Dane101 - Arts

Madison Trailers: Strollers present "The Miss Firecracker Contest"

Wed, 14 May 2008 22:20:43 +0200

The new trend started by filmmaker and playwright Rob Matsushita of creating trailers for Madison theater productions is a welcome one. His first entrant was Mercury Player's Compleat Female Stage Beauty which received more than 900 views leading up to the productions opening night. The most recent entry is for Stroller Theatre's production of The Miss Firecracker Contest." The play is based on the novel by Beth Henley. A description of the play follows the trailer below.

Wisconsin Wrights scripts for 2008 announced

Sun, 11 May 2008 01:43:50 +0200

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.

Notes On A Screen: Madison Area Film, TV, and Gaming News 2008: Week 20

Thu, 08 May 2008 22:45:28 +0200

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.

Who would you put in Wisconsin's Hall of Fame?

Tue, 06 May 2008 19:00:08 +0200

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.

Public Enemies hits the Capitol

Mon, 05 May 2008 23:37:38 +0200

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:

Sex and MadCity: Vote for your favorite Season Three Episode!

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 01:32:15 +0200

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!

Review: John Mendels(s)ohn Presents Low-brow Entertainment at High-class Venue

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 17:09:25 +0200

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.

Chad Vader provides the voice of Darth Vader on tonight's "Deal or No Deal"

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 22:00:22 +0200

Damn it! I'm trying very hard not to geek out all over Dane101 right now.

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.

Comedy night at the Klinic goes "thud, thud, and thud."

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 18:00:15 +0200

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.

MMOCA and the Art of Interior Design

Sat, 26 Apr 2008 18:00:08 +0200

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.

Dane101 Films the Farmers' Market for the Wis-Kino Kabaret

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 20:45:31 +0200

Last Saturday, several contributers to Dane101 made a movie for the Spring 2008 Wis-kino Kabaret. Since that was also the opening day of the Dane County Farmers' Market, we wanted to document that event.

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

Breakin' the Law set for Friday

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 18:46:12 +0200

Breakin' the Law Five is set with b-boy and b-girl crews from around the world registered to do battle. Breakdancin' crews from as far away as Hong Kong and as nearby as our own backyard will participate at the Monona Terrace Friday night starting at 7 p.m. and going all night. The event has 32 slots for performers and as of 10 a.m. Thursday only three were unfilled. Breakin' The Law is one of the final events of Hip Hop As a Movement Week here in Madison. The week long event seeks to highlight the positives in hip hop culture and the movement's ability to transcend cultural and socioeconomic borders. You can see our coverage of last year's Breakin' the Law here. The nearly complete line up of crews is below:

Sex and MadCity: Vote for your favorite Season Two Episode!

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 22:30:35 +0200

Just 48 little hours prior to the premiere of the Sex and the City movie on May 28, Dane101 along with Up Spatique 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 $2 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. Below we have provided a list of episodes with a brief synopsis after each one provided by wikipedia. Once you jog your memory click here to go and vote!

Sex and the City: Vote for your favorite Season Two Episode to be shown at Sex and MadCity on May 28

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 21:42:22 +0200

Episode 1: "Take Me Out to the Ballgame"

30% (21 votes)

Episode 2: "The Awful Truth"

0% (0 votes)

Episode 3: "The Freak Show"

6% (4 votes)

Episode 4: "They Shoot Single People, Don't They?"

16% (11 votes)

Episode 5: "Four Women and a Funeral"

0% (0 votes)

Episode 6: "The Cheating Curve"

0% (0 votes)

Episode 7: "The Chicken Dance"

0% (0 votes)

Episode 8: "The Man, The Myth, The Viagra"

4% (3 votes)

Episode 9: "Old Dogs, New Dicks"

9% (6 votes)

Episode 10: "The Caste System"

0% (0 votes)

Episode 11: "Evolution"

3% (2 votes)

Episode 12: "La Douleur Exquise!"

11% (8 votes)

Episode 13: "Games People Play"

0% (0 votes)

Episode 14: "The Fuck Buddy"

7% (5 votes)

Episode 15: "Shortcomings"

0% (0 votes)

Episode 16: "Was It Good For You?"

0% (0 votes)

Episode 17: "Twenty-Something Girls vs. Thirty-Something Women"

10% (7 votes)

Episode 18: "Ex and the City"

4% (3 votes)

Total votes: 70

John Mendels(s)ohn presents an evening of cocaine, easy women, dreadful writing and “retouched labias”

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 17:10:46 +0200

Cocaine, easy women, dreadful writing and "retouched labia" were all in a day’s work for John Mendels(s)ohn in 1980 when he worked for Chic magazine (an offshoot publication in Larry Flint’s Hustler enterprise).

The local actor/writer/critic will be performing his one man show about this experience at Restaurant Magnus tonight (and again on April 29 and May 6). He’s performed "Wm. Floggin’ Buckley" occasionally since the late 90s. The name of the show comes from a British character in the monologue who screams out, "I didn’t say we needed William floggin’ Buckley, did I?" When he performed the show ten years ago in San Francisco, the city’s alt weekly wrote, "Mendels(s)ohn throws himself into all these characters, and if the story is hard to follow it never lacks crazed energy or color."

Mendels(s)ohn sat down with me recently to discuss porn, bad writing, the unfair realities of the world and being a "universal object for female desire."