Is There Such A Thing As Bad Publicity?

This "Letters To The Editor" appeared in the paper today.

Increasingly common

My wife and I recently attended a performance of Moonlight and Magnolias at Twin City Stage ("Movie Stage," Sept. 13). What we were hoping for was a wholesome comedy. What we experienced was a profanity-laced production that made frequent use of a variety of obscene language.

This is the type of language that is becoming increasingly common not only at Twin City Stage and in movie theaters, but also throughout our society.

A sewage pond is not pleasant to smell. Most people would try to avoid being anywhere near it. Yet, it seems as if many people in our society today don't mind hearing -- and even speaking -- obscenities.

Ephesians 4:29 instructs us to "let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth."

Likewise, Colossians 3:8 instructs us to rid ourselves of "filthy language out of your mouth."

It would be no stretch to assume these biblical passages also imply that Christians shouldn't casually stand by and listen to such language when it is spoken by others. Such language not only contaminates the person who is speaking, but may also contaminate those who are listening to it. Consider what the psalmist says in Psalm 19:14: "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer."

How pleased God would be if each of us tried to honor him through the words we speak and the words to which we listen.

HARVEY E. ARMOUR
Winston-Salem

Congratulations, Tony!

My hearty congrats and a dancing bear hug to my Moonlight and Magnolias castmate, Anthony Liguori. Last night Metrolina Theatre Association held their 2009 MTA Awards show at the McGlohon Theatre in Spirit Square in Charlotte. Tony was up for Outstanding Performance by a Lead Actor for his role as Max Bialystock in Hickory Community Theatre's production of The Producers.

While I did not see him in this show, I've seen many of Tony's other shows and know that this was a well deserved win for him.

True love is neither physical, nor romantic.
True love is an acceptance of all that is, has been, will and will not be.

The Journal Review

Spoofing Scarlett for the Fun of It - Twin City Stage delivers the laughs
By Mary Martin Niepold
SPECIAL TO THE JOURNAL
Published: September 20, 2009

You can't make this stuff up, and in the new play at Twin City Stage, we get a dramatized comedy about the real deal behind the making of Gone With the Wind.

Moonlight and Magnolias is set in 1939 when Hollywood mega producer David O. Selznick actually locked famous writer Ben Hecht and film director Victor Fleming in his office for five days to save his production of Gone With the Wind.

Selznick fed them peanuts and bananas. He needed a new script to resuscitate what would become one of the most popular movies of all time and was willing to lose $50,000 a day while production was delayed and the men worked.

Knowing the plot of the movie means that audiences already have a good handle on the events and characters we see acted out by three grown men.

Director Stan Bernstein has parodied the actual events with restraint.

The whole situation is made for laughs, and the lead actors manage to bring some slapstick humor to reworking the movie's script, especially Melanie's giving birth and Scarlett's slapping of Prissy.

Anthony Liguori as Selznick carries the show.

He can deadpan lines as easily as he can bark out producer's edicts.

When he mimics Scarlett, he's hilarious.

His counterpoint, the morally earnest Hecht, is effectively portrayed by Chad Edwards.

It's a fun sendup of the famous melodrama.

Twin City Stage (formerly the Little Theatre of Winston-Salem) will present Moonlight and Magnolias at 2 p.m. today and Sept. 27 and at 8 p.m. Sept. 24-26 in the Arts Council Theater, 610 Coliseum Drive. Tickets are $22, $20 for seniors and $18 for students. For more information call the Twin City Stage box office at 336-725-4001.

Life isn't about surviving the storm
It's about learning to dance in the rain

It's Official!

Mallorie and I will be in the cast of The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later. It's the first acting role for Mallorie and I'm excited to be sharing the stage with her.

I'm also hugely honored to be part of this historical staged reading. Our castmates include some of the most talented folks in the Triad.

The reading will be one night only, on Monday, October 12, at the Arts Council Theatre. The performance is free, and you can reserve your tickets through Paper Lantern Theatre Company.

Making of classic film is play's backstory

By Mary Martin Niepold
SPECIAL TO THE JOURNAL
Published: September 13, 2009

Afrenzied romp through the era of Southern legend and Hollywood moguls will open the season at Twin City Stage this week.

Moonlight and Magnolias is based on real events in Hollywood's golden era and takes us behind the scenes in 1938 when famed producer David O. Selznick decides that things are not going so great in filming his epic, Gone With the Wind.

He stops production. The film needs resuscitation.

To that end, Selznick grabs famous writer, Ben Hecht, to rework the script alongside the film's new director, Victor Fleming, who had just completed The Wizard of Oz.

Atlanta has already burned and been put to film, but Selznick is adamant. The epic needs a new script, and so he locks himself, Hecht and Fleming in his office for five days to produce one. The three men are literally locked inside his office, and they have only bananas, peanuts and dueling egos to sustain them. Fueling the dramatics and laughs is the fact that Hecht has never even read the book.

"This is straight-up comedy," Anthony Liguori said. Liguori, an associate professor of physiology and pharmacology at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, plays Selznick. "These are real events in a real place and people trying to tell this story that everyone knows except the screenwriter."

Selznick's secretary, Miss Poppengul, played by Cheryl Ann Roberts, supplies the bananas and peanuts.

At the center of the action are Selznick and Fleming taking turns acting out the roles for the rewrite. Since Moonlight and Magnolias is based on true events, playwright Ron Hutchinson simply takes the improbable and works it for all it's worth. Stan Bernstein returns to Twin City Stage as director.

Selznick, one of Hollywood's more infamous couch producers, plays Scarlett and Ashley while Fleming, a successful director, plays Melanie, Prissy and Rhett.

"So you can imagine these two men enacting the birth of Melanie's child," Liguori said.

Meanwhile, Hecht, the no-nonsense journalist, is typing.

Hecht, who wrote the highly successful Broadway play, The Front Page, 10 years before, is hard-boiled and short on sensitivity. He doesn't think that Scarlet O'Hara is so likable, and even though he hasn't read the novel, he suggests that the story is a light-weight, essentially some fluff about "moonlight and magnolias."

Nonetheless, Selznick is losing about $50,000 a day while they squabble over the script; Fleming's reputation is on the line; and Hecht is Hecht, someone who is convinced that he can learn whatever he needs by watching the other men act out the plot.

Selznick, epitomizing the powerful mogul, sums up the stakes: "Big book, big brain, big guy, big shot. Five days, one screenplay."

Thus, the laughs.

Holding all the action together is a set that is a very proper rendition of Selznick's actual office. The space is large -- enough room for a birth and free-wheeling reenactments of the story -- complete with floral draperies and 12-foot ceilings, which designer, Charles Murdock Lucas, has created.

Lucas, who is completing his master's in scenic design from UNC School of the Arts, researched extensively and says that the set, true to the real thing, actually helps the laughs. "The more realistic the environment is in this, it throws the comedy in sharp relief."

In the play, the action is high-pitched, the laughs inevitable, but something obviously did work in those five days: The film went on to win 10 Academy Awards.

■ Twin City Stage (formerly the Little Theatre of Winston-Salem) will present Moonlight and Magnolias at 8 p.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sept. 24-26; and at 2 p.m. next Sunday and Sept. 27, in the Arts Council Theater, 610 Coliseum Drive. Tickets are $22, $20 for seniors and $18 for students. Call 336-725-4001.

A Script Report

From Samuel French:
In Skin Deep, a large, lovable, lonely-heart, named Maureen Mulligan, gives romance one last shot on a blind-date with sweet awkward Joseph Spinelli; she's learned to pepper her speech with jokes to hide insecurities about her weight and appearance, while he's almost dangerously forthright, saying everything that comes to his mind. They both know they're perfect for each other, and in time they come to admit it.

They were set up on the date by Maureen's sister Sheila and her husband Squire, who are having problems of their own: Sheila undergoes a non-stop series of cosmetic surgeries to hang onto the attractive and much-desired Squire, who may or may not have long ago held designs on Maureen, who introduced him to Sheila. With Maureen particularly vulnerable to both hurting and being hurt, the time is ripe for all these unspoken issues to bubble to the surface.

I purchased this script at the Drama Book Shop in New York. It was shiny and slick, and the cover art attracted my attention. Yes it's another fat-girl-finds-love story, but I thought it was refreshingly charming. I especially enjoyed the scene between Maureen and Squire.

September skirt! Philosophy

LET EACH FINISH LINE BE A FRESH START.
Let there always be one more race to be run...once more rung to reach...the novel waiting to be written... A career change to be dared...a higher mountain to climb...unexpected love waiting to walk into your life...dance steps to be learned...the most daring adventure still to plan...another painting waiting on the palette. Let every safe harbor be a place to rest up, not rest on your laurels, before you set off again for unknown jeopardy and joy. Broken heart? Turn it into a happy beginning. Layoffs looming? Start working your resume. Empty nest? Try your own wings...Sign up for Yes! instead of hanging on to yesterday. Yes! to the blind date, the scary new job in another city, the new level of yoga. Ready, Set, Yes!

A Shark No More!

For most of Mallorie's life the two teeth that flank most people's front teeth were located directly behind hers. It was a freaky thing to see on a human being, so her classmates nicknamed her Shark.

Several dentists and orthodontist advised there was nothing that could be done. She either needed to live with it, or have them pulled. The fact that they were permanent teeth didn't matter to them. On April 7, 2006, a last ditch effort, I took her to Chermack and Hanson. Dr. Hanson was the only one willing to take on the challenge. For an hour he talked to me about Mallorie's teeth, showed me examples of how he had helped other unusual cases, and answered all questions I posed.

Twenty four months of braces turned into almost three and a half years. We went today to get them off.

Cade and I stayed with her and watched as the assistant clipped off each bracket and scrapped off the cement. When everything was off, Mallorie looked up at us and smiled. I couldn't help it, I cried a little. Her teeth are perfectly aligned. No more Shark.

Dr. Hanson will be using Mallorie as an example of the power of orthodontics. And I absolutely agree. It's the best damn money I've ever spent!

Pooped Out

Run Thru, Moonlight and Magnolias

I don't think I've been to a more enjoyable read thru.

First, Murdock, a UNCSA grad student and our set designer, brought in his model. He's done an extensive amount of research which reflects in the period set. It will be absolutely phenomenal. (Period blinds have been ordered.)

Next we were introduced to Bill, a UNCSA faculty member in the costume department, who will be designing our costumes. This won't mean much to the guys; they wear the same costume throughout the show. I will be getting 3 costumes and I'm very excited about my period look. I'm gonna look so fab!

Listening to Tony and Don, as Selznick and Fleming, act out Melanie's birthing scene was hysterical! There's some very funny stuff in this script! During the break Chad, Stan and Don told anesthesia stories. Don had the best story, by far. I was laughing so hard, I was crying!

I can't wait for the next rehearsal!

Watching Planes

Cade, Bare (pronounced bear-e) and I drove to Charlotte to pick Mallorie up at the airport. We arrived a bit early, so we sat in the car on the roof of the parking deck and watched the airplanes come in. Cade and I counted about 20 planes in 30 minutes.

Mallorie, the new Wizard?

A friend of Geoff's works on Wicked as a dresser for the swings, so yesterday Mallorie got a backstage tour. She saw Galinda's bubble, the secret dead green baby, and 150 wigs (100 wigs are used each night, 50 are reserved for swings). Since she was touring between the matinee and evening performance, she also saw some cast members.

In this pic, Mallorie is apparently wearing one of the heaviest costumes in the show.

Live Blogging So You Think You Can Dance - The Finale

8:01 - I do like Cat's hair straight. She really is a knockout.

Record breaking voting last night. I was one of the millions! Yep. For the first time ever, I actually voted. I picked up the phone and made the call for Jeanine. (Three times!)

8:04 - Well, I was hoping for an original opening number. We've seen this Brand New Day routine before. It's not my favorite opening number but I do think it's highly creative. Way to go, Tyce!

Seven "judges" tonight! Lil C, Mia, Tyce, Debbie, Adam, Mary and Nigel.

8:19 - Adam's favorite number, Philip's and Jeanine's Mad was one that I really liked as well. I got teary eyed watching the original performance.

8:21 - Nigel's favorite was also Brandon's favorite, his tango with Janette. Perhaps it's the bigger stage, but I'm just not feeling it. Brandon looks a little stiff. Maybe it's just nerves?

8:26 - I love this T-Mobile commercial!

8:30 - Debbie's favorite number is Asuka's and Vitolio's waltz. It was okay, just like it was the first time around.

8:32 - Mary's favorite was my absolute favorite. Jeanine and Jason performing Travis Wall's beautiful choreography. Oops, he threw the necklace just out of her reach. Yes, there was the kiss for Mary!

8:41 - Mia's favorite is Max and Kayla's samba. It was missing some energy. Or perhaps Kayla is nervous.

8:44 - The top 4 got to see a premiere screening of Fame. I will definitely see this movie! (Oh man, I have a performance on the night Fame opens.)

8:47 - Another of Debbie's favorite performances is my favorite opening numbers - Calle Ocho!

8:55 - Australia's winner. The background is making me a bit dizzy!

8:58 - No, Lil C. Why Jason and Caitlin's Bollywood number? There were so many more numbers more buck than this one.

9:01 - Okay, here we go. Results. My fingers are crossed. Kayla got 4th place. And I agree with America. Yes, she is beautiful and had beautiful lines, but there was just something missing in some of her performances. Last night Nigel said her personality was missing, and I do agree, but I also think she didn't dance as clean as those beautiful lines.

9:10 - Another of Adam's favorite performances, Evan's and Randi's Butt Dance.

9:12 - Mary loved last night's pasodoble performed by Brandon and Jeanine.

9:15 - More results. 3rd place is Evan. Nigel absolutely called it last night. He said it would come down to Jeanine or Brandon.

I wanted Evan to be voted off earlier in the season. But then I started rooting for him. He is exceptional in his genre. He will go very far as a dancer.

I'm tearing up! He is such a sweet guy!

9:24 - Nigel truly cracks me up. His favorite, Addition with Kayla and Kupono. This is such a wonderful piece. Kayla is even crying!

9:27 - Again with the Rage Boyz.

9:31 - Tyce's fan-friggin-tastic favorite is Brandon's and Janette's disco.

9:39 - One last favorite performance, which is the one that made me absolute ball. Powerfully choreographed by Tyce, it's the dance about breast cancer performed by Melissa and Ade. I'm not balling, but it still is as powerful as it was originally.

9:43 - What? Are the judges really going to appear in this Chorus Line piece? YES! The Kodak is going crazy with applause!

9:51 - Well, it's that time. Final results. Nigel already knows the results! Come on, Jeanine! iofhjoirojio9po oh, sorry about that! I'm jumping up and down! Whoo hoo! So well deserved! Yes, I helped make Jeanine American's Favorite Dancer!

The Cast of Moonlight and Magnolias

David O. Selznick - Anthony Liguori
Ben Hecht - Chad Edwards
Victor Fleming - Don Gunther
Miss Poppenghul - Cheryl Ann Roberts

We are the first cast of the 75th Season, and the first mainstage cast for the renamed Twin City Stage.

I'm thrilled to be reunited with Chad and Don. I worked with both of them in The Foreigner, and Don and I just completed the extended revival run of Sordid Lives. And it's my dream come true to work with Tony. I am so honored to be working with these talented men. I can't stop smiling.

The Twin City Stage box office opens September 14, so mark your calendar! You won't want to miss this show!

Jealous!

Mallorie saw this last night.

Auditions, Moonlight and Magnolias

As I pulled into the Hanes Community Center parking lot at 6:45p I noticed a great many people in the Arts Council lobby. I was a bit taken aback. All those people were auditioning?! I met Dillon and Don in the parking lot, and as we entered the building we were directed down the hallway, toward the rehearsal hall. All those folks in the lobby were waiting for to see a show as part of the National Black Theatre Festival.

I greeted Pat and Janice, picked up an audition sheet and sat down to fill it out. I briefly talked with Roberts and Dan, who were also auditioning. I turned in my sheet, picked up a side, and was thrilled to see Tony holding sides. I've been dying to work with Tony, and as of yet we haven't been cast together. (He got both roles, I lost to Kelly and Shelley.) We chatted for a bit and then he was called in.

I was partnered with Brian, who is relatively new to theatre, and we reviewed the Miss Pop/Selznick scene. Stan came out and gave me some direction (try an accent..a New York or Southern accent, maybe?) and Dillon escorted me in, sans Brian. Stephanie read with me (Yes, Mr. Selznick. No, Mr. Selznick) and I left. Stephanie called me a little more than an hour later. I got the part!

I have no idea who else got cast. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that Tony got a role.

As she greeted and chatted with friends the room momentarily brightened as the light refracted with the opening of the glass door. She looked up and paused, mid-sentence, shock melting her easy smile.

She should have known he would come to support others. But she had thought she was safe. His attendance was not something she had remotely considered as alternative circumstances deemed it highly unlikely. In retrospect she should not have been so careless.

She compelled herself to resume her conversation, which she concluded with slight difficulty, as she surreptitiously watched him settle into a chair. She politely retreated, silently damning herself for her stupidity. There was nothing she could do at this point but that which she was hired. She would remain professional; stifling every muscle which urged her to flee.

The afternoon commenced as scheduled, though she tripped a bit on her opening speech. Simple words were hindered by the flood gate of emotion. She settled in the back and vainly attempted to concentrate on the scenes. She forced her focus to the piece of beige paper attached to the clipboard in front of her. She traced her finger over the swirling logo. Her fingers ached to twirl the tufts of his hair; to trail down his face, caress his cheek. She yearned to smile up at him, to warmly meet his eyes with her truth.

A cue word snapped her out of her imagination. Shame instantly colored her face as realization dawned on the path of her subconscious. The room gently spun as her hearing deafened. She gripped the stand for precious balance, and wholly concentrated on the pattern of her breathing. She was in tentative command by the segue.

Returning to her mark she chastised herself for her mental mirage. Resolve borne of timed weekly dialogue seemed to have dissipated. She struggled, and she was always struggling where he was concerned, to regain stasis. She channeled all her cerebral energy into a review of her program notes. Her organization had instilled confidence in the others and the same was inspiring her calmness now. Normal breathing was no longer a chore.

During the reception she occupied her hands, which kept her thoughts corralled. Finally, the array thinned. She did not have to seek; she sensed his absence.

Invitations were offered and gently declined. Walking to her car, professionalism disintegrated into attempered tears. She would rebuild fortitude tomorrow.

August skirt! Philosophy

August Wish List Lower mileage on our cars and more miles on our walks (so our bodies will need fewer tune-ups). Un-birthday surprise parties. More yes, not less. A Venti life (sweet, strong and stimulating). An English Goldendoodle on a red leather leash. REMember time with past lovers in our dreams. Fab abs and pipestem pants (also in our dreams). The longevity gone. Michelle Obama's reading list. Ruth Bader Ginsburg's bravura in the Court of alpha makes. A Good Pyhsician for the nation, like Regina Benjamin. Italian in-laws (with a villa). Guardian angels with a sense of humor. A moratorium on cute crafts on the internet. Our own photo booth. Multicultural mash-ups in every neighborhood {bring on the block parties}. Impossibly fragile dancing shoes. Sturdy souls for whatever lies ahead.