BREVITY

THE FURIES (featuring Barbara Stanwyck)

As you sow, so shall you reap. The families of America’s turn-of-the-century west struggle to define their identity through their connection to the land. Wealth and community mimic feudal world views, and the most obvious adversary is best equipped to end your means. An exceptionally convincing, aware and captivating portrayal of western womanhood.

MARGOT AT THE WEDDING

The absurdity of life is that we even attempt to overcome the limits of our experience and weaknesses. Yet, it is through our desire to overcome the sum of our parts and through our commitment to love and fidelity that we celebrate the potential of the human spirit.

PAUL MCCARTHY: Central Symmetrical Rotation Movement Three Installations, Two Films

The span of time, when refracted, reveals a series of compelling “moment images.” The differences between those “moment images,” in time, distance and sound, can be mined for the surprising theatricality inherent in our attempt to move from point a to point c.

For Cory: Our Song

Latest edition to my blog– shout outs to my boo, man, boyfriend, main squeeze, Cory Hloska. Thanks for quenching my sweet tooth baby.

If you see Cory and I walking down the street, feel free to yell out the chorus to this song. We’ll gladly join you in the refrain.

Pilfered Content

Today is my day off from rehearsal. I’m associate directing the new musical FELA!, which is co-conceived, co-written, directed and choreographed by the imitable Bill T. Jones – a hero of mine, but I’ll write more on that another day.

So, I’m going to take this day off and leave you with an interview of Bill by the Wall Street Journal.

An African Giant’s Last Dance
By CAROL HYMOWITZ
July 18, 2008; Page W7C

Fela Anikulapo Kuti, the Nigerian Afro-beat musician and political activist who died of AIDS-related illnesses in 1997, was hugely popular throughout Africa in his lifetime and still has a devoted following today. In the U.S., however, he isn’t as well known as Bob Marley and other black global musicians. Choreographer Bill T. Jones, who runs his own modern-dance troupe and won a Tony last year for his choreography of the Broadway hit “Spring Awakening,” aims to change that. He’s directing — for the first time — and choreographing “Fela!,” a musical that will include live performances of Fela’s music, a fusion of jazz, funk and traditional African styles. Off-Broadway preview performances start on July 29. We talked with Mr. Jones recently about pidgin English, African dictatorships and directing.

WSJ: What do you want people who aren’t familiar with Fela to experience at the show?

Bill T. Jones: First, it should be an evening of good theater. Even though he was so concerned with issues of oppression and empowerment, Fela’s music on the surface is very entertaining. It’s “let’s get down and dance” music. When I listen to Fela, my hips begin moving; my body hears the music first.

Jump to the full interview.

Concrete Womb

Came across a Brooke Hodge’s blog post about the John Lautner exhibit at LA’s Hammer Museum, and it almost made me float out of my chair.

I’m always engaged by Modern architectural design that also envelops humanism. There’s something beautifully serene and inspiring about clean lines, uniformity and post-war building materials used to make spaces that reflect our communal experience and possible world views.

I know, I know – a bit of an academic rant, but it comforts me. I hope you find some comfort in it as well.

Subject: Punished for being HIV-Positive?

Dear Friend,

Can you imagine not being allowed to travel to another country or apply to become a legal resident because of a medical condition?

Under current U.S. law, our government is telling countless individuals living with HIV that they are banned from the United States. The discriminatory HIV Travel Ban prevents HIV positive individuals from entering the country or obtaining legal U.S. citizenship.

Right now a repeal to the ban is in the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) legislation – which, if passed, would abolish the ban and finally put an end to this unjust policy. But just as Congress is preparing to vote on PEPFAR legislation, anti-gay members of Congress are pushing to remove this critical provision so that the inhumane HIV Travel Ban remains a U.S. law.

Congress has a chance this year to finally abolish the travel ban and end this discriminatory policy! Please join me in asking them to stand up to anti-gay Senators who are trying to keep this unjust U.S. policy on the books. Just click below – it only takes a minute.

http://www.hrcactioncenter.org/campaign/hivtravelban?rk=VpdiYRYqOJjOW

ZOOM ZOOMS

…or THE SECRET LIFE OF TUK TUKS

I just can’t get enough of these single occupancy buggies.

It started with a chance spotting while waiting at the Austin airport, and now I have to take a photo every time I see them.

There’s just something about the scale of mobility and the implied reference: one motor vehicle to one person.

Engaging and disturbing.

QUOTEd BREVITY

“brevity” and “quoted” all in the same post? Hopefully my blog won’t implode.

My one sentence response to…

Wall-E

If you over-consume food, you’ll be overweight, but if you over-consume Disney musicals, you’ll fall in love.

and

RollsRoyceRevenge commenting on Gawker’s Wall-E article:

“If anything, the problem with the film was that the human characters were too nice. One little weed in a shoe and they were ready to ditch their luxury mall in the sky and go back to hoeing black-eyed peas? Fuck that–there should have been a cabal fighting for the right to hover in the pretty purple nebula forever. Perhaps they should have named the nebula the Grimace Nebula, you know, in honor of the shakes.

Best thing about this movie was Sigourney Weaver as the ship’s computer. Gee, Ellen Ripley, talk about turning into your M.O.T.H.E.R.”

Rosie O’Donnell Post for the Summer

yet another new addition to my blog:
stylistic improvisations on the blogging art of Rosie O’Donnell

this is how internet rumors are started

todd caught me in an “indecent pose” during one of our video skype conversations the other day (if you want to chat with me on skype, my handle is niegelsmith).

believe it or not, we were discussing our grant proposal for Creative Capital.

if you work for Creative Capital… please give us some money. we like to make art stuff, and we’re so passionate about it, we take our shirts off.

some images don’t need descriptions

p.s. I love when artists appropriate popular iconography and give it an urgent new perspective

impossible is nothing

maybe if we both imagine hugging one another at the same moment… there will be a rip in the fabric of space and time… and we’ll actually embrace for an instant.

ok…
let’s try….

1, 2, 3…

Feast for the Eyes