#the lead actress was also in what we do in the shadows

[inkyself]

HAE SUNG: What if this is a past life too, and we are already something else to each other in our next life? […] See you then.

Past Lives - Celine Song

[sserajeans]

just for a moment

hanni pham x fem! reader

synopsis: you and your co-star are tasked to make a song for your web drama's soundtrack. your co-star happens to be a childhood friend whom you've had history with.

genre + others: lsrfm! reader, idol au, childhood friends to lovers, friends to lovers, fluff, second chance ish?

notes: not requested, PLS READ THE LYRICS IT'LL MATTER!!!!, how i look delaying yail update 😂😂, also yes another hsmtmts inspired oneshot, pics from @/wiotas

"what do we even fucking write about?"

"y/n..."

"sorry..."

how did you get here? glad you asked!

it's the year 2025, and a team of producers at hybe are on the works for a minor project: a web drama promoting support for the lgbtq+.

you've talked about how odd it was to your best friend, and groupmate, yunjin.

"probably good for publicity, girl. like 'make everyone know we're not homophobic!' kinda thing." was all she had to say about it, which was likely true anyways.

you were convinced the casting was done at random honestly, but it was obvious they wanted a mix of groups to garner more attention. and that landed you the lead role with, you guessed it, ms. hanni pham!

why you two when you each had members who fit the actress role better? well, that's where you thought the random part came to play.

filming wasn't much of an issue. you were comfortable with hanni, and you two worked well on and off screen, just as expected considering your history. the director even pointed out your "remarkable chemistry", but she didn't have to know why it was that way.

as a matter of fact, you guys were about to wrap up in a few days. it was a wild past couple of weeks, but it was nice to get to spend more time with hanni again.

i mean, don't get me wrong, it's not like you two cut each other off when you moved to korea, but the talking definitely decreased, and the filming made up for lost time!

now, on one of the last days of filming, your respective managers sat you two in a conference room together, and dropped the news that you'd have to compose a new song just for the web drama's soundtrack.

the task in itself didn't bother you at all, and you were sure it didn't bother hanni too. you two were experienced in songwriting and composing, your names on a couple of song credits to count, so this was actually much easier than acting.

the issue was that you had enough going on for certain... feelings to resurface.

you see, the plot of the web drama hit a little too close to home for you. i mean seriously, childhood friends with feelings for each other, but couldn't take things further due to complications, then having to work together acting in some play.

it sounded a lot like your story.

hell, they even had your character do swimming! the same sport you excelled in back in australia.

the only reason nothing has gotten too awkward on that note yet, was because of your other labelmates being there like boynextdoor's leehan, minji and danielle, even your fellow members kazuha and yunjin.

with them around, you got to reconnect with hanni, but with a couple safe boundaries! now that you two were tasked to work on something alone though? you were scared things were going to be different.

so that's what brought you two here, together, in the music room. hanni seated facing the table with a pen and paper, you on the floor with your guitar in hand.

you were strumming to any chord shape that could come to mind in hopes of finding a melody that you could build off of, and hanni was tapping the end of her pencil on her forehead for any word, lyric, or rhyme that could work.

nothing came.

so engrossed in your respective tasks, the two of you didn't notice a shadow behind the translucent door, so when a knock came, you levitated off the floor for a millisecond, and hanni let out a soft yelp.

"hey you two~"

huh yunjin.

"how are my besties doing!" she came in doing a little dance, first walking over to check on what hanni was writing before landing on the floor beside you.

"we're stuck." you muttered, head against the wall behind you.

"oh... i see." yunjin shrugged her eyebrows in confusion, because she had just came from peeking over at hanni's notebook and was 100% sure she had lines written down.

"well, let's see... you got the genre down that suits the two of you so there's that. romance obviously sells, so there's that too. maybe you guys should try... writing while in character?" yunjin did her best to help the two of you, as the mutual best friend and seasoned singer-songwriter. "or if there's an experience you guys have had before, that would definitely help. real raw emotion ya know?"

"anyways," the eldest huffed and got up from the floor, messing up your hair and hanni's before heading for the door to leave the room. "i gotta get going. you two don't come home too late okay?"

you and hanni nodded before resuming. after a couple minutes, you realized that maybe you two will have to be communicating more if it meant writing a song together.

"hey han, do you have anything written?" hanni froze for a second before turning around on her chair.

truth was she did. she wrote them down specifically as yunjin started telling you two to write based on experiences.

"i... uh... kind of? just a couple lines, i don't know how i feel about them though."

"can i take a look? might help a bit."

"oh yeah... sure..."

there was a hint of hesitance in her voice, but it'd look awfully suspicious if she scratched out lines right before you'd check.

"ah..." the initial reaction was surprise for you, and a million thoughts came racing through your head.

"yeah! it's nothing much... but i figured it was better than nothing...."

"no yeah! for sure! i'm kinda getting the vibe, wait here." you turned around and picked up your guitar from the floor and took a seat beside hanni. "uhm... okay let's try... this?"

you freestyled a riff on your guitar, allowing your fingers to move on its own to play what felt right. it resulted in one of the most simple yet enchanting melodies that seemed perfect for your song's intro.

"hey that sounds perfect! i love it!" hanni cheered and gave you a thumbs up. "okay so... since you're doing your little guitar intro, perhaps we have the first line written in your character's point of view?"

"sure... okay... uhm..." it took you a couple seconds to think of something, or to get in character on the spot. but then you remembered yunjin's advice.

an experience you guys have had before.

"uh... how's this..." you fiddled with your hands as hanni nodded along, telling you to go on with your suggestion. after about half a minute, you had a two-liner with some sort of melody that matched your guitar intro. "i fell in love with the only girl who knows what i'm about."

hanni froze for a second, which didn't go unnoticed by you, but continued nodding along as she wrote down the lines. "i like your voice in this genre."

"oh..." you looked up from your guitar and faced her side profile as she was still facing her notebook. you felt your face warm a little, but not too much for it to gain color. "that's a lot coming from you. i have your lee mujin service episode on loop."

hanni smiled, a sight you'd never get tired of seeing. "a fan, huh? which part's your favorite?" she turned to look at you, a smirk on her face to mask the flustered and proud version of herself having received praise for her work from you of all people.

she continued writing a line underneath yours, a sudden burst of inspiration coming over her.

"probably lucky."

of course it's the song about being in love with your best friend.

she chuckled at your answer. hanni wasn't dense, and she knew you weren't either.

okay maybe you were, just slightly, but you pick up on context clues.

but point is, she knew what that implied, and what everything that came between the two of you the past few weeks could've felt like for you.

but just as she was getting somewhere, her train of thought was interrupted by your "burst of epiphany", as one would call it.

"oh hey, hear this out. i think it sounds like chorus material." you tapped her shoulder and positioned your hands across the frets of your guitar. you sounded a lot happier, more energy than you did earlier in the day as you finally got a feel of what to write and play.

when we're underneath the lights, my heart's no longer broken, for a moment, just for a moment

in that moment, hanni's mind rushed with too many emotions. objectively, the melody was beautiful. your voice made it better, the guitar felt like it had a voice of its own, and the lyrics. god, the lyrics.

she knew for sure you felt what she felt.

the two of you stayed in that music room a couple more hours, discovering a new type of comfort in a person the other has always known. like reading a book you've had forever, and feeling a newfound joy in a character that has always been there.

by the end of the day, you and hanni seemed to have switched roles, your guitar in her hands, and her notebook in yours.

you were finishing up a final copy of the first half of the song along with chords in case you'd forget the sound. there was also a copy of the both of you singing on your respective voice note apps. (which, unbeknownst to you, would be on repeat for hanni later that night.)

"here we go." you sighed, it took a lot of effort trying to make handwriting like yours legible. you've always hated it. teachers back in elementary all throughout high school would always mark your papers low despite almost flawless answers, just for your handwriting.

"i've always liked your handwriting..." hanni muttered as she admired your written work, unknowingly smiling to herself.

"oh.. thanks. i've always hated it."

"i know." hanni looked up at you, observing the sheepish smile on your face. she knew all about why you hated it, and she understood, but to her, it was an art. a part of you. she thought, "that's why i like it."

there was partial truth into that. besides it being a funny add-on to hanni's compliment, it's always been her thing to love stuff about you that you hated, even if it was something as small as handwriting.

back when you two were together (or whatever that was you had back in australia before you left, neither of you stuck a label on it), she'd always talk long speeches about how your handwriting was an art. something so significantly you that you shouldn't change, and that even if you hated it, she'd love it twice as much in place of you.

as you two shared a couple more laughs, a notification popped up on both of your phones. yours first, then hanni's a second later.

a snort accidentally escaped your system as you read the texts. "sorry.. is it yunjin?"

hanni let out the loudest laugh before nodding and exchanging phones with you to read what the older sent to the other. it was the same message in different forms, panicking to get you home before chaewon freaked out and took it out on yunjin, then proceeding to fear minji and her "wrath".

despite laughing at your member's worry, the two of you stood up to pack up, which really didn't take much anyways. you slid your guitar in its case, hanni hid her notebook in her bag.

walking out of the room to the lobby together side by side was probably the most stomach-churning activity of the day. and you literally had to write a love song about each other with each other. but there was something in the way it felt when your hands touched.

as you reached the part of the building where you finally had to part ways, the two of you faced each other. both expecting something, but not quite sure with what they were expecting.

"i.. uh... it was nice to reconnect today." she started off, awfully awkward at it too.

"yeah... it was..." you smiled, hand reaching for the back of your neck to scratch. a nervous habit. "i'll let you know if i think of anything tonight."

"yeah, same here." hanni nodded back, though a pinch of disappointment evident on her face. maybe she was expecting more, or maybe it was too soon. "see you tomorrow?"

"yeah... see ya." you slowly turned around, head racing.

should you say something? should you save it for another time? would it make things awkward tomorrow?

screw it. live in the present, right?

"han... for the record, my heart does still stop when i see you."

[p5x-theories]

What We Know About Wind

(last updated 9/27/24!)

Riko Tanemura, codename Wind, is a third-year member of the disciplinary committee at Kokatsu Academy, and the rich heiress to a plum company.

Riko picks the codename "Wind" after being told her codename should be something incredible/wondrous, and she thinks of how she's always found it strange that the character for "wind" is used in the word "disciplinary committee". She also connects it to wanting to be a tailwind for her allies and a headwind for her enemies.

Her Japanese voice actress is Atsumi Tanezaki.

In the story so far, we see her at school, as a student who mainly appears in scenes to remind other students of the rules. She and Motoha seem to be at least a bit familiar with each other, and there seem to be some girls at school who even are fans of Riko's and find her cool.

Future story information about her has been translated as:

"As the discipline committee member, Riko Tanemura helps the school manage the lives of students, which has become a very important part under the new policy. Riko-senpai is smart and knowledgeable. As a member of the discipline committee, she will make rational judgments when facing radical campus reform policies. Facing her own problems, she will definitely be able to make better changes through meeting the protagonist and his party. When she faces the struggle to break the rules that constrain her, it is the second movement of the Concerto of the Rule Breakers!"

She was also listed as a Confidant in the first beta (but it was locked), and was present in photo mode in the third beta. The third beta trailer shows her talking to Wonder in a scene that has not yet been present in-game. She also had a special animated promo video focused on her.

While little has been seen of her at the moment, she seems to at least outwardly present as a calm, reserved student. She encourages Wonder to speak up, but also complains that students have been acting more selfishly lately. She's mentioned to be the head of the student disciplinary committee, so she helps uphold the rules at Kokatsu. The school's dean frequently pushes administrative work and other duties onto her, but she takes care of it all without complaint, solely focused on preparing for her future career when she eventually inherits UMETANE from her father.

Her Persona awakening reveals that her strict sense of duty is actually tied to a desire to be loved genuinely. From a young age, it was impressed upon her in various ways that she'd only ever be loved superficially, and only if she excelled at tasks and stayed useful. She repressed the part of herself that sought genuine care and affection from others, and became closed-off and clinical, viewing the world with the assumption that everyone was only keeping her around if she could be of use, and always had ulterior motives for getting close to her.

Seeing Shadow Katayama's genuine, desperate care for her students, and specifically for Riko's wellbeing even as it was killing her, helped her to realize what she really desires out of human interactions: she wants to believe people can actually love her for herself, without wanting something from her. Seeing Shadow Katayama be used the way Riko always lets herself be used in the real world, she became determined to break out of the circumstances she'd created for herself, and focus on the people who honestly love her, like Ms. Katayama.

Later, she shows a distinct determination to steal Ms. Katayama's heart, to the point that she outright tells the real-world Katayama that she'll do so, inadvertently leading to her Treasure materializing before the Phantom Thieves have even secured an infiltration route. Riko is officially recruited to the team after this conversation (before they'd realized the consequences), and given the role of tactical advisor on the team. When fighting Shadow Katayama, she shows an unprecedented fury at Shadow Akashi (perhaps Akashi in general) for the way he treats her, and does everything she can to help prevent the real Katayama's death due to this treatment.

When they have to leave Katayama's Treasure behind, Riko promises she'll come back for it, and quickly begins to formulate a plan for how to trap Akashi so they can steal his Treasure.

Promotional information about her has been translated as:

"The surname Tanemura is spread in the ancient Wakayama Prefecture, a family closely related to “plum”. The phantom thief costume extracts the design inspiration of the “miko costume”, supplemented by the design concept of “plum blossom”."

Given she's paired with Makoto for their P5 Collab sticker (pictured above), and is the next teammate to join, it seems very likely her role will parallel Makoto's.

Her Persona is Chiyome (based on a famous female ninja), and functions as a navigator. While she’s summoned, Wind sits on a swing hanging below her, while Chiyome herself soars through the sky.

Chiyome is an Elucidation Persona, the designation used for navigators, and her trait gives the enemy with the highest level of Guard a "Vulnerability" after every three teammate actions. A Vulnerability increases the enemy's damage taken from the next attack to hit them, but then is destroyed; when destroyed, Wind receives two pieces of "Intelligence". If the attack hits a weakness, or even does normal damage (i.e., is not resisted, absorbed, or reflected), their Guard will be reduced by an extra level, and every time an enemy's Guard is reduced by a level in this way, Wind gains an additional piece of Intelligence. She has three support skills, which have cooldowns to use, but can be called in at will otherwise: the first reduces the defense of all enemies for two rounds (based on Wind's own speed stat), and gives one enemy a Vulnerability; the second increases the damage taken by all enemies for two rounds, and every time a teammate reduces an enemy's Guard, or knocks them down, this skill's cooldown is reduced by 1 turn (and can trigger automatically when the cooldown reaches 0); and the third requires at least 5 Intelligence to use, and consume all Intelligence to give all teammates "Unyielding Bravery" (buffs damage caused, moreso the more Intelligence is consumed) for one round, and restores one teammate's health.

Her passive skills buff the team's stats, buff the team's health + attack + defense stats at the start of combat based on Wind's speed stat, and buff One More and All Out Attack damage dealt by the team.

While she doesn’t strictly have a melee or ranged weapon as a navigator, P5X does have tools that the navigators use for their abilities, also obtained through the weapon gacha, and hers are parasols.

Her recommended card sets are 1) 4 of Coins (Power) + Page of Coins (Growth).

The game recommends teaming her up with 1) Joker.

A Summer version of Riko appears in the Summer event. Her design concept art:

[uses-for-fics]

Happier | Adam x Reader x Eric Bouchard

I hope you’re happy

The air on set felt familiar, but it wasn't comforting. YN was finally set to star in the next superhero film of the year and yet, the weight of past memories hit her the moment she stepped foot onto the soundstage. She hadn’t seen Adam since their messy breakup, and now here she was—playing opposite him in a film they once dreamt about together. The past hung heavy between them, though she tried to stay focused on her job.

Across the room, Adam caught sight of her. His breath hitched. She looked the same—better, maybe but it was that same look that reminded him of all they’d lost. This was supposed to be the opportunity to fix things, to make amends, but her unreadable expression told him otherwise.

I wish you all the best, really

"Hey, YN," Adam said, trying to keep his voice steady as he approached her. “It’s been a while.”

YN turned to him, her professional smile doing little to hide the awkwardness. "Yeah, it has," she replied, keeping her response short, like she knew where this conversation could lead.

Adam’s heart leapt. Here she was as vibrant as ever. It felt as if no time has passed and yet he couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen her. “So, how have you been?” He smiled at her.

She inhaled. Hoping this conversation would just end already. “I’ve been good. Just working, you know how it can be.” The tension was palpable, anyone near them could feel it.

Say you love her, baby, just not like you loved me

Adam nodded, blind to how the actress felt. He wanted to keep talking, find something to say but was cut short by the director, Eric cutting in.

“Excuse me Adam, I was just wondering if I could steal Miss YN from you for a second?” Eric smiled. YN posture immediately changed. Adam didn’t want to let her go but he couldn’t also just stand around all day trying to find the words to say to her.

“Of course! She’s all yours.” Adam watched her walk away with Eric, frustration simmering just beneath the surface. This was supposed to be the moment they reconnected. He ran his hand through his hair, realizing how much he still wanted her, even after everything. As his eyes followed her, he saw it, her hand resting casually on Eric’s arm as she laughed at something he said. There was an ease, an intimacy between them that made Adam’s stomach churn.

And think of me fondly when your hands are on her

In the days that followed, Adam tried to shake the growing jealousy gnawing at him. It wasn’t just that YN was with Eric. It was that she was happy. Really happy. He watched her on set, how her face lit up when Eric was near, the way she leaned into him. The casual touches that came so easily between them.

“She’s moved on,” he muttered to himself in his trailer, staring at his reflection in the mirror. That didn’t stop the thoughts that followed him like a shadow. He’d always been good at keeping his feelings hidden, but seeing her with Eric tore at him. He remembered the late nights, the shared dreams. He remembered her. Now all he could do was watch from a distance.

I hope you're happy, but not like how you were with me. I'm selfish, I know, I can't let you go.

He caught sight of YN and Eric again. The jealousy twisted in him, the knowledge that someone else now knew her in ways that used to be his. He clenched his jaw, battling between wanting to fight for her and accepting that she had moved on.

One day, after a particularly grueling scene, Adam couldn’t take it anymore. He found YN alone in the hallway, sitting quietly as she looked over her script. Now was his chance.

“YN,” he began, voice soft but steady, “can we talk? Really talk?”

She looked up, eyes meeting his, sensing the weight of his words. “Sure,” she said, closing her script. “What’s on your mind?”

“I know things ended... badly between us,” Adam started, “but being back here, seeing you again—it’s made me realize that I never stopped caring about you. I thought... I thought maybe we could fix things.”

An eternal love bullshit you know you'll never mean. Remember when I believed, You meant it when you said it first to me?

YN sighed, her expression gentle but sad. “Adam...”

“I still believe we could have something,” he continued, his voice cracking slightly. “I know we had our problems, but I’m different now. I can be better.”

She took a breath, shaking her head softly. “Adam, I don’t know if we can. We had our time, and I’ll always care about you, but... it just didn’t work between us and I think, deep down, you know that.”

Adam’s heart wrenched. “You seriously can’t tell me you don’t feel this.” He tried reaching for her hand. She pulled away before he could touch her.

“Adam I’m sorry, but you’ve got to realize, I’m happy, much happier than before. You’ve got to understand too, you’re the one who ended it first.”

He wanted to argue, to tell her she was wrong. That there was no possible way she’s moved on already but the sincerity in her eyes stopped him. There was no malice, just the truth. She had moved on. She had found someone who made her happier than he ever could. As she got up to leave, Adam felt the sting of her words.

So find someone great, but don't find no one better

As the final days of filming approached, Adam found himself retreating into his own thoughts. He watched YN and Eric openly enjoy each other’s company, the secret of their relationship no longer a secret at all. It hurt, but he was starting to accept it. She had moved on, and he needed to, too. YN deserved her happiness even if it wasn’t with him.

The last scene of ‘Tecto’ was a quiet one. As Eric called cut and the crew cheered on for their final day coming to an end, Adam turned to YN. They stood in the applause, the weight of everything that had passed between them still lingering.

“I hope you’re happy, YN,” he said softly, his voice sincere this time. “You deserve it.”

She smiled at him, a genuine smile that reached her eyes. “Thank you, Adam.”

Eric stretched his arm out to YN, she took a hold of it. YN began to walk away, she gave a quick turn to look back at Adam. “I really hope you find happiness too.”

She continued to walk away hand in hand with Eric, Adam felt the bittersweet weight of the moment. He wasn’t the one who made her smile like that anymore, but that was okay. Adam smiled through the pain, knowing that it was time to let her go.

You’ve moved on, found someone new

[d-criss-news]

Darren Criss and Cat Cohen Will Lend Voices to GWYNETH GOES SKIING in Edinburgh and Utah

Gwyneth Goes Skiing is headed to Edinburgh Fringe this August, and will also make its international premiere in Utah.

Darren Criss will provide the singing voice of Terry Sanderson alongisde Edinburgh Comedy Award Winning comedian, actress and singer Cat Cohen, who will lend her voice  as Gwyneth Paltrow on the vocal track with hits including I Wish You Well and See You In Court. 

Darren Criss is best known for playing the role of Blaine Anderson in Glee (alongside the real  Gwyneth Paltrow!). In 2018, he was awarded Emmy and Golden Globe acting awards for his  leading role in The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story. Criss has also starred  on Broadway in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying and Hedwig and the Angry  Inch. 

Edinburgh Comedy Award-winner Cat Cohen’s live comedy performances combine stand-up  comedy with cabaret-style songs. The comedian, actress, and singer’s first Netflix comedy  special, The Twist...? She's Gorgeous, was released in 2022. As an actress, she has appeared on  comedy series such as High Maintenance, Broad City, Search Party, and What We Do in the  Shadows.

Criss and Cohen digitally join Trixie Mattel who makes a special on-screen appearance as  Gwyneth Paltrow’s mother, Blythe Danner. They are seen alongside the original Gwyneth Goes  Skiing cast - Linus Karp as the Goop-founding, Door-Sliding, Shakespeare-In-Loving, consciously uncoupling Hollywood superstar Gwyneth Paltrow and Joseph Martin as her nemesis, Terry  Sanderson, a retired Optometrist from Utah.  

The world debut of Darren and Cat’s voices will be back where it all began, Park City, Utah. The  now-infamous location of Terry Sanderson and Gwyneth Paltrow’s collision in 2016 will play  host to the US transfer of Awkward Productions and Pleasance Theatre’s runaway hit. Gwyneth  Goes Skiing’s transfer to The Egyptian Theatre marks the first international transfer for Awkward  Productions’ work. 

Gwyneth Goes Skiing, which is a co-production between Awkward Productions  and the Pleasance Theatre, returns to the slopes after two sold-out and critically-acclaimed runs  in London. This silly play-with-music marks Awkward Productions’ return to the Fringe  after Diana: The Untold and Untrue Story had a sold-out run in 2023. 

Gwyneth Goes Skiing recounts the collision in 2016 on the slopes of Deer Valley and the court  case seven years later that enthralled the world. This very silly story of justice, betrayal and  optometry makes the audience the jury, asking them to decide who's guilty and who's gooped.  Gwyneth Goes Skiing features a whole lot of fiction, a sprinkling of verbatim lines from court  transcripts and delightfully catchy original music by Leland (RuPaul’s Drag Race; Cher’s  Christmas; Troye Sivan’s Something To Give Each Other). 

Performance Information The Egyptian Theatre, Utah  Thursday 16th – Sunday 26th May 2024  328 Main Street, Park City, Utah 84060 https://parkcityshows.com

[vaultedthewall]

Chronicles of Amber Fancast (pt 2)

Hello I'm rereading the books so GUESS WHO IS BACK AGAIN. Part 1 which is mainly the children of Oberon + 1 bonus is at this post. Let's continue!

Oberon - Pedro Pascal

Daddy.

"Ganelon" - Tom Hardy

Ganelon's frequent description is how much he looks like a scenery chewing villain but he's actually just there being helpful for like 90% of the time even if he's clearly (to everyone who isn't Corwin) hiding shit. Which is basically the role Tom Hardy played in Peaky Blinders.

Dworkin - Warwick Davis

Okay yes this is a bit of a gimmie, but 1) he has played a character named Oberon in the past and you know IMDB is gonna go crazy listing that trivia at least 15 separate times, and 2) he's no stranger to campy beloved fantasy. This is all squarely in his wheelhouse.

Lorraine - Renée O'Connor

Speaking of actors who are no strangers to campy beloved fantasy! She'll be able to make the minor role work and is able to bring strength to a character who tends to just need to be rescued a lot.

Dara - Amandla Stenberg

HAVE YOU SEEN HER IN THE ACOLYTE? She can absolutely play the "I don't know who's side she's on" necessary for Dara. Also seriously watch The Acolyte if you haven't yet. Easily the best Star Wars entry that's come out recently.

Vialle - Aria Mia Loberti

It is the year of our lady 2024 we can cast a blind actress for a blind character.

Martin - Bella Ramsey

LET BELLA PLAY A HE/THEY.

Merlin - Anthony Ramos

If we need him to sing we know he can, has been a leading man in In The Heights so we know he can do that when things shift to Merlin's story.

Luke - Paul Bullion

I'm gonna be honest this is another case of "I'm just casting an actor I love who has necessary requirements" - I want Paul Bullion in more things, so have a handsome ginger man for Luke.

Jasra - Melanie Lynskey

To quote my best friend's review of Knight of Shadows: Zelazny was like "What this story is missing is a treacherous milf" and he was soooo right.

Also, we want The Gays to watch, so two birds with one perfect stone.

ANYWAY that's all for now. Maybe more later.

[vintagetvstars]

Hot Vintage TV Women’s Bracket - Mod Thoughts

As promised here are my thoughts on what went down in the hot vintage tv women’s bracket! I organized them by round to focus on the ladies I was sad to see eliminated each round and then added my overall thoughts at the end. Hope these are fun and enjoyable to see my internal bias’s and who I was rooting for and screaming about being eliminated throughout the fierce competition 😊. Also I know mod violet is working on getting their own thoughts written down as well so those will hopefully be up in the future as well.

- mod vintage 💚

Thoughts below the cut

Round 1

- I was so sad to see Holland Taylor go out so early! She’s such a delight and it was such a close race! Wish we could have sent both Holland Taylor and Joan Collins through. It was certainly a match up that was hard to make but it fit so well and I must bear the consequences 😔

- I know Rachel Bilson was a controversial person to let in given The OC is barely in our time frame but clearly it wasn’t an issue as she didn’t make it out of round 1. I don’t mind letting people so close to the cut off through if they fit our criteria cause I do think it’s fun to recognize some of those very early 2000’s shows since it was such an interesting period in TV, a real turning point. But also because I had faith that the vintage tv lovers probably wouldn’t vote anyone from too late in our timeframe too far in the competition. Heck we had people upset the 90’s were included and while some of them did become finalists we still ended up with too certifiably vintage queens as our top two.

- Y’all I am so sorry Angela Lansbury fans. I really didn’t want to do it to you but someone had to go up against Eartha Kitt in round one 😔. On the bright side Eartha Kitt can’t compete next year so I certainly hope Angela will make it further next year!

- Alex Kingston Vs. Julia Louis-Dreyfus…y’all….we were not prepared for how controversial this was going to be! This was the beginning of a continual wave of comments every round about how upsetting it was that we included the 90’s in this tournament 🙃. This wave inspired the creation of the FAQ cause we were so tired of it. I don’t mind that not everyone recognizes the 90’s as vintage, that’s fine, you definitely don’t have to. I just wish people wouldn’t feel the need to yell about it in the tags. It wasn’t just disheartening as the person running the blog but like it’s really disheartening for the people that nominated their favorite 90’s star to see comments like that over and over when they just wanted to celebrate an actress they really enjoy. I know because mod Violet wasn’t part of the blog yet and Alex Kingston in ER was their nomination and it genuinely sucked to see them apologizing for nominating her and feeling so awful about that. So please in the future, if you don’t think someone is sufficiently vintage…please try to chill about it. This competition is supposed to be a fun escape and celebration for people and that really was not a fun way to start things off.

- Oh Sherilyn Fenn…I am so sorry we put you against Gina so early, clearly if the graveyard polls are to go by, you should have gone further. I will not put you against Gina in round 1 if you both come back next year 😅

- Joan Bennett Vs. Grayson Hall, I am so sorry Dark Shadows fans…I did not mean to keep putting y’all through it during this competition 😅 it was honestly completely unintentional, I shoulda guessed doing some match ups based on vibes would lead to people from the same shows occasional doing match ups…which I am overall fine with…it just happened to y’all a lot…apologies

- Mira Furlan I am so sorry! I have seen Babylon 5 in its entirety now and I get it! Y’all! Mira Furlan is stunning! She has that energy and presence that completely stops you in your tracks and commands attention! She is powerful and beautiful and elegant and just all around stunning! She absolutely kills it as Delenn in B5 and has certainly earned her spot as one of my all time favorite sci-fi characters! She is as beautiful as a Disney princess with the presence of the moon itself! I love her!

- Lucy Lawless Vs. Claudia Black…okay so I was warned so heavily against this one…I still argue that it was a valid match up…but mod Violet was totally correct to argue against it and I sincerely thank them for giving me the heads up that the tumblr lesbians would NOT like this match up 😅….mod Violet was very correct as usual. If it’s any consolation I do really like Claudia Black…while I still think my match up was valid, I am sorry and I sincerely hope she goes further in the next tournament…I will let mod Violet pick her match up next time 😅

- …I am so sorry Red Dwarf fans that both your girls went out in round one…I genuinely thought at least one of them would win their match ups, they both had my vote

- I’m gonna be honest, I knew Carol Burnett Vs. Elisabeth Sladen would be a hard match up but I thought it would have been much closer. I clearly overestimated the amount of Carol Burnett fans on tumblr and underestimated how many of the Doctor Who fans would show up (and since I’m currently working on the men’s bracket I will definitely keep this in mind as there are a lot more Doctor Who nominees now)

- So we actually had Jennifer Aniston Vs. Courtney Cox originally…would people have been mad about that cause neither of them made it past round 1

- Ah round 1, we only got a taste of things to come with Itatí Cantoral Vs. Audrey Meadows

Round 2

- Looking back this round had some surprisingly tough match ups that were really close…like I know I made the match ups but looking back at some I’m like damn….round 2? Like we had a much smaller group of ladies so it had to happen but…yeah I get why it was shocking now…terribly sorry, had to happen but still, sorry 😅

- Fran Drescher Vs. Jackée Harry…this one hurt so much 😭 I predicted what would happen even as I made the match up but it was a fair match up so it had to happen even though the results hurt so much 😭. I rewatched Sister Sister so much growing up and Jackée Harry was just like the beloved tv mom for me! I thought she was one of the prettiest women in the world as a kid and I still think she is absolutely gorgeous! I adore Fran and I’m glad she kept going on but damn if I didn’t want both of them to move on so badly 😭

- Farrah Fawcett Vs. Eva Gabor this one hurt so much! Y’all it’s Eva Gabor?!?! Have you seen her?!? She is stunning!!!! She was the definition of glamorous Hollywood lady to me growing up!

- Kellye Nakahara Vs. Lily Tomlin, so I didn’t know Kellye Nakahara before this tournament (M*A*S*H has been on my watch list for ages, I just don’t currently have the streaming service it’s on) but boi did I fall instantly in love with her through your propaganda! Not just me but my partner too! He was walking past when I was reviewing the video propaganda for her and stopped in his tracks to watch with me, only saying “I like her”. And yeah! We like her a lot and I can’t wait to see her in M*A*S*H one day!

- Itatí Cantoral Vs. Loretta Swit, this was the true beginning of the Itatí sweep. I am so sorry M*A*S*H fans that both your girls went out in round 2 (I’m rooting for you in the men’s round!) but as I had not previously seen Itatí’s work I had no idea she had such a passionate fanbase on tumblr 😅. However while I was sad to see the M*A*S*H girls eliminated so early, It was an absolute delight to see such a passionate response for Itatí and get to witness the power of her fandom full force! The Itatí fandom certainly won most passionate fans in this competition! Thank you all for so passionately engaging with her polls and letting us know how much you love her! It was so delightful to watch, your joy was contagious! I’ll definitely be rooting for Itatí next competition!

- Alex Kingston Vs. Terry Farrell…oh this one hurt so much 😭 I think this was the first one that elicited the “I hate you” response from my partner when I ran it by him (lovingly of course but he was genuinely upset to see this match up). This one was painful for both me and mod Violet. Like we knew it was a really good match up which is why we went through with it but oh boi was it a win-lose situation 🙃. Alex Kingston may have been one of mod violet’s nominations but they love Terry Farrell too! I am a huge DS9 fan, it is one of my favorite TV shows and by far my favorite trek show and sci-fi series. And I just absolutely adore Terry Farrell as Jadzia Dax in that show! She is so stunning and so talented, like she genuinely makes you believe she actually has lived that many lives, you totally buy she was Sisko’s old man friend a few years prior, and she’s just an absolute delight! I will forever be upset about her leaving the show and the reasons behind that. Mod violet may be a newer DS9 fan (We have been doing a first time watch of DS9 and X-files together both sharing our fav sci-fi shows with one another) but they still love Terry Farrell in that show and boi was this round painful for all of us 😔😭

Round 3

- Ah the round that took down all the golden girls (except Estelle Getty who wasn’t nominated and yes I’m still a bit miffed about that! SHAME! She shoulda been nominated too!). Y’all put up a valiant fight! I’m sorry they didn’t make it further as they were all beloved and stunning in their own ways! I’m so glad they were in the competition tho so thank you to everyone who nominated them and provided propaganda! I adore the Golden Girls and it was such a delight to see so much love for them and all your delightful propaganda! Needless to say I look forward to seeing them again next year and you bet we’ll be blogging about them all in the meantime 🥰

- Carolyn Jones Vs. Julie Newmar we thought this was gonna be the round where Carolyn Jones finally went down but y’all surprised us in the most delightful way! Sincerely thank you all for keeping her in! Carolyn Jones is mod violet’s childhood crush and just so important to them! That crush and watching the Addams Family was a defining moment for them, it’s so fundamental to who they are as a person in the most delightful way so it was so special to have this delightful surprise and get to see their favorite keep going forward in the competition when we thought for sure she wouldn’t. Sincerely thank you for making my best friend smile 🥰 this was one of the best moments in the competition for me and a great example of why I don’t mind putting in the work necessary to run this competition. It makes people happy, and it makes them smile. Y’all made my best friend so happy here and to me that makes the whole competition worth it 🥰

- Diana Rigg Vs. Nichelle Nichols, I didn’t really know Diana Rigg before this competition but y’all made me fall in love with her with the overwhelming amount of propaganda we received for her! She had some of the most propaganda in the whole competition. I was genuinely sad to see her go.

- Nana Visitor Vs. Gillian Anderson, Oh! This one was even more painful than Alex Kingston Vs. Terry Farrell 😭. This one hurt my soul! Neither me nor mod Violet wanted this match up but neither of us could justify any other match up…we had to make the sacrifice and damn was it fucking painful 😭. Pretty sure this was the one that got the strongest “I hate you” reaction from my partner when I showed him (again lovingly but he was just as upset as me and mod violet were and rightfully so). Like this was my impossible choice! This was the hardest match up for me in the whole competition! I am a die hard DS9 fan and Nana Visitor as Kira Nerys is my favorite Star Trek character of all time if not my favorite sci-fi character of all time! Nana Vistor absolutely knocks it out of the park as Kira! She delivers a stunning emotional, real performance, and she’s absolutely gorgeous while doing it! I love her! I adore her! I am a fan for life since the moment I watched Deep Space Nine for the first time! And one of the only people that would make me even consider not voting for her is Gillian Anderson. I am a new X-files fan, I’ve been watching it for the first time with mod Violet as they introduce me to their favorite sci-fi show as I’ve been introducing them to mine. And damn if the x-files doesn’t constantly remind me that I am indeed a bisexual 👀. Have you seen Gillian Anderson and (male co-Star who may be nominated for the men’s round) just….Aaaaaaahhhh!!! I feel like I’m having my bisexual awakening again every time I watch that show! Gillian Anderson is so stunning! And I was already a fan. While it’s not remotely eligible for this completion, I first encountered her in Hannibal and absolutely fell in love! She is a phenomenally talented actress and one of the most beautiful women on the planet! I adore her! I voted for Nana cause she will always have my heart and soul for her depiction of Kira but damn if Gillian didn’t make me think long and hard about it. Couldn’t think of a more worthy opponent to defeat one of my all time favs.

- Alex Kingston Vs. Penny Johnson Jerald, y’all I can’t reiterate how absolutely delighted I was to see that Penny Johnson Jerald was nominated for this competition! I adore her in everything I’ve ever seen her in and she is in a lot (she’s one of those actresses that I feel like I see her in everything!). She is just such a delight and I find myself hanging on her every word anytime I see her. She is a phenomenal actress and just so beautiful! I was sad to see her go but overall I was just so happy to see her included! Thank you to whoever nominated her and anyone who sent in propaganda for her! You made me very happy!

Round 4

- Nichelle Nichols Vs. Carolyn Jones, this was the most painful match up to put together in the whole competition. This was literally pitting my favorite against mod violet’s favorite. We tried so hard to come up with other combinations to see if we could avoid this for a bit longer but any other combination we had just had even worse match ups. It was the fairest match up so even though it was painful to us on every level…we had to go forward with it 🙃. If this isn’t an example of us doing our best to be fair and reasonable and keep our personal bias’s out of it then I don’t know what is. This one hurt 🙃

- Itatí Cantoral Vs. Lucy Lawless, I know this one was controversial but genuinely this one was so exciting to watch! At this point they were both established power houses and it was so fun to get to see them battle it out especially cause I genuinely think they both probably could have been finalists in their own right. I’ll say we were genuinely surprised that Lucy lost this one, I may not run in tumblr lesbian circles like mod Violet does but even I know that Lucy Lawless is tumblr royalty! This was probably one of my favorite polls in the whole competition and definitely the biggest upset we had! Definitely can’t wait to see how things go for them both next year, especially if we reach more of the die hard Lucy Lawless fans cause she’s definitely one I could see winning in a future tournament.

Quarter Final

- Lynda Carter Vs. Gillian Anderson, the round that defeated tumblr’s local celebrity, Lynda Carter. It was such a delight to have her in the competition! What can I say that the rest of tumblr hasn’t? She seems like an absolutely lovely person and she is stunningly beautiful! A very worthy finalist and I definitely won’t be surprised if she wins the crown someday! Also genuinely thank y’all for not bothering her with this. We were genuinely worried that people might tag her in this and we really didn’t want to bother her with our silly lil competition. While we all know that ultimately this competition is about celebrating these amazing performers, we can totally see a competition that is titled with the word hottest being seen as just an shallow objectifying thing and we really do not want to offend her or anyone else with that. It really is just a fun way to show our love and respect for some amazing performers that also happen to be very beautiful. So thank you all for respecting both Lynda Carter and us and not bothering her about our silly little competition. I hope she’s having a lovely day.

- Itatí Cantoral Vs. Diahann Carroll, the end of the Itatí sweep. It was so much fun while it lasted but apparently even the waves of Itatí fans couldn’t stand up to the might of Diahann Carroll! I couldn’t think of a more worthy foe to go out to.

- Gina Torres Vs. Nichelle Nichols, I’m gonna be honest, y’all had me scared with this one but luckily my girl Nichelle pulled through! I was however, sad to see Gina go as I sincerely think she is one of the most beautiful women alive today! She is just stunningly gorgeous, has a beautiful entrancing voice, and is an absolutely phenomenal actress all around! Can’t wait to see her return next year and see how far she’ll go! Certainly a worthy finalist!

Semifinal

- Gillian Anderson, we figured this was as far as she’d go cause at least for us Nichelle Nichols, Diahann Carroll, and Eartha Kitt all could have been the winner. And while Gillian is absolutely stunning and a favorite of both of ours, I think this was a really worthy place to go out! She did so well! Can’t wait to see how far she’ll make it in future tournaments! I won’t be surprised if she wins one year!

- Diahann Carroll, it truly was a complete toss up and luck of the draw with who ended up against Eartha Kitt. And I genuinely think Diahann absolutely could have won! But what a worthy rival to go out against! I would have been disappointed had she been defeated by anyone other than Eartha Kitt or Nichelle Nichols.

Final

- Nichelle Nichols Vs. Eartha Kitt, I mean damn! Talk about a dream final! This really did end up being the perfect final match up! And what a nail bitter of a final it was! It was so damn close! I loved seeing the push to get it for a tie! And I fully would have honored it and given a double crown cause to me this is deciding between two of the most beautiful women to have ever lived! What can one say about Nichelle Nichols and Earths Kitt that hasn’t already been said?! They were both phenomenal performers, absolutely captivating, drawing you in, if they were on screen you weren’t looking at anything but them! They were both extremely remarkable women that made significant contributions to history! Just absolutely stunning women in every aspect! Truly evenly matched and both equally deserving of the crown! I couldn’t have asked for a better final! As a huge Star Trek and Nichelle Nichols fan, she got my vote and I won’t lie, I was disappointed that she didn’t win but I couldn’t have asked for a more worthy person to beat her. Eartha Kitt absolutely deserved the double crown as the hottest vintage lady in all of tv and cinema! And while I’m sad that Nichelle didn’t win, I have a feeling she won’t have to wait too long for a crown of her own, at least I certainly hope so.

Overall Thoughts

What a doozy of a competition this was! It was such a blast! It had its highs and lows and plenty of scandal and drama! Every single one of the ladies nominated are lovely and I am so happy I got to help people share their love for them and shine a spotlight on them all! It was a delight to be introduced to so many new amazing hot vintage tv ladies and the shows they were a part of and I look forward to watching the shows they were on in the future. And it was so delightful to see so many of my long time beloved favs loved by so many others too!

Genuinely thank you to everyone who participated in any way! I knew this would be fun but yall really made this such a blast and completely worth all the time, effort, and extra back pain (I am disabled and some of those long nights at the computer I completely overdid it 🙃 but worth it!)

I can’t wait to see what happens in the men’s bracket! I am bi but I usually have a preference for men or masculine presenting people so I am already going absolutely feral while looking through submissions 😅. Truly a blessing that mod Violet agreed to join the blog cause together our preferences balance each other out and we are able to help keep each other’s bias’s in check. That and while we have a lot of overlap in tv taste we run enough in different circles that we were able to together cover pretty decent ground on knowing tumblrs preferences which helped a lot in trying to make fun and fair match ups.

I really hope even after this year’s tournament is concluded that we can continue this lovely community of vintage tv and media lovers going. It’s been a blast interacting with all of you and hearing how much you all love your favorite vintage tv stars and vintage tv shows! Can’t wait for the men’s bracket and to do this all over again with you all sometime next year after that!

Sincerely,

Mod Vintage 💚

[paralleljulieverse]

70th anniversary of Mountain Fire Liverpool / Leeds / Bournemouth / Birmingham 30 performances (18 May 1954 - 12 June 1954)

This month marks the 70th anniversary of a significant, if curious, milestone in the early career of Julie Andrews: her 'straight' theatrical debut in Richardson and Berney's Mountain Fire. A notorious flop, Mountain Fire lasted barely 30 performances in a month-long provincial tryout, closing ahead of a planned West End bow. The play would likely have sunk without a trace were it not for the fact that its female lead was on the cusp of international stardom.

While the ill-fated Mountain Fire was on the road, it was formally announced that Julie Andrews had been signed to helm the Broadway cast of The Boy Friend (Chit Chat 1954, p. 8; Mackenzie 1954, p. 4). The stark contrast between the disastrous failure of Mountain Fire and the star-making success of The Boy Friend has become part of the mythology of Julie Andrews' career. Even the Dame herself is fond of playing up the angle. "I had done one bomb in England," she recounts in a 1966 interview, "an incredible disaster...between Cinderella and The Boy Friend. I accepted a very limited engagement, thank God, and played a Southern belle from Tennessee...I can't tell you what went on. It was a disaster" (Newquist 1966, p. 141).

Four decades later in her 2008 memoirs, Julie was still cringing over the experience:

"The truth was, the play was not good, and although the company tried to make it work, we all sensed it was going to be a flop. I also knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that had the eminent London critic Kenneth Tynan seen my performance, it would have been the end of any career I hoped to have. Mercifully, Mountain Fire folded out of town" (Andrews 2008, 160).

Legitimate, at last!

Self-deprecatory humour aside, Julie actually received very good notices for her efforts in Mountain Fire. The Stage declared: "Julie Andrews scores a particularly fine dramatic success in her first serious portrayal, as the ill-starred Becky, bringing rare maturity to the difficult and exacting role" ('American folk play' 1954, p. 10). The Liverpool Echo similarly enthused: "Julie Andrews scores a personal triumph as the young girl and, in her first 'straight' role, reveals herself as accomplished an actress as she is a singer" (H.R.W. 1954, p. 5). While the Yorkshire Evening Post opined: "Julie Andrews gives a beautiful and moving performance as the luckless Becky" (Bradbury 1954, p. 8). Though the production might not have panned out as anticipated, Mountain Fire was a strategic step in Julie's ongoing pivot from child stardom to adult performer. Much was made in show publicity about Julie’s "graduation" from juvenile entertainment to mature dramatic fare:

"Brilliant stage and film children are always a little heartbreaking. So few of them amount to anything after they have reached the colt stage...One of the most happy exceptions is Julie Andrews--the once plain little girl with buck teeth, a slight squint and pigtails who astonished us all by singing operatic numbers in a sweet, clear coloratura when she had reached the ripe age of 12...Now, Julie is to make her debut as a straight actress in a new American play to be presented here by Peter Cotes...called Mountain Fire...Cotes says: 'Julie has a wonderful role and I believe her to be a young actress with great possibilities.'...[A]s she has both singing and dancing to do in her first straight play, this might well be the chance of a lifetime for grown-up Miss Andrews" (Frank 1954, 6).

'A hill-billy Bible story'

Mountain Fire couldn't have represented a more "grown-up" change for Julie. Billed as a "new play with music in 14 scenes", it was the latest offering from rising American playwrights -- and cousins -- Howard Richardson and William Berney. The pair had scored an early success with Dark of the Moon (1945), a fantasy verse play about witchcraft, love, and social intolerance in colonial-era Appalachia. They followed with a second collaboration, Design for a Stained Glass Window (1949) about religious persecution and martyrdom (Duncan 1966, p. S-7; Fisher 2021, p. 248-49).

Mountain Fire trod similarly heavy dramatic ground with a mix of religion, Southern Gothic stylings, and social commentary. Described by one critic as "a hill-billy Bible story", the play was an allegorical retelling of the Abrahamic legend of Sodom and Gomorrah with the "cities of the plains" transposed to "rival colonies of mountain dwellers" in the backwoods of eastern Tennessee (Mackenzie 1954, p. 4).

The scriptural elements of human wickedness and divine retribution were adapted into a laundry-list of stock Southern vices: a Hatfield-McCoy style feud, moonshine, teen pregnancy, arson, murder and, even, a Ku-Klux-Klan lynching ('New American Musical' 1954, p. 12). Punctuating this cavalcade of backwoods iniquity was a series of Greek choric tableaux where Lucifer and the Archangel Gabriel, dressed in mountainfolk mufti, debate the spiritual problems of the characters on stage.

At the heart of this heady mix, Julie was cast in the "Lot's wife" role of Becky Dunbar, a winsome but headstrong teenage mountain girl described in the script as "grow'd up wild as onion weed" (Richardson and Berney, 1954, Act 1, Scene 2, n.p.). Becky finds herself pregnant after a brief dalliance with Joe Morgan, a charming but unscrupulous travelling salesman. She is torn between her passion for Joe and her moral duty to Lot Johnson, a virtuous widower who marries her because "it's the Christian thing to do" (Richardson and Berney, 1954, Act 1, Scene 5, n.p.).

Julie often jokes that "You've never heard a worse Southern accent than mine" (Newquist 1966, p. 141) -- and the script's hillbilly argot certainly would have proved a challenge to her crisp Home Counties consonants and rounded vowels. Becky's very first line, for example, is: "I ain't been gallivantin', just skimmin' rocks at Turkey Creek" (Richardson and Berney, 1954, Act 1, Scene 2, n.p.). Not exactly typical RP phraseology!

On a less challenging note, the show also featured a series of musical interludes with ritual dances and allegorical songs. Sporting titles like "Lullaby to an Unborn Child", "The World is Wide" and "Oh, It's Dark in the Grave", the musical numbers may not have been cheery toe-tapping ditties, but reviewers typically singled out Julie's singing as an all-too-rare highlight.

"Julie Andrews..prov[es] her undisputed musicianship by taking one song on high E flat, solus, and in perfect tune," marvelled one reviewer (Bradbury, 1954, p. 8). Another chimed: "We are inclined to think poorly of Becky until we realise how well she is to be played by Julie Andrews...Sodom and Gomorrah...seem to sweeten because of her presence... and she sings very pleasantly on the few occasions afforded to her" ('Midland entertainments,' 1954, p. 17). Given the Biblical source material, the story of Mountain Fire could only end in grand tragedy. And, lo, by play's end the backcountry villages have been consumed by fire and our poor Julie is turned to salt. If naught else, the last scene of Mountain Fire certainly gave Julie a scenery-chewing finale for her straight dramatic debut:

LOT (Offstage): Remember the warning, Becky! Don't look back! The hoot of the owl is heard. BECKY starts up the hill. She stops, hesitates, almost looks back. Music builds. Again she goes forward, stops, almost looks back. Music continues to build. The third time she turns and does look back. Music crescendo. The lights dim, then rise again. BECKY has become salt. She lies motionless reaching towards JOE. Blackout CURTAIN (Richardson and Berney, 1954, Act 1, Scene 2, n.p.)

From Sodom, Tennessee to the Scepter'd Isle

The background saga of bringing Mountain Fire to the stage was almost as feverish as the storyline. The play began life in 1950 when Richardson and Berney completed their first working script under the original title of Sodom, Tennessee.

The play was initially optioned by Jack Segasture, a 23-year-old would-be Broadway producer who had managed Richardson and Berney's previous work, Design for a Stained Glass Window. That production proved a misfire, closing after just 8 performances, but Segasture was keen to back the playwrights for a second attempt at Broadway success (Watt, 1950, p. 47). 

In the summer of 1950, Segasture mounted a series of workshops of Sodom, Tennessee at various regional Pennyslvania theatres (Talley 1950, p. VI-13). Reviewing one of these early work-in-progress performances, the critic for Variety ventured that "with some doctoring, [it] may have possibilities for Broadway, where it is headed" ('Review: Sodom Tennessee', 1950, p. 40). In late-1950, Segasture announced that Sodom, Tennessee was set to start rehearsals the following January ahead of an anticipated New York opening in the spring ('Set Broadway", 1950, p. 26). Robert Perry was contracted to direct, with Robert Lowery and Jean Parker in discussions for the leads ('Film player,' 1951, p. 57). However, in April 1951, Segasture was suddenly drafted into the Army, and plans for the production were promptly scuttled ('Producer drafted,' 1951, p. 15C).

Over the next few years, various attempts were made to resurrect Sodom, Tennessee, but with little progress. In mid-1953, a lifeline came in the form of a pair of second generation producers: David Aldrich, son of famed producer, Richard Aldrich -- a.k.a. Mr Gertrude Lawrence to fans of STAR! -- and Anna Deere Wiman, daughter of Dwight Deere Wiman and heiress to the John Deere family fortune (Shanley, 1953, p. 10). Wiman had come into a sizeable inheritance on her father's death and she effectively bankrolled much of the production's initial $80,000 investment (Franklin, 1953, p. 9-E). Wiman and Aldrich tapped Peter Cotes -- a British director who had scored a recent New York success with A Pin to See the Peepshow -- to take on directorial duties (Calta, 1953, p. 14). They also invited Pulitzer-prize winning composer, Lamar Stringfield, to write the musical score ('Stringfield asked,' 1953, p. 7). At one stage, the producers were allegedly in discussions with none other than Marilyn Monroe to make her Broadway debut in the role of Becky but, wisely perhaps, she declined (Winchell 1953, p. 19).

In early 1954, plans for Sodom, Tennessee underwent a dramatic change. For reasons unknown, Aldrich was suddenly out of the production team. In his place, director Peter Cotes was promoted to co-producer status with Wiman. Possibly because Cotes was British, it was decided to relocate the production across the Atlantic and launch the show in the UK ('News of the theater' 1954, p. 6). Another factor was that production costs were lower in the UK than New York, something which would see the American Wiman remain as a London-based producer for several years (Hatwell 1957, p. 19; Wilson 1956, p. 10). Additionally, Richardson and Berney's earlier work, Dark of the Moon had enjoyed a fairly successful West End run in 1949, so the producers possibly reasoned that the new show might fare similarly well with English theatregoers (Darlington, 1949, p. 5).

Either way, Sodom, Tennessee was now set to make its world premiere in England -- though still with hopes of an eventual New York transfer ('Romantic comedy,' 1954, p. 17C).

'Not fit for the marquee of a British theatre'

Once the production team hit London, they set about preparing the play for its British bow. The first thing to go was the title.

Up until 1968, British censorship laws required all plays intended for public performance to be submitted to the Lord Chamberlain's Office for review and approval (Shellard et al, 2004). It seems the Lord Chamberlain did not approve of a play called Sodom, Tennessee, "an immoral name not fit for the marquee of a British theatre". Initially, the production team toyed with Brimstone as an alternative title, but finally settled on Mountain Fire (Talley, 1954, p. VI-5).

It was also decided that the show needed a musical overhaul. Some incidental music had been composed for earlier iterations, including piecemeal efforts by Lamar Stringfield. One or two of these pieces were retained but, for the most part, the producers opted for a new score. For this task, they contracted Stefan de Haan, a young German musician and composer who had come to study in the UK after the war and stayed on to work with various regional orchestras. De Haan not only composed a new score for Mountain Fire, including three new songs for Julie, but also signed on as music director and conductor (Bradbury 1954, p. 4).

Other key creative appointments were Michael Stringer as set designer and Daphne Kiernander as choreographer. Stringer came to the project fresh from working on the hit Rank comedy, Genevieve (1953), and a host of other film and theatre productions. He designed darkly stylised sets for all 14 scenes of the play, as well as orchestrating special effects for the final destruction sequence (Bishop 1954, p. 8). Kiernander was a classically trained ballerina who had performed as a principal in many West End shows and revues before shifting to choreography. For Mountain Fire, she created two set dances, broadly patterned on 18th century folk dances, and oversaw general staging for the songs ('Chit Chat', 1954, p. 8).

In early April 1954, Howard Richardson and William Berney arrived in London to help make revisions to the script. They also served as dialect coaches for the cast (Talley 1954, p. VI-5). During this early rehearsal period, Julie worked closely with Cotes' actress wife, Joan Miller who, as Julie relates, "tried to help me find the nuances that were needed for the part" (Andrews 2008, p. 171). Indeed, to hear Cotes tell the story, "Julie Andrews...was taught how to act by Joan Miller" and it was "Mountain Fire and Joan Miller between them [that] gave Julie the much needed groundwork..to erupt onto the Broadway stage" (Cotes 1993, p. 23). Not sure Moss Hart would agree, but anyway... Later that month, Cotes and Miller hosted an official launch party for Mountain Fire at their South Kensington home with local theatre and high society luminaries in attendance (Candida, 1954, p. 2). The show's schedule was set with a month-long tryout starting on 17 May in Liverpool, followed by one week runs in Leeds, Bournemouth, and Birmingham. The show's London opening was scheduled for Wednesday, 16 June at the Strand Theatre, Aldwych.

In mid-April, the tour was formally announced with ticket sales opening immediately:

"On May 17 at the Royal Court, Liverpool, Peter Cotes and Anna Deere Wiman will present the world premiere of Mountain Fire by Howard Richardson and William Berney. Making her debut as a straight actress in this play will be 18-year-old Julie Andrews. Other leading roles will be played by Jerry Wayne, Andrew Cruickshank, Gillian Lynne and Charles Irwin. Music for this production has been composed by Stefan de Haan. Decor will be by Michael Stringer, and choreography Daphne Kiernander. Peter Cotes is directing, and following a short tour the play will be presented in the West End" ('Chit Chat: Mountain Fire' 1954, p. 8).

'Every night it was a new show...'

The function of an out-of-town tryout is to put the finishing touches on a show ahead of its official "big city" opening. Cast and crew get to see how the play is working with live audiences and revise things accordingly. In happy cases, the tryout is a relatively easy process of fine-tuning elements and smoothing out wrinkles. In other cases though, the process can be far more tumultuous. Seth Rudetsky (2023) relates that New York theatre-folk popularly joke, "if Hitler were alive today, his punishment should be doing an out-of-town tryout with a show that's in trouble" (p. 152). Even Adolph might have blanched at the Mountain Fire tryout. A sign of early trouble came days out from opening when the producers suddenly announced a 24-hour postponement of the Liverpool premiere from Tuesday 17 to Wednesday 18 May (H.W.R. 1954, p. 4). Rehearsals had revealed serious structural issues with the show and the production team needed every hour they could muster to hammer it into shape.

Worse still, the key creatives couldn't agree about the source of the problems and how to fix them. Director Cotes believed the biggest problem was the script and he wanted major rewrites. For their part, Richardson and Berney felt the musical sequences were at fault.

Jerry Wayne, who took the male lead of Joe Morgan, recalled:

"[W]e ran into trouble with the American authors. They objected to the musical numbers that had been written into their story. We opened at Liverpool on a Thursday night as a musical. Then we were told to cut out the musical numbers. On Friday night we opened at 7.30 as a straight play. With the music cut, the curtain ran down at 8.15" (Greig 1955, p. 9)

The songs were duly reinstated, but competing revisions were trialled to staging and orchestration. In her memoirs, Julie relates:

"Our director couldn't decide whether he wanted the orchestra in the pit or onstage, or no orchestra at all. This was a play, after all, so he then thought maybe one instrument, a guitar, would be enough. We tried the show a different way every night" (Andrews 2008, p. 160).

Another member of the cast, Neil McCallum, similarly recalled the snowballing desperation of the tryout tour:

"Everyone hoped it would get better, so the authors and the director got together and decided to revamp the whole show. They kept writing new scenes every day...every night it was a new show until not even the cast recognized it...Pretty soon the authors and the director weren't speaking. Two days later the authors and the backer weren't speaking. Finally, no one was speaking" (Tesky 1954, p. 6).

A comparison of scene synopses printed in programmes for Mountain Fire across its month-long tryout reveals the extent to which the production altered across performances. During its first night in Liverpool, the show was comprised of three acts and fourteen scenes. The following week in Leeds, it was still three acts but down to only ten scenes. In Bournemouth, it was back to three acts with fourteen scenes. By the time it got to Birmingham, the play was suddenly just two acts with thirteen scenes!

'Call down fire and brimstone...'

Given the panicked disorganisation that plagued the tryout, it should not surprise that reviewers took a rather dim view of Mountain Fire. Indeed, other than praise for Julie and fellow cast members, critics were mostly scathing in their assessment of the show -- with notices getting progressively more brutal as the tour continued:

The Liverpool Echo: "When the new play, Mountain Fire, opened with a dissertation by the Angel Gabriel and Lucifer on the delights of being good and bad, it was obvious that this world premiere at the Court Theatre last night would provide something unusual -- and so it proved. But whether this modern parable of Lot's wife will meet with general approval is problematical, because in attempting to lighten high drama with a smattering of musical numbers plus one or two dances, the American authors, Howard Richardson and William Berney, have achieved a curious hotch-potch which is neither one thing nor the other" (H.W.R. 1954, p. 5).

The Stage: "The Liverpool audience could be forgiven for their puzzlement over this provocative, somewhat bewildering, production, which rather inclines to fall between the two stools of allegorical drama and musical entertainment, lacking the virtue of anything in the way of a hit tune" ('American folk play' 1954, p. 10).

The Yorkshire Observer: "Symbolism on the stage is meat only for those who can stomach such food and, it is difficult to live on meat alone. So it might be that Mountain Fire which, in the second week of its production, is now at the Leeds Grand Theatre, might easily die as quickly as the symbolical fire it portrays, no matter how brilliant the cast" ('Symbolistic musical' 1954, p. 6).

Birmingham Daily Gazette: "Mountain Fire, a somewhat disastrous item which arrived at the Theatre Royal, Birmingham, last night, is an odd mix of sex and religiosity which, I fear, will prove seriously offensive to many...The whole thing is meant to be an allegory, with a deep application to our atom-bomb age. But it is all expressed in such appallingly banal language that it leaves one convinced that the underlying thought must be equally banal...One can only have sympathy for the very talented performers who struggle with this material" (Mackenzie 1954, p. 4).

Evening Despatch: "Howard Richardson and William Berney are evidently generous-minded men. In their play, Mountain Fire, at Birmingham Theatre Royal, they include murder, two burials, the Ku Klux Klan..., Lucifer, the Archangel Gabriel, religion and, of course, sex...Directed by Peter Cotes, this is a bewildering story of sin among the backwoodsmen of Tennessee...Somewhere in all this there may be a moral. At first I found it difficult to keep up. Eventually I gave up trying" (Holbrook 1954, p. 6).

The Birmingham Mail: "The conscientious critic of the drama will find that there are certain troublesome questions which are created in the mind by Mountain Fire, the new play by Howard Richardson and William Berney. How, for instance, did it come about that it reached the stage of the Theatre Royal at all and how is it that next week it is to occupy the stage of a West End theatre, however short its tenure there may be? What is more to the immediate point is how one ought...to deal by way of notice with so poor an offering. Ought one to call down fire and brimstone or, refusing to treat the piece seriously, as did many of the audience last night, rend it with ridicule?" (C.L.W 1954, p. 4).

'Mountain Collapses'

With this level of bad press, the prognosis for Mountain Fire was bleak. Ticket sales were sluggish and the cast often found themselves playing to half empty houses. Even worse, audience members were increasingly audible with their displeasure. As Neil McCallum relates:

"One of the lines at the last of the play is 'Lot, don't turn back.' Came a voice from the audience, 'I don't know about turning back -- I want my bloody money back.' In the interval, the ushers were mingling with the audience saying, in ringing tones, 'isn't it terrible...don't you wish you hadn't come?'" (Tesky 1954, p. 6).

By the final week in Birmingham, the writing was on the wall and producers decided to avoid what would surely have been a critical and commercial bloodbath in London. On Thursday 10 June, barely 5 days before the show was scheduled to open at the Strand, Wiman and Cotes issued a joint statement saying they were cancelling the West End premiere of Mountain Fire:

"In view of the inadequate public response during the tour of the play, it would be unfair to the authors and the actors and other members of the production that it should open in London, at least without substantial variations" ('Play is off', 1954, p. 3).

The decision to cancel a major production so close to its premiere was not without precedent, but it was sufficiently rare to garner widespread press attention, generating a slew of punning headlines. "London douses 'Mountain Fire'," trumpeted the New York Times (1854, p. 13). "Mountain Collapses" blared the Kensington News ('Theatre Notes' 1954, p. 2). And "Mountain Fire Out!" declared the Daily Post (Daily Post London Reporter 1954, p. 1)

Mountain Fire had two further performances to complete its Birmingham run, and once the curtain came down on Saturday night of 12 June, the production staggered to its sorry close. Richardson and Berney had already taken early departure back to the US, unable to watch the show's final demise. Cotes similarly retreated to London and refused for many years to even discuss the play. Producer Anna Wiman insisted on staying to the very end. "No cast has been more loyal than this one," she declared, valiantly talking up a future for the show. "[I]t's not the end...I believe in this play and I am determined that it shall have a successful run in London. It will have a new director and a new atmosphere" (Mercury Staff Reporter 1954, p. 1.) The following March, a 'news in brief' snippet claimed Wiman was "still trying to lease or buy a theatre, with the Bill Berney-Howard Richardson play, Mountain Fire, as first on her production schedule" (Walker 1955, p. 61). But a year later, she would admit defeat, having lost the full extent of her £40,000 investment in the show (Wilson 1956, p. 10).

In the end, it wasn't just the UK production of Mountain Fire that sank. The play itself effectively vanished with little appreciable after-life. The script was never published, nor is there any record of it being registered with a theatrical licensing company. Only one further staging of the show ever seems to have taken place: a brief five performance run in May 1962, under the play's original title of Sodom, Tennessee, at the Little Theatre of the West Side YMCA in Manhattan ('Premiere,' 1962, p. 14). Billed as the show's "New York premiere", it didn't attract much attention and there are no published reviews. After that, the play's trail comes to a complete halt.

If it weren't for the show's status as a footnote to the career of Julie Andrews, Mountain Fire would likely have been completely lost to history. Even at the time of its cancellation, reports were already framing Mountain Fire as a blip on the way to Broadway success for Julie:

"Julie may have missed a West End appearance, but she is to be compensated by a Broadway lead in The Boy Friend when the show goes to New York in the autumn" ('Theatre Notes' 1954, p. 2).

Within a year or two, Julie's stardom was the principal frame of reference for any mention of Mountain Fire. It even became something of a boast for those behind the ill-fated production .

In 1956, when Julie was riding high on the success of My Fair Lady, an Alabama newspaper crowed that local playwright William Berney "discovered Julie Andrews [when] he was in London...casting his play Mountain Fire...Julie 'was it' so far as Berney was concerned, and a happy unknown made her bow" (Caldwell 1956, p. E-1). Not to be outdone, Howard Richardson was also soon talking up how his "plays have sent many actors and actresses on their way to fame including...Julie Andrews...who played one of her first roles in Richardson's Mountain Fire during its London [sic] run" ('New York playwright' 1959, p. 14).

All of which only proves the popular adage that, where failure is an orphan, success has many fathers!

____________________________

Who's Who of Mountain Fire

While Julie was undoubtedly the biggest star associated with Mountain Fire, the show included a roster of established and upcoming theatre talents, many of whom went on to bigger and better things:

Principals

Jerry Wayne as Joe Morgan (1919-1996): Born in Buffalo, New York in 1919, Wayne was a recording vocalist of some note who even hosted his own CBS radio show in the 1940s. He came to London in 1953 to play the lead role of Sky Masterson in the West End production of Guys and Dolls, marking the start of a British career. He appeared in the 1955 film musical, As Long as They're Happy and made several TV appearances in the 1960s. In 1967, Wayne married the novelist Doreen Juggler and graduated to a second career as a theatre and recording producer. Collaborating with his son Jeff, Wayne had notable success with the 1978 concept album, Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds. Wayne passed away in Hertfordshire in 1996 ( 'Jeff Wayne' 1996, p. 24).

Andrew Cruickshank as Lot Johnson (1908-1988): Born in Aberdeenshire, Cruickshank initially pursued civil engineering before turning to the stage. He made his professional debut in Shakespeare repertory and joined the Old Vic in 1937, playing notable roles such as Banquo in Macbeth, opposite Olivier. During WWII, he served in the Royal Welsh Fusiliers, earning an MBE. His varied career included significant roles in the West End production of Inherit the Wind (1960) and the National Theatre's Strife (1963). His best know role came courtesy of television as Dr. Cameron in the popular BBC series, Dr. Finlay's Casebook (1962-71). In later life, Cruickshank wrote a number of plays, and was president of the Edinburgh Fringe Society. He died in 1988 ('Andrew Cruickshank' 1988, p. 310).

Charles Irwin as Sheriff Bates (1908-1984): Born in 1908 in Leeds, Irwin began his career in variety shows and became a comedian and vocalist on radio in the 1930s. He worked extensively in regional theatre and appeared as a character actor in films such as The Third Man (1949), A Tale of Five Women (1951), and Mystery Junction (1951). In later decades, he transitioned to television, appearing in popular series like Danger Man (1960), International Detective (1961), and The Saint (1962). Irwin passed away in November 1984 in Salisbury.

Gillian Lynne as Edith Higgins (1926-2018): An influential figure in British theatre and dance, Lynne was born in 1926 in Bromley, Kent. She began her career as a ballerina, dancing with Sadler's Wells, the English National Opera, and the Royal Shakespeare Company. Lynne subsequently moved into choreography, working on many successful West End musicals. She was best known for her collaborations with Andrew Lloyd Webber, where her choreography was instrumental to the success of shows such as Cats and The Phantom of the Opera. In recognition of her contributions to dance and musical theatre, Lynne was made a Dame Commander in 2014. She passed away in 2018 at the age of 92 (Dex 2018, p. A13).

Richard Ainley as Gabriel (1910-1967): Ainley was born in Middlesex in 1910, the son of famed Shakespearean actor Henry Ainley. He debuted on stage with Martin Harvey's company, before going on to work with the Old Vic and Sadler's Wells. His first film role was in As You Like It (1936), followed by notable roles in The Tempest (1939) and Above Suspicion (1941). Severely wounded in WWII, Ainley had to abandon his film career and could only continue with occasional stage roles. Later, he focused on broadcasting and adjudication, briefly leading the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School in the early 1960s. He passed away in 1967 at age 56 (Coe 1967, p. 23).

John Barclay as Lucifer (1892-1978): Barclay was born in 1892 in Bletchingly, Surrey. A tall man with a booming basso baritone, he trained as an opera singer and toured widely with various companies, including D'Oyly Carte. He appeared in several films, including The Mikado (1939) and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1941). In the late 1950s, Barclay moved to the US, where he pursued a late career playing strong and menacing character parts in film and TV. He passed away in 1978 at the age of 86.

Supporting Players

Molly Glessing as Miss Deedy Sparks (1910-1995): Midlands-born Glessing began her career in variety in the 1930s as a singer, dancer, and comedienne. She rose through the ranks to become a featured player in comedies and pantomimes. During the war, she gained popularity as a radio player and ENSA entertainer. After marrying a US serviceman, she relocated to California. Dividing her time between the US and the UK, Glessing continued to work in stage productions and amassed numerous character credits in films such as Charlie Chaplin's Limelight (1952), and TV shows, including The Quatermass Xperiment (1955) and Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955-1962) ('Glessing" 1996, p. 33).

Lois McLean as Sadie Ollis (1927-2013): Canadian-born McLean studied drama at the University of Alberta and performed for several years with the Everyman Theatre Company in Vancouver. In 1950, she moved to the UK where she continued to perform, while studying theatre production with the Glasgow Citizen's theatre. In 1953, McLean started work as a manager for Peter Cotes and he cast her in various productions including Mountain Fire (Narraway 1954, p. 34). The pair also collaborated on a book, A Handbook of British Amateur Theatre. In the late-50s, she wed Indian-born lawyer, Birendra Jha and returned to Canada to start a family. McLean continued to perform and teach drama in Edmonton.

Esme Beringer as Old Sarah Johnson (1875-1972): Born in London to artist parents, Esme Beringer was a celebrated stage actress who made her professional debut in 1888. Known for her athletic physique and swordsmanship, she excelled in breeches roles, including playing Romeo, Little Lord Fauntleroy and The Prince and the Pauper. An enthusiastic fencer, she taught classes during WWI and starred in Shakespearean roles post-war. In later life, Beringer moved into character parts both on stage and in film. She died in 1972 at the grand age of 96 ('Esme Beringer' 1972, p. 16).

Neil McCallum as Skilly Sparks: (1929-1976) Born in Canada in 1929, McCallum moved to the UK to study at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Following graduation he appeared in a number of stage shows, scoring his greatest theatrical success in 1956 with the West End production of The Rainmaker opposite Sam Wanamaker. In the 1960s, McCallum became a familiar face on British television in series like The Saint (1963-64) and Department S (1969), as well as voicing characters on Thunderbirds Are Go (1966). Transitioning behind the scenes, McCallum became a scriptwriter and producer of some note, helming a number of TV series for the BBC before his untimely death from a cerebral hemorrhage in 1976, aged only 46 ('Neil McCallum', 1976, p. 11). As detailed by Julie in the first volume of her memoirs, she and McCallum embarked on a serious, if short-lived, romance during the production of Mountain Fire (Andrews, 2008, p. 161ff).

Jerry Stovin as Zeke Higgins (1922-2005): Born in Unity, Saskatchewan in 1922, Jerry Stovin served in the Canadian Army where he got the acting bug performing in military entertainments. Following the war, he went to Carnegie Tech to study drama, and moved to Britain in 1955. There he carved out a successful career in radio, television, and film, often playing American roles. He passed away in 1978 at the age of 86 (Peacock 1975, p. 7).

Harry Quashie as Ephraim (1914-1982): Born in Ghana, Quashie originally came to the UK to study law in 1939. He started to act in university theatricals and soon gave up his studies to pursue an acting career. He performed in a wide range of stage, radio and TV dramas and was a founding member of the Negro Theatre Company which helped pave the way for Black theatre artists in Britain. In the 50s, Quashie had character parts in several big screen features notably, Simba (1955), Safari (1956), and, The Passionate Summer (1958) ('Gave up law' 1947, p. 1; Bourne 2021).

John Sterland as Eb Higgins (1927-2017): Another Canadian actor, Sterland was born in Winnipeg to English parents. He came to the UK on a RADA scholarship, before joining the West of England Theatre Company. In a long career, Sterland racked up scores of stage and screen credits including A Countess from Hong Kong (1967), Performance (1970), Ragtime (1981), Bad Medicine (1985), Batman (1989), and The Tudors (2007). Married for many years to fellow actor, June Bailey, Sterland passed in 2017 ('John Sterland' 2017, p. 12).

Creatives

Howard Richardson (1917-1984): Born in Spartanburg, South Carolina, Richardson graduated from the University of North Carolina in 1938 and earned his M.A. in drama in 1940. After serving in the Army, Richardson co-wrote Dark of the Moon with cousin and frequent collaborator, William Berney. The play opened on Broadway in 1945, running for 318 performances. Despite frequent efforts, both in collaboration with Berney and as an individual playwright, Richardson would never match this initial success. In 1960, he earned a doctorate in 1960 and embarked on a career as a drama professor, working at various colleges throughout the US. He passed away in 1984 ('Howard Richardson', 1985, p. 34).

William Berney (1920-1961): Born in Birmingham, Alabama, Berney graduated from the University of Alabama, where he was active in drama. He later attended graduate school at the University of Iowa, where he started writing plays with Richardson. After graduation, Berney worked in advertising in New York, while pursuing his scriptwriting career on the side. During this period, he co-wrote several plays with Richardson, including Design for a Stained Glass Window (1950) and Protective Custody (1956). Berney moved to California around 1960 to write for television, but sadly passed away in Los Angeles in 1961 after a brief illness, aged 40 ('William Berney' 1961, p. 23) .

Peter Cotes (1912-1998): A theatrical polymath, Cotes -- who was born as Sydney Boulting in Maidenhead, Berkshire -- was part of a noted artistic family. His parents ran a theatre company and his brothers John and Roy Boulting became important filmmakers in British cinema. Initially an actor, Cotes shifted his focus to theatre production and directed the original production of The Mousetrap, the world's longest-running play. Other notable successes as director included the West End productions of The Children's Hour (1951) and A Pin to See the Peepshow (1952), and, in film, The Right Person (1955) and The Young and the Guilty (1958). In later years, Cotes wrote books and helmed a number of theatre companies. He passed away in 1998, at the age of 86 ('Peter Cotes' 1998, p. 35).

Anna Deere Wiman (1920-1963): Born in Illinois, Wiman was the daughter of successful theatre producer Dwight Deere Wiman, and heir to the John Deere family fortune. Educated by private tutors, she trained as a ballerina in Paris until a cycling accident ended her dance career. She then shifted to theatre management, initially working under her father. After his sudden death, she inherited a fortune, allowing her to become a self-funded theatre producer. Moving to London in 1954 with Mountain Fire, Wiman remained in the UK where she produced several West End productions, including The Reluctant Debutante (1955), Dear Delinquent (1957), and The Grass is Greener (1958). Despite her professional successes, Wiman struggled with alcoholism. She tragically died in 1963 at her holiday home in Bermuda from a fall down the stairs while under the influence. She was only 43 years old. ('Obituary: Anna Deere Wiman' 1963, p. 27.)

Stefan de Haan (1921-2010): Born in Darmstadt, Germany, de Haan was a gifted musician who trained in Berlin and Florence, before coming to the UK to study composition at the Royal College of Music. Following graduation, he initially gained prominence as a bassoonist, performing with various ensembles and orchestras. His compositional work includes a range of chamber music and orchestral pieces, often highlighting his expertise with woodwind and brass. His influence extended into music education, where his works are still performed and studied today. De Haan passed away in 2010, aged 89 (Bradbury 1954; 'Stefan de Haan' 2024).

Daphne Kiernander (1921-1998) Born in 1921, in East Preston, West Sussex, Kiernander was an accomplished dancer who rose to fame performing in various West End reviews and musicals such as Bobby Get Your Gun (1938), Let's Face It (1942), and Piccadilly Hayride (1946). She moved into choreography working on a number of stage and TV productions, including Such Is Life (1950) and Puzzle Corner (1953) for the BBC, and the Old Vic's 1955 production of The Taming of the Shrew. In the 1960s, Kiernander retired from dance to marry and start a new career in business and marketing (​Powell 1962).

Michael Stringer (1924-2004) One of Britain's most successful film art directors, Stringer developed a passion for cinema early on. After serving as a RAF pilot in WWII, he trained with Norman Arnold at Rank Studios. There he scored notable success with one of his first independent assignments, Genevieve (1953), and followed it up with other popular Rank titles like An Alligator Named Daisy (1955) and Windom's Way (1957). His success in Britain led to international offers, working on big productions such as The Sundowners (1960), In Search of the Castaways (1962), and A Shot in the Dark (1964). Stringer went on to a distinguished Hollywood and UK career, bringing his talents to a long and diverse list of films, including Fiddler on the Roof (1971), which earned him an Oscar nomination, The Greek Tycoon (1978), The Awakening (1980), The Mirror Crack'd (1980), and The Jigsaw Man (1983). Stringer passed away in 2004. (Eyles 2004, p. 43).

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Powell, E. (1962). 'She turns from show business to shops.' The Liverpool Echo and Evening Express. 30 March, p. 18.

'Premiere of "Sodom" Friday. (1962). New York Times. May 12, p. 14.

'Producer drafted, 2 plays in doubt.' (1951). Daily News. 28 March, p. 15C.

'Review: Sodom Tennessee, Guthsville, Pa. Aug. 29.' (1950). In Beckhard, R. & Effrat, J. (Eds). Blueprint for summer theatre: 1951 supplement. John Richard Press, pp. 40-41

Richardson, H. & Berney, W. (1954). Sodom, Tennessee: A play in three acts. British Library, Lord Chamberlain’s Collection of Plays 1954/37.

'Romantic comedy set for October.' (1954). Daily News. 12 March. p. 17C.

Rudetsky, S. (2023). Musical theatre for dummies. John Wiley & Sons.

'Set Broadway showing of "Sodom, Tennessee".' The Chattanooga Times. 19 November, p. 26.

Shanley, J.P. (1953). 'New team follows in fathers' steps: David Aldrich, Anna Wiman to offer "Sodom, Tennessee" as first play in Fall.' New York Times. 3 July, p. 10.

Shellard, D., Nicholson, S., & Handley, M. (2004). The Lord Chamberlain regrets : a history of British theatre censorship. British Library.

'Stefan de Haan'. (2024). Musicalics: The classical composers database. [Website].

'Stringfield asked to pen music for "Sodom, Tennessee".' (1953). The Knoxville News-Sentinel. 4 June, p. 7.

'Symbolistic musical at Leeds Grand.' (1954). The Yorkshire Observer. 26 May, p. 6.

Talley, R. (1950). 'An imaginary Tennessee won is site for "wicked" new play.' The Commercial Appeal. 8 October, p. VI-13.

Talley, R. (1954). 'British actors must learn how Tennessee hillbilly talks.' The Commercial Appeal. 18 April, p. VI-5.

Testy, H. (1954). 'New twist to success story: Neil McCallum on ladder to acting career.' The Saskatoon Star-Phoenix. 11 August, pp. 3, 6.

'Theatre Notes: Mountain Collapses.' (1954). The Kensington News and West London Times. 18 June, p. 2.

Watt, D. (1950). 'Ailing Harrison can't stage play.' Daily News. 7 February, p. 47.

'William Berney, 40, Coast playwright.' (1961). The New York Times. 25 November, p. 23.

Wilson, C. (1956). 'Now Miss Wiman is on "The Ball"." Daily Mail. 20 April, p. 10.

Winchell, W. (1953). 'The Main Stem Lights: Marilyn rejects role.' The Pittsburg Sun-Telegraph. 8 December, p. 19. ©2024, Brett Farmer. All rights reserved.

[bethannangel]

I finally got all my notes down and somewhat coherent from the Livestream Q&A at Alamo Drafthouse screenings.

I have no clue if these are repeat answers from previous Q&As because I avoided them to not be spoiled more about the movie

- Glen invited his sophomore year creative writing teacher to the Texas premiere (May 15th). He asked his teacher if he could write screenplays in class instead of poems or prose. The teacher was very supportive and would bring in Linklater screenplays to go over.

- First meeting with Adria, Linklater says to Glen “I don’t want to tip the scales but you should really meet her.”

- They meet, Glen says the actress to play Madison had to be someone the audience could see themselves throw everything away for. And Glen saw that Adria is that kind of woman. Both Glen and Adria were in the middle of Dry January (Rick joked “what’s that?” And Glen replied “you’re always in dry January”) and Glen is like yes I want to work with you and we should celebrate so they decide to get one tequila and then five hours later they are sloshed calling for rides.

- They consulted with Adria about Madison’s choices and possible dialogue. They joked how she was an unofficial writer of the movie.

- Linklater said he wanted Adria and Glen to lead the conversation on the intimate sex scenes and Adria would come in with references of artistic/tasteful photos and they incorporated them into the film. She specifically mentioned the sock pull and wine scene were referenced in the photos. She said she’s never been given the opportunity to give this much input to scenes she’s working in.

- They did all these references and had fun thinking of way to put these intimate scenes together but when it came to film there was a pause moment of realization that they had to be the ones in these scenes

- During pandemic Glen brought the article to Linklater and Rick is like yeah I’ve read it before and Glen is like there’s a story here. They had to make a decision to verge from the truth to get a really good story out of it. Once they made that decision, the creative flow just flowed. Spent a few hours a day on zoom talking about it and putting the script together

- Talked a bit about Skip Hollandsworth and his book about the Austin serial killer and joked with Glen about doing a movie about that

- Rick would talk on the phone with the real Gary Johnson when they were in preproduction. He said that they were planning on having him visit the set, but he quickly passed due to a pulmonary thing.

- Glen said he likes his chair of actor for now and being a director would be far in the future. Rick said Glen is a storyteller and he’ll work on anything that he deems a good story. Glen said he’s in the right place, learning from the right person.

- Glen was in charge of the costume. Rick hadn’t seen a lot of the costumes until day off because they were putting finishing touches on the script late in the game. The stylist nicknamed the red headed character Tilda Weasley and when he was fully dressed had a moment of “oh no, I think I’m attracted to Tilda Weasley”

- No costume was on the cutting room floor. Each of the costumes were inspired by the article directly. There were a few more ideas in the script writing process, but those were narrowed down to what we see on the screen by the time they got to shooting.

- Glen shadowed a film studies professor (Friend of Rick’s) who also got to read the script and told them that they needed to keep the pie line in the movie because it didn’t make it to one of the final drafts.

- The interviewer (even said this may be in poor taste) asked Adria about her recent project Los Frikis. When she spoke about it, she had so much love and passion in her eyes about this project and she said that they would be heading back out on the festival circuit with it.

[come-along-pond]

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY CHALLENGE. day three - march 8th. “IN MARCH I’LL BE RESTED, CAUGHT UP AND HUMAN”

Happy International Women’s Day! Women have influenced society from its beginning, and a large part of that has been through literature. We want to know what quote/s by women represent your OC! Or even, what quotes or lyrics does your OC use to ground herself. Feel free to use any female-made quote, it doesn’t have to be from poetry or a book!

(Some) of my OCs + the Speech from Barbie.

It is literally impossible to be a woman. You are so beautiful, and so smart, and it kills me that you don't think you're good enough. Like, we have to always be extraordinary, but somehow we're always doing it wrong.

You have to be thin, but not too thin. And you can never say you want to be thin. You have to say you want to be healthy, but also you have to be thin. You have to have money, but you can't ask for money because that's crass. You have to be a boss, but you can't be mean. You have to lead, but you can't squash other people's ideas. You're supposed to love being a mother, but don't talk about your kids all the damn time. You have to be a career woman but also always be looking out for other people.

You have to answer for men's bad behaviour, which is insane, but if you point that out, you're accused of complaining. You're supposed to stay pretty for men, but not so pretty that you tempt them too much or that you threaten other women because you're supposed to be a part of the sisterhood.

But always stand out and always be grateful. But never forget that the system is rigged. So find a way to acknowledge that but also always be grateful.

You have to never get old, never be rude, never show off, never be selfish, never fall down, never fail, never show fear, never get out of line. It's too hard! It's too contradictory and nobody gives you a medal or says thank you! And it turns out in fact that not only are you doing everything wrong, but also everything is your fault.

I'm just so tired of watching myself and every single other woman tie herself into knots so that people will like us. And if all of that is also true for a doll just representing women, then I don't even know. - Barbie 2023

gif credits bellow

@blondewhoregifs

taglist: @arrthurpendragon @bravelittleflower @ginger-grimm @dancingsunflowers-ocs @foxesandmagic @shrinkthisviolet @witchofinterest @wordspin-shares @oneirataxia-girl

Send an ask/message if you wish to be added or removed!

[greensparty]

Movie Review: Revival69: The Concert That Rocked The World / MaXXXine

This week I got to review two new ones: a documentary and a narrative.

Revival69: The Concert That Rocked The World

On September 13, 1969, Canada hosted their big music festival about a month after Woodstock in the U.S. Toronto, Ontario had the Toronto Rock and Roll Revival, at University of Toronto's Varsity Stadium. I didn't know too much about the concert festival itself beyond John Lennon's performance. John and wife Yoko Ono put together the Plastic Ono Band for this festival including guitarist Eric Clapton, bassist Klaus Voorman, and drummer Alan White. That performance was released as a live album in late 1969, Live Peace in Toronto 1969. Beyond D.A. Pennebaker's 1971 documentary Sweet Toronto, the music festival never got the proper historical documentary treatment until now. Revival69: The Concert That Rocked The World began its festival run in 2022 and has been doing indie film screenings in recent weeks as well as a digital release.

movie poster

Using the original 16mm footage that Pennebaker filmed of the concert as well as archival footage, newly shot interviews and animation, director Ron Chapman does a deep-dive into this concert headlined by Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, Chicago, Alice Cooper, The Doors, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Little Richard as well as the Plastic Ono Band. This got some attention as it was the first big concert Lennon did outside of The Beatles. There's interviews with festival promotors John Brower and Ken Walker as well as Voorman, Cooper, and Robby Krieger of The Doors to name a few.

Ono and Lennon at the Toronto Rock and Roll Revival Show

I had the same feeling watching this as I had when I saw Summer of Soul, Questlove's doc about the 1969 Harlem Cultural Concert. While that was a very different story (had more to say about the era itself and the story of unearthing the doc footage became a part of the story as well), this is also a doc about a 1969 music festival that was in the shadow of Woodstock, but had some of the biggest names of that era and I was blown away by the archival footage of both. The centerpiece of this festival is that Lennon became a part of it and performed. I had heard their performance on the live album, but seeing it as well as the interviews about it coming together is a gift for Beatle fans like me!

For info on Revival69

3.5 out of 5 stars

MaXXXine

Ti West is one of the most exciting horror directors of this century. His third movie The House of the Devil was a powerful homage to 80s horror films on an ultra low budget. His follow up The Innkeepers was a worthy follow-up in the same slow burn vein. The found footage VICE journalists investigating a cult film The Sacrament was uneven at best. But he quietly came back with the one-two punch in 2022: the 1979-set X and the 1918-set Pearl (both among my Best Movies of 2022 list). West also found his muse in actress Mia Goth. She did double duty in X as adult film star Maxine Minx and the elderly land owner Pearl. But then we got the prequel of the early days of Pearl in 1918 and what lead her to be the way she was in the first film with Pearl. It's been two years, but the third in the trilogy MaXXXine opens this week from A24 with West, Goth and bigger cast than one would expect from this series.

movie poster

It's now 1985 and Maxine Minx is in Hollywood a few years after surviving the massacre in Texas from the first movie X. This isn't glitzy Hollywood, this is sleazy seedy Hollywood in the mid-80s. Maxine is still pursuing fame not just as an adult film star, but in mainstream movies now. But while doing sleazy jobs in between auditions, the city is fearing the Night Stalker, a serial killer walking the city at night in L.A. There are some cops looking to Maxine for answers played by Michelle Monaghan and Bobby Cannavale. There's a studio horror movie Maxine is working on with a director played by Elizabeth Debicki. There's an agent played by Giancarlo Esposito. There's a porn star friend played by Halsey. There's a shady private eye played by Kevin Bacon.

Mia Goth and Ti West on the red carpet

I wanted to like this after really liking the previous two especially Pearl and being a fan of Ti West. But boy was this a letdown and a half! It is a film that thinks it's hip and cool and it's not. The previous two films were low-budget and West was pulling out some serious scares. Here it feels like he had a much bigger budget and bigger cast and "hey look how 80s this is!!!" production design and costumes. It had so much potential which is what's so frustrating about this: the idea of setting the Maxine in the Reagan 80s at a time when heavy metal music was bubbling up from the underground, video nasty VHS videos and low budget horror were on the rise, and devil worship was more than just something on Geraldo - and all of these things were converging in 1980s Hollywood. There could've been an awesome horror movie and instead it was trying too hard to be mainstream and glossy. And another thing - through this whole movie it's bowing at the alter of Brian De Palma's highly underrated 1984 erotic thriller Body Double and then in the last third (semi-spoilers ahead) West goes all-in and films the climax at a house in the Hollywood Hills that if it's not the house from Body Double it's a pretty darn close replica. Dude - I'd rather just watch Body Double at that point!?! There's elements of House of the Devil....but it lacks the undercurrent of fear and tension that film had. The two things that do deserve credit are Giancarlo Esposito who stole the entire film (look closely and there's an element of Gus Fring from Breaking Bad / Better Call Saul in his character) and Mia Goth who blew me away with Pearl and here she rose above the weakest film in the trilogy. But both Goth and West can do much better and I hope they do with their next film(s).

For info on MaXXXine

2 out of 5 stars

[marypsue]

Blood will out for WIP game?

[from this meme]

Thank you for asking about this one, because it's one I haven't really talked about on here and I'm very glad to have the excuse!

I wrote Lost in the Shadow of the Vampire, which is one of the most self-indulgent things I've ever posted: a piece of semi-meta semi-fan-fiction, where a (fictional) actress working on a (fictional) reboot-slash-sequel to 1987 cult classic The Lost Boys starts to suspect that one of her costars is actually becoming a vampire like the ones in the movie. It was a complete blast to write, and I had so much fun figuring out what the fictional reboot-slash-sequel would be about that I decided that I'd just go ahead and write it.

Since the premise is that this is a movie, a 2015-ish all-female reboot slash sequel ignoring all the other sequels, I tried to come up with a plot hook that would let me introduce new leads and change the time period, while honouring the vibe (without just ripping off the plot of the original) and calling back to the original, but also respecting which actors from the original would actually be likely to come back (and which actors from the original are still, uh. Alive). Also, I wanted a girl gang of vampires who have unfuckwithable style and vibes.

So. The premise of Blood Will Out is that, shortly after she turns eighteen, Kate Fischer, the biological daughter of Star and Michael Emerson, starts turning into a vampire. Since she was adopted as a baby and has had no contact with her bio family until very recently, she has absolutely no idea what's going on - but her sister Jamie does. And, because of what Jamie had thought was a very convincing blog-form webnovel and interactive ARG but is now looking like it's actually just the blog of an actual real-life vampire hunter, they have a line of communication to one Edgar Frog.

Unfortunately, this ends up raising more questions than answers. Was there something sinister behind the string of tragedies that struck Kate's birth family and left her orphaned? Was her becoming a half-vampire really biological destiny, or does someone have plans for her? And, once she finds herself drawn into the orbit of a trio of captivating vampires who're more than willing to accept her as one of their own, does she even want to go back to human? Will Jamie get her sister back, or lose her forever?

Does the world need another female-OC-centric TLB fic? Who knows? Who cares? I haven't written one yet, and I'm having fun. (Also, I have a big reveal in mind for the third act that I haven't seen anyone do before, and is positively evil. I'm excited about it.)

I've posted one small sample here, but here, have another:

“Where the hell were you.”

Kate closes her eyes for a second. Like she’s tired. Jamie knows better than to buy that. It’s past midnight. This is prime Kate active hours.

“I’m serious, Kate. I woke up – alone, in a strange city, in California, by the way – and you were just gone. No note, no text, your phone here on the desk -”

Kate sounds defensive, not meeting Jamie’s eyes. Good. She should feel guilty. “Don’t shit yourself. You fell asleep. I was bored. I took a little walk.”

“A little walk down to the Boardwalk, Kate?”

And now Kate doesn’t look like she feels guilty at all. Just kind of flatly angry. Jamie absolutely doesn’t feel a little silver wiggle of apprehension about that. “So what if it was?”

Jamie can’t find words. So instead, she settles for letting her face and her upturned hands do the asking for her. “So what if – Kate. Kate. We agreed. Neither of us goes down there alone. Do I need to remind you that you had to lock yourself in your room for nine solid hours because you accidentally saw a nosebleed? Do you know how many people -”

“Nobody died and I didn’t eat anybody,” Kate snaps, yanking out the chair by the little desk and dropping into it with her front pressed against its back and her legs splayed out to either side. She presses her chin into her hands on the top of the chair back, so the next words come out as a muffled grumble. “Not like you could’ve stopped me if you had been there, anyway.”

The silence that descends around and between them is abrupt and icy.

Kate shifts uncomfortably in the chair, looking everywhere but at Jamie. Like she knows she’s crossed a line. But she doesn’t seem any too ready to apologise for it. “I know you don’t like thinking about it, Jay. But it’s true. If I did go off the deep end -”

Jamie only realises she’s been frozen perfectly still in place when she tries to unclaw her hand from around the TV remote. “I wouldn’t let you. I won’t let you.”

“Jamie…” Kate’s eyes shutter, for a moment, before she finally looks Jamie in the eye again. “You could get hurt. I. Might hurt you.”

Jamie meets her gaze with one of her own, steady and, she hopes, fearless. “You won’t.”

Kate breaks first. She shuts her eyes, rolls her head back on her shoulders, and grips the chair back, leaning back as far as her arms’ reach will let her. “Ugh. Do you think Mom’s found our note yet?”

In answer, Jamie holds up her phone. Kate flops her head forward again so she can look under her mess of dark curls and see the notifications that fill up the screen. Can see that Jamie’s had fifty-eight missed calls and a hundred and two unread texts.

“I think she’s found it,” Jamie cracks.

Kate groans, long and deep and heartfelt, and lets her head flop backwards again.

She starts getting out her laptop as Jamie’s crawling back into bed. Jamie watches her face, the hard set of her stare, as she sets it up on the desk and boots it up. Now that Kate’s back, the wild anger – and the fear that had driven it – are starting to settle again. But there’s a slow, deep, sucking dread starting to take their place. The matter-of-fact coldness, the who-cares attitude earlier – that’s not Kate. At least, not the Kate Jamie knows. And the longer this goes on, the more often this new, cold version of Kate seems to slip to the surface.

But. Even this new, cold version of Kate still doesn’t want Jamie to get hurt.

That has to count for something.

“Kate?” Jamie says, pulling the covers up around her head so she’s looking at her sister through a tunnel of duvet.

Kate makes a wordless noise of acknowledgment without looking up from the laptop screen.

“You’re going to go back to the Boardwalk without me, aren’t you.”

That actually does get Kate to turn around. To look Jamie in the eye. “Jamie -”

Jamie doesn’t give her a chance to speak. She doesn’t really want to hear her sister talk about losing control again. But more than that, she just doesn’t want to have to hear Kate lie to her. She doesn’t want to know if Kate could do it with her eyes steady on Jamie’s and not a hint of guilt in her face or her voice. “Not tonight, okay? Just…don’t go back there again tonight.”

Kate rolls her bottom lip between her teeth, something in her stare softening.

“Not tonight,” she agrees. “Everything’s shut down by now, anyway. Now come on, Jay. It’s almost one AM. You’ve gotta be up early tomorrow if we’re gonna have any time before dawn makes me useless.”

“Your messed-up sleep schedule’s rubbing off on me,” Jamie grumbles good-naturedly, as she lets her head sink back into the pillow and her eyes drift shut. The bed’s never felt so warm, so soft. Despite her nap earlier, she really is tired.

“Oh shit, I hope not,” Kate says, sounding worried. And then, warmly, “G’night, Jamie. Get some sleep.”

Jamie drifts off to the sound of her sister’s fingers tick-tick-ticking over the laptop’s keys.

[another-heroine]

Im rewriting some chapters of "It's a Long Way to the Paradise", since Im going off vacation soon. A friend, who is English teacher, gave me some tips to improve and there I go.

Lately I’m feeling self conscious towards my English skills, even being aware that I should be proud for being able to communicate in more than one language, despite the mispelling.

Anyway, if someone wants a sneak-peak, check down the cut. I will update the archive on AO3 next month (right there! Hahaha)

CW: spoilers from the early Act 1

He knew it.

He knew that someone should have to put a tracker on that thing. Although many options probably couldn't work, at least Lann wouldn’t be spinning around like a clueless drunken rat. And though Wenduag had more than one pair of hands, she also couldn’t find it — what was a blessing in disguise, but he was not insane to say that out loud.

But then Iomedae heard his prayers and sent a light… Kinda literally. It was mesmerizing until Wenduag spoiled the moment, “Where is the sword!?”

They were before some uplanders, and one of them seemed to accidentally gulp the Light of Heaven blade. The perplexed aasimar blinked at them like they had just met again.

Lann sighed. First, some earthquakes in Kenabres, then the tribe younglings ran to the Maze. And now, a tall, fiery hair woman simply took their only option to stop some shenanigans.

At least she was good-looking, and brought some light for those wet passages.

But again, he wouldn’t be insane to say that out loud.

The aasimar frowned, looking at her hands. As everybody there, she had no idea how that happened. In one moment, there was the artifact hidden in the shadows, buried under a pile of scrumbles while everybody was babbling, and in another it had just vanished in a boom of celestial light and strange visions.

“Where is it!?” Wenduag insisted, venom starting to drip from her voice.

“Have… Have you seen that?” The uplander looked around, examiniting everybody’s faces, ignoring the inquisitive neathlander. “The girl, she… The angel…”

The paladin with her put a hand on her shoulder. “I guess nobody saw anything, Ekaterina. It was just us here, and suddenly your eyes were blank.”

“You mean it?” Ekaterina dropped her glance, musing. Her halo flickered nervously.

Lann scratched his forehead. Among them, she was the most clueless of the rats. Or was a good actress. Either way, they had to keep going. He cleaned his voice and stated, “I suppose that you and the sword are one now. So, we have to bring you to our chief”.

The woman stared at him with her pale blue eyes, darkened by the dim illumination. Beforehand, he figured out that she wouldn’t be pleased with that, but he wasn’t either.

“What?” her voice was a discomforted whisper.

“You heard right,” Wenduag’s raspy tone confirmed. “We need that sword for the Maze, and now you are carrying it… somehow.” Narrowed her eyes.

Lann shrugged and opened his arms. “Guess now you are our beacon of salvation…” He cringed a bit. “No pun intended. You just need to do that thing again. The… lightning?”

Ekaterina pondered for a moment, then nodded and shutted her eyes. It didn’t take long for another glimpse of celestial light to fill the cave. That time, everybody kept silent, and Lann couldn’t help but feel charmed by the sparkles, even if he already saw it a few moments ago.

Maybe because it really reminded him of the sun. And the stars. And after the light was gone, Ekaterina was still shining through like a pearly satellite.

“Got it,” the aasimar said, bringing him back from his thoughts. “I know how it works. Lead the way.”

Lann grinned and guided them through the darkness, ignoring Wenduag's grump face. They had visitors after generations, Sull wouldn’t believe that.

[p5x-theories]

What We Know About Cattle

(as of the third beta; last updated 1/22/24!)

Ruferu (which has previously been translated to English as "Luffy", though this may not be accurate), codename Cattle, is an owllike creature with amnesia who finds and recruits the protagonist (Wonder) as a phantom thief at the start of the game. He knows a lot about the Metaverse, including how to change hearts, but doesn't know why he knows these things.

In the Metaverse, Ruferu is a very short, humanoid figure with a beak, as pictured above. Like Mona, he's also able to turn into a car. Outside the Metaverse, Ruferu is a talking owl, whose speech isn't comprehensible to most people, though the exact distinction for when someone is able to understand him hasn't been made clear. People with the MetaNav on their phone seem to be able to understand him whether or not they've been inside the actual Metaverse.

The codename "Cattle" is one he picks for himself, though he says he doesn't know why. It's most likely a reference to his Persona, who was a cattleman before he became an outlaw. The Megami Tensei wiki also notes that “His code name in Japanese (キャトル, kyatoru) means the English word "Cattle," but is also the Japanese representation for the French word Quatrelle, which is the spoken aloud alternate name for the Renault 4 or 4L... which serves as the basis of the vehicle Ruferu can transform into."

His Japanese voice actress is Ai Nonaka.

Ruferu is a Confidant of Wonder's, though his Arcana is unknown. Its progression seems to be at least partially tied to story events.

At the start of the game, Ruferu follows Wonder around, and decides to recruit Wonder when he sees Wonder is the only person in the train station to react to a woman jumping off a building. When Wonder accidentally enters Mementos, Ruferu finally introduces himself, helps lead Wonder out of the Metaverse, and teaches him how to fight. He later explains the Metaverse, shadows, Personas, and changes of heart to Wonder.

His amnesia seems to be tied at least loosely to Mementos and the Palaces, as he regains a bit of his memory after they steal the first Palace ruler's Treasure. Ruferu seems determined to steal the other six Treasures he can sense as well, to fully regain his memory, but recognizes he can't do it alone. He's happy to have Wonder and Motoha on the team, though he comments Motoha's a bit noisy for a phantom thief.

While Ruferu is able to sense Palaces, it's not through smell like previous characters, but rather through sound. Ruferu can hear the "voices of the human heart", and follow those to a Palace, particularly if they've identified the Palace ruler in advance.

Ruferu's role unsurprisingly seems to parallel Morgana's in the original P5.

While Ruferu is a bit serious, and seems to be the unfazeable type who knows a lot and isn't caught off-guard by a surprise, he's not usually overly rude or condescending. He doesn't take his teammates' help for granted, and actually asks Motoha and Wonder whether they want to continue working with him after the first Palace, rather than assuming.

He also doesn't seem to be embarrassed easily, and has no problem letting Motoha pick him up if he can't see something, or letting Wonder hold a phone out to him so he can talk on it. He can come across as just a bit childish, not in an immature way, but in how he interacts with others due to his small size.

Above all, he seems to be focused on his work as a phantom thief. He doesn't seem to particularly care what his teammates' motivations for working with him are, as long as he has them, but personally is very goal-oriented and will pursue any obstacles until he finds a way around them.

His Persona, Rob Roy (based on a Scottish outlaw and folk hero), is already awakened at the start of the game. He has Fire and Healing skills, and resists Fire while being weak to Wind in the third beta.

Notably, while he's well-versed on how the Metaverse and phantom thievery within it works, he hasn't stolen a heart prior to the first Palace, and in general, his know-how doesn't seem to extend to things related to the Velvet Room. While he accepts the cognitive teammates quickly after Wonder explains what a "Phantom Idol" is, he doesn't quite understand them, and immediately says Wonder can be in charge of them even before Wonder is established as the leader.

In combat, his melee weapon is a pair of tonfa, while his ranged weapon is a blowgun. His highlight attack is shown from 0:14 - 0:25 in this video.

[blogquantumreality]

So I wanna talk about Orla Maguire (TBoMT)

I've been re-watching the series along with @ayalaatreides (thanks to Teleparty!) and I'd forgotten a lot of the Season 1 stuff so I was somewhat unprepared for the Shit Gets Absolutely Real in S01E06 ("The Test").

Spoilers ensue, so I'm putting the rest under a Read More:

What I love about this episode is it digs into the very real challenges Kyra will face as a Tri-ling in the magical world she's only just begun to navigate via Professor Maxwell's school in River City, and the series personifies those challenges in the form of Orla Maguire, an elf:

Melanie Zanetti (Orla's actress) just nailed the menacingly benevolent way she approaches Kyra.

She's all smiles, but you can just tell she's ready to stab Kyra in the back at the slightest opportunity, and boy, does she get that chance this episode!

And she grabs the Shadow Cloud, after which she espies Peter across a park and chooses to let it out there:

And right here, this is where she crosses the Moral Event Horizon.

She purposely moves the cloud near Peter.

I believe this was deliberate, because doing this sets Kyra up for two equally bad alternatives:

She takes her mind off the Shadow Cloud threat and will have to rush and save Peter, failing the test, or

She fails to save Peter and ends up letting the Cloud go on to do further damage before containing it.

Kyra, luckily, knocks Peter out of the way and distracts him while Imogen manages to vacuum the cloud up using a magical artifact.

But regardless of the outcome, thanks to Orla Kyra was doomed to fail this test anyway, and we see that the reason for this is due to deep-seated prejudices that still exist within the magical world of TBoMT:

These prejudices play out in the relative socioeconomic positions of the Maxwell School students:

Imogen's and Darra's parents are hinted to be quite wealthy, given Orla's remarks about generous donations to the Department of Magical Intervention (also, noteworthy is that they're all full-blooded elves).

Lily's (a full-blooded fairy) father Sean Reegan (also a fairy) is at this point hinted to be a high official in the DMI (we later find out he's the Director of the DMI - effectively the Minister for Magic).

Ruksy's family situation isn't elaborated on by this point. However, given that she is treated the same as Lily, we can conclude that Ruksy's family is probably the equivalent of magical middle class.

But Kyra is a Tri-ling in a world where any mixed-ancestry magical people are regarded with suspicion at best, and her father is a policeman - good at his job, but hardly a rising star destined for fame and fortune.

So this firmly puts Kyra at the bottom of the socioeconomic hierarchy, a situation which Professor Maxwell sympathizes with, being a half-ling himself. He also remarks (anviliciously, perhaps, but some things need to be said) that it means Kyra will have to work twice as hard to be considered as good as the other students.

To bring this back to Orla, it's impressive how well this episode uses her character as a vehicle to show the extent of discrimination Kyra will face, and how prejudice against her can easily lead to abuses of magical power in ways that could hurt Kyra or her friends.

I'm purposely avoiding spoilers for Orla's later character arc, but feel free to bring those up if you've already seen the entire series and want to discuss! :)

[transamorousnetwork]

The Best Trans Girlfriend: Played By Nava Mau

I’m very near the end of gushing about Netflix’s Baby Reindeer. Just two more things need mentioning about this wonderful show. It’s wonderful because, as mentioned in the last post, Baby Reindeer reveals underlying causes keeping nearly all trans-attracted men in the shadows.

Primary among those causes is self loathing. Self loathing is as common among transgender women as it is among trans-attracted men. Which is one dimension across which both groups represent perfect matches.

But that’s another story; one I’ve shared many times. In this story, I want to focus on Teri, the transgender character played by Nava Mau. I’m going to crush a little on the actress too. So bear with me.

Alright, here we go.

Trans women and the power they possess

Speaking of crushing, this blog asserts over and over that trans women possess a unique power. Especially when they embrace all that they are. I’ve seen trans-attracted men literally transformed for the better because of that power. This power also partly explains why trans-attracted men who enjoy the pleasure of actually dating a trans woman finds himself so smitten to the core.

Teri, whom Donny, Baby Reindeer’s main character, meets on a dating website, is exactly the kind of trans woman I’m writing about. She’s self assured, measured and clear-headed. It helps, of course that she’s a therapist. Which also tells us she’s got some baggage herself. Therapists become therapists for a reason. And really good therapists are really good for that same reason.

Anyway, Teri’s at first open minded. She’s eager to get to know Donny, even though he’s presenting a totally bogus version of himself. That’s because he’s deeply shameful of his attraction. Which is interesting because Nava Mau is gorgeous in the extreme. And, to me, totally passable.

That doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things. For a trans-attracted man dealing with his shame, however, it would seem Teri is a great match because she looks convincingly like a cis woman. Still, Donny tries Teri’s patience. She sees right through his lies, but goes along anyway. I presume she’s hoping to meet the real Donny eventually.

^^Nava Mau (Instagram)

Trans women: helping the men helps you

Which brings me back to the power of trans women. Listen ladies, if you want to be with a man, many such men exist who will love you out loud exactly as you are. But many more need some training. If you’re willing to, helping a guy get through his shame can create a lasting, deep love.

It also, however, can lead to disastrous outcomes. Which is why I advocate a particular approach to relationships. One that first starts with the relationship with yourself. Get that stable and it’s really easy to create any kind of relationship you want. Including with a guy. But if your relationship with yourself is wobbly, you can’t access that power, that focus that literally can turn a man into a prime relationship candidate.

There’s no reason a trans woman who wants to be with a man can’t be with one. But disempowering beliefs will put the kibosh on that goal every time. Those who tell positive stories – about themselves, about their man and their relationship – can literally create the ideal relationship from one that seems deeply flawed.

After all, we all meet our matches in the moment we meet them. That means every relationship we get into is a match. We might not like what that relationship contains, but isn’t it true that in every failed relationship we are the common denominator? That means we and we alone can change the relationship, because we are the focus of it.

And if that’s available to us, why keep running through guys? Why not instead choose a guy and walk with him through his struggles? Maybe he’ll do the same for you.

Bring on an ass kicking

This is what Teri tries to do. And for a while it works. But then Donny does something so freaking disgusting, even I was shocked when it happened. I won’t ruin the show with a spoiler. I’ll just say for Teri, it was the final straw. Later in the series we see her again, dating another guy.

Nava Mau surprised me as an actress. I was confused when she first appeared because my radar pinged her as trans, but she passed so completely. Her acting, however, really won me over. It was so passionate, so spirited. So raw. I wonder if she drew on her own experiences dating men. Looking at her Instagram profile, she may be into women. If that’s the case, she’s an even better actress.

I particularly enjoyed that the show portrayed her as a professional, with her own home and her own life. What also surprised me though was when she and Donny’s stalker squared off in one espisode, I expected Teri to beat the living daylights out of that girl.

That wouldn’t have been consistent with the plot though. So I can see why her character didn’t give that crazy stalker an ass kicking. Still, many of the trans women I’ve met not only are smart and capable, they’re more than willing to bring an ass kicking to the table if necessary. Which is another thing I admire about certain trans women: they’re tough. They have to be given what many go through.

It’s just too bad so many let what they go through also shape their expectations, especially in the dating realm. Which is why I started this blog.

Meeting our match isn’t coincidence

Now let’s be clear. Plenty of trans women like Teri exist in the world. Read that again men. If you’re not meeting them, it’s because you’re not a match to them. They have things going on. While you may find them on online dating sites, I don’t think they’re at bars. So finding them means letting go of preconceived notions about how to date. It also means letting go of the idea that you know where to find her.

Meeting such women usually means such connections happening by “chance”. People like that term “chance”. “Coincidence” is another word they love. From The Transamorous Network’s perspective, however, chance and coincidence aren’t real. What’s really happening when a trans woman suddenly appears on our path is in that moment we’ve allowed our desire for relationship dominate expectations that such a relationship isn’t possible.

In other words, the Universe is showing us that what we think is impossible is, in fact, possible. Which explains why usually, when such meetings happen, the girl is with someone already. It’s not that she’s meant for us, she’s meant to show us what’s available; when we let go of stories keeping what’s available on the horizon.

I say if you want a transgender partner, the best approach is letting it happen naturally, not trying to make it happen. Trying to make it happen brings us matches matching ALL we are – warts and all. Better to let it happen in divine timing, a timing that also allows us to become better matches.

So that when our match does show up, the match has more of what we want than what we don’t.