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Holly and JR in Melodrama and Murder by Mystery & Adventure Agency

A Mini-history on the Mis-Maligned Melodrama

April 30, 2013

You must pay the rent! I can’t pay the rent! I’ll pay the rent. My hero! I admit I LOVE melodrama — the true stuff, the new stuff, and the mustachioed tongue-in-cheek stuff. That being said, I weep copious tears, gnash my teeth, and rend my garments when folks use “melodrama” in solely disparaging ways. In truth, melodrama grew from the dance hall, cheap entertainment (thrills, chills, and crazy love stories!), into a means to forward a progressive social agenda and large-scale cultural and system reform. WHHHHAAAAAT?!?!?! NO!!! Yes, my friends, yes. The history of melodrama In Victorian England, if

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A young boy paints in an arts in education poster

Advocating for Arts Education

April 21, 2013

Okay friends, it’s the time of your school districts are making plans for next year, Arts Advocacy Day just happened here in the USA, and politicians are planning for fall elections before people check out for the summer. Therefore, this blog is devoted to fabulous writings and research on the importance of arts education and arts at the heart of common core academic learning. First off, there is an awesome cyber clearinghouse for arts research, and I highly recommend it if you are a one-stop-shopping kinda person: www.artsedsearch.org Here’s a portion of a recent research posting on said site, with

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Hands making shapes against a yellow wall

Body Language: How to unpack the non-verbal parts of communication

April 13, 2013

Communication is about more than just words—it’s tone of voice, body language, and facial expressions.  Cadence, eye contact, gestures, body angles, and weight placement all have implications, which change depending on the social situation, the cultural background of speaker, and the status of the participants. As an actor whose specialty is Physical Theatre, and also as a person with a keen interest in interaction, empowerment, and culture, I have given a great deal of my life’s attention to these non-verbal cues. Along those lines, I have taught workshops with some wonderful college students who are going into health-related fields, and

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Marie Sirakos, artist and playwright

Performance and Community: interview with Marie Sirakos

April 7, 2013

I am just finishing up being directed by the great Marie Sirakos in a performance of the internationally acclaimed children’s book, “My Father’s Dragon,” in celebration of the author’s 90th birthday. Marie is a playwright and community events organizer whose work includes a piece called Empty Chairs, an art-installation, community driven work about loss and suicide. Marie is a personal hero of mine, and it is an honor to interview her for this week’s blog. Q. Hi, Marie! It’s a pleasure to have you here! A subject dear to my heart is the interrelationship between Performance and Community. You have been

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