New Van Gogh Painting

Written by Daniel on May 7th, 2010

This is one of those posts that’s going to be all pictures, so I need to use a lot of words just to give myself space to post the picture files.  “VERBOSE” mode.  Now, since you know that, the words don’t matter a whole lot, so don’t pay much attention to them.

I wanted to give someone a graduation gift, so I picked out a Van Gogh painting.  My final version is the first one on the right.

Just for fun I’ve included a “halfway finished” version of the painting, when it still was on my easel.  It’s also on the right.

And finally, I include the original Van Gogh itself – also on the right.

Don’t look at his version first.  Van Gogh is a better painter than me.  Furthermore, he’s painting differently than I am.  I almost guarantee he painted his version very quickly.  From nature.  And he could pick any colors he wanted.  And do anything he wanted.  Please avoid trying to play “Highlights for Children” with it.

But for my version, I was copying him, so it’s an entirely different thing.  I’ve got to stay somewhat true to the intent.

I still tried to paint as fast as possible.  So I wasn’t completely wedded to the original.  I tried to keep the spirit of the painting and most of the form, but not be too exacting about any particular blob of paint here or there.

This was a lot of fun to do.  And I’m glad to have done it again.  You can see my original Van Gogh copy at this link.  I think I’ll be trying to copy more famous pieces in the future.  There’s a lot to learn from being a copycat.

Finally, according to the book I painted from, the whereabouts of the original are unknown.  So maybe my version is kinda “counterfeit”, which makes it feel cooler.

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Birmingham Isn’t Fun

Written by Daniel on May 6th, 2010

According to Portfolio.com, Birmingham was rated the 76th Most Fun city in America (out of 100).  Put another way, Birmingham was also rated 25th on the list of Least Fun cities.  You can see the numbers at this link.

In good news, Birmingham was rated (surprisingly) more fun than:

  • Honolulu, HI
  • San Antonio, TX
  • San Jose, CA
  • Memphis, TN

On the other hand, Birmingham was rated (embarrassingly) less fun than:

  • Boise, ID
  • Little Rock, AR
  • Tulsa, OK
  • Wichita, KS
  • Greenville, SC
  • Akron, OH
  • Toledo, OH
  • Greensboro, NC
  • Harrisburg, PA
  • Scranton, PA
  • Des Moines, IA
  • Omaha, NE
  • Buffalo, NY
  • Youngstown, OH

I think it speaks volumes about Birmingham’s character that we rank 79th in “Culture”, 92nd in “Food and Drink”, but 13th in “Shopping”.  I agree completely – there’s precious little to do if you don’t go out and spend money on stuff you probably didn’t need.  Maybe our local governments should put less energy into promoting new shopping developments and instead try and encourage some “Food and Drink” or “Culture”.  Professionals, skilled workers, and entrepreneurs (and musicians, dancers, and actors) simply won’t want to come to a city that’s not fun.  Who decided to grow a whole city around the wives of doctors, lawyers, developers, and bankers?

I first heard this story on WBHM in its Magic City Marketplace segment for May 3.  If I remember correctly, Craig Ey, Editor of our Birmingham Business Journal, suggested that maybe we didn’t deserve our low “Food and Drink” rating, citing Frank Stitt’s restaurants as a counter-example of quality.  Unfortunately, this is pretty much the only example anyone can give when faced with an allegation that Birmingham might not have a thriving culinary scene.

Regardless of what I think of those few restaurants – or whether every decent-sized city in America may have at least a few just like them – it’s an obvious problem that they’re often the only example anyone can give of “good food” in Birmingham.  I also suggest that diversity would be essential for a better rating in this area.  Plus, I think we have a vast wasteland in the “interesting, but affordable” category.

I admit to generally being a lowbrow eater, but I think we deserve these miserable ratings.  I wish I knew how to fix it.  Instead, I only know when I’m sick – but I need a doctor to stitch me back together.

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Thoroughly Modern Millie by Samford School of the Arts

Written by Daniel on May 3rd, 2010

Occasionally, I can’t stick to just one theme.  I’ve got show notes, memories, and impressions, but they can’t point me in one direction.  So, for the performance of Thoroughly Modern Millie by the Samford University School of the Arts, I’ve got several little things to say, rather than aiming for one big one.

(1) The performance was sponsored in honor of Jesse Bates – who directed me for at least one play back when I was in high school.  I vividly remember being about 16 and on stage rehearsing a monologue.   I hadn’t learned my lines (or at least I wasn’t confident I knew them) and I squabbled with Mr. Bates about it until he made me hurl my script across the room.  Whatever the argument, I’m sure he was right.  He’s also probably at least partly responsible for this blog, so thanks from me too, Mr. Bates.

(2) The program for Millie says “This is one of our largest productions in the last 10 years” – and I believe it.  I think it’s been almost ten full years since I saw a play produced by Samford.  So I honestly wasn’t sure what to expect.  But this Millie had lavish sets, lots of costume changes, and a live orchestra.  Whatever I was expecting, I got more – and that’s the way to do it.  My views on Theatre UAB are already in writing, but I think there may be a competition brewing.  How about getting these two groups together for a competitive-ish Festival of Ten-Minute Plays next fall?

(3) Speaking of getting more than you expected, there seems to be a lot of talent at Samford.  All of the performers in principal roles were at least good.  Chelsea Reynolds (as Millie Dillmount) deserves praise if just for being on stage almost every minute of every scene and keeping all that energy going the right direction.  Maggie Taylor (as Dorothy Brown) has a great voice and conveys a lot of subtle charm through mannerisms, squeaks, and gasps.  Hannah Seymour channels some Kristen Chenoweth in putting together an over-the-top and completely memorable Mrs. Meers (”So sad to be arr arone in the world….”).  Finally, Jordan Bondurant (as Jimmy Smith) might have been my favorite cast member.  Props to Mark Castle as Director.

(4) There were numerous photogenic moments.  That is, times when the actors (and/or chorus), lighting, costuming, and set all came together to blend into a pretty picture.  I wish directors would take note of these moments in advance, plan for them, and have someone intentionally take pictures – completely posed and not during a rehearsal – before the first performance.  Then make them available to the public.  This kind of photograph might be a great way to both sell and remember the show.

(5) The program also credits Roger Van Fleteren of the Alabama Ballet as guest choreographer.  A good choice, as I assume he’s responsible for what might have been my favorite moment of the night.  There’s a great duet between Maggie Taylor and Harrison Chambers (as Trevor Graydon) which I think was “Ah! Sweet Mystery of Life/Falling in Love with Someone”.  I’ve got almost no dance background, but I think – in the space of about two minutes – Roger combined several diverse styles and elements of dance.  I counted at least a tango, a lift, and a cool swingaround-of-some-sort, but I’m sure there were more.  I don’t know if these two had much (or any) dance experience before this, but now they definitely do.  Bravo.

(6) Another favorite was the idea of using the small, lowered screen – normally for opera subtitles – to translate the fake chinese spoken by actors Cody Hayes and Steven Rice for the audience.  These translations were so funny that the audience started laughing at first sight of the screen getting lowered.

(7) I couldn’t help but think it would’ve been cool for Shara Lewis (as Muzzy) to perform her songs as a burlesque fan dancer, but maybe that’d be a little much for a Samford production.  In that same vein, I got a kick out of a bunch of college kids doing the drinking and jail scenes.

(8) I’m not sure how they did it, but I wasn’t expecting as full of a crowd on Saturday night.  And a mess of students, I think.  I wonder how this show was advertised and sold.  If I got a birthday wish (Wednesday!), I’d make sure we all did whatever possible (even give ‘em away) to make sure there weren’t ever empty seats.

(9) All shows are definitely better with live music.  But, as I’ve said before, adding microphones doesn’t necessarily improve a show unless they’re flawless and don’t distract.  Why not just sing and speak louder?

(10) For more information, check out this article written by Tully Taylor (great name!) in The Samford Crimson.

Thanks to Lisa Gibbs and the Samford School of the Arts for letting me do a piece on their show.

Posted in Birmingham, Dance, Music, Theatre | Comments Off

12 Angry Men by Theatre Downtown

Written by Daniel on April 19th, 2010

The folks at Theatre Downtown are  performing the play 12 Angry Men.  I saw it Friday night and it was interesting, entertaining, and amazingly current.  It’s especially fun seeing the available diversity of the 13 male actors (and 13 almost entirely different characters) all on one stage in Birmingham, Alabama.  Also, since all the guys are in view almost all the time, it’s an unusual opportunity to let yourself listen to the dialogue, but wander your eyes around among the background actors and watch all the different acting and reacting.

The director, Mel Christian, posted the following “teaser” promotion on Facebook in the days leading up to the show.  I liked this kind of day-by-day advertising so much, I thought I’d just reprint them (with slight editing).  It’s such a great idea because it made me pay attention every day, REMEMBER that the show was coming up, and WANT to go see it.  Excellent marketing!

  1. Twelve days!  Twelve Angry Men!  Let’s count ‘em down!  Juror Number One Scott Nesmith is focused, consistent, dedicated, in the freakin’ moment and our history guru!  Billy Ray told me he’d be an asset.  Billy Ray knows all!  Thank you Juror One!
  2. Today’s tribute is to Juror 2 – Murrell Wilkinson!  Murrell gives our most timid juror a strong dramatic arc.  He’s able to take the few details the playwright provides and make them POP!  During the show you will see some interesting and endearing moments due to the work Scott and Murrell are doing.  I love it!
  3. Juror 3 is Brad Riegel!  I saw Brad in Pillowman more than three years ago and thought, THIS is a guy I wanna work with!  And what a joy to do two shows in a row!  Brad is gifted and passionate and completely generous, both as an actor AND a person!  Thanks for everything, Brad!
  4. Todays Juror of note is Terry Hermes!  This is my first time to work with Terry and what a prize!  He’s a complete taskmaster, very detailed, serious, yet warm and giving to his fellow actors.  You only have to give him a note once and it is signed, sealed, and delivered.  Director’s dream and Juror Four is Terry Hermes.
  5. I’m proud to introduce Rickey Frazier as Juror Five, the youngest member of our Jury!  Rickey has a wonderful intensity and it’s so gratifying to watch the way he plays off our veteran performers.   Kudos to Five!!!!
  6. Am so enamored of Steven Ross I’d do a NY play every year just to hear him do the dialect.  He’s given Six a genuine workin’ man toughness mixed with empathy.  Steven can take the simplest phrases and make them resonate.  He’s methodical, detailed and ever present.  Our bad ass with the big heart is Steven Ross: Juror Number Six!
  7. There is something electric about Doug O’Neil.  When he enters a scene the energy heightens, hell it goes to the moon!  The guys will tell you my favorite directing word is “crackle.”  Doug O’Neil snaps, crackles and pops! As our invasive, wise-cracking salesman he gives us funny moments, but there’s an edge there, too.  You’ll love to hate him!  Juror Seven is Douglas O’Neil, Jr.
  8. Patrick Johnson!  My glorious excavation!  I’d never met him when he auditioned and was knocked out by his incredible subtlety; how his generosity prompted the others to thrive.  THAT is what one looks for in a lead.  Patrick has an exquisite stillness next to Brad’s jangling ferocity.  And no wimp our Juror 8.  Simmering with passionate insight and strength, Patrick Johnson has made the role his own!
  9. John Wright, Jr. is the Gielgud of our masculine collective.  The room goes silent when filled with his beautiful, commanding voice.  He imbues “the old man” as one clinging to a last vestige of dignity, broken but still able to jar the others into introspection and empathy.  He is a Birmingham legend, considerate gentleman, and silly boy.  I love John Wright, Jr. as Juror #9!
  10. Ron Dauphinee was my biggest surprise at auditions.  I was leaning towards a gentler, kinder character for him when WHAM he read #10’s monologue with such chilling realism I almost swallowed my tongue!  He conjures up some pretty slimy dark forces for this role, whew!  He’s a thinking actor, intense about the process and it shows in every detail of this portrayal. Ron Dauphinee is Juror 10!
  11. Billy Ray devours writing, directing, and acting with an enthusiasm that is contagious and endearing.  Billy Ray’s “foreigner” has a beautiful, earnest, and surprisingly fiery presence, with one moment that almost makes me spring from my seat every time!  You’re going to be pretty surprised by his amazing work.  Not that he isn’t ALWAYS amazing, he’s just particularly amazing for ME!  Billy Ray Brewton is Juror #11!
  12. I’d like to say I was artsy and cast against type but in reality Ken Moorer is just as smooth & good natured as the character he plays.  He embodies Juror 12 with a boyish humor (LOVE his giggle) & a sense of truly wanting to do the right thing.  Like acorn to mighty oak, I had only to cast . . . and watch him grow.  A quiet, reliable, positive actor like Ken Moorer is a gift!  He’s my Juror #12!
  13. Meet our 13th man, the wonderful, gracious, perpetually smiling Dave Crabb – who plays the Guard.  Dave has been so committed and engaged in the process.  And I HAVE to kudo the best Assistant Director EVER, Christoph Hooks.  Christoph has made this daunting process a joy.  He is insightful and enthusiastic and most importantly, treats everyone with patience and grace.

Thanks again to Billy Ray Brewton and Theatre Downtown for putting together a season of good entertainment.

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Dance Critic Wins Pulitzer

Written by Daniel on April 16th, 2010

If you’re here because you’re interested in dance, I’d like to make you aware that Sarah Kaufman – dance critic for the Washington Post – was awarded the 2010 Pulitzer for criticism.

I’ve already linked to a couple of her earlier articles here and here.  You can also find her article on Michael Jackson here.

I’m going to reprint the first part of her excellent article, “One-Man Movement”, but you can find the rest of it at this link.

***

One-Man Movement: Cary Grant Set a Pace for On-Screen Grace That’s Left His Followers Mostly in the Dust

By Sarah Kaufman
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Washington Post Staff Writer

“North by Northwest,” Alfred Hitchcock’s sprawling 1959 thriller that takes us to the top of Mount Rushmore by way of a near-miss with a killer crop-duster, begins with the basics. A man is walking down a corridor.

But because the man is Cary Grant, the moment is anything but ordinary. He has us at the first step: that long, brisk stride and its driving rhythm, a ticktock pace that telegraphs purpose, clarity and elegant efficiency. We watch him stroll out of an elevator toward the street, dictating correspondence to the secretary at his side. He’s not some stiff, starchy suit. There’s a relaxed, easy give in Grant’s body as he moves, and as he leans toward his secretary while he speaks to her — he’s so very pleased with his own labors, and yet so exquisitely courteous to his assistant. A nice guy, and smooth as whiskey, too. He’s getting further under our skin with every move.

What Grant’s character, advertising executive Roger Thornhill, is actually saying in this scene isn’t nearly as important as his movement. It’s the movement that hooks us. It always does. Intuition? Training? Astute directors? Whatever its source, Grant knew a timeless truth: There is nothing we watch so keenly as the human body in action, because the way it moves tells a story.

The art of moving well, call it kinetic acting, has nearly vanished from movies today. I don’t mean among dancers on the big screen — that’s a different subject altogether — but among actors. The attention to physical expression, to one’s carriage and gestures and their dramatic and emotional implications, has faded. I’m talking about a sense of grace. About acting that involves a meaningful motor impulse. A signature style of moving, bigger than just body language or bits of what actors call “business” — lighting a cigarette, picking up a drink. Think of Gary Cooper’s quick, impatient stride across town to the church in “High Noon,” when he thinks he’ll be able to round up a posse among the worshipers, folks to join his fight against a group of killers. And then his stiff, pained walk back to town after he fails to find help. He doesn’t say a word, but the heaviness he feels is right there in his legs. You ache watching him.

A person’s way of moving through space tells us something on a base, primitive level. It’s animal to animal. It’s something so subtle you may not consciously notice it, but when an actor moves honestly and with intention, your eye will follow him anywhere.

The trouble is, you don’t see it that much. The buzz around this year’s Oscar favorites got me thinking about how the artistic trend in acting has gone from the external to the internal. We’re in the age of the close-up. Realism and psychological truth rule, and you find them in facial expression, in the little muscles around the eyes. The focus has tightened. Sure, there’s gobs of emphasis on sexy bodies, but the body as an expressive instrument just isn’t much in the picture.

Perhaps this is because actors aren’t formally trained in dance and movement much anymore, as they were in the early years of filmmaking. There’s also the invasion of psychoanalysis, and the rise of Method acting starting about a half-century or so ago, with its emphasis on emotion, interior motives and lots of mental preparation. Actors started questioning the precise blocking of action — the choreography of the scene — that was so prized by Grant, Cooper, Carole Lombard, Katharine Hepburn and other stars going back to the 1930s and ’40s. For that era, physical elegance signaled inner elegance. Actors today seek more of a warts-and-all approach.

More at this link.

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