more miscellany

I keep thinking each blog post is the last for awhile. But then awesome things keep happening that I want to tell you about

* Kazoo. Finally. Kazoo. We shot this in a day all because my wifey Sara was going to be in town, my roommate was learning to play the drums and I had BIG ROCK N ROLL HAIR (rip). This film birthed the band Slutfire, so even though it was my first-ever try at making something on my own . . . you gotta love it for giving the world SLUTFIRE!

* The Mary Trilogy opens May 15th!

It’s a sort of Sarah Lawrence extravaganza all up in this piece(s). Julianne Just who directed the very first full-length play I ever wrote (Jesus Loves Good Christians) is back behind the notebook and click-light pen to direct The Mary Trilogy, a collection of three short plays based on urban legend, Appalachian folk tale, Will Oldham’s music and Greek myth. Liz Fraatz (who played Ms. Harrison in Jesus Loves) will play Mary in Like Meat Love Salt (first time ever that a female actress has played that transgender role!) and Nehemiah Luckett (who also designed sound for Jesus Loves) will be designing sound! Phew.

You should come see this one. I don’t always recommend that you see each and every production I work on but this production marks the first time I wrote music for my own work (I believe my lyrics are still in tact although we do have a composer building songs in between plays and possibly rewriting the music here and there) aaaaannnd it’s the first time I really experimented with different forms of storytelling.

La Madia Cycle was a return to a sort of heightened poetic text that I’d pretty much abandoned since high school’s performance poetry days. It was a good exercise for me to return to that place because some of the themes of that play relate in a big way to feelings stirred up about why I stopped writing poetry.

For Like Meat Love Salt, the game was telling as much story with as little words as possible. It is also my very first play composed as a sort of “fan mail” for Will Oldham. You think I’m joking about this. But I’m not.

Finally, Heart of the Dark Deep is brand-spanking new. I’ve always wondered what would happen if Ariadne had to confront the Minotaur she helped kill. Also I’m playing again with loosening the reins on a sort of straightforward linear narrative.

For the gal who fancies herself a comedic writer, this is about as opposite end of the spectrum as you can get. But I’m very proud of the work, I’m excited to see Julianne’s take on it and would love to see as many Sadie Lou pals there as possible. I’ll be the one hiding out in the back opening night. In a blue dress (yay for opening night parties - - aka excuses to buy new clothes)!

Also the show is reaalllly short - so we can all grab drinks afterwards!

* Jumping Off Bridges will be on TV in NYC!

“Storie Productions’ feature film, jumping off bridges is set to make its television debut on WNET Reel 13 in New York City on Saturday May 3rd at 10:50pm. Written and directed by award-winning filmmaker, Kat Candler (cicadas, Roberta Wells), and produced by Stacy Schoolfield and Lorie Marsh, jumping off bridges premiered at the 2006 South by Southwest Film Festival. The film stars, Bryan Chafin (The Patriot, cicadas), Michael Emerson (Saw, Lost), Rhett Wilkins (The Puffy Chair) and Glen Powell Jr (The Great Debaters).

Inspired by invincible friendships, junior high journal entries, heart breaking crushes and the complexities of losing loved ones, jumping off bridges follows a carefree, adventurous group of four best friends deep in the trenches of adolescence.”

Tune in for my funeral scene cameo alongside TV’s evilest villain. Who is not so villainous in real life. In fact we convinced Michael to don the orange polyester jumpsuit as a gag gift (jumpsuit off bridges!) for the director, producer and cinematographer). Anyone who will wear a polyester onesie and pose Martha Graham style for a bunch of giggling girls in the wardrobe department of a teesny weensy indie film can’t be THAT evil.

* Lastly. Whatever my Aunt Sandy finds funny, I do too.

* Love you lots Austin, TX. No matter what, you’ll always be my hometown.