Cathy Dresden Returns!!! (Part One)

I'm committing to baby steps.  In life and in art.  I have a theatrical project I'm working on for Christmas of 2015 which will bring back Cathy Dresden after a small absence from the Austin scene.  Who's Cathy Dresden?  Glad you asked.

She's a plucky chanteuse/homemaker from 1958 who got her big break on "Steve Polanko's Amateur Hour of Power".  She placed third in the televised competition, and it was enough for her to throw off her apron, put down her dish gloves and  start singing full-time.  She bid adieu to the South, and her refrigerator repairman husband, and trucked on out to Los Angeles. 

I introduced her story in my one-man show "Overwhelming Underdogs", produced in 2007, which charted the ups and downs of her Butter Churn Tour of the Midwest. Since that show I've brought her out for appearances at benefits and fund raisers, including one for the Rude Mechanicals.  I've since gotten a lot of requests to bring her back and some offers of assistance should I ever decide to do so.  I always knew I wasn't finished with her, but I had a few ideas fighting it out for which one would be first to be produced.  The winner?

A show with the working title "Cathy Dresden's Christmas Spectacular". It's a parody/tribute of Holiday specials from the early sixties.  I'm approximately halfway through.  I've got an outline I'm pretty pleased with, and the first thirty pages has gotten to a pretty polished state.  Of course, depending on how it goes with the actual execution of the outline, things will have to change, be rearranged, etc.

I will say I think I've learned an important lesson.  Never send your child out into the world half dressed.  I had someone who was interested in looking at the piece for a possible production, and I rushed a draft and sent it.  The response, while perfectly positive, was not the overwhelming rave and clamor that everyone hopes for, and when I looked over what I'd sent out, I analyzed (over analyzed?) why.  The pacing was off, it was a bit repetitive, certain scenes came too early, characters weren't clearly motivated, etc.  In short, on second glance I found my unformed baby to be ugly, ugly, UGLY!!!  And threw a proverbial sheet over it to hide the disgrace from the cruel world.  And yet... I went back and made some cuts, polished some dialogue, re-worked a character, altered one of the songs, and then hit a snag which has kept me stymied.

Up until yesterday I hadn't worked on the piece in a month.  And for those of you thinking there is no rush?  Finding a performance space in Austin can be brutal so the sooner you look the better, and it helps to have a working script to present and sell to possible producers.  I am determined to go through with the piece, as I think it is one with promise.  I've come to realize that there are many, many artists who ran into obstacles on the way to having something produced and the one thing the successful ones have in common?  They blazed through them. 

My current assignments in bringing Cathy's show to completion?

1.  Finish the script.
2.  Send it to trusted colleagues for feedback and re-writes.
3.  Re-submit it to the producer.
4.  Continue to introduce Cathy to the Austin area (hosting of events, improv, etc.)
5.  Look into the possibility of self-producing and discuss the idea with artists in the area who have done the same.
6.  Organize an informal reading of the piece so I can make another pass at the script.

So, back to the baby steps.  I've been reading Anne LaMotte's "Bird By Bird", and she stresses the importance of small projects.  Because, add up twenty small assignments in support of a project and you have a pretty big chunk of the job completed.  So right now, I am committing to 15 minutes a day on the script until it's completed.  This commitment may change, but at the moment it's enough to keep me coming back to the desk every day.  Because the muse will not show up out of the blue.  I've discovered the only way to get her there is to make an appointment with her, and assume that she will be late.  Just keep plugging along til she arrives, and she almost always will.

One challenge I'm facing in the script writing process-  Cathy's on again off again fiancé Jerome Tolliver.  He's her charming, sexually ambiguous accompanist and up until this point he's been performed beautifully by Dustin Struhall who is, as of this moment heading off to Edinburgh.  I am really excited for him, but not sure what to do about Jerome.  Have someone else play him?  Seems weird.  Trust that I'll find another great pianist who is comfortable acting?  Or...should I write another character?  And if so, should his active role in the piece be toned down to accommodate someone who is not comfortable speaking dialogue onstage?    At this point I am leaving the character as is, being open to the idea that Cathy may have a string of revolving fiancés who's names change as the accompanist does.  And yet, this is not a fully resolved question.  Stay tuned.

Lauren Bacall on "What's My Line"

If you want a real peek at a celebrity's impish side, the way they might have appeared at a cocktail party, AND you're interested in stars of Hollywood's golden age, there is no better way in than through the celebrity guest spots on What's My Line, the game show that aired from 1950-1967 and featured a very erudite and witty panel of columnists and media celebrities who tried to figure out what a person's "line" was through a series of "yes or no" questions.

The "mystery guest" spot required the panel to cover their eyes with face masks (Arlene Francis' is particularly reflective of her personal brand of kooky glamour) and the celebrity would employ tricks to disguise their voices, or if the celebrity's voice was instantly recognizable, as in the case of Judy Garland, the guest would have a bell to ring for "yes" and clicker for "no". 

In watching this particular clip featuring Lauren Bacall just after she finished filming How To Marry A Millionaire, I was surprised by how flirty and coquettish and almost...demure she was.  I've always known and loved Bacall as the sophisticated, confident, and salty lady she was onscreen, and that she relaxed into as she aged.  So to see her in this context was loads of fun.  Hope you enjoy.

 

And if this clip has piqued your interest, there are plenty more What's My Line celebrity spots available on Youtube, including Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, Kim Novak, Jimmy Stewart, Judy Garland and Eleanore Roosevelt!  I personally recommend the clip with Rosalind Russell.

Uncertainty...

It's been a somewhat tenuous time as of late, as I've been trying to figure out what the future holds.  My job situation is somewhat unstable, my romantic life is undeveloped, and close friends of mine are off on exciting new adventures of one kind or another.

Me???  I'm beginning to realize that if I plan on staying in the Austin area, any hopes of making a larger income based on creativity is...limited.  That's not to say that some people haven't been able to make a go of it, but in my areas of expertise??  Let's just say Chicago has been calling, and has been calling ever since I my exploratory visit about five years ago.  Now I realize I'm not getting any younger, and that it might take some time to establish myself in a new town, and that it's a lot of hard work.  I hear you.  But, it would be exciting as well, and feel like really living, rather than just...coasting. And if the effort is motivated by desire, then it doesn't really feel as much like work, does it?  As far as here?  Austin?  At this moment I don't see the next four or five years as very different from what they have been, and I just don't want to accept a future of drifiing from  one job to another that has very little to do with my passions, true talents, and desires.   

That said, I am currently in a lease which goes to June, so until then, I am here.  In the mean time I am open to finding the perfect position, preferably in an industry focused on creativity and communications.  I can dream, right? 

Obsession: Once Upon A Brothers Grimm

I've loved fairy tales for as long as I can remember.  In kindergarten I had a huge book of them that I checked out from the library multiple times.  And I coveted the illustrated version of Disney's Snow White that my cousins owned, and whenever I visited them always found a time to break away from them and pore over its pages for a few moments.  My Aunt would always tell them to me when she put me to sleep, and the only way my mother could get me to sit still while she cleaned my ears out was to mention a long list of fairy tale and Disney characters that she was pulling out of there.  Disgusting, but true.   

So it stands to reason that a television special entitled Once Upon A Brothers Grimm was little kid eye candy.  So colorful, and exciting, and suspenseful.   When you're a kid you have this magical power to suspend all disbelief, and so I was truly and utterly engrossed.  It's a power I really miss in  my slightly snarky years.  It's available at Amazon, so I can't wait to order it and re watch it...

 

Yes it's campy as shit and unintentionally funny.  Yes, it's got Paul Sand (ugh) and yes Terri Garr is blatantly lip synching and yes Ruth Buzzi is an inappropriate cast as the Miller's daughter in Rumplestilsken, but it's fucking Ruth Buzzi!  In a 1970's fairy tale extravaganza!! 

Others in the cast include Dean Jones, Chita Rivera, Arte Lang, and many more...

Blast From The Past

 

 
Here's a fun little peek at the past that proves the fashion world has been pushing the boundaries in male fashion long before the "makeup for men" and "lingerie for men" trends in the nineties. 
I love that the youtube poster titled the clip "Outrageous Male Fashion Show", ie "GAY AS FUCK"!  And the wienie dog licking his lips?  Hilarious.

I am curious if the designer expected straight males to get into this trend, or if was designed for the "effete" male from the get-go?  Thoughts?

 

NPR Delights

NPR  has become my go to place for news and information, and no that's not me being a shitty pseudo-intellectual liberal (well, maybe it is, you decide).  I legitimately love the features, and how diverse, in-depth and affecting they are.  They often have me sobbing one solitary tear, a bit like Barbra Streisand in "The Way We Were" when she thinks she's about to make sweet sweaty 1940's love to a drunken Robert Redford. 



First Example: 

 This little story about what happens to military dogs when they've finished their service.  Hearing about the people in the military who are fighting to make sure these animals don't get left behind will make you feel great about being a human, but then you might just get mad as hell to think there are people who think it's ok to use them and then just dump them.  And then, like me, you might cry the aforementioned single tear when you hear a veteran who was a handler say that once he got back to the US, all he wanted was his dog back with him.



The Second Example:

This next feature probably won't bring you to tears, but if you're a writer, it might get you thinking, and feeling a little inspired.  I know self publishing seems lame, but if self publishing an e-book can put some of the control in your hands and make your dream seem one step closer, and if there's money to be made...why discount it?

James Grissom on Elaine Stritch

 

 

I've been reading a lot of the tributes to Elaine Stritch over the past few days, and while I've enjoyed a great deal of them, this passage by James Grissom from his blog Follies Of God, is the last word. 

 





Rare Footage of Garland, Bacall, and Sinatra at a Noel Coward Performance in Vegas

Discovered some fascinating footage of a Noel Coward performance at the Desert Inn in Vegas, thanks to The Judy Garland Experience.  This must have been around the time Sinatra was doggedly pursuing Lauren to be his next wife, and it's interesting to see them being so chummy.  Garland looks great here, as the early to mid-fifties are my favorite period for her, both vocally and looks wise.  And, bonus points if someone can tell me who the sophisticated blonde is with Coward.  I'm guessing it's his wife.  Color me obsessed.

Small Books, Big Ideas

If you fancy yourself an artist, or creator of any kind, these two books need to be on your shelf, and Austin Kleon is someone you should be paying close attention to.

The first, Steal Like An Artist is all about the idea that the art you love can and should fuel the art you make. It clears away the obstacles in your mind that say "this has already been" said, done, written about, etc. Of course it has, but it will never be done in the same way that you will. 

The second, Show Your Work, discusses the importance of sharing your creative process with others.  It's about building and marketing your brand, in a non-mercenary or schmoozy way.  It's also completely current and loaded with techniques about using todays internet savvy world.

In other words, This shit is crucial, and will keep you inspired as you blaze your creative trail. 

The "Ideas Issue" of The Atlantic is Out

I'm always looking for new articles and bits of inspiration about the creative mind.  I'm kind of a self help junkie for creativity as a way to overcome writer's block. 

It's funny, the way I used to understand it, writer's block was what happened when you casually and freely sat down to create your next work, and...nothing came.  For whatever reason, the corner you'd written yourself into seemed impossible to escape. 

But, for me, and I think for most people, writer's block is what happens before you even sit down at the desk.  It's the fear that if you take that chance and sit down at the computer, nothing will come, or what will come will not be worth the time spent.  If that's the case, why not spend the time wading through episodes of "Breaking Bad" or chomping on popcorn at a mediocre movie, or playing Farm Hero's Saga?

The way I combat it is to keep creativity on my brain in tiny segments, to consume ideas as much as I can, and the most recent issue of The Atlantic is full of terrific bits of inspiration and techniques.  It's the "Idea Issue", and features articles on the power of a creative partnership, insights on where creativity comes from in the mind, and 6 creative solutions to "thorny" problems. 

There's also an interesting article on the trend of killing off mother's in children's media.  Sure this topic has been discussed ad nauseum, but the writer's thoughts on  the recent addition of the "fun" father figure in films like Despicable Me, and Wreck It Ralph are worth reading.

Podcast I Love: "You Must Remember This"

I'm an avid reader of Entertainment Weekly's "Must List".  It's loaded with great recommendations for those who devour media, and it doesn't stop at music and movies, but branches out into crazy shit like...theater!!  And podcasts!!  And BOOKS!!!  Yes, they still print em.   And if you actually seek out some of the little gems, you'll feel real damn proud of yourself afterwards.  Occasionally it feels like they have some kind of weird deal with the distributors, but most of the time it feels legit. 

A couple of weeks ago, this caught my eye...

 



It was my lady, once again, in print.  It happens every once in awhile that I catch her image in a magazine (I mean, she lives on peeps.  Her legend is far fucking reaching) and two things happen. 

Thing #1.  My eyes widen and I shriek on the inside like a child at Christmas time.  I'm so excited that she's still being paid attention to in this modern age!  She is RELEVANT! 

Thing #2.  My eyes dart madly across the page, like a meth addict seeking his next fix (yes, I'm watching "Breaking Bad" now, and it's every bit as putrid and crusty as I thought it would be.  It's also compelling television) I seek out whatever trash they may have printed, so I can gird my rage against the turd who wrote it.  Is the word "tragedy" less than three words to the left or right of her name?  Do they bring up the damned pills, yet again??  "WHY CAN'T THEY LEAVE THAT POOR LADY ALONE!!!!)

In this case?  No tragedy, no slander.  Instead they point to a podcast by the name of  "You Must Remember This" which focuses on the untold or forgotten histories of some of Hollywood's greats.  If done well, this little podcast could be a gold mine, and yet, I had pretty low expectations.  I've heard a lot of media pieces on Judy and a lot of them have been salacious, or cheaply produced, and it was quite possible this could be one or the other...and yet?

I went straight to the episode focusing on Garland's later years hoping to love it and fearing I wouldn't.   Verdict?  The creator, writer and host, Karina Longworth has crafted a really thoughtful, very well written and insightful podcast with her unique perspective.  The Garland episode actually made me think about things I'd never thought before, which I certainly should have.  Possible-  Garland's hold on gay men was anathema to the male dominated straight media?  They used the connection to dismiss her and discount her hold on people?  Yeah.  Yeah they did.  Listen to the podcast, as Longworth illustrates it better than I could. 

 One of the great things about this show is that it doesn't just do a blanket bio on whatever star it's currently focusing on.  It zooms in on a particular moment, and unpacks it for the listener.  And she speaks with a very distinctive voice.  She's best when she's looking at the lives of women, as she does in the Garland, Novak, Frances Farmer, and Isabella Rossellini episodes, because you can feel her passion for the topic.

I'm personally hoping she'll do an episode on the weird pictures of Sammy Davis Jr and Jayne Mansfield at some freaky satanic ritual in the sixties.  I need that shit debunked or I'll never listen to Sammy Davis Jr with a completely untainted ear.