|
Oct 15
|
PCA’s ‘The Miracle Worker’ communicates Helen Keller’s amazing story
By Scott Orr, The Daily Courier – 10/11/2011
PRESCOTT – To see “The Miracle Worker” performed live at the Prescott Center for the Performing Arts is to simultaneously suspend disbelief and realize what an effort it is to stage this very physical play effectively.
And it is effective. For anyone who has never seen the film or the play, “The Miracle Worker” tells the true story of Helen Keller, a young deaf and blind girl, and her teacher, Annie Sullivan. The story is set in the period immediately following the Civil War, when such children were sometimes believed to be uncontrollable and placed in asylums.
Annie (Joanne Robertson, right) and Helen (Carly Fonda, left) have a breakthrough in communication with the help of a doll.
Helen, played by 10-year-old Carly Fonda, is indeed uncontrollable as the play opens. Fonda, acting in a role that has no dialogue, yet sees her on stage for nearly all of the show’s two hours, gives a nuanced performance. “I have learned that you can (convey) words through your facial expressions,” she said.
The role requires violent behavior: Helen slaps, kicks and bites people, throws silverware, breaks dishes, and wreaks all manner of other destruction whenever she fails to get her way. Annie (Joanne Robertson) gives as good as she gets, although Robertson said playing the part required a little extra help. “It’s very physical,” she said. “I’m wearing kneepads and I have bruises all over.”
Supporting actor Justus Burkitt as Helen’s half-brother, James, steals nearly every scene he’s in, cracking pointed jokes and delivering sarcastic comments to Annie and his father, Captain Keller (Kevin Nissen). He acts as the comic relief in an otherwise very intense show, but his appearances never seem forced or extraneous.
Helen (Carly Fonda) acts up at the breakfast table while Annie (Joanne Robertson) assesses the situation in the Prescott Center for the Arts' production of "The Miracle Worker." Callaghan Howard, Kevin Nissen, Karla Burkitt, Lois Fazio and Justus Burkitt co-star.
The show is directed by Catherine Miller Hahn; this is her 60th production. She said it was not easy to stage. “This one is very difficult. There’s lots of pieces to it, lots of scenes, lots of places,” she said. Because of the nature of the theatre (it is a converted church), plays like this one, with multiple sets, require some unusual techniques and staging. “In our theater, we don’t have flies (cables to a tall ceiling) to take things up or down, so you have to figure out a way to move and weave it all,” Hahn said.
The set design takes advantage of the open space above the stage, allowing the upstairs spare bedroom in which Annie writes her diary entries to literally be upstairs, above the rest of the house. As usual for this theater, there are unavoidable viewblocks presented by the structural pillars of the church which stand at the front of the stage. It is surprising how frequently these relatively small obstructions block parts of the action at times.
If you know the story or have seen the film, you know how it ends. This production also includes a touching “extra” after the end of the play itself.
|
Sep 11
|
Student finds his soundtrack to success
The past few weeks of Grant Fonda’s life would not make for a very stirring motion picture.
Although Fonda participated in an international contest that tested his skill and resolve, there was no final scene of victory, only quiet affirmations. No triumphant hoisting of a trophy over his weary head, only subtler moments to be cherished and worthwhile lessons to be tucked away for a future date.
University of Missouri graduate student Grant Fonda recently traveled to Poland to compete in the Transatlantyk Instant Composition Contest.
The graduate student at the University of Missouri School of Music traveled to Poland earlier this month to compete in the Transatlantyk Instant Composition Contest, a compositional pressure cooker that tested his ability to write emotive music for motion pictures. Although Fonda did not achieve a level of glory worthy of having his own tale captured on celluloid, he came home with a better understanding of what it means to be part of the film industry.
Fonda applied to the competition — founded by Oscar-winning composer Jan Kaczmarek (“Finding Neverland”) — almost as an afterthought, engaging the process between finishing a commission and heading to his native California for vacation. In addition to submitting previously composed works, he was required to score two short film clips that were distinct but equally daunting. The first, a climactic scene from the 2009 film “Get Low,” included a stirring soliloquy from Oscar winner Robert Duvall; it was an “intense” and “delicate” moment with dialogue that needed to be preserved, not drowned out, he said. The second was from a “bizarre” French cartoon in which a young girl, among other things, falls into a bowl of alphabet soup and is attacked by zombies.
For the Duvall clip, he evoked themes of mystery and absolution through the use of unresolved dissonances, inverted chords and pedal tones; Fonda balanced “menacing” and “childlike” themes for the latter. For his work, he was selected as one of 30 participants, which meant trekking to Poland, watching a short film, and composing and performing an accompaniment before a panel of American and Polish judges on the spot.
Fonda was shown a five-plus-minute piece called “Walking,” produced by a Canadian travel commission decades ago; the work was bizarre and psychedelic, with no discernible plot or dialogue, he said. Immediately upon leaving the screening room, he sat at the piano and performed his level best. His strategy: attach a winning theme to the film’s central character and balance out its more extreme elements with a relatively accessible, melodic score. Ultimately, Fonda did not take his place among the 10 finalists. He received praise from the American panelists but was told the European judges wished he’d taken more risks; other contestants incorporated elements of prepared piano or relied on a more serial, clustered set of tones.
Although Fonda did not advance in the competition, his compositional sensibilities were advanced by encouraging, “invaluable” interactions with the likes of composers Christopher Young (“Spider-Man 3,” “The Grudge”), George S. Clinton (the “Austin Powers” films), Bruno Louchouarn (“Total Recall”) and producer Roy Conli (“Tangled,” “The Hunchback of Notre Dame”); these professionals offered lessons on life and art in master classes and specific feedback in personal conversations.
Among the comments Fonda received were praiseworthy pronouncements on his ability to convey mood and character and his capacity to musically captain viewers through a spectrum of emotions in a short period of time. Clinton remarked on his remarkable capacity for suggesting and creating color through orchestration. Additionally, he was told he had a fitting temperament for composition and was encouraged to stand up for his abilities, even while avoiding walking on others in collaboration. Ultimately, he was deeply encouraged by Young’s comments on the relationship between a composer’s maturity and the potency of his or her music.
“He said, ‘You’re not going to be able to evoke the right emotion for a romantic scene if you’ve never been married,’ ” Fonda recalled. “ ‘You’re not going to be able to evoke the right emotion for a funeral if you’ve never witnessed somebody close to you die.’ He said there’s just a certain advantage that being older in the industry has than being younger. … All this time I had been thinking,” as someone who’s closer to 30 than 20, “I’d missed my stride.”
Fonda said he’s likely to reapply next year — this year’s contest might not have provided a feel-good movie ending, but, as he exercises his talent and applies messages received an ocean away, there’s little doubt a sequel is in the works.
Reach Aarik Danielsen at 573-815-1731 or e-mail ajdanielsen@columbiatribune.com.
Copyright 2011 Columbia Tribune. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
This article was published on page C2 of the Sunday, August 28, 2011 edition of The Columbia Daily Tribune.
|
Jan 25
|
BmoreArt
BmoreArt is dedicated to showcasing and reviewing the visual arts in Baltimore.Thursday, January 21, 2010
Recent Works at the John Fonda Gallery Friday, January 29
|
|
|
|
|
Opening Reception: Friday, January 29, 6-8 p.m.
John Fonda Gallery
45 West Preston Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
Located at Theatre Project
Hours: M-F Noon-4 p.m. or by appointment
|
Jun 09
|
John Fonda Gallery Presents Nicole Shiflet’s Solo Exhibit 6/4-7/12
Thursday, May 28, 2009 by BWW News Desk
John Fonda Gallery Presents Nicole Shiflet's Solo Exhibit
John Fonda Gallery is please to present Nicole Shiflet’s first solo exhibition at the gallery. Titled Marching for Digits, the show consists of new paintings that explore Nicole’s fascination with interstitial moments that she documents into the fictional narratives of her paintings.
“Shiflet’s paintings are wonderfully playful, yet have an underlying sense of danger,” said Sidney Pink, Curator. “The beauty of her line and forms, mixed with a dark subtle humor, create a world deep with layers.”
Shiflet’s paintings use bright color, simple organics forms, and detailed line work to create rich environments. Her work evokes scientific imagery and yet seems to exist inside fantastical landscapes, as if from a children’s book. She plays with the scale of her subject creating a duel sense of micro and macro.
“Much of my work references a variety of scientific phenomena. I am constantly surprised, awed, and inspired by biological growth, geological topography, and electronic circuits. My work may not reflect the logical processes of these studies but forms its own fictional and abstracted narrative,” said Shiflet.
Nicole Shiflet has exhibited through out the Mid-Atlantic region. She has exhibited at the Wohfarth Gallery in Washington D.C.; the Clayton Street Gallery in Athens, Georgia; and had a solo exhibition at the Creative Alliance in Baltimore. In 2005 she worked on a collaborative art project and exhibition between UMBC and Fachhochschule Schwäbisch Hall in Germany. As both a traditional tactile painter and technological art geek, Nicole Shiflet constantly searches for ways to balance both aspects of her work. Drawing, painting, animation, and sound recording all inspire further exploration into and around each other. She is currently an adjunct professor of digital media at University of Maryland Baltimore County and Anne Arundel Community College. Nicole was born in Wisconsin, grew up in Georgia, and currently resides in Baltimore.
Since 1971, Theatre Project has been providing a distinct cultural experience for the citizens of Baltimore by presenting new, innovative, and diverse works in the arts. John Fonda Gallery located at Theatre Project is committed to exhibiting the work of emerging artists and new work by recognized artists. The gallery is dedicated to presenting diverse programs that make contemporary art accessible to a broad audience.
The John Fonda Gallery at Theatre Project was dedicated on January 14, 1993 to the memory of John Fonda, who served as curator of the gallery and nurtured Baltimore arts and artists.
|
May 10
|
Some interesting information on our Anneke Jans connection…
(connection verified through references in “Dear Cousin”; A Charted Genealogy of the Descendants of Anneke Jans Bogardus (1605-1663) to the 5th Generation“)
This is an e-mail I recently responded to regarding this topic:
MessageOn Fri, 08 May 2009 17:32:02 -0600, <mark@fonda.org> wrote: Hello Ronald, Yes, Fonda vs. Trinity… interesting case. I believe many have tried to latch onto the Anneke Jans estate, but few, if any, have succeeded. There are plenty of stories on the internet about those who have tried, which you have most likely seen. John H. Fonda (1828-1915) and wife Mary tried to stake their claim based on speculation/wishful thinking and fell flat… in fact their lawyer was brought up on fraud charges. I think the Fonda/Trinity case got a lot of notoriety in the newspapers because of the scandal. Funny thing is, according to my research, John was not even a descendant of Anneke Jans. There is a connection to our line from Neeltje E. Briese (1739-1820) who was a g-g-granddaughter of Anneke. Neeltje married Adam Douw Fonda (1736-1808) in 1759, but John’s branch takes off well before that point. I am connected to the famous Fonda’s through this very marriage, about five generation up, but we don’t know each other. So, in other words, both the Hollywood Fonda‘s and my Fonda line are both descended from Anneke Jans, but John H. Fonda‘s line is not. Either way, none of us stand to gain anything from the connection, except maybe bragging rights… ha ha. Regards,  Bogardus Farm on west bank of (now) Manhattan Island On Thu, 07 May 2009 13:55:22 -0400, wrote: > Mark; Some of my daughters clan claim claim their |
|
Anneke and HesterSome interesting similarities between Anneke Jans Bogardus (1605-1663) and Hester Jansz Fonda (1615-1690), the wife of Jellis Douw Fonda, our American patriarch:  Anneke Jans in New Amsterdam (1630-1657)
|
|