U.S.

“Never Forget” How Tacky This Is

Upon scrolling through the articles and postings by Facebook friends this morning, I came across an article from the Gothamist about the items for sale in the gift shop of the 9/11 museum:

http://gothamist.com/2014/05/22/photo_finally_you_can_buy_a_911_che.php#photo-7.

In a city known for hustling and making a fast buck, I find very little wrong with entrepreneurial endeavors and sheer capitalistic gain. In fact, this is what makes New York City so remarkable. Sure, there is competition–But there is also opportunity and drive which far exceeds the confines of unattainable growth and apathy found in too many places across our free country. This is why religious zealots hate us. So much in fact, that they attempted to cripple our nation on September 11, 2001. Al Qaeda partially succeeded, having killed approximately 3,000 individuals in Lower Manhattan, Washington DC, and Pennsylvania.

I didn’t fully agree with the prevention of rebuilding the space that occupied the World Trade Center. I am more than sensitive to the fact that family and friends lost one loved ones. Those left behind hoped that the space would remain vacant since it was a heartbreaking remembrance of tragic death . Given that the event occurred in the heart of the financial district, however, would make this infeasible. As difficult and painful as it is, life must continue and the business world must prosper-to reasonable extent. I will elaborate on this further.

In typical bureaucratic fashion, it took years of heated argument and discussion, until a decision was to be made about what would be built in its place. Architect Michael Arad’s concept of falling waters was simple and profound. It offered a quiet, pensive beauty, replete with solemnity and honor. The exhibit opened in 2010 and continues to be a fitting memorial where visitors can attend (free of charge), and read the names of those who perished. Much like the Vietnam and Korean War memorials, such places are intended to offer reflection, gratitude, and hope. And they succeed.

This week, the 9/11 Museum opened. According to its website it offers the following mission statement:

“Demonstrating the consequences of terrorism on individual lives and its impact on communities at the local, national, and international levels, the Museum attests to the triumph of human dignity over human depravity and affirms an unwavering commitment to the fundamental value of human life.”

The purpose of the memorial is well intended as it is extremely costly to maintain. The museums’ yearly operating costs are estimated at 60 million, and it receives no federal or state funding. However, the museum crosses the line of decency by incorporating a gift shop on the premises. In no way does this “attest to the triumph of human dignity over human depravitiy”. What it does attest to is the simple fact that museum owners can make an easy and quick dollar on the backs of voyeuristic tourists, which rather exemplifies human depravity. How does a cheese plate in the shape of the United States, or a stuffed animal puppy with a first responder vest—or even a seemingly innocuous coffee mug- help us to “Never Forget?”. Easy answer: It does not.

Having been a New Yorker on that horrific day and those following, I can unpleasantly recall the requests from visitors “wanting to visit Ground Zero.” It was not out of reverence for the event that had just happened, but rather a morbid fascination and a chance to tell friends and neighbors that they were there. This was all before the dawn of social media. Thirteen years later, you can believe that throngs of people will flock towards Chambers Street, posting selfies of themselves with friends and reassuring us with comments that they are “never forgetting.” After all, on Facebook, we can show the world just how much compassion and care we truly have. Politicians will continue to use this place as a platform for patriotism and will reassure us with their eloquent speeches that we are a “strong and resilient” people. Consequently, the intent and significance which the ground represents will be blinded by displays of self serving bravado and attention.

Carrying cheap tchotchkes to the heartland does not bring honor to anyone who suffered the devastation of 9/11. Carrying their memory in your hearts and minds does. Teaching your children tolerance and respect does. Rejoicing and expressing gratitude in our freedom does. Understanding that capitalism works, but not at the sacrifice of human life does. I will never forget the unspeakable tragedy that unfolded on that infamous day. As for the unspeakably distasteful gift shop—I’ll forget it.

Back On My Feet’s 2 Year Birthday: Continuing the Run towards Self-Improvement

by Ryan Leeds

Back on My Feet's Uptown group celebrates its graduates. Photo courtesy of Back On My Feet. — Back on My Feet’s Uptown group celebrates its graduates. Photo courtesy of Back On My Feet.

THE STORY

Even in the often quoted “city that never sleeps”, the hours between 5 AM and 7 AM are considered sacred moments of slumber for most individuals . For nearly two hundred New Yorkers however, these pivotal hours have provided profound life transformations through the incredible non-profit organization called Back On My Feet (BoMF). This unique running club began in Philadelphia in 2007 by founder Anne Mahlum. Mahlum convinced the administration of a local homeless shelter to offer a running program to its residents. The group’s mission was (and still is) to provide hope to those experiencing homelessness through group running. It quickly caught on and has since expanded to 10 other cities. This month, the New York City chapter is proud to celebrate its 2 year birthday, with many fun events in store. Since April 2012, 193 members of the chapter have gained employment, found housing, enrolled in education, or accomplished a combination of the three. In New York, there are four branches: Uptown, Times Square, Bowery, and Brooklyn. Three mornings a week at 5:30AM, each team meets, completes a warm-up , forms a circle of serenity, and executes the planned run. At the end of each run, the teams reconvene to their circle of serenity. Each meeting point is a shelter or half-way house and their teams are comprised of both residents and non-residents (volunteers). In addition, all of the locations offer treatment programs as many of the residents have experienced issues with alcohol and/or drugs.

CRITERIA

Aside from the daily subway paper am New York and the occasional free coffee coupon from Starbucks, recipients of BoMF have come to realize that there are few handouts in life. In order to qualify for help from the program, each member must have 90% attendance. After 30 days, they are eligible for the “next steps program”, which consists of financial literacy and job preparedness. After 90 days with 90% attendance, they are eligible for financial assistance. BoMF will grant them the option to remove a one time roadblock, helping them to achieve a personal goal. The roadblocks range from a security deposit for an apartment to paying parking tickets so that they may obtain a CDL license. Funding for these opportunities are provided through corporate sponsorships and via fundraising.

JOHN’S STORY

Anthony (L) and Half marathon finisher John (R) from Back On My Feet's Uptown team. Photo courtesy of Back on My Feet. — Anthony (L) and Half marathon finisher John (R) from Back On My Feet’s Uptown team. Photo courtesy of Back on My Feet.

John has been running with back on my feet since November 2013. A U.S. Army veteran, he moved to New York in 1989, shortly after a three and a half year service commitment. Plagued by a long battle with substance abuse, he sought recovery at Samaritan Village in Queens. It was there where he discovered the group that would become his destiny. “Every morning, I would sit on the porch, smoke a cigarette, and drink a cup of coffee. I saw this group and I asked someone what it was about. It just looked like something I wanted to be a part of. So I joined.” Aside from drills in the Army over 20 years ago, John didn’t have a physical fitness routine. “At the beginning, it was a lot of discipline. I wasn’t used to waking up that early and being around people who were more excited than me at that hour!”. He continued, “But i just kept doing it and now, it’s like nothing to get up when the alarm goes off at 5:00 AM.” BoMF took John out of his comfort zone. “It challenged me to do something that I said couldn’t be done. Then I realized after a short period of time, that it could be done. The only person that could do it was me.” He added, “This group has really encouraged me.” Their support and his own self-confidence has served him well. Just last month, John completed the New York City half-marathon- for someone who only recently reignited an exercise routine, the 13.1 mile trek was quite an accomplishment. “It started as a joke, but then I became serious about it,” he says. “I started doing long runs on the weekend, starting at 8 miles and then continuing to 10.” Humbly, he acknowledges his fellows from his BoMF Uptown group. “They helped me to overcome my fear and taught me that it didn’t matter where I placed in the half marathon. The important thing is that I finished the race.” John continues to lead the morning warm-ups as Team Captain: “I like feeling that I am part of something and contributing to the group.” He observes, “Running is the easy part; discipline is the hard part.” John will continue that daily focus as he prepares for his first ever marathon in NYC in November. His professional mission is a practical venture: “Run in the morning. Work during the day. Rest at night.”

2 YEAR BIRTHDAY AND VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Hugs are abundant at Back on My Feet. Photo courtssy of Back On My Feet.

As BoMF NYC celebrates two solid years of tenure, it has some engaging activities planned for April and beyond. On April 9th, all four branches met at the Delancey Street offices for their Birthday run. They also launched the 180 challenge, encouraging non-residents to fund raise $180 per person for the organization. On May 1st, BoMF welcomes the entire NYC community to a group run in Central Park. Participants will meet at New York Running Company’s Columbus Circle location at 6:30 pm for a fun run, a scavenger hunt, and some mingling. On May 31st, BoMF will proudly partner in the 5k Color Run, to be held at Citifield in Queens. Non-residents and community individuals are strongly encouraged to volunteer.

Jean Hartig serves as Director of Communications and Corporate Relations for the New York City chapter. “There is an opportunity for runners, joggers, and walkers alike to share in an activity that has brought them so much joy.” She continues, “To be able to share that joy with those experiencing a life transition helps create community. Ideally, we want to build that community beyond the morning runs.” While the primary focus is on running, there are all levels of participation. Hartig explains, “The goal is really to get outside, circle up, talk to each other, and become more active.” She has witnessed the positive affect BoMF has had on so many. “When there is that activity to look forward to and that team to be held accountable to, changes happen in our members.”

Whoever said second chances can’t happen, should log on to the site, lace up their sneakers, and look at the results.

THE DETAILS

WHAT: Back On My Feet

WHEN & WHERE: Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday morning.: 4 locations in New York City. For specific information, log-on to http://nyc.backonmyfeet.org

WHY: Haven’t YOU ever hoped for a second shot?

Theater Review: “Middle of the Night”

by Ryan Leeds

Boy loves girl. Girl loves boy. Simple enough, one would think. Then again, that would make for a rather drab drama. So, to complicate the lives of our leading lovers, classic playwright Paddy Chayefsky has whipped up some conflict in Keen Theater’s tender revival of his 1956 play Middle of the Night, now playing on Theatre Row.

The Manufacturer (Jonathan Hadary), an employee of New York’s garment district, is a bit lonely. His wife has passed and he’s in desperate need of some tender loving care. When the Girl (Nicole Lowrance) drops by the widower’s store to drop off some sales slips, she begins to deluge him with her problems. Her Husband (Todd Bartels) is a bohemian jazz artist who spends much of his time away. Aside from the sexual chemistry, there is not much keeping them together. The Girl is besieged by sadness to the point of filing for a divorce. Upon learning of her trials, the Manufacturer listens intently and, as Cupid would have it, falls in love with her. Here’s the “sticky wicket” in this: He’s Jewish. She’s a Gentile. He is in his fifties. She is a fresh 24. Neither family is taking this sitting down, but the couple is resolute on making it work.

Both Jewish and Gentile families adopt dual roles, and each player brings a strong performance to the stage. But it is Hadary, a long time stage veteran, who brings solid gravitas and a firm footing to Middle of the Night. The volatility and sincerity in his performance is perfect.

Although he is known more for his Oscar-winning scripts on films including Network, Marty, and The Hospital, Chayefsky’s Middle of the Night (which also received a film treatment in 1959) strikes sweet chords of unexpected promise and love. Director Jonathan Silverstein’s gentle guidance has allowed for a heartfelt production.

Middle of the Night is now playing off-Broadway now through March 29th. Theatre Row, 410 West 42nd between 9th and 10th ave. For tickets, call 212-239-6200, visit www.telecharge.com, or visit the box office.

Jake’s Hot in the Fashion District

by Danielle Flocco

Breaking into the fashion industry is no easy task, but Jake Labarbera makes it seem effortless.

This newly 21 year old is a student at the Fashion Institute of Technology, studying merchandising and jewelry design. He has an interest in photography, and most of all sharing his style with everyone. Jake blogs his personal style, showing the world how to make an outfit ‘pop’ in this competitive world of fashion.

Recently on his blog, www.jakeshotonfashion.com, silver was featured as the up and coming color to incorporate into an outfit. Tested by Jake himself in the fashion district of Manhattan, silver is definitely the way to go. Silver is subtle yet shiny, so your outfit stands out without being overwhelmed by it. This is perfect for those hesitant to go ahead with neon pieces. The easiest way to try silver for an everyday outfit is in jewelry, shoes, or belts- all of which can be found for low prices.

Here is a leather and silver bullet styled bracelet that Jake featured. This piece can be matched with any outfit, and can give theperfect New York rocker tone to an otherwise bland outfit. Again, not an overwhelming piece, but just enough to add the same sparkle as an average bracelet- just with a heck of a lot more attitude.

His other favorite pop of silver is his pair of silver high top sneakers. He blogged this statement about these gleaming kicks: “I’m obsessed with my silver hightop sneakers. And I would totally wear them everyday if I could.” And Jake’s recommendation to everyone is to “pull out your old pieces, dust them off, and put them to good use.” This applies to anything- silver or not- because hey, you never know what will be the next big hit in fashion.

Jake is not only a blogging trendsetter, but he is currently an intern for couture designer, Ralph Rucci, as well as a model. He has been involved in modeling for a few years now, and has quite an array of experience. A few years back Jake modeled for prints for a small boutique in Rhinebeck. Then, he bust onto the Runway in 2013 New York Fashion Week for designer Marlin George. And for 2014, Seduka by Joe Dahan will be featuring Jake in a lookbook and their soon to launch blog.

Young, handsome, and determined, Jake is set to succeed in everything he does. He is still a fresh face in modeling, but a great reputation is certainly building. And let’s not forget he’s a student of jewelry design- we must keep our eyes out for his collections!

Art & Commerce: the Street Art of Jilly Ballistic

by Jordan Mattos

Jilly and bunny buddy. — photo by Roberto Vincitore

Socially oriented themes are vital in keeping today’s art community from obsolescence. Desensitized by post-modern theory, many of today’s artists subscribe to the idea that personal narratives are as equally worthy as history’s. Often, the individual opinions, quirks and tastes of the artist trump objective social matters and form the impulse and focus of the work. As art schools and the needs of the marketplace teach the same, the common issues and conditions faced by large sections of the population go untouched as worthy subject matter in the artistic arena. This is a 21^st century concern.

Artists such as Caravaggio, who worked in service of the Church at first, worked to interpret daily life. His practice of picking up street urchins and prostitutes and using them to create portraits of religious figures offered an edgy commentary on hypocrisy in the religious community. His portraits, rendered in murky chiaroscuro, asked us about the validity of the Church’s claims to moral authority. Without question, we need more artists that consciously choose to interpret and comment on their surroundings and the political goings-on of everyday life.

The Brooklyn-based artist known as Jilly Ballistic chooses to use the advertising seen in New York City as canvas. Ballistic augments subway adverts and movie posters with unique, one-off photo cutouts that comment and question the ad’s initial purpose. By displacing the reason behind the production of a given piece of advertising, she creates her own intent – to question the ad and engage in dialogue with the potential consumer.

A poster for a reality TV show about wealthy Southerners inserts black and white cutouts of Confederate soldiers next to the modern-day socialites; a glass-enclosed subway map is taped up with a fictional police advisory: “if it ain’t broke, break it”; a Sports Illustrated ad featuring an attractive model in bikini is amplified with the sticker “Beauty has been modified from its original version.”

One of my favorite subvertisements is Ballistic’s Would you like to forget this movie ever existed? The question is posed in a pop-up icon on the movie poster for Vampire Academy. You don’t have to dislike the movie to connect with the work. There is an ongoing critique of warfare that runs through the majority of Jilly’s interventions. Cutout soldiers and gas masks are key images that keep popping up in her work. If you catch either of these, you know it’s a Jilly Bomb.

I was able to ask Jilly several questions about her work.

Where were you born?

Born and raised in New York City.

How has NYC influenced your art?

Every piece I put up is inspired by the City, from its architecture to the ads in the subway. They are all site-specific and have a relationship with the environment, a purpose.

What recent changes in the city have affected your creative process?

My process hasn’t been affected in any negative way. Despite the huge influx of cameras and the unjustified number of stop-and-frisks, the work still gets up. You develop a strategy for things like this and adapt. For example, you alter what paste you carry and what containers; can the print go up all in one large piece or in sections? Actually, the number of obstacles makes the process more challenging and even fun to work around.

Ballistic's swimsuit odyssey. — Ballistic’s swimsuit odyssey.

Many artists shy away from being political in their work for fear of being “on the nose” or appearing sincere. What are your thoughts on the matter?

You have a right to express or not express your thoughts on any topic. For myself, I’ll approach a political issue or respond to something in our pop culture if the time and location is right. Like I said, all my pieces are inspired by/site-specific, so if the City offers me an opportunity I take it and try to say something meaningful, either in a subtle way or with humor.

By playing with advertising, your pieces subvert the commercial. What is your overall relationship with commerce in NYC?

You can’t escape capitalism in New York. Even if you’re not actively purchasing anything, you’re exposed to the advertisements–they’re next to you in the train car, they’re on your building. We’re all in a relationship with commerce. And I use that as a common denominator; I attempt to say what the public is thinking about a product, be it a new film or Apple product.

What is a less obvious risk of creating street art?

With all the effort you put into a piece, there’s a chance the public puts little effort into understanding it.

The ‘would you like to forget such a film existed?’ piece plays with the public’s expectations of interactivity and being positioned as tastemakers. On one level it critiques media of questionable value (a cheesy, senseless teen movie) while using interactivity to offer the viewer the option to disregard content. What are your feelings on ‘tastemaker culture’ such as the foodie movement and its relationship to city life? Where do you position your art in the consumer/tastemaker culture?

Technology has changed the way we interact with the world around us, specifically allowing us the ability to talk back instantly with submitting comments, “liking,” or “disregarding.” It’s made each of us individual critics, or a “tastemaker” as you put it. This is another one of those common denominators I work with; most of us recognize alerts or error messages because they’re in our lives everyday. It has become a form of communication and a medium artists can use.

Jilly's Southern Comfort, modified. — Jilly’s Southern Comfort, modified.

Your pieces use existing advertising and material as jumping off points. Do you have a “dream ad” or physical space that you’d love to Jilly-bomb?

One of the best parts of doing ad or site interventions is that moment when you’re commuting as you usually do, and the train passes an ad/space you know you have to hit. It’s a gut feeling, an instinct. So I don’t usually sit and dream about spaces, I let the world surprise me.

What is your opinion on a hacking group such as Wikileaks? To you, what is the relationship between art and hacking?

When mainstream media and journalists no longer take risks to uncover what’s truly happening, we have to depend on ourselves. There’s a creative way to do this-like with cinema, graffiti, or visual arts for example-or direct reporting, like revealing official documents.

Social and historical icons figure largely in your pieces. What else do you draw your inspiration from? What does the gas mask mean to you?

2014 marks the hundredth anniversary of chemical warfare and the gas mask has/is currently undergoing an evolution. War is becoming more accurate and the products needed for war are becoming more accessible, to anyone – citizen, soldier, or government. This work is a reminder of such an uncomfortable reality. And this reality isn’t an inspiration, per se, but something I feel needs to be revealed.

Would you like to have forgotten this ad? I would've. — Would you like to have forgotten this ad? I would’ve.

You can see Jilly’s work at http://jillyballistic.tumblr.com/ Her pieces are now featured in Outdoor Gallery, a standout book by Yoav Litvin, collecting pieces from several street artists. Outdoor Gallery is available at the MoMA, Guggenheim, Strand Bookstore and Zakka (BK) next week.

3D Printing: Enter the Void

by Jordan Mattos

As a film student in college, I often viewed my production-oriented classmates as tech-heads and gadget hounds. Tied up by electrical wires, I came up with sportive nicknames for them: the camera buff, the visual FX junkie, the techno-fetishist. To them, content and story were means to an end; it was the rush of copulating with metal that really seemed to agitate their senses.

I preferred theory to being on set. I never managed to obtain that tactile high; the current of electricity that shot through their veins whenever they plugged in a wire or pulled a strip of celluloid through a Steenbeck. With no less fervor, I enjoyed discussing the social implications of the latest film with my friends in the cinema studies department, who eschewed “making stuff” for the loftiness of deconstruction. The general gist was that detachment from the creative process – not sticking your hands in the primordial goo – offered you true objectivity.

The 3D Printshow, an annual four-day consumer-friendly event at Manhattan’s Metropolitan Pavilion, aims to satisfy the urges and convictions of both doers and deconstructionists. Three floors exhibited the various uses of plastic printing machines that ranged from the ornamental (3D printed jewelry) to the potentially life changing (bionic ears), and showed the advantages of the theoretical and the hands-on, with varying degrees of success.

Three-dimensional printing stands in relation, in theory and in practice, to the Maker movement, which has now become a part of international lexicon. Maker Faire, Make Magazine‘s festival, secured a place in the DIY parthenon back in 2006 with the first event in San Francisco. This 3D Printshow in particular was created in the UK by an intrepid Brit. The event has toured Paris and London. Even my boss, a self-identifying Neo Luddite in his 70s, uses the term in casual conversation.

Looking at the event as a whole, there is a valid tendency among certain circles to praise the potential of the radical elements and dispense with the more fanciful as the whimsy of business-minded Silicon Valley types with a fetish for fun fur. A recent article in The New Yorker pointedly called out the money crowd for overshadowing the innovators and placed Maker culture in a refreshing economic and social context. The event I attended offered an Elite Business Conference to understand how 3D printing could help corporations, as well as an Investor Session with plenty of opportunities to flash witty business card designs. But it also offered a live runway show of fashion designs that highlighted the conceptual over the commercial, green thumb student thesis projects, and a Medical and Planet Earth section, which focused on teams that use the printing process for ecological and medical innovation.

Permeating the show is a palpable respect for play. One exhibitor, Extreme Flyers, created a tiny remote-controlled helicopter with a built-in HD camera. I watched it glide through the air and weightlessly alight in the palm of my hand. As it hovered above the crowd I wondered what it would be like to make a film shot exclusively by a toy helicopter. For a moment, I found myself joining the crowd, jointly craning my neck in thrall of the beautiful plastic poetically trapped in mid-air.

In this instance, the event successfully married the techie with the conceptual, the politically and socially minded with the thrill of the hands-on. Makers “make” just for the fun of it, but seem all the better for it. It’s in the exciting stages of experimentation, error, and play that their ideas seemed best suited for refinement and further developments in advocacy. Perhaps that’s something we can all stand to benefit from – Neo Luddites and gadget hounds alike.

Patterned Tights To Spice Up Classic New York Style

by Danielle Flocco

Classic New York style is black from head to toe, and in this cold weather black boots, pants, and a jacket definitely seem like a warm choice. And sadly, this time of year our favorite little black dress often gets buried away in the back of the closet, but there’s no reason for that anymore.

Patterned tights are perfect to personalize the classic New York style and give our LBD some attention in the winter months. Stores everywhere sell huge varieties of patterned tights, usually in the $10 to $20 range- which is a small price to pay for an easy and versatile accessory. Depending on your personal preference you can add any edge to your outfit from wild party to simply unique.

Cheetah print, or any asymmetrical print, tights give off a party-ready look, but are appropriate for any time of day. For the office, the printed tights with boots and a simple skirt or dress will show off your personality that can’t always be seen under that 9- 5 suit. Classy, yet personalized, your work wear will be immediately upgraded. For a night out in the winter, when you’re dying to wear your go-to LBD but don’t want to freeze, printed tights will look sexy. Sometimes a little coverage on the legs is all we need to keep warm, so use those opportunities to find your perfect print. Following the classic New York style, an asymmetrical print- in black, of course- will be subtle enough to maintain a classy appearance, but just different enough to set you apart from the crowd. And in this big city, why not stand out a bit.

Many of us wear the same, or painfully similar, outfit more days than we’d like to admit (I plead guilty!). And odds are, if you don’t like to switch up outfits very much, a crazy print won’t be your first choice. Thankfully, patterned tights also come in a wide variety of simple, symmetric patterns for us. Minimalist accents to an outfit instantly boost chicness, both in the workplace and out in the world. Not to mention that minimalist style is highly regarded in modern fashion. Tights with squares, stripes, or dots add just enough of a personalized edge to a simple outfit to let your personality shine through while looking classy. Again, the subtle accent in an all- black outfit will be enough to separate you from the rest of New Yorkers.

Modern fashion is all about adding a personal elements to an outfit, and patterned tights are an easy and inexpensive way to do so. Using subtly accessories like tights instead of chunky jewelry or other large pieces are a much more modern way to draw attention to an outfit. Patterned tights are especially perfect in our city where we are all about simple and classy style in all- black.

Fashion and style aside, patterned tights can also be extremely flattering. Plain black tights will not shorten your legs, but they won’t lengthen them either- and being just barely 5 feet tall, I always try to look a bit taller. Patterned tights with details that are longer than they are wide will have a slimming effect on your legs, and in turn add a few inches. This is really great considering that occasionally we can look a bit short when wearing a skirt or dress with knee high boots. Patterned tights with details that are wider than long will not have the same effect. They will give your legs a bit wider of an appearance, and possibly make you look a bit shorter. However, if you are tall enough that you can spare a few inches, these tights will look great and not take away from your appearance at all. Depending upon what your pattern preference is and the look you are trying to achieve, either pattern type can be used to your advantage.

Whether you’re interested in patterned tights for fashion purposes, to look better, or both, they’re a necessity for the rest of the winter and the upcoming spring. And again, tights are not expensive and what is better than looking great on a small budget.

An “Interactive” Conversation with the “Goldstar” Visionaries Behind TEDxBroadway

by Ryan Leeds

Few people would associate the biological term “ecosystem” with the theater community–unless, of course, one taps into the passionately innovative minds of on-line media gurus Jim McCarthy, CEO of the popular ticket site, Goldstar (https://www.goldstar.com) and Damian Bazadona, founder and CEO of digital marketing advertising agency Situation Interactive Media (http://www.situationinteractive.com.) The two of them, along with Broadway producer Ken Davenport (http://www.davenporttheatrical.com) are joining forces for the third annual TEDxBroadway Conference, which will be held on Monday February 24th, 2014 at New World Stages.

I sat down with McCarthy and Bazadona to discuss how the conference is taking form, the importance of technology within the live entertainment community, and what we can expect from an event that aims to make Broadway brighter, better, and more relevant.

RL: This is the 3^rd annual TEDxBroadway Conference. Tell me a bit about the origin.

JM: For a couple of years, there were unaffiliated loose conversations over dinner and drinks with Damian and Ken where we would discuss the need to make sure that the Broadway ecosystem was having conversations that were bigger picture conversations. And this was just by our mutual interest in that sort of thing. At some point, we developed a vague idea that we might do one of these ourselves. I had been involved in the TEDx program early in its inception and after being around that, I decided to do something within that format. The three of us talked and agreed that this was consistent with what we thought the conference should be: bigger picture, longer term, less nuts and bolts and more aspirational. TEDx provided us with some framework for how to do it. So TED gave us a license for TEDx Broadway and we set a date and started working for it. This gives us a chance to think big and think broad and I think we can have a good time with that.

RL: How will this year be different in terms of scope and content? Can you tell me about some of the speakers?

JM: In some ways the same and in others, quite different. The basic structure is quite similar in that we’ll have three sessions again. There are no panelists but just a single presenter for each topic.

DB: The reason I got involved in this from the beginning is because we’ve nailed down the question: “What is the best Broadway can be?” One of things that drove me to get involved with this conference with Jim and Ken is that we all look at the aspirational side of where the industry could go. Too many conferences focus on a) too many “nuts and bolts” and b) less about the longer term- So when you structure the question “What is the best broadway can be”, it makes each speaker look at it in that framework. The key difference this year is that we’ve become much better at the structure. Since this is our 3^rd year, we’ve just become sizeably better and the speakers have a better understanding of what we’re trying to accomplish. The speakers we have lined up are just excited to involved in the process. All of them come to the stage with a certain level of passion and they have a context from speakers over the last two years. If you look at our sponsors which include Google, Jujamcyn Theaters, and Broadway.com, you realize that everyone wants to get involved in this. I mean, who doesn’t want to answer the question “What is the best Broadway can be?”

JM: Plus, we have people who may not be household names, but they’re just gonna go up there and knock people out. I try to encourage the speakers to discuss what people are not likely to hear from them. Having worked with Robert Lopez on his talk, I know that what he’ll talk about will be interesting to the audience, but there are other people in the line-up who are less familiar names, but who I think will be pretty dazzling. Even people outside the Broadway ecosystem will contribute. This year we have Annisa Ramirez, who is a tremendous science educator and one the best people in the world to break down science for the layperson. She’s going to discuss the science that we’re going to live with over the next five to ten years and the emerging aspects of science that are going to impact our daily lives. Certainly Ramirez is prolific in her field, but not as well known among the Broadway community, so we’re really happy to have her on board as well. We also have the amazing singer and actor Lea Delaria, who is now recognized for the series “Orange Is the New Black”.

RL: Can you each give me a brief elevator pitch on the contributions your companies are making to the Broadway community?

JM: Goldstar is basically a seller of tickets to all kinds of live entertainment. We call ourselves “the world’s largest ticket booth.” We have approx.. 5 million registered members, we’re in 30 of the biggest markets in the U.S. and we sell tickets on behalf of any kind of live entertainment and arts you can imagine. Our goal is to connect people who want to go out more to the venues who would love to have them. We become the starting point for matching the two, they buy the tickets from us, and we take very good care of them. NY is our second largest market after LA (where we are based) and the health of Broadway, both here and on the road is extremely important to us. When Broadway is healthy, we benefit. We talk about the Broadway “ecosystem”, which is not just the theater but the tourists ,restaurants, hotels, academic institutions, and residents. One of the beliefs we all share is that this ecosystem rises and falls together, so we want to help make it healthier now and into the future.

DB: Situation Interactive media operates under the basic principle that the world is a better place when people are doing things rather than having things. Therefore, we power the brands that do. We started in arts and culture and worked on over 100 Broadway productions since 2000 and now we have expanded by working with Brooklyn Academy of Music, Metropolitan Opera, the Super Bowl, One World Trade Center, Madison Square Garden and other experiential outlets. Our roots started in Broadway but have expanded. I’m in this primarily because I hope to be here for many years and Broadway is a tremendous part of our business and is where my roots are from.

JM: I think Damian is being a bit modest because Situation Interactive was really the on-ramp for Broadway in terms of internet marketing. Prior to him, it wasn’t even a given that you should be marketing on the internet.

DB: (Humbly) Well, thank you. I think it was just a matter of being at the right place at the right time, but I’ll take it!

RL: How have Broadway marketing strategies changed from the days of relying solely on print to the newer techniques of digital advertising and is one more important than the other?

DB: Digital marketing is the best trend that has happened to Broadway and live events because they benefit from digital a lot more than other folks and industries. Primarily, it is all about content. The product we offer is literally our market. A majority of my brands are in the story telling business and they sell stories that people get to connect with. Digital is the greatest way to connect people. I wouldn’t say that there is no need for traditional media because it all fits into the puzzle, but the new channel into the mix is obviously all of the digital pieces. You can connect all the people in the world this way.

JM: If you only had traditional means of marketing the product, those means are slow, static, and expensive. It takes a long time to launch them, you can’t change them, and they cost a lot of money, so you had better get it right on the first try. The thing about digital is that we have a product (those of us in the live entertainment business) that is like bread. So the notion of slow, static, and expensive are the last things you want for a product that is here today gone tomorrow.

DB: Another thing is that great ideas come from everywhere. I know everyone says that but in a world where content is becoming king, we work differently. Now you can ask the cast for ideas of marketing the show, which wasn’t previously thought of in the theater. Now they say, “We want to promote the show like this” and we respond with, “Great! Here’s a channel by which we can do that.” It’s the most fun time to be in the industry on the marketing side since I’ve been doing this.

RL: With regards to the productions themselves how has technology changed the face of theater? What trends are currently implemented and is there anything new that theater goers can expect ?

JM: We actually have two speakers talking on that topic this year.

DB: It depends on how you’re defining it. We think of Broadway as the place, not just the industry so the growth I’ve seen over the past 5 years is in alternative models. The business models which are starting to pop up is that live theater and the experiential piece are playing out in all different ways. I feel like you’re going to see more shows along the lines of Sleep No More and Fuerza Bruta. From a pure technology perspective, I’m working on a show right now that is primarily all projections. So we’re starting to get to a place where projections are working themselves into productions, which changes the whole game for scenic design and set design-not necessarily as replacements but as enhancements. The business side really is going to dictate some of the creative decisions over time. What are the cost structures to put these shows on? Because they are going up and to make money on Broadway is not easy, so you must have cost controls put in. Where does theater live beyond the four walls?

JM: Exactly. And that is another area we’ll hit in this incarnation of TEDxBroadway. How do you take the thing that is happening in the theater and leverage it elsewhere?

DB: Right. Right now, that conversation is being led by marketers and it needs to be led by creatives since creatives can take the content and apply it specifically to each platform. That is why places like National Theater (who was at TEDx last year) are fantastic because they create for the platform. When they shot Curious Incident of the Dog in Nightime , they shot one version for National Theater Live, so when you watched it in the movie theater, it looks like it was shot exclusively for the movie screen. We’re just at the beginning of that. You have to believe that there is a lot more value in the content. We have an amazing talent pool of people who create for the stage every night

RL: Who is your target audience, both for advertising and show attendance.

DB: If you’re looking NY theater ticket buyers today, the average demographic is 40+ women. I would argue that the bigger issue is cultivating talent over time. One of the reasons I’m involved in the TEDx conference is because we’re looking at the question, “What are we doing today to build the audience of 20 years from now?” the topic of target audience, I think. is a huge conversation for the industry. The easy, short term answer is definable: 40, wealthy, in-bound tourists but it is clearly not aligned with the longer term demographics of this country, which is why I like conferences like this- so we can discuss that.

JM: Now that you’ve taken us down this path, there are 3 programs I’d like to mention which we’ll also be discussing at the conference. One that Damian has driven with kids in the Bronx at a high performing middle school who have been sort of the toehold for a program that has broadened out since then. A) It gives them some exposure so they know that there is a thing called Broadway and theater and B) it helps to build the connection in the other direction too. Damian was instrumental in getting the cast of Spider Man to go to their school in the Bronx. The result is that these kids from a high achieving, low-income area are now thinking “Maybe I can have a career in the area of the arts.” Our perspective is that Broadway needs those kids as much or more as those kids need Broadway. Think about the talent you can find in areas like this and that is where the future is often built. If this program has the result of just one brilliant writer or director emerging in twenty years, then this will have made everything worth it. On another level, we’ve subsidized some college students to attend, so they’ve made this part of the curriculum of the class. These students are able to go to the conference without costs being so prohibitive. We also had an open call for anyone 30 and under affiliated with the Broadway ecosystem to apply for free admission to the event by writing a brief description about why they wanted to attend. So a nice chunk of our audience this year will consist of those decision makers of the future. We’ve talked about that in the past, but this year we made a commitment to making sure they are there.

RL: What are some of the take-away you want to give attendees to the TEDx Conference or do you see this more as forum for open thought and creativity?

JM: I’d say more the latter than the former.

DB: The sign of success for me every year when I get emails and messages back from people telling me that it was a great day and they left feeling inspired. That is all I care about. I think if we go into the territory of “what is the take-away”, it’s dangerous because you’re trying to script something and the idea is that we’re trying to bring open ideas to the table from other people. I see myself as much a participant as an organizer.

JM: The idea of the TED format is to spread ideas. So our job is less to have a pointed view than it is to ask, “Who are some people who have interesting ideas that are relevant to this community”, and then give those people the opportunity to say interesting things in this setting. Often times, maybe a side point that you’ll hear from a speaker or a conversation you had in the lobby during a break will take you down a trail and open something up in your head as a huge idea and then can be an amazing thing we’ll all benefit from in some way.

DB: We didn’t want to take a bunch of speakers, put them up there, and then talk about all the things you can’t do. That is probably one of the biggest traps in conferences I attend in any industry. But when you frame the question: “What is the best Broadway can be?”, You can isolate a problem and that aligns with the question of “Is this something that inspires you?” and then it gives you a runway to make that possible.

JM: Look- every industry has deficiencies. But we’re not asking , “How do we fix a broken thing?” Instead, with an active imagination we are asking, “What is the best possible thing- and then let’s re-set the trajectory towards that. In the course of doing that, maybe we fix a broken thing or two along the way.” And ultimately, it’s supposed to be a fun! If it’s not fun, we’re not doing it.

RL: You’ve talked an awful lot about this “Broadway ecosystem.” What do you think is the greatest challenge, economics aside, facing this ecosystem?

JM: What is the audience years from now and more to the point, will this be a vital place in 10 or 20 years? The answer to that is going to come from whether or not there’s a connection made to the people who will need to be the ones showing up in order for it to work. The audience of today will have sort of moved on in its’ relevance. The demographics are kind of set. So if we know who is going to be here and who is going to have dollars to spend, then the question is ‘Will they be interested in this neighborhood as theater goers and as restaurant goers.’? We don’t need to go back that far in history to a time when they weren’t interested. The biggest macro question is that the neighborhood has gotten much much healthier in the last couple of decades, but what if it doesn’t sustain? What if, as a whole, that ecosystem doesn’t hit the mark in quite the way of where it was in the 80s until now? It’s not a guarantee, so there’s an audience question in there, there’s a relevance question in there and there are even bigger financial questions there as well. Those are all threats.

DB: A lot of people I’ve talked to from restaurants and hotels and are of the “now” thinking. They are wondering, “Is the show across the street from my restaurant going to stay open because when that show is open, my restaurant is full.” So they are hoping that Broadway remains strong. Everyone I talk to in this ecosystem has a different angle, but it all connects back to the same thing, which is the overall health of the region. Even though they live on a block to block basis, they are all connected by the idea of Broadway and Times Square. This week, for example, the blizzard and the super bowl changed the entire eco-system of that neighborhood dramatically. So you have these extraordinarily different businesses that are completely inter-dependent on each other

JM: We use this word “ecosystem”, which is borrowed from nature. The animals and plants in a certain part of the natural world don’t live there in isolation. The deer and grass and squirrels and grass, etc. do depend on each on each other. At a certain point, when the ecosystem degrades, everyone suffers. So this is very real and very complex, and we’re looking forward to having the conversation.

What: 3rd annual TEDxBroadway Conference

When: Monday February 24th 2014, 11am -6pm

Where: New World Stages, 340 W. 50th Street between 8th and 9th ave.

Tickets and more information: http://www.tedxbroadway.com

Damian Bazadona, Founder and CEO, Situation Interactive Media (Left) and Jim McCarthy, founder and CEO of Goldstar (Right). Photo courtesy of O&M. — Damian Bazadona, Founder and CEO, Situation Interactive Media (Left) and Jim McCarthy, founder and CEO of Goldstar (Right).
Photo courtesy of O&M.

Turning our eyes blind to LGBTI inequality.

by Brian Connolly

hr-human-resources — Turning our eyes blind to inequality.

If at work you were exposed to a flippant potential act of inequality…… would you turn your eyes blind to LGBTI inequality? I at the time merely raised a chuckled eyebrow and let it pass. During my day I got angry as if I let the “cause” down……. beating myself up with the stonewall for not standing up against it. Now if I raised the issue there and then chances are the unwittingly innocent party would say “I am sorry I did not realize your were gay”. Am I trying to find homophobia where none exists, are we consumed with “fighting for our rights” that we forget that not every scenario is a direct attack on the LGBTI community, but more a matter of perception and communication. So did a simple act such as not disclosing information about a gay group in my work place be grounds for homophobia, not wearing a pink badge or inexperience at communicating LGBTI information?

A little background, the aforementioned potential LGBTI offender was a member of Human Resources, and its this fact that incited me to write this. Surely Human Resources should be the most inclusive, equality led proponents in our work places?

Do we expect too much from people these days in our march to equality, lets face it we still struggle to communicate with each other on a neutral level as a species. Can we really expect slip ups like this to go unnoticed or unchallenged and just mark them as another ‘whoopsie’ in communication as we fumble our way through speech with a stranger. Suffice to say I was annoyed there was an omission of “gay” in my meeting with HR and by right could report or raise it an issue. Though the question I ask myself, does it ruin my life and others? Whatever I decide I will continue living my life as an open gay man in and outside of my professional life uninhibited by others.

Theater Review: “Antigone”

by Ryan Leeds

Welcome to Thebes, 440 BC. King Oedipus is dead. His remaining sons, Eteocles and Polynices could have succeeded the throne but Etecoles said (theoretically), “ Hands off! I get the Kingdom! me! Me! ME!” Polynices said (once again, theoretically), “No! I get the Kingdom! It’s mine! ME! ME! ME!” Clearly, equilateral ownership was a foreign concept to them, so they did what any jealous Greek siblings would do: they killed each other. Consequently, Oedipus’ brother, Creon reluctantly nabbed the crown. He is not at all thrilled about being a leader. He is tired and would rather spend his days relaxing and doing whatever the 440 BC’s version of Candy Crush is. Eteocles has received a state funeral , while younger brother Polynices is provided the opportunity to lie dead in the street for a month because Creon refuses a burial for him. As far as Creon is concerned, “the vultures and dogs are to bloat themselves on his carcass.” This, in an age long before Febreeze!

Enter Antigone and Ismene, dead King Oedipus’ daughters and sisters to the bozos who just slaughtered each other. Antigone wants a proper burial for Polynices, the love of her cousin Haemon (yes..you read that correctly-cousin) , and a chance to irritate Creon, who is planning to bury her alive in a cave if she defies his laws. Dark, right? Haemon defends Antigone by claiming that the city mourns for her, but Creon doesn’t want to hear it. Does love prevail in the end? SPOILER ALERT: No! Ultimately, everyone dies. This is Greek drama after all. You didn’t expect a big song and dance number, did you?

What you can expect is a solid staging of Sophocles’ Greek tragedy Antigone, translated by Jean Anouilh. It is currently being staged in an efficient black box space at the theatre of the Church of Notre Dame. Director Peter Dobbins has assembled a group of competent actors who have fully grasped their purpose and understand the moral issues at stake. Kick Kennedy (of the famed Kennedy dynasty), gives us a defiant and apathetic Antigone. Yet in her youthfulness, she maintains a pained vulnerability and frailty that evokes empathy and understanding. I mean–all she wants to do is bury her dead brother. Give the poor girl a break! Michael Early’s Creon is commanding and authoritative. With pages of dialogue between Antigone and Creon, both handle it with seemingly effortless ease. Jose Sanchez’s First Guard offers much needed comic relief. The moments are sparse, but he manages to capitalize on them.

Anoulilh’s interpretation rings true. First performed in 1944, his script lends itself to human reflection. “It is easy to say no [to life], Creon instructs Antigone. “ To say yes, you have to sweat and roll up your sleeves and plunge both hands into life up to the elbows. It is easy to say no, even if saying no means death.” Thousands of years later, Sophocles’ words remain timeless and relevant.

Antigone now through Feb. 15 at The Storm Theater. 405 West 114 Street on the corner of Morninside Drive. For tickets, https://www.smarttix.com/show.aspx?showcode=ANT22 or http://www.stormtheatre.com/

U.S.

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