Broadway To Vegas

Copyright: May 31, 2020
By: Laura Deni
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EATING WITH DUMMIES AT THE LITTLE INN IN WASHINGTON, VA

Dining room with outfitted mannequines.

The famed Little Inn in Washington, VA which is a suburb of Washington, DC has made eating with dummies the norm, although considering the location, that has long been routine. Also, to eat at the Little Inn, it does help if you have the bank account of a Washington lobbyist.

No matter the status, the COVID-19 pandemic and new era social distancing mean that even the Little Inn has to leave some dining seats empty - which is so - unsocial. To solve that problem Patrick O'Connell, the creative genius and owner/chef of The Little Inn decided to dress mannequins in stylish 1940s outfits and place them at various table locations. To do so, they solicited costumer assistance from Arlington's Signature Theatre.

I think it's hoot! It's also smart. Also, if there ever is a case when a woman would come into the eatery alone, the mannequin also become a safe dinner companion.

Servers will be instructed to pour the fake humans wine and inquire about their evening. In this be safe era, employees will don custom-made masks bearing Marilyn Monroe smiles and George Washington chins.

I simple love this idea.

Famous for show-stopping presentations of its haute American tasting menus, the three-Michelin star eatery, now has a mannequin performance art project with couture sets which align “within the whimsical vein of the Inn’s reverently irreverent approach to hospitality.”

In addition to Arlington’s Signature Theater, the Inn worked with Design Foundry in Landover, MD to build the “sets.” Design Foundry is a 65000 square feet of warehouse and studio spaces, which houses carpentry, paint and upholstery shops, design studios, and rental furniture.

"We were honored to collaborate with another of Virginia's great cultural destinations in support of their reopening. Such a fun idea from The Inn at Little Washington and Design Foundry, Signature Theatre posted.

"I've always had a thing for mannequins – they never complain about anything, and you can have lots of fun dressing them up," Patrick O'Connell told Fox5DC.

"When we needed to solve the problem of social distancing and reducing our restaurant's occupancy by half, the solution seemed obvious – fill it with interestingly dressed dummies. This would allow plenty of space between real guests and elicit a few smiles and provide some fun photo opportunities."

O'Connell, who graduated universirty with a degree in drama, is regarded as the "Pope of American cuisine" and awarded with the James Beard Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019.

Now, about the cost.

The tasting menu is $315 per person.
Optional wine pairings are $195 per person.
Pricing in the dining room is inclusive of service.
Taxes are additional.
Desserts are $18.

Kitchen tables are available every night and the surcharge is $595 per table.

Kitchen tables?

It used to be that being seated by the kitchen was an insult. You were a nobody or a poor tipper. You attempted to down your meal hoping the swinging kitchen door didn't hit you. When the door did open the kitchen heat was engulfing.

The ingenious O'Donnell has flipped it.

Now, for an addition $595. per table, you not only sit by the kitchen, but in it.

You're a voyeur to a semi-staged production show which doesn't need Actors Equity's permission. You're located far enough away to be cool and not have to worry about being hit with splattered grease, yet close enough to feel a part of the action.

"Nestled on either side of a baronial fireplace in the kitchen, our two Kitchen tables can accommodate up to 6 guests at each table. This is the perfect spot for a romantic and private dinner for two or a celebration for 12. You can be as much a part of the action going on around you as you like. Guests often tell us it’s like dinner and a movie," states the restaurant's website.

While my kitchen doesn't boast any stars, I do have a boat load of cooking awards and I'd be happy to set up a card table and - for a cut rate price - allow up to four perosns to squeeze togethr watch me slave over an old stove.

What ups the pecking order for The Little Inn is that The Kitchen was designed by Joyce Evans who took her inspiration from the dairy room at Windsor Castle. The walls are covered in hand painted blue and white Portuguese tiles and a massive bay window overlooks a garden. Often referred to as “the most beautiful kitchen in the world” it was added in 1998.

The kitchen features an enormous Vulcan range. Built to order in France, it is topped with a copper and brass hood that looks like King Arthur’s tent. Two kitchen tables – which the establishment calls "the inner sanctum – allow guests to watch the action ringside."

The Inn became America’s first 5 Star country house hotel and the first establishment in the Mobil Travel Guide’s history to ever receive two 5 Star Awards-one for its restaurant, the other for its accommodations. The Inn also received AAA’s highest accolades: two 5 Diamond Awards and is rated number one in all categories year after year by the Washington D.C. Zagat Restaurant Survey.

It's the place to be seen.

A new PBS film, which recently aired and deserves a repeat Inn at Little Washington: A Delicious New Documentary, gives a rare behind-the-scenes look into O’Connell’s rise to gourmet star status.

Patrick O’Connell, a native of Washington, DC, is a self-taught chef who pioneered a refined, regional American cuisine in the Virginia countryside. His alliance with local farmers and artisanal producers was an adaptation born of necessity more than 30 years ago when nothing but milk was delivered to the tiny town of “Little” Washington, VA (pop. 158). Long before the farm to table movement had a name, he began cultivating fruitful relationships with his neighbors — many of whom have a strong connection to the land and a heritage of self sufficiency.

The Inn at Little Washington opened in a former garage in 1978 and has evolved from a simple country inn to an international culinary shrine. Its legend is multi-faceted; some view it as a classic, inspirational American success story — reaffirming that dreams can come true. Others focus on The Inn’s pioneering efforts in the evolution of American cuisine. Preservationists marvel at the positive effects such a place has had on one of America’s few remaining unspoiled, historic small towns. Students of business study The Inn as an unlikely business model and try to analyze what makes it work seemingly against all odds.

Patrick’s dedication to community and charitable causes is a focal point in his life – from serving as Chairman of the Archtictural Review Board of Washington, Virginia to leveraging his career milestones to benefit national and global charity initiatives with organizations such as Share Our Strength and Population Services International. The 30th anniversary raised $650,000 for children’s health programs YouthAids and Five & Alive.

The Inn, which houses 23 opulent guest rooms, has also capitalized on its sprawling 20-acre property with a new picnic lunch-and-garden tour led by a dedicated horticulturist. The “Garden and Ground Tour and Box Lunch” addition kicked off on Memorial Day weekend and will run every Friday through Monday indefinitely in two time slots. Tables will be set up around the lush property for guests who want to partake in an al fresco lunch (with the option to add wine) after strolling around its gardens.

Patrick O’Connell is generous about providing his recipes. The following is one that I've tried and will addict a discernng palette.

Truffled Popcorn By Patrick O’Connell Chef/Proprietor of The Inn At Little Washington.

"Because dining in our kitchen is a bit like dinner and a movie, we often serve this version of popcorn at the Chef’s Table. Even without the fresh black truffle this will be the best popcorn your guests have ever tasted."

Pop ¼ cup raw popcorn in an air popper or in your favorite popcorn popper following the manufacturers’ directions.

To dress the popcorn:

1/8 cup melted butter
2 tablespoons good quality truffle oil
1 tablespoon finely minced fresh parsley
½ cup grated, aged parmesan cheese
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 small, fresh, white or black truffle (optional)
Place the warm popped corn in a large mixing bowl.
Toss the popcorn with the remaining ingredients, reserving the truffle to grate at the table.

RECASTING THE RED CARPET

As the world gingerly reopens for business the world of entertainment is on its own spin. One of the issues is how to handle red carpet events - those publicity important stagings generally preceding an awards' show, major publicity event such as announcing a new movie, television season or even a Broadway event.

Prior to the "new normal" these gatherings were a gaggle of press, pr agents and stars pushing, huddling,and jockeying for position. The proximity was so close that you could smell each other's antiperspirants.

Photographers were hoping for a money shot.

Make up artists hover to retouch after every air kiss.

Stars used as walking mannequins were asked "Who are you wearing?" before mentioning their name. Ever since Giorgio Armani pioneered red-carpet dressing, designers have viewed red carpet events as a serious marketing took.

Then that pesky virus demonstrated it had more power than a studio head.

What to do.

Navigating a new learning curve, lighting designers and clothing experts have discovered a new monetary outlet as they are needed for Zoom and other celebrity streaming. Many stars who were skilled at studio presentations looked downright dreadful being seen on a small screen from their home.

A new avenue for income and recognition as credits roll across the television screen.

Professions have been needed to reposition furniture, as in staging a set (anything other than the obligatory bookcase), positioning lighting, selecting clothing, applying make-up and even teaching the celebrity how to position themselves for streaming, especially their head.

Artists who and network shows which more quickly than others adapted to broadcasting from home include: James Corden, Jimmy Kimmel, The View; Ellen and the season final of All Rise.

8:40 Productions is a Broadcasting & Media Production Company based in Sylmar, California; 1540 Prods., a top firm that designs, executes and produces 350 events a year including Game of Thrones' final season premiere in New York, and the ESPYs post-party; Red Carpet Events LA, Center of Attention which who have staged Emmy, Oscar and Grammy Parties stress "we carry a million dollar insurance policy so you can be at ease. We understand the confidentiality many discerning clients require especially for celebrities," and other companies of their ilk all appear to be planning from the same play book.

That means:

Entourages will be a thing of the past. Hangers on whose self worth depends upon knowing somebody will look for new coattails.

Few people on the red carpet.

Interviews planned for a specific time and length.

Individual interview booths with plexiglass barriers.

Sanitizers everywhere.

No more stars rummaging through the gift tent - fingering everything before goodie grabbing.

If face masks are worn, expect them to be couture with much thought put into matching them with the gown.

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In the pages of How To Earn A Living As A Freelance Writer (the first to be lied to and the last to be paid) you'll find sex, celebrities, violence, threats, unethical editors, scummy managers and lawyers, treacherous press agents, sex discrimination; as well as a how-to for earning money by writing down words.

ART AND ABOUT

GRAMMY MUSEUM has announced new and never-before-released free digital content while the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles is closed until further notice in light of COVID-19. The Museum's Public Programs digital series features new intimate sit-down interviews with artists and musicians recorded via Zoom, as well as archival Programs from its 200-seat Clive Davis Theater.

Since the Museum opened 12 years ago, it has offered more than 900 Public Programs. The Museum is also releasing exhibit slideshows featuring items from past exhibitions. The Museum is also sharing daily playlists and thoughts curated by its staff, including the guest services and security team members, in an effort to continue keeping all employees engaged during this closure.

DIGITAL PUBLIC PROGRAMS
*notes a never-before-released Program from the Museum archives
6/1 – Ruth B.
6/3 – Kip Moore *6/6 – Poncho Sanchez
6/8 – Grouplove 6/10 – Steep Canyon Rangers
*6/13 – Rita Wilson
6/15 – Adam Lambert
6/17 – Haim
*6/20 – Andy Grammer
6/22 – The White Buffalo
6/24 – Jenny O.
6/26 – Glen Ballard/"The Eddy” (Netflix Original Series, Songwriter and Executive Producer)
*6/27 – History of Los Angeles Ska (Part 1)
6/29 – Lucinda Williams

DIGITAL EXHIBIT SERIES
6/5 – The British Invasion: How 1960s Beat Groups Conquered America
6/12 – Pride & Joy: The Texas Blues of Stevie Ray Vaughan
6/19 – Monterey International Pop Festival: Music, Love and Flowers, 1967
6/26 – Count Basie: The King of Swing

MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART AUSTRALIA reopens on June 16, 2020. The reopening takes place with the 22nd Biennale of Sydney: NIRIN exhibition.

The reopening will take place with "enhanced health, hygiene and safety measures in place, following strict NSW Government guidelines, based on expert public health advice. These include limiting visitor numbers to allow for 4 square metres per person, enhanced cleaning regimes, ensuring adequate handwashing facilities and sanitiser, and providing distance markers for queuing, to help keep our community safe.

The MCA Store, MCA Cafe and Sculpture Terrace will also reopen on June 16. Graze restaurant will re-open on 30 June. All spaces will have capacity restrictions due to physical distancing requirements.

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SWEET CHARITY

THE UNITED NATIONS TRUST FUND TO END VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN is using the music of singer-songwriter Piera Van de Wiel to raise social awareness of domestic violence through her new single Used, with proceeds going to the United Nations Trust Fund to End Violence Against Women. With each impactful lyric, Piera sheds light on the dark reality of domestic violence by giving women around the world the voice they deserve.

The United Nations Trust Fund to End Violence Against Women mission is to prevent violence against women and girls by empowering groups especially at risk of violence, including adolescent girls and indigenous or ethnic minority women, and engaging strategically with boys and men as well as traditional and faith-based leaders to prevent violence.

Worldwide reports indicate that domestic violence has spiked during the COVID-19 lockdown.

SPREADING THE WORD

THE 2020 MEMORIAL DAY CONCERT which aired last Sunday on PBS, hosted by Joe Mantegna and Gary Sinise showed both creativity and sensitivity. A splendid accomplishment in proving that the small box not only has flexibility potential but in the right hands can be as engrossing as anything on the boob tube.

The production, directed by Paul Miller was professional, patriotic and entertaining.

Utilizing a few meticulously selected tribute clips from previous years, the live to tape singing performances were heartfelt. So were the celebrity comment insertions.

Politically correct, CoVID-19 mindful, low bows are due to everyone associated with the productions.

DEAL by Barbara Isenberg, a delightfully funny and surreal eight-minute foray into “short story cinema” starring Sean Astin and Sarah Drew. Deal premieres on the L.A. Theatre Works youtube channel.

What happens when you want something so badly, you step out of reality to get it?

Originally published as a magazine piece, Isenberg’s Twilight Zone-esque tale introduces us to Marsha, a middle-class housewife who lives vicariously through the world of TV game shows. Astin and Drew bring the short story to vivid life - without changing a single word.

“This is not an adaptation,” notes LATW producing artistic director Susan Albert Loewenberg. “Sarah and Sean perform the story, word for word, in a creative new way that infuses it with an infectious vitality. It’s tremendous fun.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8xe86id40w

“In all my years as a writer, nobody ever turned any of my articles into short films, much less with talent at the level of Sarah’s and Sean’s,” laughs Isenberg, an award-winning author and journalist. A former staff reporter for the Wall Street Journal as well as for the Los Angeles Times, where she remains a frequent contributor.

The creative team for Deal includes executive producer Loewenberg, producer and creative director Anna Lyse Erikson, director Sonia Malfa, editor and colorist Cole Greenbaum, and sound mixer and editor Ronn Lipkin.

EAST LYNNE THEATER COMPANY of Cape May, New Jersey although unable to present its usual large summer productions, it will be producing live, for very select audiences.

It’s ELTC’s 31st Season of Tales of the Victorians, and although the company can't offer guests a cup of tea and homemade treats like they usually do when Tales is performed at local B&Bs and shops, the theater's actors and friends are still reading stories by famous American authors. This year, Tales will be outside in the backyard of a home in West Cape May, weather permitting, every Thursday from 4:00 PM – 4:45 PM, from June 18 – August 13. Only 10 people are allowed per Tale. The cost is a minimum donation of $5.00 per person, paid with cash, at the door. As usual, ages 12 and under are free. If "young'uns" are coming, let ELTC know, and Tales forall ages will be read.

Until further notice, ELTC is making the following requests for everyone's safety: please wear a mask, and sit where socially-distance seats have been cleaned and placed. We'll not be serving drinks and food, but you may bring a beverage. No restroom facilities will be available.

DANCE WEEK is being celebrated through June 4, 2020 by Ballet Hispánico, New York City Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, The School of American Ballet, and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (LCPA).

Part of Lincoln Center at Home, the offerings, which will be streamed at LincolnCenter.org and on Lincoln Center's Facebook Page, were filmed during more than 40 years of performances on the Lincoln Center Campus.

Sun 5/31 at 8pm: American Ballet Theatre at the Metropolitan Opera House
Mon 6/1 at 7pm: The School of American Ballet Virtual Workshop Performance Celebration
Tue 6/2 at 8pm: Coppélia, New York City Ballet
Wed 6/3 at 8pm: Tribute to Balanchine, New York City Ballet
Thu 6/4 at 8pm: Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
(All times listed EST. New York City Ballet titles are available for 45 days after premiere dates.)

Some of the broadcasts have not been seen in decades and are being unlocked as Lincoln Center offers gems from its media archives, including landmark New York City Ballet works by George Balanchine, the company's co-founder, with some dancers in the roles that Balanchine created for them.

JAPAN SOCIETY IN NEW YORK CITY offers Seinendan Theater Company’s Control Officers, available via video at www.japansociety.org Performed and recorded at Komaba Agora Theater in Tokyo (2019), with added English subtitles. The video offering, which is free, is accompanied by a newly recorded Q&A with Japan Society’s Artistic Director Yoko Shioya and director-playwright Oriza Hirata, one of Japan’s most influential theater makers and pioneer of the “quiet theater” movement.

In this cynical yet humorous one-act comedy, Hirata looks at what is going on behind the scenes in the lead-up to the Summer Games in Tokyo, as the country’s top male swimmers undergo a routine doping test - and the doping control officers try to remain neutral while the interpersonal drama between the swimmers escalates around them.

THE MIAMI DOLPHINS thanks to COVID-19 won't be playing football for some time in their stadium. What to do with an empty stadium? The NFL team recently announced that it will be repurposing Hard Rock StadiumT - the team's home field and the site for last year's Super Bowl LIV, - as a massive drive-in movie theater temporarily, capable of accommodating 230 cars for a single showing.

The drive in will feature giant screens showing marquee games in team history, classic movies, commencement ceremonies, concerts and more. There will also be in-car food deliveries.

THE 20th ANNIVERSARY JANE AUSTEN FESTIVAL in Bath, England in September 2020 has been cancelled. The Summer Ball due to be held in June has also been cancelled. "This is due to the continued uncertainty over Covid-19 and the practicalities of ensuring participant safety. Even the Regency Costumed Promenade, which takes place outside, with social distancing rules in place would have been impossible to hold. Just imagine how long the parade would have been with everyone 2 metres (6 feet) apart!"

The proposed dates for next year's Festival are from Friday to Sunday September 10-19, 2021.

MUSICAL PRINCE CHARLES HONORS GRANDMOTHER IN SONG

Prince Charles practicing the cello while in university.

If he hadn't been born into a structured family business he probably would be playing in a philharmonic orchestra or fending off fans thanks to a top ten recording.

It's Prince Charles whose favorite childhood pastime was practicing the cello.

Recently the Prince of Wales commissioned musical pieces in memory of his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother.

In a two night presentation, each piece of music, chosen personally by His Royal Highness, has been recorded by a range of his and his wife's musical patronages across the UK. Moderator Alan Titchmarsh conducted an exclusive interview, where His Royal Highness shares his love of classical music, live music and highlighted the great importance of classical music and live performance, as well as concerns musicians face during the health crisis.

Titled A Royal Appointment - with HRH The Prince of Wales on Classic FM, The Piano Concerto by Nigel Hess, commissioned by Charles and performed by Lang Lang, backed by the London Chamber Orchestra, was destined to be a fitting tribute. "Its simple, at times sentimental, melodies effortlessly conjure up the diminutive figure of The Queen Mum smiling sweetly."

“We decided each movement should reflect an important aspect of her character. The smile, the love and the sense of duty which remained deep right to the very end,” the heir to the throne explained.

The Duchess of Cornwall is also Patron of the London Chamber Orchestra. In 2011, the orchestra performed at the wedding of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. in talking about the wedding of his eldest son, William to Catherine, Prince Charles revealed he suggested some classical music.

In an interview with British gardening legend Alan Titchmarsh on Classic FM, the 71-year-old royal shared: "I love trying to organize some interesting, I hope, pieces of music for certain occasions ... particularly for weddings if people want.

"I know my eldest son was quite understanding and was perfectly happy for me to suggest a few pieces for their wedding.

"I hope that gave some people pleasure, but it's rather fun having orchestras in for great occasions like that, and why not suggest a few pieces occasionally? Anyway ... I do enjoy it."

On the program he also explained how it was his grandmother who encourages his interest in music.

"Well I suppose various people would play it around me.

"My grandmother used to play quite a bit of music, so I would hear something there.

"But I suspect the first time I really became aware of it was being taken by my grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, to Covent Garden aged seven, I think.

"It must have been in 1956 to see the Bolshoi Ballet perform.

"It was their first visit to the United Kingdom and I shall never forget that incredible occasion. I was completely inspired by it."

During the radio broadcast, The National Youth Orchestra, of which The Duchess of Cornwall has been Patron since 2013, performed two of her husband's favorite classical pieces.

A few of the other offerings included:

The English Chamber Orchestra is the most recorded chamber orchestra in the world, and was featured twice during the presentation. The Prince has been Patron since 1977.

The BBC National Orchestra of Wales, of which The Prince has been Patron for 27 years, was also featured.

Sir Antonio Pappano conducts the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, of which Prince Charles is a patron.

The Orchestra of the Welsh National Opera, another of HRH’s patronages performed. They've been keeping their audience entertained during lockdown through virtual performances, interactive family shows and activities.

Also performing was The Monteverdi Choir which The Prince has been Patron of since 2010.

Since 1980, The Prince has been Patron of the Philharmonia Orchestra, who also played on ClassicFM. The group has recently been delving into the archives to share past performances, alongside first-hand stories from the musicians who were involved.

Soloist Nicky Benedetti performed with Scottish Chamber Orchestra CO music, of which HRH has been Patron for 20 years. The group regularly collaborate with American musical groups.

The Bach Choir concluded an evening's program with choruses from the St Matthew Passion by Johann Sebastian Bach. HRH has been Patron since 2002.

LAUGHTER IS THE BEST MEDICINE

Sam Levenson (December 28, 1911 – August 27, 1980) was an American humorist, writer, teacher, television host, and journalist. From 1949 to 1954 Levenson was a panelist on the CBS series This Is Show Business along with playwright George S. Kaufman and Abe Burrows. In 1950 he and fellow comedian Joe E. Lewis were the first members of the New York Friars' Club to be roasted. In 1956 he hosted the game show Two for the Money, having replaced fellow humorist Herb Shriner. From 1959 to 1964, he hosted The Sam Levenson Show.

A few of his famous quotes:

Insanity is hereditary; you get it from your children.

Somewhere on this globe, every ten seconds, there is a woman giving birth to a child. She must be found and stopped.

You must learn from the mistakes of others. You can't possibly live long enough to make them all yourself.

Lead us not into temptation. Just tell us where it is; we'll find it.

If you want to know how your girl will treat you after marriage, just listen to her talking to her little brother.

It's so simple to be wise. Just think of something stupid to say and say the opposite.

One of the virtues of being very young is that you don't let the facts get in the way of your imagination.

Don't watch the clock; do what it does. Keep going.

I admit that: my wife is outspoken, but by whom?

I'm going to stop putting things off, starting tomorrow!

Just try to be happy. Unhappiness starts with wanting to be happier.

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THE 2020 BOOTH AWARD has been presented to designer Mimi Lien conferred annually by PhD students at the CUNY Graduate Center this year the 2020 Boorth Award Website elebrates four of Mimi Lien’s landmark undertakings -- An Octoroon; Superterranean; Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812 and the Brooklyn performance space JACK -- alongside five-minute-or-less video tributes from academics and from her acclaimed collaborators.

Artists contributing include: Rachel Chavkin (The Great Comet, Hadestown), Dan Rothenberg (Pig Iron), Alec Duffy (JACK), Jennifer Kidwell (Underground Railroad Game), Tony Torn (Ubu Sings Ubu), as well as designers, performers, playwrights, and technicians.

The Edwin Booth Award was established in 1983 by the Doctoral Theatre Students’ Association (DTSA) to honor a person, organization, or company for their outstanding contribution to the New York City/American Theatre and Performance Community. Recipients of the annual Booth Award are nominated and elected exclusively by students in the program. Named after the nineteenth-century tragedian Edwin Booth, renowned for his intellectual curiosity, the award promotes integration of the professional and academic theatre communities. The 2019 Booth Award was given to Ishmael Houston-Jones. Past honorees include: Ellen Stewart (’84), Joseph Papp (’89), Dixon Place (’99), HERE Arts Center (’06), Mabou Mines (’07), Reverend Billy and the Stop Shopping Choir (’16), Taylor Mac (’17), Young Jean Lee (’18) and others.

Toronto’s Why Not Theatre has launched ThisGen 2020 Fellowship, a national leadership program to support exceptional female-identifying BIPOC (Black Indigenous Person of Colour) theatre artists advancing to the next level of their career. Why Not Theatre will pair each Fellow with both a national and an international mentor working at the highest level of their craft to engage in conversation, as well as provide Fellows with support, skill-building opportunities, and access to new networks.

In response to COVID-19, Why Not will roll out Fellowship activity in two phases for the 2020 cohort. Phase One will be completely virtual and take place between now and September 2020. During this time, Fellows will meet online with Mentors, based on a curriculum driven by the Fellows and co-curated by their Mentors and Why Not. Over the summer, Fellows will also participate in peer-to-peer discussions and masterclasses, in addition to receiving a budget for self-directed online learning (e-courses, virtual conferences, etc.). Phase Two, which is aimed at in-person mentorship, will be re-evaluated in September 2020.

The inaugural cohort of Fellows was selected from across Canada, and applications were accepted in both English and French. The seven ThisGen 2020 Fellows are:

Intisar Awisse - Dramaturgy (Waterloo, ON)
Tai A Grauman - Writing (Edmonton, AB)
Bianca Guimarães de Manuel - Set Design (Calgary, AB)
Crystal Lee - Production Management (Toronto, ON)
Nikki Shaffeeullah - Directing (Toronto, ON)
Olivia Shortt - Sound Design (Toronto, ON)
Echo Zhou - Set Design (Toronto, ON)

Why Not is proud to be able to pair these Fellows with top-level artist Mentors from the US, Canada, the UK, and Australia who are creating some of the most ground-breaking, innovative work in the world and changing the sector through their leadership. The group of mentors for Phase One include Amrita Ramanan (Director of Literary Development and Dramaturgy at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival), Julie Fox (Dora Award-winning Set Designer), Elisheba Ittoop (Acclaimed American Sound Designer), Mimi Lien (Tony Award-winning Designer of Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812), Lisa Fa’alafi (Co-creator and Director of the international Hot Brown Honey), Kirsty Housley (Co-creator of Tony-nominated The Encounter), and Peter Lyne (Technical Director of Indigenous Theatre at the National Arts Centre of Canada). Masterclasses will be taught by UK director/theatre-maker Kirsty Housely, award-winning Canadian designer Camellia Koo, and Technical Director at American Repertory Theatre, Latiana Gourzong.

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This is not your typical, totally boring textbook.

In the pages of How To Earn A Living As A Freelance Writer (the first to be lied to and the last to be paid) you'll find sex, celebrities, violence, threats, unethical editors, scummy managers and lawyers, treacherous press agents, sex discrimination; as well as a how-to for earning money by writing down words.

FINAL OVATION

JIMMY COBB whose subtle and steady drumming formed the pulse of some of jazz's most beloved recordings, died at his home in Manhattan on Sunday, May 24, 2020. The cause of death was lung cancer. He was 91.

Cobb, best known for backing Miles Davis on a string of iconic records. He began his touring career with saxophonist Earl Bostic in 1950. By 1959, at just 30 years old, Cobb played his best known work, drumming for Miles Davis on Kind of Blue.

He worked with Dinah Washington, Pearl Bailey, Clark Terry, Cannonball Adderley, Dizzy Gillespie, John Coltrane, Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holiday, Wynton Kelly, Stan Getz, Wes Montgomery, Art Pepper, Gil Evans, Miles Davis, Paul Chambers, Kenny Burrell, J. J. Johnson, Sonny Stitt, Nat Adderley, Benny Golson, Hank Jones, Ron Carter, George Coleman, Fathead Newman, Geri Allen, Earl Bostic, Leo Parker, Charlie Rouse, Ernie Royal, Philly Joe Jones, Bobby Timmons, Walter Booker, Jerome Richardson, Keter Betts, Jimmy Cleveland, Sam Jones, Red Garland, Joe Henderson, Eddie Gómez, Bill Evans, Jeremy Steig, Richard Wyands, Peter Bernstein, Richie Cole, Nancy Wilson, Ricky Ford, and David Amram.

In June 2008, Jimmy Cobb was the recipient of the Don Redman Heritage award. On October 17, 2008, Cobb was one of six artists to receive the 2009 National Endowment for the Arts NEA Jazz Masters award.

LARRY KRAMER Activist and playwright whose acclaimed 1985 drama The Normal Heart about the early years of the AIDS crisis was an angry indictment of inaction by government and medical officials, died May 27, 2020 in New York City from pneumonia. He had undergone a liver transplant on December 21, 2001. He was 84.

The Broadway production of The Normal Heart won the Tony Award for best revival of a play. An HBO adaptation, written by Kramer, won the 2014 Emmy for outstanding television movie.

In 2001, his brother attorney Arthur Kramer, who died from a stroke in 2008, gave Yale (where Larry Kramer, brother Arthur and their father graduated) a $1 million grant to establish the Larry Kramer Initiative for Lesbian and Gay Studies, a program focusing on gay history.

He is survived by his husband architectural designer David Webster. They had been together for decades. After breaking up they reunited and were married on July 24, 2013 in the intensive care unit of NYU Langone Medical Center where Kramer was recovering from surgery for a bowel obstruction.

Next Column: June 7, 2020
Copyright: May 31, 2020 All Rights Reserved. Reviews, Interviews, Commentary, Photographs or Graphics from any Broadway To Vegas (TM) columns may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, utilized as leads, or used in any manner without permission, compensation and/or credit.
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