Alice & Me!, Urban Gateways, School Tour, Theatre, Chicago, Filament Theatre

Free Public Performance at The Magic Tree Bookstore

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Alice & Me!, Urban Gateways, School Tour, Theatre, Chicago, Filament Theatre

Filament Theatre Ensemble is proud to be partnering with Urban Gateways on our new adaptation of Alice & Me!, an interactive re-telling of the story of Alice and Wonderland.

As part of our ongoing Community Building Campaign we are offering a FREE public performance:

The Magic Tree Bookstore
Sunday, December 12 at 3PM
141 N. Oak Park Ave.
Oak Park, IL 60301
We would love to invite you to this production of Alice & Me! as an introduction to this exciting new school tour.

Follow Alice down the rabbit hole where such classic characters as the Caterpillar, the Cheshire Cat and the Mad Hatter pose questions and challenges that you must help Alice to solve.

Alice & Me! is a great experience to share with your whole family and is geared toward Elementary grade students.

The Producer’s Curse

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Actors aren’t the only ones who get opening night jitters.  Managing Director Christian Libonati gives us a look at Choose Thine Own Adventure’s opening night from the eye of a producer – the worry, joys, stresses, and gifts of producing a show and seeing it performed in front of an audience (of reviewers, no less!) for the first time.  Choose Thine Own Adventure resumes performances this weekend after a break for the Thanksgiving holiday; only four chances left to see this hit show!

Christian (front) and the Choose Team on opening night.

We are rapidly approaching the final performances of Choose Thine Own Adventure. As we do, I find myself thinking back almost 2 months to our opening performance. Although I have been Managing Director of Filament for the past four years, it has been three years since I have been able to attend an opening night. The past two years I’ve found myself speeding away from our theater an hour prior to show time to try and make it for a half hour call for another show in which I was simultaneously performing.

But this year on opening night, after the house was open, the tickets had been collected and the audience had found their way to a seat (we over sold opening night, so the place was jammed), I nervously moved to the back of the house to watch the show. As the first sound cue brought on the actors, I had the realization that there was nothing more I could do… this could have created a sense of inner peace, a sense that I had done all that I could do to bring this four year old vision of Choose Thine Own Adventure to life; however, instead all I could do was sit and worry about how the reviewers would react to the show (reviewers and their guests made up almost a third of the audience!). It was hard for me to watch the show, I found myself shaking, pacing, and at one point I even had to sit down on the floor. It wasn’t until maybe two hours after the show had ended that I was able to relax and enjoy our opening night. But I suppose this is the producer’s curse… the great fear and anticipation of what the reviewers will say and how that will affect audience turnout.

Little did I know that the anticipation had only just begun. When I woke up the next day, all I could do was sit at my computer and continually search and refresh: “review: Choose Thine Own Adventure.” What are they going to say??? Will they love it? Hate it? Or, worst of all, feel indifferent to it?

The first review to surface was Around the Town Chicago with Al Bresloff. “Part of what “Adventure” does is make viewing Shakespeare an adventure itself.” I felt a huge sigh of relief. He got right to the heart of the piece. Someone may ask: ‘Why mess with Shakespeare? He doesn’t need your help to write a brilliant play.’ To that I would say: you are absolutely right! Shakespeare’s plays are some of the most remarkable plays ever written; however, he has tragically acquired a bad rap among my generation, so we set out to shake up the lens through which our audience would view Shakespeare, and, well, we wanted to make viewing Shakespeare “an adventure itself.” One down.

Next came Tom William’s review from his website: Chicago Critic, as well as Lawrence Bommer’s review for Steadstyle

Actors Mary and Marco during the pre-show.

Chicago. Mr. Williams identified another one of our goals: to appeal not only to “Shakespeare nerds” but also to “beer drinking rowdies and lovers of hilarious live comedy.” Ironically, the way we are able to connect with all these crowds is by staying as true to the Shakespeare text as possible! As Mr. Bommer graciously said: “They clearly love the author whom they eloquently honor with recitations that can hold their own on Navy Pier or Dearborn Street.” (I’m going to include that little snippet when I invite Barbara Gaines to our show…)

Another fear I had was bringing a bunch of Chicago theatre reviewers (many of whom are not necessarily our target audience where age is concerned) to a dark, seedy, Wrigleyville bar. An atmosphere usually reserved for stand-up comedy and heavy metal bands. But, Neal Ryan Shaw allayed my fears in his write up for New City Stage when he wrote: “…the dingy bar is nearly perfect, in fact, giving us the freedom to interact with the players and even sneak off to the bar for a refill…”

Then there were our four star reviews from Chicago Theater Blog in which Allegra Gallian hailed the show as “an adventure worth choosing” and our Time Out Chicago review by Ryan Dolley. (to my knowledge, the Time Out Chicago review is the one that has inspired the most people to take action and come see the show!).

I want to take a step back, and comment on how the reviewers depicted the actors. Each actor was called out in at least one of the reviews for a funny moment they had or for general ease with the text or connecting with the audience; however, my favorite description of an actor was when Omen Sade was referred to as “the show’s second banana.” After reading that, Omen was quick to let me know that if the reviewer had attended a different night and seen a different track of the show, he would have been the first banana.

Finally a week after opening, the Tribune review was posted. As Scrooge says to the ghost of Christmas Future, this was the spirit I feared most of all… What would Nina Metz of the Tribune say?? Well, she had some very nice things to say, and I was thrilled by the review and how she compared our show to “a better episode of 30 rock.”

All of these reviewers saw that opening night performance, but as Ana Klinchynskaya of the Chicago Maroon observed, “How do you write a review for a show that changes every night?” So, I was very excited when she walked into the bar to review a performance in our third week. This review has some of my favorite quotes, and hit on so many of the key, exciting elements we set out to convey. You can imagine my surprise and delight at reading this college reviewer’s sub headline: “Filament Theatre’s Choose Thine Own Adventure improves Othello & others…” This is a student from the University of Chicago who didn’t seem to be a huge Shakespeare fan, but from her experience at the show, she observed: “Filament Theatre breaks down this barrier violently, rowdily, bawdily, and amusingly to create a performance that the audience can both participate in and relate to.” She went on to give us the greatest complement we have yet received, implying that we created this show “just as Shakespeare would’ve wanted it.”

Well, if it’s good enough for Shakespeare, it’s good enough for me! (though I had already made up my mind about the show after the first read thru with the cast. I knew we had a hit! (But I must say, it’s nice when the critics agree!)

Filament Gives Thanks

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For this week’s blog Filament would like to give thanks… Below is text that has been provided by the voices of many within the community that is Filament and given to you as a poem of thanks. We have united our voices as one and to you, on this day, we give thanks…

I am thankful for a community of courageous collaborators who are willing to take risks and continue to explore how to connect with today’s audience.

“The telling of a tale links you with everyone who has told it before. There are no new tales, only new tellers in their own way, and if you listen closely you can hear the voice of everyone who ever told the tale.”

-William Brooke

I am thankful for the stories, the people who came before, the teachers, the books, the Chicago community that supports new attempts.

KnowledgeI am grateful for the knowledge…  I am not content to re-create what was successful in Shakespeare’s day, or even what was successful just 10 years ago.

I am thankful for the people who take what they have learned and apply it to our current climate.

I am thankful for the people who are motivated to connect with the community around them, and work toward the greater goal of creating something that is needed…

In my life, this pursuit has brought me to Filament, so, to be concise: I am thankful for Filament.

Though it frequently seems that the world is falling into a dire state, I am continually thankful for the ingenuity and resourcefulness of my artistic community.  We meet a faltering community with imagination and bravery.  We meet apathy with passion and despair with joy.

I am thankful for the ever changing nature of the world, whose winds will always fill the sails of those who believe in good things, and whose waters will always rise up to quench the thirsty. 

I am thankful for the bounty of the Earth, and thankful for those who still fight to protect her against the careless greed of our global systems.

I am thankful for the Sun that allows our plants to grow, and for the farmers who dedicate their lives to scratching in the noble dirt that we may fill our plates. 

I am thankful for all of the astonishing beauty in the world: the way brick catches the setting sun, and the shuffling steps of old women.

Most of all, I am thankful for the love of our families, friends and lovers, without which everything else would seem useless, dull and grey.

I would have to say that I am so thankful for all of the teachers that have helped guide me on my journey as an artist.

I have truly been blessed with so many amazing, wise, thoughtful teachers…

I would like to thank…

…Cookie, my preschool teacher, who shared with me a love of circles and forming them with friends, the magic of rhythm and song, and the power of an ensemble.

…Mrs. Cooney, my elementary school teacher, who taught me that even though my mom was the head of the school, and that I was truly sorry, I should still take responsibility for curiously tangling and cutting the strings of her Newton’s Cradle during recess. If we make a mess (of a teaching tool or our planet’s environment), simply taping the strings back together is not enough.

…the directors of The Guyer Opera House, who taught me that even an ancient theatre in one of the smallest of farm towns in America can house the streets of 19th century London and the little town of Bethlehem on the same splintery stage. Theatre can happen in the most unexpected places.

…Mrs. Chahraur, who taught me during a trip to Ecuador that a shared experience can teach you so much more than a text book ever can.

…Mr. Abineri, my high school Calculus and Physics teacher, who taught me that having the right answer is not the most important thing in life. The creation of a work is worth just as many points as the final product (if not more).

…Patty Flannigan, my high school theatre teacher, who, despite advising me that “if there’s ANYTHING that you love more than theatre, you should do that instead”, is one of the main reasons I am an artist today. Her love of theatre was absolutely contagious.

…Ann Woodworth, who taught me that the lessons of theatre go beyond the stage and into our every day lives.

…and my parents, who showed me that with the support of others, we can truly accomplish anything.

As an artist I am thankful for other artists.
I  am thankful for the artists whose visions overlap just enough with mine to make our artistic home a vibrant one.
As an emerging theatre artist, I have found that having such a home, whether it’s a theatre ensemble like Filament, or an improv group that meets once a week, is invaluable.
Living in a city where many groups like Filament can thrive is also a joy and an inspiration.  I am excited to be alive today when it seems that ideas have more power in their independence than they have ever had.
I hope that independent and original ideas will continue to be heard, and that they will help us to steer our lives, communities, governments, and world in a more informed and constructive way.

I am thankful to be an artist. Making art a player in my day-to-day life continually awakens me, amuses me, and guides me through my path. I do not want to live stagnantly; I want my spirit to never fall asleep.

I have an urge to play in situations where I am constantly challenged, but this can be at times very painful and dark; it goes against our natural grain to be habitual and keep out of dangers way.

I am a chameleon and I can adapt (maybe not always gracefully but always with a fervor) to many different types of situations. In my life I choose to swim upstream, being full aware that most of the time people may not listen or care what I want to create but that is the least important part to me.

Having the ability to create allows me to peek into the many peepholes of the universe. There are so many jewels to be uncovered all around us and I am thankful to be able to do this. I think it brings me closer to my true purpose on this earth and I want to die knowing that I used my hands and voice to create connections where there may not have been any.

I am thankful to be alive at this time in the world because I know that I have wonderful opportunities available to me (I just have to look around), and I am thankful that I am of sound mind and able body to work in and for this world.

When I have been extinguished and made permently into the memory of faded pages I will be thankful to have breathed the same air as the great whales out roaming.

I am thankful for the arms in which I have slept the night, the music that has passed my lips and passed my ears, the very music that has left me smiling and crying all the while we danced.

I am thankful for the conversations that have lasted all through the night.

I am thankful for the tears of joy and pain in the creation of a day.

I am thankful for the blessed earth, the gift to us all.

I am thankful for skies full of stars and fathers and mothers.

I am thankful, for you…

Meeting Shakespeare

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This week the Filament Blog asks the question, “What was your first experience with Shakespeare?” Ensemble members and the Choose Thine Own Adventure cast weigh in on middle school plays, boring high school English classes, and Leonardo diCaprio. Sharing all these stories has made us wonder – What was your first encounter with Shakespeare? Comment below and let us know!

CHOOSE runs through Dec. 11!

My most memorable Shakespeare casting was as a dancer in a Maui production of Comedy of Errors. It was set in New York’s 1970’s Studio 54 club, complete with drugs, boas, glitter, plenty of polyester and numerous Diana Ross dance numbers. It was hilariously awful and yet fabulous as only a room lit with a mirror ball can be. To this day, every time I hear Amii Stewart’s cover of “Knock On Wood” I expect to see twin Dromios in white bell bottoms dancing on a bar.
-Allison Powell, Business Manager and Adapter of Choose Thine Own Adventure


When I was seven, my mom took me to a production of The Tempest at a local college. The images from that play have stuck with me ever since. I don’t think I knew at that point that Shakespeare was supposed to be “hard” to understand, so I understood the meaning of every moment. That experience fixed Shakespeare in my mind as something thrilling. Seven years later I played Puck in my highschool’s Midsummer. Inhabiting the words and actions of Shakespeare at that moment caught me hook line and sinker and I’ve been caught ever since!
-Omen Sade, Associate Artistic Director and Bernardo in Choose Thine Own Adventure

The first Shakespeare play I was ever in was Much Ado About Nothing. I was twelve years old, and I played Benedick. After that, I thought I knew everything there was to know about Shakespeare and probably annoyed the bajeezus out of all of my friends. That continues to this day.
-Reggie Gowland, Ensemble Member

Village Hypochondriac: “The Queen has demanded a new Will Shakespeare play.”
Will Shakespeare: “But I don’t have one ready. Can’t she just write one herself!”
Village Hypochondriac: “I’ll give her your reply sir!”
Will Shakespeare: “NO no no no”

Thus begins every performance of Instant Shakespeare performed at Renaissance Festivals across the country. After this set up, the actors launch into creating a new Shakespeare play based on one of the classics (the first one I saw was Romeo & Juliet); however Shakespeare would ask the audience for help through the process. Names, circumstances, and insults from the audience filled in this Madlib Shakespeare that would then unfold before the audience full of improvisations in Iambic pentameter and audience involvement. To give an idea of the atmosphere, when the audience was asked for an insult, a jolly portly gentleman holding a huge smoked turkey leg (you know the guy) yelled out: “YOU VOMITUS PENNY PINCHING SCUM!” (That insult has been a part of my family’s vocabulary ever since.) At 6 years old, this was my first exposure to Shakespeare and quickly became something I looked forward to every year when my family attended the Renaissance Festival. From that point on, I knew that there was an underlying joy and playfulness in Shakespeare’s plays, and later when I read my first Shakespeare play in English class (you guessed it… Romeo & Juliet), I was able to connect with the joy and irreverence inspired by Instant Shakespeare.
-Christian Libonati, Managing Director

My first experience with Shakespeare was in 7th grade when we were required to read Romeo and Juliet, I distinctly remember hating the play. I get so angry at how silly the whole thing is, all of it could have been so easily avoided. What made it worse was when our teacher made us sit through the 1968 film version. That was pure torture. It wasnt until my senior year of high school that I would learn to love the bard. I read Macbeth, which to this day, is my favorite Shakespeare play.
-Shayna Kamilar, Production Manager

My first “Shakespeare encounter” occured in 7th grade, and was the result of two simultaneous events. First, as part of our English cirriculum, we were to cover both Romeo and Juliet and Julius Caesar. Second, there was a speech contest which occured each year for 7th graders and encompassed several topics – one of those was dramatic interpretation (in other words, a monologue). I chose Cassius’ monologue from I.ii, which begins “Why, man, he doth bestride the narrow world/Like a colossus…” So there I was reading Romeo and Juliet in class, as well as working on a Shakespeare speech for the speech contest. A Shakespeare nerd from the start, you might think. Well, that simply was not the case! I still had glorious dreams of being a professional baseball player, and was riding high on skipping a level of the local leagues due to my great tryout the previous fall. In my free time I was most likely playing video games, sports, or chasing girls – theatre, Shakespeare in particular, was the least of my interests.

The speech contest went well (I scored high, but did not win), and I received high marks in English. I can’t say that some seed was planted at that moment, but I certainly can remember that I felt an affinity for the language (even if I didn’t understand a lot of it). I don’t know when I first really considered acting seriously as a field of study, and eventually a profession, but I do know that every time I have come across an opportunity to study Shakespeare, or work on a Shakespearean production, there has been some unseen pull toward his language. If you went back in time and told my 11 year-old self that he would be an actor, and have an affinity for Shakespeare’s works, he would probably laugh at you, and yet still have some subconscious understanding of that future reality.
-Marco Minichiello, Dromio in Choose Thine Own Adventure

When I was about eight, my grandparents showed me Franco Zeffirelli’s Romeo and Juliet. I was instantly obsessed (I mean, John McEnery’s Queen Mab speech is killer, right?!).  I spent an enormous part of the subsequent months performing the balcony scene in my house, using the staircase landing as the balcony and my four year old sister as Romeo. She had a pretty impressive speech impediment at the time, and to this day I can hear her little voice saying “He jests at scaws that nevew fehwt a wound!” In the two decades since then, my sister has outgrown her speech impediment, but I’m still going strong with my love of the Bard.
-Julie Ritchey, Artistic Director and Director of Choose Thine Own Adventure

When I was just a few years old my mom–who is a theatre teacher at a private school in San Diego–directed a production of Hamlet. My dad guest-starred as the Ghost. I don’t remember very much from the production, but I do have a few blurry images in my head. I certainly liked the sword-fighting (which, I believe, my dad also choreographed). Sword-fighting may have played a big role in drawing me into the theatre–when, as a kid, I had to keep myself entertained while my mom finished a rehearsal, I’d get to play with some of the prop swords that were always lying around.
-Jack Novak, Ensemble Member

I read Othello in high school with my remedial English class and I do not remember if I understood what happened in the play but I remember that I was mad at everybody for not acting the parts out.  How could they just read this stuff without any emotion?

The second most memorable moment was when I read Merchant of Venice unassigned one summer before my senior year of college.  It was the first Shakespeare play I read on my own accord and the first time I understand the story.  I remember the moment I finished the play.  I was sitting in an upstairs part of the library where I worked during the summer and the sun was coming in on my face.  I remember being very hungry and I was poor at the time so I kept myself busy that week with this play.  I needed nourishment and this play supplied it.  I never told anybody about this but I guess I have now.  I really saw this play happening as I read which was the first time visualization had happened throughout an entire Shakespeare play.  I want to re read it now just thinking about this moment.
-Mary Spearen, Development Director and Rosalind in Choose Thine Own Adventure

Shakespeare is to the English language as the moon is to the sky, it is as though the two always belonged together, describing love and the pain that comes with the journey that is the path of life.  I must say that my early experience with the Bard was as an explorer of words, as a creature in love with the texture and smell of old books and the oceans of words upon the shelves. It is from some such exploration that a weathered copy of the Complete Works cast its breath upon my face like some volume of sacred text, calling forth the boy to worship at its soft and faded page. And with its voice taking my hand and softly whispering some reminder of what I was to come to know. I don’t think I fully understood at the time what I was looking at, but I knew right away that it was a very important part of the history of life. I knew even then that it had the power to change lives.
–Peter Oyloe, Marketing Director

My first encounter with Shakespeare was more tangible than most, it was not by reading any of his plays or even attending one of them.  At age 10 I visited Stratford-upon-Avon and have fond memories of visiting the various landmarks around the town, my favorite being Anne Hathaway’s cottage.  Here I purchased a beautiful, picture book edition of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.  Upon returning home, I immediately rented the movie edition, read the actual play and thus began a love of “the bard.”
-Kristen Ahern, Costume Designer of Choose Thine Own Adventure

My sister put up a giant poster of Leonardo DiCaprio from Romeo + Juliet behind the fish tank on her wall – when I say giant, I mean takes up half the wall space giant. I was 10. I would sneak into her room and kiss the poster!
-Carolyn Faye Kramer, Ensemble Member

High school sucks and here is why. I had the greatest English teacher in the world. Did I know or appreciate it at the time, no. Example, in addition to reading poetry, and studying drama, this guy brought us on field trips to the Ruth Page Theatre (now Chicago Shakes) to see incredible productions. As a 15 year old (at least in 1996) there is nothing more uncool than liking Shakespeare. So, I distinctively remember sitting in the front row of a matinee of Comedy of Errors with my arms folded across my chest, slumped into the chair with my coat still on, acting way too cool for school. This was all for show (or at least to keep the bullies at bay). Inside I was dying with excitement. I LOVED every second. The mistaken identities, watching the Dromios get pummeled, the prat falls, the lights, the costumes, the music, the oh so happy ending… it was awesome! Those matinees have a lot to do with how and why I’m an actor today. The coolest part is I’ve now shared the stage with some of those guys I grew up watching and admiring. So to Mr. T. I thank you. Even though there was no way you could have known it then, I was deeply in love (and still am) with the things I was exposed to in your class.
-Ryan Reilly, Ensemble Member

I don’t remember my first encounter with Shakespeare but it must have been much like my first encounter with chocolate. That stalwart and king of sugary treats has always been in my sensory memory just as Shakespeare seems to have always been a part of the ether of my nostalgic subconscious, sweetly satiating the appetite of my intellectual curiosity and theatrical cravings. Over the years I’ve tasted chocolate in a plethora of forms — dark, milk, white, with peanut butter, rice crispies, jalapenos, etc — and have similarly seen Shakespeare’s works in classical theater style, post-modern interpretations, recontextualizations of all sorts, and in Japanese samurai cinema. That’s the deliciously beautiful thing about chocolate and Shakespeare, they go well in almost any form. The reason, I think, is because at some very basic level, they hit us in the pit of our brains, arousing some fantastic and cathartic feeling in our cores, satisfying a primal human desire to feel joy. And although too much chocolate can lead to a number of health concerns, too much Shakespeare only makes me wish the Bard was still around to share the second Twix bar with.
-Ped Naseri, Antonio in Choose Thine Own Adventure

Something Wicked This Way Comes…

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This week, we at the Filament Theatre Ensemble would love to invite you, blog readers, to the rockingest Halloween party this side of Stratford-upon-Avon.  For the ridiculously low price of 0.15 ducats (or $15), you get a DJ, a costume contest, a raffle, fantastic prizes, and a special Halloween performance of the show Time Out Chicago describes as “boisterous” and “truly hysterical.”  And to top it all off, this evening of magic will be over at 9:00, leaving you plenty of time to go to your other way less fun Halloween parties.  Details below.  We look forward to seeing you there!


Pre-Game the Smart Way with the

Choose Thine Own Adventure Halloween Bash!!!

Saturday (Oct. 30th) starting at 6p.m.!!!

6p.m. @ The Underground Lounge in Wrigleyville


DJ PUZZLE!

Costume Contest

Raffle

Drink Specials

Tickets $15 at www.filamenttheatre.orgtickets
(Psst… Secret Insider Tip… Tickets are only TEN dollars if you come dressed in a Shakespearean themed costume!)

This Price includes BASH & SHOW…

CHOOSE THINE OWN ADVENTURE starts @ 7:30!!


Alice and Me, Filament Theatre, Children's Theatre, Chicago, Monee School District

The Rule of Threes

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This week on the Filament blog, artistic director Julie Ritchey looks back at this week (in which the Filament Theatre Ensemble opened three world-premiere plays) and looks forward to tonight (the opening of Choose Thine Own Adventure)!

When it rains it pours, they say, and what an appropriate adage for today! Not only are we edging into autumn with one of those classically cozy rainy Chicago days, but we at Filament are arriving at the end of an epic week of shows. It’s been a unprecedented week here for us. This week has marked the world premiere of THREE Filament shows.

We started the week off with our very first performance of Alice and Me! in Monee, Illinois on Monday. By Friday, the actors had performed the show seven times, reaching over 2100 students in the

Alice and Me, Filament Theatre, Children's Theatre, Chicago, Monee School District

The First Performance of Alice & Me!

Monee school district. I have to take a second to applaud the actors’ energy and focus (especially considering they’d been waking up at 5:30 a.m. five days in a row!) to be able to match the energy of an entire gymnasium of elementary school students. I wish you could have seen them! As Peter put it, it felt more like a rock concert than a play. The kids were so invested in every moment they could hardly even stay still. My favorite moment would have to be when Mary as the Red Queen challenges Alice (played by Melissa Law and Lauren Malara) to a game of croquet and then never lets her have a turn. The kids went wild defending Alice, yelling that it was her turn, that the Queen was cheating, that it wasn’t fair. A baby riot was narrowly averted! It was so refreshing to see an audience so personally invested in a story that they couldn’t help but yell out in defense of one of the characters. That was our hope and it seems to be working. As we move forward we will take what we have learned and continue to refine the experience that we are bringing to these schools. Jack, the playwright and an ensemble member, has really written such a smart and wonderful play – one that connects to an enormous age range on so many different levels. I’m already looking forward to the next booking!

This afternoon, Omen Sade and Mary Spearen are heading up to Wauwatosa, WI to perform the world premiere of Arlecchio for Kids, a complete re-imaging of Omen’s one man show The Odyssey of Arlecchino, which premiered at the Theatre Building Chicago in February.  As I write this, they are midway through the performance!

Our audience for the preview!

And tonight at 8:00, Filament officially kicks off its fifth season with the world premiere of Choose Thine Own Adventure at the Underground Lounge in Wrigleyville. We had our first preview last night, and it couldn’t have been more fun. Since the entire show is contingent on the audience, it has been a pretty non-traditional rehearsal experience, but as you can imagine finally having an audience added that last element that really makes the show what it is. It was such a joy to, for the first time ever, have that last piece of the puzzle in place.

Tonight is our official opening night, and it’s very likely that we will be performing a completely different play than we did last night! I have no idea what the audience will vote for, and therefore no idea what I’ll be watching tonight. Is it 8:00 yet? I can’t wait!

Choose Thine Own Adventure.

Trash Talking With The Bard

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It’s tech week for Choose Thine Own Adventure! Yes, tech rehearsals are long and arduous, but thank goodness we have actor Ped Naseri to keep us laughing with his Elizabethan stand-up.  This week in the Filament blog, Ped shares his philosophies about the Bard and Dirty Jokes.

Choose Thine Own Adventure.

The Equation of Comedy

I imagine if William Shakespeare was alive today he’d be a fan of the show Yo Momma. Why? Because of his wit and penchant for insults — two talents you must have in order to win cash maaaahney or become the greatest playwright in the English language. Consider for a moment some of Shakespeare’s zingers (which you can hear during our show!):

“Peace, ye fat-kidneyed rascal!”
“She’s the kitchen wench and all grease.”
“Asses are made to bear and so are you.”
“A witty mother witless else her son.”

If that ain’t old school trash talking, I don’t know what is. (Maybe Chaucer, but he’s pretty lame.) Anyway, what people sometimes forget and high school English teachers downplay for fear of book- banning, is that Shakespeare was really funny and often times went blue. Although way more eloquent, Shakespeare made a lot of dirty jokes. There’s something to think about — how eloquent can a dirty joke be? As it turns out, very much so. Academics call them double entendres, innuendos, or ambiguous puns, but a dick joke by any other name is still as funny.

Choose Thine Own Adventure, Chicago, Theatre, Theater, Shakespeare

Ped Naseri (right) Taunts Omen Sade With a Leek

What I’m driving at is that not only was Shakespeare’s language beautifully poetic, highly elevated and imaginative, it was also freakin’ funny. I’ll be the first to admit that it’s sometimes hard to catch the punch-line (they say that if you have to look up a joke it’s not funny anymore, but let me assure you that lexicons make them even funnier –(thank you Alexander Schmidt!). Nonetheless, it’s easy to get wrapped up in all the other important Shakespeare elements that one can forget just how witty and humorous it can be. In our show, I think we’ve found some creative ways to bring out the comedy in a mash-up, remixed — and for the nerds — a re-contextualized way. And that the audience gets to help decide which direction they want the show to go all adds up to one heck of a bergamask-inducing time.

I guess that means I should amend my original formula to this: Comedy = tragedy + deez nuts.

Julie Ritchey, Shayna Kamilar, Allison Powell

Allison Asks, What If?

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This week, the Filament blog checks in with playwright Allison Powell, as she shares her experience adapting Choose Thine Own Adventure.

Julie Ritchey, Shayna Kamilar, Allison Powell

Allison Powell (right) in a rehearsal.

It’s alive, breathing, bickering, swashbuckling, beer guzzling, heart breakingly wonderful and that was in just the first ten minutes of Saturday night’s rehearsal in the venue. I have never been more excited about a show. Ever. And that’s a big statement because I excite easily.

Choose Thine Own Adventure had been brewing in the collective subconscious of Filament long before I sat down with my copy of the Bard and started piecing the show together. In fact, it was listed on the company’s website as a future production when I initially interviewed to be the Business Manager. I was devastated to hear (Director) Julie say that, for as brilliant of an idea as it was, they had postponed writing. It’s been on the Filament ‘to do’ list for so long that no one can even remember whose idea it was originally, just that everyone was itching for a chance to ask “what if?”

What if Juliet woke up 10 seconds sooner? What if Hamlet was a bit more action and a lot less talk? What if Lear was a better judge of character?

And the biggest ‘what if?’ of all: what if we could make Shakespeare fun again? Give it back to the groundlings as a bawdy, boozy, brazen good time—all the things we love about these plays—and drop all of those pretentious, boring production habits that have become the norm for Shakespeare. Don’t want to see a 3 hour performance of Macbeth set in 1690s Salem, Massachusetts? Me neither. Sill think codpiece jokes are funny? Me too!

I was not a Choose Your Own Adventure virgin going into this. In college I wrote a CYOA play with The Experimental Theatre Company (hi guys!) so I had some idea of how to structure this kind of show.

And the structure’s the thing (Check out this Scene Map!). With Shakespeare, the wealth of zany characters, thorny plot twists and gorgeous language meant never wanting for good material—but when you make a choice (and you’re going to make lots of them!) there is a ripple effect through the plot line, as way leads on to way. So figuring out how one decision in Twelfth Night would naturally lead to a scene from Othello was like a great unraveling. I got to pull at all of these loose threads to see where each one led me, until a bigger picture finally took shape. And if that’s my metaphor, then picture me completely tangled in yarn on a regular basis.

The script is now in its umpteenth revision, with brilliance regularly added to it by the cast and designers. But you get to make the final edit.

Choose Thine Own Adventure, Map

Scene Map for "Choose"

We have no idea what show you’re going to see when you come so we’re as excited as you are. And, mathematically speaking, the likelihood of any show happening twice is less than .00024%. (I calculated that so leave some room for error.) What the numbers are telling us is that each show is a once-in-a-lifetime experience—so you can come back and see it every night and you’ll always see something new. While that’s true of any live performance, it’s especially true of this one. It’s even possible some of the scenes will never be seen! Imagine, all of that writing, rewriting, blocking, memorizing of lines, costumes sewn, props painted and it never gets chosen! That’s a real risk, but we’re willing to take it to give you the opportunity to have this hands-on experience with characters you’ve seen a hundred times (and hopefully a few you’ve never met) in a new world of your choosing.

Here are some rumors I’d like to dispel:

1. I am a Shakespeare scholar.
– As if! Probably no more or less than you. When I got stuck, which was frequent (see ‘yarn’ above) I had the internet at my immediate disposal. Can’t remember a scene that has pirates? Need another reference to a horse? I’d like to particularly thank MIT for their free on-line posting of all of Will’s work.

2. I LOVE Shakespeare.
– Again, probably no more or less than you. Having irreverence towards the text was crucial in this process. But so was loving his words. I have my favorites (most of which found their way into the final draft) and anything I didn’t think would make you either laugh or cry was cut.

3. Two of the actors have webbed toes.
– It’s just not true.

Shakespeare invented the word ‘laughable’! Really! Look it up! So I take that to mean he really wanted his work to make you laugh. We hope in our hands it does. So come early and often, get a drink (or two) and tell us what you’d like to see happen next because we’re as curious as you are.

Designing In Stages

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This week, the Filament Blog checks in with two of the Choose Thine Own Adventure Designers: Amy Gilman (set) and Kristen Ahern (costume). See how these brave ladies are tackling the challenges of designing a show with more than twenty possible storylines!

First, Amy Gilman discusses scenic design, unpredictability, and magical forests:

Scenic Designer Amy Gilman

How do you design a show when you don’t know what scenes will actually be performed? Approaching Choose Thine Own Adventure has been different than any other process in which I have been involved. It is an exciting, yet terrifying task. The instant I heard the idea of a Shakespearean Choose Your Own Adventure play I knew I wanted to be involved, though I was more than a little apprehensive that it would be next to impossible to actually pull off. Luckily, Julie Ritchey has taken the show in stride. She has a very ballsy approach, and has just faced the script and challenges head on, bringing the words back to the idea of the gritty, bawdy Shakespearean crowd. How to translate this into scenery has really been paring down to simple items and gestures. Really, in the original productions of Shakespearean plays there weren’t scene changes. If Puck tells you that you’re in a magical forest, you don’t ask wherethe trees are. You take a swig of your ale and wait to see what is happening in the damn magical forest. As a production team we have been trying to take this idea in stride.

An early scenic design concept.

In our process we have been looking at really using the space of the Underground Lounge being careful not to lose the feel that this is a show in a bar. A lot of the scenes involve actors having to make quick shifts to new scenes and grabbing what is around them to make that happen. Like any show, it is never really its own being until an audience arrives. Choose Thine Own Adventure is really taking that idea to the next level. No one really knows what will happen every night, but I know its going to be fun.

Next, costume designer Kristen Ahern shares her perspective on creating new works, collaboration, and embracing those iconic Shakespearean looks.

The process for designing Choose Thine Own Adventure has been unlike any piece I have ever worked on. The script continues to grow and change as it goes through rehearsal, an element that is truly exciting and daunting! The designs play and integral part of this production because of the ways the actors use the physical design elements (both set and

Costume sketches.

costumes) to create each new place and group of characters. Because the costumes are such an integral part of the production, I have asked the actors, director and stage manager to let me know if someone comes up with a brilliant use for a costume piece during rehearsal. I have found that actors have the greatest insight into their characters and can often aid a designer in putting the final touches on a costume that really transform it into a person’s clothes.

Kristen measures actor Ped Naseri.

Creating the costumes for Choose Thine Own Adventure started by reconciling the differences between the different Shakespeare plays and finding the common elements. In the end I chose to focus on the idea that Shakespeare is iconic and so are his characters. This meant keeping the designs true to the original time period while also trying to show different takes on Shakespeare’s plays.

The final element that had to be considered for the design is Filament’s (and my own) dedication to sustainable theatre. Today I start thrifting for modern clothes that can be converted to look period and old linens that can be re-purposed as costumes.

Choose Thine Own Adventure, Chicago, Filament Theatre, Shakespeare

Living the Story

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I often view theatre as an allegory for community. I am not speaking of specific play, playwright, or sequence of scenes, but rather the literal act of theatre. In the abstract it stages (quite literally) how life should be lived – with an ongoing effort to understand each other and ourselves; and that such a project is best undertaken with a community of people. After all, theatre is a shared experience; it is a conversation between the audience, the actors, and the characters they portray. Even when an audience seems to simply sit for two hours to watch a story, they are lending a crucial voice, because they are living it. “All the world’s a stage” after all. I think this reality is what has always drawn me to acting, and Shakespeare in particular.

(Re)Launching Forth Filament!

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Hey there!

I wanted to take a moment to say hello and catch you all up to speed on what we’ve been up to the the last few months, and where we’re headed next! So travel with me, if you will, to where our story begins: November of 2009.

After closing our successful production of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow at the Viaduct Theatre, it became clear we had outgrown our scrappy-young-company-fly-by-the-seat-of-our-pants business model. As we have grown since our founding, we have been joined by many extraordinary collaborators to create a wide range of shows that we couldn’t be more proud of. In order to continue growing in a healthy and sustainable way, we needed to develop some infrastructure to support these artists and these productions.

So we did.

Although it may seem that we had vanished there for awhile, we have actually been hard at work laying the foundation for the future of Filament. I am thrilled to introduce to you our brand new executive staff and our rich ensemble of artists. You’ll see some new faces and recognize some long-time Filament partners. Ladies and Gentlemen, I’d like to you to meet Allison, Carolyn, Christian, Jack, Laura, Madeline, Mark, Mary, Nathan, Omen, Peter, Reggie, Ryan, Shayna, and Tyler. They’re a crackerjack group of actors, musicians, visual artists, writers, athletes, break-dancers, teachers, web developers, mask makers, comedians, world travelers, and all-around good people. I am so excited for you to see them in action. You can get to know these fascinating and dynamic folks all a little better by visiting our Ensemble page!

Once we had the team assembled, it was time to restructure the company and refocus our work. We looked back on the work we had done, and asked ourselves “What do we love? What do we keep revisiting? What do we believe in? What do we hope to accomplish?” Over and over, the idea of folk kept resurfacing. Folk music. Folk art. Folk stores. Folk dance. It was a genre, a tone, a feeling, an idea that appeared over and over in our work. That, coupled with our belief in celebrating the offerings of each of our audiences and artists, led us to the notion of folk theatre – theatre rooted in univeral human truths that reflects and engages the communities by and for which it is created.

From there we explored our values, and they all seemed to be rooted in the same three ideas: community, imagination, and sustainability. We want to build, strengthen, and honor community. We want to celebrate, awaken, and enliven the imagination. And we want to do this in a responsible, forward-thinking way that is sustainable for our artists, audiences, and world.

Out of these goals and values, our new mission statement was born!   The Filament Theatre Ensemble creates theatre in a folk tradition, emphasizing community, imagination, and sustainability. This mission is not only our company’s core purpose and focus, but also a goal, a standard, something to aspire towards. I have great joy in the thought of continuing to learn and grow within this framework.

So with all that philosophy and organization business squarely underneath us, we were able to move forward with the practical planning of our season. I am SO EXCITED to announce our 2010/2011 season. Drumroll please…

August 2010-August 2011, touring to Chicagoland schools
Alice and Me!
Adapted from Lewis Carroll by Jack Novak
Directed by Christian Libonati

October 22-December 11, at the Underground Lounge
Choose Thine Own Adventure
Adapted from William Shakespeare by Allison Powell
Directed by Julie Ritchey

And in the spring, running in rep, the exciting Greek myth double header:
Orpheus
Adapted from Ovid by Omen Sade
Directed by Omen Sade

Eurydice
Written by Sarah Ruhl
Directed by Julie Ritchey

For more information about these plays and how to get involved, please visit our Current Season page!

Plus, on top of all that, we’ve got this brand new website!  Take a minute to explore.  In addition to information about the company and ensemble, we have video clips, this blog, and our Stuff Filament Likes section, which is chock full of recommendations on everything from books to recipes to fun things do to around Chicago.  Check it often for updates, and feel free to leave us comments with your own Likes!  We’re big on sharing here at the Filament Theatre Ensemble, and this website is a great place to get started with that.  Although we’ve got the bones of the site in place, we  will be adding  even more interactive features, video clips, production photos, etc. in the coming weeks.  As we build the site, dear readers, we turn to you.  What features would you like to see on our website?   Let us know!

So as you can see we’ve been up to quite a lot. We’ve been so eager to share our with you, and have been looking forward to this re-launch for such a long time. We will be keeping this blog up-to-date with all kinds of behind-the-scenes information about our projects, thoughts and information about things that excite us, and more! So please stay in touch! Let us know what you like, what you’d like to see, share your dreams and ideas. We love thoughts and questions and dialogue – feel free to leave comments right here on the website or send us an email. We are so grateful to be a part of this vibrant community! We look forward to hearing from you!

With gratitude and affection,
Julie

Stuff Julie Likes

by Stuff Filament Likes

I like movies about quirky families trying to love each other, restaurants that spark my culinary creativity, books with uniquely voiced and compelling narrators, things that might be kind of ugly but maybe they’re not and it’s hard to tell, farmers’ markets, music with good old fashioned guitar pickin’, eating bowls and bowls of ice cream, and anthropomorphizing inanimate objects. But most of all, I love discovering¹ new things, whether it’s an author or a song or an easier way to put pillowcases on², I’m always on the lookout for more things to explore. Below are some discoveries³ that I’m enjoying at the moment. If you think of anything I might like, won’t you pass it my way?

…ipsento coffee house (2035 N. Western Ave.)

This is one of those places that I stumbled into by accident, and then had to go back every day for a week. They have a delicious and creative drink menu (the latte made with coconut milk, honey, and cayenne pepper is especially delightful), a wide variety of sandwich options, 100% real fruit smoothies, and charming décor. Also, the people who work there are extremely kind. I went in with the two very small and very rambunctious (and also very wonderful) children that I nanny for, and, in addition to being really really really patient, the barista gave them some free smoothie samples – a sure-fire way to win my heart for good.

…in defense of food // Michael Pollan

In Defense of Food is (as the cover says) an eater’s manifesto: a look into how food science has replaced food culture, how foodlike products have replaced actual food, how industry and politics have divorced food from the natural world, how – in spite of America’s obsession with “nutrition” and “healthy eating” – we have become more and more unhealthy, and (best of all) how to look at our relationship with food and eating in a healthy, productive, respectful way. It’s not a diet plan. Pollan never outlines exactly what we should or shouldn’t do. He just presents some facts and philosophies and suggestions and leaves it to the reader to apply to his or her life. Some of his suggestions: Don’t eat anything your great-grandmother wouldn’t recognize as food. Don’t eat anything with ingredients you can’t pronounce. Eat your meals at a table (No a desk is not a table). I’m revealing the true depths of my nerdiness here, but In Defense of Food is the page-turning-est nugget of non-fiction I’ve read since James L. Swanson’s Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase For Lincoln’s Killer (I just had to get a plug in for that one, too! It’s so so so marvelous!).

…words & music // Peter Oyloe

Even if Peter wasn’t a beloved friend and collaborator of mine, I would be shouting about this album from the mountaintops. Words & Music is a gem from beginning to end, blending a classic folk sound with a more contemporary musical sensibility. Poetic and contemplative without ever being pretentious, Peter offers introspective and insightful music that lives in your bones and articulates your own feelings with alarming accuracy, but in a much more elegant and lovely way than you would have articulated them yourself. You can listen to some sample tracks HERE, but probably you’ll just want to own your own copy. The fact that Patty Griffin and Peter Oyloe are side-by-side alphabetically on my iPod means that the ol’ scroller wheel hasn’t gotten a full spin in the last 12 months. Which leads me to…

…living with ghosts // Patty Griffin

Patty Griffin is one of those musicians who I always seem to revisit at just the right time. Whether I was hiking through the mountains in Idaho or grieving the loss of a close friend, she seemed to be right there, singin’ my soul out. It’s hard to pick just one album to recommend (1000 Kisses and Impossible Dream are other favorites, although you can’t go wrong with any of them), but her 1996 debut Living With Ghosts is a great starting point. It is simply produced, not much more than vocals and guitar, which allows the crispness and detail of the songwriting to take front and center. Her songs are both aching and hopeful, in one moment inspiring some quiet reflection and in the next, inviting you to belt your lungs out. “It’s a mad mad mission – sign me up.”

…the peggy notebaert nature museum on thursdays

Picture this, if you will. It’s a winter day in Chicago. That kind of day where you are wearing 19 layers of clothing, you haven’t seen a color that isn’t grey in about 5 months, and you can’t remember a time in the whole history of your life when you didn’t feel cold. Well I am here to tell you that there is still joy in the world, in fact in this very city, even on that day. And that joy is the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum.   Any day is great, but Thursdays are free (and actually free, in the way that they don’t even make you feel bad about only throwing two dollars in to the suggested donation which, as a not-so-rich artist, I really appreciate), which adds to the stress-relieving powers of the whole event. The key place to go is the Butterfly Haven, which is just what it sounds like. It’s a beautiful greenhouse (read: it’s warm), full of ground dwelling birds and hundreds of butterflies.  Walking into it is a bit like walking into a fairy tale — it is lush and green, there is a small waterfall, and if you hold really still the butterflies will come and rest on your arms and shoulders.  It is a magical place to be, especially on those cold winter days.

Footnotes:
¹I use the word “discovering” in the Christopher Columbus sense of the word, where lots of people know about the new-to-me thing already, but since it’s new to me, I’m super excited.

²My favorite method: (1) turn the pillowcase inside-out (2) stick your arms inside the pillowcase til your hands are in the corners (3) pinch the corners of the pillow through the pillowcase (4) flip the pillowcase right-side-out, pulling it over the pillow while you do so.

³See footnote 1.

Stuff Omen Likes

by Stuff Filament Likes

As has been observed many times by many people, one of the things that makes Chicago such a livable city is the presence of Green Space.  Anyone who has lived in a city without such a decentralized verdant network of public space can truly appreciate the way that Chicago is set up. One of my favorite uses of this public green space is the Farmers Market, of which there are a large number and I believe there are more every year.

Of these, my favorite is the Logan Square Farmers Market, which I have had a very good time performing at over the past year with my friend, the Tap Dancing Sensation “Hotfoot” Annie Peacenik.  Having performed at, and occasionally being asked to leave, a number of other markets, I feel that the atmosphere in Logan Square ranks highest for friendliness and a feeling of community. The market is located on the edge of the green area of one of the boulevards that radiate from the locus of Logan Square, and in the past year an interesting, semi-unofficial extension of the market has sprouted up in that green space.  Picnickers mingle with people selling antiques, semi-precious junk, and even 25 cent “great” backrubs, which I believe is the most economical rate you will find in the city.

One thing I very much like is to drink a coffee near the lamp post in the public square at the heart of Lincoln Square.  It is a very beautiful old fashioned lamp post that was given to the community of Lincoln Square by one some Germanic city in Europe.  It now sports a rather ugly “keep off” sign that is meant to discourage children and myself from climbing on it.  The lamp post looks over the square with a protective eye allowing the chalk drawing children, gossiping mothers, banjo toting Old Town School students, and myself to enjoy each other and the space with a sense of ease that is lacking in places with less magnificent lamp posts.

When I find the time, which recently has meant not very often, I make pasta from scratch. The sensation of mixing farina tipo “00” with riced boiled potatoes for gnocchi, or grainy semolina with water and just a little bit of olive oil (you really don’t need much) is unique and wonderful.  The sight of these magical, ancient feeling morsels drying in your kitchen is awe inspiring.  But the feelings of accomplishment and pride from serving hand made pasta, which tastes better than any other pasta you can find, to your friends is beyond description.  It’s much easier than you think to do, and I encourage you to try it, and then to invite me to dinner.

One of the things I really appreciate about Chicago is the availability of good beer at reasonable prices.  The Bad Apple in North Center has a lovely selection, including beers from the truly local Half Acer Brewery, also located in North Center.  Their tart and refreshing “Daisy Cutter” is a delight at any time of the day or night, and the taste of their biscuity and floating “Gossamer” is one that I will not forget soon.  If you like their beer as much as I do, it might be worth it to get a “Frequent Growler Card.”   The mere fact that such a thing exists delights me.

Another good way to survive the winters is Bikram Yoga at “Ohm on the Range” in North Center.  Hot, hard,  and cleansing, it will cure what ails you, especially if what ails you is an inability to reach your toes.

Stuff Peter Likes

by Stuff Filament Likes

I love the World. Not the world of Chicago or the world of Peter Oyloe but the World, the Earth, the Mother. From very early on in life I was facinated and enthralled by the greens and the blues, by the sounds, and the smells of the Natural World. It is certainly where I feel most at home. I have, in my life, come to function and participate in the Social Constructs of city life and I will say there are some things that I do very much enjoy about time spent in cities, but when it comes down to it I would trade it all to hike repeatedly around the World drinking water from streams and sleeping under the stars. I have been fortunate to have traveled quite a bit in my life thus far but I am by no means traveled out. There are places, like New Zealand and Costa Rica that I like to make return visits to, and soon I hope to visit new and exciting landscapes yet traveled by. Besides the Natural World, I love music and words, friends, good food, and sharing. I look forward to telling you more about things that I love in the coming months and I look forward to hearing more about what you love in return.

The Acoustic Guitar

I am in absolute love with this instrument. It is such a beautiful study in design and function. There are not many completely perfect things in this world, but I would say that a really well crafted acoustic guitar gets very close. First off it is a gorgeous object to behold, the curves, the colors of hand selected woods, the interplay between wood and metal, and the lines that send energy up and down the instruments body. Secondly it is truly alive. When you have a hand crafted instrument in your hands you know can see where it breathes and you can feel the vibrations that are the sign of its coming into being. I love that first strum on a well crafted instrument. Then thirdly you have its ultimate versatility and transportability. It is an instrument that is very much at home in many types and styles of music as well as being a very percussive and powerful mode of expression. Many of my favorite evenings were spent alone with an acoustic guitar making music. It is a very personal exchange on par with what you might have with only you most trusted and loved friends. Then lastly you have the sound! It is rich, it is bold, it is all together astonishing when the performer and the instrument are in union. I would recommend to see this in its best form to look up the acoustic stylings of Tim Reynolds. He knows how to pull the best from within himself and his instrument and he is a delight to watch on stage. He isn’t about the spectacle of show, though he is uncannily good at his craft, more so he is sharing a very private moment of an artist creating before your eyes. Don’t you ever take this instrument for granted! Please!?

The Moon

Since before I can remember I have been fascinated by the great Moon that lives within our night’s sky. It has made its way into many writings I have done and songs that I have sung. I was very fortunate to have grown up in a place where the lights of the city never could penetrate, therefor my view of the night’s sky was never harmed by the light that was never intended to shine. Countless nights have spent to the console of friends, locked in thought all the while the moon drew light upon dark places. It always makes me think… and dream.

New Zealand

This is one of the most wonderful places that I have ever been to, it contains some of my favorite memories and also some of my most favorite people I have ever known. As a person who can not think of a time that really mattered that was not somehow rooted in the natural world, there are few places in that world that contains such a glorious scape to explore. Covering 13 latitudinal degrees this small country contains, within its shores, most of the major climate zones, from subtropical in the North to tundra in the deep South. Mountain ranges scrape the sky and Pacific Ocean breezes change your hairstyle. This is a place I only really recommend to those who LOVE the outdoors, as why go to the cradle of adventure without wanting to see that which is before you!? I recommend visiting Nelson, on the South Island, and from there making many day trips to such profound places as Farewell Spit, and Arthur’s Pass. The New Zealand people, or Kiwis, are very kind people but please don’t talk to them about Australia, they are their own sovereign nation and share very little with their closest neighbor than Rugby and a similar accent. There are too many beautiful places to name them all here so perhaps you will just need to see it for yourself!?

David Attenborough Life of Series

In my opinion this is one of the most beautiful and fascinating series ever put to film. Narrated by the great David Attenborough this series celebrates and showcases many of the great natural wonders in this world we share. This series serves to put in perspective not only the majesty of the World and its creatures but how we has human beings have very little understanding of the World in which we live. Mr. Attenborough is a gentle presence who has devoted his life to the stewardship and care of the other inhabitants of this planet. Please watch this series and let me know what you think. Perhaps you will find a new appreciation for the air you breathe and the water you drink. This is LIFE.

Stuff Christian Likes

by Stuff Filament Likes

I really like large bookstores, walking with no place to go, listening to street performers, watching good children’s theatre, and swing dancing.

Slings & Arrows– Anyone who has been involved with a festival theatre or a summer theatre just has to watch this series. I have worked at a summer theatre for 6 of the past 7 summers, and after our season, i always have to watch at least one episode of this hilarious TV series. The series explores the trials and tribulations of trying to produce Shakespeare in the world of non-profit theatre. I had the pleasure of sharing some of the first season (of this 3 season show) with our 2010 interns, and they all just adored it. Much like “Waiting for Gufman,” this is a series that all people who work in the theatre must see! And, all three seasons are on Netflix instant Cue!!! Enjoy!

Stuff Mary Likes

by Stuff Filament Likes

I like to make Jewelry. I enjoy going to the bead store and picking through pretty beads for friends or family members and then taking them home and creating bracelets, necklaces, and earrings as gifts.

There are many bead stores in Chicago and there are also beads sold in other stores such as Target. My favorite name for one bead store was called The Bead Monster. But you don’t even have to use new beads, you can cut up some of your old jewelry and use scraps or shells or stones if you have some nice ones.

When making jewelry these are some basic tools that I use:  beads (or shells, stones or scraps), small pliers (I like two sets for both hands), silver or gold flexible wire, crimp beads, fasteners (there are so many kinds), earring posts, a nice tool box, a good flat clean working space, and patience.

Some bead store will allow you make the pieces right there in the store.  They will help you design and construct your dream piece of jewelry.  I have never before allowed anyone to help me but that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be done this way.

The reason I like making jewelry is because it allows my mind to wander and my hands to stay busy.  It is a bit of a meditation.  The other great thing about making jewelry is that it can be an inexpensive, thoughtful gift for any friend or loved one.  I hope that even if you don’t ever want to make jewelry you can at least go into one of the shops and see for yourself the beauty of these small creations.

Stuff Reggie Likes

by Stuff Filament Likes

I love trying new things, especially if I get to try them with someone I love and respect. When I find something I like, I throw myself into it headlong. Here are some of the things I’ve thrown myself into recently:

TED Talks: TED stand for “Technology, Entertainment, and Design,” three of my favorite parts of life. TED’s mission is simple: Ideas worth spreading. Every year, TED has conferences around the world where they invite the best of the best in the fields of technology, entertainment and design to come give 20-minute lectures about basically whatever they want. Malcolm Gladwell gives a talk about what we can learn from spaghetti sauce, Dan Gilbert lectures about how we are deceived by our miscalculations of the future, and John Hodgeman describes his close encounters with aliens from Mars. Now, if you’re like me, you can’t physically go to these talks because they’re expensive and in exotic locales that you can’t get to by bicycle, but never you fear, because every single TED talk is available to you FOR FREE! I try to watch one every morning before I go to work (at Patagonia) because it puts me in a creative, “If they can do it, why can’t I?”, type mood that makes me want to take the world by storm so I can one day give my own TED talk.

Rock Climbing: I just got into rock climbing about a year and a half ago and have sadly not been able to go for the past month or so because I sprained my ankle running into the ocean on Memorial Day. Rock climbing combines two of my favorite things: Problem solving, and finding a way to exercise without going to the gym. The feeling when I finally send (a rock climbing term I’ve picked up) a problem after I’ve worked on it for days gives me the same feeling I get when I do something I’m really scared of and find out I’m still alive afterwards.

Stuff Ryan Likes

by Stuff Filament Likes

Well, hello there. Like you, I carry many titles. Whether son, neighbor, artist, temp, or tenant our titles help shape and define us as individuals. They make us human, give us purpose, and offer perspective. I find it interesting how people change depending on what title they happen to have on at the time. Below are some of my titles and things attached to them that I like.

Stuff Ryan likes:

Bikram yoga– www.bikramyoganyc.com. Working and volunteering with children– www.freeartsnyc.org. My partner Jay and his awesome blog– localme.tublr.com. Casting– www.filamenttheatre.org. Acting– www.toyboxtheatre.org. Directing– www.stonc.org.
Coloring, drawing, painting, and doodling. Supporting local, sustainable, and environmentally conscious businesses. Skyping with my nieces and nephews. Collaboration. Day dreaming. All things Central Park (especially the conservatory gardens at east 105th st). A Brief Encounter (stage and movie). The Books Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, The History of Love, and Oh, The Places You’ll Go. TV shows Modern Family, Weeds, Dexter, and Slings and Arrows. Shakespeare. My family. Incredible friends. Travel. Exploration. Kindness. Coffee (especially when sipped on my back porch on a beautiful day. And finally, the fact that you read this. Thanks.

Stuff Jack Likes

by Stuff Filament Likes

I love writing, stories, and words–individually or together.  If I ever look up a word, nine times out of ten it’s to look up the word’s origin.  I spend a lot of time on the website Behind the Name, which will tell you the origin and meaning of first names.  I love seeing how words and stories are put together through different media–plays, songs, poems, stories…and comic books.  I love comic books, graphic novels, and the like.

I recently discovered a great graphic novel called I Kill Giants, written by Joe Kelly and drawn by JM Ken Nimura.  It’s the story of a young, misfit girl coping with a missing father, a dying mother, and much more.  She is obsessed with giants, and tells people that she is a giant hunter.  It’s difficult to tell if this is a real activity or just a fantasy constructed to somehow deal with her difficult life, but either way it’s a story that is at once magical and very real.  This story is not just written with words, either–it’s written with incredible images.  The words and the images work together perfectly to form a rhythm, producing a story that has a beating heart.  Read this and I think you’ll start to get where I come from as a writer and theatre artist.