Joe's in Mrs. Warren's Profession!

Joe Franchini has taken a role in George Bernard Shaw's play, Mrs. Warren's Profession.

(That's Joe's picture at the left from back in 2005 when he directed Pierrot le Quin at the Connelly Theatre. A more recent picture is on the right, above the link to the Boo Arts website -- with more information about the production he's in.)

"I am so happy to be working on a Shaw play," he says. "I love his work. The language is a joy to work on (and difficult to learn!).

Thanks again to Annalisa Derr, our Lucila

Annalisa in group is second from left; Annalisa below is second to none.

Here's what Annalisa tells us about playing the role of Lucila:

As a non-native Spanish speaker, this is the second time I've played a Spanish speaking character. However, playing Lucila brought a handful of challenges aside from language. One of which was bringing to life the non-fictional character of a young Gabriel Mistral. I had to discover the truth, complexity, and freedom of this young woman without playing at being a 'little girl.'

One of the many fun things about being an actor is the process of discovery and growth that happens with each new play and character we inhabit. I had the fortune to learn about a talented and mysterious poet while recreating her through my own eyes.
There are universal human truths that we can all draw on to, "step into the shoes" of the character, or empathize with them. These truths I drew from while molding the character of Lucila. And sometimes, as actors, we ask for guidance and permission from that of the deceased soul of the character we are portraying in order to create a well-rounded portrayal."

[That's Gabriela Mistral on the left —Lucila grown up. She's smiling because someone worked hard to tell the story of what happened to her in Vicuña, Chile, when she was a child. Lucila's story.]

We're glad to know that Annalisa has been up to a lot of things since the 2008 New York International Fringe Theatre Festival.

I just wrapped a web series entitled "Empire," in which I played Katherine. Nearly completed filming the feature-length film, "Mara."
I am always creating; whether I am acting, writing, singing, dancing, painting, taking photographs with my Polaroid, I am "doing." I just returned from a three-week trip to Poland in which, among many things, I was able to perform my rendition of "My Funny Valentine."

Thanks!

Annalisa Derr

But we're back to the top where we who thank her for doing such a great job. Wish we could see her Funny Valentine.

Il y a longtemps; it's been a long time ....

Hello. I'm in Quebec City again. Sorry if anyone was checking here for updates. As it all turned out, the plays went well enough, including my one performance as Frederick in Glover, Vermont at the town hall, though Peter Schumann told me I needed a director.

I wasn't able to stay in New York City as long as I wished, for several reasons, so I wasn't able to thank people who worked so hard on the two plays. I'll put a thank you here.

It looks like Frederick was à propos, no? The capitalist barbarians of whom he spoke did indeed take the gates, and as Frederick thought his father thought, nothing could stop them.

Here in Quebec City I have difficulty with access to the kind of technology a writer needs now. Even so, I'm writing. I don't know if I'll write plays for a while, not unless Mark Dannenhauer wants to be Basho, in which case yes I'll write about Basho. But I'm trying to write stories now, be they true or fiction.

I love this quotation from William Maxwell, seen in a recent New Yorker magazine article about him:

"For me, 'fiction' lies not in whether a thing, the thing I am writing about, actually happened, but in the form of the writing ... a story, which has a shape, a controlled effect, a satisfying conclusion — something that is, or attempts to be, a work of art." William Maxwell

I'm going to start a new blog, this one with essays about the Quebec and Mexican borders and about learning French and Spanish as I've tried to do.

Anyway, thanks again to all: Ralph Pochoda and Gwynn MacDonald, especially, and all the many talented people who did Lucila's Story. I think it was important, your doing it. I know it was, for me, and I hope it was for you, and I really hope it was, if even just a very little, for the world at large.

Courage, now. Courage.

Frederick will also show in Vermont

In the Glover Town Hall, Aug. 20, 8 pm, free of charge, the playwright in the solo role. (No competition for Ralph Pochoda in the Fringe, as anyone can surmise.)

Paul McCartney was here and ...

he was truly great. He said for one song, "Sing with me, this one's for John," and 250,000+ sang, again and again, "All we are saying is Give Peace a Chance." It was amazing. And it was free!

Back to the website?

Since I'm still in Quebec City without good access to a computer whereon I can put site-building software — but where I get to see Paul McCartney free, with 200,000 other celebrants of the 400th anniversary of Quebec, July 20 — we're expecting a more normal and certainly more complete website soon. In any case, to go back to the website, click here: http://www.meyouandeli.com/.

Ralph Pochoda sent a photo!

Here`s Ralph Pochoda who accepted the solo role in A December Eve`s Visit with Frederick Demuth. Ralph was recommended by Jason Grote of Theatre against War.