Story of my life.
Saturday, April 7, 2012
"The Laramie Project"
The University of West Florida theater department provides an unforgettable and tear-jerking experience in its most recent stage production, “The Laramie Project,” directed by Sam Osheroff.
The concept of the play is derived from the more than 200 interviews conducted by the Tectonic Theater Project under the direction of playwright and founder Moises Kaufman. Five weeks after the brutal murder of gay 21-year-old University of Wyoming student Matthew Shepard.
The Tectonic Theater Project traveled to Laramie, Wyo. to interview its townspeople about the hate crime that shook it to its core, and garnered it worldwide attention.
Easily, the most astonishing aspect of the play is that it is performed by only nine students who depict 60 distinct characters. On the open stage, the cast members brilliantly transform into their different characters. Not only does this require brilliant swiftness in alternating wardrobe such as hats and jackets, but it requires the skill of enunciated variation in voice and body movement.
Osheroff said that making each character unique and easily recognizable was one of his biggest challenges.
“ The play moves too quickly for costume changes so all the character work had to be defined by the actors' voice and body work,” he said. “The other tough job was ensuring that this was not just a series of talking heads, each monologue had to be real and alive, and feel like a snippet of actual conversation. I wanted the audience to feel like they were eavesdropping on each conversation, but maybe that they didn't catch the beginning.”
If it is any consolation to Osheroff, the performers pass the feat with flying colors. Scenes transition effortlessly and end powerfully. The pivotal, and most gripping of all the performances is in the final statement by Chris Frazier, who plays the role of Dennis Shepard, Matthew Shepard’s father, when he addresses the jury about his wish not see Aaron McKinney, one of his son’s murderer’s die, but to live in prison forever in the memory of Matthew.
Without a doubt, the rest of the cast certainly shine, as they reenact emotional moments from Matthew’s memorial service, to the intense trials of his two killers Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson, both roles played by Kyle Golden.
In “The Laramie Project,” performers talk to the audience in a series of monologues instead of interacting with each other with dialogues, helping the audience feel more in touch with the storyline.
The lighting on the painting hanging behind the stage,by Kimb Willieamson dimmed and brightened, adjusting to the emotion carried in scene. The backdrop is a simplistic landscape reminiscent of the Wyoming countryside, or perhaps representing the secluded field where Matthew Shepard spent the last hours of his life. The set consists mostly of a stained wood platform.
At the close of the play, Dennis Shepard remarked that he could see the “sparkling” in the distance of Laramie, a city that has a natural beauty that his son so deeply admired. One could say the same about the compelling performances in “The Laramie Project.”
Osheroff said that, while he can’t determine what message the audience walks away from the play with, he hopes that it helps them form their own meaning of ideas and concepts.
“I hope that they catch things that I didn't even notice,” he said. “The idea that strikes me most is this: Inhuman actions are the result of inflexible thinking. When we see other people as ideas or concepts rather than humans, then we allow ourselves to treat each other as less than human.”
The next performance of “The Laramie Project” will be on April 20, from 8 to 10:30 p.m.
Location Information:
UWF Pensacola Campus - Center for Fine and Performing Arts
Phone: (850) 857-6057
Room: Mainstage Theatre
Ticket Prices are:
$16/Adults
$12/Seniors & Active Military
$10/Non-UWF Students & UWF Faculty/Staff
$5/Youth
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
"Ghost Crab" Book Review
I hope my feature story on author Paul Magnus Lefcourt, aka Pablo Lefkowitz, aroused some curiosity for his novel "Ghost Crab." If so, great news! I have finally finished the final draft of my book review for "Ghost Crab." It was a fun process, and my first time reviewing a novel.
Review
“Ghost Crab,” the debut novel by Pensacola author Pablo Lefkowitz, is more like a wacky, although scientific, autobiography of sorts than your usual fiction. Lefkowitz, a marine biologist who earned a Ph. D in environmental sciences from Rutgers University, said that his own personal experiences are the foundation of “Ghost Crab,” namely his near-death experience, a debilitating accident in 1987 on his boat that left him paralyzed from the neck down.
“Ghost Crab” opens in a state of utter confusion, with the narrator, Max Nordstein, waking up from what at first seems be a coma, to find himself in a new oceanic environment—and in a new ghost crab body. Max then learns from the deeply analytical Peaches, who is a woman’s spirit trapped inside a ghost crab, that he and his beautiful girlfriend Gretel were both killed by an explosion on his boat, the R/V Gaea, and that he has been reincarnated as a ghost crab.
After their encounter, they engage in a passionate mating scene, and Peaches becomes Max’s lover and only companion, acting as a psychotherapist, explaining to him the concept of reincarnation.
“Every human soul that has ever occupied a human form is now either in another human form or an animal like us,” Peaches explains to Max. “It is the way of Karma.”
Ever the logical scientist, Max is bewildered by this philosophy of reincarnation and renounces belief in the supernatural, mystics, witch doctors, or keepers of the occult, but Peaches tells him that he must keep an open mind—or else get lost. Once Max regains his memory, he embarks on an adventurous trip through a mental videodisc, which reveals the events of his life. These events include his birth in Norway to an American Jewish mother named Anna and Sven his Norwegian father, who is a chemistry professor and scientist, to his early, incestuous love affair with his cousin Aimee, his tedious graduate research studies at Rutgers University, and his experiences and relationships formed at High Thor, a rehabilitation center.
Lefkowitz’s writing style is unique but awkward to read because the story flows like a drawn-out interview, with Peaches, whose dialogue is in bold print, asking Max foreboding question after question as if they are in a never-ending, redundant therapy session.
Max’s life is a dizzying tale of a complex intellectual who goes through phases of self-destruction, self-renewal, and self- discovery. Not for the faint of heart, “Ghost Crab” contains graphic sexual descriptions and themes of incest between Max and both his sister and his cousin that can be uncomfortable to read.
Lefkowitz said in a recent interview that “Ghost Crab” is the product of invention and real-life happenings. He said he had no fear of inventing things such as making Max a genius, and his father, who is also Max’s son, one of the most famous scientists in the world.
Although the plot of “Ghost Crab” is captivating and exciting at some turns, it is a story that warrants interest in the life of the author himself, or in the theme of reincarnation, to which Lefkowitz takes an unusual approach.
“Read this book, and you’ll find out what a screwball I really am, but I’m very lovable,” Lefkowitz also said.
The first edition of “Ghost Crab,” published by Xlibris Corp. on September 22, 2000 is currently available only in hardcover on Amazon for $32.99.
Review
“Ghost Crab,” the debut novel by Pensacola author Pablo Lefkowitz, is more like a wacky, although scientific, autobiography of sorts than your usual fiction. Lefkowitz, a marine biologist who earned a Ph. D in environmental sciences from Rutgers University, said that his own personal experiences are the foundation of “Ghost Crab,” namely his near-death experience, a debilitating accident in 1987 on his boat that left him paralyzed from the neck down.
“Ghost Crab” opens in a state of utter confusion, with the narrator, Max Nordstein, waking up from what at first seems be a coma, to find himself in a new oceanic environment—and in a new ghost crab body. Max then learns from the deeply analytical Peaches, who is a woman’s spirit trapped inside a ghost crab, that he and his beautiful girlfriend Gretel were both killed by an explosion on his boat, the R/V Gaea, and that he has been reincarnated as a ghost crab.
After their encounter, they engage in a passionate mating scene, and Peaches becomes Max’s lover and only companion, acting as a psychotherapist, explaining to him the concept of reincarnation.
“Every human soul that has ever occupied a human form is now either in another human form or an animal like us,” Peaches explains to Max. “It is the way of Karma.”
Ever the logical scientist, Max is bewildered by this philosophy of reincarnation and renounces belief in the supernatural, mystics, witch doctors, or keepers of the occult, but Peaches tells him that he must keep an open mind—or else get lost. Once Max regains his memory, he embarks on an adventurous trip through a mental videodisc, which reveals the events of his life. These events include his birth in Norway to an American Jewish mother named Anna and Sven his Norwegian father, who is a chemistry professor and scientist, to his early, incestuous love affair with his cousin Aimee, his tedious graduate research studies at Rutgers University, and his experiences and relationships formed at High Thor, a rehabilitation center.
Lefkowitz’s writing style is unique but awkward to read because the story flows like a drawn-out interview, with Peaches, whose dialogue is in bold print, asking Max foreboding question after question as if they are in a never-ending, redundant therapy session.
Max’s life is a dizzying tale of a complex intellectual who goes through phases of self-destruction, self-renewal, and self- discovery. Not for the faint of heart, “Ghost Crab” contains graphic sexual descriptions and themes of incest between Max and both his sister and his cousin that can be uncomfortable to read.
Lefkowitz said in a recent interview that “Ghost Crab” is the product of invention and real-life happenings. He said he had no fear of inventing things such as making Max a genius, and his father, who is also Max’s son, one of the most famous scientists in the world.
Although the plot of “Ghost Crab” is captivating and exciting at some turns, it is a story that warrants interest in the life of the author himself, or in the theme of reincarnation, to which Lefkowitz takes an unusual approach.
“Read this book, and you’ll find out what a screwball I really am, but I’m very lovable,” Lefkowitz also said.
The first edition of “Ghost Crab,” published by Xlibris Corp. on September 22, 2000 is currently available only in hardcover on Amazon for $32.99.
Friday, March 16, 2012
Coach-N-Four Review
Coach-N- Four is located at 1313 Lewis Turner Blvd. in Fort Walton Beach, Fla.
Hours of Operation are 5- 9p.m. on Mon.-Thu., 4:30-10 p.m. on Fri.-Sat. and 5 -8 p.m. on Sun
Judging by outside appearances alone, one could toss Coach-N-Four onto the seemingly never-ending list of modestly priced steak houses.
However, once inside, the restaurant transforms into a warm, down-home, cowboys -and -Indians -style log cabin reminiscent of “Little House on the Prairie.”
When I arrived, there was a short line of customers on the waiting list, but before I knew it, fewer than 10 minutes had passed when our party of three was promptly seated at a booth.
Fast, good quality customer service continued to be a staple throughout the visit. Our waitress was friendly and patiently helped us decide which appetizer to order.
Since we were pretty hungry we ordered the golden-fried crab claws. They did not disappoint. There was a generous helping—definitely enough for three people.
The noise level was low, which made for a more pleasant dining experience. The crowd at Coach-N-Four seemed to be more mature, yet the restaurant is perfect for the whole family.
Coach-n-Four’s menu offers both full and half-size portions of their steaks, chicken, and seafood. I ordered a medium-cooked half-size 7-ounce New York strip steak for a whopping $12. Pricier cuts include the bone-in rib eye and porterhouse, and the filet mignon. These steaks are priced from $14-$23 depending on the portion size.
The New York strip was flavorful and tender. I could tell that they took great care in marinating and grilling the meat close to perfection as possible. However, the meat was a little fattier than I anticipated, despite claims of its leanness. The defining feature of the dish was the special grill steak sauce, a delicious rendition of Worcestershire sauce, but a little more savory than tangy.
From the side-item menu, I chose a well-balanced tossed salad with creamy, homemade ranch dressing, and a baked sweet potato that was complemented with brown sugar and butter.
Although Coach-N-Four is famous for its juicy, grilled, hand-cut steaks, there is a variety of other hearty entrées.The seafood options include fresh-from-the-Gulf-of-Mexico oysters, shrimp, fish of the day, fish louisianne served with spicy gumbo, and Atlantic sea scallops. The oysters are served fried, but the shrimp, flaky white fish, and scallops are offered blackened, grilled, or fried. The half-size portion prices range from $7.50 to $10, and the full-size portion prices range from $12 to $14.
For those who aren’t in the mood for seafood or steak—fear not, there are three chicken plates, including a 10-ounce portion of chicken-fried chicken served over garlic mashed potatoes and gravy, a half and full-size portion of grilled chicken breast served over rice, and a 10-ounce “cheesy chicken” breast served grilled over rice, sautéed mushrooms and onions and topped with cheese.
So if you’re ever on this side of town, and want an affordable, good quality meal, excellent customer service, and a comfortable atmosphere, Coach-N-Four is definitely the place to go.
Hours of Operation are 5- 9p.m. on Mon.-Thu., 4:30-10 p.m. on Fri.-Sat. and 5 -8 p.m. on Sun
Judging by outside appearances alone, one could toss Coach-N-Four onto the seemingly never-ending list of modestly priced steak houses.
However, once inside, the restaurant transforms into a warm, down-home, cowboys -and -Indians -style log cabin reminiscent of “Little House on the Prairie.”
When I arrived, there was a short line of customers on the waiting list, but before I knew it, fewer than 10 minutes had passed when our party of three was promptly seated at a booth.
Fast, good quality customer service continued to be a staple throughout the visit. Our waitress was friendly and patiently helped us decide which appetizer to order.
Since we were pretty hungry we ordered the golden-fried crab claws. They did not disappoint. There was a generous helping—definitely enough for three people.
The noise level was low, which made for a more pleasant dining experience. The crowd at Coach-N-Four seemed to be more mature, yet the restaurant is perfect for the whole family.
Coach-n-Four’s menu offers both full and half-size portions of their steaks, chicken, and seafood. I ordered a medium-cooked half-size 7-ounce New York strip steak for a whopping $12. Pricier cuts include the bone-in rib eye and porterhouse, and the filet mignon. These steaks are priced from $14-$23 depending on the portion size.
The New York strip was flavorful and tender. I could tell that they took great care in marinating and grilling the meat close to perfection as possible. However, the meat was a little fattier than I anticipated, despite claims of its leanness. The defining feature of the dish was the special grill steak sauce, a delicious rendition of Worcestershire sauce, but a little more savory than tangy.
From the side-item menu, I chose a well-balanced tossed salad with creamy, homemade ranch dressing, and a baked sweet potato that was complemented with brown sugar and butter.
Although Coach-N-Four is famous for its juicy, grilled, hand-cut steaks, there is a variety of other hearty entrées.The seafood options include fresh-from-the-Gulf-of-Mexico oysters, shrimp, fish of the day, fish louisianne served with spicy gumbo, and Atlantic sea scallops. The oysters are served fried, but the shrimp, flaky white fish, and scallops are offered blackened, grilled, or fried. The half-size portion prices range from $7.50 to $10, and the full-size portion prices range from $12 to $14.
For those who aren’t in the mood for seafood or steak—fear not, there are three chicken plates, including a 10-ounce portion of chicken-fried chicken served over garlic mashed potatoes and gravy, a half and full-size portion of grilled chicken breast served over rice, and a 10-ounce “cheesy chicken” breast served grilled over rice, sautéed mushrooms and onions and topped with cheese.
So if you’re ever on this side of town, and want an affordable, good quality meal, excellent customer service, and a comfortable atmosphere, Coach-N-Four is definitely the place to go.
Spotlight on Paul Magnus Lefcourt, Author of "Ghost Crab"
Last Thursday, author and Pensacola native, Paul Magnus Lefcourt, visited my critical reviews class to speak to us about his life and his novel, "Ghost Crab." He shared with us details about his personal journey, revelations, and writing process. Below is the profile that I wrote on Mr. Lefcourt. Enjoy.
Paul Magnus Lefcourt
When speaking of marine biologist-turned-author Paul Magnus Lefourt, the first thing that comes to mind is survivor, the second is transformation. His first novel, “Ghost Crab,” is a reflection of his own personal journey and transformation, but instead as a scientist reincarnated as a ghost crab named Max. Lefcourt was raised in New York City, near the Jamaica Bay. From childhood on, he found himself intrigued by the water and its inhabitants.
In 1963 he went on to earn a Bachelor of Science degree from the City College of New York, a Master of Public Health degree from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1965, then a PH.D in Environmental Science from Rutgers University in 1972.
After graduate school, Lefcourt was employed by the Environmental Protection Agency, where he worked for over 20 years. Lefcourt said his lifelong commitment is seeking improvement in the quality of natural waters. This commitment, along with his paralyzing accident, undoubtedly compelled him to tell his story. Although Lefcourt said that he always wrote a little bit, he never took writing serious until he had the accident.
“I believe we all experience, at some time in our lives, a singular event, an event so powerful, so full of personal meaning and significance, that our life, from that time forward, is forever changed,” Lecourt said.
On August 22, 1987, Lefcourt was celebrating his early retirement at a bar on Pensacola Beach when that singular event took place. That night, he said he was happier than he’d been in years—then tragedy struck. As he tried to step onto his boat, he fell into the water, slamming his head against the boat on his way down, causing his head to snap back, pushing a bone spur that he from a previous injury, into his spinal cord. This accident left him paralyzed from the neck down.
While he was submerged in the water, Lefcourt said he heard a voice speak to him—a voice similar to his own. The voice told him, “Relax Paul, this will be over in a moment,” he said. “It really is a good time to die.” At that instant, Lefcourt told the voice that he wanted to live, and he was miraculously washed onto land, twenty to thirty feet from his boat, which was tied in the cove.
“While I was lying in the water, I was thinking about the crabs eating me. After all, there was nothing I could do if the crab came up to me and decided it wanted to eat me, there was nothing I could do. The only good thing is I wouldn’t feel it because I had no sense of pain.”
Lefcourt said a couple years after the accident he began writing “Ghost Crab,” and while he was in the hospital, he reminisced on his experience and the meaning of life.
“The concept of living is to live and experience, but what you experience, you don’t understand, you cannot understand it because there are so many forces working on your mind as you live,” he said. “And only when you die is it revealed, and how is it revealed?” You are given a psychotherapist.” His psychotherapist in “Ghost Crab” was his lover Peaches, also reincarnated as a ghost crab.
“I started writing this story about this guy who is conscious, but he’s dead and he doesn’t understand it and that’s the beginning of ‘Ghost Crab,’” he said. “He’s spiraling through whatever, and when he finally focuses he’s inside a ghost crab.” Sound familiar?
Lefcourt said he took time writing the self-published “Ghost Crab,” and that he wrote most of the book during the night after he dreamed.
“When you’re living by yourself in a boat, and you don’t have to go to work, it’s a big advantage,” he said. “My time is my time. Whenever I’d feel like writing, I’d write. Sometimes there would be weeks when I didn’t write anything, there was no inspiration. So it’s very inspiring, whatever the hell that means.”
Lefcourt said that he began writing a sequel to “Ghost Crab,” but after he completed 20 chapters, he lost his inspiration.
“I think that there are a lot of writers like that, they’re essentially one-book writers,” he said, naming “Catcher in the Rye” author J.D. Salinger.
A self-described ego-maniac, Lefcourt’s writing includes a book of poetry, poetry that also reflects his life, such as his childhood, high school and college years and relationships.
“Ghost Crab,” Lefcourt said, is a more creative work than his book of poetry because he had no fear of inventing things such as making Max a genius, and his father, who is also Max’s son, one of the most famous scientists in the world.
“Read this book, and you’ll find out what a screwball I really am, but I’m very lovable," he said.
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Flow
Just as a exercising should be a habit, a flow, so should writing. Just as the muscles begin to disinegrate after a period of physical inactivity, so does the writer's "personality", his imagination.
After a 25-minute rigorous cardio session at the gym, this analogy seems the most convenient. I am in the recharge mode, physically, mentally, and emotionally. I have the momentum to improve myself in every area imaginable, so why not start with the foundation?
I've made it a goal to write on this blog atleast twice a week, every week. I am determined to tap back into myself as a writer and as a person. This blog allows me that oppotunity. It's where I reflect on my day, my week, gather my thoughts, write them out, say them outloud, and feel content with it all. It's a step towards personal improvement and emotional well-being.
I want to fully experience every experience. I want to relive emotions, recollect dialogue. This is my outlet to really breath, really live. What better for a journalism student, than to journal her own life? Isn't that what I'm in college for? Although college has tought me to form healthy habits in preparation for the world, it is up to me to be productive.
The time to form HEALTHY habits is now. I have never been more ready.
After a 25-minute rigorous cardio session at the gym, this analogy seems the most convenient. I am in the recharge mode, physically, mentally, and emotionally. I have the momentum to improve myself in every area imaginable, so why not start with the foundation?
I've made it a goal to write on this blog atleast twice a week, every week. I am determined to tap back into myself as a writer and as a person. This blog allows me that oppotunity. It's where I reflect on my day, my week, gather my thoughts, write them out, say them outloud, and feel content with it all. It's a step towards personal improvement and emotional well-being.
I want to fully experience every experience. I want to relive emotions, recollect dialogue. This is my outlet to really breath, really live. What better for a journalism student, than to journal her own life? Isn't that what I'm in college for? Although college has tought me to form healthy habits in preparation for the world, it is up to me to be productive.
The time to form HEALTHY habits is now. I have never been more ready.
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