I’m not sure it’s ever been done before, but as a promo for my book, The Starving Artist’s Diet, I made this special video.  I want to thank my wife and kids for helping me put this together.  Also, it was nice of them to humor me and laugh.  I got the music from a great website called Partners in Rhyme where they provide Royalty Free Music and Sound Effects. You can download the music and sound effects you need for your multimedia project today at Partners In Rhyme.

So hopefully you enjoy the video, and even more so, want to partner with me in publishing The Starving Artist’s Diet by pre-ordering a copy through the Kickstarter campaign.

It’s Shakespeare, lottery style… with a little Bingo thrown in.  Actually, it wasn’t really Bingo, but IAGO, named after the villain from Othello.

I have to admit, that I probably haven’t sat through this much Shakespeare since I was a grad student in Virginia and that was a production of Twelfth Night Beach Boys style.  Because of my Shakespeare ignorance and a feeling that I needed to give myself a little educational entertainment, I chose to see Lot o’Shakespeare.  Tim Mooney, the creator and performer, did not disappoint.

As Mooney explained, the concept for the show came from an idea that he could be ready at a moment’s notice to perform an audition monologue from any of Shakespeare’s plays.  What resulted from his work in memorizing hours worth of monologues became the 60 minute show, Lot o’Shakespeare.

At the beginning all audience member are given an IAGO card, which was essentially a Bingo card.  As Mooney would spin the lottery balls around one would fall out and that would direct him as to what play and monologue to perform.  Then before each monologue, Mooney would give a one sentence explanation of the the scene and character.

The first ball was I18, Julius Caesar.  That was a long, long monologue, but Mooney performed it with great passion and skill.  Throughout the next 60 minutes, Mooney performed from Much Ado About Nothing, As You Like It, Measure for Measure, King John, and Taming of the Shrew to name a few.  Not only were all 37 of Shakespeare’s plays in the repertoire, but all of his sonnets too.

After one of the audience members won the game of IAGO, Mooney then opened up the show to requests.  I was very impressed that he was ready to dive into the next monologue without any real preparation. As soon as the play was called out, he would jump eagerly into explanation and then monologue.  I have to admit that when requests were being shouted, I was tempted to call out Hamlet, but I was afraid that I would look too much like the Shakespeare amateur.   So, I went without hearing “to be or not to be.”

Overall, this was a fun show to see.  I enjoyed Mooney’s enthusiasm for the material.  I also enjoyed the intimate community that was created in the audience as we laughed, applauded and yelled out requests.  To sum it all up into one word, I’ll defer to the gentleman who sat in front of me, “Bravo!”

IndyFringe started last night and Mass Ave. was hopping.  As I walked down the street, there was a moment where I felt like I’d been transported to New York or Chicago with the architecture, the smells, and eclectic people.  It was a nice feeling.

I chose to see Not a Peep at Theatre on the Square , which was performed by members of ShadowApe Theatre Company.  The fact that this was a local troupe of performers appealed to me because I love seeing how Indianapolis has grown as a community of artists and entertainers.  Events such as First Friday, Penrod, and IndyFringe show how Indianapolis has grown up as a city from the time when I was a child.  Not only is Indianapolis a great place for sports but it is also a thriving (and still growing) venue for the arts.

So let me start by saying that I highly recommend Not a Peep.  It was a fun performance starring Constance Macy, Jennifer Johansen, and Ben Tebbe that ended a little too quickly.  By the picture on the ad and program you would assume this has something to do with the Easter marshmallow treats called Peeps.  On the other hand since the picture of the Peep has a red circle and line through it, you might assume it has nothing to do with Peeps.  Either way, you’re probably right.

While yellow bunny Peeps were featured and fought over, they really had very little to do with the show.  In fact, the real “peep” in the title appears to refer to the lack of dialogue in the performance.  At first I thought this would be an actors dream to not have to memorize any lines, but as the show took form I reconsidered as the actors took cues from typing, tapping, and ten keying.

From the very beginning the audience responded with laughter.  It took me a little longer to join in.  I found the beginning amusing and entertaining, but not particularly laugh out loud.  Shortly thereafter, I joined in as the battle over the last Peep ensued.  I don’t want to give too much away, but I will tell you there is a Mexican Standoff with staplers at one point in the show.

I found that the show had a lot to say about how people interact and relate to one another.  In the office setting we are forced to coexist in close quarters and accept our co-workers habits and eccentricities.  In Not a Peep one character is longing to connect with her co-workers while another is obsessed with her fear of bacteria and need to exercise.  The lone male in the performance, Tebbe, is a bit of a slob who pounds down sodas, candy, and of course Peeps.  In fact, he literally worships Peeps.  Throughout the production, I couldn’t help but wonder what annoying habits I have that are driving my co-workers crazy.

The second sketch of the evening portrayed a world of people controlled by their cell phones.  Every step they took was directed by the electronic voice inside their phone and that voice encouraged the characters to pursue more electronics resulting in being less connected.  The irony of course is that more we’re connected through these wonderful technologies (smart phones, social media, etc.), the less we are truly connected.  I spoke a little about this in a recent post.

All this is to say that Not a Peep was entertaining.  Although too short, I guess it adhered to the adage that you should always leave them wanting more.  As for it being kid friendly, I would say that it truly is.  I would also say that it is not particularly a kids type of show.  I think the office setting is more relateable for working adults, but I figure the physical comedy that ensues would definitely appeal to the kids.  Since there really wasn’t any dialogue, there definitely wasn’t any language unsuitable for kids.

So go and check out Not a Peep and then do just the opposite.  Peep to everyone you know about Not a Peep and IndyFringe.  It will be good for you and the community.

Tonight is the beginning of ten days of “fringe” theater in Indianapolis.  This should be fun.  And from what I can see, there is a little something for everyone.  There are comedies and dramas.  There are one-man/woman shows.  There are shows with adult content and several without.  There are even shows that are kid friendly.  You can get your sampling of Shakespeare or musical comedy with, as I’m expecting, an off-off-Broadway flair.

Tonight I’m going to see Not a Peep from a local (Indianapolis) troupe of performers called ShadowApe Theatre Company.  I’m not sure what to expect, but because it said it was kid friendly, I’m taking my 11 year-old daughter.  Check back tomorrow and I’ll fill you in on all the details.

Let me encourage you to take stroll down Massachusetts Avenue and check out one of the 300 performances happening here in Indy over the next 10 days.  I think that you will be enriched through the experience and you will also be contributing to the community by supporting the arts and specifically live theater.  Also, if you do go see a show, tell me what you saw and what you thought – good or bad – in the comments below.  I’m looking forward to it.

Creating a Kickstarter campaign has been bit of an emotional roller-coaster. I’ve been excited, happy, humbled, irritated, surprised, exasperated, and resolute. One of the thing I didn’t really expect in launching this campaign was the resulting inner struggle it would create. It has made me very introspective.

It has made me think deeply about friendships and the purpose of family. It has made think about how I have failed to appreciate others and how I often feel unappreciated. So many of the thoughts I’ve had I’m not really comfortable enough to post (because so many are irrational).

It’s made me think a lot about social media. Ever since I finally figured out how to use Facebook and Twitter, I have been excited about how those tools are wonderful connectors. I cherish the fact that I can stay connected to my California Friends, reconnect with friends from my school days, and make new friends – especially the wonderful artists who have aided me in creating The Starving Artist’s Diet by sharing their stories.

But I’ve also realized that social media can create a false sense of connection. One of the things that I have tried to do is physically connect with my “friends” and “followers”. I’ve adopted the mantra, “Making social media social.” What I have found is that my Facebook “friends” are not truly into connecting. My out of state friends get a pass, but my local friends really haven’t appeared interested in truly being social. They aren’t interested in truly connecting.

Why do I think this? I set up a thing call Facebook Friday Breakfast. I did it for five weeks in a row on Fridays from 6 a.m. till 8:30 a.m at an Einstein’s Bagel shop. Out of the five Fridays, one person showed up once.  Sure, 6 a.m. is early, but in the past I’ve had friends willing to get up a little earlier to catch up, share a word of encouragement, or just get a good bagel and coffee.

I’m not giving up on social media. I still love to scan my friends comments on Facebook and keep up with everyone’s activities. I still love to share a humorous thought or some helpful business related information. But this is also why I tend to enjoy Twitter more. Twitter has allowed me to develop new friends. The people on Twitter actually want to meet up and socialize. They want to connect for both personal and business reasons. Twitter takes a little longer to get rolling, but isn’t that the way with most good things in life?

As for my Kickstarter campaign, I’m not sure how I’ll feel about it at the end of the forty days. I started it by telling myself no one would be interested in pre-ordering my silly book (probably a self-defense mechanism), but I also told myself I wouldn’t know if I didn’t try. As of today, the campaign is at 5% funding. There’s a long way to go, but I kind of tell myself it might just happen. It’s funny how when I started putting the campaign together, I went through a list of my friends who might be willing to participate. With each name I told myself not to count on them and to lower my expectations.

Ultimately, I’ve been humbled and honored to see who has already pledged. The small gesture is deeply impacting. I have also begun to learn that I, personally, need to be more generous. I need to develop a more gracious, gentler heart. This is all to say that this has been a very moving, spiritual experience.

I’ve launched a Kickstarter campaign which allows everyone to pre-order their copy or multiple copies and get a collectible copy in The Starving Artist’s Diet branded cereal box. Check it out.