Apparently some can get the same dopamine rush from the sound of a tweet as they can from an orgasm. This may explain the addictive nature of texting and twitter. And it is this response that we often try to generate in our theatre audience when we write, direct or act. As artists we want
Push and pull. Action and Reaction. The rhythm and measure of breath. In and Out. The inhalation and exhalation separated by a point of transition, the point of tension, the point of change, the connection between two states, between life and death. It is a millisecond that separates us from earth and the unknown, the
Harping back to the founding fathers to legitimize a conservative worldview is a tried and tested political tactic in the United States. Inevitably it requires some retrofitting to make 18th century ideals make sense in our 21st century context, but this approach gains traction because a familiar story is comforting. Suddenly the public has yet
I love this painting. It is called Man With A Plaid Blanket by Thomas Ganter and depicts Karel, a windscreen cleaner from the streets of Frankfurt. I saw it at the National Portrait Gallery in London where it was on the shortlist for the BP Portrait award in 2014. The image of a homeless man depicted
Why are British actors taking our roles? This is the question currently being debated in American acting circles. It has led to soul searching about our training, our aesthetic, our talent. One theater practitioner explains the phenomenon thus: British actors work harder, are more dedicated to their craft and get better training. After spending 27
Over the years students have approached me from inside and outside the School of Fine Arts with requests for an independent study in film. There is no film school at UCONN and although we have classes in Drama and Art and Art History, students often want to pursue their own projects such as live action,
I was so excited to discover the half hour comic drama Transparent by Jill Soloway, writer of Six Feet Under. Starring Jeffrey Tambor, Transparent is about a 70 year old man who transitions from a he to a she and the subsequent reaction by his grown up family. Based on Soloway’s experience of her own
A moment of connection. A glimpse of what could be. That unexpected glance, word or touch from a man, woman or child. The point when all the world seems at peace and the meaning of life has been gently revealed. This is what art can do for us. Take us to a place where we
“Everything that kills me makes me feel alive” sing One Republic in Counting Stars. It could be the theme song for Serendipity, the protagonist in my original television pilot Red Fish, Blue Fish. Serendipity is a complex woman of contrasts seeking that next dopamine rush. She is her own worst enemy, a pleasure seeker, a
I find it humbling when I return to the yoga mat. To authentically ask my body what it needs today and then to trust it, to allow it to unfold without expectation, takes courage. I am so driven by results that I can often get in my own way, creating all kinds of unnecessary obstacles.
