One of the things about making comedy work is that to get to the truthful emotion beneath the comedy, you have to play it straight. You can’t goop up the joke with obvious pandering and knowing winks to the audience. You have to commit. My favorite moment in Stageworks Fresno’s production of the hilarious The […]
A bit over a week ago, we started rehearsals for “Hedda Gabler” for The New Ensemble. It’s a great cast, scene work has been cooking along, and we’re headed into our first long rehearsal tomorrow. But I’ve been strangely social media shy on this one. Not normal for me. I’m more accustomed to sharing little […]
I did a little update in my WMCT blog about alternative coverage to The Fresno Bee. The update is on The Bee itself. Basically, you can still send them your events, but coverage will likely depend on its clickability* online. As far as I know, Rory Appleton and Josh Tehee are still technically on the […]
[UPDATED! 5/11] I said I’d be back with some options for folks in the absence of The Fresno Bee, so here I am! What I’ve included below is NOT a comprehensive list of outlets for coverage. These are just a handful of go-to’s that have worked well for us when pitching Rogue Festival or independent […]
It’s almost like the last few weeks of arts news have been setting me up for Tuesday’s local shocker: That McClatchy Newspapers has gutted coverage of the arts and culture from both print and online. . . and that Donald Munro, the region’s resident arts journalist, was also out of a job. After the announcements […]
And, now that The Fresno Bee is cutting all of its arts coverage, you may want to bookmark this. Also, you’ll note that I make no distinction between smaller companies, independent productions, community theater, professional companies, and “semi-pro”. They tend to blend together here in Fresno. So, theater is theater. OPENING IN MAY Fresno Honk! Selma […]
There were several moments of realism that struck a chord with me in the beginning minutes of StageWork’s Fresno’s “The Christians”. Literally. Any girl who regularly attended an evangelical church in the late 80’s would recognize the opening chord of “Awesome God” the moment it is struck and the choir enters singing those declarative lyrics: […]
My mother’s urine is purple. This was an unexpected observation, even for me, who was her primary caregiver for over 8 years. The splotches on her back, the thinness of her skin, the protruding of her bones, the open position of her jaw, the rattle of fluids in her chest cavity and throat, the weeping […]
It’s been a long time since I was this bothered by a review. I long ago came to many conclusions about critics and reviews and their place in the arts ecosystem. I’ve been reviewed many times. I’ve written many reviews. I believe that without arts writers and reviewers arts communities tend to struggle. I don’t […]
This edition of From the Archives is SOOOO 2007, talking about the “experience economy” and touching on “immersive theater” experiences. But while those phrases may be rather passe these days, there are still a few takeaways in here for consideration. It is still odd for me to think about how much I’ve evolved in the […]
