Slam Team is a Slam Dunk

When one thinks of poetry based theatre pieces, they can either be performance triumphs or utter disasters. When I heard Slam Team was such a piece, I will admit I was a tad nervous. Written by poet and playwright Gina Inzunza and directed by Marcus Yi, this was a risk. As a critic, performer, and theatergoer, I knew the experience beforehand left me with mixed emotions. However, I would soon be proven wrong. Slam Team turned out to be a slam dunk.

A well crafted tale, Slam Team is the story of four high school kids at Manhattan High School For The Arts that start an after school poetry club. All four are lovable mixtures of philosopher, out of the box thinker, and rebel without a hall pass in a blender. The characters are Lorna the founder of the club. Played believably and skillfully by Nicola McEldowney, she frequently butts heads with her father who wants her to be a violinist, but her true desire is to be in a rock band. Then there is Jonathan, the gay friend and sometimes moderate, calm foil to those around him. Portrayed with a likable vulnerability by Nick Imperato, Jonathan also battles with familial acceptance of his homosexuality as well as an absentee father who often tries to buy his son’s affection with money. Of course there is Lulu, a gifted artist who often butts heads with her strict parents. Given a quirky charm by actress Thanh Ta, she is often the comic relief who struggles with promiscuity and has shoplifted, traps some young women fall into. Lastly, to round out the group is Dario, a student from the Dominican Republic who is an illegal immigrant. Luis Restrepo gives Dario a youthful energy and a sort of freshness and is brilliantly juxtaposed with the fact the young man works and has lived well beyond his years.

During this period other themes are explored. Lulu has an obvious crush on Dario. When she sees her would be beau with his arm around another girl, her heart falls. Despite her fast pace when it comes to men, she has a soft heart and truly wants to be loved and accepted. Jonathan later finds out the girl was Dario’s cousin, a freshmen who is being made fun of because of her accent. It is later revealed both Dario and his cousin are able to attend the school because of their uncle’s work as a janitor. This is also a highlight on the racist elitism that can exist within some of the top schools still. The two begin a budding romance. Instantly, the audience is drawn to this high school love story, and through empathy, experience, and a pure wish for a happy outcome we are rooting for them.

Dario proves to be a good perspective boyfriend, and does not judge Lulu for her past with men and shoplifting. Rather, he appreciates her talent as a visual artist. With his help, Lulu moves in a positive direction and builds a website for her art.

Meanwhile, Jonathan pours his heart out revealing he had a crush that lived next door to him. He says Neighbor Boy doesn’t come around but doesn’t say why. Later it is revealed that Neighbor Boy was killed after wearing a rainbow tie. It is implied it was a gay bashing. While heavy and heart wrenching, the theme is also relevant to the struggle for LGBTQ Rights, and the unfortunate bigotry many gay teens are still subject to. Rather than anger, Jonathan turns it into art.

Lorna, meanwhile, fights to keep Dario in the US by enlisting the help of her father’s friend who is an immigration lawyer. The gang teams together, and decides to enter the talent show. They decide to do a well composed piece on freedom. However, the night of the talent show Dario is a no show. It is revealed that he has jumped a turn style because he did not have money to buy a Metro Card. Due to the fact he had no ID and was illegal, he is being detained and possibly deported.

Dario is then shown in jail orange, as he does a spoken word peace about his struggles for freedom. It is unclear whether or not he was deported, and this is never revealed. In the wake of this crisis, the Slam Team goes onstage without their lynch pin, and are at first heckled. However, Lorna then silences the heckler and begins the peace. The show ends not only in a spectacular fashion, but there is also not a dry eye in the house.

While the acting was excellent, much of the credit belongs to the creative pairing of Yi and Inzunza. The casting choices and direction were perfect, making the story believable. The tale was masterfully written with dialogue that had a nice mixture of stark realism and innocent humor. These teenagers were true embodiments of young dreamers, and as an audience we were cheering for them every step of the way. Additionally, the poetry was well written, thought provoking, high energy, and at times fun. Not many poets are also gifted playwrights. Inzunza has the rare gift of being both.

Slam Team shows this generation of writers, thinkers, and dreamers is far from being doomed. Energy for creativity and change is alive and well as it has always been. The message is, always keep an open heart, an open mind, and above all things, leave room for poetry. 

29 x/y Is a Must See

29 xy

When I go to a place like the Wild Project I expect to see risky, experimental work. Upon attending the Fresh Fruit Festival, I expect to see work addressing the LGBTQ experience as it changes. Work that is experimental can either be groundbreaking or an exercise in masturbation with no point. A theatre experience that highlights the plight of a marginalized minority now finding their voice can be moving or a pity fest. 29 xy, conceived, written, and directed by Marcus Yi was experimental and groundbreaking in a good way. Despite being in a gay play fest, it was not a whine fest about the LGBTQ experience. Rather, it was an out of the box, fun, avante garde, deep, spiritual moving piece that addressed everyone the questions they had.

The reasoning for the title, 29 xy, is because this age group is on the cusp of Generation X and Generation Y, but also it is a question about one’s gender and gender roles throughout the whole thing. Can women and men feel? What do they want? What do gay people want? What do straight people want? What do we all want? Can we work together or are we forced to be butting heads?

The piece begins with an ensemble number. It was men on one side, women on the other. They asked important questions about what generation they belonged to. Grotowski inspired, 29 xy had much of a physical theatre element to it. The first vignette began with a man and a woman dancing. The voiceover played where the man and woman argued about who was superior and who’s ideas were better. On several occasions there was a competition with push ups, etc. At the end of the vignette it was understood that the two would always be dancing together and against each other as the dynamic of the world changed.

From there the actors did the Brechtian move of breaking the fourth wall and introducing themselves to the audience. I wondered why this was done, but however was going to give the piece a chance to develop. After meeting the actors, and for the record I met London, then there was another series of vignettes. These challenged gender, identity, and ones perception. 

Memorable vignettes included two girls saying things like, “Yeah!” and then playing paddycake. This was a humorous yet social commentary on how women will dumb themselves down in order to either appease a man or to fit the box society has constructed for them. These two young women would later be seen on the stage with two other actresses, dressed in drag. Both the actresses dressed as men also spoke in gibberish and each of the girls were wooed by them. The “men” then fought it out and ultimately the girls walked off with the actor they believed to be more “manly.” This was a commentary again on female roles, but also a Meisner-esque experience in that dialogue is only subtext.

Of course there were other more telling shout outs to the Generation X and Y. One was the vignette where the actors did monologues about things that were “wanted.” One young woman was dressed as a nun and talked about how another deity was “wanted,” a sort of a kinder, softer Higher Power. Another was an atheist who wanted company for the end of the world. The third, a woman who was dressed as a cat was applying for a job as a professional housecat. Laugh out loud as well as telling, she is a testament to how desperate this generation is for jobs. After her was a man who had a fetish, he wanted someone dressed as Super Mario to “come and fuck him.” Lastly, it was a straight woman who simply wanted a lover. This vignette, reminiscent of SNL when it was still funny, highlights Generation X/Y’s dependence on craigslist and all the foolish things people ask for.

My favorite parts of the show, however, were the letters. One young woman, who’s graduate program sent her a request for donations, was unemployed. She basically told them off in a monologue. This spoke using comedy about the alienation this generation feels in the job market, as people washed on the shores during the recession. The other was a monologue from a young man who had just broken up with his wife, obviously a college sweetheart, and was sleeping with everything that walked. In this monologue he details sex with everyone from the barely legal tartlette at the bar to her sister. However, though the humor was something deeper. It was that despite the social stigma on men having feelings, they do. That men do not only feel deeply but also think deeply and love deeply, even if they veil it through inane discourse about their sexual conquests.

My second favorite part of the show was the audience awards. During this portion, audience members are given awards. Later, when I interviewed Marcus Yi himself, he told me this was why the actors introduced themselves. Categories included “Best Lover”, etc. I won the “Terrorist Killer” title for rape and torture of terrorists. I was brought up onstage by the actors and given the award. This was a fun spectacle and got the rest of the audience involved.

Of course then the show was back to the monologues and vignettes. One sweet vignette was a man and a woman performing partially in Russian and partially in English about how they couldn’t live without each other and loved each other. This kind display showed that love knew no boundaries regardless of race, color, sexuality, or language.

Following this was a humorous vignette about a gay man who had his first visit to a bath house and about how when he finally got there, it wasn’t what he expected. It ends with him telling a oignant anecdote about being at the HIV clinic when his friend tested positive. After that was a powerful monologue about a young man who was a math genius that was spurned. The love affair began in math class but ended with him shooting his lover. Whether the lover was male or female was hard to say. Perhaps it was meant to be ambiguous, again, addressing that love can lead and land in heartbreak no matter what the orientation. Finally, another gay man appeared. This time to speak humorously yet honestly about the stereotype that gay men are feminized, and about how women view them more as gossip buddies and wardrobe consults than people. The monologue in this vignette addresses how stereotypes marginalize in more ways than one, and we group people as a whole rather than individuals.

29 x/y then of course ended with a dance party. While I was sad to see the show end, there is something about being pulled onstage by the actors and dancing that makes it all awesome. 29 x/y was an awesome experience, and Marcus Yi is the next great voice in Downtown Theatre. While the piece is woven together in a threadbare fashion, it fits well and the risk is worth watching.

Several Yi ensemble regulars peppered the cast such as Sonia Nam, Richard Glucksberg, and Lauren Gralton. However, one should also watch for these names Alyssa Shari Ross, AJ Heekin, Tatyana Kalko, Amy Melissa Bentley, Leigh Hendrix, Erica Wiederlight, London Griffith, Shane Hall, Matthew Pohlman, Patty Santa Cruz, Luis Restrepo, and Taras Chopenko. All worked as strong unit with not one weak link amongst them. Each has a promising future in the theatre ahead of them.

This experimental work would have made Grotowski and Brecht proud. Can’t wait to see what is next from Marcus Yi, one of the brightest rising stars in the American Theatre. 29 x/y is a must see

www.aprilbrucker.com

The Procedure: A Successful Operation

Last Friday I saw a new play, a good play. Whenever one sees a new work it is always a gamble. The Procedure, a new and exciting work by Marcus Yi, was mounted at the Gene Frankel Theatre. Nestled in the East Village, Gene Frankel and his vision gave birth to ensemble pieces and experimental agit prop theatre with a message. These pieces were well crafted and in a creative way said to society, something is wrong. The Procedure as a piece not only follows that tradition, but honors it, addressing both racism, homophobia, and the subtle xenophobia that still infects America.

The play opens with the main character, Adrian, making a flag of Singapore talking to his mother. He is a man living the American dream. He is from Asia, and he has gone to law school and become successful. However, there is one thing that is a strike against him in our society, he is gay. Adrian is speaking to his mother, who reveals his sister is getting married in Singapore.  Excited, Adrian wants to bring his partner and soon to be husband Jacob. Adrian’s mother explains that while Jacob may come, he cannot sit at the family table and must be present as his “friend.” Then he challenges his mother, who has gray hair and has been going on a hyper diatribe about how she will not eat Asian food not prepared by Asians, about whether or not she accepts her son’s homosexuality.

Stephen Thornton in a promo shot for The Procedure

That is when the fourth wall is broken and the mother speaks. Fenny Novyane, the actress, who plays the mother, reveals depth in this monologue. As the mother, on the surface she is portrayed as an old world eccentric on the surface. However, with the expert acting of Ms. Novyane, it is revealed she has more depth. A deeply religious woman, she reveals she loves her son yet struggles with his homosexuality. During a beach accident she says God rescued her and promised her a son. She dedicated her first son to God and then Adrian revealed he was gay. While she loves her son, she is entirely unsure of what to do when it comes to presenting his sexuality due to her old world point of view. Some of it is the mother protector role, and some of it is the world she came from where she feels she failed Adrian in some way. This creates one layer of discomfort that will continue the entire play which leads the audience members to question what they believe.

A minute later the fourth wall is broken once again and we meet Adrian on a deeper level. Played by Stephen Thorton, Adrian goes from the initial quiet nerd who seems dismissively moody to someone who also has considerably more dimension. Adrian explains he always knew he was gay since he was a child, and often masqueraded in his mother’s clothing. His mother, in denial, dismissed this. Adrian doesn’t understand why she is surprised and bothered by this when it seemed obvious. While it is clear he loves his mother, there is tension between the two in regards to his sexuality as well as identity. This is because Adrian believes that he was born gay, whereas her mother believes it was a parenting mistake. With this opening, the audience is introduced to the experience of being the ultimate outsider in America: Gay and an immigrant. Again, one is left wondering, why the prejudice? What is the truth? What about the American dream?

Next we see Adrian and his new husband Jacob in the office to get their marriage license and undergo questioning to make sure the marriage is legitimate due to Adrian’s immigration status. In contrast to Adrian who is rather rigid at times, Jacob is more straightforward and relaxed. A Native New Yorker, he is the second half to this new union. Right away, the relationship is clear as the two bicker at times like a traditional hederonormative husband and wife. Reynaldo Rivera, the actor portraying Jacob, also gives the character significant depth. While Jacob loves Adrian, he is somewhat obtuse and oblivious to the needs and feelings of his partner. This is not intentional because he is cold hearted, but rather because their experiences are different. The two men are interrogated by an agent portrayed by Lauren Gralton, who does not mask her ever present homophobia by asking inappropriate yet probing questions such as, “Which one is the husband and which one is the wife?” Both spouses stumble over oblivious questions such as which one keeps their toothbrush where. Adrian is questioned by the female agent. Jacob the male (Richard Glucksberg). Finally they are able to get their marriage license, however the issue is with Adrian being an immigrant. He is told that yes, they will be able to get the license. However, Adrian has to get a microchip implanted under his eye, hence “The Procedure.”

After this we see the first of many vignettes. In these star actors Lauren Gralton, Richard Glucksberg, and Shubhra Prakash. In each of these vignettes, the actors advertise the microchips. While these vignettes, which continue until the end of the show, are hysterical, they also evoke the agit prop element of the piece. In each mini-commercial, the microchip user is promised things such as better hair, a better sex life, etc. These are a harsh, funny, yet frankly honest take on the moronic consumer culture that is America mixed with the xenophobia and prejudice that is acceptable.

The couple being grilled

In the next scene it is revealed Adrian and Jacob have other issues in their relationship. While Jacob loves Adrian, he doesn’t understand his husband’s pain. Adrian does not want the microchip implant and feels this is inhuman. He has a point. He works, pays taxes, and has made a home in America. Jacob, on the other hand, is less than supportive. While he loves his husband, he wants him to get the implant so they can be together and won’t be deported. However, in his quest to make their life together he does not understand why Adrian objects. Then it is revealed Adrian feels like an outsider due to his coming to America as an immigrant. This can be seen when Adrian invites Jacob to meet a friend of his from Singapore. Jacob explains that he “cannot understand” Adrian’s friends from Singapore by the way they talk. Adrian points out Jacob understands him, and then corrects Adrian for saying Ikea wrong. Despite Jacob’s devotion, there is a serious disconnect between the two men. It is revealed during a dinner with friends Jacob and a Korean American girl knew the theme song to an American TV show, and Adrian did not. While Jacob does care about his husband, it is clear there is tension in the relationship because he does not identify. This is when Adrian first proposes to Jacob they move back to Singapore. Jacob is horrified.

Adrian then gives a heart wrenching monologue about coming to America and feeling apart from as opposed to a part of. He explains that because he was from Singapore, he was the only Asian like himself. Adrian tells a story about his first day of class and a Vietnamese girl, who he explains he is still friends with asked him, “What are you?” He says very poignantly and matter of factly, “I am a person.” This is a testament to how America, despite being the country many want to flock to, is closed minded, sheltered, and at times bigoted the way it labels people. As a nation, most unfortunately, America has a label for someone or something not white and male. This has been an isolating experience for immigrants over the years, and it is captured masterfully during this scene. That is when Adrian comes up with a solution, he is moving back to Singapore.

In the next scene Adrian is having lunch with his friend Dawn from Singapore, brilliantly portrayed by Shubhara Prakash. In this scene, Prakash steals the show distinguishing herself from the ensemble and shows promise as an actress, and as a theatre fan I cannot wait to see where she goes next. She is funny, on the mark, and brutally honest as she shoots down Adrian’s delusions of a better life in his home country. Dawn explains that while Adrian would always be welcome in Singapore, he would have to stay in the closet because being homosexual is not accepted in that culture. This creates more tension for the viewers. Yes, while Adrian is experiencing homophobia, racism, and xenophobia in America, he is more free to be who he is. On the other hand, if he returned to Singapore, he would have to live a lie.

So he decides to get the microchip implanted. This is after pressure mounts from Jacob and his mother who tells him a disturbing yet on the mark story about conformity. Going to a free clinic, Adrian sits next to a blonde girl named Nadine (Lauren Gralton) who announces she is there for her fourth abortion. Funny and cheeky as the dumb blonde, the character is also appropriate for an agit prop piece as she serves as a message that birth control should be more readily available. At first Adrian is horrified as this young woman violates his psyche with disgusting jokes and comments, but then mentions she is protesting the microchip operations with her friends in DC. Adrian’s ears begin to perk up. Now he has an option, the option that every American dreams of, for their voice to be heard.

The next scene is Adrian getting ready for The Procedure. The Doctor (Richard Glucksberg) is frightening, almost evocative of A Clockwork Orange. He explains that they must get Adrian ready for the micropchip implant also known as the “The Procedure.” While the doctor gets ready, Adrian has a disturbing dream sequence and decides that he cannot go through with the operation despite what it will cost him. He now knows having his voice heard is no longer an option, it is the thing he must do in order to be heard. It is what is necessary to say something is wrong.

Adrian and Nadine go to Washington in order to protest “The Procedure.” However, the protest fails as both Nadine and Adrian are arrested. Upset, Jacob goes to the jail where Adrian is being held. Because of his immigration status, he is facing the threat of deportation. During his encounter with Jacob, Adrian, who began the play as clean cut, is now defiant. He informs his husband that the charges are “trumped up.” Due to his status as an immigrant, Adrian is facing deportation. However, Feldman (Richard Glucksberg) informs him that if he gets the implant, he will not be deported and they can fight the charges. Adrian is indignant, however Jacob, despite being distant at times from his husband, does not want to lose the one man he truly loves.

This is followed by a short montage of everyone speaking various messages from the play whether they be his mother, the vignette actors, Jacob, his friend from Singapore and all other characters. That is when Adrian is defeated. The last scene of the play, in an emotional defeat, shows Adrian with a patch over his right eye. Adrian has gotten “The Procedure.” Adrian has sold out. This experience is a showcase to the unfortunate allegory that so many immigrants are forced to endure terrible hardships such as these in order to make it in America. A vision like this shows the American dream has a perverse darkside.

Lastly, I would like to give a special attention to Sonia Nam, who’s attention to detail as an assistant director was on the mark. Each scene and lighting as well as sound choice added to the element that was achieved. Without the effort of good direction this entire piece would not have been conceivable let alone possible. However, this all came together with the brilliant writing and vision of Marcus Yi.

The Procedure is a work of sheer genius. There is no weak link among the cast. The writing is strong, evocative, funny, and truthful. It shows deep down we are all people who unfortunately categorize each other based on our outsides rather than our insides, and give into fear and prejudice when confronted with outside possibility. A true piece of old school agit prop mixed with modern flavor, The Procedure is a must see. 

Adrian losing and submitting the to American Dream/Lie

Pretty Little Mouth: A Play Worth the Taste

When I go to a play festival I know it will either be very good or very bad. When I see a new work I know it will either be quite breathtakingly wonderful or quite breathtakingly awful to the point where I need an inhaler. When seeing a play where there is a theme of BDSM it can either be painfully awesome or it can just plain hurt. Pretty Little  Mouth, written and directed by Marcus Yi is breathtakingly wonderful and painfully awesome as well as original, daring, and has quality that transcends the blackbox theatre it played in.

At the beginning of the play Marcus Yi, the director, originally from Singapore that is a lawyer by day and playwright by night, announces that “all cellphones must be turned off or there will be real dominitrixes that will come off the stage and spank you.” This exudes a laugh from the audience, a healthy start to the risqué show. As the show begins, ensemble girls do dance numbers in leather with whips. Immediately as an audience member one gets the sense the show will be a wild ride and it is not for the faint hearted. And no, Pretty Little Mouth certainly is not.

The show begins with Emily, a stately African American woman who looks more like a sculpture in her red dress and heals with proper Mid-Atlantic Speech rather than a former dominitrix. At the beginning of the play, she is sitting in her red dress getting ready to teach a flute lesson to a pupil she describes as a “spoiled kid” as she speaks to a former friend of hers from her dungeon days. Tiffany Terrell, in playing Emily, gives the character a sophistication but also does well in layering her with an undercurrent of a past she wants to forget as she lives in a present where her husband is running for mayor and she is more desperate housewife than dungeon mistress. A mixture of simplicity and depth, it is clear this actress can play any role and in many ways is reminiscent of Meryl Streep in her early days. This mixture of simplicity and depth is seen as soon as this woman, in her red gown, lights a joint. Within minutes her flute student is knocking at the door. She puts out the joint and begins spraying air freshener, an old college trick.

Enter Brian Knoebel playing the role of John. At first he is an impish student, forced to take flute because his parents believe it will bolster his college application. Less inclined to attend lessons because he is serious about music and more inclined to go to the home of Emily because he has a school boy crush on her, this is apparent when he flubs the piece he is supposed to have been practicing for three months. At first this character is likeable and seems innocent. However within minutes we see John is conniving and evil. He tells his teacher he doesn’t want to play flute but wants to continue seeing her. That’s when John confesses to having a joint in his pocket. Emily, the adult on the surface, tells him to hand him the joint. That is when John resorts to blackmail explaining that he has found out about Emily’s past working in the dungeon while repairing her computer, and is willing to expose her past unless she gives him what he wants. John wants a night with his gorgeous, statuesque teacher. Emily agrees, only on the condition that John give her the hard drive with all of her old advertisements from her domming days.

At this point Pretty Little Mouth has proven that it is interesting. However, there is still the crucial question. Will it sink or will it swim? Well it proves that it swims. Emily comes to the home of her pupil John when his parents are not home in order to commit the forbidden act that could get her sent to jail if caught as well as ruin the reputation of her husband. Ever the fifteen year old, pimple faced dork with a dream he has a room adorned with Star Wars memorabilia including a Yoda Piggy Bank. In an effort to make his conquest feel welcome, John gives her Kool-Aid, the tactic of perhaps Vili Fualaau used to seduce Mary Kay Letourneau. Needless to say Emily is disgusted. John attempts to turn on music, which Emily tells him is “noise.” That’s when he claps his hands and John turns off the lights. In an awkward minute and a half, which sums up the first sexual encounter or an adolescent male, John turns the lights on. He turns off his manipulative side and seems concerned about the welfare of Emily, who demands the disks. However John has another trick up his sleeve. He reveals that there is a camera in the Yoda Piggy Bank that captured their whole tryst, and Emily is to become his sex slave or else he will expose this as well as her past of working in the world of BDSM.

(L: Brian Knoebel (John) reveals  to R: Tiffany Terrell (Emily) that their tryst is not over anytime soon). 

As the leather clad cuties grace the stage we wonder what is next. At this point Pretty Little Mouth could drag but it does the opposite. Now we are intrigued as we see Emily in her blue bathrobe and hear a knock on the door. It is Danielle Ma in the role of Jalene. Unlike her put together friend from college who married rich, Jalene is still entrenched in the BDSM world and has been dating a drug dealer that she has stolen from. As Jalene, Danielle Ma gives her a mix of whackiness, sexiness, and outright likeability. High off of a crystal meth binge, Jalene admits her boyfriend gave her a black eye and she stole out of retaliation. Emily tries to get a word in edgewise but Jalene is in her “Earth Mother” alter ego, ruling the dungeon with an iron fist. Finally, after making drinks the two UT sisters begin to talk about Emily’s problems. At this point Emily has hit rock bottom. Her husband was not working late on a campaign for mayor, but rather having an affair with his barely legal secretary. Jalene, who believes Emily has the perfect life, dismisses her problems. That is when Emily confides in her about John blackmailing her about her past profession. Jalene then asks Emily why she stopped working in the dungeon. Emily replies she enjoyed the pain she gave to men too much. That is when Jalene suggests that Emily brings John to the brink not enough to kill him, but perhaps give him a good scare.

The climax of Pretty Little Mouth is when John enters. This is where Marcus Yi’s masterful writing comes in. Despite the fact he is a conniving and manipulative geek, John has also developed feelings for his flute teacher turned sex slave and says he desires to marry her and take care of her. He has even planned a future for the two in California. But Emily has other plans for him. She tells John she loves him and wants to experiment with him. That is when she reveals the four way restraints. John puts them on and begins to get nervous. Emily enters adorned in the leather outfit from her domming days along with a whip that she periodically cracks. John goes from the one who has the upper hand to a sniveling, scared pile of mess. In this turn of events, the sex slave has now become the master. While I choose not to reveal the ending, this part of the show is the perfect ending to a perfect tale where there is no dull moment.

While the acting was excellent, and there was no weak link, the true credit belongs to Marcus Yi. As a director he knows well how to place everyone based on their strengths and what they bring to the piece. A masterful writer who combines suspense, wit, and intrigue that is both entertaining and deep, he exposes that all is not as it seems in a place where everyone rides their bikes in front of houses with white picket fences. He rips down the dirty curtains and gently probes the inner dungeon master or deviant in all of us.

Pretty Little Mouth is a must see. See it now before it is sold out on Broadway, or before it hits the big screen. 

(Tiffany Terrell (Emily) in the back as Brian Knoebel in the front (John) in the climax aka the turning of the screw, no pun intended).

April's Weekly Countdown

WINNER OF THE WEEK

In honor of Father’s Day, the winner of the week title belongs to my Daddoo. Or my dad as I call him. Not only is he now sporting the Yankees hat I sent him, but he has some of the best quotes of all time. My all time favorite pertains to a guy I once dated, “April, when someone says that they are misunderstood, it means they are an asshole and everyone knows it.” William G. Brucker you rock! Happy Father’s Day after the day dad!

L to R: Me, Mrs. Janet Hill (Mama to Grant Hill), my sister Brenna and my Dad at the 2008 Heisman Trophy Awards

LOSER OF THE WEEK

The loser of the week goes to Anthony Weiner. He has a hot young wife who is expecting a baby, a position of power, and goes flashing his hot dog to porn stars. Dude, you are a dousche. So glad you stepped down. I hope your wife leaves you. That way you and Palmela will be making great friends. In the words of Pink it will be you and your hand tonite.

Hey Mr. Weiner, you made a real dick mess.

GUILTY PLEASURE OF THE WEEK

I have to say Teen Pregnancy is my guilty pleasure of the week. My new favorite Lifetime eat my iced cream film is Fifteen and Pregnant with Kirsten Dunst before she was what Perez Hilton terms the Drunkst. Basically it is about a girl who gets knocked up by a slick guy with a fast car and ruins her life and how the heartache draws her family together. Laced with the feminist agenda on how religion makes women stupid when it comes to birth control and how you should probably have the abortion because sometimes life is a pain in the ass choice, it makes me all the more grateful for this white trash inspired cinema. Hey, who else can start high school as a mommy.

Young girls, if you live in a trailor stay away from a guy with a fast car and lots of gel in his hair. It will not end well.

My other guilty pleasure is 16 and Pregnant on MTV. These girls are all naïve with their heads in the clouds and therefore it is no wonder they spread their legs. The teen fathers don’t want to get their shit together and instead would like to spend all the live long day playing video games. These children have no chance. If I were their mothers I would inject those girls with birth control. Or I would encourage them to raise the children alone and say that their father died in the war. Better yet, go to the clinic and get that shit scraped out. Or if it was too late to GIVE THE CHILD UP FOR ADOPTION. Yes adoption is an alternative. I have six cousins who are adopted and all well cared for. Possibly the product of situations like this. But wow, some of these girls are total trainwrecks. A boyfriend who races motor cross will not support you or an infant. However, as you go into labor on your quad Maci, it is entertaining as hell to see you wreck your life. I am keeping my eyes glued.

Oh yes, who needs a condom with you have MTV? I want to see some of these girls on Maury in a few years

STUD MUFFIN OF THE WEEK

Raheem Self Paid Lee or Mr. Good Bar. Yes, Mr. Good Bar made an appearance in my music video “Shuttlecock.” It is a dirty song that is about something else not so dirty. If you know sports with racquets use your brain. Nonetheless, I have to admit, Mr. Good Bar was nice to look at. And even nicer when he appeared in Playgirl. Made me wonder why I gave up candy cause my gosh I want to take a bite. Yum yum.

Take a bite of that yum yum chocolate!

SONG OF THE WEEK

FRIDAY BY KATY PERRY

Okay Katy, I no longer hate you. I love your new track. I think if we met we would be friends. You hate Jesus Freaks and so do I.

Get me one of those lollipops and Russel Brand while you are at it.

CRAZY BITCH OF THE WEEK

I stopped into Lush and one of the women working there told me she was still in love with her ex who was recently married. She named the date too and even told me that now that he was married and she truly loved him she had to accept that he was gone forever. Then she also told me she went through six months of grief counseling to deal with this as she was soaping up my hands. Wow, no wonder he left your ass. After telling me she was still stalking him she said, “Now lets talk about Lush.” OKAY!

You and your pet bunny will never be safe from the clutches of this mad woman again!

EVENT OF THE WEEK

Ghetto Chronicles with DWIT. Mark your calenders for this Saturday at the Joria Theatre. I will be opening two shows with them. One at 4, one at 8. The address is 260 West 36^th st. It’s a great show and I am making my grand return with them. The bonus is, this time I wont be going to the show with a regrettable looking date. However, I do want a hottie on my arm. Perhaps one that I have been talking to. Hmmmm

You so ghetto. Damn straight I am!

HAIR STYLE OF THE WEEK

The hair style of the week goes to May Wilson who recently got a new do. Not only is she rocking and rolling with her new locks but she told me she no longer needs me. I put the bitch on TV, I get her street cred, and she tells me I would be nothing without her. What a diva! Nonetheless she is rocking it out with that new hair. Gotta love a girl who is stuffed and unstrung.

May Wilson, passed out after a long night of drinking and drugging. However, her hair still looks fierce

Despite all the sex her hair is not bed messed.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“I am not a ho. I have only slept with men out of love and lust.” Nathaniel Mitchell

Love you much brown sugar xxoooxoxo

FRIEND OF THE WEEK

Marcus Yi for writing me funny songs and making me look beautiful and sexy on video. Love you my Asian boy toy. xoxoxo

Love me my Marcus xooxo

This is my weekly countdown. Enjoy! xoxoxoxoxoxo