Actors, artists, filmmakers and events in the news April 1-7, 2019

These are the actors, artists, filmmakers and events who are in the news in Southwest Florida this week:

Update on FMFF articles, advances and profiles (04-07-19)

Here are links to the articles, advances and profiles posted on Art Southwest Florida in the lead up to the 9th Annual Fort Myers Film Festival:

Stay tuned. More’s coming.

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Naples Players holding auditions on April 13 for ‘Mamma Mia!’ (04-06-19)

The Naples Players (TNP) will hold auditions for the hit Broadway musical Mamma Mia! From 12:30-4:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 13 at The Naples Players Sugden Community Theatre, 701 5th Avenue South.

Over 60 million people worldwide have fallen in love with the characters, the story, and the music that make Mamma Mia! the ultimate feel-good show. ABBA’s music tells the uplifting tale of a young woman who, seeking the identity of her father for her wedding, brings three potential men from her mother’s past back to the Greecian island they visited 20 years ago. The story-telling magic of ABBA’s timeless songs propels this enchanting tale of love, laughter, friendship and sisterhood, creating an unforgettable show featuring hit songs such as “Mamma Mia,” “Money, Money, Money,” “Dancing Queen,” and “Voulez-Vous,” among others.

The Naples Players is seeking to cast six women (ages 20s-50s), six men (ages 20s-50s) and additional singing and dancing ensemble members with featured roles. Rehearsals begin Monday, May 6, 2019 at 7:00 p.m. and are typically five nights a week for 4-6 weeks before production.

Performances run Wednesdays – Sundays, June 26 – July 28, 2019. There is also a special Sensory-Friendly Mamma Mia! performance scheduled on Tuesday, July 9, 2019 at 7:30 p.m.

The Naples Players auditions are open to all interested persons. All that is required is the desire to be involved in a production and the willingness to commit your time and effort to the project. Audition sides, more detailed information, and audition registration is available online: www.NaplesPlayers.org. For audition information, please call Cole Butcher, Production Stage Manager, (239) 434-7340 ext. 125 or cbutcher@naplesplayers.org. All audition details and script sides for auditions are accessible on the website: https://naplesplayers.org/classes/mamma-mia-auditions/.

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‘John Cage & Other Works’ opens at Bob Rauschenberg Gallery April 11 (04-06-19)

Florida SouthWestern State College continues its celebration of the Bob Rauschenberg Gallery’s 40th anniversary by presenting JOHN CAGE: STEPS & Other Works from the Mountain Lake Workshop, an exhibition of visual art by the renowned artist-composer that will feature newly-licensed performances of “STEPS: A Composition for a Painting” and the world premiere of his recently rediscovered, never previously exhibited and monumentally-scaled masterwork – “New River Rocks & Washes” (1990).

The show opens to the public on Thursday, April 11 with a 6:00 p.m. lecture by Mountain Lake Workshop founder Ray Kass and Laura Kuhn, Executive Director of the John Cage Trust at Bard College and runs from April 11 through July 27, 2019. However, Ray Kass will present a workshop and performance of John Cage’s “STEPS: A Composition for a Painting” as a public preview event at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 10.

Cage was a renowned composer, music theorist, author and artist revered as a pioneer of indeterminacy in music, electroacoustic music, and non-standard use of musical instruments. He was also a leading voice of the post-war avant-garde.

Bob Rauschenberg referred to Cage as “my spiritual and philosophical soul-mate.”

One of the most influential American composers of the 20th century, Cage is perhaps best known for his 1952 composition “4’33”, a piece instructing the performer not to play their instrument during three timed movements over four minutes and thirty-three seconds. Cage proposed the revolutionary concepts that any sound may constitute music and that there is no such thing as silence.

A close collaborator through the 1950’s and ‘60’s while working with the Merce Cunningham Dance Company, Bob Rauschenberg later wrote, “John Cage [and] his work in every medium is a reward to all [and]will be for centuries.” The innocence and challenging audacity of his unique attitude, according to Rauschenberg, “created a labyrinth with no exit.”

Often applying chance-based operations to his compositional process in an effort to eliminate aesthetic decisions, John Cage’s forays into visual art practice – perhaps best represented by his experimentation at the Mountain Lake Workshop – employed many of the same techniques. As collaborator, friend and Mountain Lake Workshop founder Ray Kass reflects, “Cage didn’t adhere to accepted aesthetic rules and patterns for the construction of works of art; he deliberately eschewed the idea that art is created solely through personal taste manipulating elements of visual form.”

Through the very recent “rediscovery” of John Cage’s seminal 8.5 x 28 ft. “New River Rocks & Washes” (1990), Bob Rauschenberg Gallery at FSW visitors will be given the extraordinary opportunity to be the first to publicly view this monumental masterwork – which until now was unidentifiably crated and in storage for nearly three decades.

As Dr. Laura Kuhn (Executive Director of the John Cage Trust at Bard College) succinctly notes, “One cannot overstate the importance of John Cage and his work, and its impact on 20th century music, art, and culture.”

This exhibition is made possible through a partnership with the Longwood Center for Visual Art at Longwood University and presents excerpts from “Rural Avant-Garde: The Mountain Lake Experience” (an exhibition funded in part by the National Endowment for the Arts). FSW and the Bob Rauschenberg Gallery are deeply grateful to LCVA Director Rachel Ivers and Curator of Exhibitions Alex Grabiec; the staff of the Maryland Institute of College of Art/MICA; as well as to Sean Mooney, Chief Curator at the Rock Foundation, and the Adelaide de Menil & EdmundCarpenter Collection for essential loans and critical assistance with the preparation and installation of these seminal works. They also extend thanks to Gene Caprioglio at C.F. Peters Co., Laura Kuhn and Ray Kass for their inspiration, participation and permissions granted.

The Bob Rauschenberg Gallery is located on the Lee campus of Florida SouthWestern State College.

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Jansen being featured by Fort Lauderdale’s New River Fine Art in solo show (04-06-19)

Marcus Jansen’s work is being featured by New River Fine Art in Fort Lauderdale in an exhibit titled Merchants of Babylon. The show runs April 25-May 25, 2019. The exhibition includes 20 works of art created between 2011 – 2019.

“Jansen has been called the cartographer of conflict” states New River owner Lisa Burgess. “His colors, textures and calligraphic marks imbue an intensity and power to his large-scale paintings that render the human figures seen in many of his works as humbled within the chaos of the surrounding imagery.”

Jansen is no stranger to this type of chaos.

A veteran of Desert Storm and Desert Shield, he has seen the ravages of war first hand and the experience left an indelible mark on the artist and informs his work.

“Jansen uses light and color to convey a sense of hope in his post-apocalyptic style landscapes,” adds Gallery Director Wissam Elghoul. “Despite the turmoil, there is a sense that humanity may prevail.”

“A painters conflict first takes place from within,” notes Jansen. “What you see on canvas is the outcome of decisions based on an intellectual and visual combat. I don’t see my work as political paintings, rather as critical social commentary opposed to political rhetoric.”

Political or not, critics are hailing Marcus Jansen as one of the most important American painters of our generation. His socially-critical paintings and installations have been exhibited in museums in Italy, Germany and the United States.

Jansen’s art is rooted in the New York Graffiti scene, but years spent in Germany garnered influence from the Expressionists to develop a language that speaks of a world in turmoil with isolation, threat, war, surveillance and greed in competition with innocence, hope and humanity.

A full color exhibition catalog is available. An opening reception for the artist will take place on April 25th at the gallery.

New River Fine Art is located at 822 East Las Olas Blvd in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. For more information, to schedule interviews with the artist or high-resolution images, please contact Lisa Burgess at (954) 524-2100 or lisa@newriverfineart.com or visit www.newriverfineart.com.

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Edison Ford exhibit interprets families’ love of Florida fauna & flora (04-05-19)

The Caloosahatchee River, part of the Everglades watershed, is the largest subtropical wilderness in the United States — home to unique orchids, trees and bromeliads. Both Thomas Edison and Henry Ford loved the rich and varied flora and fauna that grew around them here in Fort Myers. Edison called his lush estate here in Fort Myers his “jungle” because of the diversity of plant life that thrived. Ford was an avid bird watcher and enjoyed camping, boating and fishing throughout his life. So it only made sense for the Edison & Ford Winter Estates to ask artists from across the region to interpret the Edison and Ford families’ love of Florida’s natural environment. The result is an exhibit that features work in a variety of mediums (including oil, watercolor photography and sculpture) by 30 award-winning artists from across the Southeastern United States. It’s on display now through May 19 in the Caretaker’s Cottage. Access to the show is included with admission to the Edison & Ford Winter Estates.

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Kyra Belan being featured in solo show by Manhattan’s Ceres Gallery (04-05-19)

Dr. Kyra Belan is known for her magical realism style of art. The Ceres Gallery in Manhattan, New York will be exhibiting her drawings, paintings and mixed media work in a solo exhibition that runs now through April 27, 2019.

Belan’s artworks are about social issues and two of her series will be exhibited during this show: the Lady Liberty Series, dealing with the current political issues,- particularly as they relate to women – and the Amazing Women Series, which celebrate the outstanding women that made or are making important contributions to our culture and politics. Her preoccupation with the latter subject stems from her realization that the percentage of portraiture that is dedicated to women of achievement is currently unacceptably small. Her goal, therefore, is to help correct this inequity by drawing attention to iconic women through her art.

Ceres is a gallery dedicated to exposing feminist and social issue arts to the world through its visibility in the prestigious Chelsea Gallery District. Dedicated to promoting women artists since 1984, it is the only such exhibition space in the city of New York.

In addition to art, Belan is also an author, mythologist and art historian.

She served as a professor of art and art history and a founding gallery director at Broward College for two decades. She has enjoyed more than 50 solo art exhibitions and numerous group shows. Go here to see all of Dr. Belan’s awards, accolades and achievements, as well as a list of the books she has published.

For more information, please contact Director Stefany Benson at 212-947-6100.

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Sheldon Fine Art is featuring William Hobbs’ ‘Patterns in the Wave’ (04-05-19)

Sheldon Fine Art is featuring William Hobbs’ Patterns in the Wave at its Fifth Avenue South gallery in downtown Naples.

The 19th century saw the development of great American landscape and seascape traditions. Spreading out from the Catskill region of New York, this style of powerful realism became known as the Hudson River School. It is upon these historic foundations that William Hobbs grounds his painting style, envisioning it as a continuation and extension of their endeavors. Following in the traditions of Frederick Church and Albert Bierstadt, his paintings explore the power of the natural world.

The natural content of Hobbs’ work is driven by a fascination for wilderness. As an avid hiker, backpacker, and water-sport enthusiast, his art grows out of countless hours observing in the field. Further, his graduate level education and research in biology and ecology informs his art.

His paintings are both scientific studies and artistic renderings. Hobbs sees no difference between the two. In the deepest of scientific explorations, he finds aesthetic beauty. His art is a process in which he interacts with and explores the intricacies of nature.

Moving water is a common theme in his paintings. From crashing surf and the rolling waves of the sea, to the flow of forest streams and waterfalls, these paintings often explore the patterns of water in motion. It is his desire that these studies impress upon the viewer a wonder for nature and the God who developed it. Hobbs believes wonder is the heart motivation for productive admiration and protection of the natural world.

Hobbs’ artistic style has become known for detail. He is most inspired by nature’s complexity and thrives on exploring the intricate detail of the natural world in his paintings. Finding nature to be fascinating at every scale, he seeks to create paintings that can be appreciated up close as well as from a distance.

He renders these scenes in oils on canvas. He appreciates the permanence of oils and finds this time-tested media to be the best method to capture the facets of nature that intrigue him.

William Hobbs studied and painted for a number of years along the coast of New England, where he was active in the Seacoast Art Association of New Hampshire. He now paints from his home in northeastern Pennsylvania where he is associated with the Pocono Mountains Arts Council. His art is represented in a wide range of private and corporate collections throughout the United States as well as in Germany and France, including the collections of Sanofi Pasteur, Portland Steel, and the Weiler Corporation.

Hobbs paintings have won many awards and he exhibits in a growing number of shows and galleries. It is the artist’s hope that the viewer will discover in his paintings, the bright optimism of a world full of the life and motion that inspire me.

Reprinted from www.sheldonfineart.com. The gallery is located at 460 5th Ave S, Naples. For more information, please telephone 239-649-6255.

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DAAS CO-OP announces group show for first Butterfly Estates exhibition (04-04-19)

DAAS CO-OP Art Gallery & Gifts’ first exhibit at its new location at The Butterfly Estates is a group show appropriately entitled “A New Beginning.” It features the art of gallery members, some of whom have been a part of the project since it opened its doors in 2016 at DAAS’ former location. The opening reception is Friday, April 5 from 6:00 – 10:00 p.m. The exhibition will be on display from April 2 to 27, 2019.

This event marks the third year of business for this cooperative gallery. In April of 2016, visual artists David Acevedo and Xavier Brignoni founded the DAAS CO-OP in an effort to provide local artists a space where they could work as a team in a cooperative system. Since its inception, the gallery has won two awards and established itself as one of the main artistic venues of southwest Florida.

“We had great years at the [former] location, but we feel like we belong here in now [in the Butterfly Estates],” says Acevedo, who sees the Gardner’s Park location (as the area is called) as an up-and-coming section of town.

“As a cultural venue, we try our best to present our locally-made inventory in the most appealing way possible, thus representing the artistic community of Southwest Florida in the best way possible,” adds Acevedo, who directs and curates all the exhibitions for the space.

DAAS CO-OP original space at Royal Palm Square had 2,400-square-feet of floor space, which allowed for ample ways to showcase the artworks, conduct classes, parties, etc. Even though the gallery’s new location is smaller at slightly over 1,500 squrare feet, the membership of the gallery is thrilled with the move.

“We will adjust and adapt; that is what we’ve always done,” says co-owner and visual artist Xavier Brignoni. “We will have the same quality product and amazing displays, as well as all the exciting exhibitions and events. The space will not be a limitation to what we will accomplish.”

The new DAAS CO-OP is located at 1815 Fowler Street, Unit 3, in Fort Myers, FL (inside the Butterfly Estates campus). New business hours are Tuesday to Saturday, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The gallery will open to the public on the first Sunday of every month from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

More information can be found at daascoop.com or by calling 239-590-8645.

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Davis Art Center looking for ‘Tesla vs. Edison’ artists (04-04-19)

The Davis has issued a call for artists for its June juried exhibition. AC vs. DC: Tesla vs. Edison asks artists to use these two historic inventors to create original works of art inspired by their era, discoveries, interests, characters, legacies and, of course, their legendary rivalry. Spark an interest in the onlooker with pieces that offer a unique perspective on these powerful and innovative figures and the way their ideas and personas drastically changed the world. Recall the age of invention in the turn-of-the-century style exhibition! Merge technology and art. Submit by May 11th.

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1st Wednesday Studio and Gallery Tour returns to Naples Art District tonight (04-03-19)

Tonight the more than three dozen galleries and artist studios that comprise the Naples Art District open their doors to the public from 5-8 p.m. Called the 1st Wednesday Studio and Gallery Tour, the event is a unique opportunity to visit some of Southwest Florida’s most interesting galleries and immerse yourself in the sights, sounds and smells of the studios of more than 60 emerging and mid-career artists working in a broad cross-section of genres and media. For more, please visit www.NaplesArt District.com.

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Next Fort Myers Art Walk on April 5 and 6 (04-03-19)

The River District will come alive on April 5 1 when Art Walk returns to downtown Fort Myers. Now a two-day event, Art Walk will continue Saturday, April 6, from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. With exciting new exhibits and live art demonstrations, rain or shine, this is a “must attend event.”

New exhibits include exceptional art in a variety of mediums done by a bevy of local artists and some national and international artists as well. You can meet the artists and talk art at the self-guided Friday night event, which brings together art enthusiasts, collectors and community friends who celebrate the arts each month. The Friday night Art Walk sees First Street closed to traffic. Local artists set up in the street selling their art, and face painting is offered at several locations along First Street. And at the Broadway and First Street intersection, the Fort Myers Art League will be hosting a “Make It/Take It” table for children of all ages.

Saturday Art Walk is a quieter affair with most of the galleries open for examining the art at more leisurely pace. This new and improved version of Art Walk includes 14 galleries and art stops, including:

American Legion Veterans Gallery showing Art done by Veterans
Art League of Fort Myers – new exhibits each month
Arts for ACT Gallery – features three or more art exhibits every month plus co-op members art
Bootlegger Alley Gallery – outdoor gallery open only during Art Walk in The Patio de Leon
Grand Illusion Gallery – art, tee shirts and more
Marc Harris Wildlife Photography – on Jackson Street
Miville Art Gallery – art and photography in the Franklin Shops
Ollie Mack Gentry Photography – photography at 2180 West First Street
Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center – Main Gallery Exhibit and Capitol Exhibit on the 3rd Floor
The Barrel Room – Jazz art – on Bay Street
Timeless Gallery – gallery and gift shop featuring steampunk art and more
Two Newts Gallery – co-op gallery located off West First Street at 2064 Bayside Parkway
Unit A – urban contemporary gallery of internationally-acclaimed artist Marcus Jansen located in Gardener’s Park

As this survey of participating galleries reveals, Fort Myers Art Walk spans the core of downtown Fort Myers and includes the Gardener’s Park area and West First Street. Most of the action is located on First Street, but you can obtain a Fort Myers Art Walk map at any of the galleries that will lead you to all the art venues and Art Walk partners. “Enjoy cultural venues, restaurants, bars and businesses, plus live music,” touts the River District Alliance. “Watch live art demos on First Street, eat amazing food, shop the unique local boutiques or just enjoy the atmosphere.”

So whether you prefer the energy of night or the calm of day, there’s something for everyone during this new-and-improved weekend of art that Fort Myers still calls Art Walk. There is free street parking and $5.00 at any of the parking garages. In season ride the free River District Trolley. Fort Myers Art Walk is a Pet and Family Friendly free event! Fort Myers Art Walk is hosted by The River District Alliance, a non-profit organization. For more information, please visit www.fortmyersriverdistrictalliance.com.

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Season-ending Art in the Park is April 6 (04-03-19)

The Naples Art Association holds the season’s final Art in the Park on Saturday, April 6, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Ending its 57th season, this art fair is thought to be the longest running and oldest outdoor art show in the area. It takes place all along Park Street and inside the Naples Art Association on the first Saturday of each month from November to April. This fair showcases handmade, original art by Naples Art Association member artists. This has been an exciting year for the show, featuring more than 70 artists. “Art in the Park gives those member artists an opportunity to showcase their one-of-a-kind artwork, and the community gets the chance to engage with artists that live in their community,” observes Executive Director Aimee Schlehr.

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Naples Artcrafters’ season ending show is April 13 in Cambier Park (04-03-19)

On Saturday, April 13, Naples Artcrafters will host an exciting juried fine art and craft show in beautiful Cambier Park in downtown Naples. The event features incredibly diverse and talented local artists who will share paintings, photography, glass art, jewelry and metal work, as well as handcrafted sculptures, basketry, pottery and much more. Both admission and parking are free. The show runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and can be found behind Starbucks, one block south of Fifth Avenue South. Naples Artcrafters is committed to promoting excellence in arts and crafts and to supporting established artists, craftspersons and students by providing a venue for the display and sale of their work in a beautiful setting.

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Crayton Cove’s season-ending Art After Dark is April 13 (04-03-19)

Crayton Cove’s season-ending Art After Dark takes place from 6 to 9 p.m. on Saturday, April 13. Five galleries representing some of Naples’ best artists take part in the event, vis: Phil Fisher Gallery, Pure Design, Random Acts of Art, Naples Ships Store and Guess-Fisher Gallery. There is also live music from Michael Colligan & Friends to enjoy. The Galleries of Crayton Cove is a professional artist community in Old Naples on the Bay, all within a one-block walk, where 8th St. S. & 12th Ave. S. meet at the flagpole by the Naples City Docks.

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Fort Myers Film Festival opens April 10 with red carpet gala at Davis Art Center (04-02-19)

The 9th Annual Fort Myers Film Festival descends on beautiful sunny Southwest Florida April 10-14, 2019. With historic venues, dozens of exceptional independent films and numerous meet-and-greet/photo opportunities, this year’s festival promises to be more exciting, more glitzy and more fun than ever before.

One big departure associated with this year’s FMff is the venue for the April 10 black-tie red-carpet opening night gala. This year, it will be held in the palatial 86-year-old Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center smack dab in the middle of the historic downtown Fort Myers River District.

With its entrance sandwiched between Jim Sanborn’s dual-drum bronze light sculptures and waiting atop a short flight of limestone steps, the doors open at 5:00 p.m. for cocktails and musical entertainment. With photo ops and paparazzi at every turn, the Davis Art Center’s cavernous grand atrium is the perfect place to mix and mingle with the legion of local and international filmmakers who will be on hand for the opening night festivities.

Read the rest of this announcement here.

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FMFF director Eric Raddatz continues Film Man tradition (04-02-19)

In his April, 2019 editorial, Gulfshore Life Magazine’s Editor-in-Chief David Sendler writes “though he’s the prize-winning presentation editor of Florida Weekly newspaper, you’ve got to credit him as Film Man in the halls of Southwest Florida.” Truer words have never been written, but Eric’s accomplishments over the past nine years are even more significant when you add historical context.

The year was 1908. An enterprising young man by the name of John Towles Hendry disappeared behind a heavy black curtain in the back of spare rectangular room hidden behind a saloon in downtown Fort Myers between Hendry and Jackson. On the other side of the curtain, a standing-room-only crowd fidgeted impatiently. Hendry’s wife stretched her fingers, limbering up at an upright piano pushed up against one of the walls. When Hendry started the film seconds later, he didn’t just elicit gasps of excitement and amazement. He introduced Fort Myers to the world of motion pictures.

For six years, neither Hendry nor his Royal Palm Theatre (which evolved in 1913 into the Grand) had any competition. Then a Michigan drugstore mogul and banker named Peter Tonnelier built a 500-seat theater he called The Court on the western edge of present-day Patio de Leon, and from early 1914 until the Grand’s destruction by fire in February of 1915, Jno T. Hendry and K.A. Bryant engaged in an epic battle for residents’ spare quarters and dimes.

Go here for the rest of this story.

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AKA tells almost forgotten legend about bottlenose dolphins (04-02-19)

Among the short films that will be screened during this year’s Fort Myers Film Festival is AKA. The short is about a tribe of bottlenose dolphins that crosses paths with a lone sailor in the equatorial mid-Atlantic ocean. One of those dolphins, Aka, wonders if his tribe has found a descendant of the long-lost ancient Sea Kings of Atlantis.

For more on this advance, go here.

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Spotlight on ‘AKA’ & Sanibel Island filmmaker Julia F. Mann (04-02-19)

AKA filmmaker Julia Mann chose a career as a certified public accountant, but when she read the novel AKA by Tristan Jones, she instantly knew she wanted to share the story. With passionate perseverance, she shares this legendary tale in the hope that it inspires respect and care of the oceans.

“If sharing this epic story inspires one person to become a greater steward of our oceans, then I will be delighted,” Mann says. “The more, the better, of course.”

You can access the rest of Julia’s profile here.

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‘Black, White & Us’ explores racism in America through transracial adoptions (04-02-19)

Black, White & Us is one of the documentaries being screened this year by the Fort Myers Film Festival. Made by director Loki Mulholland (who directed An Uncomfortable Truth, the Best Documentary Feature winner at the 2018 Denton Black Film Festival), the 75-minute 2018 film explores racism in America through the lives of four white families who adopt African American children and must overcome their own inherent biases to become their advocates.

One of the families featured in the film is that of Curtis Linton, a Mormon man living in the predominately white part of Utah.

Please read here for the rest of this advance.

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Spotlight on ‘Black, White & Us’ filmmaker Loki Mulholland (04-02-19)

Black, White & Us is one of the documentaries being screened this year by the Fort Myers Film Festival. Made by director Loki Mulholland, the 75-minute 2018 film explores racism in America through the lives of four white families who adopt African American children and must overcome their own inherent biases to become their advocates.

To access the remainder of Loki’s profile, please read here.

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‘I’m Taking You Home’ is homage to filmmaker’s mother (04-02-19)

The Fort Myers Film Festival runs April 10-14 this year. Among the dozens of short films it will show during this time is I’m Taking You Home by filmmaker Jim DeKoch. The film is a tribute to Jim’s mother. Through a series of flashbacks, Jim recounts key moments that would shape the destiny of his mother’s life.

“I was not at the hospital the day my Mother died,” Jim recounts. “My father called me at about 11:00 a.m., crying, and said, ‘Jimmy I held Mom’s hand until her last heartbeat.’ Dazed, I left a meeting, sat in my car in a parking lot trying to make sense of the whole thing.

Please go here for the remainder of this advance.

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‘Skindiving’ enigmatic film about change (04-02-19)

The Fort Myers Film Festival runs April 10-14 this year. Among the dozens of short films it will show during this time is Skindiving by writer/director Victoria DeMartin.

The summary that DeMartin provides for the film is enigmatic. She calls it simply as an “observation of a woman caught between her old life and her new one as she goes about her daily routine leading up to her last night on the island.” The film was shot on location in East Hampton and Montauk over a period of 6 days. Post-production was completed in New York city, and partially done remotely from Morocco, Budapest, and Los Angeles. It stars Laura Piccoli, Montgomery Sutton, Lori Tischfield, Chinaza Uche and Maria Wolf.

The rest of this advance is here.

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Spotlight on ‘Skindiving’ filmmaker Victoria DeMartin (04-02-19)

The Fort Myers Film Festival runs April 10-14 this year. Among the dozens of short films it will show during this time is Skindiving by writer/director Victoria DeMartin, which was released on December 30, 2018.

Victoria is a writer/director from New York with a BFA in Film Production from the Film Conservatory at Purchase College. During her tenure at Purchase, Victoria wrote, directed, edited, and produced three short thesis films (Knick-Knacks, Winter Rye and Round Trip), each of which screened at festivals nationwide, including one airing on PBS-KVCR in 2015. She also wrote, directed and produced Pas de Deux in 2011.

The rest of Victoria’s profile is here.

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The Great Train Robbery screens at Edison Ford during FMFF (04-02-19)

Once again this year, the Edison & Ford Winter Estates will be a screening venue during the Fort Myers Film Festival. On Thursday evening, April 11, EFWE will show three films, The Great Train Robbery, local filmmaker Ilene Safron’s latest documentary, A Tale of Two Halgrims, and Jordan Axelrod’s 25-minute short film Coach. It’s an appropriate partnership given Fort Myers’ long love affair with pictorial storytelling and the man who invented much of the technology that made filmmaking possible.

The town’s fascination with film dates back to September 1, 1908. On that date, an enterprising young man by the name of John Towles Hendry introduced Fort Myers to the realm of motion pictures in a tiny one-room affair with bench seats and a hunk of canvas tacked up on one wall. The premiere was so heavily attended that Hendry had to play the film over and over again for three solid hours while his wife provided musical accompaniment for the silent movie on an upright piano for the SRO crowds who crammed into the Royal Palm Theatre.

Read here for more.

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Spotlight on ‘Tale of Two Halgrims’ documentarian Irene Safron (04-02-19)

Ilene Safron is a videographer and photographer.

She is president and owner of Main Sail Video Productions, Inc., which she founded in 1989. Whether it is designing digital art and motion graphics, producing television commercials, promotional videos and documentaries, or “going live” on social media, Main Sail is a recognized leader in the video production industry. Since its inception, Main Sail has received many national and international awards and distinctions, including a Suncoast Emmy, Addy Award, Communicator Award and Telly Award. Not surprisingly, Main Sail’s client list includes such prestigious concerns as NBC Nightly News, CBS Sunday Morning, PBS, E! Entertainment and New England Sports Network/FOX Sports, as well as a host of Fortune 500 companies.

You’ll find the rest of Ilene’s profile here.

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‘Horse Powers: From the Land of the Vikings’ explores health benefits of horses (04-02-19)

For thousands of years, people have relied on horses to get them from place to place, farm their lands and charge through battlefields. But interactions with horses can also have therapeutic value. As Winston Churchill once said, “There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man.” In Horse Powers: From the Land of the Vikings, filmmaker Jonathan Dale Learn takes viewers to Norway and Saratoga, New York to explore the health and wellness benefits that equines can provide.

The film revolves around a mountain horsewoman who left a city job behind to raise horses in the country and compete in the Mongol Derby, a family that raises and trains horses as a family business, and an Norwegian Afghanistan war veteran who traveled to the United States to take advantage of veterans/horse bonding programs for PTSD offered only in New York and Arizona.

Read the rest of this advance here.

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Spotlight on ‘Horse Powers’ filmmaker Jonathan Dale Learn (04-02-19)

Jonathan Dale Learn is a filmmaker known for the documentaries Horse Powers: From the Land of the Vikings and Speed Grace Glory on the history of speed-skating in Norway. Jon was inspired to produce Horse Powers from the Land of the Vikings by his wife’s special bond with her horse, Fargo. Every time she came home from riding her horse, she had a big smile on her face. His curiosity about her relationship with Fargo ultimately led to the film.

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Marcos Doesn’t Live Here Anymore (04-02-19)

One of the films being screened this year by the Fort Myers Film Festival is a groundbreaking documentary that examines the United States immigration system through the eyes of two unforgettable protagonists whose life stories reveal the human cost of deportation. That film is Marcos Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, and in it acclaimed filmmaker David Sutherland (Kind-Hearted Woman, Country Boys, The Farmer’s Wife) weaves a parallel love story that takes us into a raw, unfiltered world often lived in the shadows.

Elizabeth Perez is a decorated U.S. Marine veteran living in Cleveland. Now she’s fighting to reunite her family after her undocumented husband, Marcos, was deported following a traffic stop for running a yellow light. Meanwhile, Marcos is alone in Mexico, working as a soccer referee, struggling with depression and fighting the urge to cross the border illegally to see his family. When Elizabeth’s efforts hit a legal brick wall, she must plan for the unthinkable alternative: leaving the U.S. with her children to live in exile in Mexico.

You’ll find the rest of this advance here.

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Spotlight on ‘Marcos’ filmmaker David Sutherland (04-02-19)

David Sutherland is an independent filmmaker who describes his filmmaking technique as “cinematic portraiture.” His process requires a great deal of intimacy between filmmaker and subject and combines technical virtuosity with an intense human connection to the film’s subjects. “The documentarian’s methods more closely resemble an ethnographer’s than a television director’s,” stated the Baltimore Sun. “He steeps himself in the minute details, emotions and struggles of his subjects’ lives, trying to see the world through their eyes. Never mind closing the distance between viewer and object viewed, this filmmaker all but obliterates that distinction through his own intense identification and empathy with the people he films.”

His 2013 film Kind Hearted Woman delved into the troubled life of a young Native American mother. His previous film, Country Boys, took seven years to bring to fruition as Sutherland returned again and again to the hills of Appalachian Kentucky to crystallize the coming-of-age ordeal faced by his two teenage subjects. The film aired in January 2006 to great critical acclaim, and became one of the most widely viewed programs on PBS that year.

The remainder of David’s profile is here.

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‘A Long Time Coming: A 1955 Baseball Story’ embraces race and equality (04-02-19)

A Long Time Coming: A 1955 Baseball Story will screen at this year’s Fort Myers Film Festival. It tells the story of two groups of twelve-year-old boys who stepped onto a baseball field in an act of cultural defiance that would change the course of history.

In 1955, the South was defined by segregation. Baseball was no different. The Pensacola Jaycees All-Stars were Florida’s first entirely African American little league baseball team. All the other teams back then were wholly white, and they refused to play the Jaycees. In fact, when told that they must, they’d forfeit rather than play.

You’ll find the rest of this advance here.

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Spotlight on ‘Long Time Coming’ documentarian Jon Strong (04-02-19)

Jon Strong is an Orlando-based director and editor. His directing/editing credits include Long Time Coming: A 1955 Baseball Story, Untitled Syrian Refugee Documentary (2017), The Thank You Project (2014 short video), Brown Sugar (2013 short), Chloe’s Wedding Day (2012 video short), Children (2010 short), Connection (2009 short) and My Heart (2009 short documentary). He has also served as a cinematographer, writer (Long Time Coming, Brown Sugar, Children and Connection), producer, second unit director, assistant director and sound engineer. Jon also appeared as an actor in a 2009 short film titled A Loss of Balance Despite Himself.

The rest of Jon’s profile is here.

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‘#SLUT’ provides unique slant on bullying and sexual predators (04-02-19)

One of the short films being screened this year by the Fort Myers Film Festival is #SLUT. Written by Sophia Watson and directed by Jenna Kanell, the film stars Watson, Cassidy Bigham, Evan Castelloe, Keller Fornes, Jesse Gallegos, J. Michael Grey, Candace Haynes and Dominique Madison.

The synopsis provided by the filmmakers states that the short is about a young author whose life is mysteriously impacted through his writing about an innocent girl at an average, everyday high school who, after being bullied at school and on social media, falls prey to a handsome predator in a position of power. “If she can’t get out before it’s too late, lives will come crashing down.”

Go here for the rest of this advance.

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Spotlight on ‘#SLUT’ writer and star Sophia Watson (04-02-19)

One of the short films being screened this year by the Fort Myers Film Festival is #SLUT. It was written by and stars Sophia Watson.

Sophia Watson is an actor, writer and producer. She was just 7 when she first appeared in film.

Besides #SLUT, Sophia has played numerous roles in film and on television, including Megan in the 2018 short film A Very Sappy Jasper County Christmas, Sarah in the popular Nashville television series, Juliet Clifford in eight episodes of the 2016-2017 TV series Message Received (“Desperation Day” (2017), “Happy Birthday to Me” (2016), “Truth or Dare” (2016), “The Bitch is Back” (2016), “The Bermuda Triangle” (2016), “Shimmer and Hide” (2016), “Asher, Asher We All Fall Down” (2016) and …..

The rest of Sophia’s profile is here.

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Spotlight on ‘#SLUT’ director Jenna Kanell (04-02-19)

Jenna Kanell is an actor and filmmaker. She rocketed to fame following her role as Kim in the horror film The Bye Bye Man (with Douglas Smith and Lucien Laviscount). She has also been seen in films like Dandelion (2018), the Princess Avengers: World Cleansers TV series (as Princess Stella), The Good Die Young (2018), The Front Runner (2018) …..

You’ll find the rest of Jenna’s profile here.

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‘Surviving Lunch’ shines light on bullying and school violence (04-02-19)

On Saturday, April 13, the 9^th Annual Fort Myers Film Festival will screen the feature film Surviving Lunch produced by Source Productions. Based on true stories about real American teenagers ripped from today’s harrowing headlines, this timely and important film shines a light on bullying and school violence.

The film revolves around a Latina girl from New York who moves to Florida with her mother after her father is killed before her eyes in a school shooting. Trying to keep to herself and recover from her grief, Gabriella notices a boy being relentlessly bullied in the lunchroom. With the memory of her father fresh in her heart, Gabriella is determined to find a way to stop the bullies – even if it means standing up to the meanest kid in the school.

“I chose the title Surviving Lunch specifically because, while talking to young people across America about bullying and violence, lunch time at school has always been a particularly complicated time to navigate,” says writer and director KT Curran. “Even something as simple as what table you sit at during lunch can become a painful process of humiliation and rejection. Many kids actually eat their lunch each day in the bathroom in order to avoid bullying.”

“What’s interesting about high school lunch is that everybody is there,” says Parker Padgett, who plays the role of Robert, the bully in the film.

Read the rest of this advance here.

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Spotlight on ‘Surviving Lunch’ filmmaker KT Curran (04-02-19)

On Saturday, April 13, the 9^th Annual Fort Myers Film Festival will screen the feature film Surviving Lunch. Based on true stories about real American teenagers ripped from today’s harrowing headlines, this timely and important film shines a light on bullying and school violence.

The film was produced by Sarasota-based SOURCE PRODUCTIONS for Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida, an exciting, educational touring theatre and video production company for young adults (ages 14-30). SOURCE’s Artistic Director KT Curran wrote and directed the film.

Curran is a nationally-published playwright, screenwriter, editor, director and Equity actor. She has worked extensively in theater and film for more than twenty-five years, performing and directing both nationally and internationally. KT has written twenty-five plays, five films, a web series, commercials and several documentaries for young adults. Eleven of KT’s plays are nationally published and performed by groups across the United States.

Her film directing and screenwriting credits include two features, Surviving Lunch and The First Time Club, and three short films, The Holding Cell, When the Party Ends and Boost.

The rest of KT’s profile is here.

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Spotlight on ‘Surviving Lunch’ leading lady Avery Arendes (04-02-19)

The SOURCE PRODUCTIONS indie feature Surviving Lunch will be screened at this year’s Fort Myers Film Festival in the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center at 8:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 13.

Avery Arendes stars as Gabriella.

Go here for the rest of Avery’s profile.
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Spotlight on ‘Surviving Lunch’ bully Parker Padgett (04-02-19)

The SOURCE PRODUCTIONS indie feature Surviving Lunch will be screened at this year’s Fort Myers Film Festival in the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center at 8:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 13. The film shines a light on lunchroom bullying and schoolhouse violence, and playing the bully is Sarasota native Parker Padgett.

“What’s interesting about high school lunch is that everybody is there,” says Padgett, who plays the role of Robert. “It’s kind of a microcosm of the real world, so to speak, where you are surrounded by hundreds of different people every single day. There’s always going to be that one person who just wants to get at you. Maybe high schools do it on purpose ….”

For more on Parker Padgett, go here.

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Spotlight on ‘Surviving Lunch’ supporting actor Kaycie Lee (04-02-19)

Kaycie Lee is a SAG-eligible film actress who lives and goes to school in Sarasota.

Her latest project is a strong supporting role in the SOURCE PRODUCTIONS indie feature film Surviving Lunch, in which she portrays a high school girl named Lacey who is willing to sacrifice her own identity just in order to fit in.

You can access Kaycie’s full profile here.

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Spotlight on ‘Surviving Lunch’ supporting actor Mercedes Gutierrez (04-02-19)

The SOURCE PRODUCTIONS indie feature Surviving Lunch will be screened at this year’s Fort Myers Film Festival in the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center at 8:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 13.

Mercedes Nicole Gutierrez plays Maria.

Go here for the rest of Mercedes’ profile.

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‘Patrik’ is for all of us who feel like this fast-paced world is passing us by (04-02-19)

One of the short films being screened by this year’s Fort Myers Film Festival is Patrik, a story about an accomplished elderly actor who suddenly finds himself left behind by our modern fast-paced life. On his way to receiving his final and ultimate lifetime recognition, he gets mercilessly swallowed up by events. Patrik is a human story about trying to age gracefully while being pushed aside by the next generation. Ultimately it is a story about how a real human connection is the ultimate reward any of us can hope for in this lifetime.

Although the film was only recently released, it has enjoyed considerable success and acclaim. In addition to being accepted so far into nine film festivals, Partik has won the Gold Award at Spotlight Film Awards, Best Short Film at the GSF Awards in Cannes, Best Short Narrative at L.A.’s Olympus Film Festival and the Silver Award at Latitude Film Festival. It was also Semi-Finalist at the Utah Film Festival.

Read the rest of this advance here.

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Spotlight on ‘Patrik’ filmmaker and SAG-AFTRA actor Evgeniya Radilova (04-02-19)

Evgeniya Radilova is an actor, producer, director, model, fire twirler and international woman of mystery. She hails from Bulgaria, where Evgeniya became one of the best known faces on screen and the stage. A descendant of four generations of artists (her mom was an actor, her father a director), she became the youngest actress to play on the professional stage. Shortly after graduating from the National School for Music (where she learned piano), she hosted Masters of the TV, one of the biggest television shows on Bulgarian National TV. She hosted the show for three years.

Find the rest of Evgeniya’s profile here.

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Like Rauschenberg, filmmaker Radilova spearheading Chinese exchange (04-02-19)

One of the films being screened at this year’s Fort Myers Film Festival is Patrik, a short written, directed and produced by Evgeniya Radilova. You may have seen the Bulgarian-born actor/filmmaker on television or in film. She’s played opposite Ellen Burstyn. She’s appeared on five prime time television shows: Limitless, Law and Order SVU, Elementary and Sex and Drugs and Rock and Roll. She received a Best Actress award for her performance in the indie film Let Them Have Their Way. But what you don’t know about Radilova is that she shares a connection with Captiva’s favorite son, Robert Rauschenberg. Both established cultural exchange programs involving artists in China.

While Bob’s interests certainly included China, the Rauschenberg Overseas Cultural Interchange (ROCI) was more expansive, extending to Tibet, Malaysia, Cuba, Chile, Venezuela, Mexico, East Germany and Russia. On an egalitarian plane, Rauschenberg conceived of ROCI as a means of forging communication with other nations through the language of art by providing carefully-selected venues where artists, sculptors, poets and authors from around the world could meet and exchange creative ideas in the spirit of collaboration.

Read the rest of this story here.

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With original music and inspiring story, ‘Bird’s Eye’ lyrical ode to human spirit (04-02-19)

One of the short films being screened this year by the Fort Myers Film Festival is Bird’s Eye. A spellbinding 13-minute drama, Bird’s Eye tells the story of a rigid music professor who loses her sight only to find perfect clarity in an unexpected place – within the walls of an at-risk urban high school. Scott Poiley directs. The film was written and produced by Erin Beute, who stars in the film as music instructor/composer Dr. McAllister as well.

We meet Dr. McAllister as she labors at the piano, fitfully trying to piece together fragmented notes and bars into a magnum opus. Try as she might, the work remains out of reach/ The harder she pushes, the more it evades her.

Please go here for the remainder of this advance.

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Spotlight on ‘Bird’s Eye’ writer, actor and filmmaker Erin Beute (04-02-19)

Erin Beute is a filmmaker, screenwriter and actor. Of significance to those planning to attend the Fort Myers Film Festival April 10-14, Erin wrote, stars in and co-produced a 13-minute drama titled Bird’s Eye, which has been juried into this year’s FMff.

Erin Beute is a SAG/AFTRA actor known for The Vampire Diaries (2009), Outcast (2016) and Shots Fired (2017). Her film credits include leads in Tooth Fairy 2, If Only, The Five Stages and The Bell and supporting roles in Waves of Grace, Ring of Fire and The Whisper Home. In addition to The Vampire Diaries, her television work includes guest star appearances in Drop Dead Diva, Last Stop (Pilot) and Coma, and co-starring roles in Charlie’s Angels, Magic City, Burn Notice and The Glades.

The rest of Erin’s profile is here.

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Spotlight on ‘Bird’s Eye’ director Scott Poiley (04-02-19)

Scott Poiley is an award-winning writer, producer and director of Bird’s Eye, a powerful 13-minute short film which is an official selection of this year’s Fort Myers Film Festival.

Poiley didn’t start out to make films. Rather, he was on a trajectory to become a dancer. But like the protagonist in Bird’s Eye, Poiley’s evolving musical theatre career was derailed by physical infirmity. In Scott’s case, he was forced to stop dancing when he discovered he had an enlarged heart.

Find the rest of Scott’s profile here.

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‘Roaring Tides’ a twisted love story that seeks deeper understanding (04-02-19)

Among the short films juried into this year’s Fort Myers Film Festival is Roaring Tides, “a twisted love-story that dives into the deeper understanding of what we all go through as humans and couples in this lifetime. The film explores love, loss, and the heartache of human existence – the confusion and power struggles we go through, while ultimately discovering our truth and purpose.”

The 10-minute short stars and was written and directed by Aly Mang, and represents her directorial debut. In addition to being juried into the 2019 Fort Myers Film Festival, 2018 Chain NYC Film Festival, 2018 Chelsea Film Festival, 2018 Long Beach International Film Festival and 2018 Official Latino Short Film Festival, Roaring Tides earned Aly the Best New Director 2018 award by NYC Chain Film Festival.

The rest of this advance is here.

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Meet ‘Roaring Tides’ filmmaker and accomplished actor Aly Mang (04-02-19)

It stars and was written and directed by Aly Mang, who was named Best New Director 2018 by NYC Chain Film Festival. Roaring Tides is Mang’s directorial debut.

Mang is a SAG-AFTRA actor. Her film credits include the psychological thriller Chronicles of a Serial Killer (Ann), the horror feature Hinsdale House (Gia), the western thriller Deadman Standing (Violet), the thriller Don’t Look There (Amy Jo), the Rock indie Lower East Asides (Terri), Horror Time (Emma/Persaphone), Roaring Tides (Audrey), Grow’n (Rosa), Tilt (Joanie) and featured roles in blockbuster hits John Wick 2 ….

Go here for the rest of Aly’s profile.

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‘On the Way to Lovetown’ pits hot ex-teacher against most wanted criminal (04-02-19)

Among the short films juried into this year’s Fort Myers Film Festival is On the Way to Lovetown, a 15-minute love story/action film from Magic Hour Productions, an independent production company dedicated to producing character-driven narrative films and documentaries.

In the film, the road to a city named “Lovetown” becomes the site of a roadside fight to the death between a hot ex-teacher named Sunny and most wanted criminal Monroe. Featuring a strong female protagonist, the story unfolds in an unexpected way, with Sunny saving her loved one and avenging her family. The film stars Brandon Stacy, Brian Gross, Theresa Ireland, Jared Degado and JoAnna Luna as Sunny and Mark Ofuji as Monroe.

Find the rest of this advance here.

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Spotlight on ‘Lovetown’ filmmaker Mariya Pyter (04-02-19)

Mariya Pyter is a Russian director, screenwriter and producer living and working in the United States, with experience in theater (Open Space Theater, Russia), film and television (Dr. Phil, CBS, TNT, REN TV, NTV).

Mariya’s directing credits are numerous. She has two television series in post-production, the comedy pilot Runners and the YouTube variety show The Hot Take! Among her other credits are:

The rest of Mariya’s profile is here.

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‘Baghdad Photographer’ depicts impact of war on Iraqi family through pictures (04-02-19)

One of the short films being screened this year by the Fort Myers Film Festival is Baghdad Photographer.

In this 13-minute film, filmmaker Mejd Hameed tells the story of the hardships suffered by an Iraqi family as a result of the wars and violence that have ravaged Iraq for decades. He does this through a series of photographs taken by the family matriarch over the course of two generations, beginning with a portrait of a pregnant young mother and her husband attired in regular clothing. The next photograph shows the same woman, her husband and the little boy they had, but this time the husband is dressed in a military uniform. The ensuing portrait depicts the woman dressed in black to mourn her deceased husband. In this shot, she poses with her grown son and his pregnant wife. Now a man, the boy is attired like his father before him in military garb. In the final poignant picture, we see the mother and daughter-in-law both dressed in black because both the husband and son have been killed fighting in the Iraqi army.

Go here for the rest of this review.

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Bringing ‘Baghdad Photographer’ filmmaker Mejd Hameed into focus (04-02-19)

Mejd Hameed is an Iraqi filmmaker, screenwriter and actor. He is a member of the Iraqi Artists Syndicate, Union of Iraqi Dramas and the National Band of Representation. His filmmaking credits include Baghdad Photographer (writer and director), Ahrar (writer and director), and Zero Hour (writer). His acting credits include Date (2017), Smile Again, Goodbye Nineveh, Zero Hour and Mesopotamia. Born in 1981, he has a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Baghdad.

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Documentary ‘Light in the Darkness’ illuminates PTSD (04-02-19)

A hidden epidemic, PTSD affects eight percent of the American population, or one in 13 people. For those it grasps, hope can seem like a distant dream.

But what exactly is PTSD? What factors give rise to it? What symptoms do people with PTSD typically display? And how do people suffering from PTSD cope?

Go here for the rest of this advance.

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Spotlight on ‘Light in the Darkness’ documentarian Daniel Gartzke (04-02-19)

One of the films being screened at this year’s Fort Myers Film Festival is Light in the Darkness, a documentary dedicated to illuminating Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) filmed by director, editor and producer Daniel Gartzke. Gartzke has previously directed two other documentaries, Fox2-0 (which he also edited) and Retrogreade Motion. He currently filming a documentary titled EcoSPEARS: The Journey to Clean America’s Waterways.

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‘The Things We Don’t Say’ posits a dying man’s conversation with his dead wife (04-02-19)

One of the short films being screened at this year’s Fort Myers Film Festival is Things We Don’t Say by Soleidy Mendez. The film is a short drama about a clinically depressed man named Pierre who, believing his death from Parkinson’s disease in imminent, decides it time to have a long overdue conversation with his deceased wife Rose.

The film not only heightens our awareness of the lonely life which many isolated elderly people lead, but the importance of expressing our thoughts and feelings with those who mean the most to us. Filmmaker Soleidy Mendez drew the inspiration for the film from Geetha Chandra. The Vice-President of Finance for an international company based in New York, Chandra had always dreamed of becoming a writer. In that vein, she penned a letter to her husband listing all the reasons she was thankful for him. Unfortunately for Pierre, that conversation comes after his wife has passed.

You will find the rest of this advance here.

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Meet Fort Myers Film Festival short filmmaker Soleidy Mendez (04-02-19)

Soleidy Mendez is an award-winning actor, screenwriter and filmmaker. She hails from the Dominican Republic, but now resides in New York City. Her most recent achievement was winning the USA 2018 Nespresso Talents, which featured her work at the Tribeca and Cannes Film Festivals.

She is a graduate of the prestigious American Academy of Dramatic Arts, and studied at the New York Film Academy to develop and hone her screenwriting and filmmaking skills.

Read the rest of Soleidy’s profile here.

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Meet Fort Myers Film Festival filmmaker Jordan Axelrod (04-02-19)

Jordan Axelrod is a filmmaker known for Seven Ten Split, Carol’s Last Chance and, most recently, Coach.

Axelrod possesses numerous ties to the Fort Myers Film Festival. He cut his filmmaking teeth at FMff as a volunteer while he was still in junior high. After earning a degree in film from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, the Fort Myers native’s 20-minute short film, Seven Ten Split was juried into the Sixth Annual Fort Myers Film Festival. The film went on to receive honors as best in the Student Film category. Last year, Jordan had another film, Carol’s Last Chance, juried into the Fort Myers Film Festival, and this year his documentary, Coach, is an official FMff selection.

Read the rest of Jordan’s profile here.

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‘Iku Manieva’ highlights impact of drug cartel wars in Mexican Sinaloa Sierra (04-02-19)

Among the short films included in this year’s Fort Myers Film Festival is Iku Manieva.

The 7-minute-30-second black-and-white documentary was filmed in 2017 in the Sinaloa Sierra, a mythical territory in Northwest Mexico now controlled by competing drug cartels. Over time, their violent conflict has resulted in countless deaths and human rights violations among the local inhabitants. With more than 1,800 families being displaced and 3,000 people in exile between 2012 and 2018 alone, the violence has transformed entire communities into ghost towns.

Read here for more.

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Alliance screening Eliades Ochoa documentary during FMff in April (04-02-19)

The Alliance for the Arts has partnered with the Fort Myers Film Festival to present Eliades Ochoa From Cuba To The World on April 11. The evening will begin with a reception featuring light refreshments at 6:30 p.m. followed by the 100 minute documentary at 7:00 p.m.

He became known the world over in the late 90s as an original member of legendary Cuban band Buena Vista Social Club, but Eliades Ochoa’s passion for his country’s musical heritage led him to pursue a life dedicated to music much earlier than that. He began by playing his guitar in the streets of Eastern Cuba, then joined a slew of folk groups, until finally the success of Buena Vista Social Club came along.

Spreading his love for traditional Cuban folk music was always Ochoa’s main goal, and that love shines through in this new documentary, pulling together rare pictures, archive material and new interviews, preserving not only his incredible journey, but the richness of the musical heritage of his country for generations to come.

Director Cynthia Biestek studied Documentary Film and Video at New York University. She traveled to Cuba with a Documentary Workshop group, and fell in love with the vibrant culture, the music and the friendly locals.

The evening is free to attend, but a $10 suggested donation keeps programming affordable and accessible. For more information, call 239-939-2787 or visit ArtInLee.org/Ochoa.

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More on ‘Eliades Ochoa From Cuba to the World’ (04-02-19)

Positivation Films will be screening the documentary film Eliades Ochoa From Cuba To The World at The Fort Myers Film Festival. The film lovingly narrates the story of Eliades Ochoa, one of the founding members of the Buena Vista Social Club, whose music left an indelible imprint on the international community’s perception of Cuba.

Ochoa grew up immersed in Son Cubano, a genre of music originating in east Cuba in the late 1800s that blends the clave rhythms of the Bantu region with Hispanic vocal styles. Both of Ochoa’s parents played Son Cubano, as did his brothers, with his sister providing vocal support, so Ochoa taught himself to play Son on the guitar. Soon, he was playing locally, collaborating with well-known Cuban musicians and touring with a group around the island.

You can read the rest of this advance here.

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Spotlight on ‘Eliades Ochoa’ documentarian Cynthia Biestek (04-02-19)

Positivation Films will be screening the documentary film Eliades Ochoa From Cuba To The World at The Ft. Myers Film Festival. The film tenderly narrates the story of Eliades Ochoa, one of the founding members of the Buena Vista Social Club, whose music left an indelible imprint on the international community’s perception of Cuba. The documentary was produced and directed by Positivation Films founder Cynthia Biestek.

While studying documentary film and video at New York University, Cynthia traveled to Cuba with a documentary workshop group, where she promptly fell in love with the vibrant culture, infectious music and friendly locals. Four documentaries, and counting, have been the product of that ongoing love affair:

See Cynthia’s filmography here.

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Combo of emotion and raw realism makes ‘CASHED’ compelling short film (04-02-19)

Among the short films being screened this year by the Fort Myers Film Festival is CASHED, a dark comedy written and produced by and starring Charlotte County native Serena Ryen (Modern Day Jesus and Grave Mysteries (2017)).

CASHED follows a young woman by the name of Jess as she struggles to find peace (and pot) among the unique challenges of life as a Millennial in a super-expensive and mega-stressful urban setting like Brooklyn, New York. After a rare night off from work to celebrate her 25th birthday, Jess wakes up late the next morning suffocating under the burden of debt (in the form of crushing student loans that loom over every ATM withdrawal), regret (not only is job security a joke, but rent in the City is higher than anywhere else on the East Coast), and a desperate quest to take the edge off.

Notwithstanding the film’s title, don’t categorize CASHED as just another stoner-comedy. At it’s heart, the film explores the deeper question of what drives us to “take the edge off” when we feel mentally and emotionally depleted – whether in the form of a glass (or bottle) of wine as soon as we hit the door at night, binging on chips or Netflix or, in the case of the film’s female anti-hero, cannabis.

“There may be an inclination to find humor in Jess’s desperate effort to scrape enough roaches together to roll a joint, but there is an overriding impulse to empathize with her life’s dilemma,” says Broadway World film critic Herbert Paine. “It’s this balance of emotion combined with raw realism that makes ‘CASHED’ such a fine and compelling film.” [Read the full Broadway World review here.]

And go here for the rest of this advance.

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Spotlight on ‘CASHED’ actor, screenwriter and filmmaker Serena Ryen (04-02-19)

Serena Ryen is a stage and film actor, screenwriter and filmmaker. In the latter capacity, she wrote, produced and starred in CASHED and, going forward, is committed to making art that inspires empathy and ignites questions.

Her theater credits include Cleopatra in Cleopatra: Adventure of a Princess (ArtSpot International Tour), Ms. Square/Mama Square in Polkadots: The Cool Kids Musical (Playhouse on Park, CT), Ismene in Antigone (The Cincinnati Playhouse, OH), Sleeping Beauty in the world premiere of Disenchanted! A Musical Comedy (NJ Playwrights’ Contest), Martha Dobie in The Children’s Hour (Roundtable Theatre Lab, NYC), Mary/Belle in A Christmas Carol (The Cincinnati Playhouse, OH), Charlotte Corday in The Revolutionists (The Cincinnati Playhouse, OH), Maddie in High School Alien (The Cincinnatie Playhouse, OH), Michelle in the world premiere of K Comma Joseph (UP Theater Co., NYC) and Allison in the world premiere of Broken Wing (WorkShop Theater, NYC).

Here’s the rest of Serena’s profile.

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Spotlight on ‘CASHED’ director Ethan Itzkow (04-02-19)

Ethan Itzkow is a stage and film actor who recently ventured into the realm of indie film direction and production, with CASHED (2018) marking his directorial debut. The 9th Annual Fort Myers Film Festival will screen CASHED in the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center as part of the “Unforgettable Shorts” block at 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 13.

His theater credits include Chiron in Titus Andronicus (New York Shakespeare Exchange), Jacob/various other roles in Freedom Train (TheatreWorks USA national tour), Edmund in Shakespeare Brawl Crawl (Occupy Verona, NY), Robert Tudor in New York Renaissance Faire (Robin Flannagan, NYRF) and Jack in Into the Woods (Lee Strasberg Institute), among others.

Here’s the rest of Ethan’s profile.

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Spotlight on FMff poignant short film ‘Ready’ (04-02-19)

Among the short films juried into this year’s Fort Myers Film Festival is Ready, a riveting motion picture about Sylvia and Adam, a mother and son who live together on a sprawling but crumbling estate. Struggling with clinical depression, Sylvia can barely function, and it falls upon Adam to take care of both himself and his mother, including keeping track of her medication and making sure she takes the correct doses at the appropriate times. But through the black fog of her depression, Sylvia is clear about one thing. She must push her boy out of the nest before his chance at childhood is forever lost. We join them in the film as Sylvia creates one final, lasting memory for Adam to take with him. On their last night together before she releases him into the world, they stage a party to celebrate the end of their relationship.

Poignant and painful, the short is the creation of Melissa Farman, an accomplished actor who is best known for playing opposite Claire Danes in HBO’s award-winning Temple Grandin (she was Temple’s blind college roommate, Alice) and portraying Bristol Palin in the HBO telefilm Game Change (which starred Julianne Moore, Woody Harrelson and Ed Harris).

The film was screened earlier this season during September’s T.G.I.M. (Thank God for Indie Monday), for which WGCU producer/reporter John Davis, 96.9 FM radio personality and actor Jason Drew, Diva Diaries Stephanie Davis and SalusCare founder and director Marc Collins served as celebrity judges.

“I really, really enjoyed that film,” said John Davis. “I thought it was shot beautifully, the actors were amazing, and I thoroughly enjoyed all the symbolism, such as the daisies signifying both innocence and death.”

Davis was struck by the way in which Farman blurred the line between little boy and caretaker (which gave impetus to Sylvia’s decision to finally let Adam go). He also liked how the viewer is led to believe the story is about the little boy leaving when, in actuality, it is as much about Sylvia’s departure from her tormented existence.

“I really liked it,” Davis concluded. “A Plus!”

“There was a beginning, middle and end,” touted Jason Drew. “It made you think. It made you feel. It raised a lot of questions on an emotional-psychological plane, things that made you go, ‘hmmm.’”

Read the rest of this advance here.

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Spotlight on ‘Ready’ filmmaker Melissa Farman (04-02-19)

Ready is Melissa Farman’s first film. With Ready, the SAG actor and neophyte filmmaker wanted to portray the women she knew as a child, whose sublimations inspired her own artistic sensibilities. She wrote, directed and produced the film after participating in writers’ rooms on the TV shows on which she appeared and shadowing directors such as Mary Harron, Mick Jackson and Jay Roach (to name a few), who encouraged her to develop her own material and execute her vision as a storyteller.

On the acting side, Melissa is best known for playing opposite Claire Danes in HBO’s award-winning Temple Grandin (she was Temple’s blind college roommate, Alice) and portraying Bristol Palin in the HBO telefilm Game Change (which starred Julianne Moore, Woody Harrelson and Ed Harris). You may have also seen her in Season 5 of Lost, where she played a young (and pregnant) Danielle Rousseau. Other credits include the television series Timeless (Irene Curie), an episode of NCIS: New Orleans (“If It Bleeds, It Leads,” 2016), thirteen episodes of the Western drama series Strange Empire (where she played Dr. Rebecca Blithely), the 2013 TV movie Call Me Crazy: A Five Film (she was Izzy), an episode of Elementary (“Dirty Laundry,” 2013), the 2012 TV movie The March Sisters at Christmas, Perception (Joan of Arc, 2012), CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (“Trends with Benefits,” 2012), The Moth Diaries, NCIS (“Tell-All,” 2011) Law & Order: SVU (“Sugar,” 2009), Cold Case (“Witness Protection,” 2009) and the 2008 short film Love, Lies and the Internet.

For the rest of Melissa impressive resume and credentials, read here.

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Short film ‘Peggy’ proves it’s possible for a woman to be too damn perfect (04-02-19)

If you didn’t have the chance to attend the T.G.I.M. screenings on August 6, you missed a handful of really fine films, and kicking off Season 9 was a short film by Justin Miller about a woman named Peggy.

Peggy is hosting a birthday party for her little boy. But we don’t meet Peggy initially. Instead, we meet two guests as they are dressing for the party and wrapping a present for the birthday boy.

The backyard party is something out of Michael Jackson’s Neverland. Although it doesn’t have a narrow gauge railroad, Ferris wheel, carousel or petting zoo, it does have an immense bounce house and other features that none of the other parents have a chance of replicating when it comes time to stage parties for their own children. In fact, from the cake to balloons, the grounds reek of perfection and that earns Peggy the near-unanimous opprobrium of her friends, neighbors and even her husband, who echo a common refrain in their internal dialogue: “Fuck you, Peggy!”

Several guests have converted their contempt into passive-aggressive action by bringing along birthday gifts that Peggy is certain to abhor. One brings a dart gun, and Peggy’s own husband gives his son a brand new puppy which he hopes will drive his wife crazy by doing his business all over Peggy’s perfectly-kept house, much to her vexation and chagrin.

Go here for the rest of this review,

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Spotlight on ‘Peggy’ filmmaker Justin O’Neal Miller (04-02-19)

Justin O’Neal Miller is a filmmaker whose production credits include Peggy (short 2018, which he wrote, as well), Pisser (short 2017), The Roach (short 2017/writer), If We Are Apart (short 2016), Restitution (short 2013/writer) and A Lady Can Live Through Anything (short 2010/writer).

Peggy has enjoyed considerable film festival success since its premiere in October of 2018. Because viewers kept repeating “we want to see more of that,” he’s been transforming the short into a half-hour comedy series with the same cast.

The rest of Justin’s profile is here.

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BendyKat – out of the tunnel and at a crossroads (04-02-19)

The video is only a minute long. [It’s here.] It’s shot from the near end of cold green-lit tunnel somewhere in south Cape Coral. The concrete floor is covered by squares of pale tan ceramic tile. The walls are skip troweled with rough-faced plaster. Painted black and gray bands run the length of five-foot-wide hallway. The outline of door openings lurk in the background. A narrow fluorescent lighting strip bisects the ceiling, softly illuminating a lithe, diminutive figure curling into a back-bending hand stand. Parallel white bands synchronously run the length of her form-fitting black leggings. The camera fixates on the woman, who suddenly defies gravity, stretching from band to band halfway up the walls.

The woman in the frame is Katarina Danks, a world-class professional performer and motion artist trained in contortion, jazz and contemporary dance disciplines. And as BendyKat continues to twist, bend and stretch into eye-catching inverted shapes from floor to walls and back again, the camera begins to rotate its POV in a 360 degree circle. Walls then floor become ceiling as Danks shifts seamlessly from one hand stand to another.

Go here for more on Kat.

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‘Thrift Shop Musical’ comes home to Broadway Palm April 4 (04-01-19)

Second Chances: The Thrift Shop Musical opens April 4 on the main stage at Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre. It’s a funny, yet inspirational, musical comedy about the quirky characters that run The Second Chances Thrift Shop. You’ll meet the hilarious lead clerk who always brings sunshine to the day with humor, the couple who work in the collection area and discover that you can find love later in life, the young mother and new shop manager trying to start over, and more! When the thrift shop is threatened to be sold by the greedy landlord, the team won’t stand for it. Spend a year with the loveable, yet quirky, group and see how they band together to save the shop and in the process, discover it’s not just old treasures that are getting Second Chances!

The show is the brainchild of Broadway Palm co-founder Tom Prather. He started working on the project in earnest early in 2015, and by that summer, the script was done. The songs came from Broadway Palm regulars Chris Russell (music) and Megan Orlowski (lyrics).

Musical styles included a rock/soul number, some standard musical-theater songs, a 1920’s soft shoe featuring a drag queen, a rap song about the thrift shop’s rules, and a ukulele song called “If Our Love Is Gone.” There’s even a reference to the Macklemore & Ryan Lewis hit “Thrift Shop” in one of the songs.

According to Prather, the thrift shop is a metaphor for people opening a new chapter in their lives. Every character in the show is getting a second chance at life, in one way or another.

The show’s characters were partly inspired by the people Prather met at the Iona-Hope Episcopal Church thrift shop. He volunteered at the south Fort Myers shop every Wednesday when he wasn’t in Arizona or working at Broadway Palm’s sister theater in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, The Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre. As he worked putting tags on items, hanging clothes and doing whatever else needed to be done, he picked up lines and material from the employees and shoppers filing through the store – although none of the characters in the show are either real or autobiographical. To the contrary, Prather developed the characters with specific Broadway Palm actors in mind.

After premiering in the Off Broadway Palm in 2015, the musical enjoyed a limited engagement in May of 2016 at the Sugden Community Theatre on a bigger stage, which necessitated some editing, revisions, shorter scene changes and new music. The show was then performed at The Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre in 2017.

With its return to Broadway Palm’s main stage, this beloved show has now come full circle. Second Chances runs April 4 through May 12.

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‘Mama Won’t Fly’ gives new meaning to road trip comedies (04-01-19)

The Off Broadway Palm Theatre is presenting Mama Won’t Fly playing now through April 28, 2019. Laugh your way across the USA with this ferociously funny comedy by the writers of The Savannah Sipping Society and The Hallelujah Girls.

A race against the clock begins when Savannah Sprunt Fairchild Honeycutt agrees to get her feisty mother all the way from Alabama to California in time for her brother’s wedding. Savannah’s problem: MAMA WON’T FLY. With only four days to make it to the ceremony, this determined daughter has no choice but to drive cross-country with her equally willful mother, Norleen Sprunt, in Mama’s vintage sedan. As Savannah steels herself for this hastily conceived road trip, another outrageous complication arises: the bubbly, over-eager bride-to-be arrives unannounced. Delighted to finally meet her future in-laws, Hayley Quinn is convinced that travelling together to her wedding is the perfect way to bond. The folly of her decision quickly becomes apparent when the journey begins and comedic chaos ensues.

The rest of this advance is here.

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Comedy team of Galyean, Schulte and Pandow make ‘Mama Won’t Fly’ special (04-01-19)

On stage through April 28 in the Off-Broadway Palm is Mama Won’t Fly, a female road trip comedy by the writers of The Savannah Sipping Society and The Hallelujah Girls.

So here’s what’s going on. Mama’s son is getting married on a beach in sunny California. Mama and her daughter, Savannah, live in Alabama (roll Tide!) but, to Savannah’s shock and consternation, Mama won’t get on the Boeing 737 Max (okay, I ad libbed this one) that Savannah’s booked seats on and insists they’ll have to drive to California in her vintage and recently-repaired Buick sedan. At the last minute, Mama’s soon-to-be daughter-in-law/Savannah’s soon-to-be sister-in-law, Hayley, shows up to accompany her new in-laws to the wedding. And the road trip from hell is on.

There’s no getting around the fact that the premise and script for this show are highly contrived. Most of the unscheduled stops that Mama, Savannah and Hayley make en route to the latter’s nuptials test the bounds of credulity, but hey, Mama Won’t Fly is a farce in the tradition of The Lucille Ball Show, National Lampoon Vacation and Little Miss Sunshine. But even if you’re not a fan of the farce, there’s more than ridiculous situational comedy, a trunkful of lame laughs and the cozy confines of the Off Broadway theater to warrant an afternoon or evening of your time.

Such as the performances of Dena Galyean as Savannah Sprunt Fairchild Honeycutt, Donna Schulte as Mama Norleen Sprunt and Katie Pankow as Haley Quinn.

Please go here for the rest of this review.

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Spotlight on ‘Mama Won’t Fly’ actor Dena Galyean (04-01-19)

The incomparable Dena Galyean is Savannah Sprunt Fairchild Honeycutt in Mama Won’t Fly. This beleaguered character must contend with a cantankerous mom and her maddingly bubbly soon-to-be sister-in-law as they race across the country for Haley’s impending nuptials, overcoming one inconceivable mishap after another. Dena Galyean is one of the hardest working thespians in all of Southwest Florida. And she always seems to land fascinating roles. Among her most recent – and memorable – are Susan B. Anthony in Theatre Conspiracy’s production of The Agitators, Nora Helmer in Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll House (also for Theatre Conspiracy) and Stella Kowalski in The Studio Players’ production of Tennessee William’s A Streetcar Named Desire at the Golden Gate Community Center.

Read here for the rest of Dena’s profile.

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Spotlight on ‘Mama Won’t Fly’ actor Katie Pankow (04-01-19)

Katie Pankow stars in Off Broadway Palm’s production of the hysterical comedy Mama Won’t Fly. She plays bride-to-be Hayley Quinn, who makes the questionable decision to meet her future in-laws by driving across country with her future mother and sister-in-law but anything that can go wrong does go wrong, and more. Katie Pankow is a talented actor who frequently performs locally. Her acting credits include Grounded and Swell Party for Theatre Conspiracy at the Alliance for the Arts, and Mrs. Cratchit in A Christmas Carol (December, 2018 at the Hippodrome State Theatre), Poppy Norton-Taylor in Noises Off (January 12-February 17, 2018), Belle (along with Mrs. Fezziwig, Martha Cratchit and many others ) in A Christmas Carol (December 8-29, 2017) ….

Read here for the rest of Katie’s profile.

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Spotlight on ‘Mama Won’t Fly’ actor ML Graham (04-01-19)

In the cast of Off-Broadway Palm’s Mama Won’t Fly is ML Graham. ML (Mary-Lisa) Graham is an equity actor and singer. She holds a BS in Creative Arts from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. She has performed as a classical and choral music soloist in a variety of theater, outdoor drama and cabaret shows, and as a cruise ship performer. (ML performed on the SS Constitution cruise ship while living in Hawaii.) Her local stage credits include …. [Read here for the rest of ML’s credits.]

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‘Waverly Gallery’ opens at Bonita Center for Performing Arts on April 10 (04-01-19)

The Waverly Gallery opens at the Center for Performing Arts Bonita Springs on April 10. This critically-acclaimed Kenneth Lonergan drama captures the humor and strength of a family in the face of crisis .

The play centers on feisty matriarch and Greenwich Village Waverly Gallery art dealer Gladys Green, as she fights her final battle against Alzheimer’s disease and tries to retain her independence as her NYC family (which, ironically, includes two psychiatrists) tries to deal with Gladys’ mental decline.

Starring in the production are Deanna Hartigan as Gladys Green, an aging attorney and art gallery owner. Alec H. Taylor plays Daniel Reed, played by Alec H. Taylor, Gladys’ supportive grandson. Debbie Rockwell is Ellen Fine, a psychiatrist and Gladys’ long-suffering yet supportive daughter. Luis Pages is Howard Fine, the empathetic stepfather, also a psychiatrist. Don Bowman as a ne’er do well artist from Lynn, Massachusetts.

The play recently completed a successful run on Broadway, where it starred Elaine May, Joan Allen and Michael Cera.

Performances are Wednesday through Saturday, April 10-23 at 7:00 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday, April 13 & 14, at 2:00. Tickets are $25 per person (with 10% off for CFABS members).

The Center for Performing Arts Bonita is located at 10150 Bonita Beach Road in Bonita Springs. For more information, please call 239-495-8989 or email market1@artsbonita.org.

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‘Broken Hearts’ musical revue opens at Cultural Park on April 5 (04-01-19)

Broken Hearts opens April 5 at Cultural Park Theatre in Cape Coral. Broken Hearts is an original musical revue put on by Cultural Park Theatre that features hit music of the 50’s and 60’s. Musical memories are set in Brooklyn NY as the “Jersey Girls” arrive there to win a talent award and wind up winning over the hearts of their competitors, the “Brooklyn Boys.”

Cultural Park Theatre is located at 528 Cultural Park Blvd, Cape Coral, FL 33990. For more information, please telephone 239-772-5862 or email culturalparktheatre@gmail.com.

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‘Million Dollar Quartet’ at Florida Rep through April 21 (04-01-19)

Broadway’s rock ‘n’ roll sensation Million Dollar Quartet is at Florida Rep. through April 21. The musical reprises a jam session that made music history in 1956. It occurred when Memphis record producer Sam Phillips brought four of his newest clients together to make music. That fab four consisted of Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley.

Million Dollar Quartet took Broadway by storm and provides an electrifying glimpse of the four legends before they became rock ‘n’ roll icons. The musical features over twenty rock ‘n’ roll hits, including “Blue Suede Shoes,” “Hound Dog,” “Sixteen Tons,” “Great Balls of Fire” and many more!

“This musical is like nothing the Arcade Theatre has ever seen,” maintains Artistic Director Greg Longenhagen. “Not only will the music blow the roof off of the Arcade, but the story is compelling. And looking at these four musicians at the start of their iconic careers is touching, funny, and extremely exciting. Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Johnny Cash changed the music industry, and I can’t wait for you to hear their story and their music.”

Florida Rep has assembled an A-list cast for the musical. Several of them are playing their roles for a fifth, sixth, and even the tenth time. Florida Rep ensemble member Brendan Powers (Hay Fever) returns this season as record producer Sam Phillips and is joined by Joe Boover as Elvis (Florida Rep debut), Gregg Hammer as Johnny Cash (Florida Rep debut), Jeremy Sevelovitz as Carl Perkins (Florida Rep debut), and Brady Wease as Jerry Lee Lewis (Shear Madness).

Also joining the cast are Julie Kavanagh as Dyanne (Too Marvelous for Words), Daniel Bailey playing bass (Florida Rep debut) and David Sonneborn on drums (Florida Rep debut).

Associate Artistic Director and ensemble member, Jason Parrish (The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee) directs, and is joined by Resident Set Designer Jordan Moore (Cabaret), ensemble Costume Designer Stephanie Genda (Cabaret), Lighting Designer Julie Duro (Twelve Angry Men), Sound Designer Katie Lowe (Damascus), Music Director David Sonneborn (Florida Rep debut) and Stage Manager Kathleen Barrett (Florida Rep debut).

Tickets are priced at $59 and $53 for regular performances but go up to $65 and $59 on March 12. Preview tickets are $35 and $29 and are selling out for the March 19-21 performances. A limited number of $25 Two-Day-Deal tickets are available 48-hours in advance of each performance by calling the box office at 239-332-4488.

Box office hours are Monday through Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. New this season, Florida Rep’s parking lot will open 2 hours before each performance and offers guests limited free parking across the street from the Arcade Theatre.

Florida Repertory Theatre performs in the Historic Arcade Theatre and the ArtStage Studio Theatre on Bay St. between Jackson & Hendry with limited free parking in the Fort Myers River District. Visit Florida Rep online at FloridaRep.org, and by following the company on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

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‘I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change’ looks at modern love in all its forms (04-01-19)

Opening March 28 at the FSW College Theatre is I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change.

Written in 1996 by Joe DePietro, I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change was the second longest running show in the history of Off Broadway. Its theme is so universal that it has been translated into 17 foreign languages. Hilarious and insightful, I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change pays tribute to those who have loved and lost, to those who have fallen on their face at the portal of romance, and to all those who dare ask, “Say, what are you doing Saturday night?”

The rest of this advance is here.

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‘I Love You’ well-acted, beautifully sung, highly entertaining (04-01-19)

On stage through April 6 in FSW’s Black Box Theatre is the delightfully entertaining and playfully hilarious 1996 musical I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change. This witty revue examines dating, romance, love, marriage and loss in all its glorious forms. And in spite of its age, the topics covered and their treatment remain surprisingly timely, perhaps even timeless.

Under the direction of Stuart Brown, the show is (as you’d expect) extremely well-acted and beautifully sung. While all of the cast members have strong singing voices, those of the three female performers are exceptional – whether singing soulful solos or harmonizing with their male counterparts or the cast as a whole. They’re accompanied by third-generation Cape Coral pianist Julius “Juice” Davis (who’s also a gifted songwriter with published music in gospel, R&B and other musical genres), whose rendition of composer Jimmy Roberts’ upbeat tunes gives the whole show a concert-like quality.

Joe DePietro divided his musical into 19 separate vignettes. Some are fall-0ut funny; others are tender and touching. Each one resonates to some degree and at some level, regardless of age and demographics. As a consequence of this cornucopia of scenes and sequences, every audience member is likely to leave with a favorite or two – providing considerable fodder for those post-theater conversations that dominate the ride home or the apres-theater drink.

Go here for the rest of this review.

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‘I Love You’ actor Lexie Ann Cole only just now getting untracked (04-01-19)

On stage through April 6 in FSW’s Black Box Theatre is the delightfully entertaining and playfully hilarious 1996 musical I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change. This witty revue examines dating, romance, love, marriage and loss in all its glorious forms. The show features a cast of six that includes Lexie Anne Cole.

Cole’s involvement in I Love You is ambitious, to say the least. She not only plays ten different characters and sings a solo, she’s the show’s stage manager, as well. It’s a role she’s played previously at Lab Theater, where she stage managed The Way We Get By, starring former FSW students and Stuart Brown protégés Steven Coe and Kendall Millang. (She cut her teeth in this department at The Lab, serving as assistant stage manager in The Best Man, in which she also had a small part.)

She characterizes herself as a perfectionist.

“I like to be organized and help other people stay organized,” she professes. “I like spreadsheets and making schedules. It’s fun for me to do.”

You’ll find the rest of this article here.

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Spotlight on ‘I Love You’ actor Lexie Anne Cole (04-01-19)

Lexie Anne Cole is a theater student who is enrolled at Florida SouthWestern State College. She currently appears in various roles in Joe DePietro’s I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change. Among her previous acting credits are FSW’s production of Brandan Pelsue’s Wellesley Girl (Supreme Court Chief Justice Donna Landesman), A Chorus Line (Tricia, for Florida Rep), Heathers: The Musical (Ensemble/Principal Gowan, Florida Rep), Lab Theater’s production of the 1997 Tony-winning comedy/drama The Last Night of Ballyhoo (Lala Levy) and Lab Theater’s production of Gore Vidal’s The Best Man (political candidate William Russell’s smitten campaign aide Catherine).

The rest of Lexie’s profile is here.

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Triple threat, FSW’s Kiana Pinder finds element in ‘I Love You’ musical (04-01-19)

On stage through April 6 in FSW’s Black Box Theatre is the delightfully entertaining and playfully hilarious 1996 musical I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change. This witty revue examines dating, romance, love, marriage and loss in all its glorious forms. The show features a cast of six that includes Kiana Raine Pinder.

Pinder sat out the FSW Theatre Program’s last show, Wellesley Girl. At least from the standpoint of performing. Instead, she staged managed to gain experience in all facets of stage production. But another benefit she derived from the experience was a keen appreciation for the dynamic involved in taking direction and applying the director’s guidance in bringing a character to life.

“When you’re in that moment, dissecting the character and trying to bring her to life, it’s hard to give up your preconceptions about who the character is and how she should act,” Pinder said during a break before Wellesley Girl’s final dress rehearsal. “Standing on the outside, it’s so obvious what he wants. Having seen that, it will be easier in the future for me to give up my own preconceptions and embrace the director’s vision without getting flustered, to create a character that’s more in line with what the director wants. I’ll be able to think on my toes, apply [the director’s suggestions] quicker and let the character expand.”

Kiana had the opportunity to put these insights into practice in I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change not once, but more than half a dozen times. That’s because she plays seven different characters in the 10 vignettes in which she appears.

Please go here for the rest of this story.

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‘I Love You’ actor Jorge Cabal continues to evolve theatrically (04-01-19)

On stage through April 6 in FSW’s Black Box Theatre is the delightfully entertaining and playfully hilarious 1996 musical I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change. This witty revue examines dating, romance, love, marriage and loss in all its glorious forms. The show features a cast of six that includes Jorge Cabal.

This past fall, Cabal played Max in Wellesley Girl. Prior to that, he portrayed Chuck the Dungeon Master in She Kills Monsters for Florida SouthWestern State College. He’s also appeared in Cultural Park’s production of Neil Simon’s Fools. In high school, he not only performed in a number of productions, he also wrote, directed and starred in a play of his own.

When he was interviewed for Wellesley Girl, Jorge revealed that his dream would be to play the characters from A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder. “It would be incredible to play multiple characters in different costumes at the drop of a hat,” he said at the time. “I’m a very character-driven type of guy, so I’d very much like to be able to tackle that one day … or any other eccentric character for that matter.”

For more on Jorge, please read here.

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Confronting blatant & institutional prejudice, ‘Andorra’ still relevant (sad to say) (04-01-19)

In honor of Holocaust remembrance month, The Laboratory Theater of Florida is producing the Southwest Florida premiere of Andorra by Max Frisch.

One of the most oft-produced plays in Europe, Andorra is a parable about racism and the poison of prejudice. Set in fictionalized Swiss-esque Andorra, Andri is adopted by a teacher and raised as a Jew alongside Can’s own daughter, Barblin. Throughout the play, Andri faces with blatant prejudice and complicit silence from his fellow townspeople. As he is assailed at every turn by a sense of his otherness, Andri eventually begins to internalize it. Told he is different, he begins to feel different from his neighbors. Eventually he comes to behave as they expect Jews to act.

Frisch’s message is twofold. The “other” is brought into being by society’s alienation, and their “attributes” are not an actuality but a fulfillment of expectations.

Go here for the rest of this advance.

‘Andorra’ play dates, times and ticket info

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Spotlight on ‘Andorra’ lead Steven Coe, who plays Andri (04-01-19)

Steven Coe will play the part of Andri in Lab Theater’s production of Max Frisch’s Andorra, which opens with a half-price preview on March 28. Actor Steven Coe is one of Southwest Florida’s hardest working actors. He has a reputation for placing himself in challenging roles and situations that build confidence. For example, while he was playing The Boy in Veronica’s Room for Lab Theater, he was also on the Murder Mystery Dinner Train over at the Seminole Gulf Railway.

You will find the rest of Steven Coe’s profile here.

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Spotlight on ‘Andorra’ actor Danica Murray (04-01-19)

Danica Murray will play the part of Barblin in Lab Theater’s production of Max Frisch’s Andorra, which opens with a half-price preview on March 28. Danica is a dual enrollment theater student at Florida SouthWestern State College. Murray characterizes herself as a comedic actor, but she fully embraces dramatic parts, such as Barblin in Lab Theater’s production of Max Frisch’s Andorra and Marie in FSW’s production of Brendan Pelsue’s futuristic dystopian drama Wellesley Girl.

This Spring, Murray will simultaneously earn both her high school diploma and Associates of Arts degree. But she’s already amassed an impressive resume, thanks in large measure to her participation in Florida Repertory Theatre’s Conservancy program.

Go here for the rest of Danica’s expanding resume.

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Spotlight on ‘Andorra’ dad and teacher, Rob Green (04-01-19)

Rob Green will play the part of Barblin’s dad and the Teacher in Lab Theater’s production of Max Frisch’s Andorra, which opens with a half-price preview on March 28. Since returning to the boards following a three-year hiatus, Rob has appeared as Gerald Halverson in Theatre Conspiracy’s production of Jeffrey Hatcher’s Murderers, the Archangel Gabriel in David Javerbaum’s An Act of God, the wheelchair-confined Queen of the Hollywood Melodrama Blanche Hudson in the outrageous Lab Theater summer spoof Whatever Happened to Baby Jane: A Parody of the Horror and Burton in in Burn This. Prior to his acting hiatus, Rob was Hal Robinson in The Graduate, Biff Loman in Death of a Salesman and various roles in Miss Witherspoon, Polish Joke, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, and Picasso at The Lapin Agile. [Go here for more on Rob.]

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Michael Cristofer’s ‘Shadow Box’ opens at New Phoenix Theatre on May 2 (04-01-19)

The Shadow Box by Michael Cristofer opens May 2 at New Phoenix Theatre on McGregor Boulevard.

In this compelling dramatic triptych, three terminal cancer patients dwell in separate cottages on a hospital’s grounds, attended and visited by family and close friends. Although the characters are either living in or visiting a hospice for the terminally ill, The Shadow Box is not about death and dying as much as it is about self-realization. That’s because to playwright Michael Cristofer’s way of thinking, it is necessary to have an awareness of mortality in order to understand ourselves and how we live.

To explicate this theme, Cristofer focuses on the lives and families of three people who are living with the certainty that their diseases will kill them within a short time. They are forced to evaluate themselves and come to a conclusion about the manner of their existence. There’s Agnes and her mother Felicity. They’re not only estranged by Felicity’s anger and bitterness over the reality of her impending demise, but by Felicity’s dementia. There’s garrulous Brian and Beverly, whose marital complications are exacerbated by Brian’s new lover, Mark. And there’s Joe and his anxious, heartbroken wife, Maggie, who finally finds the support she needs from her husband and their teenage son, Steve.

What comes out from the interactions of these three groups of people is the unerring message that the more honest they are, the more openly they can express their love for one another and the more genuine and immediate their relationships can be. It’s only in this way that it becomes easier for the dying to let go of life.

Performances are at 8:00 p.m. on May 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, 16, 17 and 18, with 2:00 p.m. matinees on May 5, 12 and 19.

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‘Guys & Dolls’ ends TNP run on April 7 (04-01-19)

Guys & Dolls is on stage through April 7 in Blackburn Hall at The Naples Players Sugden Theatre. Amy Hughes and Jesse Hughes headline the large and talented cast of this masterful and unforgettable musical.

Amy and Jesse Hughes are remembered for notable performances as Marian and Harold Hill in TNP’s Music Man. In Guys & Dolls, the couple (who are married in real life) play Sarah Brown and Sky Masterson respectively.

TNP newcomer David Shaffer plays Nathan Detroit, with Jessica Walck (Sylvia, Chicago) portraying Miss Adelaide.

Reprising the successful and memorable TNP Guys & Dolls production from 15 years ago, Joseph Loiacono returns to perform again as Arvide Abernathy.

Jim Corsica is Nicely-Nicely Johnson. Bev Canell (oft referred to with the upmost admiration as “The General” within the walls of the Sugden Community Theatre) is reprising her unforgettable role as General Cartwright.

Completing the cast is Len Becker as Harry the Horse, Bob Patteri as Big Jule, Paul Lopresti as Lieutenant Brannigan, Jason Eugenides as Benny Southstreet, Evelyn Kasper as Agatha and Jack Weld as Rusty Charlie.

Ensemble members include Gaby Biagi, Mackenzie Black, Julia Cornwall, Sophia Costa, Adam Fasano, Frankie Federico, Jeremy Giovinazzo, Wiefta Jean, Kevin Kenneally, Elizabeth Marcantonio, Harry McCartney, Stephanie Nelson, Jack Norkeliunas, Ella Pflaumer, Thomas Richardson, Ryan Roberge, Logan Szittai, Sharon True, Perry Ventro, Lindsey Walsh and Elyse Yun.

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TNP & Garage Doors of Naples offer sensory-friendly ‘Guys & Dolls’ tomorrow (04-01-19)

The Naples Players (TNP) and Garage Doors of Naples are partnering on Tuesday, April 2 to present a special sensory-friendly performance of the American musical classic Guys & Dolls in Blackburn Hall. As sensory-friendly screenings become more common in local movie theaters and even on Broadway, The Naples Players is proud to participate in the national shift towards making it possible for individuals with special needs and their families to experience the same quality theater as everyone else.

What are sensory-friendly screenings, and why are they important?

For many people with special needs, sensory stimuli (including loud noises and strobe lights) are overwhelming and sometimes painful. “Some things just feel so intense,” explains Tina J. Richardson, a woman with autism. “I’m not over-reacting. My sensory processing is unique to me.”

In addition, many people with special needs cannot sit still for long periods of time. This also makes it difficult for them to attend traditional performances where moving around or making noise is prohibited and typically draws judgmental stares. However, the slight changes introduced in sensory-friendly performances can transform the theater into a place as welcoming, comfortable and non-threatening as their own home.

During sensory-friendly performances, the house lights remain on during the performance, sound is turned down, movement during the performance is not restricted, and the performance is capped at 50% capacity. In addition, audience members receive a guide to the show that tells them where there might be a sensory trigger, so they can prepare themselves in advance.

Special pricing for The Naples Players sensory-friendly performances helps make great theater affordable for families and is made possible through a grant from Suncoast Credit Union.

Considered one of the greatest musicals of all time, Guys & Dolls is filled with some of the most iconic show tunes that will put a spring in your step and a smile on your face. You’ll be reminded of just how much fun it is to see a revival of an American musical filled with such classic musical numbers as “Luck Be a Lady”, “A Bushel and a Peck”, “If I Were a Bell”, and “Marry the Man Today.”

Guys & Dolls runs through April 7, 2019 in Blackburn Hall at The Naples Players at Sugden Theatre at 701 5th Avenue South in Naples. Tickets for the special one-night Sensory Friendly Performance on Tuesday, April 2, 2019 are $20 for adults, $10 for students/educators and are available at www.NaplesPlayers.orgor by contacting the Box Office at (239) 263-7990.

The Naples Players (TNP) Sugden Community Theatre is Naples’ oldest and premier theatre group and a vital part of the excitingexperience of Downtown Naples.

[NB: The extraordinary photos accompanying this advance are by Neubek Photography. For more on them, please visit https://neubek.com/about/ or telephone 617-519-7423.

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TNP inviting playwrights to submit for Readers Theatre new play competition (04-01-19)

The Naples Players’ (TNP) Readers Theatre is now accepting original one-act scripts for its 16th Annual “An Evening of New Plays” contest for Southwest Florida playwrights. Winners will have the opportunity for their plays to be cast, directed, and staged at one of the most highly-rated theatres in the country.

“It’s a fantastic opportunity for talented playwrights to get their work in front of an audience,” observes Jessica Walck, Associate Artistic Director.

In addition to having their play cast and performed at TNP’s “An Evening of New Plays” on Sunday, January 19, 2020, finalists will each receive a performance royalty, memorial plaque and tickets to TNP’s “An Evening of New Plays.”

Readers Theatre is devoted to developing playwrights, directors and actors through staged readings of original works as well as fresh and inventive one-acts. The Readers Theatre program allows The Naples Players to test new plays before producing them and provides critical feedback to playwrights, along with access to performance and directing opportunities through flexible and shortened rehearsal processes and augmented performance demands. Both veteran and novice actors, directors, and playwrights can call Readers Theatre home, and this flexibility helps Readers Theatre remain as one of the foundational programs of The Naples Players.

Only non-musical one-acts are accepted. Only one play per writer can be submitted. Each play must:

be the writer’s own original work, not an adaptation;
not commercially published or produced, though it may have been work-shopped or presented in staged readings;
should not exceed 20 minutes in length;
may have been entered in an earlier contest, so long as it was not an earlier finalist.

Once the play is submitted, no script changes can be made for purposes of this competition.

To submit a play, playwrights must submit three copies of their script in standard stage play format to: “An Evening of New Plays 2018,” The Naples Players, 701 5th Avenue South, Naples, FL 34102. Plays may also be submitted electronically to: tnpreaderstheatre@gmail.com.

A title page with the name of the play, synopsis, and list of characters must be attached to each script. Include a separate page, unattached to the script, with the name of the play, playwright and contact information. This is to help assure anonymity during the judging process. For scripts to be returned, please include a self-addressed stamped envelope.

The judging panel may recommend up to four finalists to the Readers Theatre Committee for review and final approval by Associate Artistic Director Jessica Walck. Authors retain all rights and give performance rights to The Naples Players for “An Evening of New Plays” and limited readings in other venues, including possible outreach and electronic media.

Deadline for submission is July 31, 2019 and winnerswill be notified by October 31, 2019.

Readers Theatre is The Naples Players’ affiliate theatre group, led by TNP’s Associate Artistic Director Jessica Walck. Performances are held throughout the year in the intimate 100-seat Tobye Studio Theatre at the Sugden Community Theatre in the center of 5th Avenue South, Naples. Readers Theatre perform a series of one-act plays and full-length works with scripts in hand and without props or costumes. Readers Theatre performances focus on the written word.

The Naples Players (TNP) Sugden Community Theatre is Naples’ oldest and premier theatre group and a vital part of the exciting experience of Downtown Naples. Celebrating its 66th season, and as one of the top theatres in the country, they offer a variety of plays and musicals in three intimate spaces, Blackburn Hall, the Tobye Studio Theatre and outside BakerStage – all located in one building on Fifth Avenue South.

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About the Author

Tom Hall is both an amateur artist and aspiring novelist who writes art quest thrillers. He is in the final stages of completing his debut novel titled "Art Detective," a story that fictionalizes the discovery of the fabled billion-dollar Impressionist collection of Parisian art dealer Josse Bernheim-Jeune, thought by many to have perished during World War II when the collection's hiding place, Castle de Rastignac in southern France, was destroyed by the Wehrmacht in reprisal for attacks made by members of the Resistance operating in the area. A former tax attorney, Tom holds a bachelor's degree as well as both a juris doctorate and masters of laws in taxation from the University of Florida. Tom lives in Estero, Florida with his fiancee, Connie, and their four cats.

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Actors, artists, filmmakers and events in the news April 1-7, 2019

About the Author