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August 30, 2004
Poetry from the Past
I wrote this a few years ago after I had the pleasure of having dinner at a fire house with Deb and friends. Deb had done some great work with offering the Police and Firemen of NYC vacations in Myrtle Beach with their families after the 9-11 tragedy. At that dinner, they were hosting us as if we were kings.
My original thought was to honor every firehouse that lost someone in the same way...Hmm. Maybe a future 9-11 benefit in the making.
Engine 67
To the gallant defenders of E67
Though your souls be marked for heaven
May you live a long life full of devil's delight
and bring honor to fallen brethren.
Okay, now I can throw that ratty old napkin away. I may not have a future as a poet, but I can certainly rhyme like a sailor. I don't necessarily think it's very good. But it could be the start of something good.
Posted by mermu at 09:32 PM | Comments (0)
A weekend in New York
Sunday I had to load out and strike "High Cotton" from the theatre where we performed. It was my last official duty as the lone Producer for High Cotton. Producing High C was pretty stressful. So many things in my life got pushed back so that I could follow through with this TITC commitment. I think it was worth it in some ways. It's taught me so much. Throughout the whole endeavor I kept reminding myself that a person's principles are truly honored when it's difficult to honor them otherwise a person's principles are merely pontifications.
Something else happened in NYC this weekend; a massive protest against the Republican National Convention. I saw a few of them in the McDonalds on my way to strike the set. It was almost as exciting as a star sighting. I couldn't help but stare. I fought the urge to speak to them. Instead of asking for an autograph, I wanted to go up to them and ask, "Really? You Really believe this?" It was fascinating to me. How awful they must feel in a town that while, as far as I can see hasn't been inhospitable, has a palpable dislike and mistrust of what they are trying to keep in our country; a loss of Freedom, a continuation of a ruinous war, and a President that brings a convention here in the hopes of coat-tailing on an American tragedy.
A friend of mine worked security for the protest. I've posted some pictures in my photo album.
It's pretty awesome to be in a place where such things can happen. I do love New York City.
Posted by mermu at 09:51 AM | Comments (3)
August 26, 2004
No Moss Under My Feet
"High Cotton" closed yesterday and I'm off and running on the Celebrate New York project. Thanks to my fantastic BIL and sire to my future niece-ew, I will have a great website up for this event. We're working on the post card. I'm sending listings this week and next week I'll hit the ground running once again to get the press out. Hopefully we'll get a few radio interviews and the like. Artist Craig Anthony Miller is putting together the postcard and tickets are ALREADY AVAILABLE!!!
If you can't make the event but would still like to donate check out this neat way to donate. Click "Donate Now" to get to the donation page. If you write in the Designation Section "Celebrate NYC" and write in the Dedication Section "meredith@celebratenyc.org" we'll be able to keep track of how much money this event is raising.
No moss grows under these feet. And me without even a place to live in five days.
Posted by mermu at 03:34 PM | Comments (1)
August 25, 2004
High Cotton; All picked.
Today was the final performance of "High Cotton" produced by Meredith Lucio for Tex in the City. We had another sold out performance. I have to admit I was a little surprised that this one sold out. (We actually had to turn one very distraught person away.)On a Wednesday at 3:00PM we had 55+ people take time out of their day to see our show.
I actually saw it this performance for the first time. (I "made" a seat by the light board since all of the paying seats were full.) The cast and crew did an admirable job of bringing to life a really funny script. As the producer of the show, it's hard to see the finished product and not wonder what might have been if things hadn't been so difficult with the Fringe Festival or if I'd had the producing manpower that originally was planned for the show. But the show was really good despite these issues and really successful as well. We sold out for every show and managed to create a decent press presence about the show and Tex in the City.
I can also say I've learned so much about the process, how I work as a producer and how much I can tackle. If you had told me I could produce a 7 person, props and costume intensive historical setting 2-ACT play all by myself in two months, I would have laughed my ass off and said, "You'll have to catch me first."
As it turns out, somehow I got "caught" and I managed to make a decent show of it. I'm so proud of the work I and the High Cotton team did. We may not have been the next "Urinetown" but we weren't the next Urban Cowboy either.
Unlike most people who want to take an extended vacation after such a feat as producing a show, (my friend Liz is still recuperating from "9th Street Water"), I get really jazzed and recommit to doing everything better and more successfully next time. Next time, I'll know in advance I'm going it alone or I will be in a position to recruit people to co-produce and I'll give myself plenty of time to plan, raise money, and organize. I have at least one play in the early stages for next year and I'm also thinking of what next year's 9-11 event will be.
In short, High Cotton can be considered nothing less than a success and I have the honor of being able to point towards it and say, "I made this."
Posted by mermu at 06:23 PM | Comments (2)
August 21, 2004
High Cotton SOLD OUT! Updates
We played once again to a sell out crowd last night. Saturday night has been sold out for two days and now Sunday is looking like a potentially sell out crowd. The venue has talked to us about adding a performance (extending the run). We've opted not to do it because the time they've offered us is before our current last show and is at 5:00pm on Tuesday thus making it difficult for us to market it on time and to organize the show effectively. If they offer us something after that time we might do it. Other than that you have two more chances to get in to see the show (Sunday at Noon, and Wednesday at 3:00pm) and Sunday's tickets are going fast....Come on! Take the day off on Wednesday. You deserve it and we are definiteley worth it.
Posted by mermu at 09:20 AM | Comments (0)
August 20, 2004
That's Kentertainment
High Cotton was featured on That's Kentertainment! this week. The half-hour show was devoted largely to our classic Southern farce with interviews with the cast, director, and author along with excerpts from the show.
There's still time to catch this Southern send up of King Lear and Tennessee Williams! Tickets are available for the Sunday at noon and Wednesday at 3pm show. There may be a few tickets available at the door for tonight and tomorrow night's production.
Looking forward to seeing you there!
Posted by mermu at 09:25 AM | Comments (2)
August 19, 2004
SOLD OUT!!! (High Cotton on Saturday, August 22)
High Cotton just sold out for its Saturday night show. There are still tickets available for Sunday at noon and Wednesday at 3:00. There are a few tickets left for tomorrow night's performance but that show will most likely sell out before show time as well.
Posted by mermu at 09:03 AM | Comments (1)
August 17, 2004
Feed the Hungry
As I've mentioned before, I am working on an event for September 11 which benefits the New York City Coalition Against Hunger. The event will be the first in an annual ritual aimed at Beautifying, Educating, or otherwise Improving New York City.
Artist Craig Anthony Miller is donating the artwork for the invitations and the original painting to be raffled at the event. I just received the painting and I'm overwhelmed at how wonderful it is!! I'm so honored he would do this for us. I hope the rest of the event can live up to such a beautiful painting.
Curiosity piqued? Well, all right then. Ladies and Gentlemen, I present "Appletown" by Craig Anthony Miller.
Posted by mermu at 07:36 PM | Comments (1)
Excuse me. They look like ME!
I submitted my pic to Analogia and these are the celebs who most resemble me. Sadly I wound up with B and C list celebs Cindy Margolis, Amy Acker and Natalie Oreiro (of whom I've never heard). We do have one thing in common though. We're all HOT!
Oddly enough I wasn't paired with the celeb I most get associated with both in appearance and voice; Ashley Judd.
Me as a guy!
Here are the pics of male celebs I resemble. Mom, do you have something to tell me about the Asian mailman?
Posted by mermu at 05:58 PM | Comments (1)
Quoted
Check out this article about producing in the Fringe. Scroll down to "High Cotton" and you'll see my remarks to the questions asked. They even linked to our website which I thought was really cool.
BTW, you should buy your tickets now! We are over halfway to a sellout for Friday, at 5:30pm.
Posted by mermu at 11:31 AM | Comments (1)
August 14, 2004
Saturday, August 14th; SOLD OUT!
If you haven't gotten tickets for tonight's performance of High Cotton already, you're too late. The show sold out roughly 30 hours before showtime. There's still tickets for next week's shows on
Friday, August 20, at 5:30
Saturday, August 21, at 9:30pm
Sunday, August 22, at NOON
Wednesday, August 25 at 3:00pm.
Get your tickets while you can.
Posted by mermu at 08:03 AM | Comments (2)
August 12, 2004
Su(per)-pressed!!!
Well, it looks like Playbill Online got it right! Check out this article about "High Cotton". That press release of which they speak was the one I sent out last night.
For my next trick, I will get the Post to speak lovingly of that hot, handyman! Okay, maybe not....it is the Post after all.
Posted by mermu at 05:15 PM | Comments (2)
Re-Press-ed but that's not what we meant!!!
Well, "High Cotton" made the NY Post but in a not entirely correct way. They've called the show "High Cotton: Tex in the City" which is totally off and they've lumped us in as crude and rude with THE SHOWGIRL PUPPETS!!
At least we aren't aping a current Broadway successful hit in hopes of piggy-backing on the puppet sex craze. We are just producing a good ole, authentic Southern Farce.
It's enough to make a person squirm when you think about how almost right the press can get things because that means they can get it almost wrong too. Ah well, I suppose I should resign myself to having a bunch of plushies who can't get in to "Showgirls" or a bunch of unmarried women who need manual labor done by a hot handyman. (He is really hot, by the way. I'm not sure if he's useful though.)
And that's where the phrase "even bad press is good press" comes in. This may put some people off, but the ones it won't will now have heard of us.
Posted by mermu at 09:44 AM | Comments (0)
August 11, 2004
Press-ed
Check out this article at TheatreMania.com about having a show in the Fringe. High Cotton and our director was featured!
We may also be in Backstage and HX next week. Keep your fingers crossed.
Posted by mermu at 12:09 PM | Comments (3)
August 05, 2004
"Celebrate New York"
Artist Craig Anthony Miller has agreed to paint the graphic for the invitation of "Celebrate New York" my September 11th event to benefit the New York City Coalition Against Hunger. The great thing about this is that, in addition to creating the "vision" for the first of what I hope will be many events, he's donating the original painting for the raffle to be held that night. This is a one of a kind painting for this first event. The only sad thing is I can't win it since I'm planning it.
In addition, premium printers Alexander and Pamaro have agreed to print the 500+ invitations. Stay tuned as we get more information about our sponsors and donors.
Posted by mermu at 09:01 PM | Comments (1)
Take That! (You big-ass windmill)
In the War on Spam, I am, today, victorious. In the last two weeks or so, I had gotten three or four episodes of 300+ spam emails all over my blog from such dubious products as *stupid drugs for men who are afraid to die, *stupid drugs for people who would rather take drugs than solve the problem that's making them depressed and various incarnations of fetish porn. It was ridiculous.
Like telemarketing, I'm still quite amazed that this nuisance is enough of a cash cow that people actually pay for the service. WHO buys these products from spam email? I find web spam even more noxious than telemarketing. It's as if they've come in to my home and littered all over everything. The bastards should die!!!
But today I am victorious. Thanks to the help of my BIL and Server, I've not only upgraded to a fantastic version of Movable Type, but I've got a swanky new look to boot! (and thank you Movable Type!)This version has a few tools so that the Blogger can fight back. I have no doubt the spammers will still remain a nuisance, but at least they won't be able to post on the Blog so easily.
Today, "I, Don Quioxite, am winning!
*Names of stupid drugs have been omitted.
Posted by mermu at 08:26 AM | Comments (1)
August 04, 2004
In High Cotton
We had a fantastic shindig in honor of High Cotton last night. I even managed to raise a little dough for the event. Woohoo! Ken Kleiber of That's Kentertainment came to interview the cast. I hope we get on the episode with this guy.
All in all, it was a pretty good party I put together. Who knew I could do this all by myself.?!
The truth is I couldn't. Many thanks to all of the people who help put this together; Amber, John (He's Goode.), and my dashing Englishman who not only attended the event but also has done a fantastic job of keeping me glued together throughout this crazy time. He's really showing his English mettle and I must say I'm impressed. It's a far cry from what I'm used to (See Gentlemen Callers et all) but I must say....a girl could get used to this!
Posted by mermu at 12:00 PM | Comments (3)
August 03, 2004
Liberty Rides Again
The Statue of Liberty will open her doors for the first time since the September 11, 2001 attack on the WTC. I, for one, am ecstatic...and a little worried about our lady. I hope they've put the proper safeguards in place for future attacks. In April of 2001, my Dad and I drove his truck from Dallas to New York via Houston and a brief stop at a Riverboat casino in Shreveport (I won $40.). We drove through Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia, spent the night in North Carolina, then through to Pennsylvania and finally, New Jersey.
I was moving my stuff up to NYC. Clothes, what little furniture was important to me...books. We had a truck full of The History of Meredith. This was serious. Though I had moved up to NYC the previous October, this was the moment I was really making the commitment. My "stuff" was coming and it was gonna take alot to get me to move it back down again. This was serious. New York City and I were shacking up. I was not tired, but I was poor, and I had faith and energy for what might lay ahead. I didn't travel by boat but the journey was....momentous for me.
On that trip, my Dad and I had a great dinner at a Brazilian place, went on a nighttime horse-drawn carriage through the park with my roommate Maia, went to the World Trade Center (yes, the World Trade Center) and went to the Statue of Liberty. While there we got to climb the steps to the top (though we opted not to go to the lantern). We took a picture in front of the original lantern that sits at the main floor of Lady Liberty. We hung out on the Statue's lawn and Dad was even interviewed for a documentary about Ghosts in the Statue wearing a foam green "liberty hat". It was a great visit.
When Liberty was closed they kept the island open. You could still take the ferry and
walk about the lawn and it was nice. But it wasn't the same. I didn't necessarily miss going in, I'd done that already, but there was a feeling of being suppressed, of being scared of an unknown bogey-man; that the terrorists had won this round because we were denying ourselves liberty by deny ourselves Liberty.
I hope the doors opening again signal a new era of liberty. I've thought alot about what Sept 11 will be in years to come. The first anniversary was the worst. The second was a little odd. I didn't want to celebrate; that seemed a little callous. I did want to commemorate and I didn't know how without risking the reverence of those lost. I had felt the stirrings of something fresh and new in that second anniversary. The mourning was almost over.
Liberty opening up is another signal that we can begin to take 9-11 out of the present. For me, I believe that 9-11 will be a national holiday soon. I don't want it to just be another BBQ or day at the beach. I would like to honor the victims as much as the spirit of community that New Yorkers found in each other as they donated blood, fed relief workers, housed people and pets evacuated from homes, and searched for signs of the living and the dead. For me, 9-11 will be about doing what I can to honor the memory of all of those people who played a part in that dreadful dance; the living and the dead. I choose that day to educate, beautify or otherwise improve my community...New York City. I implore you to consider doing something similar in your community...after all, more communities than mine suffered the loss of 9-11 and more communities than mine chipped in to fill the breach. We should honor them all.
Posted by mermu at 08:31 AM | Comments (0)