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wigwurq · 3 years

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WIG REVIEW: THE PROM

You guys. Remember when just last week week I LOLed at my mom when I told her I had finally watched the lesbian holiday movie (The Happiest Season) and she thought I meant The Prom and I told her (and then you, dear readers!) that it would take me forever to hate watch that. WELL I JUST HATE WATCHED THAT. There is a lot to discuss, you guys. ALSO WIGS.

We begin in “New York City” or the CGI hellscape replication of it. Nothing about this movie is authentic except for maybe NY1′s theater reporter, Frank Dilella at the opening of a fake musical called “Eleanor! The Eleanor Roosevelt Musical!” which is meant to be a hilarious joke (it is not) starring Meryl Streep as Eleanor and James Corden as FDR and JOKE IS ON THEM AND US because why are they in this terrible movie and why the hell am I watching it? Oh right: THE WIGS. YOU GUYS THE WIGS. Meryl, who is truly slumming more in this than any other actor in this garbage also has to endure the very worst wig. SHE DID HAVE AN EVEN WORSE WIG IN MARY POPPINS RETURNS. But here this wig is so very much a bad wig that I struggled for a while wondering if this was going to be a wig within the narrative but no. Sadly, it looks like a castoff from some QVC Liza Minnelli wig collection.

AND EVERYONE LOOKS LIKE THEY ARE DRESSED IN A QVC LIZA MINNELLI NON-HALSTON SEQUIN COLLECTION GHOSTMARE (Liza should probably trademark that tho). I HAVE NEVER SEEN SO MANY SEQUINS OUTSIDE OF DAVID GEST’S GUEST HOUSE. Also, after the fake Eleanor musical opens, Meryl and James retire to “Sardis” or the CGI version of it where they discover that their show got (gasp!) bad reviews. EVERYONE LEAVES IMMEDIATELY except Meryl, James, Andrew Rannells who is another actor/bartender and NICOLE KIDMAN.

SHE IS ALSO WEARING SEQUINS AND HAS A BAD WIG. But we are talking about Nicole Kidman, so the chances of her wearing a bad wig are 110%. I couldn’t honestly tell you what her role is in this other than “another Broadway actress”(?) Her wig is likely the same one that Joanna Lumley wore for 10 seasons as Patsy in Absolutely Fabulous which has in the last decade or so been slowly decaying in a crawlspace somewhere only to reappear on the head of Nicole Kidman in the role of “another Broadway actress” in this movie. Anyway, all these washed up randos decide they need to stop acting and start activist-ing and pin all their hopes on a lesbian in Indiana who wanted to go to the prom and got the whole prom shut down due to smallmindedness. They travel to Indiana in a non-equity Godspell touring bus during which time my husband asked me who designs bus seats and truly: that is a question more profound and interesting than anything you will find in this “film.” But I do have many questions! If these actors have all been on Broadway and Meryl’s character has a few Tonys even, why do they need to bus it to Indiana?!?!

Anyway, over in “Indiana” (all places are actually LA or a set or a CGI hellscape), there is a big community meeting or something which is still all about not having a prom, because the only damn thing that matters in this community is THE PROM. The NYC actors show up and turn the meeting into a musical extravaganza with Meryl and her tragic wig center stage. More questions!! As a theater piece, it would make sense for this whole meeting to suddenly become a musical performance complete with spotlight entrances and sparkle curtains because it is already all fantasy. Ryan Murphy has no interest in creating a more realistic presentation in this new medium and just lets that happen here too? Sure - I guess the actors could have just arrived with all stage cues and crews to make this happen (LOLOL NO THEY COULDN’T) and this is honestly exactly why most stage to screen adaptations rarely work (though to be very fair - I had just about as much interest in seeing this on stage as on TV - negative 1000%). All realism, logic, quality, are not at all what this “movie” is aiming for. JUST SEQUINS! CONSTANT GODDAMNED SEQUINS!

It should be noted that Kerry Washington plays the conservative PTA mom at the center of canceling prom and bitch got away with the very best wig! Also the big spoiler here is that her daughter is the secret lesbian love of the lesbian she is trying to stop from going to the prom! GASP! Kerry also made really terrible career choices this year between this and Little Fires Everywhere which also involves secret lesbians.

Also those lesbians have a love song that looks like this - aka that one scene in the loathsome La La Land which was itself completely derivative. There are many (many!) derivative scenes in this movie - a later one on a staircase with Nicole Kidman is a clear nod to that one staircase scene in All That Jazz (RIP ANN REINKING!) This was all done intentionally for us theater nerds but also all the movies it ripped off I also hated so? NO THANK YOU THE PROM. ALSO THE MAIN LESBIAN’S GRANDMOTHER IS PLAYED BY MARY KAY PLACE AND I LOVE MARY KAY PLACE FYI.

Anyway! The NYC actors start their very ill-advised get-back-the-Prom campaign at......CGI monster truck rally wherein Andrew Rannells wears THIS GODDAMNED COAT. Trying to find any logic or realism in this movie is about as foolhardy as being Andrew Rannells wearing this coat and singing a musical theater song at a CGI monster truck rally in “Indiana.”

Also! Keegan Michael Key is in this (WHO I LOVE ALWAYS) as the liberal principal who is trying to make prom happen. He also is a HUGE MUSICAL THEATER FAN though that doesn’t actually translate to being gay - it translates to him being obsessed with Meryl Streep who is his favorite stage actress. Sure! It all turns into Keegan Michael Key being a love interest with Meryl Streep which I DID NOT SEE COMING but I would love to watch an actual rom com with the two of them and not whatever this is? THEY HAVE A DATE AT AN APPLEBEES YOU GUYS HOW DID THIS HAPPEN.

At said Applebees (or “Applebees” more accurately because I’ve never seen one that sparkles like this), Keegan has a nice ballad which I couldn’t possibly hum for you now where he sings about the escapism of THEATRE and there is a flashback to him seeing Meryl in a musical called “Swallow the Moon” which is a pretty hilarious title and the whole thing looks exactly like another Liza Minnelli fashion show - this time with maybe a circus theme? At any rate, Meryl’s flashback wig is longer and more of a fashion bob but is still very fretful.

I would like to take this opportunity to say that although I never saw The Prom musical on Broadway, from the pictures I have seen, Beth Leavel’s wig (in the same role as Meryl) is vastly superior in every way, despite the fact that stage wigs are allowed to be different/inferior as they are viewed from further away and not in bitter bitter closeup.

Meryl looks great in close-up by the way BUT THAT WIG!!! I couldn’t find a good picture of it, but the hair part (if you can call it that?) is a dangerous ravine of mysteries none of which have anything to do with looking like real hair. MERYL HAS MORE OSCARS THAN ANYONE HOW WAS SHE GIVEN THIS WIG?! HOW!!!!!

Anyway, back to the “plot” of this movie, the PTA somehow agree to having a prom and all the kids go around prom-posaling (which is an awful horrible thing that I’m glad I was never part of) and which truly begs the question: if the kids hadn’t prom-posaled (UGH) to begin with, how did word get out that two lesbians were going and how did this prom get derailed in the first place? WHY AM I ASKING ABOUT PLOT HOLES WHEN THIS ENTIRE THING IS A PLOT HOLE?!?!?! So they have the prom, but it’s all an elaborate and cruel ruse and the real prom is at some hotel and the fake prom only for this one sad lesbian is a really depressing affair in the school gym (THIS PART OF THE MOVIE IS LEGIT HORRIBLE AND SAD). So Nicole Kidman, in the very important role of “another Broadway actress” that definitely needed to exist, decides to tell her to just “razzle dazzle ‘em” (WHICH ABSOLUTELY MEANS NOTHING IN THIS CONTEXT) in a very Fosse inspired (AND INCREDIBLY NIGHTMARE INDUCING) and also very confusing number. Also Andrew Rannells convinces a bunch of teenagers in a mall to like gay people! Mazel!

ALSO TRACEY ULLMAN IS IN THIS MOVIE AND NO ONE TOLD ME AND SHE HAS AN AWFUL WIG! So ok - James Corden, who I normally adore, plays a gay character with an American accent and in conclusion, is very miscast in this role. One of the few things Ryan Murphy has done which I actually liked was the revival of Boys in the Band (the play - I have yet to watch the movie!) And the entire cast was gay men playing gay men. Not sure why he then cast James Corden in this role because it’s not like we’re having a shortage of gay men who can sing? A friend of mine rightly pointed out that this character should have been played by Titus Burgess and VERY YES. Anyway, that’s not what happened and anyway, Tracey Ullman plays his mother who he reconnects with and I’m pretty sure the wig she wears was from her own collection from one of her past sketch shows and though I applaud wig recycling, bitch deserved better.

So yes - all these Broadway actor characters inexplicably are still in Indiana just TRYING TO MAKE THE PROM HAPPEN and Meryl, who somehow has both a celebrity ex husband and a Hamptons house (AGAIN WHY DID SHE TAKE A BUS TO INDIANA) uses both to get the main lesbian a forum on TV but she doesn’t take it and instead makes a singer-songwriter YouTube video which everyone on earth simultaneously watched!!! We are supposed to believe that this random video got 8 million views and she decides to use that leverage to make her own inclusive prom. This is a very lovely idea but again: not based in reality so Keegan is all: girl we need $$ to have a prom and somehow she doesn’t immediately make a go-fund me from all those YouTube views she got and instead all these actors throw down their credit cards to fund The Prom which is really horrifying knowing about real events which will totally make all those actors very unemployed (#2020) and YES I KNOW THIS MOVIE IS THE OPPOSITE OF REALITY BUT STILL.

In the end, ALL OF LIZA MINNELLI’S NON-HALSTON SEQUIN COLLECTION QVC FASHIONS get their own damn prom and even Kerry Washington shows up in the most outrageous sequined number after her daughter finally comes out to her and everyone dances it out and life is reaffirmed and Meryl’s wig IS STILL A PILE OF GARBAGE AS IS THIS MOVIE.

VERDICT: DOESN’T WURQ

#wigwurq #theprom #netflixtheprom #merylstreep #nicolekidman #jamescorden #keeganmichaelkey #NOTHANKYOU #LIZAMINNELLICOLLECTION

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porcelaindagger · 6 years

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since this won’t show in the tags from the actual blog

After speaking with some people privately, I had been under the impression that I had been doing a good enough job keeping my head down, minding my own business, and not making a fuss, but it’s evident that this is not the case. I have been back in the community for about a year now as Elle, and since then I have made every effort to use this new alias as an opportunity to turn over a new leaf, make a new start, and be an unobtrusive and altogether quiet presence in the community. I came back simply to write – not to make a fuss or make waves, and I was open and honest about my identity and my past mistakes with those who came to me to ask, and have a small group of people who know that I am Beth, who have known for quite some time now. It was not my intention to “fool” anyone by returning under a different alias, but to exercise the change that I’d implemented in my own life and to show both myself and those who I’d so horribly hurt in the past that I have changed, and that it is possible for people to change for the better. I think the fact that I’ve flown under the radar until now is decent proof that I am not the person I was a year ago; a year ago, I would have gone absolutely nuts in the face of the PSA that’s floating around, and I would have lashed out with irreparable damage – we all saw it happen last time, and it’s because of that that I was so determined not to do it this time. I understand completely why people would not want to be close to me given what I’ve done in the past; I lied, I talked about people behind their back, I pretended to be someone else to hide from what I’d done, I spread slanderous lies about someone who had been nothing but a dear friend to me, and I kept that same friend’s group from receiving the love and praise it deserved simply because I was bitter, paranoid, and malicious in my mindset. I was in a horrid place and going through a downward spiral in which I could not recover from – and though I knew I could not recover, I lashed out and pulled people down with me simply because it was the only option my toxic mindset gave me. I wrecked people who I’d considered family, who’d followed me through hell, high water, and two roleplay groups which ended with my complete meltdown. It was all building up from mistakes I’d made, even before that – in 2013, I copied things from a drabble someone had written; in 2015, I encouraged a friend to write a PSA about another friend simply because I felt that they were drifting from me, and I was so selfish and paranoid that I just couldn’t handle it. I was immature, and felt as if I didn’t have to own up to my mistakes, but as I see the error of hiding from this all and hoping that it’ll just blow over, I think that it’s time for me to put it out there. I was Wesley, I was Beth, and this blog was supposed to be Elle – the new leaf. Elle would never start a positivity blog, only to filter the messages; Elle would never send nasty messages; Elle would never vague blog; Elle would never strongarm someone out of playing the same character; and Elle would certainly never steal, though Beth once thought she could get away with it, and owned up to it.

In my personal life, the last semester has been an absolute trainwreck, and this blog, in my own corner with a small collective of people who I’d told, and in the roleplay groups that I’d chosen to join, was an oasis, and I am incredibly proud of the progress and of the changes that I’ve made in my life, as reflected by my unobtrusive and quiet presence in the RPC. I’ve done my best to be nothing but positive – and those who I’ve found myself close to can attest to that. I never thought of this attempt at a positive new start as an attempt to “trick” anyone with friendship and kindness, and I am so sorry that it’s come across as that, or as anything even remotely underhanded. I hoped that by being Elle and by starting over I could somewhat start to make right the wrong I’d done when I was Beth, and by being kind to those I’d wronged in any way I could, I thought that I was. I never intended for any of this to become a question of lies, victim shaming, or anything of the sort – I was just trying to keep my head down, and mind my own business. I’d even become close friends with one of the people I’d wronged in the past, proving to them that I’d changed before they even knew who I was, and I spoke to another, leaving things on what I assumed was a peaceful note. Perhaps it was a mistake to apply for a character that I’d played so often while I was using my old alias – but I never thought that it would start the wildfire that it did, since I’d been nothing but supportive in doing it. If anyone would like to message me privately, and not anonymously, to discuss the things that I have done, I would be more than willing to do so openly and frankly at my new url, which was created not to hide but to post fandom content rather than rp content without clogging up anyone’s dash.

I do, however, wish to address the claims of plagiarism that have been floating around, as this may be the only chance I have to do so. I understand that everyone’s concerns have merit; I have been a horribly sketchy person in the past, but the claims that are going around now are ones I hold issue with, and I’d like to address them here. Firstly, I’ll start with the claim that I plagiarized an OC from the group I used to run, Fidite Nemini. The character in question is named Holly – I don’t even remember the OC’s last name. A wonderful OC, written by a wonderful person; perhaps the best OC I ever had the pleasure of writing with. But the fact that I also have two characters named Holly is now being called plagiarism, and with this I take issue. First, I have Holly Blanchard, named as such for Holly Golightly. I’ll link her biography HERE. Second is a character in another roleplay that I ran named Holly Gilmore, who was named as such for the plant reference, and because I was going through a heavy Gilmore Girls phase at the time of writing her. Her bio is HERE. I cannot link you to the bio of the OC simply because I deleted the Fidite Nemini main and have no way of finding it. I don’t know where it is, I don’t know what her last name is; the only similarities between these characters is the fact that they’re named Holly and that they’re generally nice, sweet people. I can see how, upon first glance, having a character named Holly might raise some eyebrows, but upon actually reading the bios, it is quite clear that there is no other overlap.

I was also accused of stealing things from the person who played Bellatrix in my group – I cannot link anything here since the Fidite Nemini main has been deleted, but I used, in applying for a Marauders group recently, the bio that I, as an admin, had written as a jumping off point for an application. I’d gone through the old player’s blog to find the biography that I’d written since the main was deleted and I hadn’t saved anything for my own use, and I understand how that must have looked, but had I not deleted everything I could when I left Tumblr the first time. I’d be happy to dig through my google docs and link the application that I’d written up in this post, but I regrettably cannot access the Fidite Nemini bio anymore, or I would. The person who played Bellatrix at Fidite Nemini is, without question, one of the greatest writers I’ve ever had the pleasure of collaborating with, and I must say that it would be very obvious had I stolen from them, as their writing truly stands alone.

I would now like to address the claims that I stole a fair bit of characterization from the user who wrote the PSA about me. I’ll start by saying that yes, I did pin a few of their pins on Pinterest (but I went to a lot of Pinterest boards to create my own), and we have reblogged some of the same things – were I to remain a large presence in the RPC, I would make a point not to reblog musing from anywhere but inspo blogs to avoid this. But I must raise some issue with the claim that I stole a headcanon about sunflowers, a headcanon about running/athleticism, and a FC. I use flower symbolism in a fair number of my applications and characters, and this particular headcanon was written when I read the ProFlowers description of what sunflowers meant (in fact, at the time I was buying flowers for my grandmother, whose birthday I had forgotten, and thought sunflowers might be nice according to the description). I’ll link the headcanon HEREas it includes a link to the article. The running/athleticism headcanon is twofold – the graphic linked HERE is from a quiz which many people in the tag were using, and was therefore not my own doing. But I had put some stock in the character’s athleticism, since it’s both canon that she’d have to be athletic, and because the character is suffering, in the plot, from severe PTSD. It is often recommended to sufferers of PTSD, like myself, and like my combat veteran father, to put much of their anxiety into athleticism, as linked in the headcanon HERE. I put a lot of myself into my characters, and I thought that, as I am dealing with my own battle with PTSD, it would be appropriate to make a point of expanding upon it in the development of a character who very clearly has it. This is not copied and pasted from any blog, nor was it written in an attempt to mimic anyone else’s portrayal. And to insinuate that I am stealing simply because there is overlap in the usage of two face claims is also up for question – I will admit that I did take an interest in Lindsey Morgan as the character because the author of the PSA used her, and I commend you for your excellent FC choice. But the second mentioned, Deborah Ann Woll, is merely a coincidence, and I must take issue with the idea that face claims are exclusive.

In the PSA, it linked things from my old Alice blog that I’d recycled because I am who you all now know I am – were I trying to hide, I wouldn’t have done that. I’d have never been so obvious. I was too optimistic, I suppose, in that I’d kept my head down enough to play this character again, and I truly am so sorry for making you all uncomfortable, and for making you all feel as if I was trying to be devious by going under another alias. All I was doing was trying to mind my own business – and that is what I’m doing now, by turning my writing blog into a simple fandom blog. I’m even further in my corner now, and though I have no intention of leaving my corner, I thought it appropriate to leave this here as both an admittance of everything I’ve done, and a defense of the new character that I’ve built for myself. I understand that the PSA was made to warn people about someone horrible – but I’m not that person anymore. I have nothing but remorse for what I’ve done to those I’ve hurt, and I will never stop regretting the friendships that I destroyed. I considered so many of you my family, and I hurt you. It’s irreparable, and I will never ever stop trying to be a better person because of it. All I wanted was to turn over a new leaf, and to have fun writing with those I could reconnect with, and I apologize from the bottom of my heart for drudging up old hurts. I never want to hurt any of you again, and I never plan to. If anyone wishes to come talk to me about this, so I can explain and own up further, or if you would like a direct apology, I’m now at arhwen. I hope you’re all well, and finish out 2017 well, too.

#rpt #rpc #rph #rp #roleplay

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newyorktheater · 4 years

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Anne (Courtney Rikki Green) teaching Richard (MacGregor Arney), who has cerebral palsy, how to dance, in “Teenage Dick,” Mike Lew’s update of Shakespeare’s play Richard III, streaming online through April 19.

Eddie (Ty Fanning, left) bullies Richard (MacGregor Arney.) Richard gets his revenge.

MacGregor Arney (left) plays Richard and Tamara Rozofsky plays Buck

Theater Wit’s production of Mike Lew’s play, which is running online through April 19th, has changed the way we view this teenage comedy turned melodrama based on Shakespeare’s “Richard III” – changed it literally and figuratively, changed it unintentionally and perhaps inevitably.

What was most striking about “Teenage Dick” when it debuted at the Public Theater two years ago, was its focus on the character’s disability. Richard, now a high school junior scheming to become student body president, has cerebral palsy – as does the actor who portrayed him, Greg Mozgala. Indeed Mozgala, the founding artistic director of The Apothetae theater company, had commissioned the play.

There is far more to do about disability in the script of “Teenage Dick” than there is in “Richard III,” certainly more enlightenment. When Richard’s able-bodied classmate Anne asks him, “Like, the way that you move, what does it feel like to you?” Richard answers: “You know how sometimes in winter when you hit an ice patch you didn’t know was there, how you brace yourself before you’re about to slip on the ice? That’s what it’s like for me all the time.”

And Richard debates various issues and dilemmas connected to being disabled with his friend Buck, who uses a wheelchair (as did the actress who portrayed her)

RICHARD. Do you believe our social station is circummountable, or is it immutable? BUCK. Good question. Immutable. RICHARD. But… no, but don’t you believe we can rise past our station, given sufficient cunning and skill? BUCK. Nope no I don’t. I’m not like you, yearning to fly beyond nature’s boundaries like some kind of disabled nerd Icarus.

And when Richard reveals himself as a true villain at the end, he declares: “You already knew I wasn’t the hero from the moment I came limping your way. So close your eyes and forget about me. You always do anyhow.”

This emphasis on the issue of disability is the strongest aspect of the script, and goes a long way towards allowing us to tolerate the odd shift in tone and even genre, from playful teen comedy to horror melodrama.

Lew is clever in his transposition of Shakespeare’s plot and especially his language: Riffing on the famous opening couplet of Richard III (“Now is the winter of our discontent/Made glorious summer by this sun of York”), Richard begins: “Now that the winter formal gives way to glorious spring fling, we find our rocks-for-brains hero Eddie—the quarterback—sleeping through his job as junior class president.” But the playwright winds up too faithful to the Bard’s history play, imposing Kingly intrigue and bloody violence onto a bunch of high school kids in a way that feels out of proportion.

It seems clear that the Theater Wit production likewise intended to emphasize the issues surrounding disability. In an introductory video, the new director, Brian Balcom, who has a disability himself, makes a point of saying how important this play is to him. As with the original cast, the new Richard, MacGregor Armey, also has cerebral palsy, and the new Buck, Tamara Rozofsky, also uses a wheelchair.

But what becomes the most noted aspect of Theater Wit’s production is not its themes, but that we’re watching it online – and especially, as it turns out, who “we” are.

“Teenage Dick” was playing in Chicago when the theaters were shut down there. The company decided to record the last performance, on March 16th, using two cameras, and that what the company is offering every night, for $28 a ticket. It has added two introductory videos – one of which is a tour of the physical theater by artistic director Jeremy Wechsler – and a nightly “post-show conversation,” live and in real time, on an online platform called GoToMeeting.

The post-show conversation via GoToMeeting. This is just a corner of the screen, showing only Theater Wit people, including five of the six cast members and artistic director Jeremy Wechsler. The full screen the night I “attended” contained about two dozen audience members, some of whom replaced their faces with their initials.

For a production so dedicated to making inroads into understanding the disabled, it is disappointing that Theater Wit doesn’t include the option of captioning the play. Perhaps that was not technically or financially feasible given the rush to keep the show going. But it points to the challenge for a small theater in translating their productions to the screen. It’s hard for them to compete with the more experienced, elaborate (and expensive) endeavors by the likes of Spike Lee (“Passing Strange” and “Freak” and, recently announced, “David Byrne’s American Utopia”) for monied platforms like Netflix. (See Where To Get Your Theater Fix Online, Old Favorites and New Experiments) We’ve come to expect that even our filmed theater will speak the language of film – close-ups above all. It’s why most of the pandemic-era online theater I’ve seen so far (which is to say, in the past ten days) have been monologues. The camerawork in Theater Wit’s presentation makes it difficult to judge the performances of the six-member cast in “Teenage Dick.” They seem fine. One scene that stands out is when Anne (Courtney Rikki Green) teaches Richard to dance, perhaps in part because it’s best watched from a distance. But viewing the backs of the actors’ heads more than once made me wish I was among the March 16th audience members that you can glimpse watching the show..

This makes a line by Richard’s teacher Elizabeth (Liz Cloud) far more pointed (and less funny) than it was surely intended. She is trying to get Richard to run for student body president (unaware that he has been manipulating her to this very end), because she is the advisor to the drama club and she hopes Richard will back her up in making sure that all the school’s discretionary funds won’t go to the football team. “I know someone like you understands the importance—the all-consuming social importance of live theater! “

It was in fact the live aspect of the evening that made the experience especially worthwhile.

As a couple of dozen audience members talked with members of the cast, we learned that only a couple were from Chicago; we lived in Indiana and South Carolina, San Francisco and New York – all of us in quarantine.

We got some behind-the-scenes tidbits. For example, artistic director Jeremy Wechsler told us that they had altered that filmed performance from earlier ones in the run: “We did some distance staging for kisses and violence for increased actor safety.”

We talked about the play a bit, and the psychology of the characters, and shared the novelty of this theatergoing. “Although we’re watching it together we’re watching alone,” one virtual seatmate observed. “There was a moment where I laughed at something on stage and I realized that the other audience did not in the recording. And I wondered if anyone else alone shared that moment with me.”

Beth said: “I liked being able to move around and not worry about bothering anyone.”

Charles said: “I missed lines here and there but that happens for me live as well anyway.

”Lara said: “It felt very comforting to me to watch — a feeling of having missed being in a theatre and getting a taste of that brought back a little moment of “normal.” Even in the video format it did have that live feel like I could have been sitting there.”

One self-declared “art supporter and advocate” whose name I didn’t catch said the best part of the evening was being able to help the show go on and everyone get paid. “So many performances around the country have been cancelled.”

It’s that audience goodwill that makes me suspect this is just the beginning.

And I’m not alone.

Jeremy Wechsler shared a prediction with us: “Playwrights will start writing Zoom/GoToMeeting/Skype plays that can be acted remotely,” (It’s already happening on Instagram.)

Teenage Dick Review. Theater Wit brings Mike Lew’s updated Richard III streaming to the nation Theater Wit’s production of Mike Lew’s play, which is running online through April 19th, has changed the way we view this teenage comedy turned melodrama based on Shakespeare’s “Richard III” – changed it literally and figuratively, changed it unintentionally and perhaps inevitably.

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pete-and-pete · 6 years

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The Walking Dead Spoilers: Season 9 Premiere Recap & Review

Season 9 Episode 1 of The Walking Dead has premiered, and thanks to AMC Premiere, fans were able to watch the episode 24 hours early. Heavy took advantage of this and can report back that the premiere was absolutely phenomenal. Although the episode didn’t have any truly earth-shattering moments, it was deep in character development, had a few scenes that left you at the edge of your seat, and had some moments that really touched viewers’ hearts. Below is a recap and review of the Season 9 premiere of The Walking Dead. So of course, this article will have major spoilers from here on.

The episode had a natural feel that the show has been missing for awhile. The dialogue feels greatly improved, and scenes flow much better. Although there were still some moments when I wondered why the characters were putting themselves in certain positions, the episode was overall a solid 4 out 5 stars. The plot moved along at a good pace, while also taking time to really flesh out the characters’ struggles. Even Daryl had more lines than he’s had in a long time.

The episode begins with an obvious time jump. The best clue we have regarding how much time has passed is Judith’s age. But we actually don’t have to guess, because the time jump was revealed in The Walking Dead Season 9 preview special. About 18 months have passed since Season 8 concluded. (Tom Payne, who plays Jesus, revealed the exact length of time for fans.)

One of the first people we see is Ronan from The 100, who is now Justin on The Walking Dead. This actor has actually had a number of significant roles (Agents of Shield, Black Sails), so don’t expect this to be a bit role. More is coming from him. There’s a montage of different scenes, and then we’re in Washington, D.C., where it appears a walker fell asleep against a car and suddenly woke up. (Do walkers sleep?)

And that’s when we see the beautiful new intro/opening credits. For the first time, the show has changed its opening credits dramatically. Rewatch the new opening credits below.

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At one point, the intro pans out more to show us that mysterious helicopter that Jadis was connected to. That’s likely from the Commonwealth, I’d guess.

AMC

And we pan away from the horses to crosses and a sword in the ground and Carl’s hat. :(

AMC

And now it’s time to continue with the show.

Our main characters are making a supply run to Washington, D.C., where they visit the Smithsonian in a pretty intense scene. Everyone is putting their lives at risk to drag a wagon over a glass floor while a bunch of walkers loom beneath, very hungry. I wondered from time to time if this was worth it. Couldn’t they make their own wagon, worst case scenario, rather than go through all this for one? The seeds are certainly worthwhile, but you wouldn’t have to risk breaking through a glass floor in the process.

YES, the woman you see talking to Gabriel during this scene is Jadis, now going by Anne. She looks completely different and acts completely different. Those bowlcut bangs are gone, and so is her weird accent. But she’s still hiding secrets.

Does anyone else think Jadis isn't the sole survivor of her group? I think she has a lot more going on than we know.. Just an example: maybe she has other groups in locations we don't yet know about. Thoughts #TWDFamily? #TheWalkingDead #TWD pic.twitter.com/c2PmjAjats

— Stephen Sweet (@sweetstephen55) September 11, 2018

For that matter, Gabriel is different now too, but he’s embraced his new self.

AMCGabriel

In the process of trying to rescue the wagon, Ezekiel falls through the floor and is just barely saved from the walkers beneath. That’s when we officially learn that he and Carol are a couple now. :) They are absolutely adorable. Their back-and-forth banter later when he proposes is adorable too. I’m definitely on team Carzekiel. After waht

AMC

A bridge is out for unknown reasons, and as a result, a guy in a blue shirt dies when he tries to help free a horse before the walkers attack. Despite knowing nothing about him, Maggie’s brokenhearted response to his death really hit me. And no, she wasn’t calling him “kid” over and over. His name is Ken.

We soon learn that Tammy and Earl are Ken’s parents, and they’re heartbroken. They feel this was all worthless because so much of what they worked for is just going to the Saviors anyway. :( And they’re mad at Maggie. Maggie understands their grief and isn’t offended.

Later, Alden sings at the funeral. Alden was the member of the Saviors who was held hostage by Hilltop, but ended up siding with Maggie. So he got to stick around. He was singing the lyrics to The Last Rose of Summer, a poem by Irish poet Thomas Moore. The end of the poem reads: “So soon may I follow, When friendships decay, And from Love’s shining circle The gems drop away. When true hearts lie withered, And fond ones are flown, Oh! who would inhabit This bleak world alone?”

The poem has been set to music numerous times, most recently in the movie Three Billboards, which begins with a version performed by Renee Fleming.

We also learn that somehow, Gregory is still alive, which is weird to me.

Meanwhile, we see that at the Sanctuary, a lot of people practically worship Rick (and Daryl has been leading the group here.) Neither of them are too comfortable with the hero worship, however. But there’s still a group of secret folks who want Negan back.

AMC

We soon learn that Daryl really just wants to be with his friends again and not lead the Sanctuary anymore. He wants to see Maggie and her baby Hershel, and he just wants to check out for awhile. He’s kind of lonely. Carol picks up on it and offers to lead the Sanctuary for him so he can take a break. He offers to stay with her, but she says that she doesn’t need him to. They talk about Ezekiel’s proposal, and he’s happy for her. I honestly think this may be the most Daryl’s talked since his scenes with Beth. They have a pretty sweet moment that might give #Caryl fans some hope still, but I think Carol just sees Daryl as her younger brother, but has a real love for him in that sense.

AMC

This episode was great at delving into character relationships. The interactions between Michonne and Rick were natural and authentic too. I love how she made fun of him for being the Great Rick Grimes.

AMC

Gregory, meanwhile, is up to his old tricks. He’s claiming that Maggie rigged the election with Jesus’ help. He convinces Maggie (in a very Dr. Smith from Lost in Space kind of way) that Glenn’s tomb was defaced. When she goes, she’s attacked by Earl. Then she confronts Gregory, who attacks her too. And Enid is knocked out in the melee.

Maggie goes to Rick and demands that the Sanctuary doesn’t take such a big cut. She’s ready to take the lead now, like Rick promised he would let her. When she returns to Hilltop, she’s ready to make the tough decisions.

Yes, she’s going to hang Gregory. (I’m surprised he lives this long.) Daryl is the one who carries out her orders, slapping a horse so it will run away and Gregory will hang. Michonne is there and tries to stop the whole thing when she sees two kids watching, but Rick holds her back. This is Maggie’s decision, and rightly so. Maggie tells the crowd: “This is not the beginning of something. I don’t want to go through this again.”

And then the episode ends.

The premiere for Season 9 was well done, authentic, and intense. It set off on a higher quality tone in many ways than Season 8, and pulled the viewers right back in. I care about the characters again. And yes, Maggie’s death sentence on Gregory might have reminded people a bit of Negan, but it was necessary. Maggie is ready to take the reins and do what has to be done. But unlike Negan (or Rick for that matter), she will know where the line should be drawn.

What did you think of the episode? Let us know in the comments below.

source https://heavy.com/entertainment/2018/10/the-walking-dead-season-9-premiere-recap-review-spoilers/

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alittlebook-ish · 6 years

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My 5 Best & Worst Books of 2017

So, for one of my first personal posts, I thought it would be a great idea to kind of round up the tops and bottoms of my 2017 books as a way to get to know me as a reader and what I like and don’t like in a book/story/etc. So here they are in chronological order with #1 being the best/worst.

My Top 5 Books of 2017

My Life by Lyn Hejinian This poem/novel is written by Hejinian, a known LANGUAGE poet. This is an autobiography of Hejinian’s life and it comments on common LANGUAGE poet themes like construction of words and the falseness of identity. It’s beautiful if you really like poetry and you want something both challenging yet completely comprehensible. The challenging parts of this text are her use of repetition and parataxis but meaning is incredibly profound.

Bloody Chamber & Other Stories by Angela Carter Bloody Chamber and Other Stories are feminist retellings of folktales. Bloody Chamber specifically is a retelling of Blue Beard, and my favourite tale within the novel is actually Snow Child, a snow white retelling. Carter is a beautiful writer and her retellings are incredibly unique and her use of sexuality is both explicit and thought provoking. The stories are really stunning if you enjoy folktales and would like to read things that are blatantly feminist.

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn I think at this point, we all know the plot of Gone Girl but if you don’t, this story follows the lives of a Nick and Amy. Nick and Amy are married and to most, they seem to have a perfect marriage, that is until Amy goes missing. Nick becomes the prime suspect and it’s a race against time to find out who took Amy and what happened to her. The novel makes you question everyone, even Nick when you’re reading it and Flynn is a master at the thriller/mystery genre. Her ability to utilize narrative to manipulate both plot and characters is unique and demonstrates how masterful of an author she is. If you haven’t gotten on this book, you really should, it’s 100x better than the movie and it really won’t disappoint.

Scandalous Women by Elizabeth Kerri Mahon This novel is a book that touches on the lives of many different women in history. For example, she talks about Cleopatra, Barbara Palmer, Anne Boleyn, etc. I actually found Mahon’s blog under the same name and purchased her novel because I loved her blog so much. I will definitely say that she does not spend too much time on each woman, for the most part each chapter is more of an in depth summary than a long biography, but I went into it expecting just that because I was used to the length and depth of her blog posts. If you’re looking to read a novel about fantastic women, some you may not have heard of, some that are popular, like Cleopatra, but don’t know the real story of, this novel will give you that. A fantastic introduction to fantastic women.

Bridget Jones’s Diary by Helen Fielding I finally read the first novel in this series after most adults in their 30s telling me “oh! Renee, like Renee Zellweger, like Bridget Jones!” Yes, I get it, I share a name with the only relevant Renee who happens to play Bridget Jones. So picking this book up I really didn’t know what to expect, and only after finishing this novel did I realize it was a pride and prejudice retelling, which okay I can see but ?? NO THANKS? Anyways, this novel is written in a diary format and follows Bridget Jones, a middle aged woman and her coming of age story while she tries to deal with her problematic family and romantic life. This novel is not necessarily amazing literature, but it’s entertaining, fun, and was just a good trashy read. I found myself hating, loving, being frustrated, and being proud of Bridget Jones throughout this novel which only tells me how much this character really resonates with me and I loved every page of this novel.

My Worst 5 Books of 2017

The Heir by Kiera Cass I did not finish this book and don’t really think that I want to. This novel takes place after the original selection trilogy and *spoiler* features America and Maxon’s daughter having her own selection. If I’m being blunt, their daughter, who I can’t remember the name of, is a really huge cunt. I mean, I just don’t understand how their child turned out so horribly when her parents are genuinely so good. It was just, bad bad bad bad bad and bad. Nope. Can’t do it.

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern So this novel is about two people with magic who were promised to fight to the death through a series of creations/attractions inside of a travelling circus. The premise of this novel was really great and Morgenstern’s imagination is captivating. The most beautiful part of this novel are the circus attractions. Morgenstern has a way with words and an extraordinary imagination that everything about the book is beautiful. There is something so whimsical and fantastical about this novel but this novel lacks so much in both storytelling and character development. The love story is lacking, the character development is lacking, the plot is completely lost in comparison to Morgenstern’s attention to creating new amusement parks. The ending was also incredibly disappointing and felt like Morgernstern just wanted a nicely packaged happy ending that wasn’t all that nice. The ending was rushed and the whole story was just not cohesive. It was disappointing as a story, but beautiful as a concept.

Dare Me by Megan Abbott The novel is described everywhere as a competition between Beth, captain of the cheerleading team, and the new cheer coach that escalades into a murder. The main mystery is who did it and partially who was killed (because you find that out halfway through the novel). I really hated the narrator because it was first person but it felt more like Nick from Great Gatsby than an actual character’s perspective. It was just an observer that really didn’t do anything and the whole plot was overshadowed by the inappropriate relationship between the coach and our narrator and Beth. Beth is the only redeeming thing about this novel because she is absolutely fantastic and well-rounded. But everything else is so... meh. And the person who killed him is so lackluster, like I didn’t expect them but it was the most obvious person for sure. It just wasn’t even a twist it was so... meh. Everything about this novel was meh tbh.

Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire This novel is set in a reality where secondary worlds are real and it revolves around a school where kids who return from these worlds are sent to to be rehabilitated for the “normal” world and after the MC arrives at the school, a string of murders begin. It’s a really interesting idea and I can’t say that I hated it but it really lacked world-building, the murderer was really easily deduced for me, and I hated the ending. I mean, there’s not much more I can say.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J.K Rowling I think I’m one of the very few people that doesn’t like Harry Potter. I just think Rowling’s writing is lacking, the storyline has never been interesting to me, and I only read this novel for my child lit course. It’s just... bland. The characters lack uniqueness, they’re just archetypes of the classic school story & romance genre. The plot always takes a backseat to the world-building and school story. All the actual adventure/plot literally happens at the last half of the novel, which is.. bad writing? I’m just over the hype. I didn’t like it when I was a kid, don’t like it now. Sorry.

#renee reviews #renee #books #book review #reviews

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