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Come hungry: 470 lbs of fingerling potatoes for dinner at the SAG Awards.

This is one of my favorite posts every year. The stats are amazing and the information goes on and on and Award Season is a fun January Event.

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19th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards^® "By the Numbers"

LOS ANGELES (Jan 2013) — To create a dramatic arrivals area, impressive stage and intimate dinner setting for the world’s leading actors who are gathering on Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013, the SAG Awards^® staff must transform the Shrine Auditorium entrance and the adjoining Exposition Center. The Shrine complex is a Los Angeles landmark built in 1920 in Spanish Colonial Revival style with Moorish detailing. It’s grandiose and beautiful on the outside, but the inner space of the Shrine’s Exposition Center, with its 34,000 square foot wooden floor, paint-trimmed overhangs and bare columns, has to be redefined for each event.

This year’s SAG Awards stage and décor is a contemporary interpretation of the streamline moderne style that emerged during the 1930s that pays homage to old movies palaces of that era. Architectural details such as paneled molding are highlighted by a color scheme of black, white and silver, which will be transformed by the application of colored lighting appropriate to each segment of the show. Among the design elements are a broken proscenium arch that is echoed by the broken frame surrounding the oversized screen set against a field of fiber-optic stars upstage, on which the nominated performances and tributes will be projected. On either side, vertical steel tubing echoes the organ pipes so often found in vintage movie theaters and 10-foot tall Actor^® statues sit on platinum pedestals in front of them. Actor^® recipients will move from the showroom floor to the stage via steps edged in aluminum and silver, while presenters will make their entrances and exits through oversized airy metal gates A black and white checkerboard floor complements the entire look.

FOR THE STAR-STUDDED ARRIVALS AND TO TRANSFORM THE SHOWROOM the SAG Awards will:

• Lay 15,872 square feet of red carpet in the arrivals area, edged by 585 lineal feet of hedges
• Accommodate 300 fans in three-row six-foot high bleachers placed along an 180’ section of the red carpet arrivals area
• In the event of rain, protect the red carpet from the elements by 23,530 square feet of tenting
• Post five 10’ Actor^® statues along the red carpet and onstage
• Lay 11,800 square feet of black carpet in the interior Shrine entrance and the showroom
• Drape the interior Shrine entrance with 4,575 square feet of charcoal/silver shimmer fabric
• Post three 10’ Actor^® statues along the red carpet
• Cover the showroom walls with 15,000 square feet of black drape to create a neutral background and block sunlight
• On the stage, install 600 feet of silver aluminum pipe connecting two monumental 16-foot high gates on which a ziggurat evolves to a sunburst design. Each is capped by 10-foot fiberglass staff detail, which is repeated at the base. The gates are surrounded by 100 feet of over-scaled custom-cut case moldings, which are repeated downstage with another 75 feet of custom molding to create a broken proscenium arch.
• Float a 20’ wide “silver screen” framed by 100 feet of custom crown molding in front of 200 running feet of 30’ high fiber-optic star cloth
• Line the stage floor with 300 4’x4’ sheets of black and white checkerboard Formica
• Above the stage hang a 5-foot crystal empire chandelier that will be echoed by four chandeliers hung from the Expo Hall’s ornate ceiling

TO SET THE DINNER TABLES, the SAG Awards will:

• Create custom table coverings from 1,306 linear yards of gunmetal crinkled organza, complemented by 1,200 silver satin matte lined napkins
• Place over 3,600 Optique champagne, wine and water glasses, 2,400 pieces of Montecito silver flatware and 1,200 square white china dinner plates, on 86 rectangular dinner tables and more than 2,400 glasses at two 16’ beverage bars and two wine tasting bars
• Soften more than 1,200 Silver “Fanfare” Chameleon Chairs with more than 1,200 silver seat cushions
• Create a stunning visual setting through the use of florals. This year's inspiration is a modern approach to “Classic Hollywood” created with the use of a series of metallic silver containers highlighted by white floral and accentuated with a variety of rich textured foliage. The compositions incorporated the textures of thousands of various foliage stems. The use of looped bear grass, magnolia leaves, green dianthus, various sized ti leaves, ribbon foliage and dramatic calathea leaves create the foundation for the arrangements.  Over 3,000 stems of white miniature calla lilies and white roses compliment thousands of stems of orchids, both dendrobium and phalaenopsis. Adding to the dramatic look is the addition of hundreds of stems of arabicum lilies. The look and layers of textures create a whirlwind of motion.

THE DINNER MENU

Guests will dine on antipasto plates conceived by James Beard Award-winning chef Suzanne Goin, deliciously prepared and artfully arranged by Lucques Catering, consisting of:

MAIN PLATE:

• Roasted beets and blood oranges with feta and black olives
• Slow-roasted salmon with green rice, labneh, capers and nasturiums
• Beef tenderloin with fingerlings, arugula and horseradish cream

VEGAN PLATE:

• Roasted beets and blood oranges with mint and black olives
• Cauliflower couscous with pomegranate salsa
• Farro with kale, young broccoli, currants and pine nuts

THE BEVERAGES

Two multi-generational family owned companies are the official SAG Awards vintners. Champagne Taittinger is providing champagne for the SAG Awards for the 13th consecutive year.  New in 2013 is Gallo Signature Series, which is providing still wine for the SAG Awards. Taittinger, Gallo and second-year still water sponsor, FIJI^® Water, are also generous supporters of the SAG Foundation.

Champagne Taittinger is serving:

• Fun fact:  Each magnum contains 500 million bubbles!
• 1 Magnum of Champagne Taittinger Brut La Française for the Champagne Taittinger toast that opens the SAG Awards Red Carpet
• 160 Magnums of Champagne Taittinger Brut La Française at the SAG Awards dinner
• 155 750 ml bottles of Champagne Taittinger Brut La Française at the showroom bars
• 288 750 ml bottles of Champagne Taittinger Brut La Française at the SAG Awards Gala
• Champagne Taittinger is also providing Two Methuselah (6 Liter) bottles of Champagne Taittinger Brut La Française to be signed by Actor^® recipients for the SAG Awards auction benefiting the SAG Foundation

Gallo Signature Series is serving:

• 240 bottles each of Gallo Signature Series Napa Valley Chardonnay and Gallo Signature Series Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir at the SAG Awards dinner
• 36 bottles each of Bridlewood Estate Winery Blend 175, Edna Valley Vineyard Chardonnay, Edna Valley Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc and William Hill Estate Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon at the showroom tasting bars
• 24 bottles each of William Hill Estate Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Gallo Signature Series Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon and three cases of William Hill Estate Napa Valley Chardonnay in the Green Room

FIJI^® Water is serving:

• 3,264 liters of FIJI’s natural artesian water served in the showroom and at the SAG Awards Gala
• Another 12,600 third-liters served to staff, crew and the more than 800 media and 300 fans in the bleachers as well as placed in the Gala gift bags. 

IT TAKES MORE THAN A VILLAGE!

By Sunday, January 27, more than 700 staff and crew will be hard at work to make the SAG Awards a reality.

Sources:
Marybeth Bentwood, Director of Public Relations Kobrand Corporation
Nate Collier, Associate Marketing Manager, E&J Gallo Winery
Benn Fleishman, SAG Awards Executive in Charge of Production
Suzanne Goin, Chef & Jessica Goin, Catering Director, Lucques Catering
Keith Greco, Keith Greco Designs, SAG Awards Art Director
Chris Matsumoto, CJ Matsumoto & Sons, Florist
Mickey Moscynski, SAG Awards Arrivals Art Director
Lauren Murray, FIJI Water Public Relations Manager
Andrea Wyn Schall, A Wynning Event, SAG Awards Event Supervisor
John Shaffner & Joe Stewart, SAG Awards Production Designers

The 19th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards, one of the awards season’s premier events, will be simulcast live coast-to-coast on TNT and TBS on Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013, at 8 p.m. (ET)/5 p.m. (PT) from the Shrine Exposition Center in Los Angeles. An encore primetime telecast will begin immediately following on TNT at 10 p.m. (ET)/7 p.m. (PT). The ceremony will also be telecast internationally, as well as to U.S. military installations overseas through the American Forces Network Broadcast Center.

Recipients of the honors for Outstanding Action Performances by Film and Television Stunt Ensembles announced at 6:15 p.m. (ET)/3:15 p.m. (PT) during the red carpet pre-show webcast on tntdrama.com, tbs.com and People.com which begins at 6 p.m. (ET)/3 p.m. (PT)

The 19^th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards presented by SAG-AFTRA will be produced by Jeff Margolis Productions in association with Screen Actors Guild Awards^®, LLC. For more information about the SAG Awards, SAG-AFTRA, TNT and TBS, visit sagawards.org/about, “like” us at facebook.com/sagawardsofficialpage, follow us at twitter.com/sagawards, follow us SAG Awards on Google+ at google.com/+SAGawards, on Instagram by following @sagawards, and on Tumblr at sagawards.tumblr.com.

A personal note to my fellow union members: Always remember Rule Number 1. Your compliance means the world the Baltimore-Washington, SAG-AFTRA Local.

Dr Martin Luther King, Jr (1929-1968) — I celebrate the man and his life with music.

 

 

 

 

 

You were grace on earth, Dr King, and I will continue to thank you for all of your work for of my days. 

From SAG: Live streaming video event with Jessica Chastain, 'Zero Dark Thirty.'

JESSICA CHASTAIN

Please join us for a one hour LIVE STREAMED Q&A with Oscar Nominee
Jessica Chastain, currently starring in ZERO DARK THIRTY.

Tomorrow - Thursday, January 17th
4:00 PM EST / 1:00 PM PST
To watch the Q&A go to:
http://www.sagfoundation.org/videogallery/livestream
To watch the Q&A you DO NOT have to log into our website. Just go to http://www.sagfoundation.org/videogallery/livestream.
ZERO DARK THIRTY Stars Jessica Chastain, Jason Clarke, Joel Edgerton, Jennifer Ehle, Mark Strong, Kyle Chandler, Edgar Ramirez and James Gandolfini
Directed by Kathryn Bigelow

From Oscar-winning director Kathryn Bigelow ("The Hurt Locker"), "Zero Dark Thirty" is a chronicle of the decade-long hunt for al-Qaeda terrorist leader Osama bin Laden after the 9/11 attacks, and his death at the hands of the Navy SEAL Team 6 in May, 2011. For a decade, an elite team of intelligence and military operatives, working in secret across the globe, devoted themselves to a single goal: to find and eliminate Osama bin Laden. Zero Dark Thirty reunites the Oscar® winning team of director-producer Kathryn Bigelow and writer-producer Mark Boal (The Hurt Locker) for the story of history's greatest manhunt for the world's most dangerous man.

After 20 years, 'Polyester' at the Charles.

Janet Maslin of The New York Times wrote:
Ordinarily, Mr. Waters is not everyone's cup of tea
- but Polyester, which opens today at the National
and other theaters, is not Mr.Waters' ordinary
movie. It's a very funny one, with a hip, stylized
humor that extends beyond the usual limitations of
his outlook. This time, the comic vision is so controlled
and steady that Mr. Waters need not rely so heavily on
the grotesque touches that make his other films such
perennial favorites on the weekend Midnight Movie
circuit. Here's one that can just as well be shown in
the daytime.


John Waters'
POLYESTER

The first Charles Theatre screening of Polyester in more than 20 years! John Waters’ larger-budget “women’s picture” satire stars Divine as tormented housewife Francine Fishpaw. Featuring Tab Hunter, Edith Massey, Mink Stole and many of your friends and neighbors. 

Saturday, January 19 11:30 AM; Monday, January 21 7 PM; Thursday, January 24 9 PM.

1981 Dir. John Waters 1.85. 86 Min. Color.
TRAILER

WINTER REPERTORY FILM CALENDAR

The Players:
Divine, Tab Hunter, Edith Massey, David Samson, Mary Garlington, Ken King, Mink Stole, Joni Ruth White, Hans Kramm 

and a credited cast of dozens

Stiv Bators, Cookie Mueller, Mary Vivian Pearce, Jean Hill, George Udell,Joan Erbe, Steve Yeager, George Figgs, Garey Lambert, Tom Diventi, Susan Lowe, Chuck Yeaton, Brook Yeaton, Stuart Rome, Paula Rome, Jay Leno, Rick Breitenfeld, Jim Hill, John Brothers, Derek Neal, Michael Watson, Sharon Niesp, Marina Melin, George Hulse, Tony Parkham, Paul Holland, Alberto Panella, Frank Tamburo, Nancy Morgan, Keats Smith, Gordon Kamka, David Klein, George Stover, Marv Egoff, John De La Vega, Mrs. Horner, Katie Casey, Gail Kondylas, Judith Klein, Alan Hauser, Lynda Lambert, Dorothy Braudy, Leo Braudy, Pat Figgs, Joan Insley, Sam Insley, Kitty Samson, Steve Waters, Treva Barnes, Sharon Waters, Anne Mallory, John Allen, Jay Allen, Tommy Allen, Hilary Aidus, Jay Bennett, Rocky Collins, Denny Dormody, Bernard Jay, Karl Otter, Charles Roggero.

The Charles Theatre
1711 N Charles Steet
Baltimore (of course) 21201

Opportunities in and around Baltimore's Art Scene.

Opportunities in and around the arts in Baltimore. January 2013.

Courtesy, Wide Angle Youth Media

WIDE ANGLE YOUTH MEDIA seeks Lead Instructor

Looking for a Lead Instructor to facilitate weekly Baltimore Speaks Out! Program, Wide Angle Youth Media is a non-profit organization that provides Baltimore youth with media education to tell their own stories and become engaged with their communities.

ART EXPOSURE seeks Artists
Art Exposure is looking for artists who want to exhibit their work.

BOPA seeks Visual Arts Instructors
Bright StARTS is looking for visual arts instructors for after school programs.

THE BERNDT GROUP seeks .NET Developer (Full-time Position, also looking for Freelancers)
Located in Baltimore, The Berndt Group (TBG) is one of the oldest, most respected web firms in the country.

CENTERSTAGE seeks Part Time Graphic Designer
Check out this exciting opportunity here!

THE WALTERS ART MUSEUM seeks Assistant Director of Development
This position will manage all Individual Giving Programs. 

BSO seeks Donor Stewardship Coordinator
Some requirements include: Bachelors degree with 2 years development, direct donor relations and/or event planning experience.

CYLBURN ARBORETUM seeks Association Executive Director
The Executive Director is the chief executive officer of the Cylburn Arboretum Association

DAVID D. MITCHELL offers Acting Classes
Including 'Essentials of Drama' and 'Advanced Scene Study'

Good luck and if you have opportunities you'd like posted, send them my direction.

Awards Season - 'LES MISÉRABLES' comes to me; I go to New York City for 'LINCOLN'

Every year Jacob and I plan far ahead to keep January weekends free to screen award-nominated movies. We look forward to the envelopes and packages stamped with the iconic message: For Your Consideration. As an active and voting member of Screen Actors Guild—celebrating 40 years—and a retired member of Directors Guild of America, the DVDs and screening invitations begin arriving each year just after the New Year.

My 'Les Miserables' package from Universal Pictures

Some studios send a DVD, some studios send top-shelf print material as a teaser and then the DVD, some studios provide eMoviePasses so you can screen their nominated movies with a typical audience, and others offer intimate screenings with industry peers.

This year Disney and DreamWorks Pictures sent me a handsome invitation to screen Lincoln at the Directors Guild Theatre in New York. (One of the great benefits of living in Baltimore is proximity.)

'Lincoln' - final shooting script

And, in their package, they included, at 127 pages, the final shooting script and additional digital teasers. I returned my eRSVP this afternoon.

DGA RSVP

The DGA Theatre is a small, jewel-box of a place on West 57th Street, a few steps from the Russian Tea Room and Carnegie Hall. As screening theatres go, it's intimate, yet outfitted with envy-inducing, state-of-the-art audio and projection equipment:

DGA Theatre, 110 W 57th Street, NYC

Specifications from Directors Guild:
 

Digital Projection

• Barco DP-3000 D-Cinema DLP "2K" Projector
• Dolby DSS-200 D-Cinema screen server
• Dolby 3D and Real D 3D capabilities
• Multi-standard video decks (Digital Betacam, Betacam SP, Blu-Ray and DVD)
• DVI-D and SVGA Computer Graphics Capabilities (Powerpoint) from stage position   

Sound

• JBL three-way speaker system
• Dolby CP-650 Digital Cinema Sound Processors
• Dolby DMA8 Plus Digital Media Adaptor
• Dolby Digital 7.1 discreet audio
• Dolby SR-D, Dolby SR, Dolby E audio formats
• QSC Basis Network Audio System, QSC Digital Power Amplifier System

Film

• Dual Simplex XL 35mm Reel to Reel Capabilities

Control

• Theatrical Stage Lighting
•  Mackie 16 Channel Audio Mixing Console
• Shure Microphones

This private screening facility is designed to provide the ideal environment for industry professionals to screen their films, hold their special events, or their film premieres.

It is ideal for conferences, lectures and corporate presentations. The upper and lower lobby areas are ideal for pre and post-event receptions.

The DGA New York Theater Complex is recognized throughout the entertainment industry as one of the preeminent screening, private reception, and film premiere facilities in the city.

Simplicity in a print invitation: 'Lincoln'

You'll find Jacob and me at the Park Central Hotel, January 24 - 26. And, there's a pretty good chance that you'll find us at the Russian Tea Room, also.

After all of the travel arraingments to NYC to screen LINCOLN were made i looked out the window—we are living in an unusual, for winter, Baltimore cloud of fog today—and I saw this on top of the BGE building on Fayette and Liberity Streets. It seems appropriate.

Photo from the homestead, 218 N Charles Street, Baltimore
 

Now then. I'm off to bed. On Friday, at work, I was foolishly chatting everyone up about my having had a flu shot early and not having anything other that a mild cold this winter...

Flu 2013 - I have a head-splitting headache, every fiber of my body hurts, food is out of the question.

Post written by Stephen Brockelman

A Holiday Invitation from SAG-AFTRA, Baltimore-Washington, DC

Join Us for a Holiday Open House to Benefit the Baltimore, Washington, Mid Atlantic Local’s Toys for Tots Campaign

The SAG-AFTRA Washington – Mid Atlantic Local will be hosting a holiday open house for its members at the local office. Light refreshments will be provided. We only ask that you bring a new, unwrapped toy or monetary donation for the local’s Toys for Tots campaign. Meet your staff and fellow members, see your local office, and bring the gift of joy to a child all in one day.

What: Holiday Open House
When: 2:30 - 4:30 p.m., Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2012
Where: SAG-AFTRA Office
7735 Old Georgetown Road, Suite 950
Bethesda, MD 20814

Please Bring: Donations of new, unwrapped toys for infants through age 16. Monetary donations can also be dropped off or mailed to the local office. Please make checks payable to “DC Toys for Tots.”

If you are unable to attend the open house, you can still participate in the Toys for Tots campaign by bringing your donation to the local office between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Donations will be accepted at the local office until noon on Thursday, Dec. 13.

Taking a note from Santa’s playbook, Local Board member Greg Roche and Local Co-President Julie Wright take a minute to check their list twice while participating in the Toys for Tots campaign.

If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact Anee Raulerson at anee.raulerson@sagaftra.org or at 301-657-2560, ext. 864.

With donations from local members and staff, our partners at the AFL-CIO, the Building and Construction Trades Department of the AFL-CIO, Helmets to Hardhats, and members of the union community, we hope to brighten the day of children throughout the region this holiday season. Please make your donation today.

Written by Stephen Brockelman

2013 Scholarship information for SAG-AFTRA members and their children.

SAG Foundation

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
The Screen Actors Guild Foundation announces the 2013 John L. Dales Scholarship Program for eligible SAG-AFTRA members and their children.

Established in 1973 to honor John L. Dales who served as the SAG Executive Secretary for 37 years, the Dales Scholarship Program has provided over 1500 scholarships to members and their children who are pursuing their educational dreams.

Visit the SAG Foundation website for information, guidelines and applications.
 
Jill Seltzer
Executive Director
SAG Foundation 

Post written by Stephen Brockelman

Baltimore. New opportunities in the arts.

THE JEWISH MUSEUM OF MARYLAND seeks Actors
The Jewish Museum of Maryland is seeking an actor to portray "Bessie Bluefeld."

Port Discorvery Children's Museum, Baltimore

PORT DISCOVERY CHILDREN'S MUSEUM seeks a Director of Major Gifts & Individual Giving
The mission of Port Discovery Children’s Museum, one of the nation’s top 5 children’s museums, is to connect purposeful play and learning. 

THE WALTERS ART MUSEUM seeks An Assistant Director of Developement
The Walters Art Museum, an encyclopedic museum located in Baltimore’s historic Mount Vernon Square, presents a rich and varied schedule of special exhibitions and programs for the public, while offering free admission to its renowned permanent collection.

BALTIMORE TALENT EDUCATION CENTER seeks Teaching Assistants
The renowned strings program at the Baltimore Talent Education Center is opening more after-school sites in Baltimore City schools, and has an immediate need for more teaching assistants. The need extends all of the 2012-13 school year.

THE CANDLELIGHT CONCERT SOCIETY seeks a Dynamic Executive Director
The Candlelight Concert Society seeks a dynamic Executive Director to build on our 40-year history of offering the Howard County, MD community excellent and varied chamber music concerts by internationally-known musicians, the CandleKids Performing Arts series, and community outreach concerts.

BALTIMORE ART GALLERY seeks an Administrative Assistant
A local art gallery is seeking a dynamic assistant to join our team.

HOWARD COUNTY ARTS COUNCIL announces Call For Entries (HoCo Open 2013)
Artists who live in Howard County are invited to submit one piece of original artwork!

SHRIVER HALL CONCERT SERIES seeks Marketing and Community Engagement Manager
Shriver Hall Concert Series seeks an organized, passionate, self-starter to fill the position of Marketing and Community Engagement Manager.

HANDEL CHOIR OF BALTIMORE seeks Artistic Director and Conductor
Handel Choir of Baltimore is a highly respected 52-member auditioned community-based oratorio ensemble that presents baroque, classical and early romantic works with period instrument orchestras as well as modern repertoire and newly commissioned works.

Post written by Stephen Brockelman

Ricky Nelson sang 'I'm a Travelin' Man' and it sounded kind of cool. The reality is...

Way back when I was a little kid, this is the song that I based my grand ideas of traveling on—turns out it was an ill advised long-term concept.

 
Ricky Nelson, "Travelin' Man"

For me in one week: BWI to LAX, LAX to BWI, BWI to Owings Mills and Owings Mills to Baltimore (3 round trips), Baltimore Penn Station to DC Union Station and back (2 round trips) — It's beginning to look like this to my tired eyes. Travel today, air and rail.

 
A 30-second 'Brockel-Film' 

I'm happy to be back in Baltimore—I'm glad to be home. And, with a little sleep I'll be seeing things in Technicolor once again.

Approaching New Carrollton, a BrockelPhoto

Oh yes, and to the TSA agent at Los Angeles International who approached me after I went through the hands-up-scanner—the agent who looked all kinds of ominous, menacing, gruff, and said, "Step over here, sir. I need to see what you've got in your pants—I apologize for looking shell-shocked, then a bit smug and pleased, and then resigned when you only wanted to see my wallet.

News: Baltimore CITYLIT, Literary Arts Week

Some great events this week in Baltimore, Literary Arts Week. 

October 17 — Mt. Vernon Literary Walking Tour: Maryland Humanities Council. 

Follow in the footsteps of Baltimore's literary luminaries, 19thC merchants, and industrialists. To reserve a spot, www.MtVernonLitWalk.eventbrite.com or call (410) 685-4186. Meet in front of the Enoch Pratt Free Library, 400 Cathedral Street, 11:00 a.m.

October 17 — Moon Madness: A Night for Lunatics, Lunarians, and Luna Lovers.
Bring your best writing about, or inspired by, the moon and share it with other admirers of our lovely Luna. Maryland Writer’s Assoc., Baltimore Chapter. http://mwabaltimore.wordpress.com/. Village Learning Place, 2521 St. Paul Street, 6:30 p.m.

October 18 — CITYLIT PROJECT'S FREE FALL BALTIMORE EVENT! — CityLit Press and the State of Publishing — Join the local authors of CityLit Press—Jen Michalski, Laura Shovan, Bruce Sager, Jennifer Wallace, Leonora "Peachy" Dixon, and Neil Didriksen—and publisher Gregg Wilhelm as they share their wonderful literary art and discuss the dynamic state of publishing. gregg@citylitproject.org. Poe Room, Enoch Pratt Free Library, 400 Cathedral Street, 6:30 p.m.

October 19 — Baltimore Review Revue: The Baltimore Review.
A burlesque of editorial striptease that will titillate your literary impulses—with workshop, readings, and more. editor@baltimorereview.org. Minás Gallery, 815 W. 36th Street, 7:00 p.m.

October 20 — Maryland Writers’ Conference 2012: Writing in Times of Change.
With Keynote Speaker and Workshop leader Marita Golden. For writers of all genres and levels. www.marylandwritersconference.org. Thumel Business Center, University of Baltimore, 11 W. Mt. Royal Ave. Registration 8:15 a.m., start 9:00 a.m.

October 20 — Baltimore City Senior Citizens Poetry Contest Awards.
Baltimore City Department of Recreation & Parks - Senior Division: Awards to senior citizen poets in a contest to celebrate their literary talents and imagination. Winner announcement, readings. Light reception follows. hlynn@umbc.edu. Poe Room. Enoch Pratt Free Library Central Branch, 400 Cathedral Street, 2:30 p.m.

October 20 — 510 Readings: Fiction.
Four fiction readers of local, national, and international acclaim. Socializing at Fraziers Bar afterward. Local authors Jen Michalski and Michael Kimball are your hosts. http://510readings.blogspot.com/. Minas Gallery, 815 W. 36th Street, 5:00 p.m.

October 20 — Literature Party 2012: Publishing Genius.
A night of readings and performances featuring the best writers from around town and around the country. www.literaturepartybaltimore.info. Metro Gallery, 1700 N Charles Street, 8:00 p.m.

Literary Arts Week is created and sponsored by CityLit, GBCA, and MSAC.

Baltimore has 'em. Inexcusable Fantasies.

Strand Theater Company welcomes Baltimore playwright, performer and theater professor Susan McCully with her three-woman show Inexcusable Fantasies, exploring, often comically, her secret and not-so-secret obsessions with Martha Stewart, Harley Davidson, and Grandma’s Oil of Olay. The production is a Baltimore premiere and the second offering of the Strand 2012-13 Season, under the leadership of Artistic Director Rain Pryor. It runs November 1-17. 

Sarah Mcully, UMBC

McCully, a scholar of feminist theater at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, wrote, produced, and stars in this autobiographical show about sexual politics, lust “over forty,” cloning, eye surgery, vision, revision and the unmistakably erotic powers of Martha Stewart’s marzipan. The play is directed by fellow UMBC professor Eve Muson, whose work has been seen recently at Rep Stage (Las Meninas, Speech and Debate) and with UMBC at the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (Las Meninas). The acting trio is rounded out by Wendy Salkind and Sarah Ford Gorman. 

Rain Prior, Strand Artisitc Director — photo courtesy Astrid Riecken, Washington Post

Strand Artistic Director Rain Pryor is thrilled with the new partnership at the Strand. “Eve Muson and Susan McCully are true Baltimore homegrown artists”, says Pryor. “It is a privilege for the Strand to bring these two brilliant women to the community, and to show off what diverse talents we have in our city.” 

Inexcusable Fantasies begins with a Preview on Thursday, November 1, followed by the Opening Night on Saturday, November 3. Performances run on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays through November 17. All shows begin at 8 pm. General Admission is $20, seniors are $15, and students are $10 (with valid ID). Tickets to the preview performance are $5 and Opening Night tickets are $25.

About the Show and the Playwright

Inexcusable Fantasies was first penned a few years ago, opening the Philadelphia Gay and Lesbian Theatre Festival in 2004. New revisions and the support of the Strand allow McCully and her team to bring the show to Baltimore audiences. “This is a thrilling time to be a theatre artist in Baltimore,” says McCully “Dynamic new leadership and spaces, along with the rise of young ensemble companies fill the city with unmistakable energy toward new play development, and our show is a microcosm of all that excitement.” 

About Grrl Parts

While Inexcusable Fantasies will make its Baltimore premiere this November, McCully is not unfamiliar to presenting new plays with strong female roles to Baltimore audiences. Over the past seven years, she has steered efforts to cultivate UMBC’s Grrl Parts, a collection of new, short plays by major contemporary playwrights—including Lee Blessing, Phyllis Nagy, Caridad Svich, and Naomi Wallace—where women play both protagonist and antagonist, driving the action forward. To date, the Grrl Parts project has produced nearly 30 new works. 

Grrl Parts has been twice invited to CENTERSTAGE to perform plays produced through Grrl Parts. Most recently, in March of 2012, UMBC and CENTERSTAGE partnered to create a unique performance of the most recent batch of Grrl Parts commissioned works. The evening ended with a panel discussion addressing the role of women in American theater, moderated by Susan Jonas featuring notable female playwrights Julia Jordan, Kate Moira Ryan, Tanya Saracho, and Lucy Thurber. 

This season, as the UMBC Theatre Department moves into a new era with a brand new Performing Arts and Humanities building and beautiful new theatrical spaces, the Grrl Parts project will expand its activities as well. McCully and her colleagues are excited to focus their efforts on moving Inexcusable Fantasies from Baltimore to festivals around the globe, under the producing company name “Grrl Parts Productions”, carrying on the ideals the project set in motion seven years ago. “Grrl Parts is really growing up this year!” says Eve Muson “We started Grrl Parts with the simple objective of creating more roles for our young actresses at school. Now, with the support of the university and the Baltimore community, we’re mounting our first professional production, building a partnership with CENTERSTAGE, and commissioning full-length works, too.” 

Performance Schedule

Thursday, November 1st, 8pm - Preview ($5)
Saturday, November 3rd, 8pm Opening Night (Pre-show reception, post-show Q&A)
Thursday, November 8th, 8pm
Friday, November 9th, 8pm
Saturday, November 10th, 8pm
Thursday, November 15th, 8pm
Friday, November 16th, 8pm
Saturday, November 17th, 8pm 

Ticket Prices

Adult: $20, Senior: $15 Student: $10, Opening Night: $25
Other discounts may be available; like the Strand on Facebook or follow the Strand on Twitter to learn more. 

About the Strand

The Strand Theater Company champions challenging and provocative theater that especially celebrates women’s diverse voices and perspectives while bringing together the creative talents of both women and men as artists, technicians, and administrators. We invite patrons to experience some of the region’s best contemporary and reinterpreted works for the stage in our intimate midtown theater. 

Since launching in 2008, the Strand has presented 17 full-length plays, including eight World Premieres; offered 75% of the artistic positions on its productions—as playwrights, directors, designers, stage managers, and actors—to women; provided affordable theater space to many organizations and independent artists; and played an integral role in the revitalization of the Station North Arts & Entertainment District.

At the Peabody, Wednesday, October 10th

The Peabody Wind Ensemble welcomes C Street Brass back to Peabody this Wednesday, Oct. 10, for a Free Fall Baltimore concert at 7:30 pm in Miriam A. Friedberg Concert Hall.

Kyle Anderson, Trumpet, C Street Brass

Founded at Peabody and coached by faculty artist Joe Burgstaller, C Street—trumpeters Kyle Anderson (MM ’11, Trumpet) and Scott Nadelson (BM ’11, Trumpet), hornist Eric Damashek (GPD ’12, Horn), trombonist Gabriel Colby (BM ’10, Trombone), and tubist Edwin Brown (GPD ’12, Tuba)—became the first Chamber Ensemble in Residence at Carnegie Mellon University this fall.

Harlan D. Parker will conduct the free concert, for which advance tickets are required. To reserve tickets, call the Peabody Box Office at 410-234-4800.

It's going to be a wonderful concert. And, it's free.

Whenever you run across a company that supports Free Fall Baltimore, thank them, acknowledge their support of our community and the arts; ask companies that you patronize to do the same. It makes a big difference. I know because I work for a company that supports such things and it makes going to work a pleasure.

Live streaming event starts in 15 minutes - King Kong, the Musical

Tonight, Saturday (October 6th) KING KONG, the new stage musical, will launch in Melbourne, Australia. The producers, Global Creatures, will stream the one-time-only event presentation live on the internet through the show’s website, allowing everyone in the world to get a sneak peek at the making of the production.

This one-time-only streaming will go live tonight, Saturday, October 6th at 10:00PM EST at www.kingkongliveonstage.com.

The launch will include the announcement of internationally renowned contemporary artists contributing to the score; announcement of the lead cast; performances of original songs from the show; reveal of set models and costume designs and insights from the award-winning international creative team.

One of the world’s great modern myths about an enormous creature and his battle for survival in New York City, KING KONG has gone back to the source – the novella of the original film by Merian C. Cooper and Edgar Wallace – in this world-first adaptation as a large-scale musical.

Global Creatures, the makers of the global phenomena Walking With Dinosaurs – The Arena Spectacular and How To Train Your Dragon Live Spectacular (in association with DreamWorks Theatricals) has been developing KING KONG for the last five years.

Baltimore-Washington DC: SAG, AFTRA, News from One Union

We are entering an active season for One Union members. Here's a taste, there's more to come:

SAG Foundation presents…
LIVE STREAMED Panel Discussion
Corner Your Market: Fostering Your Marketing Savvy

When: 7 p.m. PST/10 p.m. EST, Tuesday, Oct. 9, 2012

Anne Globe, DreamWorks - Panelist 

To watch the panel, visit http://www.sagfoundation.org/videogallery/livestream
Email questions to LiveStream@sagfoundation.org or tweet to #SAGF.

Savvy marketing is like Kryptonite for a submission-filled inbox that's bursting at the seams. Marketing informs others how to think about you, and thinking like a marketer significantly ups the chances of you get noticed.

Effective marketing is so much more than mass mailings; it is an ongoing, ever-evolving, multi-layered effort. This panel of seasoned industry experts will share how actors can conceive, implement, and assess their marketing strategy. 

Topics to be explored are:

-How to create marketing materials that reflect your unique brand
-How to target casting directors who are searching for your brand
-Best practices for creating and distributing promotional Items
-The importance of identifying, building, and sustaining relationships
-How to measure the efficacy of your marketing strategy

Panelists:
Anne Globe - Chief Marketing Officer, DreamWorks Animation
Blair Hickey - Actor; Co-Founder, CastingAbout
Brian Wold - Internet/Marketing Specialist; Co-Founder, Casting-About
Paul Weber - Casting Director
Moderator – Jeff B. Cohen, Esq, Actor (Goonies); Cohen Gardner LLP

And, another thing.

SAG-AFTRA members —

Join Us for Our First SAG-AFTRA Membership Meeting
When: 7-9 p.m., Monday, Nov. 5, 2012
Where: The Hilton Hotel in Rockville
1750 Rockville Pike
Rockville, Maryland 20852
(Adjacent to the Twin Brook Metro Station on the Red Line.)

Come to our very first membership meeting as a merged union! There will be a possible vote on amendments to the Local Constitution as well as on the Local name change.

This meeting is only open to paid-up SAG-AFTRA members in good standing. Unfortunately, no guests allowed. Parents/guardians of younger performers under 18 years old are welcome. No RSVP necessary. SAG-AFTRA MEMBERS, PLEASE BRING YOUR MEMBERSHIP CARD FOR ADMITTANCE.

That's it for this round of event information. Stay tuned, there's more to come. And to my fellow union members: Remeber Rule One. 

Casting Frontiers on One Union: All work counts toward SAG-AFTRA health plan.

SAG-AFTRA MERGER IMPROVES ACTOR'S
WORKING CONIDITIONS, SHIFTS HOLLYWOOD
POWER STRUCTURE

More than 150,000 actors will benefit from the recent merger of SAG and Aftra ‒ and not only because bases dues for dual cardholders will decrease from $243 to $198 per year.

In the big picture, no longer will producers be able to leverage one union against the other during negotiations.

SAG President, Ken Howard

"That was the big problem ‒ the two unions being pitted against each other," says Jennifer Bailey, a SAG member since 1993 currently appreaing in the "Thanking our Teachers" Exxon mobile campaign. "And the kicker was a few years ago when Afra negotiated separately and undercut SAG on most of the TV shows."

With the merger, SAG has addressed its key deficiency: Its perceived powerlessness.

 

The merger means that members of Aftra are now SAG members ‒ one reason why many SAG members were apprehensive about the merger. "You have to do work to get into SAG", says Kim Kopf, an SAG member for 27 years. "But anyone can join Aftra, and then when the merger happened, they would automatically be an SAG member, so there was a little bit of hesitation about that. But as long as the union is stronger, and joining with Aftra makes it stronger moving forward, I'm all for it."

"I feel very good about the merger," says Sherry Locher, an Aftra member since 2007 who recently appeared in the indie film 8:46. "It's one union now, so there are no longer two different rates, and I think that'll make a huge difference during contract negotiations."

Although the health benefit plans have yet to be worked out, most actors we spoke with were optimistic there would be efficiencies found in greater numbers. "It's up to the trustees as to what is the best course of action," says Jennifer Bailey. "Not everything is 100-percent laid out as to what's going to happen, but as far as I'm concerned, as it is now, it's going from bad to worse, so we do need some kind of a change. But it's like when you have a company that has 10 people as opposed to a company that has 1,000 people ‒ the rates for health insurance should be better, and people will now only have to qualify in one plan."

Indeed, it should be easier for actors to get medical and dental coverage. Prior to the merger, actors might do four or five Aftra jobs, and four or five SAG jobs and fail to qualify for either health plan. Now, as they're combined, all work will count toward on health plan.

The first test of SAG-Aftra's post-merger power will be staged this fall, when commercial contracts will be renegotiated, during which, according to the Union, "management will be pushing us to implement a completely new system for payng principal performers in national commercials."

One casting director we spoke with believes the merger will have little bearing on the reality of what's going on right now in commercial work in L.A.

"It feels like sixty percent of commercial work is non-union," says Cathy Reinking, who has cast for Frazier and The Office, as well as for commercials. "So you don't have as many of those lucrative national commercials that everbody used to dream about. And I don't think the [SAG-Aftra] union will reduce that number. I think that producers more and more want to cut costs, and I think they're finding enough good people who aren't union ‒ although I'm skeptical of that, but they must be getting enough. The more I talk to commercial agents the more sense I get that non-union is dominating right now."

Still, the tenor among actors is one of optimism. "I wasn't thrilled witht he idea of joining Aftra to get work," says Bailey. "They seemed a bit disorganized. So I'm really glad they merged, because I think the accounting of the membership dues, pension credits, and health plans will be accurately accounted for. I know AFTRA had something of an honor system, and I just don't know how that can work."

 
This is how it will work.

Congrats to all of my fellow union members for helping to make One Union happen. Many of us have been working to make One Union a reality since 1975. That said, remember Rule No. One.

October 1st. This week at the Peabody.

To celebrate the 150th anniversary of Claude Debussy's birth, Artist Diploma candidate Ronaldo Rolim (BM ’10, Piano) will perform at An die Musik, 409 North Charles Street, on Wednesday, Oct. 3, at 8:00 pm.

Ronaldo Rolim, Pianist

Sharing the stage with the pianist will be violinist Lydia Chernicoff (BM ’10, MM ’12, Violin) and cellist Andrea Casarrubios (BM ’11, Cello), fellow members of Trio Appassionata; flutist Anastasia Petanova (BM ’06, AD ’10, Flute); and pianist Wan-Chi Su (MM ’11, Piano), a Graduate Performance Diploma candidate. For tickets, call 410-385-2638.

On Saturday, Oct. 6, at 9:00 pm, faculty artist Michael Formanek, double bass, will give the only Baltimore concert of his CD release tour at the Windup Space, 12 West North Avenue. He will perform, as he does on the new recording, Small Places, with alto saxophonist Tim Berne, pianist Craig Taborn, and drummer Gerald Cleaver. For tickets, visit thewindupspace.com.

Dariusz Skoraczewski (BM ’94, GPD ’96, Cello), appointed principal cellist of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra in 2011, will play George Crumb's Sonata for Solo Cello on Sunday, Oct. 7, at 2:00 pm, as part of the Music in the Great Hall Series. He will also perform works by Chopin, Schumann, and Franck with faculty member Lura Johnson, artistic director of the series. The concert will take place at Towson Unitarian Universalist Church, 1710 Dulaney Valley Road. For tickets, visit migh.org.

 
Elisa Koehler & students from Detmold Hochschule fuer Musik

Elisa Koehler (BM ’87, Music Education, Trumpet; DMA ’96, Conducting) will be the trumpet soloist for a performance of Jan Krtitel Jiri Neruda's Concerto in E-flat major on Sunday, Oct. 7, at 4:00 pm. The free concert, part of the Bach Concert Series, will be held at Christ Lutheran Church, 701 South Charles Street.

Todd Simon (BM ’07, Jazz Piano), pianist and saxophonist for the United States Naval Academy Band, will give a solo jazz piano performance at An die Musik, 409 North Charles Street, on Sunday, Oct. 7, at 5:00 pm. For tickets, call 410-385-2638.

Baltimore AFTRA Casting Notice: "America's Most Wanted"

Just in from Betsy Royall Casting:

We are casting for episodes of America's Most Wanted. It's a Local AFTRA Cable production on the Lifetime network. The roles are for actors who resemble the victims and fugitives.

America's Most Wanted casting in Baltimore

The cases are Desi Woods and Karen King.

Please go to the casting Dropbox shared files to see the images and scripts (in development):

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/acwew3wi98cmlzv/D__q-sgHl3

America's Most Wanted, working script

The casting sessions will be held Monday, September 24 at 6247 Falls Road, Bldg E, Baltimore, MD 21209 from 8:30am-2:30pm with the director for the Desi Woods episode and 2:30pm-6:00pm with the director for the Karen King episode.

Shoot Dates are 9/27, 9/28 and 9/29. You must be available for all dates to audition.

Contact betsy@betsycasting.com for a potential audition time. Put "AMW Role" in the subject line of your email.

Good luck, all. And to my fellow union members, remember Rule One.

Coming Soon to the Jewish Museum of Maryland — in Baltimore — GefilteFest!

GefilteFest, the poster

The news of this event made smile; I hope it does the same for you.

Something fishy is going on at the Jewish Museum of Maryland!

We’re expanding the Museum’s hours and adding new tours and programs!

Beginning October 21, the Museum will be open from 10am to 5pm, Sunday through Thursday. Tours of the historic Lloyd Street Synagogue, third oldest synagogue building in the US, will now be available five times daily.

To hook you on JMM’s new hours, the Museum is proud to present GefilteFest on October 21, 2012.

Join us for a day of cooking, eating and storytelling for the whole family. Don’t miss the gefilte fish “throw-down,” as teams vie for the honor of being crowned champion of this classic Jewish delicacy. Meet the owners of Gefilteria, a Brooklyn-based startup, making waves in the food world with their boutique gefilte and  other old world Jewish foods.

We’ll be sharing fish tales throughout the day, with recipe swaps, cookbook readings, music and more.

Get in the swim at the JMM (but please note: no crabs allowed).

The Jewish Museum of Maryland
at the Herbert Bearman Campus
15 Lloyd Street
Baltimore, MD 21202

410-732-6400
info@jewishmuseummd.org 

Baltimore's Blue Moon Tonight - Look Up and Listen. Sing. A Video Compendium.

Photo courtesy, NASA - Mission: Apollo 11

 
Video courtesy, ScienceCast

 
Billie Holliday, Blue Moon

 
Ella Fitzgerald, Blue Moon 1957

 
Frank Sinatra, Blue Moon 

 
Dean Martin, Blue Moon

 
Bob Dylan, Blue Moon

Sometimes it's just nice to have a view of the event, and a tune to hear. And a classic cocktail is fine, also.