Thursday, October 29, 2009

Creativity In 100 Words

My friend actor/blogger Blaine Hogan asked me to write 100 words on the idea of "creating a new work." He is collecting 100 words on many topics and posting them on his website.

Here I am:
Creating Something New

Creating a new work is about more than just a great idea. People have ideas all the time, but few follow-up on them and allow them to grow. Even fewer actually complete them. No matter what you’re creating (a musical, film, book, etc.) you’re going to need support. Even the most individual arts require feedback. In my experience, creating theatre is a total ensemble activity. You don’t know what you’ve got until actors and designers have provided their interpretations and visions. Successful creators never get too caught up in themselves or lose focus on the ones who’ve contributed to “their” creation.

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Gore Vidal Has Lost His Mind

Last week when Gore Vidal said a bunch of stupid things about Barack Obama, I left him alone. He's old and prone to saying anything that will get his name in print. Remember, he was completely inconsistent during the primaries, flip-flopping between Obama and Clinton. He said things that many people observed were racist. Everyone left him alone.

Today in The Atlantic, Vidal said he never should have supported Obama and "experience mattered." He then went on to suggest that the 13-year-old girl Roman Polanski had sex with was a "young hooker" and that Roman was only persecuted out of anti-Semitism.

Why does this guy still get interviewed? Can't someone stop him from embarrassing himself? Doesn't someone have power of attorney? Isn't there anyone concerned with this guy's vanishing legacy?

What's even worse is that since Sept. 11, 2001, Vidal has been a leading "intellectual" of the 9/11 Truth movement, giving countless interviews to lunatic fringe correspondents like Alex Jones. He'll tell anyone who will listen about how George Bush personally planned 9/11. Seriously, Google has 140,000 pages on Vidal's paranoia.

So please, legit reporters -- stop asking this demented man questions. It's over.

Originally posted on The Hill.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Live-Blogging Tonight's NYC Mayoral Debate

Starting at 6:45pm tonight, I'm live-blogging the final NYC Mayoral Debate between Mike Bloomberg and Democrat Bill Thompson on CitizeNYC.

CitizeNYC is a new site, founded by my friend Greg Palmer, that is dedicated to people-powered New York news and I'm excited to be involved at this early stage.

Visit CitizeNYC starting at 6:45 for the live story.

Update: Live-Blog was very fun. Read the entire transcript here.

Monday, October 26, 2009

Gillibrand For New York


Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) filled up a large room with gay activists at New York’s LGBT Community Center yesterday for a 45-minute town hall meeting that touched on many issues important to the community. Questions ranged from gay persecution in Iraq to repealing “Don’t ask, don’t tell.” Although she has been a vocal supporter of LGBT rights since her January appointment, this was the first time she faced an entirely gay audience for open questions. She did quite well.

An early question focused on her positive change of heart on gay marriage, but Gillibrand argued that she has always been “100 percent in favor of gay rights” and her gay congressional voting record is spotless. HRC actually gave her an 80 percent rating, but her current commitment seems passionate and real.

Gillibrand was very optimistic about what could be accomplished legislatively over the next year. She hopes to include gay couples in comprehensive immigration reform, which she believes could be voted on by March. She spoke of a “clear strategy” to end “Don’t ask, don’t tell” and pass an inclusive Employee Non-Discrimination Act. All great things, none very easy.

Over the last several months I’ve worried that Gillibrand was using gay issues primarily to excite the left and ward off a primary challenge. But that primary isn’t a concern anymore. New York Democrats’ main concern is recent polls showing Gillibrand trailing Republicans Giuliani and Pataki in general-election match-ups.

It’s time for New Yorkers to rally around their new senator, regardless of their feelings on lame-duck Paterson. Gillibrand seems ready to provide us with progressive leadership. She has quickly engaged herself in important issues in the Senate, and the last thing we need is some regressive like Pataki taking the seat because voters didn’t feel confident in Kirsten.

Originally posted on The Hill. Photo taken on my iPhone.

Monday, October 5, 2009

LGBT for Mike Bloomberg

On Thursday we joined hundreds of other LGBT New Yorkers at City Winery to show our support for Mayor Bloomberg's reelection camapign. See the video below for some highlights from the event and join LGBT for Bloomberg now.

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Street Lights Podcasts!


Joe & I recently sat down for interviews on two theater podcast to discuss our upcoming production of Street Lights at NYMF.

Photo by Cassie Corrigan.