Gregory G. Allen's Blog, page 11

The Face of Honesty?

If you live in New Jersey and have ever questioned the sincerity, integrity, and honesty of our governor all one needs to do is have followed him on his quest to become the next president of the United States.

He went into it believing he could bully his way through as he has done with teachers, police, and fire fighters in our state. Little did he know a bigger bully with a much larger platform would take that spotlight right off of him. So what does he do? He decides to be the one to go after the big bully on the playground calling him a carnival barker and entertainer-in-chief. That backfires and he can't gain any traction in his crusade towards being president even though he has spent months away from his home state as he campaigns in other states. 

The man who cut pensions for state workers and who was embroiled in Bridge-gate goes home defeated where he is met by constituents upset that he has spent so much time away and has forgotten his mop to assist in cleaning up his own state. He finally makes a public appearance and when reporters try and ask questions that he deems off topic, he shuts them down as fast as he can. See, the bully is back on his turf and feels like the big man on campus once again.

But with aspirations beyond the garden state, he turns around and gives the big bully running for president his first endorsement by someone within the political world. Everyone is shocked that the man that had said the entertainer-in-chief could never lead the free world has done an about face and now is supporting that entertainer. Is it because he truly believes in the bully? Is it because he despises someone else running so much that he'll do anything to go up against him? Or maybe he loves the fact the entertainer has a private jet and he can play in a new world he wasn't used to being in. 


So once again, he leaves his state behind and becomes a stump speaker for the carnival barker. Who knows what position he is being promised, but it's obvious that it has nothing to do with New Jersey. And suddenly, he is seen on TV in the great state of Florida, standing behind the bully like a spouse, whipping post, or pet and his face says it all. The "my God, what have I done?" look that all of social media is talking about. He has placed all his political eggs in one gilded, gaudy basket. Six papers in his state have asked for his resignation and if the bully doesn't go all the way (taking him with him), there won't be much left in the political arena for the man who has shown his true colors and sincerity, integrity, and honesty have all gone out the window.
Enjoy the ride, Chris Christie. It looks like this may be your last.    

A Divided America

This has to be the craziest election year I can recall. Allow me to start with a positive. Obviously people are not satisfied with our government which accounts for such extremes happening in both parties. I myself wish we could do away with the two party system and perhaps congress and the rest of our government could actually accomplish things. It was sort of clear we were heading this way when the Tea Party was created, but I'll admit I didn't expect the Democrats to be splitting as well with a candidate who offers some pretty extreme ways of thinking outside of his party...almost as much as the GOP front runner, but minus the hate. However, this is an example that people are NOT happy with the current state of our party systems...on either side.
Now I can't be as positive. I'm frightened. Scared for where our country is headed, how we look on the global stage, and if we are due for another civil war of some sort. I completely agree with government reform, but I also prefer to have someone in the White House that actually knows something about politics. It's an awesome thought to bring in a businessman to help run the government, but wouldn't that make more sense as a cabinet position? Not the leader of the free world.
It feels like the slogan of American Pride truly means bigoted pride. Diversity is a bad word (oops...I use it all the time). Keep others out. Build a wall. It will all be great even though I'm not telling you how I'm going to make it great. Americans are caught up in the celebrity of this candidate and seem to think we are voting for American Idol and not the president of our country. It truly baffles me.
Of course, part of me also believes this man isn't really a republican or a democrat. He is whatever he needs to be depending on who he is dealing with. So he could very well get the nomination, end up in the white house and change all his views on everything. That's also frightening no matter which side of the issues you sit on.
I grew up in Texas and saying I wanted to smack someone wasn't meant to be literal. However I tweeted it once about someone I was watching (on reality TV) and was sent a private message admonishing me for my words when I have a platform of adversity, diversity, equal rights, autism....at first I thought the person was over-reacting, but realized my tiny little corner of social media must get to some people and they didn't approve of my word choices.
Amplify that by millions and you have Donald Trump. The man wants to punch a protester in the face. He makes fun of people with disabilities and attacks women. He enjoys name calling as if he's on a 5th grade playground. He makes horrible remarks and his audiences rally and cheer reminding me of that movie The Running Man...which was a reality TV Game Show where Richard Dawson whipped his crowd into a frenzy. That's what we'll have with Trump in Washington. A reality star who could care less if he says the wrong thing. He'll call it being PC, I call it being a responsible leader. Perhaps it works in the private sector, but this is not who I want running my country. If someone from across the world can send me a private message because I want to smack someone that is acting a fool on HGTV, imagine how others are going to view a President Trump. 

The Humans Invade Broadway

Tonight before seeing Stephen Karam's The Humans on Broadway, I was standing in front of a restaurant when a man approached me and said "why do people say 'I'm sorry' for bumping into you? And why do they say it when someone dies?" Then he pulled out a paper and told me to read it. It said no matter how rich you are or what you gain in life, we are all the same once we die. (I figured at this point he was going to ask me for money, but he walked away.) Midway through The Humans, the dad makes a toast and says everything that we have - goes...suddenly I saw that man from earlier on the street. 
Perhaps I had my own Stephen Karam experience on the street, except that mine wasn't a 70 year old Chinese woman that lived in the apartment above the one in which this play is set. I'll return to this strange "did that really happen" moment later.
The play garnered raves off-broadway last fall, quickly moved into the Helen Hayes this winter, and has added the Blake family to the long list of dysfunctional stage families that have come before.  I went into this play completely in the dark about it (as dark as the stage continues to grow through the evening). I was told it was another family dinner drama - only this one comes with many laughs. I actually thought for the first 45 minutes I was watching a comedy. Jayne Houdyshell is a master at delivery. As the matriarch, she dishes it out to her family in such a real and natural way, you can't help but laugh at her. Reed Birney as her husband is also one of the most realistic actors in New York today. Every choice he makes comes from a place of truth and you believe you are witnessing a man from Scranton, PA who is in NYC having Thanksgiving at his youngest daughter's duplex apartment in Chinatown. 
The play covers it all. College loans, lesbian breakups, colitis, dementia, turkey, monsters, dreams, dead-end jobs...the list could go on and on. Yet this group of six actors pulls you in so much that you feel you are LITERALLY (great joke with this word in the play) peering through the ripped open wall of David Zinn's set. Sarah Steele as the youngest daughter (who reminds me of Renee Zellweger) lives with an older boyfriend (Arian Moayed) doing the best he can to welcome his quasi-inlaws to his home. Along with the older sister played wonderfully by Cassie Beck we ride a roller coaster through this play as more and more secrets are revealed. We can't forget Lauren Klein who spends much of the play sleeping on the sofa, or slumped in a wheelchair, or having a dementia enraged tantrum...and she plays it all brilliantly.
I feel Joe Mantello directs everything on Broadway now - and that's because he understands the dynamics of people and how to make it as realistic as possible. That's the biggest take away from this evening is that it all feels completely organic in real time.
And then...
I've used the word realistic often, but actually, there is a huge unrealistic element looming over this play. Call it ghost, paranormal, dreams invading reality, or the fact the playwright wanted to write a thriller...there is another element that for this audience member turned it into a different play. I keep reading the word terror when writers describe this show, but I never felt terrorized. I felt somewhat cheated by the last ten minutes of the play after an incredible evening supplied by an amazing cast and director. I understand the symbolism Karam was going for, but it felt too cliche and 'on the nose' for my taste. Life can't be wrapped up in a pretty bow and as the stranger told me on the street, we are all the same once we die. But I still live in reality and call me nuts, I sort of like my theatrical experiences to stay in that lane if that's the lane they start in.

Purple Shines on Broadway

Midway through the musical The Color Purple , the character Shug Avery says “I think it pisses God off if you walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and don't notice it.”  Well, I think he'd be pissed off if you missed this revival directed by the talented John Doyle. Wow! What this man has done with this production - completely stepping back from the original production in 2005 - stripping away the pageantry of a big showy musical and telling a beautiful story in an intimate fashion. Mr. Doyle has done it with previous musical revivals and has struck gold again.
I'll go on record as saying I loved the musical the first time around and saw both LaChanze and Fantasia play the role of Celie. I thought it was a great extension of the beloved film with a book by Marsha Norman and music & lyrics by Brenda Russell, Allee Willis and Stephen Bray. I was absolutely thrilled to see it in musical form. I had never read Alice Walker's book, but always loved the film and what Whoopi and Oprah had done in it. 
After seeing this revival playing at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre, I now realize that original musical wasn't so original after all. Looking back, it seems that cast was told to recreate the moments, acting choices, memories of the film. That is NOT the case in this new version. Gone are the big sets, costume changes, projections. Chairs, sheets, and baskets are used to convey numerous settings and objects. We pay attention to the characters, the lyrics, the beautiful songs. This cast (under the watchful eye of their incredible director) approaches the piece as fresh and new. None of them 'copying' what has come before. They are an incredible ensemble in all senses of the word: both with body in moving and setting scenes as well as creating a glorious sound when opening their mouths.
To point out a few players almost seems unfair, but I have to praise Cynthia Erivo as Celie who came with the show from London. This woman is a gem and a wonderful gift to the stage. Her voice is clear as a bell. She has such vocal control to be as soft or powerful as needed. Her Celie is more in tune and self aware - almost giving in to the life she has instead of searching for blame. It's a more harsh take, but still so incredibly believable. I hope she runs in the show forever.
Jennifer Hudson is the 'name' producers use to bring in audiences and her powerhouse of a voice is right there on display. I personally feel her acting isn't as strong as others around her, but I say a huge kudos to her for not coming across as a 'star' and blending into the ensemble when it is called for.
I loved every voice in the show, but I must give a shout out to Rema Webb who has me captivated each time she is onstage. Her voice, her face - I can't stop watching her. I felt the same way when I saw her in Violet & A New Brain - what a talent!
Do yourself a favor and add this show to your list. You will NOT be disappointed. I left on such a high and felt as if I had just gone through a life-changing event...or back in my Southern Baptist Church.

Weekend of Oscar Nominated Films

When the Oscar nominations came out, I knew I needed to get to the movies to catch up as it's not that much fun to watch if you have no one to cheer for. So this weekend, I caught three of the Best Picture nominations; all of which definitely stick to my theme of adversity...though not really DIVERSITY.
Spotlight has the feel of an indie film with a much larger budget. An amazing ensemble of actors telling a true story that will definitely cause a reaction from viewers. It doesn't matter if you are Catholic or not, we've all heard the horrible stories told in this film where the Boston newspaper writers brought it out in the open in 2002. 
Next I watched The Martian and even though the Golden Globes put it in the wrong category, it is a highly entertaining film. Moments where you hold your breath, you cheer for Matt Damon while stuck on Mars, and it pulls at heartstrings in the way that Hollywood knows how to do.
And then there was The Revenant. I have waited since What's Eating Gilbert Grape to see Leonardo DiCaprio rise to that same kind of acting. I know, I know - he's been in a million films and people want him to win an Oscar every year, but for me - nothing has matched his earlier performance. Until now. He throws his entire being into the role of Hugh Glass - many times acting with nothing more than his eyes. I was enthralled by every choice he made and how he acted the heck out of the role.
The film, however - not as engaging as I had hoped. It was entirely too long at 2.5 hours with very little story. I don't want to give things away there - but google the real story and you will see what all director Alejandro F. Inarritu has added to beef up the story (and the mysticism). Unfortunately, an entire film built around revenge doesn't pull me into the character and cause me to care in the same way a movie with more substance does. I also am not sure the amount of time that goes into creating the long single-shots, steeped with so much realism that blood and Leo's breath ends up on the camera lens makes up for what is lacking in story telling. This poor man goes through everything that by the time I saw an avalanche in the distance...I was done.
This really got me to thinking about how films get made. Does it take an all-star cast to cause audiences to flock to a movie or do movie-goers want story and substance? I'm not saying you can't have both. Spotlight definitely is packed with big names and plenty of substance. I'm just not sure if The Revenant would have been made without such a star (who I do believe deserves the Oscar) attached.
I still have plenty of others to see, but currently - my favorite is The Martian. Though I do hope others on the list will offer more diversity since I felt I saw three white male driven films...back-to-back.

It's Noisy on Broadway!

The play Noises Off has been around since the early 80s when playwright Michael Frayn wrote it because he wanted to share a farce about what happens backstage during a production. The British play appeared on Broadway in '83, again in '01 and now is back for '16 better than ever!
I've seen it numerous times because every community theater loves to get their hands on the play about doors and sardines and give local actors a chance to share the shenanigans of performers. However, seeing it in the hands of the professionals in the Roundabout Theatre's production at the American Airlines Theatre is truly SEEING this play. This ensemble is brilliant! Director Jeremy Herrin has incorporated some of the many changes the playwright has done over the years and gives us three fast-paced acts that fly by so quickly, you'll believe you must be missing things the way the audience is laughing at every single moment.
If you don't know the play (who doesn't at this point), an acting company is opening the play "Nothing On" and it is the final rehearsal before opening night. It is past midnight and they continue to rehearse - still having issues getting used to the set, the business the director has given them, an actor with a drinking problem, and theater relationships - that all wreck havoc on the production they are doing. Then you see it all again...twice more at two performances. And trust me...it's wonderful!
Andrea Martin makes her first entrance to thunderous applause and rightfully so. Her comic-timing has never been better than as the grand dame actress Dotty Otley playing the housekeeper of the estate. The woman is comic gold. Megan Hilty (known mostly for musicals) completely impressed me as the sex-pot Brooke Ashton. I could not stop laughing at her 'presentational acting' throughout the night...no matter WHAT is happening around her onstage. Campbell Scott will forever be the young man from Longtime Companion for me, though his stage, film, and TV credits are huge. Here he takes on the director of the play with gusto, hubris, and comic chops I never knew he had. 
One of my favorite NY actors is Jeremy Shamos and as Frederick Fellowes (an actor that needs to know his backstory and has constant issues with nose-bleeds), he is brilliantly funny in everything he does. I fell in love with Rob McClure when I saw him as Chaplin and man - this man should be a star. He inhabits comedy throughout his entire body.  Daniel Davis kept us laughing as Niles in the "Nanny" on TV and adds so much to the comic stew of this ensemble which also includes Kate Jennings Grant as Belinda Blair who attempts to hold the group together, Tracee Chimo as the stage manager having to deal with the crazy lot, and David Furr who I've never seen, but will seek him out now. What a genius this man is in his delivery - both spoken AND physical. They all have moments to shine and they do just that.
The set, costumes - all are wonderful. My only complaint would be at times I had an issue with sound. Perhaps its the accents or the fact the audiences is laughing so hard that you miss words. But even with that, it's an evening I highly recommend. (My hubby doesn't always go with me to every show I see, but attended this and I thought I would need a medic to resuscitate him from all of his laughing.) 

How to Handle Opinions During Political Year

It's 2016. It's an election year. UGH!

It's that time where I spend 1/2 the time wanting to stay off of social media and the other half looking at (and responding to) everything that annoys me. Yes - I admit it: I'm just as bad as the next one. No matter where you sit on the political spectrum, it's so easy to hear anything other than your views as noise. And to counter that noise, we scream louder.
So what to do to make it through this year and keep all the hair on your head.
I've seen people say we should be able to respect each other even if we don't agree politically. I do have people in my life that I don't see eye-to-eye on every issue, but we still can have civil conversations. It's hard and sometimes you have to declare a politics-free-zone - but you can make it work if you really care about the people.
Here are a few pointers I'll share - may not help. May just be yet another view that anyone else out there has. But for what it's worth...
1) Take some time during the day and shut down the news. I tend to listen to talk radio now and I'll admit to getting riled up by that at times. Turn it off. Turn on music. Watch something other than 24/7 news channels. You might be able to breathe easier.
2) Stop believing your truth is the only truth. We can't get someone to change their opinion because of what we say. AND - it's an opinion! We all have them. Many people were upset that the president didn't mention anything about the sailors that were detained in Iran while doing his State of the Union. Their opinions were more important than why the leader of the free world may have chosen NOT to bring it up on the air. There are two sides to everything that happens...so stop for a moment and consider that perhaps your truth may not be the absolute in every situation.
3) You want to share that Meme or that article..you are chomping at the bit to hit share on social media. Double check your facts 1st...find it on another site. Check the dates. Make sure you're not part of the problem by sharing wrong information across the internet.
4) Is it personal or is it not? We all have hot-button issues that make us feel personally attacked by someone. Perhaps they really aren't coming after you - they have their own issue and the fact that a certain candidate doesn't share their views makes them want to pounce on anything that candidate does. It's not your mom or dad in the line of fire so breathe before responding. (Your favorite candidate doesn't always need you to stand up for them.)
5) Throw out my suggestions and start a civil war! Because sometimes, that's where I feel we're heading. America is fighting among their own parties as well as across party lines. So if it makes you feel better to lash out anonymously to someone online...do it! (I'll admit that I tweet to certain political people and often times...I'll delete it after the fact. If only I could count to 10 before hitting the POST button.)

2016: Who Dictates The Right to Share Your Art?

2016 has started and I feel I'm drying up creatively. I'm not certain what I should be working on next and how I should go about it.
I'm also frightened. Frightened by the obsessive need people have to dictate other people's art. What one is allowed to do or not allowed to do. If I were to adhere to the rules being laid out now across social platforms, blogs, personal essays - I can only write about the plight of a 46 year old white gay male born in Texas who traveled to NYC to become an actor. That would be my life in a nutshell. There appears to be more and more backlash against white males attempting to write or direct stories that do not involve them.
As a white man, I'm not allowed to speak to female issues, other cultures, or religions that are not my own. If I do, I am thought of as perpetuating some sort of white dominance and supremacy that truly has nothing to do with how I live my life. Those words conjure up images that do not sit well with the man that has spent years as a proponent of diversity. 
Perhaps I should be glad that I co-wrote a musical in the 90s that dealt with racial tensions in the 60s and centered around a bi-racial woman being trapped between two worlds as I would be crucified if I were to write that today.
Or that an award-winning film I directed was called MOTHER and I'm obviously not one.
Maybe I should have caught on when I wrote a novel in first person perspective from that of a 30-something year old woman...and a reviewer said they were nervous when they saw a man's name as the author (yet they went on to love the book, my sensibilities with the character, and recommended it to female readers).
I don't write all of this to toot my own horn or my abilities as a director or writer. I write it to say as much as I am about stories of adversity and diversity, I think it is wrong to put people into a bubble and only allow them to do one thing. To neuter what a writer/director can or cannot do means certain stories may never be heard. I pride myself on writing outside of my own world. I research religions, history, settings in order to share many stories and not tell my own over and over. I applaud men like Sean Penn who take on the challenge to bring Harvey Milk to life for us and do not cast stones because he is not an openly gay man.
If we continue to say that people should only write, direct, speak to what they know, we run the risk of people not attempting to understand the lives of others. In no way do I say that people should not share their own stories, but I think there are numerous ways for us to learn about each other. 
But fear, uncertainty, and back-lash causes my creativity to shrivel up and wonder what 2016 will hold.  

My Indie Film 2015 Wrap Up

What a year it is has been for my jump into the indie film-making pool. Sure, we actually shot the film in 2014, but it was 2015 that I became acquainted with the Film Festival circuit - intimately. As I like to do with most things, I thought I'd share my experience for other filmmakers out there who may be venturing into this world with a few observations and tips.
I started this journey by using both Without a Box and Film Freeway to submit my film to festivals. I don't want to say the amount I submitted to because it was a HUGE  amount. (Thankfully we had raised funds for this on our crowd-funding endeavor.) 
2015, we ended up as part of festivals with MOTHER in Boston, LA, Houston, Portland Oregon, East Lansing Michigan, Indiana, Golden Door at Jersey City, Hoboken Film Festival, Nevada, Maverick Movie Awards and a few others. A little over a dozen places which for a first time filmmaker was AMAZING. But yes, the % versus those we entered...very small.
1) I quickly decided to only enter those that would allow for online submissions. Burning and sending DVDS gets costly & you still may not get in. It's going to be 2016 - places should accept online at this point.
2) Printing postcards,posters,marketing materials for every festival you attend can be a high cost and very little return (for short films). Yes, feature films attempting to get distribution...it makes sense. For me, it didn't.

3) Some festivals treat short films like the ugly step children of the film/Cinderella world...do your homework on this and just know that many people are there for the feature films. (Don't let it get you down too much.)
4) Some festivals are amazing and treat all filmmakers equally. You almost feel embarrassed by the accolades.
5) Being able to attend all the festivals is a pipe dream unless you are extremely wealthy and do not have a day job.
6) I was advised to only submit to those you intend to attend. They say it's all about the networking. I may have sucked a little at this part.
7) People get to see your work; people outside of your cast/crew/circle of friends. It's wonderful when you hear your film has touched the life of someone in the audience: treasure that moment!
8) Talking about a year old film/project can become daunting because for you - it happened so long ago. Keep in mind it's fresh and new to those seeing it at the festival so try & keep up the enthusiasm for it even though you may have moved on.
9) Speaking of moving on...everyone wants to know what you're working on now/next. It doesn't matter that your film may have won an award at the festival you attend...to many, you're only as good as what's coming up NEXT. (I wanted to say I was busy promoting MOTHER and have several other jobs outside of film...instead, I said I was writing a screenplay: partly true. It's just not finished yet.)
10) No matter what happens, how many accept you, if you win or not - just enjoy the experience! You created a freakin' movie and for that...you should be proud!
I can't thank all of the festivals enough that liked our work and invited us to be a part of their events. I had an amazing cast, crew, support system and though I'm not certain when I'll do this again...I'm looking forward to whatever 2016 has in store!
  

Best of New York City Theater 2015

It's that time of year where I like to share my thoughts on some of the best shows/moments I saw in New York this year (in no particular order). So here we go!
I'm a huge fan of Manhattan Theater Club and they started the year off with a bang for me with Constellations . It offered two of the best performances of the season by Jake Gyllenhaal and Ruth Wilson. 
The Fiasco Theater teamed up with The Roundabout Theatre to take us deep into the woods with an amazing production of Sondheim's Into the Woods . What a joy this was to see it stripped down with an incredible ensemble (and the first time I saw Jennifer Mudge on stage)!
Christina Bianco was AMAZING in Application Pending which played off-Broadway and had this very talented woman playing 40+ characters. (I can't WAIT to see her in The Rise and Fall of Little Voice in 16-17.) 
Fun Home found its way up town this season (and right into Tony winning history) and while I had issues with it downtown, it completely captivated me on Broadway.
The critics and Tony voters may have had no love for Finding Neverland , but the show is still running and it got me in the heart!
Speaking of my heart, I saw An American in Paris while visiting Paris last Christmas break and found it completely engaging and beautiful when it moved tot he Palace Theater in NYC. Captivated by the romance! 
Last spring, I was on the 2nd row of the Public Theater to experience Hamilton and bought into all of the hype thrown on this show. I've yet to get back to see it on Broadway, but if you can...GO!
I can honestly say I didn't expect to like Something Rotten as much as I did, but man-  what a fun show this is! If you want a silly yet clever night at the theater, this show is for you!
My favorite onstage couple would probably have to go to Jennifer Mudge and Kelly AuCoin in Of Good Stock presented by Manhattan Theatre Club. The two of them gave us a true marriage on stage with all of the love, angst, and 'dance' that couples must do. 
One of my favorite actors was back off-Broadway in The Qualms at Playwrights Horizons. Jeremy Shamos is wonderful in anything he does: stage, TV, film. The man jumps into a role and makes us belief his journey...completely! 
Sometimes the most amazing works are presented WAY off-Broadway, which was the case with SeaWife presented by Naked Angels at the South Street Seaport. This was more than a musical - it was an experience. 
I missed Spring Awakening the first time it came to Broadway, but lucky for me, I was able to see the incredibly moving production presented by Deaf West Theatre.
My favorite Broadway play of the season was set in the future with a nod to the past: King Charles III . What an intriguing evening of theater!
I can't wait to see what 2016 has in store!