I have to say

I feel like these people need a huge hug and a cup of coffee. You really get the impression that they mean well and are being criminally abused and misinformed.

DelGrosso vs Pogue on the Kindle 3

Best buddy of mine (and future father!) David DelGrosso appears in yet another New York Times Tech Video alongside Tech Guru David Pogue.

Dave, as most of you know, has appeared in most of my shows, including When Is A Clock, The Most Wonderful Love, Glee Club, and That Old Soft Shoe.

Nance O'Neil

My crew at Blue Coyote Theater Group is opening this terrific new play by David Foley next week. A must-see.

When actress Nance O’Neil arrived in Boston in 1904 with her repertoire of tragic heroines, the critics hailed her as “the American Sarah Bernhardt.” But it was her relationship with the infamous Lizzie Borden that caused the bigger sensation. David Foley’s NANCE O’NEIL, imaginatively elaborated from a historical footnote, examines the fascinating relationship between these two women. Were they in love? Or were there other motivations at play?

The story of Lizzie Borden has captured the American imagination for well over a Century. Accused of the brutal hatchet murders of her father and stepmother, Lizzie was acquitted by a Fall River, Massachusetts jury, but her presumed guilt lingered in the small community where she lived. She has remained a notorious figurein American folklore.

The relationship between Nance O’Neil and Lizzie Borden has been rife with speculation. As a spinster, Lizzie’s sexuality has always been in question. With rumors of Nance’s numerous affairs with other women,some high profile, several historians and researchers have speculated that Nance and Lizzie were indeed lovers. However, historically this remains as elusive as Mr. and Mrs. Borden’s killer.

Thanks and Tickets

First of all, the fundraising efforts for Brandywine Distillery Fire were a great success. We actually exceeded our goal by $100. Thanks to everyone who donated to the production!

Secondly, tickets are already on sale for the play. Learn more here.

Zinoman on the Fringe

Jason Zinoman writes a Fringe round up that sort of begs bloggery and discussion.

The opening salvo:

"Does it matter that New York has a drearily mediocre Fringe Festival?

I have long thought not, since the annual August assembly line of toothless political parodies, dumb musicals, navel-gazing solo shows and occasional gems always seemed harmless. It gave hundreds of young artists a chance to shine and filled a niche for the press during the dead quiet of summer. As I have visited much more audience-friendly Fringes in Edinburgh and Philadelphia, however, the New York International Fringe Festival now appears needlessly bland and poorly organized. It also does no favors for the reputation of downtown theater. We deserve better."

Read the rest here.

So...what do you think?

I'm wondering if the web has had a one step forward two steps back approach for the Fringe. Now, more shows are reviewed than ever. But does that reduce the incentive to just wander around trying shows and meeting people?

Anyhow...love to hear your thoughts on the Fringe Festival, and Zinoman's assessment.

Update: Isaac asks if we even need a Fringe in NYC anymore. Hyperbolic? Sure. Provocative? Sure. Worth a read? Heck yes.

Update 2: Playgoer also speaks to the article.

The Scarlet Cord

My stepmother has written this book. It's coming in October 2010. Pick one up, won't you?

A bit of text from Brandywine Distillery Fire

First, I swear I thought you’d lost it with this constructed bullshit about how everything needs to be simplified. How Gwen’s files would unlock some key to a better workflow and bleeding edge processes. But now I see what you were really after all along. To upend our whole system entirely with this nonsense about city-states. Does this look like goddamn Athens to you? In such and such B.C.? Or would you say BCE you liberal new historicist? You’ll have us all in the clink you will. You’ll have us worshiping lesser Gods and bartering for our stock options like a common Afrikaner. It’s shameless. And you should be ashamed.

Tickets here.

Donate here. (Four days left!)

Almost there! $1100 left to go.

We're at $2300 of our $3400 goal for Brandywine Distillery Fire. Not far to go now, and about four days left. If you haven't yet, please donate. We could hit our target today, at this rate.

Thanks so much to everyone who has donated thus far!

$1700 by the end of the day? UPDATE!

UPDATE - $85 away! Thanks so much if you contributed already! If you haven't, we're almost there!

Hey everyone -

So I'm continuing to work hard to raise funds for Brandywine Distillery Fire. We're at the halfway point of our two-week online fundraising campaign and it's going very well.

We've raised (as of this moment) $1470 in seven days. Thanks to everyone who has donated! I've had a big influx of donations today alone, and I'm incredibly grateful and pumped.

I would love it if we hit or crossed half way to our goal ($1700) at our half way point, which is today. Our goal is $3400.

We're nearly there. We just need $230 in donations today to hit that. Round it up to $250 and that's 10 donations of $25, 5 donations of $50 or maybe two slightly larger donations. If you're out there reading this blog on a regular basis, you could help me hit my goal today. Help me hit halfway there at the halfway mark.

Wouldn't that be totally friggin' awesome?

Donate here!

Taymor's The Tempest movie poster

Great poster at least. I'm excited for this. I liked her Titus a whole lot.

FringeNYC 2010 Reviews

As I have done for the past several years, I contributed two reviews to nytheatre.com as a part of it's comprehensive coverage of the Fringe Festival.

For your enjoyment...

Abraham's Daughters

Get Rich Cheating

Donate to the BDF

If you haven't yet, please consider supporting Brandywine Distillery Fire with a donation of $10, $15, $25 or more. If you're for a half a second, as you read this, considering it, let that gut instinct you have to be generous win the day.

We crossed $1000 of our $3400 goal yesterday. We only have 1 week left to hit our goal. We'll hit that goal with your help.

I know my blog has become a PBS pledge drive, but if you're a working producer, director or actor you understand why. Productions aren't free, and I need to reach out to my community, near and far, to help me make this one happen.

Thanks so much!

Fringe Reviews

Saw two shows: Get Rich Cheating and Abraham's Daughters. Will post reviews when they're up.

Thanks!

Thanks to everyone who attended the fundraiser on Saturday night for Brandywine Distillery Fire. The guy eating fire, the specialty cocktails, the video wall, the raffle, the late night revelry: twas terrific.

If you were unable to attend, but you'd like to support the production, you can Donate Online. We've been running the campaign for about 4 days now and we're already doing well. Our goal online is $3400, and that's extremely attainable.

Heck, if every person who reads this post donates between $10 and $25 online today, we'd hit our goal.

OMG! ROTJ DELETED SCENE

My life is new and different today.

Final Reminder - Fundraiser Tomorrow 8/14 8pm

Tomorrow we're holding a fantastic fundraiser for Brandywine Distillery Fire. It starts at 8pm and goes all night - if you're out seeing Fringe shows or have dinner plans, feel free to make us your last stop. $10 gets you an open beer and wine bar all night. Can't beat that.

Here's the info. See you there.

Fundraising Campaign for Brandywine Distillery Fire

Dear well-meaning readers of this blog,

Brandywine Distillery Fire, which opens September 8th as a part of the Incubator Arts Project, has launched a fund-raising campaign through IndieGoGo and Fractured Atlas. I welcome any and all support you could muster. Every little bit ($10, $25) helps. If you can support the project with more, by all means, I'd definitely appreciate it.

The project itself began with Exposition and evolved into Denouement. It's been a very fresh and satisfying way of working for me, and I think the results are going to be exceptional. You can see a little bit of background on the project in this interview with Upstaged.

Our goal is definitely attainable, but we've given ourselves a small window (about two weeks) to raise the funds. If you enjoy the blog, enjoy my work, enjoy my fun posts with similes and jokes, or if you just feel generous today, please donate. If you'd like to show me some personal support, this is a great way to do it.

Thanks so much for reading and supporting!

Here, again, is the link to the campaign.

ALSO

We're also holding a FUNDRAISER on Saturday, August 14th at 8pm. $10 for all you can drink beer and wine. Video installations. Raffle prizes. It's going to be a fantastic party. Details are here.

If you're coming up with something to do for fun this weekend - you really can't beat $10 for all you can drink. Show up! Be awesome!

Just for fun

I have fond memories of this sketch. Kids in the Hall.

Fundraiser for Brandywine Distillery Fire

Saturday August 14th. 8pm. Party. $10 for open beer and wine bar. Raffle. Fun things. It's going to rock. Facebook invite can be located here. If you want more details, please contact me directly at mattfr - at - gmail.com. It's at a swinging, fancy cool house in Williamsburg near the Lorimer/Metropolitan Stop. You will enjoy it greatly and it will support the production too!

Attend!

Time Out New York wonders about New Naturalism

Read all about it here.

Prop 8 Ruled Unconstitutional in California

The ban on same-sex marriage is lifted in California. Score one for the good guys!

From Judge Vaughn Walker's decision:

Proposition 8 fails to advance any rational basis in singling out gay men and lesbians for denial of a marriage license. Indeed, the evidence shows Proposition 8 does nothing more than enshrine in the California Constitution the notion that opposite-sex couples are superior to same-sex couples. Because California has no interest in discriminating against gay men and lesbians, and because Proposition 8 prevents California from fulfilling its constitutional obligation to provide marriages on an equal basis, the court concludes that Proposition 8 is unconstitutional.

Announcing ... Brandywine Distillery Fire

My new play opens September 9th and runs until September 18th. It is at the Incubator Arts Project. It is called Brandywine Distillery Fire.

It's a continuation of the work done on Exposition and Denouement.

Tickets are already available here.

Much more to come!

Why I Will Be Seeing The Expendables

The Expendables Exclusive Clip in HD

Trailer Park Movies | MySpace Video

10 questions for Tim Pawlenty's imagination

Take a look at these 10 questions for Gov. Tim Pawlenty.

Question

What is your take on the country’s mood and what are voters looking for?

Answer

“They’re frustrated and worried about whether they’re going to have jobs. And they’re really worried about government overreach and government spending. There are a lot of folks who are independents or Democrats – maybe conservative Democrats – who voted for President Obama and thought he might be more pragmatic or centrist than he’s turned out to be. They feel that he’s conducted a bait-and-switch operation on them, and now they’re going to fix it by voting Republican come November.”

Question 2.

Has President Obama lost these voters forever or can he win them back?

Answer

“He’s certainly lost them, or a big chunk of them. Whether he can get them back or not remains to be seen. A few years is a long time in politics.”

See the problem there? Pawlenty characterizes the voters in a way that seems entirely self-serving and also without much merit. You don't see many polls where voters seem to say that in a recession, their major concern is an active government. He also makes an assumption about why people voted for Obama - that they thought he would be a centrist.

In fact, Obama has been remarkably centrist, which has caused him headaches with his base. Pawlenty here describes the voters in a way that is easy to challenge. Now, it's his job to make assertions like these - he's going to run against Obama.

Jeff Zeleny, though, is a reporter. Instead of asking Pawlenty to provide examples of a bait-and-switch, or to justify this characterization, he asks him: "Has the President lost these voters forever or can he win them back?"

The question accepts that the last answer has merit. It acknowledges the existence of these mythical disgruntled disappointed "conservative Democrats" that want Obama to reduce the deficit and be more moderate. He simply serves as a facilitator for Pawlenty to continue to make a case predicated on Pawlenty's imagination.

And this, of course, is the New York Times. The Poster Child for the Liberal Media.

The New York International Fringe Festival approaches

About 1 billion shows will soon be up and running. Any recommendations for the 2010 NYC Fringe?