(January 28)
I will be at the DINAIR BOOTH this weekend! This is a GREAT show deal for people who hasn’t tried the airbrush make up!
http://www.airbrushmakeup.com/showdeal/
Stop by! I will be there – Sun. Jan 30th & Sat. Jan 31st – 11 AM to 2 PM for sure.
Make up by Al / Dinair & Photo by my Michael!
(Jan. 27, 2010)
How many lives can you have in one life?
It is a sicknening that I feel like I am an under-achiever. But I cannot help how I feel – so what I do about it?
On a way to Japan on a plane, I had to fill out a custom paper. On that paper, they offer you a small space to write your “occupation.” I panicked …. what am I?
I was going there to teach ACTING. So I am acting teacher.
But I am a writer – that how people find me… through my essays … but theatre producing is what occpies my time most. But I don’t get paid for that. So THAT cannot be occupation.
“Media training” is what pays my bills… or used to… before I shift my focus to produce an accent reduction program. I am a product developer.
I get the MOST JOY as a dramaturge. I LOVE bringing life to written words – and make each characters ALIVE on STAGE! I am really good at that.
But how about as “business consultant”? I work for several companies that I truly believe in their products. and when it comes to “non profit organization development” I can do it with my eyes closed.
Ding – it hit me… I love to DEVELOP… people, idea, plays, writings, products, companies, etc.
So even though it may have made me sound like I was a real estate money chaser, I just wrote down “developer.”
There are just SO MANY THINGS I want to do. I want to be like BEN FRANKLIN. I want to be all!
and yes – i am lucky – i just need 4 hour sleep.
(January 25, 2011)
All I can say is … Make sure to MARK YOUR CALENDAR.
“Sunday, March 6, 2011 at 2 PM in North Hollywood”
We will have a serious ass kicking event on that day. 
(Jan 20, 2011)
I LOVE Japanese language – with passion. I get high from speaking or listening Japanese.
There is misconception that Japanese language is tough to learn. It is NOT true. However it is TOUGH to master it.
Today, I attended a seminar – with many accomplished Japanese professionals. It was a fantastic seminar, but every time Japanese natives spoke in wrong grammar or honorific, I twitched.
Come to think of it, I have been speaking in public since I was 4. My grandpa was a politician, my dad was a big honcho in a corporation and I was in a traditional theatre company where they threw a shoe at me if I spoke like a clueless kid. I was surrounded by many manner Nazis. Even though I was a rebelious one, I didn’t want people to think I did not respect their status/ accomplish nor I am just plain classless. So I listened and imitated their speeches.
I thank then – because of my speech, I was never looked down in the Japanese society.
You have to master your own mother tongue first. That should be the PRIORITY. That’s one of the MANY reasons that I stand for “English as first language” in LAUSD. Language is just a tool to communicate – and if you cannot master one language to communicate clearly with specific intention and dexterity, what is the point of moving on to learn second language?
I am also guilty of getting too relaxed with English. After 15 years living here, I at at the stage of “This is me – take it or leave it.” But I know that ain’t gonna cut it.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said “A riot is at bottom the language of the unheard”. Clear communications and effective speeches are the keys to understand and to be understood.
It is more important to master one language to speak of values than to speak in two or three languages to utter gibberish.
Oy… I feel old…
(Jan 8, 2011)
YAY! We survived and thrived another yearrrr!!! I am still celebrating it!
2011 is year of WUBBIT, my year (that makes me 48 years old? naaaaah… 24 yrs old!!!)! Year of BUGS BUNNY!
The success of cartoons in many countries is due to the fact that it can deal with many of issues without taking it too seriously (well… people DO take it too seriously in some countries, but we won’t go there here). My hope is that SOMEDAY theatre can go back to that nitty, gritty, dirty and fresh root to excite our next generation before it becomes another bourgeois hobby. I want to make it to CLOSER TO BASEBALL than BALLET performance.
we named this baby squirrel BOOMERANG because he kept coming back to Michael!!!
Mean while… i will celebrate this genius (LINK) ….. who was able to combine high art (“opera”) and entertainment (“cartoon” – which IS refined art… Graphic, editing, story and VOICE OVER ARTISTS!).
Still my favorite is “KILL THE WABBIT.”
We see bunnies often near our house. We have to yell “bun bun!” whenever we see one! I haven’t been able to take any bun bun pictures, but please enjoy a squirrel picture by Michael. This baby squirrel crawled up to michael’s leg one afternoon. He was so lost. Now, this squirrel is full sized winter coated chubby squirrel who runs around our drive way!!!
Again – HAPPY NEW YEAR. May 2011 continue to bring you happiness, wealth and happiness.
(Dec. 19, 2010)
We chose 21 plays from 300+ submissions to produce. We ended up with 17 plays with 2 special entries. Well, it is pretty tough to produce a festival (with 50 actors and visiting directors).
The plays that we were not able to produce this time (because of directors or actors dropping out LAST MINUTES!), we will try to produce it again for the next festival.
with Bruce Boxleitner, Amazing Melissa, never-stopping Charlie!
However, as for the quality, I must say this was the BEST FESTIVAL ever. We had guest appearances by Melissa Gilbert, Laraine Newman, Vicki Lewis, Candy Milo, not to mention our inhouse artists, Charlie Schlatter, Dwight Hicks, Jim Beaver, to name a few!
The Merce Award: FIREMAN by Stephen Brown, directed by Charlie Schlatter
The Audience Choice Award: BLESS THEIR HEARTS by Kay Poiro.
Our next festival will be in October 2011. (no more in December!)
Happy Holidays -
THANK YOU SO MUCH for all the volunteers and Fire Rose members!
(Mon. Nov. 22)
Tix on Sale! https://fireroseproductions.secure.force.com/ticket
Group A (Dec. 2, 3, 4 at 8 PM)
Finger Food
Dean Lundquist (Singapor)
Directed by Kaz Matamura
Goodie Bags
Roy Battocchio (Los Angeles)
Directed by Stu Berg
Chin Up
Jan Michael Alejandro (Los Angeles)
Directed by Anthony Wofford
Re-Play
Felix Racelis (Los Angeles)
Directed by Kaz Matamura
The Love Machine
Ron Burch (Los Angeles)
Directed by Mike Gaglio
Offing the witness
Natasha Yim (Ukiah CA)
Directed by John Szura
This side up
Lisa Soland (Tenn / Los Angeles)
Directed by Charlie Schlatter
Group B (Dec. 9, 10, 11)
Wine, Candles and Anthrax
Eddie Zipperer (Georgia)
Directed by Noah Blake
Just Nature
by Mark Andrews (Australia)
Directed by Alex Cochise
The Visitor
Karen Knotts (NoHo)
Directed by Larry Ledarman
Bread
Randy Gross (Pennsylvania)
Director by Fran Freeman
Fireman
Stephen Brown (new York)
Directed by Charlie Schletter
Youth Dance
Wayne Paul Mattingly (NY)
Henry & Hyde (Musical )
J.M. Eisenman (Encino)
Directed by Jonathan Levit
Assistant Director: Steven Walby
Group C (Dec 16, 17, 18)
HMS Headwind (Musical)
Michael Shapiro
Ozmania
Ludmilla Bollow (WI)
Waitress
Art Shulman
Pulling the plug
by Karen Hartline (Oakland, Ca)
Directed by Candyce Milo
I thought I heard a voice I knew
Steven Korbar (Torrance, CA)
Directed by Kaz Matamura
Bless their Hearts
Kay Poiro (Texas)
Directed by Kaz Matamura
www.actoberfest.org
Produced by Fire Rose Productions
THE BEST OF …
Sun. Dec. 19 at 7 PM (Seven seven seven o’clock!)
Ticket: General $15 / The Best of $25 / All Access Pass $50 (Priority Seating – 3shows plus The best of)
With Jim Beaver, Mika Boorem, Mimi Chen, Alex Cochise, Colleen Crabtree, J. Richey Nash, Dwight Hicks, Karen Knotts, Vicki Lewis, Candyce Milo, Rob Paulsen, Blanch Ramirez, Charlie Schlatter, Emily Spaulding, Ana Valdez, Jessica Amal, Trevor J. Palia, Alan Palmer, Ayman Samman, & MORE!!!
(Nov. 13, 2010)
I was warned that Japan has changed tremendously in the last 13 years, and I should be prepared for the cultural shock, to be ready for the Rip Van Winkle syndrome so to speak.
Cheeese!
But that wasn’t case. People were generous and kind. Streets were clean. Customer service was superb everywhere we went.
Maybe I noticed how gracious Japanese people were more than ever because I used to take it for granted while I lived there.
We took a lot of pictures – mainly pictures of FOODS! I will share them here very soon. So stay tuned!
I am so lucky that I was born there. Miss it already.
I really think “THIS TIME, FINALLY, I can go back to Japan for one week.” Every single time I planned my trip, it has been cancelled…. due to my workaholism.
Yep… “it’s been almost ten years since I was there last…” That’s what I was telling people. Well, I just realized that it’s more than that. The last time I was there, i had no idea that i would be building a theatre. Secret Rose has been around 12 years and it took over 1 year to built it.
Oh my… This is the first time in 13 years I would be back there.
Now "turning japanese" means "make your eyes artificially HUGE"
My Japanese friends are warning me that I would be “culture shocked” by how much the place, people and social norms have been changed.
To celebrate my return, I asked Michael Helms to “anime-fy” me, so I can fit right in.
But But But … I cannot change my attitude, so I may be yelling at rude youngstahs on a subway platform, or writing an article to a newspaper about HOW DISAPPOINTED I become.
Or maybe I would be pleasantly surprised how “Japan Japan Sprit （大和魂）” still exists in the tiny island in this ever changing fast paced world.
Yamato Spirit is NOTHING to do with Japanese pride, or honor. It is all about flexibility、grace and compassion. Just like “Kamikaze,” it was mis-translated during the World War II.
I have a feeling this trip will give me another opportunity to re-examine the value of our both cultures.
more to come!
Group A (Dec. 2, 3, 4 at 8 PM)
The Love Machine by Ron Burch (Los Angeles)
Solitude by Dean Lundquist (Singapore)
Goodie Bags by Roy Battocchio (Los Angeles) / Directed by Stu Berg
Re-Play by Felix Racelis (Los Angeles)
The Visitor by Karen Knotts (NoHo)
Mara n Ron New - coming to see Bedroom Secrets - collection of short plays
Youth Dance by Wayne Paul Mattingly (NY)
This Side Up by Lisa Soland (Tenn / Los Angeles) / Directed by Charlie Schlatter
Group B (Dec. 9, 10, 11)
Just Nature by Mark Andrews (Australia)
Bread by Randy Gross (PA)
Wine, Candles and Anthrax by Eddie Zipper (Georgia)
Fireman by Stephen Brown (New York)
Chin Up by Jan Michael Alejandro (Los Angeles)
Offering the Witness by Natasha Yim (Ukiah CA)
Henry & Hyde (Musical) by J.M. Eisenman (Encino)
Group C (Dec 16, 17, 18)
Ozmania by Ludmilla Bollow (WI)
Waitress by Art Shulman
Pulling the Plug by Karen Hartline (Oakland, Ca)
One in 60 million by Stuart Kurtz (MA) / Directed by Julie Briggs
I Thought I Heard a Voice I Knew by Steven Korbar (Torrance, CA)
Bless Their Hearts by Kay Poiro (Texas)
HMS Headwind (Musical) by Michael Gordon Shapiro
=== More details later! ===
