Archive for December, 2011
Jeff Scratch Fever on 1/12
by Jefe Von Stanley on Dec.28, 2011, under The Sixth Borough, Theatre
I’m thrilled to have been invited to give a brief performance followed by Q&A at Philadelphia Live Arts‘ first ever Scratch Night at the Live Arts Brewery (LAB) on Thursday, January 12th at 7pm and I would love to see you there.
Scratch Night invites audiences into the artistic process and plays a key role for artists who are testing, experimenting and building new ideas. I will present a portion of my 2011 Philly Fringe show Beautiful Zion: A Book of the Dead as I continue to develop it for future productions in Philadelphia and New York City.
You might know the show was originally staged in the nontraditional space that is the Blue Grotto, artist Randy Dalton’s blue-lit wonderland in the coal cellar of the 1851 former Friends meetinghouse that is today the Community Education Center in West Philly. I could have seated 40 but I capped it at 16 to keep it intimate and participatory for the audience:
My question is, how can the show be modified to be performed on a traditional stage without losing its magic and intimacy? How can it be performed not for a max seating of 16 but a max seating of 100? Doable, or should this thing stay in the basement, wherever that basement may be? Come help me find out.
Read more at livearts-fringe.org
or at broadwayworld.com
or at Philadelphia Gay News.
Space Savers Project has charms to soothe a savage breast
by Jefe Von Stanley on Dec.12, 2011, under The Sixth Borough
Philadelphians are savages when it comes to parking. I mean much more so than New Yorkers. Co-residing in Philly makes me all the more glad I’ve taken a vow to never own a car, because parking here’s a bitch in more ways than one. Lots of people here want to “save” “their” parking spaces every day even though these spaces are in public, curbside, residential parking areas. You know, someone leaves for work but sets down a table or chairs or a trash can or whatever in the space to keep anyone else from parking there, so it’ll be there waiting for them when they get home. Stories abound of innocent visitors to a block getting their cars vandalized because they dared to park in the “wrong” space that was “owned” by someone else.
I mean, Philadelphians will come to blows over this stuff. People will sit outside in a lawn chair in their parking space drinking a beer and guarding it until their spouse gets home to park there. I’ve got one idiot neighbor who actually spraypainted freehand his own personal NO PARKING zone in front of his house complete with a big rectangular outline and crazy arrows all over the pavement, which is not only illegal but really ugly; white trasherizing the whole damned block. Welcome to Philadelphia, Jefe.
Well, last weekend on a chilly Saturday morning I was out with my family strolling around our South Philly neighborhood looking for a Christmas tree when what to our wondering eyes should appear but this:
wedged between two parked cars a smiling guy greeting us from a ramshackle neon table of sorts, enjoying coffee and cookies and asking us to join him in his parking space. Turns out he’s an artist named Chris Landau and this table setup is a one-day art installation that’s part of the Space Savers Project, “a citywide public arts event inspired by the Philadelphia custom of ‘saving’ parking spaces,” according to the group’s literature. “Items like recycling bins, upturned garbage cans, cinder blocks and broken furniture are traditionally used as space savers. We called on artists to design and create alternatives to the objects…to re-imagine what space saving in the city can look like. Perhaps by replacing traditional space savers with art, we can transform the practice of saving spaces.”
Right. Never gonna happen and they know it but I love the ironic commentary on this absurd custom. In keeping with the kinds of random objects usually used by Philadelphians to save parking spaces, Chris’ setup consisted of his own basement door painted orange, some overturned buckets for chairs, and artistically carved blue recycling bins for table supports. It was awesome and hilarious. Can’t wait to see more creatively saved parking spaces from this unique artists collaborative. For more info and photos from this entertaining and colorful project (I especially love the territorial wolf) see http://thespacesaversproject.tumblr.com .
Superheroes at the Brooklyn Lyceum
by Jefe Von Stanley on Dec.02, 2011, under New York City, The Sixth Borough, Theatre
I speak from first-hand experience when I highly recommend Daniel Student’s Superheroes Who Are Super! show dropping into Brooklyn from Philly on 12/17-18. It’s hilarious, it’s smart, you’ll have a blast. Dan is also the artistic director of Plays & Players Theatre in Philly where I’m currently a playwright-in-residence, and he directed my Philly Fringe show Beautiful Zion: A Book of the Dead which got raves. If you make it to Superheroes be sure to say hi to Dan; he’s a gem and a real talent.
Superheroes Who Are Super!
presents A VERY SPIDEY CHRISTMAS
at the Brooklyn Lyceum
Saturday, December 17, 2011 at 3pm and 6pm and 9pm (9pm is the PG-13 version; the rest are family-friendly)
Sunday, December 18, 2011 at 3pm and 6:00pm
Word for word staged readings of classic comic books with the best in low budget costumes and special effects
Tickets: $10
brooklynlyceum.com
Starring Ray Fallon, Michael McElroy, Brendan Norton, Angela Smith, and Johnny Smith
Directed by Daniel Student
featuring…
Marvel Team-Up #1 featuring Spider-Man and The Human Torch, “Have Yourself A Sandman Little Christmas” (1972)
Written by Roy Thomas
Spider-Man and The Human Torch team up to keep the Sandman from ruining Christmas but all he really wants to do is get home to his mama. Now if they could only find their own Christmas spirits and stop bickering with each other.
Marvel Holiday Special #3, “Revisionist History”
Written by Peter David
Doctor Leonard Samson tells the story of Hanukah. You know, the story that involves Captain America, The Hulk, and Wolverine. And robots. You know. THAT story of Hanukah.
Marvel Holiday Special #3, “The Big X-Mas Blackout”
Written by Richard Howell and Stan Lee
Electro wants to put the light out on the Rockefeller Center Tree. Oh and also all of New York City. Not if Spidey can help it.
