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Issue 3. . . October 2001

Editor's Commentary: The Other Editor's Trip to NYC

By Co-Editor Jeff Hernandez

It could be said that over the summer Audacity picked up it's bags and headed to the Big Apple, as the two INSTALLMENT editors were up in NYC for the month of August. Brad McEntire, or as I like to call him, the Audacity machine, wrote, produced, directed, and even in some cases ran the light and sound for RED PAJAMA BLUES at the New York Fringe Festival. Jeff Hernandez, or as I like to call him, that other guy, wasn't quite as successful, which of course means, he has the better story of the two.

Over the past year, Jeff Hernandez who was born and raised the suburbs of Dallas has come to the conclusion that a drastic change was needed in his life. Always flirting with the idea of moving up to New York, he decided that this past summer was as good a time as any to make the "big jump". Allow me to paint what I like to call a word picture: it was a warm August morning when Jeff finished packing his bags, kissed his tearful grandmother goodbye, and left for the airport. Little did he know that six hours later he would be sitting on top of an apartment building in Brooklyn. That's how it began: Jeff Hernandez's New York trip from hell.

"It was only five hours of my life that I was stuck up on the roof of that apartment complex with my luggage and my Esquire magazine waiting for my friend to come home and unlock the place I was suppose to be staying, five hours in that ninety degree weather. Really, it wasn't so bad." Jeff said. What a trouper, that Jeff. He didn't allow such a situation to ruin his outlook on his New York journey; that would come later.

For three weeks Jeff mostly wandered around the streets of New York City, the first week had an average temperature of ninety six degrees, and it was only a few times Jeff found himself walking half a dozen blocks in the wrong direction. Although bothersome, that wasn't nearly as annoying as the New York mass transit system. As he tells the story, there were at least three separate occasions that while running to catch the subway, the conductor would look directly at Jeff, smile, close the doors to the subway cars, and pull away from the platform just as Jeff got to the doors. Jeff would watch the train ride off into the tunnel, and be stuck at the platform for ten-plus minutes while waiting for the next train. He found it hard to adjust from the, at least faux- friendly surroundings of Texas. Jeff was unhappy in the Big Apple. Not every experience for Jeff was bad.

Jeff claims that his best night that he spent in New York was the night that he spent out on the streets. "I was commuting between a friend's apartment in Astoria, and another apartment out in Brooklyn. There is no direct way to get from where I was in Astoria, to where I needed to be in Brooklyn. From Astoria, I had to go back into the city, to get out to Brooklyn, which takes a good hour, sometimes longer, depending on whether the train leaves without me. One time I left Astoria around midnight, got out to Brooklyn at about 1:30, found out that the subway stopped running service out to my stop (due to construction on the tracks…), so I rode back into the city. I maybe could have walked to the apartment where I was staying, which was maybe a mile away from where the service ceased, but the truth is I probably would have gotten lost, so I went back into the city.

The New York Public Theater's performance of the SEA GULL was selling out, driving the city mad for tickets. I went out to Astor Place to watch the people wait in line for tickets. I ended up sitting down at the back of the line, which was starting to wrap around the block. I met these really nice people who came up after me. We sat and talked about Texas, and New York, and the theater, and Superman. It really wasn't so bad considering I was sleeping on the street." Jeff wasn't too upset when he had to forgo seeing Rhett Miller, lead singer for the Old 97's, Jeff's favorite band, to go see a spoken word gathering. According to Jeff, not all of the spoken word needed to be spoken, but seeing A.V. Phibes eating a light bulb was, "cool", and hearing the Dan Emery Mystery Band play was a fair consolation.

Finally, of course, Jeff had a swell time going to see RED PAJAMA BLUES with his attractive female pal Mindy Rebman. Way to go Jeff. However those three isolated incidents weren't enough to convince him that New York was worth all the hassles of urine smelling streets, the subway conductors, the crazy homeless people, and the rest of the irratants of the mean city. Jeff decided it was time to put his little New York dream to bed, and headed home to Texas, where there are literally greener pastures. As Jeff puts it, "New York is a nice place to visit… and I have friends that live there for me."

MTF @ MOM

Audacity was pleased to attend Austin, Texas' Mind Over Money Theatrical Festival for the first time in early October. The MOM Fest (for short) is an annual festival of fifty-plus productions from various alternative and independent theatre and dance groups from across the United States.

Audacity was represented by a sketch/revue show in the tradition of Audacity's (and PXArts) companion comedy performance group Mild Dementia. The three-person revue, called MORE THAN FRIENDS, featured three performers: Rhiannon McMillen, Brendan Ahern, and Brad McEntire. Jen Pearcy, Artistic Director of New York's Square Peg Theatre Collective flew in to join the team to run lights and help consume alcohol, and Austin bon vivant Robyn Greer assisted as Sound Op. MTF satirized about everything from crime dramas to Santa to male-female relationships.

Of the two-night run, at The Hideout, one evening sold out and played to standing-room only crowds and Audacity was extended an invitation to return next year by the good folks at MOM Fest.

THE MODERN THEATRE-GOER An essay by Brad McEntire

Going to the Theatre. What exactly does that term mean nowadays? Is this phrase dying like so many other phrases that marked a more sophisticated, a more culturally-aware time? A time not so fast-paced and technology-driven.

Can it be said that America is, on the whole, an arts-loving society. We are, yes, an entertainment-loving society and a consumer-friendly society, but culturally and artistically supportive? Well, yes… but with stipulations.

Going to the Theatre now implies much more than passive attendance (i.e. the way we file into cinemas) at a performance; it signifies participation in the social life of our cities, our communities. Today, theatre-goers (those brave few who recognize how important it is to feed one's mind and soul as well as one's stomach and investment portfolio) are likely to arrive early for pre-show snacks in the lobby or dinner, perhaps, in the neighborhood. Today's theatre-goer will more than likely stay late for post-performance discussions, attend lectures on a Saturday afternoon, visit the plaza for a midday lunch concert or reading, take a youngster to a children's puppet theatre performance at the informal outdoor amphitheatre at the park. Today's theatre-goer may take in a late-night comedy revue over cocktails.

In short, today's true theatre-goers are informed and demanding. Expectations are high. And well they should be. They are a rarity in this media-saturated society and should be valued. Pandered to? No. But valued and developed.

So should a single theatre company provide all the services listed above? Ideally, yes, but when the cold light of reality shines on the financial resources of most theatre companies, this is hardly possible or practical. But, that is what an arts community is for. A bunch of theatres sticking close to their guns and mission statements share the burden… no not burden… responsibility of supplying for the needs of a modern theatre-goer.

Audacity Productions is proud to part of such a community. The North Dallas area is well-off in the arts, if not quite rich in it. But the true value of this loop is that with the variety and (fingers crossed) ever-increasing quality of theatre activity will not only meet the needs of demanding contemporary theatre-goers, but hopefully, develop new theatre-goers. There is an audience out there. They just don't know it yet.

So, in a spirit of community, below is a listing of some high quality fellow theatres we at Audacity recommend:

ProgreXssive Arts www.pxarts.com

Rover Dramawerks www.roverdramawerks.com

Plano Repertory Theatre www.planorep.org

Moonwater Theatre www.moonwater.org

Water Tower Theatre www.watertowertheatre.org