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Thursday, November 13, 2014
Thursday, November 13, 2014
TheaterThe Fantastic Encuentro 2014 Festival Showed the Power of Latino Theater
Comments (0)By Steven Leigh Morris
Thu, Nov 13, 2014 at 6:25 AM
Categories: Theater
Encuentro 2014, an inspiring, monthlong festival of 18 Latino performances and readings, just closed at Los Angeles Theatre Center downtown and a couple of off-site locations. It could accurately be described as a reactionary event. "Reactionary," however, does not refer to a yearning backward. Rather, in the purest sense of the word, the companies, gathered from L.A. to New York to Puerto Rico, assembled in reaction to what Latino Theater Company artistic director Jose Luis Valenzuela described as the frustration that Latino theater was largely ignored at the landmark Theatre Communications Group annual conference in 2011, held for the first time ever in one of the nation's most Latino cities, Los Angeles.
The following year, theater community blog HowlRound hosted eight Latino theater practitioners in Washington, D.C., to discuss the state of nonprofit theater for what's now acknowledged to be the majority ethnicity in L.A., and soon to become the majority population across the United States. That meeting was the birth of what has come to be known as the Latina/o Theatre Commons, which reconvened the next year in an expanded form at Emerson College in Boston. From that conference, the idea emerged for Encuentro 2014 — a festival hosted by Valenzuela's Latino Theater Company.
The paradox is that both creators and audiences at Encuentro 2014 were almost exclusively Latino. Is creating an ethnic ghetto really the best response to being ghettoized?
Sex
L.A.'s BDSM Power Couple, and Their Sex Dungeon
Comments (0)By Amanda Lewis
Thu, Nov 13, 2014 at 3:47 AM
Categories: Sex, A Considerable Town
Nina Hartley and Ernest Greene never have sex in the bedroom. Their MacArthur Park loft has seen more than its fair share of intertwined naked bodies in the 15 years that the veteran porn star and the legendary bondage filmmaker have lived, swung and shot here, but the bed is for sleeping. To see where the magic happens, a visitor must walk through the living room, past the bedroom and past an overflowing walk-in closet the size of a classroom to arrive in the dungeon wing.
Equipment is scattered around the space like board games in a rec room — a cage here, a sex machine there. Racks and drawers hold whips, nipple clamps, fetish boots, gags, collars, butt plugs, dildos (rubber, steel, silicone, Lucite), belts and what Hartley describes as "suction thingies and electrical thingies."
Hartley's favorite part of the dungeon? The bounce wall, made of high-density foam, for people who like to be tossed around. On a humdrum Monday in September, just before dinnertime, Greene throws Hartley against it to demonstrate it for a guest, and she puts on a little-girl voice: "No! No! No! Stop!"
Equipment is scattered around the space like board games in a rec room — a cage here, a sex machine there. Racks and drawers hold whips, nipple clamps, fetish boots, gags, collars, butt plugs, dildos (rubber, steel, silicone, Lucite), belts and what Hartley describes as "suction thingies and electrical thingies."
Hartley's favorite part of the dungeon? The bounce wall, made of high-density foam, for people who like to be tossed around. On a humdrum Monday in September, just before dinnertime, Greene throws Hartley against it to demonstrate it for a guest, and she puts on a little-girl voice: "No! No! No! Stop!"
Dance
5 Dance Shows to See in L.A. This Week, Including an Israeli Company Dancing About Community
Comments (0)By Ann Haskins
Thu, Nov 13, 2014 at 3:44 AM
Categories: Dance
This week's dance shows include a collaborative work from L.A. Contemporary Dance, dance about community from Israel and JazzAntiqua celebrating American jazz.
5. High voltage to low watt dance
After an opening weekend jam-packed with energized dance, the debut edition of the performance festival Alternate Currents takes a more reflective turn as recognized Butoh master Oguri takes the stage. He is joined by Roxanne Steinberg, Eric Losoya, Michelle Lai and Annick Chung who currently comprise Body Weather Laboratory, the venue’s resident company. Tickets at www.brownpapertickets.com/event/897852. The festival is at Electric Lodge, 1416 Electric Ave., Venice; Sat.-Sun., Nov. 15-16, 8 p.m.; $20 in advance, $25 at door, $17 students. 310-823-0710, www.electriclodge.org.
Comedy
John Candy's Daughter Loses Her Stand-Up Comedy Virginity
Comments (0)By Jennifer Swann
Thu, Nov 13, 2014 at 3:41 AM
Categories: Comedy
Jen Candy had never done stand-up comedy when her friend Jeff Garlin convinced her to give it a try. They'd met on the set of a children's show where 34-year-old Candy was hired as a stand-in for Garlin — an odd staffing choice considering that the two actors look nothing alike. Candy, a T.V. producer, has short blonde hair, big eyes and a cheery near-permanent smile. Garlin, 52, whose personality is interchangeable with his Jeff Greene character on Curb Your Enthusiasm, wears dark wavy hair and a constant-scowl.
Still, the unlikely duo hit it off immediately. On stage at the Westside Comedy Theater last Thursday night, Garlin, the headliner of a show called "Virgin Sacrifice," said, "I knew there was something about Jen." It all made sense to him once he figured out what that something was: She's the daughter of the late comedian and actor John Candy. "That's why I have this affection for her that I can't explain," he added.
This was only minutes after she'd lost her virginity — stand-up virginity, that is — and had been "sacrificed" live on stage. The concept of the monthly stand-up show is that someone who's never done stand-up before performs a set for the first — and, presumably, only — time in his or her life. Candy's entire set turned out to be a tribute to her father. Garlin's set, meanwhile, was a tribute to her.
Still, the unlikely duo hit it off immediately. On stage at the Westside Comedy Theater last Thursday night, Garlin, the headliner of a show called "Virgin Sacrifice," said, "I knew there was something about Jen." It all made sense to him once he figured out what that something was: She's the daughter of the late comedian and actor John Candy. "That's why I have this affection for her that I can't explain," he added.
This was only minutes after she'd lost her virginity — stand-up virginity, that is — and had been "sacrificed" live on stage. The concept of the monthly stand-up show is that someone who's never done stand-up before performs a set for the first — and, presumably, only — time in his or her life. Candy's entire set turned out to be a tribute to her father. Garlin's set, meanwhile, was a tribute to her.
Wednesday, November 12, 2014
Wednesday, November 12, 2014
Film and TVAfter 33 Years and an Airplane Explosion, Their Raiders of the Lost Ark Remake Is Almost Complete. Are They?
Comments (4)By Amy Nicholson
Wed, Nov 12, 2014 at 7:15 AM
Categories: Film and TV, Longform
Chris Strompolos and Eric Zala had dreamed about the Flying Wing airplane since 1981, the summer the two middle schoolers saw its propellers shred the head off a German muscleman in Raiders of the Lost Ark. Thirty-three years later, they built it: a 78-foot-long, 4½-ton, gray-green beast that loomed like a frozen vulture midflight. It was the world's only full-scale replica of the Flying Wing. And now they had to blow it up. "I feel kind of sick," Strompolos sighs. "But it has to be done — and it has to be done for real."
After three decades, they were finally wrapping the longest film shoot in history.
As children in Mississippi, Chris and Eric had made a pact. They'd film a shot-for-shot remake of Raiders of the Lost Ark. Chris, a chipper, chubby idea guy, would star; Eric, who at 11 was the older and steadier of the two, would direct. They bought a spiral notebook and filled it with sketches and plans. Chris titled it Raiders of the Lost Ark: Kids Version. Then he scribbled out the second half and wrote The New Version. Age would not be a factor.
"We didn't want it to look cute, we didn't want it to be 'Aw, that's adorable,' " Eric says. "We wanted it to be good."
The boys thought filming would take a summer. It took eight years.
Art
Two Downtown Gallery Shows May Be Too Cool for Their Own Good
Comments (0)By Catherine Wagley
Wed, Nov 12, 2014 at 6:15 AM
Categories: Art, Galleries
A year ago, during his debut podcast, novelist Bret Easton Ellis fielded questions from Twitter followers, including one about how he handles reviews. The novelist mentioned a tendency among critics to only champion art that gives them hope for humanity, which his doesn't. But this seems a slight mischaracterization. Ellis' books, such as Less Than Zero or American Psycho, often frustrate reviewers because it's hard to tell whether they're participating in or critiquing the sort of bleakness they detail.
If there's no critique, or some sort of thoughtful excavation, then is the art giving us anything different from the strain of culture it portrays? Is it ever enough to just portray?
Performance Art
Want to Know What It's Like to Be a Millennial? Visit This Performance Art Piece (on a Boat)
Comments (1)By Michael Ciriaco
Wed, Nov 12, 2014 at 5:29 AM
Categories: Performance Art
In her book Generation Me, author Jean Twenge characterized Millennials, the demographic born between 1980 and 2000, as noticeably more narcissistic than preceding generations. This self-absorption is evident in the core concept of "Modern Millennial," the performance art exhibit in which 25 year old artist Moses Storm crowdfunded a loft space where he resided 24/7 and invited audiences to come watch him live his day to day life. Before this experiment in Kickstarter-fueled concept art closed at the end of September, spectators could view Storm engaging in activities that ranged from checking email and returning phone calls to hosting parties and rock shows for local bands.
On Nov. 9, "Modern Millennial" returned with another dose of Storm-centric voyeurism, this time trading the loft space for a 35 foot schooner sailboat in Redondo Beach's King Harbor. The avant-garde vessel, named Islands Lady, docks twice a day, 7 a.m. and 3 p.m., to take patrons on a two hour cruise where they can observe Storm and experience his unique brand of art.
5 Artsy Things to Do
5 Artsy Things to Do in L.A. This Week, Including Politically Charged Dollhouse Building
Comments (1)By Catherine Wagley
Wed, Nov 12, 2014 at 4:57 AM
Categories: 5 Artsy Things to Do, Food & Art, Galleries, Museums, Painting, Performance Art, Photography, Sculpture, Art
![Jess, The Enamord Mage: Translation #6 [detail] (1965) - COURTESY PMCA](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/dentonfracking/20141114063619im_/http://www.laweekly.com/imager/b/blog/5196948/724a/PMCA_Jess_720.jpg?cb=1415927665)
A photographer documents his eccentric, glamorous parents obsessively and a group of women host a utopia building workshop.
5. Dinner can mean a lot
Artist Orly Olivier’s work is almost all about food and heritage, particularly the heritage of her Jewish-Tunisian family. She is cooking this weekend at Clockshop while Chris Silver, a PhD student who was formerly acting director of the Inter-Agency Task Force on Israeli Arab Issues, is spinning records from his collection of Jewish musicians from Tunisia, Morocco and Algeria. Scholar Sarah Abrevaya Stein will talk about her experience in Algeria, looking for Jewish historical sites. Guests will have a meal, while delving into specific cultural histories, which sounds homey and heavy. 2806 Clearwater St., Frogtown; Saturday, Nov. 15, 7 p.m. (323) 522-6014, clockshop.org.
Tuesday, November 11, 2014
Tuesday, November 11, 2014
TheaterDisney's Staging of The Hunchback of Notre Dame Is Like Every Other Musical You've Seen
Comments (1)By Katie Buenneke
Tue, Nov 11, 2014 at 10:48 AM
Categories: Theater
Some Disney movies make great stage musicals (see: Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King). Some Disney movies make not-so-great stage musicals (see: Tarzan, The Little Mermaid). Some Disney movies are better as stage musicals (see: Newsies).
And then there's The Hunchback of Notre Dame.
And then there's The Hunchback of Notre Dame.
Film and TV
This Veterans Day Video About Sex With Vets Is Actually Kind of Moving
Comments (1)By Jennifer Swann
Tue, Nov 11, 2014 at 10:32 AM
Categories: Film and TV, YouTube, Comedy
Jessie Kahnweiler feels pretty inadequate when compared to veterans. Which is why this Veteran's Day, the L.A. comedian is looking to give back in a pretty, uh, selfless way. "Our vets have been getting fucked, right?" she says. "So now it's time for me to fuck a vet."
That's the premise of her new video "Jessie Fu*ks A Vet," which, spoiler alert, isn't actually a porno. In fact, the first veteran Kahnweiler approaches, a bald, no-nonsense kind of guy on the campus of the V.A. West Los Angeles Medical Center in Westwood, responds to her proposition with a resounding "no." (But it's the thought that counts, right?)
One veteran seems genuinely confused when asked whether he'd like "a little champagne on Isis." Another simply giggles at the offer of a good ol' hand job while he waits in line at the V.A. Medical Center. Meanwhile, Kahnweiler desperately attempts to change the first veteran's mind by disclosing that she's got an I.U.D. The straight-faced veteran proves he can play this game, too, when he corrects her: you mean an I.E.D — or, improvised explosive device?
That's the premise of her new video "Jessie Fu*ks A Vet," which, spoiler alert, isn't actually a porno. In fact, the first veteran Kahnweiler approaches, a bald, no-nonsense kind of guy on the campus of the V.A. West Los Angeles Medical Center in Westwood, responds to her proposition with a resounding "no." (But it's the thought that counts, right?)
One veteran seems genuinely confused when asked whether he'd like "a little champagne on Isis." Another simply giggles at the offer of a good ol' hand job while he waits in line at the V.A. Medical Center. Meanwhile, Kahnweiler desperately attempts to change the first veteran's mind by disclosing that she's got an I.U.D. The straight-faced veteran proves he can play this game, too, when he corrects her: you mean an I.E.D — or, improvised explosive device?
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L.A.'s BDSM Power Couple, and Their Sex Dungeon
Nina Hartley and Ernest Greene never have sex in the bedroom. Their MacArthur Park loft has seen more than its fair share of intertwined naked bodies in the 15 years that the veteran porn star and the legendary bondage filmmaker have lived, swung and shot here, but the bed is...@ 3:47 AM On Thu, November 13 -
John Candy's Daughter Loses Her Stand-Up Comedy Virginity
Jen Candy had never done stand-up comedy when her friend Jeff Garlin convinced her to give it a try. They'd met on the set of a children's show where 34-year-old Candy was hired as a stand-in for Garlin — an odd staffing choice considering that the two actors look nothing...@ 3:41 AM On Thu, November 13 -
Teatro MOZ, the World's First Morrissey Theater Festival
A trio of young Latino musicians is playing on the floor of a rehearsal room in East Los Angeles. A familiar melody fills the tiny room as Natalie Camunas begins to croon the lyrics to Morrissey's 1988 classic "Suedehead." Backed by Andres Solorzano on acoustic guitar and Cesar Solorzano, not...@ 4:19 AM On Thu, November 6 6 -
5 Artsy Things to Do in L.A. This Week, Including Politically Charged Dollhouse Building
A photographer documents his eccentric, glamorous parents obsessively and a group of women host a utopia building workshop. 5. Dinner can mean a lot Artist Orly Olivier’s work is almost all about food and heritage, particularly the heritage of her Jewish-Tunisian family. She is cooking this weekend at Clockshop while...@ 4:57 AM On Wed, November 12 -
HBO's Getting On Has What It Takes to Be a Truly Important Show
It’s hard to watch Season Two of Getting On without thinking about The Office. The parallels are obvious. Both are British imports from namesake series, and both, at least in the early going, inherited an understated, gloomy brand of humor from their sardonic predecessors. Yet the most vital link is...@ 5:23 AM On Sat, November 8 -
Disney's Staging of The Hunchback of Notre Dame Is Like Every Other Musical You've Seen
Some Disney movies make great stage musicals (see: Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King). Some Disney movies make not-so-great stage musicals (see: Tarzan, The Little Mermaid). Some Disney movies are better as stage musicals (see: Newsies). And then there's The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Based on Victor Hugo's 1831...@ 10:48 AM On Tue, November 11 -
An Audacious Plan to Help Rescue L.A. Theater: Live Streaming
When it comes to the state of Los Angeles theater — particularly of its small stages — there seems to be a general consensus that it is in a bad way. Why or how depends on whom one asks. Some mention the economy, still shaky from the Great Recession. Others...@ 5:25 AM On Fri, November 7 -
Martin Short on His New Memoir, and How He Turned Tragedy Into Comedy
In his new memoir, I Must Say: My Life as a Humble Comedy Legend, Martin Short writes about the string of tragedies he’s endured over the years: His brother died in a car crash, he was orphaned by the time he was 20 and he lost his wife, ex-girlfriend Gilda...@ 6:10 AM On Sat, November 8 -
This Veterans Day Video About Sex With Vets Is Actually Kind of Moving
Jessie Kahnweiler feels pretty inadequate when compared to veterans. Which is why this Veteran's Day, the L.A. comedian is looking to give back in a pretty, uh, selfless way. "Our vets have been getting fucked, right?" she says. "So now it's time for me to fuck a vet." That's the premise...@ 10:32 AM On Tue, November 11 -
5 Dance Shows to See in L.A. This Week, Including a Day of the Dead Fest
This week's dance shows include a new dance festival in Venice, five companies interpreting one song and the return of Ballet Boyz 5. Boyz will be boyz Launched 14 years ago by Michael Nunn and William Trevitt to provide adventures beyond the classicism emphasized by Britain’s Royal Ballet, Ballet Boyz...@ 4:37 AM On Thu, November 6 -
Film Podcast: Interstellar Doesn't Connect With Our Critics
Christopher Nolan's space epic Interstellar is a big, ambitious picture but it didn't connect with our critics. We discuss the film at the top of this week's podcast before moving onto a few other notable films on screens large and small this week. - The Disney film Big Hero 6...@ 4:44 AM On Thu, November 6 -
We Found the Wildest Party in L.A. — and It Starts at 6:30 a.m.
The party is in full swing at V Lounge in Santa Monica. Twenty-somethings in animal-print jumpsuits and glow-in-the-dark face paint form a circle around a break-dancer in a furry dragon costume. When he jumps out of the circle, a tiny woman in a formfitting storm-trooper bodysuit glides in and executes...@ 5:09 AM On Thu, November 6 -
Want to Know What It's Like to Be a Millennial? Visit This Performance Art Piece (on a Boat)
In her book Generation Me, author Jean Twenge characterized Millennials, the demographic born between 1980 and 2000, as noticeably more narcissistic than preceding generations. This self-absorption is evident in the core concept of "Modern Millennial," the performance art exhibit in which 25 year old artist Moses Storm crowdfunded a loft...@ 5:29 AM On Wed, November 12 -
A Concert That Turns the Inside of Disney Hall Into Video Art
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Two Downtown Gallery Shows May Be Too Cool for Their Own Good
A year ago, during his debut podcast, novelist Bret Easton Ellis fielded questions from Twitter followers, including one about how he handles reviews. The novelist mentioned a tendency among critics to only champion art that gives them hope for humanity, which his doesn't. But this seems a slight mischaracterization. Ellis'...@ 6:15 AM On Wed, November 12
