To Hovey for the opening of the Festival
Will Stackman and I and Larry Stark made up a jolly party once we were in out of the rain. Larry introduced me to the young couple who are raising money and doing pre-production for a film about him, Bernice and Andrew Sim.
The Hovey program began with two short comic pieces written and directed by young film maker Julia Radochia. I preferred the script of the first film, but the second one showed a big leap forward in technique. I wonder if they're on YouTube? Not that I'm much of a movie person....
I liked Kelly's play, What We Save, although when I talked to her afterwards I ventured to speculate that it might eventually come to fruition as an hour-long TV feature. The plot has to do with adults coming to terms with their past, and it is generally realistic. I yearned to see the present day characters in extended flashback, with nostalgic costumes and scenic California backgounds, rather than just the single monologue-in-a-spotlight where the young heroine reads from her diary. Leigh Berri was really good in this role, plenty of nuance-- but the entire cast served the play well. Ms. Dumar should be pleased. Michelle Aguillon is a fine director. I wish she'd do a play of mine! At the party afterwards I asked Michelle to pretty please perform one of my Mouth-Off monologues for an mp3 on Stagepage.
The second and last one act play on the schedule was Philana Gnatowski's The Halfway House Club. The young Emerson grad also performed the leading role, and probably directed, too. Gnatowski was outstanding as the homeless heroine of her own play-- it doesn't hurt that in looks and manner she reminds me of a young Jill Hennessy. The play had interesting characters-- Penny Benson, who was in my Christmas at Grandma's at the Platform, played a depressed and separated housewife; and James Tallach, who has directed for me, was a dumped photographer. Good cast. Lots of promising writing, but in need of some rewrites to wrestle it into a better-balanced shape.
I didn't notice till all was over that I had the rare experience of seeing an all-woman-written evening! How encouraging, maybe it will will become a ordinary occurance!
The Hovey program began with two short comic pieces written and directed by young film maker Julia Radochia. I preferred the script of the first film, but the second one showed a big leap forward in technique. I wonder if they're on YouTube? Not that I'm much of a movie person....
I liked Kelly's play, What We Save, although when I talked to her afterwards I ventured to speculate that it might eventually come to fruition as an hour-long TV feature. The plot has to do with adults coming to terms with their past, and it is generally realistic. I yearned to see the present day characters in extended flashback, with nostalgic costumes and scenic California backgounds, rather than just the single monologue-in-a-spotlight where the young heroine reads from her diary. Leigh Berri was really good in this role, plenty of nuance-- but the entire cast served the play well. Ms. Dumar should be pleased. Michelle Aguillon is a fine director. I wish she'd do a play of mine! At the party afterwards I asked Michelle to pretty please perform one of my Mouth-Off monologues for an mp3 on Stagepage.
The second and last one act play on the schedule was Philana Gnatowski's The Halfway House Club. The young Emerson grad also performed the leading role, and probably directed, too. Gnatowski was outstanding as the homeless heroine of her own play-- it doesn't hurt that in looks and manner she reminds me of a young Jill Hennessy. The play had interesting characters-- Penny Benson, who was in my Christmas at Grandma's at the Platform, played a depressed and separated housewife; and James Tallach, who has directed for me, was a dumped photographer. Good cast. Lots of promising writing, but in need of some rewrites to wrestle it into a better-balanced shape.
I didn't notice till all was over that I had the rare experience of seeing an all-woman-written evening! How encouraging, maybe it will will become a ordinary occurance!
posted by G.L.Horton at 11:41 PM
1 Comments:
Hi GL -- I came across your blog when I did a search on my name. I'm taking your comments as a sign that I at least am improving. The script you liked best I wrote last and the film you thought was better in technique I filmed last (well, not last out of everything but last of those two). I don't have these films on You Tube right now but feel free to check out my website for more info -- www.houseofhugsprod.com. Thanks again for mentioning my name. I hope all is well.
Take care,
Julia Radochia
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