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The Wisconsin Wrights New Play Project, a program that debuted last year for developing new plays by Wisconsin writers, is continuing its work by selecting another group of three scripts to be workshopped. The final step of this process is a public reading at UW-Madison’s Hemsley Theatre in June, where audience members are encouraged to give the playwright feedback. This year’s playwrights include Gwendolyn Rice of Madison, plus Ludmilla Bollow of Glendale and Marcia Jablonski of Mineral Point. More information about the playwrights and the scripts is available from the Wisconsin Wrights Web page and tickets for the readings can be purchased here.

We haven't produced a "Notes On A Screen" since the week of the Wisconsin Film Festival, apologies. We blame complete silver screen burnout. With all of the hoopla regarding Public Enemies being filmed around the Capitol earlier this week this seems like the best time to fire up the weekly round-up of TV, gaming, and film news coming out of the greater Madison metropolitan area.

Johnny Depp wasn't in town for this shoot of what has come to be known simply as P.E., but Christian Bale and Billy Crudup did strut up the steps of the Capitol building as Madison doubled for Hoover's fledgling FBI headquarters. Bale is playing Melvin Purvis, who was Dillinger's pursuer, while Crudup is portraying the young Hoover. The results are photos and coverage galore.

Pop Quiz: What two things do Yogi Berra and Bruce Springsteen have in common? Both are Hall of Famers in their respective fields and both hail from New Jersey. On Sunday night those two distinctions merged as Berra and Springsteen joined 15 others to become the first Jerseyans to be inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame. The goal of the Hall is to help improve the reputation of the Garden State by highlighting prominent individuals who have lived there for at least five years. When accepting the award on Sunday, Springsteen said, "Rise up, my fellow New Jerseyans. We are all members of a confused but noble race. Even with this wonderful Hall of Fame, we know there's another bad Jersey joke just around the corner."

As the Wisconsin Historical Society rolls out an exhibit dedicated to Madison native Chris Farley this week I wondered why Wisconsin doesn't consider a Hall of Fame? Wisconsin, like New Jersey, is often the butt of many jokes and our stereotyped culture is one of beer, Packers, and cheese. One night each year we could showcase the innovation and celebrity of prominent Wisconsinites by inducting them into a Hall of Fame. It would not only earn the state national headlines, but would serve as an example to young Wisconsinites.

Take a trip back to Depression-era gangster times, when the Wisconsin state capitol was ostensibly located in Washington, D.C., a privileged few apparently had plastic water bottles and modern film and lighting gear, and everything was a kind of warm black and white tint.

A total of 14 pics from the filming of Public Enemies shot from the Pickney and East Wash side of the Capitol:

Take a trip back to Depression-era gangster times, when the Wisconsin state capitol was ostensibly located in Washington, D.C., a privileged few apparently had plastic water bottles and modern film and lighting gear, and everything was a kind of warm black and white tint.

A total of 14 pics from the filming of Public Enemies shot from the Pickney and East Wash side of the Capitol:

Just 48 little hours prior to the premiere of the Sex and the City movie on May 28, Dane101 along with Up Spatique, Sundance Cinema, and the fine folks at the Majestic are presenting Sex in MadCity, a gala soiree that’ll make you feel for one night like you’re partying in the Big Apple rather than the Big Cheese. There will be $3 Cosmopolitans and Appletinis, door prizes and giveaways from Up Spatique and the Majestic, and best of all, your favorite episodes from all 6 seasons of Sex and the City on the big screen!

In order to know your favorite episodes from each season we need you to vote! Right now, voting is open for Season Two. If you need a brief synopsis check out wikipedia. The come back here and click this link to vote your ass off!

Just 48 little hours prior to the premiere of the Sex and the City movie on May 28, Dane101 along with Up Spatique, Sundance Cinema, and the fine folks at the Majestic are presenting Sex in MadCity, a gala soiree that’ll make you feel for one night like you’re partying in the Big Apple rather than the Big Cheese. There will be $3 Cosmopolitans and Appletinis, door prizes and giveaways from Up Spatique and the Majestic, and best of all, your favorite episodes from all 6 seasons of Sex and the City on the big screen!

In order to know your favorite episodes from each season we need you to vote! Right now, voting is open for Season Two. If you need a brief synopsis check out wikipedia. The come back here and click this link to vote your ass off!

A lurid chronicle of John Mendels(s)ohn’s five-week stint editing Chic magazine, one-man show “Wm. Floggin’ Buckley” involves sex, drugs, some Elvis-inspired rock ‘n’ roll and enough crazed management to drive anyone nuts. Mendels(s)ohn begins his show with a manic stream-of-consciousness meditation on career-advice prompts (Do I work well with others? Where do I see myself in five years?), sounding a lot like a panicked recent graduate with a liberal arts degree – or a previously established writer experiencing the downfall of his career. Through a series of events and a series of introductions to specific characters, Mendels(s)ohn winds up with an editing position at Chic, working on an editorial about global warming and spinning a decaying story into a sensational prediction of the next ice age or imminent hellish sauna.

Confession #1: Up until roughly 1999 I was a card carrying member of the Star Wars cult. I wasn't so bad that I would dress up as my favorite characters, but I did once go as far as driving eight hours out of my way just to see the Star Wars: The Magic of the Myth exhibit at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. and I did wait in line for at least four hours when they rereleased the films on the big screen (Note: I did not camp out). My love for that franchise has waned greatly over the past decade, but it still holds a special place in my heart, so when I saw that Madison's Matt Sloan, part of the Blame Society Productions team that brought the Internet the viral sensation Chad Vader, was going to be the voice of Darth Vader on Deal Or No Deal I thought it would be worth casually checking out. As you may or may not know, in Blame Society's parody Chad Vader is Darth Vader's younger brother who is day manager at Empire Market. Click here to read more.

Confession #1: Up until roughly 1999 I was a card carrying member of the Star Wars cult. I wasn't so bad that I would dress up as my favorite characters, but I did once go as far as driving eight hours out of my way just to see the Star Wars: The Magic of the Myth exhibit at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. and I did wait in line for at least four hours when they rereleased the films on the big screen (Note: I did not camp out). My love for that franchise has waned greatly over the past decade, but it still holds a special place in my heart, so when I saw that Madison's Matt Sloan, part of the Blame Society Productions team that brought the Internet the viral sensation Chad Vader, was going to be the voice of Darth Vader on Deal Or No Deal I thought it would be worth casually checking out. As you may or may not know, in Blame Society's parody Chad Vader is Darth Vader's younger brother who is day manager at Empire Market.

By John Mendels(s)ohn

I have gone on stage as an actor, an orator, a musician, and a solo comedian. Take it from me; one never feels more naked than as a comedian. So the one thing the Next Generation of Madison Standup Comics, as seen at the Klinic’s open-mic night every Wednesday, must be acknowledged to share is courage. Trying to maintain one’s confidence and timing over the roar of the oblivious patrons of the bar half of the club (what is it with bifurcated Madison clubs, of which Café Montmartre is another?) must certainly be among the most daunting tasks a Wisconsin performing artist will have to face in 2008.

If only they were as funny as they are brave.

The Design MMoCA 2008 exhibit continues today and Sunday with lectures and gallery talks. The exhibit features 15 living spaces, each created by a local designer and each directly inspired by a work of art from the museum’s permanent collection. The 15 spaces are all vastly different. Some designers chose to literally interpret the painting, and some chose to use it as a jumping-off point. The more successful and interesting designs managed to keep a firm grasp on the featured piece, but reinterpreted it with a smart and imaginative point of view.

Tania S. May’s interpretation of James Rosenquist’s 1978 lithograph Terrarium is more literal, the living space mirroring the clear turquoise and red of the piece. The spherical light fixture in the center reflects and distorts images, much like the glass bottles in the artwork. The sense of humor in this design was clearly evident. On a first pass by, I wondered why there was a round fishbowl full of bed-frame wheels on the dark-wood dresser. On a second look, I realized that there is a mattress and wheeled bed frame featured in the lithograph. May cleverly mixes literal reflections and abstract allusions, keeping intact the coherence of a comfortable living space.

Part of the Kabaret challenge was to work a secret ingredient into the film; in our case, it was a prop. Click here to read more.