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INSTALLMENT

selected highlights

Issue 2 . . . March 2001

Editor's Commentary: I can't remember when Brad McEntire first approached me with his idea of starting a performance-based media/arts group. It must have been roughly a year ago he first got me involved, personally, with the goings-on of Audacity Productions. Last December, I had the privilege of being "special effects guy" during the filming of the short digital video ARSENIC & ROSES. Today, I am sitting at the computer attempting to write my first article for the INSTALLMENT. Throughout the last year, I have seen Audacity involved with ProgreXssive Arts to maintain the comedy improv troupe Mild Dementia, produce a nearly-rained-out WAITING FOR GODOT, travel to the New York International Fringe Festival to world-premiere SLICK KADMON V. GOD, along with a variety of other endeavors, including recently wrapping up shooting on the aforementioned video project ARSENIC & ROSES, and the soon-to-be released (and yet to be named) Audacity book, with works by several brilliant artists and writers. The fact that these projects became more than just a simple idea isn't what astounds me, but that Audacity has been able to pull all this off in the North Dallas area, U.S.A.

Mr. McEntire and I both live and operate in what is officially north Dallas (Texas), with most Audacity productions occurring in the surrounding cities of Carrollton, Plano, Garland, and Lewisville. The landscapes of these small towns are heavily dominated by Blockbusters, Starbucks, and churches. The areas in which Audacity Productions works is populated with upper middle class families whose idea and exposure to art, performance and culture do not always coincide with Audacity's ideas about art and performance. A friend of mine recently attended a city planning meeting with the City of Carrollton. The meeting's objectives were to instigate a plan to help differentiate Carrollton from the other surrounding suburbs by 2003. My friend was sitting on the "fine arts" committee and met with city officials, and came to the realization that the City of Carrollton has little to no intention of supporting theatre, music, art, or dance in the near future. In what bills itself as "the quality of life city", one would assume the officials in Carrollton believe Walmart Supercenters, multiplex movie theatres and more hotels will profit the city much more than culture (and honestly, fiscally-speaking, I believe they have a valid argument). But what good is a "quality of life" town with little to no arts or culture?

It is up to us, we here at Audacity as well as you who receive this newsletter, to go out and support a local theatre company, or a local art house cinema, or a local art exhibition. It is up to us to invite friends, neighbors, and relatives to attend, speak about, and promote companies like Audacity, so they can flourish in communities where they normally would not (though are desperately needed). If we don't take an active role in spreading the word about the arts in our own communities, the only culture we may receive in the future could be the Colombian Blend at the local strip-mall coffee house.

~ Jeff Hernandez, Co-Editor

ASK THE T-MAC

While driving along sunny south Dallas I had the excellent fortune to be involved in an attempted car-jacking. My car-jacker was of a very enjoyable disposition. His voice was calm as he waved a gun in my face and made me feel at ease as he attempted to steal my car. I knew that this car-jacker was special. T-Mac, it turns out, is a small time drug dealer, part time pimp, he jacks and stripes cars, and has been known to kill for fun: he's a real jack of all trades. So when we had an opening for an advice columnist. T-Mac was our obvious choice. ~ J. H., editor

Dear T-Mac,

My wife and I have enjoyed a successful marriage the past ten years. Last month, when she told me her mother was moving to the same city as us, I thought it was a good thing. I didn't realize she was moving into the house across the street from us. My wife liked having her mother close by, but I soon noticed that my mother-in-law was over at our house every evening. And she now complains constantly about the amount of work I accomplish, my salary, my wardrobe, etc. I love my wife, but I can't live under these conditions. What should I do?

- Hating the M-I-L

Dear Hating the M-I-L,

Yo ass oughta be Whupped by his Bitch. First, you gotz ta keep control o' yo crib. Sounds like you done already lost all da power in your own house, bitch. A man should never let his bitch's old lady front him. You got ta throw down. This one time I had the folks of one of my prime-dum-diddily ho's front on me. I had to pop some caps in their respective asses and dump em in the river. I handed my ho her old lady's left index finger, Soprano's style. If I were you, I'd call up one of my boys and have them dispose of that old bee-otch east coast style, yo.

- T-Mac