Comments for Engine 28

Comment on ‘Feeling Feeling’ by dave jones jr

dave jones jr — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 03:14:16 +0000

Having seen the play, I have to to say the online review by Ms Judkis is a little misguided. The dark spectre of first generation Feminist politics sadly warps what could have been a perceptive and useful commentary. Thankfully intelligent viewers would perhaps agree that our cultural moment can see beyond the setting out of anachronistic archetypes in favour of the more fluid micro-politics of contemporary urban relationships.

The play does set out to explore the subtle shading of how gender inflects emotions but does so in a manner that is at once comical and also metaphysical. In this respect it makes no sense to revert to undergraduate observations regarding gender and sexuality. It’s more in spirit with the play to invoke maybe Phillip K. Dick or even the wistful poetry of Rilke, albeit filtered through a sun-faded Californian vernacular.

A great start for a young and quite promising theater director.

Comment on What’s an Engine28? by Fringe of the Web | New Haven Theater Jerk

Fringe of the Web | New Haven Theater Jerk — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 15:44:10 +0000

[...] I was in L.A. with the Engine28 project, I reviewed a slew of rock-themed theater shows at the Hollywood Fringe Festival. In one of [...]

Comment on Rock ‘n’ Roll All Night: Three Music-Fueled Shows at the Fringe by Fringe of the Web | New Haven Theater Jerk

Fringe of the Web | New Haven Theater Jerk — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 15:41:27 +0000

[...] project, I reviewed a slew of rock-themed theater shows at the Hollywood Fringe Festival. In one of the articles, I complimented a production of Robert Ford’s Girl Band in the Men’s [...]

Comment on RADAR L.A.: Experimental Mardi Gras by RADAR L.A.: Experimental Mardi Gras | Engine 28 | Dance Feast

RADAR L.A.: Experimental Mardi Gras | Engine 28 | Dance Feast — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 08:06:00 +0000

[...] Originally published June 19, 2011 on Engine28.com. [...]

Comment on Editor’s Letter by Jeff Weinstein

Jeff Weinstein — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 06:48:45 +0000

James, thanks so much. Sorry for the delay in replying: I’m finally surfacing. All best, Jeff

Comment on Speaking Youth to Power: The Next Theater Generation by Ben Fulton

Ben Fulton — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 19:52:35 +0000

Thanks, Suzi! Hope all’s well in Oregon with you, your partner, and your cats. Call anytime you’re in SLC.
—Ben

Comment on Lost Moon Radio, Episode 10: Fluent in Fringe by James Velvet

James Velvet — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 15:29:51 +0000

ChrisJerk,
Your scribbles on Lost Moon make me want to catch their show. Anything that mixes radio, theater and rock’n'roll has me excited. Hope they tour eastward.
Don’t condescend to Prairie Home Companion. It was a ground breaker, and it’s still vital (in a middle-aged sort of way.)
Hope you’re enjoying L.A. Remember Kurt Vonnegut’s (manufactured) advice — “Always wear sunscreen.”
JV

Comment on Relentless: ‘Titus Redux’ by John Hudson

John Hudson — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 22:59:03 +0000

http://www.facebook.com/notes/dark-lady-players/titus-redux-titus-andronicus-for-idiots/213037402067616

Comment on Action Plans: Three Women on Women in Theater by Bill

Bill — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 10:21:11 +0000

Maybe what we’re looking at is a numbers problem, plus something to do with a nature of the sexes. Producers will happily tell you that there are very few good plays to be had for love or money written by any sex you may care to name. Let’s say in any given year there are [okay, all these numbers are invented for illustrative purposes] 27 slots for all plays of all kinds across the nation. Competing for these few venues are 143,989.6 plays. I believe about 139,000 of those plays will be by male playwrights. Theaters [this is the correct spelling, not British or Spanish] are being snowed under by plays each year, most of them bad, some of them woefully bad, and most of them by male playwrights.

Why so many bad plays ? Because plays are a living bitch to write. Why so many [percentage wize] plays from male playwrights ? Because women are the more practical sex. Your average male playwright is a half-bright dreamer, persisting in the face of impossible odds because he’s too dumb to know any better. A female writer will be generally be quick enough to see that her chances of getting a play onto a stage are miniscule, and so won’t bother. And with writing plays being about the most difficult thing anyone can do, who can blame them ?

The best thing any playwright can do is to write a fabulous play. But no matter how good it is, the reality is that no one is going to see it unless your uncle holds the mortgage on a theater.

Comment on Speaking Youth to Power: The Next Theater Generation by Suzi Steffen

Suzi Steffen — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 01:54:23 +0000

This headline wins the fellowship, Ben! And the rest of it ain’t too bad either. Sorry I didn’t get to say goodbye to you — see you in SLC sometime, I guess — I hope.