Equity Superlatives for 2K13 (so far)

Growing-up in a time of reality competition TV shows and being an Oscars aficionado, my brain automatically categorizes things into superlatives. As you may know, I am an avid theatregoer so naturally I tend to compare/contrast different productions. In the past six months I’ve seen 30+ productions in Chicago and wanted to take a look back and see what left a lasting impression upon me.

So I originally started listing my Chicago theatre superlatives from the past six months without taking into account Equity status for the shows. I’d originally chosen five in each category, but decided to split it up separate the Equity and non-Equity productions and select only three in each category. Below are my choices in the Equity division (which I see much less of because, oh, you know, ticket prices and such). The * signifies my favorite.

 

BEST PRODUCTION

 

columbinus @ American Theatre Company

 

The Pride @ About Face Theatre

 

The Whale @ Victory Gardens*

While columbinus and The Pride were two of the productions I most eagerly anticipated, The Whale was the surprise knockout. Samuel D. Hunter’s searing dialogue and painfully real characters laid the foundation for an unforgettable production. I am surprised his script wasn’t at least a finalist for the Pulitzer this past year as it dealt with many contemporary American concerns with skill and honesty.

BEST DIRECTION

Bonnie Metzgar (The Pride @ About Face Theatre)*

 

PJ Paparelli (columbinus @ American Theatre Company)

 

Joanie Schultz (The Whale @ Victory Gardens)

The Whale’s hyper reality and columbinus’ docudrama theatricality both showcased their directors within their respective styles. Yet, Metzgar’s stark grip on the 50’s period decorum versus the much more liberated late-2000’s allows The Pride to successfully communicate the different characters and story lines with grace and fluidity.

BEST INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE

Patrick Andrews (The Pride @ About Face Theatre)*

 

Adam Poss (Teddy Ferrara @ Goodman Theatre)

 

Sadieh Rifai (Speech & Debate @ American Theatre Company)

In Speech & Debate, Sadieh Rifai easily gave the best comedic performance I’ve seen in Chicago since J. Nicole Brooks’ outstanding firecracker turn in Immediate Family at the Goodman. Adam Poss was perfectly bitchy while simultaneously irresistible in Teddy Ferrara. However, Patrick Andrews’ soulful handling of two emotional roles in The Pride stands out as the best performance of the past six months.

 

BEST ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE

Beaten @ The Artistic Home

 

columbinus @ American Theater Company

 

Teddy Ferrara @ Goodman Theatre*

Obviously, I appreciate an ensemble that tackles a tricky, dramatic script successfully.  Although the casts of Barnum at Mercury Theatre and Goodman’s The Jungle Book delivered memorable performances, they felt more like individual powerhouses autonomously operating instead of relying on each other.

BEST INDIVIDUAL DESIGN

Mara Blumenfeld (Costume Design for The Jungle Book @ Goodman Theatre)

 

Janice Pytel (Prosthetic Design for The Whale @ Victory Gardens)

 

Mieka van der Ploeg (Costume Design for The Pride @ About Face Theatre)*

Although Thad Hallstein’s sleek set for Profiles’ In the Company of Men and Keith Parham’s appropriately moody lighting in Goodman’s Teddy Ferrara were very impressive alongside the other two recognized designs, no production element stood out quite like van der Ploeg’s costumes which gorgeously aided About Face’s The Pride to slide from two time periods separated by 50 years.

BEST NEW WORK

Beaten (by Scott Woldman @ The Artistic Home)*

With an unpredictable and more believable LaBute-like-surprise, Woldman’s family drama harrows with distressing recognition as effortlessly as it delights with comic levity. The unique character relationships are the foundation for a difficult trek through the cycles of abuse, secrets, and misguided love on which many families build their households.

some dialogue

just couldn't get this fictitious conversation out of my head the other night... 



- do you like art?

- like the Mona Lisa and stuff or...

- like exhibits? in museums?

- I guess.

- do you wanna go to the Institute with me?

- ...

- they have a Wayne Thiebaud exhib-

- Wayne Tea-who?

- Wayne Thiebaud. he's a pop artist. predated Andy Warhol. my friend put something about it on Facebook.

- okay...

- did paintings of food and stuff. snow cones. lollipops. pies. you know. 

- okay...

- his stuff feels like summer. I thought it'd be nice to feel like summer. 

- with me?

- with you.

- okay.

- okay. Friday? after work? 

thoughts? wanna see these two go on a date? 

In the Company of Men

Profiles Theatre is currently staging the World Premiere of In the Company of Men by Neil LaBute. As a fan of both Profiles’ and LaBute’s works, I was enthusiastic about attending the production. I viewed the film version many years ago; I found the film hateful and inhabited by unsympathetic characters. I entered the theatre with hopes that the staged version would find the heart and humanity absent from the screenplay. My hopes were not fulfilled despite strong performances (especially Brennan Roche) from the cast and a stylish set design by Thad Hallstein.

In the Company of Men has the recognizable attributes that I have come to appreciate from LaBute; he employs witty, naturalistic dialogue brimming with humor which eases the audience into recognizing the distasteful characters as extreme replicas of themselves. LaBute seduces the audience into empathizing and rooting for his protagonists quite well by making them flawed, but charismatic, and undeniably human. LaBute then proceeds to have these identifiable, likable people commit atrocious and often amoral acts. The audience is left questioning whether they are capable of similar behavior under the circumstances presented in the script. It’s a fascinating template, which he has arguably exhausted through his many plays. LaBute never cowers from sensitive, topical subject matter from racism, misogyny, homophobia, bullying, religion, national tragedies, body politics, etc. Therefore, his work is often controversial and received with a mixture of accolades and disdain. However, his voice as an American observer cannot be ignored especially as a playwright.

So why does In the Company of Men – one of his earliest works – misfire as the astute social commentary to which it seemingly aims? LaBute attempts to make commentary on corporate America and misogyny in his script. He portrays the two misogynistic lead male characters as ruthless and emotionally barbaric. However, he does not give the audience a character with which to identify. In the opening scene of the play, the two men plot a detestable scheme to hurt a woman because they have both apparently been recently injured by ended relationships. Therefore, one can assume that the woman chosen to be ill-treated will be the character with which to connect. LaBute in turn gives us an under-developed character which is hearing-impaired, and instantly a victim. Seems broad, right? That’s because it is. We understand that this character has a good sense of humor about her surdity and that she struggles to date because of her unique voice stemming from her handicap. However, that’s all the information we are allowed. We can sympathize with her pain in being hurt by them men, but without finer detail in characterization from the playwright the impact lacks strength.

This is where LaBute’s commentary on misogyny becomes misogynistic. We know more about the two male characters’ pasts, relationship-history, education, and friendship. They are more fully-fleshed than the female character (named Christine). Despite LaBute’s attempt to reverse expected nudity on stage – two men expose their genitalia while no women appear top or bottomless – one of the male characters, Howard, was given explanatory motivation for his actions. He is also given a softer side by genuinely falling in love with Christine. While it doesn't excuse him, he comes across as equally victimized as she does. This occurs because both Howard and Christine were part of a scheme concocted by the second male character, Chad. They are both sufferers of Chad’s jealousy towards Howard and his successes. In the end, Chad is left unscathed and promoted in corporate America, Christine finds internal peace and self-empowerment, while Howard is left emotionally distraught, demoted, and alone.  So who is the true victim?

So is this a cautionary tale? Is it a character study? Or is it a reflection of our merciless society?

There are other arbitrary, less-significant issues with the script: unnecessary atmospheric-characters and direct-address which makes the piece stylistically incoherent while contributing very little to the development of the characters and story line  Yet, the idea with which the audience leaves is compelling: “I can be whoever I want to be.” There is a lot of power in that statement and it rings true for each of the central characters. However, the faulty execution of the idea makes for a disagreeable play, albeit for inadvertent reasons. 

Also, check out my review of American Theatre Company's Speech & Debate!

http://chicagostagestandard.com/2013/05/14/speech-debate-american-theater-company/

More Stuff I Made Up

I shared some of my quatrains many weeks ago. I ended-up having thirty. Here's four more from that same series. 

Quatrain I:

he can be in skinny jeans

as long as his kiss ain't mean;

we can text and tweet and skype

just as long as he's my type

Quatrain V:

out for brunch in his 'hood;

want to kiss him, maybe I should;

we stayed in bed kinda late;

I wonder if this is a date

Quatrain XVII:

do you remember the gazelles?

before we said our last farewells,

they’d run the plain up to your pits;

you'd laugh so hard you were in fits

Quatrain XXV:

upgraded me to youporngay,

put Logan Square up on display,

Paris is Burning, that was you;

did you learn something from me too?

The Pride

I just finished reading a wonderful play called THE PRIDE by Alexi Kay Campbell (published in 2008) which About Face is producing the Chicago premiere of this summer with some of my favorite actors. In the script, there are two characters that recount mystical experiences in which they hear voices; these two characters are both gay Londoners, share the name Oliver, and are meant to be portrayed by the same actor.

The first Oliver lives in 1958 when homosexuality was considered a mental illness and grotesque lifestyle. While travelling in Greece, Oliver visits Delphi – famously known as the home of the oracle in the Oedipus Trilogy – he has a comforting “epiphany” in which a voice says "everything [is] going to be all right.”  The second Oliver lives in 2008. However, the voice that he hears knows him by name and calls him into sordid situations in which he relapses to his sexual addiction of having anonymous hook-ups. Despite his inability to successfully combat his addiction, he finds hope in the future through human connection and an internal recognition with another person, his boyfriend. In the span of 50 years, the Olivers 50 find acceptance in society and within themselves. The world is changing and “one day, maybe many, many years from now, there will be an understanding of certain things, a deeper understanding of certain aspects of our natures that would make all the difficulties we now feel, all the fears we now hold onto and the sleepless nights we now have seem almost worthwhile… And that the people who live in those times, be it fifty or five hundred years from now will be happy with that understanding and wiser for it. Better.”

I felt a deep connection to this play and especially this more supernatural element. I think whatever force that connected these characters is present in my life as well. I've always believed I would be all right if I took steps towards being true to myself. It wasn't a voice (which is a nice theatrical, magical touch for the play) that spoke to me, but it was my own thoughts and hopes of what could be - not just as a gay man, but as a human being. The fact that these two characters found internal peace and acceptance despite the turmoil comforts me. It makes me believe that I am exactly where I am supposed to be. Also, it’s nice to know that Alexi Kay Campbell recognizes (and beautifully manifests) this feeling I have never been able to fully articulate. It helps me not feel alone – and that gives me hope and peace. 

Boyfriend101

I'm brainstorming titles for my never-to-be-published (or written) guide to dating gay guys. Here's what I got so far:

Don't Be Late: And Other Ways To Make That Date Your Mate

How To Seem Mellow For A Fellow 

Your Best Bet To Get Intimate 

How To WOO and DUde


Don't Be A Bore And You Can Score

A Study So He's Not Just Your Buddy

10 Ways To Keep Your Guy From Saying 'Bye-Bye'

A Game Plan To Get A Gentleman 

How To Court So He Won't Abort 

Well, that's all I got for now, but please excuse me; these peanut butter brownies aren't going to eat themselves. 

Zero Dark Thirty

I wrote this a while back after watching Zero Dark Thirty, but never shared it. It's incomplete, but there are some thoughts on the film and the Jessica Chastain's character and performance. 

Zero Dark Thirty

It has taken me a few days to digest the film and find what my take on one of this year’s most lauded and criticized films. In the wake of its Academy Award nominations for Best Picture, Best Actress, and Best Original Screenplay, I had high expectations of the film although I entered knowing it’s not the kind of movie that I am drawn to. Kathryn Bigelow’s The Hurt Locker was a super tense, well-crafted film that I marveled over once and then never felt compelled to watch again. I expected something similar with Zero Dark Thirty. However, what I got was a precise and very deliberate film which doesn't have room to breathe. It’s not as tense as The Hurt Locker because Bigelow has it in a choke hold. Every shot is so calculated and measured that it’s stifled. That said, some of the cinematography is thoughtful and beautiful, the central character is written well and fiercely brought to life by Jessica Chastain, and the ensemble delivers a solid supporting foundation for the film. However, Chastain’s role is so quarantined in the circumstances that we never see a full person; we only get the fraction which entails her position with the CIA. Despite the attempts at humanizing her in a few scenes, she never really completely emerges leaving the heart of the film struggling to find a pulse. Yet, if that was the intention of the screenwriter, Mark Boal, and Bigelow then they succeeded and consequently created a character in need of more development. I do not believe the film either glorifies or demonizes the hunting and killing Osama Bin Laden and all it entailed; Zero Dark Thirty depicts what occurred and condenses into a film that still feels quite long.  Despite these shortcomings, the film is compelling for the majority of its running time.

Maya, portrayed by Jessica Chastain, is an ambitious, passionate beast. Her ambitions and passion flare as she protects victims of terrorism. However, her quest comes at the cost of harming those which may lead her to finding Osama Bin Laden. It is no comfort to see that her skillful research and thoughtful investigation leads her to accurate conclusions as to those that will get her the necessary information to finalize the hunt. We witness her toughened by her profession, but really it is her own strong will and determination that transform her into someone capable of extraordinary cruelty veiled by a light voice and infectious smile. In an early scene, she is hardly capable of watching a prisoner being physically assaulted for information by a charming assailant which happens to be her colleague. She is much more comfortable to see interrogations suggesting violence as opposed to executing bodily harm. Yet, as time passes, she hardens. We see her confront her superiors, conduct forceful questionings herself, and eventually is just as blood-thirsty as those she hunts. And yet, she has to be. She has to be more resolute, more strident, and more confident than any of her counterparts to get the job done.  She allows the transformation to occur. She gets cocooned by her profession and the audience never sees her emerge from there. The final image is an unfulfilled, lost person neither understanding nor enjoying their success. 

Stuff I Made Up

Well, it has been a while since I last updated my "unnamed uprising," but I feel it is time. A great deal in my life has changed in the past two months or so. However, some things remain the same: still vegetarian (mostly vegan), still love to write, and still into guys. These pillars of my life fueled me to write a series of quatrains (a four line stanza) for fun which have become a pet-project that I return to and am continuing to develop. I have written twenty quatrains to date, but will only share a few here as they are quite personal and are going to be used for an impending performance project; my favorite ones aren't making an appearance here. I have fun fleshing out these snapshots-of-life and hope you enjoy reading them. FYI: some are explicit in content.

Quatrain III

night out dancing with a boy

in a city of Illinois;

grind against him, grab his dick;

drink so much that we'll be sick

Quatrain VI

give him pet-names, suck him off,

care for him if he has a cough,

make him laugh, go out to dine;

these are things for which I pine 

Quatrain VIII

hold my hand, pull me right through the crowd;

music's up, we have to shout so loud;

others notice that we’re together,

only tacos could make this better

Quatrain IX

buy me sushi, link me porn,

give me a shirt that you have worn,

bare your body, share your bed,

and you'll never leave my head 

2012's Best Music

So looking back on 2012, I did not love a lot of the music released these past 12 months. Although, the mainstream did make me proud here and there (fun., Gotye, and Ellie Goulding’s successes were awesome). But overall, my 2K12 favorite music is just as radio(iTunes)-friendly as under-the-radar. And thank god for Spotify, am I right? And without further delay, here are my favorites (in true Grammy-fashion in the top 4 categories):

Record

fun. feat. Janelle Monáe – We Are Young

Karmin – Brokenhearted

Maroon 5 – Payphone

Icona Pop – I Love It

Brendan James – Nightlife*

Considering the listed songs, I really enjoy a record to which one can faux-dance. “We Are Young” and “Payphone” were super popular and infiltrated my barriers with catchy melodies, but the latter has some questionable/borderline terrible lyrics and a truly awful, out-of-place cameo from Wiz Khalifa. Yet, overall, that tune’s talons snatched me. “We Are Young” is sonically anthemic and vocally soaring; what a dreamboat of a song.  Karmin’s charisma pulses through “Brokenhearted” and, as stated before, I am a sucker for a dance beat. Similarly, Icona Pop’s groove is dancy although much grungier; the repetitive revenge musings are addictive. Lastly, Brendan James’ simple and beautiful vocals on a celebration of the here+now won me over the most.

Song

The Magnetic Fields – Andrew in Drag*

Brendan James – Nightlife

Gotye feat. Kimbra – Somebody That I Used to Know

Jay Brannan – The Spanglish Song

Ed Sheeran – Drunk

“Andrew in Drag” is high concept coupled with simple execution; the rhyming couplets and subversive, playful imagery are genius and last year’s best. Brendan James always uses vastly open lyrics to wonderful effect; “Nightlife” really scores despite one minor annoying line in the chorus. “Somebody That I Used to Know” reads exactly like the bitter breakup note (email) it is; bonus points for adding the second point of view. Brannan combines humorous elementary Spanish with his already sexually charged, romantic lyrics; the result is endearing and distinctly him. Ed Sheeran’s lyrics are as scattered and messy as his subject matter; he’s such a great mix of Lily Allen’s ballsiness, Kate Nash’s simple poetry/storytelling, and (bizzarly) Amy Winehouse’s breakup blues.  

Album

fun.: Some Nights

Marina and the Diamonds: Electra Heart

Santigold: Master of My Make-Believe*

Brendan James: Hope in Transition

The Royalty: Lovers

It was difficult to choose 5 for this category because I didn’t love many albums all the way through. “Some Nights” and “Master of My Make-Believe” are the two strongest by far, but Santigold’s songs as a collective whole are inspired, cohesive, and my favorite. The Royalty has some great songs, but need more diversity in execution; as a debut full-length effort though, “Lovers” is rockin’. Brendan James and Marina and the Diamonds are two old favorites of mine; their albums are satisfying and nicely progress each of their discographies.

New Artist

Lianne La Havas

Emile Sandé

Alabama Shakes

Ed Sheeran*

The Royalty

Lianne LaHavas and Emile Sandé have tremendous potential even though I was not in love with their albums. Their songwriting and singing abilities astound. Alabama Shakes is everything wonderful about Americana all wrapped into one band: twangy instrumentation, Bible-Belt sensibilities, and powerhouse, bluesy vocals. Ed Sheeran and The Royalty are the two that impressed me the most. While the latter’s album is better, Ed Sheeran is the artist whose work I most anticipate hearing mature. 

*denotes my most favorite amongst my favorites

Django, The Hobbit, and Another Thought

Django Unchained

This was one of my most anticipated films of the Awards season and I was not disappointed. Quentin Tarantino’s brassy stylistic choices are always visually stark and remarkably character driven. He famously employs anachronistic music and bold, humorous violence to enhance his already tantalizing stories. These trademarks are visible (and audible) in Django Unchained, but the tightness of his storytelling and his driving pace are a bit too slack here. The final fourth of the movie starts to feel indulgent despite the promised bloody end. The ensemble really nails the style, humor, and finds the reality of the outlandish situations. Jamie Foxx is an adequate centerpiece for the film, but Christoph Waltz’s charm and Leonardo DiCaprio incendiary performance really make the film volatile and unpredictable. Samuel L. Jackson and Kerry Washington also give strong performances, but the latter’s role is so underwritten that she must rely on her beauty and charisma as filler. However, it is Tarantino’s love and reverence for filmmaking that truly inspires this film. He is the rare artist that possesses the bravado and craft to pay homage whilst redefining a genre.

4/5 Stars.

And Now A Little Deviation From The Film Reviews

While viewing Django Unchained, I couldn’t help but recalling Sofia Coppola’s 2006 film, Marie Antoinette. Granted, there are blatant differences in these two films, but there are stylistic similarities. Both films boldly use contemporary music to communicate feeling, beautifully compelling visual storytelling, and modern sensibilities in the performances. Tarantino is applauded for his choices while Coppola was (some would argue unfairly) jeered for hers. The differences may have caused the discrepancy in the films receptions. Marie Antoinette is a meditation on celebrity with a minimal plotline driving it and void of extravagant characterizations while Django Unchained is a revenge Western with a close-to-contrived plotline and showy acting. I enjoy each film for its idiosyncrasies and believe Django to be the superior film, but why all the hate on Coppola and Marie Antoinette? Coppola makes distinct choices and is as polarizing as Tarantino. Is it that she is a newer, less-proven filmmaker? Is it that she is a woman doing a film about a woman? Is it her preference as a director to be more of an observer than an orchestrator like Tarantino? Or was Marie Antoinette (much like her other films Somewhere and Lost In Translation – despite its Oscar nods) considered too pedestrian?

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Being a fan of The Lord of the Rings trilogy films, but never having read J.R. Tolkien’s epics, I am nowhere near the most knowledgeable nor avid fanboy. However, I am fond of the exciting and wholehearted adventures that comprise The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King. So I expected The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey’s brilliant visuals, epic battles, and humorous banter. Yet, Martin Freeman’s performance added a most welcome farcical tone without cheapening or even diluting the emotional resonance. It takes a masterful actor to anchor such a challenging film. Peter Jackson craftily weaves action sequences and dramatic scenes through the lengthy film. Despite Jackson’s expert directing, the film really struggles to maintain momentum while highlighting themes and covering multiple storylines. I don’t know the reasoning or justifications for making a trilogy out of Tolkien’s The Hobbit, but I know that this film could have been distilled into a shorter film for more efficient storytelling. That said, I enjoyed the journey to Middle Earth and eagerly anticipate the following installments.

3.5/5 Stars. 

The Bachelors

Here's the press release for the staged reading I will be working on the next few weeks!

David Zak of Pride Films and Plays will direct an enhanced staged reading of The Bachelors, a screenplay written by Rick Kinnebrew and Martha Meyer

on Sunday, January 13, at 2 pm. The performance will be at Piven Theater, 927 Noyes Street, Evanston. 

In a small town during the Depression, an improbable business venture conceals a great love.

Based on a true story, The Bachelors introduces us to Bob Neal, a London interior decorator who returns to his failing Wisconsin hometown in 1934 and hires a local man to help him restore a historic rock cottage.

The Bachelors was a semifinalist for the Great Gay Screenplay Competition, and opens a fresh perspective on gay marriage. Your comments and feedback will help shape this new work.  Free and open to the public. 

David Zak is Executive Director of Pride Films and Plays.  He served as Managing Director of Chicago Bailiwick Repertory Theater, and has won Jeff Awards for fostering new works.

The acting ensemble will be comprised of Pride Films and Plays' artistic ensemble members David Besky, Tom Chiola, Kristofer Hyland, Joan McGrath, Beth Richards, Nelson Rodriguez, Jamie Smith, and Nick Stockwell.

Rick Kinnebrew and Martha Meyer live in Evanston, Illinois and write plays for children as part of their work at Evanston Public Library.  Proceeds from this performance will benefit the Mineral Point Public Library, where Rick and Martha researched this story.

For more information, contact Rick Kinnebrew at 847-644-7448.

XMAS stuff

3 25-word Reviews

The Impossible

McGregor and Watts give extraordinary performances alongside wonderful newcomer Holland. Bayona directs with fierce suspense. The compelling story and visual spectacle are a winning combination. 

4/5 Stars.

This Is 40

Rudd and Mann are not funny or charming enough to keep this repetitive, uninsightful script afloat. Apatow’s focus and story meander to an unfulfilling end. 

2.5/5 Stars.

m. henrietta’s veritable vegan epiphany

Awesomely seasoned scrambled organic tofu with sautéed onions served next to passable veggie sausage and thinly sliced avocado. A completely satisfying and richly flavored dish.

Christmas Catch-Up

So I am working my way towards vegan, guys. It’s going to be a process. I thought I could just decide and do an all plant-based diet overnight, but alas that did not work. I have to do some more research on options, substitutes, and vegan-friendly establishments. I am excited for this venture. I had an amazing vegan peanut butter cookie and m. henrietta which just furthered my resolve to make the transition. The most difficult everyday item to give up will be eggs (or possibly that sneaky milk I don’t realize is in just about everything. But I love having a good cheese every once in a while too so that will be a hard commodity to relinquish.

In other news… we had a WHITE CHRISTMAS in Chicago. Trent and I walked around our neighborhood with our pink wine and champagne concoction. The air was crisp, the dusting fluffy, and the streets practically deserted. It was really nice. For Christmas dinner Trent made a veggie sausage and cream cheese stuffing (inside crescent rolls) and I made two of the Beekman Boys' recipes (maple glazed sweet potatoes and glazed carrots with pine nuts and golden raisins) for our sides. We also had an aromatic mulled wine which was infused with brandy, an orange, honey, cloves, and ginger. Delicious.

I got Ed Sheeran’s album “+” for Christmas and gifted Ellie Goulding’s “Halcyon.” They are two of my favorite musicians from 2012. After I give the albums a few listens, I’ll write some thoughts on them and artists’ contribution to the post-retro British invasion. Also, I’ll post my Chicago Stage Standard review of Trap Door’s The Unveiling and Dozens of Cousins later this week when it’s live on their website.

I am going to attempt to escape the post-Christmas blues with movies (Les Miserables, Django Unchained, Rust and Bone, Anna Karenina, etc), vegan delights, new projects (Pride Films & Plays’ enhanced staged reading of "The Bachelors"), and New Year’s shenanigans planning.

What’re ya’ll up to? 

BAATHHAUS

Since moving to Chicago on August 1^st, 2011, I have been anticipating my chance to see BAATHHAUS (a queer-electronic-fuck band fka DAAN) perform. They became well known in Chicago’s queer-scene due to their hypersexual performance art; last night, “the night before the apocalypse,” I got to experience why they have achieved underground cred at Salonathon’s You’re Gonna Die: A Holiday Fantasia at Metro. 

Photo Credit: John Sturdy

The quartet that comprises BAATHHAUS provides all the vocals and instrumentation for their sets. They seamlessly weave from theatrical singing to spitting rhymes while executing provocative and interpretive choreography. The multidisciplinary artists take turns being front and center, but are most effective when collectively jamming out with high-energy abandon. The most notable solo moment came at the end of “I Like Boys,” in which Patrick Andrews explicitly raps with raw pleasure about how he desires his men to behave in bed which he finalizes with an innocent, cutesy curtsey. All four members began the set with unsettling neutral masks topped with Santa-hats which they one-at-a-time removed, crumpled, and tossed into the audience. Apart from unwrapping gifts which consisted of musical instruments and glitter guns, the performance was more straightforward than I anticipated. Their performances of "All I Got" and "Cave Song" were flavored with all the expected overt sexuality and the finale brought the anticipated spluttering of blood from the bandmates' mouths. 

BAATHHAUS is fully engaged from beginning to end and thus is inescapably mesmerizing. Their performance ranges from cheeky humor to brass sensuality and is always unapologetically and fiercely queer. But all nitpicking  aside, the band puts on an awesome show. I had a fucking blast. There were songs when I couldn’t stop watching them… other times I had to dance…and at other times I just had to grind against my boyfriend. BAATHHAUS put on an inspired show and spread queer cheer for the holidays.

Photo Credit: Vern Hestor

check out their music at: https://soundcloud.com/baathhaus

and here's their website: http://baathhaus.com/ 

Loneliest Planet Review, Verdura, and Armageddon

The Loneliest Planet organically meanders with very minimal dialogue and seemingly endless shots of an engaged couple and their guide hiking through rough terrain. Gael Garcia Bernal and Hani Furstenberg’s unadorned performances fit with the overly patient capturing of their trekking and love-making. Yet, when their relationship is challenged, the long, silent shots beg for action. Despite the two charismatic leads, the film pitfalls into moody tone shifts and stretches out what is instantly (and expertly) made clear through stunning visuals. What could have been an excellent, engaging short film became a tedious exploration that lacks the depth to be a character study, the insight to be a meditation on love, and the subtext to classify it as a metaphor of human dependency. The title would suggest that these characters reflect all humanity – wandering the world accompanied but ultimately alone. Yet, Julia Loktev’s direction is strangely content to follow these characters without truly examining, questioning, or presenting the purpose.  Why do these characters need one another? Is it love, need, or habit that binds them? Are each individual’s inscapes so remote that loneliness is the true reality? The isolated landscapes and the uncertain wilderness are the perfect backdrop for these questions to be addressed, but unfortunately the film meanders all the way to its trite, anticlimactic end. 

2/5 Stars.

PS - this whole film could have benefited from 

Gael Garcia Bernal's naked body. That's all. 

Vegetarian Entry

Last night, I attempted to make my mother’s “verdura” recipe. The plate is a combination of yuca, taro root, yautia, and plantains boiled and served with olive oil, roaster yellow onions and garlic, and a glass of milk. I tried to add jicama, but it wouldn't cede to the boiling water. (I was just informed that should be eaten grated like carrots in salad or in slices like apples as a snack… the more you know.) I love this dish. I wish I had added sweet potatoes or found some breadfruit to add, but my first attempt was delicious. Unless you’re name is Ryan (Trent) Jackson Oldham. Trent did not care for the dish. After tasting the taro root, he said, 

TRENT:That taste like dirt.

NELSON: It taste like potato to me.

TRENT: Well, then, it tastes like a dirty potato.

He apologized for not liking the dish and downed his almond milk. It is for sure not a texture or taste that everyone will enjoy. Next time I will try roasting them and see if that improves his opinion. Oh and I’ll make a much smaller batch. Yikes, I am gonna have to freeze the verdura because there’s like four helpings leftover. 

PS – did you know that taro root is the most hypoallergenic food in the world because of its starch grains are the smallest and most easily digested of all complex carbohydrates? I didn't  the more you know. 

The End of the World

So it's the end. Chicago is being battered by a snowstorm tonight apparently and the world is going to end shortly there after. Growing up Jehovah's Witness, I was taught that Armageddon would be conducted through a series of natural disasters orchestrated by our ever loving God. yay. But also, it's confusing because wouldn't the Mayans be considered "false prophets?" Ugh! Anyways, the metaphor states that some (hopefully hunky) men will ride in on (undoubtedly fabulous) horses to signify the end. The illustration in my JW publication was this:

I now understand that it's God's army waging war on unrepentant sinners and that it's a metaphor, but when I was little I thought horses were literally going to be coming from the skies which didn't seem all that likely. Logically though, this metaphor came from a society that battled on horses. So bible verses written today would have WHAT coming from the clouds with God(the sun)'s light shining from behind while strangely not silhouetting it? Tanks? Fighter Aircrafts? Viruses? The Pentagon? But that's how America wars. Oh well, I'm done thinking for today. Adios! 

Vegetarian: Week Three

Vegetarian day #17.

Trent: Do we ever get a cheat day?

Nelson: No. Vegetarians don’t get “cheat days.” It’s not a diet.

Well, day before yesterday, I received my copy of Jonathan Safran Foer’s Eating Animals. I was instantly reminded of how much I love his writing and just moments later horrified and enlightened by some of his insight, logic, and research. If he was a homosexual, he would be perfect. I will not divulge specifics here because Trent is patiently waiting for his turn with Jon (which he could fill by finishing Catching Fire…just a polite reminder/suggestion/plead/leaning-towards-command.)

We are on our 17^th day of being meat-free and going strong. Yesterday, I ate approximately half of a 10 oz. container of hummus with roasted pine nuts on celery for dinner (and a veggie corndog and innumerable bite-sized pieces of candy). 

But this Sunday, Trent and I brunched at our new favorite restaurant called M. Henry which is situated in Andersonville. This. Place. Is. The. Shit. They have vegetarian options galore. I had a roasted poblano pepper stuffed with eggs, soyrizo, mozzarella, topped with red adobo sauce, and served with Mexicali rice, French (fattier) sour cream, masa tortillas, and sweet plantains.

(< that is the  plate. YUM!) 

Words cannot… they just cast cannot.

Then, I indulged in a half serving of their “out of this world breakfast bread pudding” (pictured right >) which is more like flan topped with warm peaches and blackberries. It was very rich and very very good.  I wish I had taken it to go or just had this as my entree because it was very filling. 

However, I have no regrets and hope we go back soon.

On another note:

Last night, I watched The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and found it absolutely delightful. The ensemble performance is just wonderful (especially Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, and the high-energy, high-stakes, full-of-heart Dev Patel.) I thought the script was a little over-long and got a bit tedious towards the end, but it did set-up the conclusion very nicely and benefited from the strong cast and no-fuss direction that allowed them to shine. The film has a lovely message of making the most of your life and learning to roll with the punches. I wonder if it will be able to find any Oscar nominations... Dench has received a Golden Globe nod for her work, Smith is nominated for a SAG award, and the entire ensemble has been recognized by SAG. Yet, will any one of them be able to standout enough  to earn a spot? The film was released in the summer and has been available on dvd since September. What's to become of this little gem? Dench and Smith stand the best chance, but Tom Wilkinson might be able to sneak in or maybe for Best Adapted Screenplay or perhaps the film will be up for the top prize... there are ten slots that can be filled. hmmmmm.
4/5 Stars.