are built up on.

And it‘s also the narrative tool that has framed most MARVEL properties … for good and for bad …

Including this one …

Great man theaory

In the early 19th century, thomas carlyle published: „On heroes – Hero-Worship & and the heroic in history“

Which presnted the theory that, in his own words, the history of the world is but the biographie of great men.

„Thus if the man Odin himself have vanished utterly, there is this huge shadow of him which still projects itself over the whole History of his people. For this Odin once admitted to be God, we can understand well that the whole Scandinavian scheme of Natur, or dim No-scheme, whatever it might befroe have been, would now begin to develop istelf altogether differently, and grow thenceforth in a new manner. What this Odin saw into, and taught with his runes and his rhymes, the whole Teutonic People laid to heart and carried forward. His way of thought became their way of thought: – such, under new conditions, is the history of every great thinker still. In gigantic confused lineaments, liek some enourmous camera-obscure shadow thrown upwards from the dead deeps of teh Past, and covering the whole Northern Heaven, is not Scandinavian Mythology in some sort the Portraiture of this man Odin? The gigantic image of his natural face, legible there, expanded and confused in that manner! Ah, Thought. I say, is always Thought. No great man lives in vain. The History of the world is but the Biography of great men.“

In it, carlyle cites figures like Shakespear, Napoleon, Jesus, and teh North god Odin. And he essentially argues that the ebb and flow of history is controlled almost entirely by singular, charismatic indeviduals who push society in a given direction.

Often this gets contrasted with the People‘s History, which argues that so-called great people are actually the mere products of much wider systematic trends, which eventually spawn such people as representative of these societies (and trends within those societies)

Basically they are standing on the shoulders of giants …

It is propably not much a stretch to infer that according to him there is no society.

Insteda we are left with a proposition: To trust that for however much control or power they requier, all it takes are these great men, these strong man leaders to see us through the perpetual war.

Perpetual war, endless war, or a forever war, is a lasting state of war with no clear conditions that would lead to its conclusion. These wars are situations of ongoing tension that may escalate at any moment, similar to the Cold War. From the late 20th century, the concepts have been used to critique the United States Armed Forces interventions in foreign nations and the military–industrial complex such as the Vietnam War and the Soviet-Afghan War, or wars with ambiguous enemies such as the war on terror or war on drugs.

Or simply the hoard at the gates …

And you dodn‘t wantthe hoard at the gate to get in right?

So you need a greta man … and give up some freedoms if teh great man asks you … but itis all for a greater good … so that is fine … the end justefies the means …

Just adding it was fine if Sylvie not care about other peoples but unfortunately I see to many post written that Sylvie is care and she help those peoples. Are we even look same series ?

Okey, she probably care about her McDonald place and the male waiter but what about the rest that those peoples claims that Sylvie is care while she not showing any?

yep, they love to pretend she is a character she's not. You know what no one on this show is. No one sees a populated area in danger and goes, Oh, no we need to help and then swoops in to help. There's no saving the cat moment. The closest we get is Loki voicing shock at the amount of people left to die on Lamentis. Sylvie just walked away as if those people didn't even exists.

No one cares about people in this show. It always about the concept of this thing needs to happen for the good of the universe. It never about saving someone from a burning building, saving them from an attacking monster or getting a cat out of tree.

Nothing in this show is about helping people or caring about people or anything of the sort. It is theological questions about a complete fictional scenario

should we do fascism to stop a vague fantastical threat?

should we kill this guy if that means causing a vague fantastical threat?

[batarangsoundsdumb]

bestie help, i need book recommendations (that my teacher will think are grade-appropriate. apparently, hunger games is lower than my grade level) so i’m looking for books that Jason would totally read and enjoy and probably be able to write several essays about. help pls

heck yeah.

ok so necessary reading for every bastard on here:

pride and prejudice - jane austen

fahrenheit 451 - ray bradbury

1984 - george orwell

good omens - neil gaiman and terry pratchet

macbeth - shakespeare

the 7 husbands of evelyn hugo - taylor jenkins reid

slaughterhouse 5 - kurt vonnegut

the picture of dorian gray - oscar wilde

maurice - e.m forster

if we were villains - m.l rio

the goldfinch - donna tartt

books that kinda skirt the edge of YA but are still necessary reading for every bastard on here:

perks of being a wallflower - stephen chbosky

his dark materials trilogy - philip pullman

[booksandwords]

Loveless by Alice Oseman

Read time: 5 Days Rating: 4/5

The quote: You know why people pair up into couples? Because being a human is fucking terrifying. But it's a hell of a lot easier if you're not doing it alone. — Ellis

In the interest of full disclose this is an almost automatic 5 star book for me. Any book that features an aro/ace protagonist and treats them with respect and dignity will get 5 five stars, any writing plot or character other flaws be damned. The world needs more aro/ace representation where we aren't the best friend or something to be fixed. But even without my usual aro/ace crusading, this likely would have been a 5. The character are individual, realistic and oh so human, the plot is centred on identity and confusion but is written in a manner that it is readable. And it is oh so relatable for an ace (aro? demi? grey? my romantic orientation is up in the air) who found out well after school what they were. The anger, confusion, sense of overwhelm, and the bizarre sense of mourning due to the loss of what was impressed on you as the normal. One of the best phrases in the book may be "Says who? The Hetronormative rulebook? Fuck that Georgia Fuck that." and you know what amen to that Rooney. The ending is satisfying but still open as is only right for something written for this demographic. This isn't the end of their story it is only the start.

It is worth saying that for those of us who are ace and comfortable with their identity are aware very early on what is going on with Georgia. Georgia is an anxious, touch averse Ace who is trying to force herself to be "normal". With an extended family of almost perfect hetronormative ideal relationships, met early married had kids that have been subconsciously impressed on her as the future and expected of her. Combined with her love of fanfiction it had to be her to the idea that there is the perfect person for everyone. As stated in the intro to this review Georgia is very realistic in her reactions to her newly discovered identity. Confusion, anger, mourning, insecurity. I personally felt all of these and I know others in the community did as well to varying degrees. Georgia does have a conversation with the wonderful Ellis, an ace in her 30s who had to discover her identity and learn her way on her own. Moments leading up that earn this a trigger warning for something that may or may not be alluding to conversion therapy, either way, it is slightly distressing. Ellis is a beautiful woman and a great inclusion. She is a successful woman, making her own way and living her life regardless of what others think.

A moment on the character who for me is the absolute stand out. Sunil is Georgia's College parent, they end up being a something of fairy godace for Georgia. They would hate that term, but it's so fitting for me. Sunil is a homoromantic nonbinary ace with the preferred pronouns they/him (Georgia/ Oseman use him never they), he is the one who introduces the term asexual to Georgia and tells her the potential of it. I really like him, he makes me smile. No one in an Alice Oseman book is two dimensional in their identity (racial, romantic or sexual), Sunil is no exception. He is handled well with the respect of an only slightly older figure, one who is still not entirely set on their feet. And while Georgia is cis white as well as being an enby Sunil is of Indian descent.

The other supporting characters are Rooney, Pip and Jason. Rooney is Georgia's Shakespeare obsessed roommate. They meet on the first day of university and are total opposites. I like their relationship. It's non-traditional but love in a way I want to see more of. Georgia is loyal despite all of Rooney's actions. Pip and Jason are Georgia's best friends. Pip is chaos, Georgia is silent and Jason is clam. They are something of an odd combination but it works well. Jason and his love of Scooby-Doo is both funny and cute. They are all individual and that there is some conflict between them is a good thing.

This is relatable for aces in a similar way to I Was Born For This was relatable for fandom. I would say that if you enjoyed I Was Born For This for its fandom aspects you will enjoy this, even more, fandom specifically fanfic is part of Georgia and her romantic education such as it is. Georgia (, Sunil and Ellis) face misunderstandings about their sexuality. Those phrase aces hear and hate. Sunil's is particularly important they face bigotry from other members of the LBGTQ community, where it is called a made-up sexuality. Georgia gets the 'you'll find the right person', 'have you tried...', 'what about when you are older'. We've all heard them and I could hear the tone. Some of the statements are apologised for others are not, the ones that are are important and say a lot about the importance and development of the character.

A random dump because concise reviews are not possible for Alice Oseman books.

Tommy ending up in the fire is funnier than it should be. I see all kinds of unwarranted metaphors.

Fried Egg is the cutest nickname that would make no sense to anyone but the participating people involved.

Kinsey Scale Test is something hadn't heard of but yeah that is a result a questioning person doesn't want to see.

QUILTBAG is an acronym I had never heard in the LGBTQ community. It's not new, I found it in a 2012 article, where I found this definition it is a good article. "It stands for QU is for queer and questioning, I for intersex, L for Lesbian, T for transgender and transsexual and Two-Spirit, B for bisexual, A for asexual and ally, and G for gay and genderqueer. Even with all those letters, we’ve missed some of the possibilities (such as pansexual and fluid, both of which are identities I’ve heard people claim), but QUILTBAG still offers a rainbow of different ways to identify. It’s also a lot easier to say than LGBTQIA (which is what I started using after I realized how exclusive LGBT and queer were)."

Am I the only one who doesn't know what the Bailey Ball is? They aren't an Australian thing. Well, that and I studied uni by distance.

Rooney and Ellis make some brilliant points about friendship and its importance to aces. The way it is made lesser than romantic relationships in general.

Apparently all the Oseman books are set in a common universe, the easiest evidence of this in Loveless is in the reference to Universe City from Radio Silence.

Roderick the plant as a metaphor was smart. I quite liked it.

This is a really quotable book there are fantastic quotes about love, friendship and maturity.

As an aside. The protagonist brings up her love of fanfic early in the book. There is there are precious little aspec fanfics out there. Mostly one would suspect because sex makes the tv industry go-round (see Shadowhunter and Riverdale for their treatment of originally aroace characters). As Clotpolesonly wrote in reply to me "aspec AUs are practically unicorns, they're so rare in fandom". One fandom that does have fanfics for them is Teen Wolf. Derek Hale can easily be read as an aspec (usually closer to the demi or grey part of the spectrum). So even if you don't know the show have a fic rec Magic and Drag Queens and Lizards, Oh My by clotpolesonly. Also That's When I Knew by Stennerd, this is for the 911 fandom pairing is Buddie, demisexual. There are I know more but not nearly as many as there are for some others.

[moconut]

Whatever It Takes: A Degrassi Season 10 Retrospective (What A Girl Wants, Pt. 1)

You know how in high school, you get to pick a senior quote? For most kids, it’s usually something that’s been used a million times. Like, “Shoot for the moon; even if you fall, you’ll land among the stars.” Mine was a little different. Not different as in particularly funny or original, but different as in distinctly cringy even compared to the rest of my class. I didn’t quote Shakespeare or Einstein. No. I was determined to go higher. I quoted the god damn Degrassi theme song.

That should tell you a lot about my formative years. Instead of going to parties, working, and having thematically appropriate coming of age moments, I spent my time watching fictional Canadians doing it. About three years too late, too—most of my peers had stopped watching Degrassi back in middle school. But something about witnessing characters my age living fantastically eventful lives while I spent my prom eating Taco Bell at home made me feel a little less pathetic. I’ve even made a bit of an initiation ritual out of showing the last few seasons to friends I trust won’t immediately judge me for it.

As I write this, HBO MAX just announced a reboot for 2023. 10 episodes, hour long each, no word on how it’ll fit in continuity-wise with the other series. But the news didn’t excite me. It’s not that I won’t watch it. I will--ravenously. But even after Next Class got unceremoniously dropped from Netflix, I never doubted that the poutine-covered corpse of Degrassi would get dragged from its resting place once more. It always does. I won’t pretend to be super well-versed in the show’s history; I only started religiously watching when season 10 came out. But for a franchise that first came out in 1979, it’s never stayed quiet for long. After all, high school is high school. Even as technology and politics change, teenagers…don’t. Not in a way that wards off reboots, anyway.

In a way, my own Degrassi obsession was born via a reboot. Season 10 is where the show dropped its “Next Generation” subtitle. Not only that, but the creators went hard on making it a distinct product from the prior seasons. Unironically cool music video promo, telenovela-style airing schedule that summer, and plenty of original characters to make it newcomer-friendly. I start off friends here for a reason—there’s very limited prior knowledge needed to appreciate and understand what’s happening. Even old characters have redesigns or completely new plotlines. Going into this season, you don’t need to know that Alli cyberbullied Holly J once or that the principal used to attend Degrassi himself. These are -fun facts-, but really not necessary to engage with the characters and story.

There’s a lot about this show—specifically, season 10 up through New Class—that fascinates me. It’s a show that somehow speaks to teenagers and ignores their actual experiences entirely. I think about it a lot, which probably says some not-so-flattering things about me. But for better or worse, it’s something that I want to talk about. And given my own experiences, I feel it makes the most sense to start off this retrospective where I started watching.

We start with a scene that might be a bit confusing to new viewers. Basically, the context I give is:

Holly J is from Degrassi, she’s a senior who’s dating Declan. She’s been in New York for the summer doing an internship and wants to go to Yale because that’s where Declan is going.

Declan is a rich kid from New York, but his family still has a Canadian accent for some reason. He’s super dedicated to Holly J but can be accidentally insensitive. That’s kind of all there is to him.

Fiona is Declan’s twin. She had a bit of an episode in the tv movie set before this season and has some boundary and mood issues. She drunkenly kissed Declan a few weeks ago; this will become somewhat relevant later on. She’s also my favorite character.

Meanwhile, Fiona has a boyfriend?! This is shocking because she’s previously shown no real interest in guys other than a platonic situation with a gay guy. Again, this will become relevant later on.

Speaking of relevancy, we dive back in with a scene at the classic Dot. The Dot is a coffee shop that also doubles as the epicenter of many dramatic scenes, including break-ups, dances, and even a hostage crisis. You’ll notice this guy Peter working here for the first few episodes—he graduated last season but he’s basically an NPC now that only serves to talk to Sav sometimes, so you can ignore him. Sav has some tension with Anya, who’s his ex. This will become extremely relevant very soon. Sav is a musician, senior, and all around pretty decent guy. Anya is also a senior, she’s a little bland honestly but perfectly serviceable as a support character.

We’re also kind of introduced to Drew here, and for some reason the show tries to use irrelevant Peter to set up a friendship between him and Sav that never actually materializes. So basically, this scene is useless except to show Sav and Anya awkwardly existing in the same area for a few seconds.

Next is a slightly overwhelming dump of more characters, most of whom older viewers should recognize. This is the bulk of the sophomore cohort, most of whom are about to become much more prominent than they were in previous seasons. Clare is the new Emma, which won’t mean anything if you haven’t seen any of the show before—basically, she’s supposed to be the relatable, kind of nerdy main character who ends up getting put in increasingly un-relatable situations as the show runs out of plots to give her. Alli’s her best friend and Sav’s little sister; she’s smart and rebellious, but historically doesn’t have the best taste in guys. Dave is an entitled and immature bitch boy and I hate him. Wesley is the most stereotypical nerd possible, and Connor is the show’s attempt at representing autism. He’s honestly not bad, but they don’t do a ton with him other than the Asperger’s thing. Connor drops a cryptic line about some algorithm not working, which Dave ignores because he’s too wrapped up in getting Alli to date him. I wonder if this will become relevant?

We then get a brief glimpse back to New York, where Declan gives Holly J the most romantic parting gift possible: an SAT prep book. See, this is already relatable. Fiona hugs Holly J and wishes the two could’ve become closer; unfortunately, Fiona had kind of prevented that from happening by trying to sabotage Holly J’s internship and later her relationship. Holly J understandably seems to feel a little weird about this, but she responds pretty graciously nonetheless.

And back to Degrassi, with the class that’s apparently required every semester every year for every student: Media Immersion. Alli confronts Dave about being ranked super low on the list of Degrassi’s Hottest Girls, because that’s a thing that happens in real life. This is apparently the algorithm glitch Connor tried to warn Dave about earlier. It was supposed to put Alli at the top, and I’m not really sure why they even needed an algorithm in the first place to do that. Also, there’s a hot new teacher and balls.

Now, forget about Degrassi: back to New York again! Fiona and Declan have their first day of rich kid school, and we see more of Fiona’s boyfriend Bobby. Declan seems a little suspicious, but Fiona dismisses this as him just being protective. Bobby tells Fiona, who’s into fashion, that he got her an audience with the school board about proposing new uniforms. So far, so good…then there’s this weird exchange where Fiona seems disappointed he won’t actually help her design the uniforms and he seems offended that she’s not more appreciative. And objectively, yeah, he’s kinda right? But the way he says it and the fact that this is Degrassi means that things are only gonna get worse.

Meanwhile, Holly J is back home and surprised to see boxes in her house. Some background—earlier, she used to be rich, but then her family went broke—so this probably isn’t good news. She adds some new items to her Declan slash New York shrine and we fade to commercial.

We come back to Sav’s house, where his mom convinces him to run for class president. Only problem is Holly J is always class president—until now! We find out she skipped the first day of school to stare at moving boxes and Skype Declan. And here comes her mom with the big news: yup, their financial advisor lost all their savings, including Holly J’s college fund. But what about Yale? What about her future with Declan?! She meets up with Sav the next morning, and he reveals his presidential ambitions. And here’s Drew again, with the show still pretending these guys are friends for some reason.

Now, at this point you might be thinking, “Isn’t this supposed to be a Degrassi season opener? Where’s the drama? Where’s the emotional plotline with the important life lesson for impressionable teens?” Well, it’s right here (CW for domestic violence from here on out). 

We’re kicking things off with a surprisingly rare storyline for this show: partner violence. It’s not easy, nor necessarily in good taste to joke about this part, but here’s what happens: Bobby shows up to Fiona’s place, they have a stilted and tense conversation, he grabs her. All in all, a pretty classic depiction of domestic abuse. But the show actually goes the extra mile in making it more realistic with what they do next: they show Bobby apologizing and being extra affectionate to try and make up for what he did.

This is a part of the abuse cycle you don’t see represented as much: the honeymoon period. After a violent event occurs, the abuser often makes a show of trying to atone for their actions. They act so contrite and loving that it often makes the victim doubt whether the violence had really been so bad, whether they’re actually in an abusive relationship at all. It can cause them to think, “that won’t happen again. Things will be ok now.” And things usually will seem ok! Until they’re not again. This is the nuanced part of abuse that a show targeted towards younger audiences typically won’t show: the charismatic and manipulative qualities of an abuser that lure and trap their partner and make things seem perfect to an outsider. On the surface, Bobby seems like a great match for Fiona: a guy who makes romantic overtures and gestures to make her feel appreciated. Her family approves, and for once she feels like she’s doing something right in her life. Once in a while, he’ll make a remark or physical move that feels off—but it must be in her head, right? After all, she has a historic flair for the dramatic. No need to go looking for problems where there aren’t any. At least, that’s what she’s trying to convince herself of at this point.

In the much lighter storylines, Sav officially announces his candidacy for the presidency while Dave continues to be a horrible friend towards Connor by blaming him for the Alli algorithm debacle and making fun of his Asperger’s. Have I mentioned that I hate this character yet?

Anya pops back into the plot to bond with Holly J over hating Sav. They exchange some exposition for new viewers about how Sav and Anya fucked in a limo at prom last season and then broke up like five minutes later because this is Degrassi. Anya’s grateful she’s not pregnant, which seems to give Holly J an idea. I wonder. If this. Will become RELEVANT?

Fiona and Bobby are hanging out while she works on the uniforms, and things seems surprisingly okay after the incident earlier that day. Then Bobby tries to push things physically. Fiona isn’t into it, but Bobby isn’t taking no for an answer. Fiona tries to fight him off, which leads to him slapping her across the face.

Again, Bobby doesn’t twirl his mustache and cackle afterwards—he brushes past his actions and tries to make amends. But Fiona is firm about him leaving, and the scene fades out with her alone in shock.

Pretty soon, Sav is also in shock, because Holly J drops this line: “My future doesn’t involve teen fatherhood.” Now obviously, Anya isn’t actually pregnant, but Sav doesn’t know that. Yeah, Holly J used to be like, a little evil.

Back to New York for one last time this episode, we see Fiona’s family prepping for the school board meeting. Bobby arrives with a huge bouquet, and Fiona’s mom calls her to come see how lucky she is. Around the corner, Fiona dabs make-up onto her black eye, having chosen to proceed like everything is normal.

And that’s how part one of the season opener ends. In a way, this episode hits a lot of classic Degrassi notes: school politics, crush drama, and the very-special-episode style serious plotline. You’ll notice I said part one—for some reason, all the episodes from here on out are split into two parts. I don’t think that was a particularly good choice, as almost always one part ends up being way more eventful than the other. I’ll talk about the season 10 opener as a whole after we get to part 2 (if that ever happens), but I think this first half is a pretty strong start. It’s carried almost entirely by the abuse plot and a few funny moments from the Holly J slash Sav president plot, but those two storylines set up a surprisingly strong foundation for where these characters are headed here on out. The Dave and Alli storyline is barely even a presence here, but Connor is charming and Alli gets some good hits in on Dave every now and then.

In all honesty, I’m a little surprised I had this much to say about just half an episode of Degrassi. But I guess this post is partially the product of having watched this season more times than I admit to count. And even more weirdly, I’m excited to talk about it more. So if you’re also interested in the Canadian melodrama or just reading me ramble about an interest I should’ve outgrown a decade ago, I hope you stick around.

[nadiawrites14]

voice of gen z

word count: 2784

for english class. tw for school shooting and police brutality mention

AN INTRODUCTION.

“GEN Z is too afraid to ask a waiter for extra ketchup but will bodyslam a cop.”

Dated June 5th, on Twitter. Many of us sit holed up in our rooms, laptops resting in our crossed legs as we scroll through social media, or the blue light of a phone screen on our face as the world around us is sleeping. Many of us are also the ones organizing, the ones leading, the ones fighting. News spreads that in Dallas, Providence, and in many more cities, teenagers were the ones organizing, the ones fighting. Teenagers were the ones turning viral memes into protest signs, organizing protests and sharing methods of resistance through apps like TikTok and Instagram. It echoes the methods of the Hong Kong protestors, using technology to battle their government head-on. 

Teenagers who dance along to songs such as Megan Thee Stallion’s “Savage”, as well as teens who live in the world of ‘deep-fried’ memes, whose bizarre absurdity reach ungodly levels of abstractism, are the ones leading in this young revolution. Teenagers are the ones who chant ‘no justice, no peace’ in filled city streets; teenagers are the ones working to create graphics and share information, a new form of armchair activism. K-pop fans fill conservative hashtags with videos of their favorite performers, burying rhetoric and dismissal of the protests with dances and songs. In hours, #BlackLivesMatter trends. It’s hard to believe that these new pioneers and leaders in activism and technology are children who are scared to give class presentations, share Juuls in bathrooms, and find humor in the most strange and ironic of places. While the old term goes that ‘the revolution will not be televised’ in many ways, this growing movement will be televised, publicized, expanded, through its own means and methods.

I.

We are the generation of school shootings. 

December 14th, 2012. My mom tells me, as I hobble out from the red doors of my elementary school in Stamford, Connecticut, that something very bad has happened. I don’t understand. Nobody does. I see the faces of startled adults. I don’t remember the rest of that evening, or the day that followed it. Every time I think about Sandy Hook, the senseless school shooting that left 28 dead, I think about the multicolored walls of my school’s hallway, my sneakers on the white linoleum, the fear in my mother’s voice and in her eyes. That day was the first day I began to accept that I was a child in the United States of America in the 21st century. That day, and the brutal and confusing months that followed it, solidified something in my peers and I. Not just in Stamford, or even Connecticut, but within all young American students. The people in power didn’t care that a gunman marched into a wealthy and predominantly white Connecticut neighborhood and slaughtered kindergarteners. Because as I grew older, I saw the patterns, the televisation of suffering and permitted slaughter among my peers, our youngest, our posterity. This was normalized to us, just another school shooting, another period of brief outrage followed by inaction. The slaughter of children, the preventable slaughter of children shouldn’t be normalized. But it was.

February 14th, 2018. A gunman kills 17 students in Florida. As I’m waiting in a doctor’s waiting room with my mother, I lean over and tell her, “On Monday, all my teachers will talk about is school shootings.” I was wrong. School was another silent funeral march, my teachers quiet and solemn as they assigned us our work and progressed with their work. At dinner with my dad, I tell him, “It’ll never change.”

That isn’t entirely true. Leaders are found in teenagers who now walk through haunted hallways with clear backpacks. They are the face of a new movement, a march for our lives. Many are summoned to Washington and elsewhere a month later to organize, to fight. On March 27th, a day meant for students to walkout and protest the preventable slaughter of students, my school barricades the doors.

No legislation is passed. Nothing changes. The resistance lulls and fades, despite a number of school shootings following the tragedy at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Gen Z is a symbolic Sisyphus, haplessly pushing a boulder of pleas up a mountain of indifference.

II.

Suzanne Collins published the Hunger Games on September 14th, 2008. It finds its way into the hands of teenagers of all shapes and sizes years later, and it has its cult following. Maybe the televised murder of children strikes a chord within the audience of young adults, as does the story of a growing revolution and a coup against a selfish government.

Gen Z gets its hands on theory at a young age, through Wikipedia and the uncensored vastness of the internet that we are handed. We are denoted as the generation born with the phones in our hands, but all I can remember is having a technology class from a young age, where we were measured on our abilities to type and memorize a keyboard. Our ability to cite and surf and stay safe in the face of danger. This wealth of information at our fingertips molds us.

Dystopian fiction is popular among young teens and young adults. Titles like Divergent the Giver, Harry Potter, the Maze Runner, all influence the devouring young readers. We are raised to see atrocity, in a place where atrocity is accessible to us in every way, shape and form. We are exposed and we are no longer innocent as we rise to 6th, 7th, 8th grade. Girls wear makeup for the first time and scream at the sight of bloodstained underwear. Boys become privy to the joy of video games and self-exploration. In this time, the internet truly consumes. There is no more script taught in classrooms, whiteboards have been replaced with Prometheans, and chromebooks are becoming normalcy.  

In 7th grade I receive my phone. The niches and underground media I discover shape me. I find acceptance, friends, in places where I had lacked them before. As my classmates begin to enter into weeklong flings that end in Instagrammed tragedy, I take a quiz online to find out if I’m gay. I begin to think for myself, and I find independence and a voice on internet circles.

By the time we are promoted to high school, something has shifted. Something is different. Something’s coming, something good. Gen Z keeps calm and carries on.

III.

Donald Trump is inaugurated on January 20th, 2017, to much outrage, but also to much support. In my town, there is a protest around his building that overlooks much of our city center. It’s peaceful, energetic, and beautiful. A Planned Parenthood sticker is on my bedroom door, and I have accepted that maybe, just maybe, I’m into girls.

In 2018, we are in high school. Little fish in a big pond. I don’t have friends in my grade, but stick closer to my premade friends in the Class of 2021. My teachers are lovely, kind, and supportive, and I shine in this new environment. Politics is a force in my life as I begin to write, and as I begin to form opinions and do research. 

It’s easy to say that all of Gen Z is progressive, but this isn’t true. It’s actually very incorrect. The internet is a miraculous tool, one that can provide and produce and create new forms of communication and spread new ideas. But it is still an ocean that is widely uncharted, and young teenagers will fall into holes constructed by right-wing superstars. The racism and homophobia circulated by 4chan is on the internet for anybody to see. New popular figures and icons pledge their vote to Trump. Right-wing rhetoric overtakes in the forms of Ben Shapiro, Pewdiepie, 4chan, Reddit. There’s a neutrality to all things, but the dogwhistles and the normalization of prejudice are dangerously overbearing. As the 2016 election divided our country, it divides the new generation. A divided house cannot stand, and that is for certain. 

It is around this time, in my Freshman summer, where the politics makes a crescendo. I have broken 1K followers on my Instagram art account, where I draw fanart for a variety of musicals and plays. I discover Shakespeare, and lose myself in Hamlet. I am happy with my identity and with myself, and as the 2020 election nears, I stay informed on current events, common issues, the things that need changing.

Sophomore winter. My dad and I take two-hour drives spanning Connecticut, and we talk. He says, “You know, your generation’s fucked. You’re the ones who are going to have to cope with our mistakes.” I tell him I know. I tell him about my feelings towards racial injustice in America, the battle for a higher minimum wage against growing costs, issues in healthcare, housing, poverty, climate change, all thrown aside and discarded. Our generation, of course, when most of our white and male politicians are dead and buried, will have to deal with the repercussions of rising sea levels and global temperatures, volatile weather and crippling natural disasters, all overlooked due to blatant ignorance. “You guys are going to have to fix all of this.”

“I know.”

I’m sick of the battle being placed on the backs of teenagers. I’m sick of our faces being the fight for climate change, the faces of Greta Thunberg and Emma Gonzalez and young revolutionary congresswomen being mocked and heckled by throngs of keyboard warriors. I’m sick of the battle our leaders and representatives should be fighting being placed on our backs, when we are already our own Atlas. Ignorance is dangerous, biting, and overwhelming. We look back to the images and words we were raised upon, the story of the Hunger Games and the broadcasting of school shootings for us all to see. 

It is 2020. Happy new year! I watch from my living room as the ball drops. A brief Twitter moment about a newly discovered disease pops up in my recommended, I brush over it. Photographs of Australian fires are surfaced, and we joke about what a fantastic start it is to the year. 

Sisyphus reaches a fork in the road.

MMXX.

At around 11PM on Wednesday, March 11th, I send a strongly worded letter to the principal and local superintendent. The coronavirus has picked up worldwide, and has made its way into the states. Johns Hopkins has an interactive map that shows bubbles above cities where cases have been reported. Stamford, Connecticut Dead: 0

Recovered: 0 Active: 3.

New York’s cases are on the rise. On that same day, I began to realize the severity that would soon overtake us. I spent the afternoon first at what would be our last rehearsal for our school musical, James and the Giant Peach, and then I went to the library. I did my homework, read The Cripple of Inishmaan by Martin McDonagh, then bought a Subway cookie from the mall. I always keep a copy of King Lear in my backpack, and as my dad pulls up to the sidewalk I gloss over Edmund’s first monologue.

It’s the last normal day for a while.

March 12th comes in like a lion. In my first period class, civics, a classmate yells out, “Trump 2020!” A period later, my friend pulls me aside in the hallways, and asks if I heard that school was closing. 

“It can’t be true,” I said.

“Schadlich just showed us.”

I take my route to my next class, and find the hallway a chaotic mess of energy and camaraderie. What was meant to be kept under wraps has been instantly transferred across the student body over Snapchat stories and texts. People dance, sing, hug. It’s branded as a “Coronacation.” Broadway announces its closure, and I walk out of the front doors for the final time in my sophomore year.

Once again, ignorance overtakes. Within months, the death toll skyrockets, spikes, as we stay holed up in our online classes. My focus wavers, but I press on. Many other students resort to simply neglecting their work, choosing to take this time to focus on their own health or fill up their new time with their own hobbies. Teenagers find solace in each other, through social media and through the connections we’ve built online. As ignorance mounts among our leaders, teenagers jokingly refer to Covid-19 as the famous “Boomer Remover”. It trends on Twitter. Graduation, prom, is cancelled. The generation whose childhood began with 9/11 is once again cut short by a tragedy of preventable errors. Gen Z is subject to adapting once again to an unfamiliar environment, and we undertake.

Protests take over the streets, screaming against government tyranny. The deaths crescendo to nearly 100,000. A video surfaces of a young black man, Ahmaud Aubery, being publicly killed on a road while jogging. Ignorance continues as cases spike, and the political climate is ripe for change. On May 25th, a black man from Minneapolis named George Floyd is killed in a brutal act of suffocation by a policeman. More names resurface -- Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, Joao Pedro. Names neglected to injustice are once again in the limelight -- Trayvon Martin, Tamir Rice, Philando Castile, Eric Garner, Mike Brown, Terence Crutcher, Atatiana Jefferson, and more. 

Sisyphus has had enough of pushing the boulder, and Sisyphus takes to the streets. It is the perfect storm. A storm fueled by ignorance and the preventable death of thousands, by decades of injustice, by the mere political climate in the United States of America. Gen Z, our generation, my generation, has lived the darkest hour. We were born at the cusp of a millenia, in an awkward position where society has begun to find its footing in an unfamiliar time. A time of domestic and overseas terrorism, shaped by 9/11 and a countless number of school shootings and slaughtered people of color. Where the new generation has accessibility to the injustice and wrongs committed by those before and those above, right at our fingertips. We have new ways to organize, new ways to televise, new ways to fight. In our armchairs and in our streets, wearing masks as we hold up our hands in surrender.

Generation Z marches. They lead. They throw tear gas back at officers with no hesitation. They create chants, organize through grassroots, and find a chorus of support online. 

Generation Z leads. As politicians and leaders sit in ivory towers, like President Snow in Panem, our generation cries for change. We witness and feel the repercussions of their ignorance in our daily lives, from cuts to education to the publication of school shootings to the absence of American atrocity in our history textbooks to a pipeline that directs BIPOC and low-income students to prison or the military as they step off the graduation stage. Each year, our winters get warmer as our summers turn boiling. The preventable pile of corpses rises in front of us, and we have been taught to sit by and let it occur while the world burns. 

No longer.

Sisyphus steps aside and allows the boulder to descend down the mountain. They are bruised, bloodied, their palms calloused and scuffed and their feet lacerated and sore. Up ahead, shrouded by clouds, is the mountaintop. Sisyphus wipes their mouth, finds their footing, and begins the march.

A CONCLUSION.

We have a future.

It’s awfully dim right now. Barely a light at the end of the tunnel. We began a dead march towards it from the moment we were born into this decaying way of life, held together with glue and string by leaders with fumbling hands and staunch indifference. Our backs are tired, and we are barely adults. Generation Z is tired of fighting a fight that shouldn’t be theirs. How desperately we still crave childhood joy and humor and innocence. 

Change is necessary. It is something that is especially necessary in our time. We can no longer let people die because they can’t afford food or medicine or housing. Students cannot go into school wondering if it will be their last day. Black people should not fear for their lives while wearing a hoodie, driving, jogging in their neighborhood, shopping, or sleeping in their own homes. Elderly white men which encompass most of our political elite can no longer sit on their hands as their population suffers.

The voice of Generation Z screams louder than anything else. It screams in its silence, its activism, its useless martyrdom and battle. Change belies itself within our voice, and it has gone unheard for too long.

Change is the voice of Generation Z.

[writingdotcoffee]

#110: Writing Against the Odds

The numbers of writing and publishing books can be pretty disconcerting to see.

Most people admit that they would like, at some point, to write a book. Cool. But most people, who set out to write a book, also never finish one. Out of the few that do finish a draft of their story, most will never see it published. And those who do get their books published will never see them on the bestseller lists. Only a fraction of books will earn out their advance. In fact, most published authors will never be able to write full time without supplementing their income somehow.

Doesn’t the writing life sound fantastic? And yet, we’re still here, stringing one word after the other, early in the morning and late at night, between shifts and on our lunch breaks. We want to share our ideas and stories with the world and writing is the best way to do that.

We’re not here for the money, that would be silly. At the same time, we’re still hoping to make it one day. To see our work recognised, and to be able to do more of it.

Writing is hard. Facing the blank page, the agonising edits, all the rejections from agents and publishers, the mean reviews from readers. Why put yourself through all of that when you could be doing so many other things? Like writing? Shut up and get yerself a law degree, kid.

It’s entirely possible, quite probable even that writing won’t be for you. But unless you really try and go for it, you’ll never know. That’s the hardest part. Stephen King wouldn’t be where he is now if he wrote casually every other weekend for an hour. In the early days, when he was grinding and nailing the stacks of rejections slips on the wall, he had no idea that he would go to become one of the world’s top selling authors. He had a family to take care of and worked as a teacher.

At the end of the day, someone will become the next Stephen King and J. K. Rowling. Someone will be the next Tolkien and Christie and Austen and even Shakespeare in a few hundred years. I wouldn’t necessarily count on it, but it might just as well be you.

For the rest of us, who says that being a mid-list, self-published or even unpublished author writing on the side while earning your living in other ways is a bad life? If you like telling stories and writing good sentences, not having to rely on your words as the primary source of income will give you the ultimate freedom to write what you want and do what you want with it.

Besides, so many skills and habits that you pick up while pursuing your passion for writing are instantly applicable in a range of other career and life situations as well. Writing sharpens your thinking and can be beneficial to your mental health. Learning how stories work is learning about life. In its essence, writing is a form of communication. If you can think clearly and write well, plenty of opportunities will come your way.

A career in writing can seem pretty bleak on paper, but if you have the bug, I encourage you to go for it. Give it all you have and remember that you don’t have control over everything. Whatever happens, you will be a much better person at the end.

Good luck ❤️

What I Am Reading

I’m still a bit behind on reading, trying to catch up. I’ve read a couple of rather dry technical books this week and found out that I have four unused Audible credits on my account. Any audio books that blew your mind recently? What should I get?

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Past Editions

#109: New Things Coming, September 2019

#108: Keeping At It, September 2019

#107: What’s in it for the reader?, September 2019

#106: Ship Your Art, September 2019

#105: Side Gigs for Writers, August 2019

[erikahenningsen]

My 15 favorite theater experiences of 2019

In no particular order:

1. Choir Boy (Samuel Friedman Theatre, New York, NY): I say in no particular order, but if you know anything about me, you know that Choir Boy is my number-one show of the year. I saw it four times on Broadway and twice in Boston. Tarell Alvin McCraney’s writing is so beautiful, human, and fearless. He puts works of art on stages, television, and film that nobody else does. Jeremy Pope’s performance as Pharus is easily in the top three greatest performances I’ve seen on a Broadway stage. If your local regional theater is doing this show, I cannot encourage you enough to go and see it.

2. What the Constitution Means to Me (Helen Hayes Theater, New York, NY): This show was unlike any other play I’ve seen before. Heidi Schreck, who wrote and starred in WTCMTM, wrote a deeply human, poignant, and timely play about a document written by a bunch of rich, white men a few centuries ago and made it gripping, engaging, and relevant. It’s a show I believe every American should see. As an added bonus, Heidi is genuinely one of the kindest people I’ve met.

3. The Wrong Man (MCC Theater, New York, NY): I saw The Wrong Man for the first time three weeks before it closed, and I immediately fell in love with it and went back several more times in those three weeks. The Wrong Man is only ninety minutes long and has only three main characters, but it presents an engaging story about forgiveness, mercy, justice, guilt, and innocence. Ross Golan, the composer/lyricist, began performing The Wrong Man as a concept album thirteen years ago and turned it into a full musical. The score is beautiful and has some really great bops, and the choreography is probably the best I’ve ever seen.

4. Waitress with Sara Bareilles and Gavin Creel (Brooks Atkinson Theatre, New York, NY): I’m personally not the biggest fan of Waitress, but this was one of the most fun nights I had in a theater this year. Sara and Gavin had amazing chemistry, and I have never laughed so much at Waitress before. 

5. A Strange Loop (Playwrights Horizons, New York, NY): A Strange Loop is unlike any show I’ve ever seen before. It’s unlike anything anyone has seen before. How many shows center around a fat, black, queer character? I can’t think of any. Michael R. Jackson, the book writer/composer/lyricist, has an incredible ability to write satire that has you laughing at the same time you’re being punched in the face emotionally. A Strange Loop grapples with the intersections of racism, homophobia, and fatphobia. It’s meta at the same time it’s grounded, and gets more and more intense as the show progresses. I walked out of the theater in a daze after I saw it. My fingers are crossed it comes to Broadway.

5. Mean Girls, Taylor Louderman’s last show (August Wilson Theatre, New York, NY): Going to Mean Girls is a routine thing for me, and I’ve seen the show dozens of times, but every once in awhile something special happens that reignites my love for this show. Taylor’s last show was obviously incredibly sad for me, the cast, and everyone who loves this show, but I also laughed more and harder on this evening than I have in a very long time at Mean Girls. Everyone, especially Taylor, was giving this performance their all, and I’ll never forget it.

6. The Secret Life of Bees (Atlantic Theater Company, New York, NY): I had suspicions I was really going to love this show before I saw it, but I absolutely fell in love with it. The music is gorgeous (thank you, Duncan Sheik), the performances are stellar, and the story, though set decades ago, is as timely and relevant as ever. I do cry at shows pretty often, but rarely do I tear up because of how overwhelmingly beautiful a show is—but I did that at Secret Life of Bees. I’m still impatiently waiting on that Broadway transfer announcement.

7. Beetlejuice (Winter Garden Theatre, New York, NY): Despite all its flaws, I love this crazy, loud, obnoxious, wild show so much. I had seen it in DC and counted down the days until first preview on Broadway. I rushed first preview and ended up with front-row tickets, and I had one of the most fun nights in a theater I’ve ever had. The performances really make the show, and I’ve been very vocal about how I strongly believe Leslie Kritzer was snubbed by the Tonys. Beetlejuice also has my favorite scenic design for any show. I also have a uniquely personal connection to this showL Beetlejuice used to have a joke in the show I felt was offensive, so I reached out to Eddie Perfect and Alex Timbers and explained to them why I was hurt by it, and they actually listened to my feedback and removed the joke. I’m hoping Beetlejuice can find another home after June, because I’m not ready to say goodbye yet.

8. Next to Normal (Ground Floor Theatre/Deaf Austin Theatre, Austin, TX): For years I had been wanting an ASL production of Next to Normal with Sandra Mae Frank as Natalie, so when it actually happened I knew I had to fly to Texas to see it. I don’t think I’ve ever cried more at a show. Sandy made me look at Natalie in a whole new way, and the ASL interpretations of the lyrics added so many new layers to the show. Megg Rose, the Deaf actor who played Diana, gave one of the best performances I’ve seen, and I want her to be on Broadway immediately. This production really was a dream come true for me. 

9. Six (Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Chicago, IL): We drove to Chicago from NYC to see Six, and it was definitely worth it. I was in the front row for the first time I saw it, which was a terrifying but incredibly fun experience. This cast is so incredibly talented, and the show is so much fun, and being there with almost all of my closest friends was such a memorable experience. I’m so excited to see it again when it comes to Broadway.

10. Little Shop of Horrors (Westside Theatre, New York, NY): This was my first experience seeing LSOH, and I had an absolute blast. The performances were incredible, with Christian Borle being just off-the-wall crazy. I haven’t laughed that much at a show in awhile. The Audrey II puppets are fantastic, and what they’ve done with the scenic design in such a small space is amazing. I’m excited to see it again with Gideon Glick.

11. Indecent (Huntington Theatre Company, Boston, MA): Indecent is and always will be my favorite play, and I’m so incredibly grateful I got to see it again in Boston. Huntington recreated the Broadway production with many of the original cast members, and it was such a special show. I never thought I’d see that production again live, and Huntington gave me such an incredible gift with this play. 

12. Freestyle Love Supreme (Booth Theatre, New York, NY): FLS is just fun from start to finish. It’s completely improvised with special unannounced guests every night, so it’s different every time you see it. I loved seeing how they made the show more inclusive between Off-Broadway and Broadway (by asking people their pronouns, for example), and I have a blast every time. 

13. Ain’t Too Proud - The Life and Times of the Temptations (Imperial Theatre, New York, NY): I saw Ain’t Too Proud mostly for Jeremy Pope, and I was so pleasantly surprised by how much I genuinely loved the show. Derrick Baskin is one of the most hardworking performers on Broadway—he literally does not leave the stage. The choreography is so much fun, and each person in the cast is so incredibly talented. It’s also one of the most pleasant stage doors I’ve ever experienced; everyone at the stage door just really genuinely wants to congratulate and thank the performers, and the actors are so kind. 

14. Teeth (National Alliance for Musical Theatre Festival, New York, NY): It’s wild even to me that I’m putting a staged partial reading on this list, but that’s how good Teeth was. I spent the entire time laughing, and the songs are constantly stuck in my head. Everyone at the festival was talking about how much they loved the show, so I’m hopeful there will be a full production of it sometime soon.

15. Slave Play (John Golden Theatre, New York, NY): It’s hard to talk about Slave Play because it transcends descriptors like “good” or “bad.” Slave Play is important. It’s complex. It’s necessarily provocative. And it’s shaken up Broadway like no show has in recent memory. It’s a show I think every American adult should see. I haven’t stopped thinking about it since I saw it. It only runs for a couple more weeks, and if you haven’t seen it, you need to. 

[alexsfictionaddiction]

Alex Recommends: May and June Books

I must apologise for the late arrival of this post. It should have been up days ago but I’ve been struggling to read much for the last month or so. My head has been very foggy and dark with all of the confusion, anxiety and hate that has been filling my news feeds and I’ve been filled with a desire to combat it. Before this month, I’d have run in the opposite direction from any kind of confrontation but recent events have given me the kick up the butt to actively do better. I’ve been calling out bigotry when I come across it and I’ve noticed that some people, notably my older relatives, haven’t necessarily reacted favorably to the changed, more outspoken Alex. It has been pretty daunting and I’ve worked myself up into fits of rage and tears several times over the last couple of months.

A lot of things have changed for me since my last Alex Recommends post. I’m currently temporarily living in Staffordshire with my boyfriend because my depression got too bad for me to stay at home for much longer. I missed him unbelievably much and I knew that spending some prolonged time with him would help -and it has. Both him and I have spent 12 weeks religiously following all of the rules, so we’re both extremely low-risk for catching and spreading COVID-19 and being together was something that we simply really needed to do. Please don’t hate me for it! In other news, I have also started writing again, which feels amazing. I’m now a few thousand words into a queer Rapunzel retelling that I have lots of ideas for. Maybe I’ll even post an extract or two, when I feel it’s ready to show you.

In the centre of the renewed energy of Black Lives Matter and the undeniable exposure of the horrors that is police brutality, the book blogging and BookTube worlds vowed to uplift Black voices. I wrote a very long, in-depth blog post full of Black-written books and Black book influencers. Please check it out to diversify your TBR and educate yourself on Black issues, which is what every white person should be doing now and always.

June was Pride Month and I tried my best to compile a series of recommendation posts in honour of it. These included gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, non-binary, ace, pansexual and intersex lists. I’ve had some great feedback on this, so I hope you find some fantastic new reads. It felt especially poignant to put them together the same year that one of my childhood heroes came out as an ignorant trans-exclusive feminist. As a lifelong Harry Potter superfan and someone who has repeatedly publicly supported Rowling in the past, I feel the need to clarify where I now stand. I do not support or agree with a single thing that she has said in recent times with regard to transgender people. I’ve never felt my own status as a cisgender female threatened by trans people wanting more rights or believed that children or women were at risk due to their existence. 

I read her words more than once and struggled to find any semblance of the woman who wrote the books that have most defined my life. I’m hesitant to say that we can always successfully separate the art from the artist but I will say that it makes sense to me that the Rowling of 2020 is not the same Rowling that wrote Harry Potter. She was a destitute single mother when Philosopher’s Stone was published in 1997 and of course, she is now a million worlds away from that lifestyle. It breaks my heart but it makes sense to me that she has changed beyond belief because her life has changed beyond belief. I’m not and never would make any excuses for her recent behaviour and I have stopped supporting her personally but I will not be getting rid of my Harry Potter books and I will undoubtedly re-read them several more times. However, I am now hugely reluctant to buy any more merchandise or special editions of the books, which saddens me but at the moment, it feels right. There is no coming back for her from this and I will make a conscious effort to keep Harry Potter and Rowling away from my future content. It can be really tough to admit that the people you once really admired aren’t great humans but it’s something that we all have to acknowledge in this case, in order to move forward with our own quests to become our best selves.

It didn’t feel right to post my May recommendations last month as I didn’t feel comfortable promoting my own content in the midst of boosting Black voices. So today I’m bringing you a bumper edition of Alex Recommends. Here are 10 books that I’ve enjoyed since the start of May that I’d love to share with you. Enjoy! -Love, Alex x

FICTION: Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

Set in the affluent neighbourhood of Shaker Heights, Ohio in the 1990s, two families are brought together and pulled apart by the most intense, devastating circumstances. Dealing with issues of race, class, coming-of-age, motherhood and the dangers of perfection, Little Fires Everywhere is highly addictive and effecting. With characters who are so heartbreakingly real and a story that weaves its way to your very core, I couldn’t put it down and I’m still thinking about it over a month after finishing it. 

FICTION: Get A Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert

When coding nerd Chloe Brown almost dies, she makes a list of goals and vows to finally Get A Life. So she enlists tattooed redhead handyman and biker Red to teach her how. Cute, funny and ultimately life-affirming, this enemies-to-lovers rom-com was exactly the brand of light relief that I needed this month. The follow-up Take A Hint, Dani Brown focuses on a fake-dating situation with Chloe’s over-achieving academic sister and I can’t wait to get my hands on that.

FICTION: The Rearranged Life of Oona Lockhart by Margarita Montimore

Just before her 19th birthday at midnight on New Year’s Eve 1983, Oona Lockhart finds herself inexplicably in 2015 inside her 51-year-old body. She soon learns that every year on New Year’s Day, she will now find herself inside a random year of her life and she has no control over it. Seeing her through relationships, friendships and extreme wealth, this strange novel has echoes of Back To The Future and 13 Going On 30 with a final revelation that I certainly never saw coming.

NON-FICTION: The Five by Hallie Rubenhold

Atmospheric and engaging, The Five details the previously untold stories of Polly, Annie, Elisabeth, Kate and Mary-Jane -the women who lost their lives at the hands of Jack the Ripper. Full of fascinating research and heartbreaking accounts of what these women’s lives may have been like, Rubenhold paints a dark immersive portrait of Victorian London and gives voice to these tragic silenced lives. Although we can’t know for certain if these accounts are entirely accurate, they feel very plausible and in some ways, The Five exposes how little time has moved on, when it comes to the public portrayal of single, troubled women.

NON-FICTION: Unicorn by Amrou Al-Kadhi

From a childhood crush on Macaulay Culkin to how a teenage obsession with marine biology helped them realise their non-binary identity, Unicorn tells the story of how the obsessive perfectionist son of a strict Muslim Iraqi family became the gorgeous drag queen Glamrou. Packed full of humour, honesty and heart, this book will give you the strength and inspiration to harness what you were born with and be who you were always meant to be.

MIDDLE-GRADE: The Super Miraculous Journey of Freddie Yates by Jenny Pearson

When fact-obsessed Freddie’s grandmother dies, he discovers that the father he has never met may actually be alive and living in Wales. So he has no choice but to grab his best friends Ben and Charlie, leave his home in Andover and go to find his dad! I laughed so many times during this madcap adventure and I know the slapstick crazy humour will hit the middle-grade target audience just right. It’s also a wonderful depiction of small town Britain with a focus on the true meaning of family.

MIDDLE-GRADE: A Kind Of Spark by Elle McNicoll

When Addie learns about her hometown’s history of witch trials, she campaigns tirelessly to get a memorial for the women who lost their lives through it. This wonderfully beautiful novel gives a unique insight into the mind of an 11-year-old autistic girl with a huge heart. Busting myths about neurodiversity while tackling typical pre-teen drama, you’ll laugh, you’ll cry but most of all, you’ll close the book with a huge smile on your face. 

HISTORICAL FICTION: Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell

In 16th century Warwickshire, Agnes is a woman with a unique gift whose relationship with a young Latin tutor produces three children and a legacy that lasts for centuries. This enchanting, all-consuming account of the tragic story of Shakespeare’s lost son, the effects that rippled through the family and the play that was born from their pain will send a bullet straight through your heart. Wonderfully researched and beautifully written, Hamnet is worth all of the hype.

HISTORICAL FICTION: The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave

When a vicious storm kills most of the men of Vardø, Norway, it’s up to the women to keep things going but a man with a murderous past is about to come down with an iron fist. At the heart of this dark tale of witch trials, grief and feminism, two women find something they’ve each been searching for within each other. Gorgeously written with a fantastically slow-burning queer romance, Kiran Millwood Hargrave’s first adult novel is an addictive, atmospheric read with a poignant, tearjerker of an ending.

SCI-FI: Q by Christina Dalcher

When one of Elena’s daughters manages to drop below the country’s desired Q number, she is sent away to one of the new state schools and Elena is about to find out something she’d really rather not know about the new system. Packed full of real social commentary and critique of life as we know it while painting a picture of how things could be even worse (yes, really!), this pulse-racing, horrifying sci-fi dystopian gripped me from the first page and refused to let me go. 

[michael-radi-the-glamorous-life]

In Review: "Oklahoma!"

The first time I saw Oklahoma! live was at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival in Ontario, Canada (in 2006?). I remember turning to my parents and saying:

“That was fantastic, and they really didn’t stray away from the dark part of the show. I don’t think I ever need to see this show again!”

All of this to say that, when the recent St. Ann’s Warehouse production of Oklahoma! first caused a stir at the Warehouse and then again in its move to Circle In The Square, I did not feel the need nor desire to run to see it. I had seen it onstage twice, plus the two filmed versions, and how different could it really be?

So I waited…until last weekend. The second-to-last performance. (How’s that for procrastination?!)

So, was it all that different?

Well, no. But yes? And also really no.

Don’t Throw Bouquets at Me

Most of what I’ve heard people say about this production were things like:

“It’s so dark!"“

“It’s really different!”

“They did some cool, but strange things with it.”

“They took it in a completely new direction.”

“I’ll never see Oklahoma! the same way again!”

“You have to see it. You would appreciate it.”

Some of this I agree with, but some of it I very much do not.

Let’s tackle the idea that this production of Oklahoma! was particularly (thematically) dark: Yes, but no darker than any production of this show really should be.

It seems to me that either - with the number of people whose minds were blown by the production’s darkness - many people had not ever seen Oklahoma! onstage, or just were not aware of the content of the show. But let us not forget - early musical theatre was all dark. It’s written into the DNA of the genre: There is disturbing content (usually intentional, sometimes not) between and underneath all the glitz, glamor, and show tunes.

Examples:

Show Boat - Racism, Prejudice, Abandonment

Carousel - Domestic Abuse, Murder

South Pacific - Racism, Tokenism, War

The King And I - Racism, Colonialism

The Sound Of Music - …I mean, it’s set against the backdrop of Nazism…

And these are just Rodgers/Hart and Rodgers/Hammerstein musicals! Once you start including Lerner & Lowe, Comden & Green, and Kander & Ebb you get more murder, classicism, racism, misogyny, mob mentality, white supremacy, white saviorism, colonialism, capitalism, and so much more.

Now, to be fair, many writers included these themes specifically to subvert them - it’s a large part of why the piece was written (whether or not they accomplished their goal). But it’s undeniable that dark themes have been part of the tradition of musical theatre since its very inception.

Which brings us back to Oklahoma!

This production did not specifically add in dark elements to the story - they already existed. These themes include:

Murder

Rape

Toxic Masculine Behavior

White Male Entitlement

White Privilege

Racism

Misogyny

Mob Mentality

Intentional Othering

Community Crime Cover-Up

Excessive/Irresponsible Gun Usage

White Expansionism/”Manifest Destiny”

Violence or Threatened Violence Used to end Disagreement

And more

What I think this production did brilliantly was something that was ultimately a simple idea, but probably very technically difficult to thread throughout the entire production: They stripped the show of it shiny, musical theatre veneer and let the subtext become the text.

It was very effective.

Don’t Laugh at My Jokes Too Much

What I loved the most about it’s blatant stripping of the musical-theatre-genre-crutch was how often in the show the characters were all just sitting down in chairs spread across the stage, speaking in matter-of-fact tones.

Musical theatre so often relies on stage business, larger-than-life personalities, big voices, over-the-top movements, music, and choreography to provide the “entertainment” side of the evening, all the while hoping that the underlying messages of the show don’t then become lost on the audience.

Oklahoma! took no chances here. When the darkness of the scenes’ text, subtext, or situations were paramount, they stripped all of those other elements away, leaving you to sit with exactly what was being presented to you.

This worked so well that, during intermission and as I was leaving the theatre, I heard people saying things like:

“Is that how it’s always done?”

“Wait, what did they change?”

“There’s no way that’s the actual text.”

But it is! This production just made sure you did not forget it.

Now, that’s not to say that the production didn’t lean into the lighter moments of the show and bring out the comedy, dance, and fun - it totally did. BUT, often the laughter was tentative.

Why?

Much of the humor in Oklahoma! is based upon racist and misogynistic assumptions and, amongst the rest of the stripped down show, you could not laugh your way around that. This was awesome to behold across the audience. (Disclaimer: Not all of the humor is in this vain, and these performers were truly funny.)

The stripping down idea was so pervasive in the show that - at 2 separate moments - there were scenes in complete darkness.

And a couple other times the only light was coming from the live, projected images of the onstage camera capturing the hauntingly intimate moments.

Your senses were heightened, and there was no escaping the show’s text. It was very well done.

Don’t Sigh and Gaze at Me

The sound design was brilliant.

I’m not sure I can stress enough how fantastic the sound design for this show was.

The sporadic and intentional use of handheld mics, live stand mic/monitor setups, wireless mics, no mics, sudden live gunfire, and traveling sound across a circle of rumbling speakers was effective, intelligent, and well-executed.

Additionally, the orchestration was great. I hadn’t been a fan any time I had heard the show performed on award shows or morning shows, but when played live - in the room as intended - the balance was excellent and it added a grounded modernity to the show.

The lighting often confused me.

Some of the choices were beautiful and made a lot of sense: The light for the Act 2 opening dance sequence, the use of the party string lights, having full house lights on for the top of the show, and the pure darkness scene choices.

But then other choices seemed very random and without meaning or intention. Though, perhaps these choices were simply lost on me.

For instance, I was never sure what the intent was behind the full-stage washes of lime green and burnt orange. They seemed to be randomly placed throughout the show. I was also not a fan of taking the entire theatre from pure darkness to full stage and house lights in ~30 fade-ins. This might be due to my light sensitivity though.

The set was purely appropriate and quite effective.

I loved the pervasive wooden look of the entire show. The use of the chairs and tables was excellent. And adorning the walls with rifles was a great touch - not letting you forget what this show is really about.

All in all, the production elements really helped deliver the vision of this production, and often enhanced it far beyond my expectations.

People Will Say We’re In Love

It’s entirely possible that you may gather from this review that I loved the show.

Well, I enjoyed it and I’m glad I saw it.

It was not the mind-blowing experience for me that it seemed to be for many - though this is probably because of that Stratford production I saw in high school that clued me in to the realities of musical theatre’s pervasive dark side.

But I did think it was excellently done and well worth seeing! I appreciate what this production did, and I’m sure I’ll never see an Oklahoma! quite like that ever again.

Only one more comment about the production itself:

Yes, Curly is not a good guy. In fact, no one in this show can be considered a “good guy” - they all have tremendous flaws that negate their more endearing, sympathetic, or empathetic qualities, and can leave you feeling both empty and disgusted.

The choice to change the wedding fight at the end was, in my opinion, not necessarily more effective than having Judd go after Curly openly. It accomplished the same ideas - Judd still threatens by coming to the wedding and bringing a gun, and Curly and Laurey both still want him dead, and everyone is still relieved to have had the excuse to be rid of him. Yay mob justice.

So the change still got the job done. But I remain unconvinced that it was oh-so-different or more effective.

Anywho!

If you missed this one, I would highly suggest (even if just for research) making a trip to TOFT at some point to give it a gander.

OK?

[scouthearted]

How To See Theatre Cheap!!

What’s the number one complaint I see about theatre from people both into it and who want to get into it but haven’t yet? It’s the price. I get a lot of friends who don’t understand how I can afford to see so much theatre, or who just assume I’m personally rich. Really, being a third year theatre student has just granted me a lot of knowledge about the tips and tricks on how to engage with this art form for cheap... and sometimes even free.

Bootlegs are the obvious choice that I know most people know about as far as cheap and accessible theatre goes. However, even if you wanna say “fuck you” to rich producers, know that bootlegs put the theater itself at risk, and can impose huge fines on them, which can bankrupt smaller theaters... just because they didn’t catch someone filming! Because of this, it’s not the most ethical choice and it’s especially bad if you want more theatre to be accessible. I’m choosing to keep this masterlist bootleg-free for that reason, and while I encourage people to add on their own tips and tricks, I ask that they also follow that rule!

Note for the super broke: tips and tricks that are 100% free are in bold for quick reference! Bolded but starred are those that may be free, or are free with caveats.

SEE THEATRE IN PERSON:

Usher. Contact your local community and small professional theatres and see if they are looking for volunteers. Many times, those that need volunteer ushers allow them to see the show for free! Ushering is easy and a good opportunity to get to know other theatre fans. Keep in mind: there may be a dress code or physical requirement for the job.

Shakespeare in the Park. TONS of cities across the world do this... if you don’t see your city on here, that’s not a dealbreaker either, as my city is going into its 26th year of SitP and still isn’t on the list. It’s a great chance to see Shakespeare performed, an absolutely different experience than reading Shakespeare in high school English.

High school productions. Often, these are a lot better than you might expect, especially if you are near a performing arts high school or just a school with a good theatre department. High schools often do big-name shows, usually for $10 or less per ticket!

College productions. They operate similarly to high schools, but with (usually) a larger budget and better talent pool. They may also be more experimental or obscure in their season selection. I recommend attending shows at schools that have a theatre major, as those productions often are classified as “pre-professional...” think professional theatre with lower prices, often under $15 a ticket.

Hamilton lottery. If you live in or relatively near NYC, London, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, or San Francisco, you can and should enter the lottery to win two $10 tickets. You can enter every single day, and I’ve personally known people who have won, so the chances may not be as small as you think!

Pay What You Want Theatre Nights*. Often, community and smaller professional theaters will have nights where you can contribute as much or as little as you choose (some theatres have lower limits, but not all). These nights are often ones that aren’t as popular for audiences, such as Wednesday or Thursday, but they’re a great way to see things cheap.

Improv class graduation performances. Improv classes are becoming a huge thing among people who want to socialize without drinking. Often, these classes will conclude with a performance that’s open to the public and super cheap (my local improv school has $6 shows). Check local improv theatres or acting schools for more details.

Local festivals. Some local festivals are home to children’s performances (such as are orchestrated by Missoula Children’s Theatre), local improv, free musicals, etcetera. They’re a great place to scope out a little bit of the scene.

Discounts! If you’re a student, a senior, active military, or a veteran, you are almost guaranteed to get a discount. Other discounts may be available... see the next point.

Call and ask! If you can’t find any ways to see cheap theatre on your local theater’s marketing or website, don’t be afraid to call and ask for deals, promotions, or opportunities not listed. Theatre professionals want butts in the seats, and we want people to be engaging in this art form! We’ll do our best to help.

Playwrights Welcome*. On the off-chance you’re a member of the Dramatists Guild, you can see shows at certain theaters for free. A full list of the participating theaters is at the link, as well as further details on the program. You do have to pay Dramatists Guild dues, so not very free... but if you’re already a member, take advantage of this!

LEGAL RECORDINGS

Movie musicals. Yes, I know, we hate them, but they’re readily available and easy to get for cheap on DVD, or streaming online legally. Check out The Phantom of the Opera, Hairspray, Into the Woods, West Side Story, Sweeney Todd, Les Miserables, and many more. Many are available on Netflix!

BroadwayHD. This streaming site is exclusively for high quality professional theatre. If you have $8.99 a month, you can watch SO MUCH theatre. They also do individual rentals, but it’s more expensive to do an individual rental than to just pay for the month. The selection used to be small, but is growing quickly, and showing your support might convince other productions to put legal recordings up!

National Theatre Live. Performances from an absolutely fantastic theatre, broadcast to movie theaters around the world. Tickets run a little more than a movie ticket, but less than a live theatre performance, and they’re INCREDIBLE. 

DVD and Blu-ray selections. Often, shows are in fact recorded and available for purchase, usually older or closed shows. While the article is a little bit old, the linked article makes some suggestions, but more can be found with a little bit of looking (or check out this wikipedia article).

PBS Great Performances. Opera, musicals, concerts, plays, dance, and more... the complete theatrical experience, for free on PBS. You can watch some of them free no-strings-attached online, too, but others require a subscription service.

Starkid. This theatre company does parody and original comedic musicals (with surprising depth!), and they’re posted on Youtube for free. There’s a ton to choose from, and they’re a really good time and a great gateway if you’re intimidated by the PBS stuff.

AUDIO RECORDINGS

LA Theatre Works. Performing plays in the style of radio plays, you can stream some very good stuff if you’re interested in just listening. It’s a lot like a podcast! I also recommend poking around on their website to find more shows than on this page (and if you ever get a chance and have a little more money than this, they tour and you can see them live. It’s really cool!). 

Off Book: The Improvised Musical. Think Starkid, but audio only, smaller casts, and also, completely improvised. Every week, the podcast weaves a brand new improvised musical, along with a guest or two (including people like Travis McElroy and Felicia Day). 

Audio plays* (like what LA Theatre Works are doing) are a little tricky to find sometimes, but a little research can get you a long way. Here’s some that I found just in trying to dig more up, including Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead and the famous production of War of the Worlds. Audible is known to have a growing selection of audio plays, if you’re okay with using and paying for Amazon services.

THEATRE EDUCATION

Podcasts. Continuing on the audio theme, there’s a ton of amazing theatre podcasts that can teach a lot about the business and the art form alike. Here’s a list of twenty podcasts ranging from the explicitly educational to the news-oriented. Note, it’s about five years old. 

Theatre classes*. These are often astronomically too expensive for this list, but there is a little trick (though your ethical mileage may vary). Many theatre schools offer a free first class, like a trial offer. This is meant to help the student and teachers alike determine if the class is a good fit, but it’s also a great chance to go and learn something for a couple hours. You may then decide not to pay for further lessons at that theater, or you may decide you like it so much you want to splurge!

Guest workshops and masterclasses. If you don’t want to do the above, or if you have exhausted your local theater options, be aware of guest workshops and masterclass opportunities near you. While proper classes often run in the hundreds of dollars for a six to eight week course, these one-off classes can be as cheap as $10 sometimes, with the majority I’ve seen where I live being around $25 or so (the upper limit I I placed on things that make this list). You may be surprised at who is leading your class, too (plenty of Broadway actors run classes), and if you want to pursue theatre as a career, a masterclass or workshop looks nice on a resume.

Playing Shakespeare. The entire series can be found on Youtube, and it’s a series one of my professors personally recommended for those who want to learn how to do Shakespearean roles better.

Youtube in general. Honestly, just looking up “theatre masterclass” brings up a ton of credible and amazing stuff.

Volunteer. Learning by experiencing is truly something you can do, and there’s plenty of community theatres that would die for a good volunteer. Even if you don’t want to be on stage, there’s plenty of technical positions that cater to any and all skill sets.

[bookaddict24-7]

FIRST CHAPTER CHALLENGE!

I’ve found myself slowing down with my ARC plan and I blame it, in part, on my busyness at work this week and my badly timed need to re-read a series I read years ago. Also, I’m still fighting off the side-effects of a reading slump. 

It’s been a weird two months, apparently. 

This week’s three picks are an interesting mix. One has been up high on my TBR since I’d heard about it, the other looks timely and like an interesting read, and the other was an immediate no for me. 

A gentle reminder: Just because I’ve unhauled the books in this post and in future posts, it doesn’t mean that they’re books not worth reading. They’re just not right for me. This is more of an incentive for me to free up space and give these books better homes than my basement.

Read my original post and how I’m going about this challenge here.

Have any of you practiced this challenge this past week?

Something in Between by Melissa de la Cruz 

Decision: Torn 

Have you ever started reading a book and you’re not entirely sure of whether you want to continue it or not? Sometimes when I encounter books like this, I look for signs that I should put it down. I don’t know what this says about me as a reader, but I really try and find a reason for why I should keep reading a book. Cruz’s novel looks super interesting and the first chapter was an average introduction to this story, but I don’t know if I’m gripped enough to read it. I’m going to try one more chapter and make my choice then. 

Synopsis:

“Jasmine de los Santos has always done what’s expected of her. Pretty and popular, she’s studied hard, made her Filipino immigrant parents proud and is ready to reap the rewards in the form of a full college scholarship.

And then everything shatters. A national scholar award invitation compels her parents to reveal the truth: their visas expired years ago. Her entire family is illegal. That means no scholarships, maybe no college at all and the very real threat of deportation.

For the first time, Jasmine rebels, trying all those teen things she never had time for in the past. Even as she’s trying to make sense of her new world, it’s turned upside down by Royce Blakely, the charming son of a high-ranking congressman. Jasmine no longer has any idea where—or if—she fits into the American Dream. All she knows is that she’s not giving up. Because when the rules you lived by no longer apply, the only thing to do is make up your own.”

Vengeance Road by Erin Bowman

Decision: Unhauled

I immediately knew I didn’t want to continue this story. I mean, some of the reviews look really good and I’ve heard fantastic things about the story itself. For me, however, it is the writing style and slang. I’ve never really read a Western novel, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. But the first page is full of Western slang that I couldn’t get into. Granted, I tried reading this when I was half asleep. But unless I can be convinced otherwise, this is a no for me. 

Synopsis: 

“Revenge is worth its weight in gold.

When her father is murdered for a journal revealing the location of a hidden gold mine, eighteen-year-old Kate Thompson disguises herself as a boy and takes to the gritty plains looking for answers—and justice. What she finds are untrustworthy strangers, endless dust and heat, and a surprising band of allies, among them a young Apache girl and a pair of stubborn brothers who refuse to quit riding in her shadow. But as Kate gets closer to the secrets about her family, a startling truth becomes clear: some men will stop at nothing to get their hands on gold, and Kate’s quest for revenge may prove fatal.”

Always Never Yours by Emily Wibberley & Austin Siegemund-Broka

Decision: Saved

This is one of those books that I’ve built up so much in my head that I don’t know if I’ll actually like it or not. Because I’m in a weird reading mental space, I’m going to save this book for another time. I’m a sucker for contemporaries like this one and I’m just very afraid to be disappointed. 

Synopsis: 

“Seventeen-year-old Megan Harper is about due for her next sweeping romance. It's inevitable—each of her relationships starts with the perfect guy and ends with him falling in love . . . with someone else. But instead of feeling sorry for herself, Megan focuses on pursuing her next fling, directing theater, and fulfilling her dream college's acting requirement in the smallest role possible.

So when she’s cast as Juliet (yes, that Juliet) in her high school’s production, it’s a complete nightmare. Megan’s not an actress, and she’s used to being upstaged—both in and out of the theater. In fact, with her mom off in Texas and her dad remarried and on to baby #2 with his new wife, Megan worries that, just like her exes, her family is moving on without her.

Then she meets Owen Okita, an aspiring playwright inspired by Rosaline from Shakespeare's R+J. A character who, like Megan, knows a thing or two about short-lived relationships. Megan agrees to help Owen with his play in exchange for help catching the eye of a sexy stagehand/potential new boyfriend. Yet Megan finds herself growing closer to Owen, and wonders if he could be the Romeo she never expected.”

Have you read any of these three books? What were your experiences with them?

I’ll be back next week with another three picks!

Happy reading!

[parf-fan]

2018 in-house shows posted!

Once more, no mention on their facebook page or in their emails, but I suppose that’s what I’m here for.  If you go to PARF’s website, you’ll find that the list of in-house shows has at last been updated for this season.  I took the liberty of copy-pasting it all here nonetheless.

King’s Court King Henry and Queen Catherine host the visiting king and queen of France. Never before have so many monarchs gathered upon a Mt. Hope stage! Will the Master of Revels, Sir Walter Roderick Kensington, be up to the task of entertaining four royals? Join them at the Endgame stage, and watch the saga of the Field of Cloth of Gold commence!

(I am so pleased that they specifically mentioned the question of whether Sir Walter will be able to cope with four monarchs.)

Human Chess King Henry and King Francis, in the spirit of friendly competition, have agreed to match wits in a game of Human Chess. All the denizens of Mt. Hope, from lowly peasants to noble knights, will take the board as members of the kings’ armies. But as the ring of steel fills their ears, and the thrill of battle heats their blood, will the contest stay friendly for long?

(I didn’t read the above description, for it undoubtedly contains what would count as spoilers to me.)

Ultimate Joust

As the sun sets upon Bosworth Field, four knights will meet in mounted combat, as a crowd of thousands looks on. Come and cheer for your favorite knight; thrill to the pounding hooves and the clash of steed and steel. Join the royal court and all the villagers of the Shire, in the epic Ultimate Joust that has made Mt. Hope famous.

(I didn’t read the above description, for it undoubtedly contains what would count as spoilers to me.)

Finale in Song

As the festival day draws to a close, the town gathers for a final celebration of song, dance, and laughter. Join King Henry and Queen Catherine, along with King Francis and Queen Claude of France, and the entire town of Mt. Hope, in a village event that reveals the very heart of the Shire.

(I didn’t read the above description, for it undoubtedly contains what would count as spoilers to me.)

Grand MacGuffin Melee Good Master MacGuffin has not had much luck with his establishment. It seems like every new business venture he tries always winds up in a massive brawl. But this time, he has decided to attract a fancier sort of clientele. Come attend the grand opening of MacGuffin’s Gallerie of Fine Arte. With such a high-class aspiration, what could possibly go wrong?

(I’d finished reading this before I registered that it was for a show I consider storyline, and therefore didn’t want spoilers for.  That said, this can only end well.)

Disasterpiece Theatre The Master of Revels, Sir Walter Roderick Kensington, has assembled the shire's best performers (who had nothing else going on at the time) to delight our guests with a masterpiece on the stage. They present a different modern story with a 16th century twist every weekend; and of course when Sir Walter tries to get something done-- anything that can go wrong will go wrong. It will truly be a Disasterpiece!

(As soon as I’d read the title and the fact that the description starts with naming Sir Walter, I was already dying with laughter.  I am so glad that character and his particular style of overwroughtness managed to become so iconic.  This promises to be fantastic.  I predict that they will definitely adapt Mean Girls, if nothing else.  I also vote for an adaptation of Newsies.  Les Mis would be great, but I dunno that that counts as “modern”, and it’s also a little long, ya kno?)

Bloody Best Attend the tale of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, He Who Would be King of Scotland. ‘Tis forty minutes of brutal combat, murder most foul, and disturbingly comic violence. And blood. There will be blood.

(B l o o d y B e s t i s t h e S c o t t i s h P l a y.  Which should be interesting, because the entirety of the grounds count as a theatre, and it’s only safe to name the play if it’s in the script.  So what if someone tries to interact with the performers regarding the contents of Bloody Best after the show is over?  Would improvised interaction be close enough to keep them safe?  Or will it call down the curse if they are forced to utter it in that circumstance?  And if the latter is true, will they then be able to get to the edge of the grounds / the gate into the performer-only area [that is, leave the theatre] in time to be able to perform the ritual to lift the curse?  Most importantly, am I cruel enough to put this to the test?)

The Sirens The pirate crew of the Relentless Contessa is out for blood and gold...on any other normal day, but today, they are taking a break to demonstrate their fierce musicality, daring boldness, and filthy pirate jests!

(THE SIRENS ARE PYRATES THIS TIME AT LAST FINALLY YESYESYES I HAVE BEEN WANTING THIS FOR YEEEEAAAARRRRS!!!) (No Bloody Shame [THE BLOODY SHAME!] though. I’m sad.)

The Rakish Rogues What happens when two French Nobles and two English Nobles are employed by Their Majesties to entertain the masses? They don't know either! Watch these charming nobles sing revelrous songs and regale you with rowdy vulgarities.

(After years of the Rogues being in some of the more lightweight outfits, their day of reckoning has finally come.  Boys, welcome to the excessively  heatstroke-laden life of a noble.)

The Irish Revels The three Eugenia Sisters, proprietors of The Wild Rose Inn, are celebrating the return of their father by reassembling the family band. Join them for rousing Irish folk music and quirky family values.

(THE IRISH REVELS ARE RETURNING THE IRISH REVELS ARE RETURNING THE IRISH REVELS ARE RETUUUURNIIIIINNNNNG!!!!!) (Yo, the MacGuffin Stables and Tavern has competition!)

Friday Knights Come see our Improv Track perform feats of mental, verbal, and physical agility for your entertainment! Presented in 2 acts, the first half is a competition of comedy as 2 teams face off against each other in "Whose Line..." style improv games hoping to earn the laughs and love of our audience judges. Then, after the intermission, both teams come together to perform a completely improvised musical based on the audience's suggestion!

(Quite pleased this is back.  Rest assured I shall actually attend this time.)

Neighborhoods Kings and Queens are great and all, but what do the average citizens of Mount Hope do on a festival day? Seek out these interactive stories that you can get involved in all over the shire to find out! Provide your expert opinion at a Town Hall Meeting; help track and arrest a wanted thief (or help the thief escape!). Get involved in the happenings of Mount Hope and influence the lives of its inhabitants at these scenarios found not on stages, but in the neighborhoods all around the shire.

(So.... literally exactly what it’s always been.  It’s just listed here this time.)

Music with Their Majesties Take a break with Their Majesties, as they demonstrate Their musical merits and host the best of entertainment from the realm.

(!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

Robin Hood You think you know the story of Robin Hood? You've probably never heard it like our Apprentice of Revels and her rag-tag team are going to tell it to you.

(........ Apprentice of Revels?  There’s a Apprentice of Revels now?  Sir Walter has a hecking apprentice this year!  I’m like really really hyped about this character’s existence.  For some reason, my mom is convinced this role is gonna be played by Katie Markey.)

Finale Dumb Show Have you missed every Plot Show during the Faire day? Did you not even know there WAS a plot? Arrive to the Globe Stage 15 minutes before Finale In Song to catch up on what happened in the silliest way possible!

(I am left with a deep-seated happiness over the Dumbshow’s return.  But they wrote it wrong.  I have it from the actors, it is oNE WORD!)

The Legend of One-Eyed Willy The Cabin Boy of the "Relentless Contessa" has been tasked with finding more members for the ship's Pirate Crew. Come join his crew, and witness the tale of the most feared pirate to ever sail the seven seas! Presented by The Mount Hope Players!

(was One-Eyed Willy aboard the original Bloody Shame [THE BLOODY SHAME!]?  That wold be a good reason to fear them.)

King's Cavalry Join the Master of Revels and The Lady Mayor for some literal horse-play on the chessboard directly before our Human Chess match! Bring your nipperkins so that they may join the King's Royal Mounted Cavalry!

(Everybody who, like me, attends King’s Cavalry because they went to Chess early to secure good seats, Y’ALL BETTER FUCKIN’ CLAP AND CHEER FOR THOSE KIDS, I SWEAR!)

King Arthur: The Legend of Murray Everyone knows that King Arthur was the Wizard Merlin's greatest apprentice, but did you know Merlin had another apprentice after Arthur? Come experience the tale of Merlin's OTHER apprentice: Murray!

(I’m gonna have to figure out how to make this fit with the canon of BBC’s Merlin, friggin’ fantastic.)

Is... is there no Tournament Joust this year then, or....

[thecrownnet]

TV Review: ‘The Crown’ Season 2

The Netflix royal drama returns for a dazzling second season, led by its star Claire Foy

Variety Nov 27, 2017

“The Crown’s” second season is captivating in a way that almost isn’t fair. The costume drama, which follows the early years of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II (Claire Foy), is the kind of story that we’ve told for eons, whether that is the Bible’s take on King David or Shakespeare’s interpretation of Cleopatra — the inner life of a real ruler, at the intersection of duty, personhood, and power. It’s a show that covers so little that is new. Many of the events in the series were well-documented in the media at the time. Many of the characters in it, including Her Royal Highness herself, are still-significant public figures today. “The Crown” sounds like it should be a dry slog through the too-familiar territory of rich and famous people feeling sorry for themselves — a less soapy, more stodgy “Downton Abbey.”

But as fans of the first season can attest, because “The Crown” is executed so well — from the magnificent locations and historical table-setting to the fantastic, scintillating lead performance by Foy — this well-trodden material is turned into a rich and compulsively watchable narrative about history, celebrity, and the inescapable difficulties of being a person. Showrunner Peter Morgan, who is the sole credited writer on nearly every episode of “The Crown,” brings his experience as a playwright to bear on this production, with even more destabilizing character combinations than the first season. The second season of “The Crown” might be even more engrossing than the first: Where the first installment depicted Elizabeth’s call to action, and the rocky path to standing her own ground, the second season focuses on one of the enduring mysteries of royalty — the endlessly scrutinized and speculated over royal marriage.

The season begins on a storm-tossed ship, which is the closest Elizabeth and Philip (Matt Smith) can get to a private conversation in the mid-‘50s. Two episodes later, in an ambitious opening gambit that lays the groundwork for the season to come, we will return to the same scene — the same couple, the same ship, the same exact conversation, to watch all over again. The audience sees the exact same scene twice: The first without any context, and the second with three hours of context, which inflects each note with deeper meaning. In between, Morgan contextualizes — ruthlessly, relentlessly, in every direction. This three-episode jump doesn’t happen again, but throughout the second season, Morgan’s scripts take more risks with the timeline: He has more confidence in challenging the audience, and loops through history as a result. It’s destabilizing, but kind of brilliant: It makes watching “The Crown” itself an act of parsing history.

It also ends up showcasing moments over meaning, and instants over arcs, in a way that allows the lead performances to dazzle. Foy is doing the best performance currently on dramatic television in her Elizabeth, and this season gives her the opportunity to tease out the Elizabeth that befriended Jackie Kennedy (Jodi Balfour), met privately with the Reverend Billy Graham (Paul Sparks), and confronted her uncle — the former king Edward VIII (Alex Jennings) — about his encouragement of Adolf Hitler. It is difficult not to be on Elizabeth’s side in every scene she is in, because Foy cuts through what might be self-seriousness in the script to seize its emotional center. Her Elizabeth is both infinitely powerful and infinitely terrified, a woman who has no choice but to be what others put upon her. The season depicts how prematurely aged she is by her station — how she has the life of an elderly woman, in her mid-thirties, because she has to be the better person in every single encounter she has. It’s a fascinating trap, royalty: Elizabeth ought to be the happiest woman in the world, with her palaces and gowns. But because she is determined to be a good monarch, she can never really live for herself. Every mistake is dissected in public; every criticism must be accepted with a smile and a mantle of politeness.

Personal crises lead to standalone episodes that are all worth writing home about — the feminine competition in “Dear Mrs. Kennedy,” the unexpected magical realism of “Paterfamilias,” and the smooth, sexy episode “Beryl,” in which the princess Margaret (Vanessa Kirby) meets the man who would eventually become her husband: Tony Armstrong-Jones (Matthew Goode), a sexually adventurous artist who oozes midcentury charm. It’s unreal how well done the entire episode is, from Kirby’s unstable and brilliant performance as the spoiled, heartbroken princess to the final shots of the episode, which silhouette Goode in a darkroom lit red as if he is the villain in a horror movie.

But then again, set piece after set piece in “The Crown” is worked to perfection, even — especially — just when it seems the show might be getting a little too self-important about the heavy weight of the crown. Best of all, “The Crown” shows versatility; it adapts to reflect the episode’s concerns, making for individually beautiful chapters. The first season showcased some of that. The second season does it even better. “The Crown” gets so good at delivering its emotional resonance that even some of the show’s epilogues are heartrending — like the episode about modernizing the monarchy, entitled “Marionettes,” or the one about Nazis and Christian forgiveness, “Vergangenheit.” There are few shows currently on air that convince you of how carefully considered its vision is, but “The Crown” does it constantly — whether that is the way the light streams through the window onto Philip’s shoulders, or the set of Elizabeth’s jaw as she addresses her prime minister. For that alone it is remarkable.

Philip, who in the first season remained a mostly dutiful husband, becomes a frustrating pain in the arse in the second season — and Smith leans into Philip’s public-school education and old-chap athleticism to create a devastating portrait of poisonous masculine pride. The second season covers a lot of ground, but ultimately boils down to an exploration of this very complicated marriage — between a man too proud to accept his wife is in charge, and a woman who wishes she could obey her husband like all the other wives she knows. “The Crown” works because the dramatic stakes of royalty, while themselves stunning, serve mostly to complicate how hard it already is to be a human being. In Morgan’s hands, the marriage — like the monarchy — is an instrument with which to measure how the world is changing around the royal family.

And it is changing quite a bit. The second season is a tumult of altered stakes and modernizing efforts — like televising the queen’s Christmas address and her sister Margaret (Vanessa Kirby)’s lavish wedding. The nature of celebrity is shifting; class distinctions are changing; and the significance of women in the public eye is evolving, too. (The announcement, Monday morning, that Prince Harry is engaged to marry “Suits” star Meghan Markle is perfect promotional timing: A case study in the delicate, managed balance between public partnerships and private desire. Watching “The Crown” and knowing that one day, a black American woman would become a royal princess is the most delicious dramatic irony of all.)

Morgan has been fascinated with this particular monarch for some years now — he wrote both “The Audience,” the play “The Crown” is based on, and “The Queen,” about the queen’s slow and rocky response to Princess Diana’s death. Again and again, the focus is on how this very particular sort of woman — an upper-class, horse-breeding Brit who has been surrounded by servants and courtiers since birth — learned how to evolve along with her country. To love Britain is, on some level, to love the queen, too; and though “The Crown” comes down rather positively on the notion of monarchs and titles, it’s difficult to argue with its central thesis, which is that in the strange job of being a queen in the 20th century, Elizabeth has done a very good job of it.

It feels strange to fall under the spell of “The Crown’s” second season, for any number of reasons: The cozy comforts of a costume drama seem too far out of step with the world in 2017, a second season is often less captivating than the first, and there’s more TV out there than ever — including a sharp, pessimistic dystopia set in British near-future, which is quite at odds with “The Crown’s” British near-past. But then again, it is a show about a woman persevering at all costs, even when the men she loves most fail her, out of a sense of duty to the future. Perhaps it is not strange at all.

[sagastar-blog]

MemoToTheMetaverse 2.4 “Gaia Says to Jeff, Let’s Take the Black Keys Car Service!”

Gaia, our hero, the story’s 16-year-old tomboyish female protagonist, walks around in a magnificent green, blue, and white bathrobe. Her long darkreddishbrown hair is dripping wet. Gaia is the planet Earth in human form, and has always been entirely awake, or aware of this fact. She’s recently emerged from the family “scuttlebutt,” a solar-powered steam room of sorts off the side of the family’s entirely ordinary first-floor Highland Park, NJ, apartment. She speaks into a hairbrush: 

Gaia: So glad to be here with Dan and Patrick of the Black Keys. Guys! Good morning! What brought you to The Orchard on this leg of the current intergalactic tour?

[Dan Auerbach--the lily-white reformed stoner father / lead singer of the indie blues rock duo from Akron known throughout the universe and beyond as The Black Keys--is a large Bert from Sesame Street doll.] 

Dan: Ummmmm. Gee. Let’s see. Well, I guess we figured we were in the neighborhood, you know, New York is kind of a thing...Hey, um, Do you guys have any coffee here? I could also really use a bagel. Like, with cream cheese, yeah? Thanks. Okay, yeah.

Patrick, a narwhal hand puppet and the drummer in the band, wears hipster glasses and grunts somewhat rhythmically: Me too. Please. Thanks. Whatever.

Gaia (turns towards the kitchen and yells): Daddy! Do we have any bagels left?

[Jeff is Gaia’s 39-year-old father, who has sole custody but, as any parent must no, very little immediate control over his daughter. He’s actually a young Bengal tiger in disguise as a human and also the Master Creator/Destroyer of All.

Jeff: Yeah, hold on. Do they want everything like usual?

Patrick the narwhal begins gnawing on the top of Bert’s head while gently spanking it from below with its tail, and grunts: “Sure thing, boss.”

Dan is distracted by Gaia’s proverbial “décolletage.” It must be said that Gaia is a beautiful, buxom, and rather rambunctious young woman, and has been for a few years now something of a man-eater. More problematically, she’s been neglected by her boyfriend/cousin-in-law, Amateratsu, the local mediocre neighborhood son, thanks to the way she’s been done dirty and wrong by life--HER LIFE, yes, but still--in recent times.

Dan: Thanks so much Jeff, that’s great. Gaia’s taking good care of us in here.

Jeff: She’s a fantastic hostess. You should check out her bedroom! It’s kind of a mess...Gaia, do you think you could maybe try sweeping some day? 

Gaia (returning to her interview): Dan, Patrick, do you ever wish a great wind would come along and wash away all the beer cans and bottles? I mean, like, take Akron....maybe all the rubber tires and factories and stuff should be...

Dan: Burned?

Patrick the narwhal has heard this story so many times already. He continues drumming on his lap, staring rather obtusely at Gaia’s round ass as she busily picks up last night’s detritus. He doesn’t mind getting interviewed today because he owes his ex-wife so much in arrears for child support that he’s willing to put up with Bert’s narcissism for yet another day.

Gaia: I was thinking, wouldn’t it be nice if Brian Wilson and the rest of the Beach Boys could just bury the hatchet and do, like, a benefit for the environment or something? Like, what is it going to take for some big shot celebrity musicians to actually get involved in American public life?

Dan: What we need, clearly, is the American version of Bono. Otherwise, Africa will become China and then we’re all fucked.

Gaia: Precisely. (prepares her hookah for the day’s first toke....Jeff doesn’t mind that Gaia is going through a phase in which she smokes as much cannabis as she wants when she’s at his house. She’s not always home from school, so he figures it’s a balanced approach to Creation/Destruction.)

Patrick: Do you think we could hit that?

Gaia (eyes smoldering): Butt of course, Monsieur Patrick. Et toi, Dan? Qu’en volez vous?

Dan: Did you just ask me where I’m flying next? 

Gaia: EH bien. Si vous voulez faire le countertransference avec moi, ca va couterez...(she lights up)

Jeff (buttering and cream-cheesing the bagels): Gaia, I’m serious! Your room!

Gaia (tucking her Bert and narwhal weiweis into her bed): I suggest we take the Black Keys Car Service to the eco preserve.

Jeff: Gaia, can you please explain to our guests what that will entail?

[Pollux and Castor emerge from the basement, all sparkly. They’re stars from an intergalactic talent competition known as Copernamici. As the head stars in the constellation Gemini, they are Amateratsu’s siblings, relatives of Jeff and Lucius. Pollux is slightly brighter and cheerier in general, whereas Castor has a beautiful, rich baritone voice.]

Castor: I was hoping we’d get to go to the preserve. There’s so little nature here in The Orchard, which is kind of ironic, don’t you think?

Pollux: Yeah, I was just thinking that it’s weird that there are signs all around this town, what is it called here Highland Park, that say things like “Tree City U.S.A.” and “No Hate Here.” They can’t even see us when they look up at night! Where exactly is the eco preserve, Gaia?

Gaia: Sore subject. Which is why I suggest taking the Black Keys Car Service! Daddy, you explain in a longwinded monologue which is not exactly a siloloquy but who cares because Shakespeare was SUCH a bitch...

Jeff (sets down the coffee at the C2 Center for Educational Brainwashing, where he is paid 27 dollars an hour to help privileged children improve their SAT scores): THE BLACK KEYS CAR SERVICE is one of the greatest ideas ever. It is the solution to the problem we face today aboard Spaceship Earth. (speaking into the ship’s PA system microphone) Humans! You have, since the dawn of the industrial revolution, been shitting in your own scuttlebutt! You have been, like cyborgswine, befouling your own trough. Your pollution--Ohio, we’re looking right at you...OH GEEZ, Cuyahoga was a great R.E.M. song about you burning rivers...where are you Michael Stipe when the galaxy needs you?--will no longer be tolerated. I have come here, people of Earth, to save Gaia. Only, the way it works is that Gaia doesn’t need salvation. Gaia, your planet Earth, will outlive all of you. Life will persist on this planet whether you want it to or not...at least for a little longer. The point here is that I am here to protect Gaia from all of you who have been either neglecting and violating her. (Hugs his daughter tightly.) The latter is worse than the former, but there are no innocent people in this world of ours, right Gaia?

Gaia (not a victim..a survivor): Correct.

Jeff (continues): Now. You, humans, will end this farce of an existence. You have serious environmental problems which you are not capable of fixing by yourselves. The first step in solving a problem is admitting that you have a problem. The Black Keys Car Service is the best way for you to admit you have a problem.

Jeff and Gaia step out to their electric car.

We’re not suggesting that you need to trash your entire civilization. No. That’d be impractical. You need to recycle it. You need to throw away a lot of stuff that’s bad. 

Amateratsu (offstage): I SUGGEST FEEDING ME!

Jeff: Let’s shoot a bunch of shit into the sun, like old junk that’s bad for Gaia. Let’s figure out a way to use nuclear and other technologies sustainably and responsibly. There are no such thing as “bad nukes,” just as there are no such things as “bad phones.” You have technology and you need to learn how to use it wisely. I say I’m wisdom unemployed. I don’t need to spend my time pretending to teach here at the C2 Center for Educational Polyamorous Cockblocking and Blueballing. It’s not very fun, rewarding, or productive for me. (Imagine that, John Lenin!) 

It’s not easy for you to accept that you’re a computer virus and that your existence is a threat to lots (not ALL) other life here on Earth. I get that! We have a suggestion...

Gaia (grabs the mic and screams as loudly as possible): Just send an ordinary unmarked car to Jeff’s house at 35 S. Fifth Avenue in Highland Park, NJ, 08904, U.S.A, Earth, Dimension 1(?)=1 / infinity. (Everyone knows my real address is one over infinity!) But make sure it’s like really smooth and cool...you know, like it should be the kind of car service that Dan and Patrick would use and then try to cash in on by selling out...like El Camino.   

But it can’t be an El Camino. It should be like a 2002 Ford or something. Not eco-friendly! It needs to be authentic and real, like Akron but WORSE. If I’m being violated, at least let Jeff on the Lester GangBangBus. You know what I mean? SO the one thing about The Black Keys Car Service is that it’s got to be both legitimate and correct. There will be no “Black Keys” cds or music or anything directly related to the Black Keys in the car, obviously. The music should be a delightful mixture of T. Bone Burnett classics, which is to say stuff that would sell at Starbucks and not offend Jeff. This is how Jeff learns! By doing human anthropology. We don’t hate your culture. We just have taste and need a little bit of respect, so like, no music referencing “niggers,” “bitches,” and other unsavory aspects of your filthy human world. I’m sorry, but there’s a difference between you listening to what you like in public and you exposing me and my Daddy and my friends  to your pollution. We need to be protected, like in an eco preserve! 

Jeff: What Gaia is trying to say is that I don’t ask for much. You’ve been caught with your hand in the cookie jar. That’s fine by me. I’m used to it. But now that you’ve been caught, you have to admit it. You have to admit what you’ve done and you have to do it soon by sending The Black Keys Car Service, which is recognizing me as someone valuable and worthy of dignity and respect, as well as adoration, of course. 

Send me a private car with a driver--let him be exactly like the dude who plays bass and also keyboards for the Shins, if not that guy himself!--who recognizes me as JustJeff and takes me where I want to go. For free (i.e. without charging me money or making me feel awkward). You know who I am, so stop pretending! Allow the driver to speak to me like a normal person. It will be great! And please let there be bagels with cream cheese and coffee in the car. Other than that, there’s nothing else for me to request. If you do that, i’ll know that we’re going somewhere together. 

If I’m going to save you, Gaia, it’s going to be on my terms, not theirs. We have a lot of work to do and must take practical steps. The Black Keys Car Service is the best way to get moving in the right direction.

Gaia (fidgeting with her phone): OMJ, I hate this phone! (throws it out the window and turns up the music, which I believe is some Dusty Springfield song, but we can’t be sure...) 

[julecapulet]

So, as anyone might expect, based on my url, I have a wide array of very intense Feelings about Romeo and Juliet. Like, memorize-the-entire-balcony-scene-for-fun kind of intense Feelings. It’s my favorite Shakespeare play and I could literally go on for days if not weeks about it. SO. That being said, I obviously was going to have a lot of feelings about Shonda’s new show, Still Star-Crossed. 

I remember when I first heard of the project, I was pretty furious. I am sort of protective of R&J and was not keen on the idea of a sequel- much less a sequel that unraveled the deeply poetic and meaningful finale. It didn’t help that the person unraveling it would be Shonda Deathtouch Rimes. But, honestly, I should have considered the fact that Shakespeare and Shonda would have definitely been buddies (they both love torturing their protags, I mean, come on, this was a match made in hell). 

As the previews started to show up a few weeks ago, I watched them with a measure of chagrin- which slowly became replaced by curiosity, and then, finally, by excitement. 

The cast is star-studded. What I’ve always enjoyed about Shonda’s shows is that they seem to have a good comingling of old hats and newcomers. You’ve got some familiar faces like Paris, Lord Capulet, Lord Montague, and Prince Escalus- and then you’ve got some brand new bright-eyed and bushy-tailed actors and actresses whose exuberance lights up the screen just as bright as their more well-practiced counterparts.

Colorblind casting is and continues to be my favorite thing. I absolutely love seeing these familiar characters filled in with all sorts of different shapes, sizes, and colors. Not only is it refreshing, but it’s also so exciting because it finally allows for the most talented individual to get the part they deserve. You’re seeing the best possible product, unlimited by a director’s attempt to “match” its stars. You’re seeing the best Rosaline- not the best white Rosaline. You’re seeing the best Romeo- not the best white Romeo.

Honestly, it’s such a freeing and utterly delightful thing to experience as an audience member, knowing that you’re seeing the best of the best, barring no restrictions. That’s what a lot of art is, in my opinion. Expression without restrictions. And that’s exactly what SSC is.

I mean, I loved it. I loved every second of it. It took me a few minutes to adjust to the altered canon, but once I did I was 100% on board. Romeo and Juliet were adorable and brilliantly cast, even if we only got to enjoy them for a few moments of screen-time. I loved seeing Torrance Coombs in a Renaissance setting again, but this time liberated by a better storyline. I loved seeing Anthony Head as another problematic dunderheaded patriarch. 

And do we even need to talk about how much of a dynamic powerhouse Rosaline is? I mean, Rosaline in the play has always been a subject of fascination to me, and Shakespeare left many unanswered questions about her, as Shakespeare does, that Shonda was more than poised and ready to answer. The actress playing Rosaline is simply fantastic. I’m really glad we got the best Rosaline, because a story as strong as this one needs her.

I’m pretty much chill with all the changes that have been made to the canon. Princess Isabella exists? Umm, totally down with that. Paris survived? Sure, why the heck not. Someone defaced the statue Montague commissioned? Yeah, sounds realistic. Escalus being in love with a Capulet but not being able to express that love for fear of being seen as choosing a side in the family feud? Sign me up for that drama. 

The only thing I don’t love, necessarily, is the cruelty of Lady Capulet. I have a lot of headcanons, I guess you could say, about Lady Cap, and it makes me sad to see her portrayed as such a shady chick. But it’s okay! I’m very interested to see where her character arc will lead. I’m open, I’m open. 

I hope this show doesn’t get canceled, guys. It doesn’t help that it airs so late at night, so I’m already Stressed. I mean, hell, I can’t even watch it that late. I am heartened to see the slowly burgeoning fan base, though. 

This show is so important. Like, seriously? Even Shakespeare would stan this show. His entire career was practically founded on the reimagining of classic legend, lore, and history. Imagine how much he’d dig the fact that someone today is now reimagining one of his stories.

So, people, please. 

Watch this show.