The 8 Types of People You Meet on the Bus

As you may know from previous posts - I've started to take the bus. It really is very simple and the mental break it allows me is well worth the buck fifty each way. Its an hour and 45 minutes a day where I'm not behind the wheel of a car and instead can be reading a script (or so my boss has discovered). I have, however, noticed a very distinct clustering of bus riders... there are 8.

1) Bestseller Reader



The bestseller reader doesn't want to just sit on the bus while it drives. NO! they're the type to seize their new found free time and get some of those books on their nightstand read. The bestseller reader, however, doesn't really have an opinion on literature, nor does she have anything that she needs to read, so she settles for a bestseller. You see, when people see the bestseller, they know its regarded as a good book, and in hopes the best seller reader will appear cultured and intellectual. Mam, please put "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" down and pick up something that actually interests you... like that People magazine slightly sticking out of your purse.

2) Phone Talker



Of being this person, I am guilty as charged. The phone talker has zero to no consideration for those around him and will talk on the phone while riding the bus. Bus riders sit in close quarters, but this doesn't stop the phone talker from discussing intimate conversations within earshot of 35 of his fellow commuters. This is his time and he'll use it as he pleases, damn it! Buses are loud places, which both bothers the phone talker and works to his advantage. You see, the phone talker hates nothing more than when the bus gets quiet and he realizes everyone is listening to his every word...

3) Angry Commuter


Rosa Parks... the angriest of commuters.

The angry commuter is not happy about having to take the bus and while often gripe and groan when things don't seem to be going her way. The angry commuter often yells out at the bus driver when things are taking too long, as if the bus driver can magically control traffic. She rarely smiles, and often stands up to see what's going on. Commonly heard on but 704 "Hello!? Some people have to get to work here!" The angry commuter is in direct conflict with-

4) The Flirt



The flirt stands directly behind the bus driver (behind the yellow line, of course) and talks to him as he drives. She is always chatty, flirty and overly sexual. She will talk with the driver about any old thing that comes to her mind. Honestly, she is lonely and this is one man who literally cannot go anywhere. On the rare occasion that en engages in conversation, he is liable to get distracted and forget that he is stopped at a light, even as it turns green and then yellow and then red again.

5) The Homeless Babbler



The psychotic babbler is just as much a nuisance as the phone talker. He is of the handful of... putting this politely... fuckin' nuts homeless people... that climb onto the bus, throw their pennies at the bus driver and take a seat or twelve. They are natural conversationalists, and I'm sure whoever it is they are talking to in their heads is enjoying the conversation. They are loud. Potentially even louder than the phone talker and definitely more distracting than the flirt. They usually have nothing to say, but say it anyways. Whenever possible, sitting next to this bus rider should be avoided.

6) The Nap on Wheels



What's that? You've got twenty whole minutes before your stop? Sounds like the perfect time for a cat nap! The nap on wheels is no slave to comfort and will make do with wherever his head will fall. Be it against a window, pole, or the bestseller readers shoulder, the nap on wheels is instantly snoozing. He miraculously wakes up in time to get off his stop and gets up as if nothing happens. The nap on wheels is someone I'm entirely jealous of because I would just sleep all the way to Santa Monica and back. That is, of course, unless I'm stuck next to the psychotic babbler.

7) The Green One



Hey! Another category I fit into. The green one is someone on the bus because it's better for the environment. They are not shy about their love of the Earth, or about proclaiming "how green" they are. Letting everyone know what you're doing, makes you a better person (right?). The green one can be seen carrying their Whole Foods canvas bags and sporting shirts with clever earth friendly messages on them. The green one is often hip, young, independent and financially capable of driving a car. Most green ones, do not remain bus riders, as they get frustrated with its limitations. They instead justify it to themselves that driving their hummer hurts, while bad for the environment, allows them to get to that yoga class on time after all.

8) Sandra Bullock



Avoid getting on the bus with her at all costs. Sandra Bullock will undoubtedly get into some sort of trouble with a terrorist and be forced to drive your bus over a bridge that does not exist. If you are stuck on a bus with this Academy Award winner, try and remain calm and do as Keanu says. Sandra Bullock will complain of gum on her seat and is only taking the bus because she got her license taken away for speeding. Sandra Bullock does not frequent buses anymore, but on the off chance she is on your bus, take a picture for me. I have yet to be in the presence of this rare sighting, Sandra Bullock.

Meatless Monday

Meatless Monday is an international campaign that encourages people to not eat meat on Mondays to improve their health and the health of the planet. Reducing meat consumption by 15% (the equivalent of one day a week) lessens the risk of chronic preventable illness and has a strong impact on the environment.

A couple of months ago I saw a tweet from Olivia Wilde (Marissa Cooper's lesbian fling, or if you prefer, Number 13 on House) that mentioned #meatlessmonday. Intrigued, I looked it up. The above sentence is all it took to convince me to give it a try. I've always said I'd be a vegetarian if I didn't like meat so damn much. This was a way for me to at least have some sort of impact- if not the full impact vegetarians have- on the environment (and my health [those of you that know my family history know I'm doomed]). Vegetarians, I respect you...

...and I'm learning what you eat.

What started out as "breakfast for dinner" and "I'll just have a salad," has quickly escalated to spinach-basil pasta with yogurt sauce and homemade lentil burgers with potato salad.

The latter, being last nights meal. Denny, Lauren and I (you see, they have joined me on this endeavor) made these burgers from scratch-



No, that's not the picture from the recipe- that's the picture of my burger. Looks good, right? I'll tack the recipe onto the bottom of this-

After an hour of cooking, the three of us sat down to our burgers and had one of the most fun dinners I can recall having in a while. Maybe it was the wine (it was definitely the wine), but we laughed like it was no bodies business. Meatless Mondays.... bringing friends together since June. Sure, cooking dinner does it, it doesn't have to be meatless but this is a fuckin' adventure people. I made burgers OUT OF BEANS. Invite friends over. Experiment with food. Laugh like its nobodies business. and maybe help out the environment while you're at it.

Anyone have any amazing meatless recipes to send my way? Here's mine-

Lentil Burgers

3 Cups Green Lentils
1 Cup Whole Wheat Bread Crumbs
1/2 Teaspoon Sea Salt
5 Eggs
1/2 Diced Onion
1 Diced Carrot
1 Diced Tomato
Garlic to Taste
Pepper to Taste
Thyme to Taste
Spinach as Topping
Sliced Tomato as Topping
Ranch Dressing as Topping
Cheese as Topping (We used Mozzarella)

In a large pot, boil lentils until soft. They're going to need to be blended or food processed, so make sure they're not hard. Drain the water and put the lentils, eggs, salt, garlic, pepper and thyme into the food processor. NOTE: We tried using a blender and were only moderately successful. Might be because my blender is crap. Might be because a food processor works better. Anyways, we ended up blending/forking/spooning the lentil eggs mix until it had the consistency of a hummus. There were still some whole lentils for sure, but they made for a great texture. Place in a large mixing bowl and add the onions, carrots and tomatoes. NOTE: We didn't use the tomatoes last night. This is something I'm adding to the recipe because I think it would make the burgers a little bit juicier. I could be completely wrong on this.... Moving right along- mix that up and then slowly mix in your bread crumbs until the mixture is of a consistency that you can form patties out of. Make your patties (ours were too big... err on the smaller side) and then place in a frying pan with oil. We seasoned each side with a garlic/herb seasoning. Cook 7 minutes on each side until brown on both sides.

Place on a bun and garnish with spinach, tomato, ranch, and cheese. Serve with wine (duh.)

Enjoy.

Willy Wonka and the Hollywood Forever Cemetery

"It's the most fun I've had in L.A."

That's what I'd heard. Of course I'm going to go in slightly skeptical and full of the highest hopes. I'd been pumped up to believe that evening movie screenings in the Hollywood Forever Cemetery were not only great, but a quintessential part of the Los Angeles experience.

I can now stand behind everything I'd heard and assure you that it is absolutely, 100%, positively true. If you get one Saturday in LA during the summer, and only one, this better be what's on your list to do.

Screenings in the cemetery are a fantastic way to spend a summer evening. Sure it sounds creepy (and it a little bit is) but as Megan put it as we were gallivanting through the gravestones - "It's kind of cool to be here and be really a live. You know? We're living in the moment with friends. we're not here for death. We're here for life." I might have paraphrased a bit - but that's the gist of what she was drunkenly rambling on about after the movie.

Yes, I said drunkenly. You see, it's not "public" in there so drinking.... TOTALLY ALLOWED.

Several bottle of wine, a shit-ton of snack, two bags of candy and a sushi platter later - we have a successful, drunk picnic in the cemetery for last night's movie: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. (No not the shitty one - the good one.)

Gates open at 7, so Nora, Kate, Mikey, Megan and I got there at about 5:30 to get in line. Kevin and Alex and Ashley soon joined us. Followed by Janove and Julie and Jordan. What a crowd! Apples to Apples passed the time (Kate and I are kindred Apples to Apples spirits)...and so did the wine. I was hammered before I even got through the gates into the cemetery.

500+ people crowded onto the lawn for one of the greatest cult movies ever. There was yelling. There was singing. There were snarky remarks. There was quotes. There was so much candy.

It was a ton of fun- but admittedly would have been less so had it not been for the amazing weather, great friends, and campy, fun movie.

I Promise(s Promises) that Ramin Setoodeh is Wrong

Much as been said about Sean Hayes' performance in Promises, Promises and the subsequent Newsweek article panning his performance because of his out sexuality. Forgive my tardiness on the subject, but I didn't feel it was safe to destroy Ramin Setoodeh's argument in the article "Straight Jacket" until I'd seen the show myself. And now I can!



While in New York (full blog coming soon) Mikey and I got a chance to grab tickets to aforementioned musical. Sean Hayes and Kristin Chenoweth in the musical version of The Apartment? Sure!

I'll divert the subject for a moment to commend Kristin Chenoweth's powerhouse performance. Girl is incredible. She has so much power and such stage presence that it is impossible to take your eyes off of her.



Thought I stopped talking about the article? Think again. It is because of her power (not Hayes' sexuality) that the two don't have the chemistry they should. I honestly think this is neither of their faults, its just that Kristin Chenoweth needs to be put against other powerhouse belters (Idina Menzel, perhaps). Notice that Setoodeh left of Hayes chemistry with Marge (Tony Award winning Katie Finneran), instead criticizing her "drunkness". The two were spot on because they were on equal playing ground. Putting Hayes in a musical with Chenoweth and expecting him (and not just him-nearly anyone!) to be at her level is tough. She's too good to a fault.



But Chenoweth is not the only reason Setoodeh was wrong. He says Hayes isn't a leading man. Of course he's not! The character is a giant goof. He's silly. He's slapstick. We're not talking about your hyper-sexualized Danny Zuko here- this is Seymour in Little Shop of Horrors territory. This character doesn't have super manly traits. That's not Hayes fault.



And you! Audience member sitting in Promises, Promises, stop bringing Jack to the performance! Hayes isn't. It's got to be on close minded audience members who can't shake his previous work. I wasn't staring at Chenoweth and seeing April Roades. Unfortunately after successful TV shows, you can get stuck in a character. This is the audience's fault for bringing it with them- not your own.

So, bravo Sean Hayes and suck it Setoodeh.

Goodbye Century City, Hello Santa Monica

The company move is finally upon us - after a good (ish) year in Century City the company is off the a more creative space in Santa Monica. Reasons for the move include, but are not limited to: bad ghosts in the office, the awful corporate atmosphere, new executives and lack of funds. Thats right, Santa Monica will be cheaper than Century City. Naturally, there are pros and cons to both locations. I for one will be glad to get out of this office though - hopefully some big changes will happen in the new building.... However, there are-

Things I'll miss about Century City:

-The proximity to my house. Don't get me wrong, it still takes me 30 minutes to get there during morning rush hour - but hell, it's closer than Santa Monica.

-The Starbucks in the ground level of my building. I don't even need to go anywhere to get my morning coffee! Amazing. They know my order. More amazing (or embarrassing)!

-The way the elevator says "going down" when I return to the lobby. I can't help but laugh... EVERY time.

-The awful fashion sense of people who work in a corporate setting. I'm especially fond of the ones that dress nice, but where tennis shoes.

-The view. I'm on the 21st story and can see out to the ocean. Even in Santa Monica, I'll rarely see the ocean.

-The Century City mall. It's so close! It has awesome food! It's an escape during lunch time, and it has a movie theatre we sometimes go to instead of doing work.

Things I'm looking forward to in Santa Monica:

-Being ocean side. I won't be able to see it, but it'll be there. Maybe somedays, I'll even go down there, just because I'm so close.

- The new building. It's an old abandoned warehouse that we're converting. It's going to be cool (and hopefully) creative. And hopefully I'll finally have a new assistant to help me out!

-The Daily Grill. I've missed it and there is one around the corner from my office. This will end poorly for my wallet, but so well for my stomach.

-TruYogaLA. I'm going to start doing yoga. Mark my words. There is a studio around the corner from the office, and while they don't have early morning classes as I'd hoped- they do have one I can do after work, or at lunch. We'll see how that goes!

-The bus. I'm going to take it. So long to my driving commute, and hello to the bus. Sure it might be sketch (because come on, who rides the bus in LA?) but its going to be an hour where I'm not wanting to kill myself in my car. Its an hour where I can do something else. Its an hour that my car isn't polluting the planet. I'll take the risk.

There is some bad too though, like how I have to contact every single person in contacts to tell them that we've moved. Or have to pack the entire office in boxes. Or how I need to order new stationary, business cards, letterheads, etc. because no one in the office had the foresight to plan ahead. How about how I still don't know the new phone number so I CAN'T do any of those things? Augh! The first few weeks in Santa Monica will be a mess, but then it will hopefully calm down. I'm going to really need that yoga.

Trailer Analysis: The Social Network

If there is one thing I know about, it is social networking. I love my blog, my facebook, my twitter. Hell, I still I love my myspace (in a nostalgic type of way). I've been social networking since xanga (but you don't get the link to that, nice try). But enough about me-

David Fincher's trailer (the real one, not the teaser) for The Social Network has hit the Internet today. Let's take a look shall we?

Find the trailer here: The Social Network.

The trailer is presented as a series of status updates accompanied by the voices of actors reading them. Not very cinematic, but the movie can hardly be expected to be visually stunning. Its the type of story that might make for a better play.

This clearly means theres nothing interesting to show in the movie.

There is a definite feeling of drama amidst the founders (or those who can be presumed to be founders based on the trailer) of facebook. Who said what, who stole what from whom. It's the story of invention and court. A relationship drama. Sounds a lot like Flash of Genius. Look at how that did (you don't have to, I'll tell you: TERRIBLY).

Film is a visual medium and while it might have story, The Social Network, does not have visuals. Maybe stunt casting people like Justin Timberlake will put young people in seats, you see- aside from it's lack of visual appeal (that isn't the actors, I'll admit they're er... visually pretty. No, not you Jesse Eisenberg) there is another fundamental problem with a drama about facebook-

People my own age (aka The Facebook Generation) do not care about dramas. Very few people, in fact, care about dramas. So why would a movie, whose primary audience should be facebook users, gear itself for those looking for more distinguished dramatic fare (often, but not limited too, older people who know nothing about facebook). Maybe I'm being harsh on the elderly, maybe I'm being harsh on people my own age- but look at the movies in the marketplace- how many are dramas skewed for younger crowds?

Interestingly, the movie is placed in the "history" genre on IMDB. While facebook will be history, this movie will hardly make a historical dent.

The Relevance of Twitter

Twitter, whether you like it or not, is relevant. It is also a hell of a lot of fun, but more on that later.

I didn't much understand the importance of twitter until recently. I enjoyed it, don't get me wrong - where else can you berate your friends with your humor? Where else can you win free screenings (I did, by the way - win tickets to a Paramount screening of Paranormal Activity)? Where else can you @ your friends? Twitter is a lot of fun for writers and for people who like to hear themselves talk. I am both of these things.

But relevant in my business? I never would have really guessed. Sure I would have stood by twitter and said "you can follow companies" to try and make it seem like something more than Facebook - but really, what did I know?

And then the Hollywood Fringe Festival happened. Hash tags (more in a bit) popped up like mad. #HFF from everyone associated and tweeting about the festival. And it worked. Suddenly we were bound. We could find and follow each other. We helped each other with costumes. We advertised our shows. We discussed venues and shared rehearsal pictures. We whored out the reviews we wrote (well.... I did). We were, in a sense, a mini online community. The festival was spread out, but twitter brought us together. I "met" other artists and writers and reviewers on twitter and then met them in real life. And it's not weird at all.

Hell, I got my job writing for the LA Theatre Review because someone posted it on twitter. Twitter makes things happen.

Reasons you should believe in twitter:

1) Like Myspace in the end, people want followers. Where in Facebook I will only accept friend requests from people I know, twitter allows you to follow anyone (whether they follow you back is another story entirely) but once following - you can mention (@) them in your tweets. It is much easier to connect to people you don't know yet, effectively building up your network, on twitter.

2) Hash tags (#LAThtr) instantly connect groups. Sure people tag things like #fail, but it works to unite communities as well. The LA Theatre scene has started to utilize twitter because of it's successful contribution to the fringe festival.

3) Jobs get posted on twitter. There are users you can follow that post job openings. You can follow people in the industry who might tweet job openings. Believe me, it happens. Just the other day I started following a woman (@cindymariej) who shares career advice to her followers and offers a weekly mailing of entertainment job openings.

4) As I mentioned before, you can follow companies on twitter. They post about what they're up to and what they want to be up to. I'm following every studio on twitter, and while it's often shameless self promotion of their latest action film, there often are tweets about the inner workings of the company as well. People hear things on twitter. It is often quoted. Hell, half the Emmy nominee reactions were quotes pulled from the nominee's twitter account.

5) In a world of instant news, twitter is the fastest. Earthquake? You'll know about it on twitter. Prop 8 trial won't allow cameras in? How about a live tweet from the courtroom. It happened and let all of us interested in the trial capable of following it (and not when its days old news).

So there you have it: my love letter to twitter. So the next time someone tries to tell you its just a string of status updates, slap them in the face with my blog.

And follow me on twitter - @marcusbkaye.

My name is Marcus Kaye, Bon Appetit!

I have discovered something new. It's not new, per se, but its an area that never really found myself diving into. New for me- how about that? If the title didn't give it away, my new found obsession is FRENCH FOOD.

Prior to Julie & Julia (see that, Columbia Pictures, the movie DID reach someone) I'll be honest that my knowledge of French food was limited to bread, cheese and escargot. Given that I dislike cheese, I always kind of passed over that particular type of cuisine. What a mistake!

The first place I encountered french cooking was La Poubelle on Franklin in Franklin Village. Parking here is a bitch, so valet. It's worth it. Its dark and moody and the waiters are clad in bow ties. French posters adorn the walls and wine is served by the bottle. I got trout doused in butter and spices and served with baked red potatoes. It was incredible. Rich and creamy and flaky and buttery.

Next was Figaro Cafe on Vermont in Los Feliz. This French cafe feels like it could have been right out of France. Table crammed together outside. People smoking. Dark coffee. My friend Kyle and I went for breakfast and I had some of the best eggs Florentine (a variation of the French eggs Benedict) I'd ever had. There's something about the mornay sauce that it's covered in that I absolutely love. I'd probably go ahead and say that this is my favorite French place in LA thus far, although I'm going to continue expanding my horizons.

This place looks like a gimmick. To French food what Taco Bell is to Mexican, but I assure you it's the real thing. On Santa Monica Boulevard, amidst the bars, is the Paris Crepe Cafe. I've been twice, once for sweet crepes and another time for savory. The Nutella/ banana sweet crepes were delicious and fattening and wonderful. Served with whipped creme AND ice cream, I dare you to say no to these. The savory crepes were good, but I'd recommend La Poubelle for those if that's truly what you're feeling. I shall call this my favorite place for French dessert.

You all know I'm as thin as a rail - maybe a few more trips to French restaurants will cure me of that. Ha!

My next foyer will be in cooking it! Art of French Cooking, anyone? Bon Appetit!

HFF: Days 7-11

It's over. It's hard to believe, really. Final show tally: 5 One-Woman Shows, 1 Musical, 4 Comedy Shows, and 2 Dramas. 12 Different shows. 13 performances. The Hollywood Fringe Festival was one of the best things I've ever done in L.A. Hell, it was one of the best things I've ever done in my entire life. Don't believe me? Let's recap:

-I got published.

-Tons of free shows.

-New friends.

-Did I mention I got published?

-I felt respected. Like my opinion counted.

-My networking ability went through the roof (as did my network!)

I can guarantee that I'll be back next year. I regret only finding Fringe Central (the bar/hangout of freaks like me) at the end. It's a great little hub where anyone talks to anyone and networks (and friendships) are made. It was a lot like summer camp. An 11 day getaway from life, where you make those amazing connections given your short amount of time together. It was a breath of fresh air in my work-filled life. And just like summer camp, I'll miss everyone I met and can't wait to do it again next summer.

This round of shows was vastly superior to the first batch. Standouts were The Birthday Boys and Medea. Both brilliant and moving. I saw The Birthday Boys twice. I would have done the same for Medea, had I had time. Congrats to both on their Fringe award wins!

Reblogged from www.LATheatreReview.com

The Birthday Boys at The Complex Theatres

by Marcus Kaye~

To say that this very well may be the best thing to go up in the Fringe is an understatement. The Birthday Boys is written, directed and performed to perfection.

Playwright Aaron Kozak effortlessly taps into the psyches of three Prisoners Of War in Iraq. Painting a vivid and accurate picture of America’s involvement in Iraq, the first act focuses solely on our three heroes, captured while keeping a storage unit secure. Bound and gagged, they are thrown into a warehouse, their futures left up to the darkness of their imaginations. They bond and somehow manage to find the humor in their situation, placing bets on whom will piss their pants first.

The second act introduces the terrorists and continues through their torture and plea videos to their families. As their bravery shrinks but their bond grows stronger, The Birthday Boys ends in a way you’ve got to see to believe.

The play is brilliantly acted by the three marines, who (given their blindfolds and arm and leg ties) are only allowed their voices and slight torso movements to communicate. And yet, they each draw distinct, believable characters from their limited range of motion. The emotions are real, and the play is dependent on the bond we see them form in the first act. Smartly written and thoroughly performed, nothing about these POWs feels disingenuous.

With raw emotion, distinct and intriguing characters and a look into the war in Iraq that is rarely seen, The Birthday Boys isn’t to be missed.

The Birthday Boys plays June 24, 25 & 26 at 9pm and June 26 & 27 at 3pm

Reblogged from www.LATheatreReview.com

Existential Crises at Art|Works Theatre

by Marcus Kaye~

Billed as comedy that explores the ironic questions of existence, Existential Crises, featuring Second City alums Mike Cherry and Matt Peterson, gets it half right. While the show is indeed a comedy (and a funny one at that) is does very little to look beyond the surface of “existence.”

Whether they’re lying about their past lives, hanging out with an old friend from high school, or living in a world where horses and humans have switched to be master and pet respectively, Cherry and Peterson have the successful comedic ability to draw laughs from their audience. They are, in fact, funniest when they are playing versions of “themselves,” as opposed to the half-baked characters they create.

While some sketches drag on too long, the bits as a whole are nicely written and showed Cherry and Peterson’s comedic ranges. Particularly funny were pantomimes spoofing 90’s action films and old Westerns. Audiences looking for deep meaning within their comedy should look elsewhere, but those simply looking for a few laughs should strongly consider Existential Crises.

Existential Crises plays June 19 & 20 at 9pm at i.O. West, June 25 at 10:30pm and June 26 at 8pm at Art|Works Theatre.

Medea at The Complex Theatres

I saw this one on my own, with no prompt from the LA Theatre Review. In fact, the very reason I went was because, as I was standing outside and waiting for Dancing with Crazies to start two Thursdays ago, I ran struck up a conversation with a boy with feathers in his hair. This boy was Ryan Mullins, of PaperStrangers and he was a part of the cast of Medea. He told me to come to the show and you know what.... I did.

Best decision I could have made. Michael Burke's interpretation of Medea was BREATHTAKING. Gorgeous. Haunting. Creepy. Wonderful. Powerful. Emotional. I was captivated by the precision of the chorus, the emotional depth of Medea (Melissa Fenton), and the two staring children hanging from the rafters.

Technically this show was spectacular and while this review is essentially me using words to tell you how amazing the performances is, nothing I say can do it (and it's feather motif) justice. It's coming to the DC Fringe and I suggest, nay urge, anyone in the area at the time to drop what they're doing and go find out how Medea could kill her children. Kudos to Burke and his PaperStrangers company. They quickly became Fringe friends of mine, and several drinks in - I'm going to miss them. They're a phenomenal, talented group and I can't wait to see what they put on next.

Reblogged from www.LATheatreReview.com

The Meanest Guy That Ever Lived at the Hudson Theatre

by Marcus Kaye~

Lily Spottiswoode’s one-woman show, The Meanest Guy That Ever Lived, focuses on her grandfather’s last moments after being moved home to die. Playing a multitude of characters in her family that “doesn’t have breakfast, but has a morning cigarette,” Spottiswoode embodies each of her family members and each of their journey’s through dealing with the death of Spottiswoode’s grandfather, Jack Palance.

Spottiswoode’s strength is in her ability to vocalize. She is able to change her tone, inflection and sound in a heartbeat, easily creating a different persona for each of her family members. Her grandfather’s lover, Elaine, is particularly entertaining (as is her habit to drink, shed her clothes and run in the street). Spottiswoode has talent, and this show clearly showcases that.

Examining how people deal with death, The Meanest Guy That Ever Lived, could have had more meaningful, touching moments. It felt a little short and dry, leaving me yearning for more. More of Elaine. More of Jack Palance. More of Spottiswoode.

The Meanest Guy That Ever Lived plays June 19 at 8pm and June 26 at 9:30pm at the Hudson Theatre.

That's Funny. You Didn't Sound Black on the Phone at The Complex Theatres

What a title, right? This was another show I wasn't assigned to, but rather went out of sheer interest (and because my PaperStrangers friends were going AND because Jacquetta and I had become Twitter followers of one another [Twitter was a HUGE part of the Hollywood Fringe. Anyone who says it's not actually a networking tool did not witness the #hff tags that went up on half of Hollywood's tweets]).

Jacquetta's show about coming to terms with her level of "blackness" was hilarious (even to those of us who have never been to a gospel church, and have never been called out based on skin color). The fact of the matter is, Jacquetta didn't feel black. Sure she was, but she hung out with white people all her life and while she didn't want to BE white, she just didn't FEEL black.

Her journey is hilarious. Her delivery spot on and her themes, surprisingly, universal.

I got to talking to her at Fringe Central and to our surprise an hour had suddenly passed. She's an amazing, hysterical woman who is based in NYC and you can bet your ass when I go in August, I'll be seeing her stand up show.

Reblogged from www.LATheatreReview.com

Wet Cookies at Theatre Asylum

by Marcus Kaye~

Wet Cookies is the rare type of comedy show in which the laughter starts at the onset and continues, non-stop, for an hour. True, the show is only 45 minutes, but the first fifteen minutes spent out of the theatre will surely find audience members continuing to laugh at the multitude of comical moments in the show.

Whether they’re imaging what would have happened if the Magic School Bus stopped in Nazi Germany, recounting the time they accidentally called their fourth grade teacher “mom,” or holding a still pose for an absurd amount of time, the Wet Cookies sketches never fail to deliver. Notably funny was Mallie McCown’s retelling of the thoughts of a monarch butterfly.

If these sketches sound bizarre on paper, it’s only because they are. But the cast commendably makes each sketch memorable, true, and most of all- funny. The pace is quick and the laughs are big. Cleverly broken up into long and short sketches, Wet Cookies is a wonderfully devised little show.

Direction by Adam Sass and technical direction by Adam Griffith are top notch.

Wet Cookies plays June 19 at 5:30pm, June 20, 22 at 10pm, June 26 at 11:30pm, and June 27 at 7pm at Theatre Asylum and June 19 at 9:00 PM at i.O. West.

Reblogged from www.LATheatreReview.com

Eat, Pray, Laugh at Theatre Asylum

by Marcus Kaye~

Borrowing her title from Elizabeth Gilbert’s book about finding enlightenment in India, comedian Alicia Dattner’s one-woman show tells the story of Dattner’s excursion to India where she went looking for herself.

Eat, Pray Laugh is set on an empty stage, with only a chair. Dattner humorously recounts her search for self in India, focusing on the comedic moments, like learning to use an Indian toilet and the multitude of mustaches on the Indians she encounters. She often recounts how many men were in love with her there that made her feel great, but not fulfilled.

Her quest for fulfillment is told in a straightforward manner. It is not unlike being in a living room somewhere, nodding along at each picture of the Taj Mahal, but secretly wishing for this story to end. With frequent tangents and conversational moments with the audience, Eat, Pray, Laugh hardly felt like a performance.

Dattner is charming, likeable and frequently funny, but the show as a whole never truly takes off. The story is interesting; it’s the story-telling that needs polishing.

Eat, Pray, Laugh plays June 24 at 7pm, 
June 25 at 4pm, June 26 at 5:30pm and June 27 at 8:30 PM at Theatre Asylum.

How fitting that my last (and first) fringe shows were one-woman shows that mentioned their vaginas. Exactly what I expected from such shows, but not what I wanted to hear about!

Until next year!