A perofrmer in Is What It Is Theatre's Amateurs reacts
to my review, and my responseFrom: "Anthony Henderson"
To: mspt@goldfishpublishers.com
Subject: Amatuers review
Date: Fri, 22 Mar 2002 08:08:52 -0500
To Mark Turvin
I appreciate your opinion on your
review, however I notice your lack to appreciate reality in
comedy. Little cute antics that often live in comedy is what kill
a script. Although Kane Blacks performance is really well done,
out side of laura and Andrea Still, and Myself as Wayne we give
the most down to earth performance in the show. You might beg
to differ. But Keep in mind that you are one man, That I have
yet to see perform anywhere else in the valley. I haven't even
heard of you until I came to this company of amatuers, and amatuers
will be amatuers. Its very obvious your wrote your review based
up favorites, and in this industries that doesn't exsist. My cousin
is a film actor. He has done over forty hollywood productions,
and he is right as an african american you should never expect
to get the cudos from amatuer racist, closeminded critiques as
yourself who have no idea of what it is to put a production on
with heady actors who refuse to make a choice for themselves and
for the director refusing to give the director options, they lack
risk, and the need for adventure. You need to look well outside
of a box and find the joy for once. But you might well be right,
may be I should bump it up a level. But also keep in mind the
direction you so much brag about, It was that same direction that
told laura and I not to have the sexual tension that is written
inside of the script. You need to think out of the box man before
you go to another review. This is a small society from coast to
coast watch the big screen for lackies as yourself. We are taught
in comedy to play the opposite and to break down each specific
moment. which is obviously not done, and how could it be done
when five out of nine actors refuse to make a choice or risk of
their own, and when they do it is slamed by not one director but
two or three. It very obvious that Phoenix is full of white trash
mid westerners with not culture or diversity as yourself who go
to the theatre for a name and a hoby. Turvin keep your day Job,
and If this is it go eat some dirty In NY, and live with some
black, mexican people for a year, and find out what its like just
to be real.
Yours Truly
Anthony A. Henderson
(Wayne)
Mr. Henderson,
Thank you for your email.
Per my policy stated on the website, I would ordinarily post your letter today (3/24/02), but as I'm an advocate of theatre, and do not desire to cause major problems for a show that is still in production, I will wait until next week to place your comments in the "Letters to the Editor" section. This will be my only response.
Let readers be the judge of your opinions.
Sincerely,
Mark S.P. Turvin
Goldfish Publishers, LLC
Mr. Mark S.P. Turvin,MFA
Thank You for your courtesy. I do realize that what I said, was
quite blunt. But please understand as well, that the great thing
about the arts, is the relationships. The need for the
relationships. There exsist a joy in feeling real pain. It
gives a person a chance to evolve. Grow into a butterfly, and
sore like no other kind of species. I appreciate that you are
an advocate for the arts. Because you willunderstand what
I am about to say.
We, as in humans that enjoy the arts, in every form, see the world
differently than most of society. We allow ourselves to exsist
in the muster of the world. For instance we don't pay
to see little Cindy Lo get A's everyday in School,
grow up and marry some rich doctor. No. That is
so stale. But If when she did, she would grow up, have
some salty affair with her usbands bestfriends brother; Followed
by some horrid sicko event. We thrive on uproar, negativity, gossip,
getting the upper hand. We love it. Inferiority, superiority,
we need it to survive. Creditials are the way of life
now, and how many we can get behind our name. Thats all heady
stuff. The arts is where we go to escape from all that. It's freedom
to explore. Like you said to imagin. Or just pretend to be
in the reality of their world. The world of the painter, or the
photographer, or even cinematographer; When they catch moments
that just out of a whem might happen.
There exsist a peculiar erieness in subtlety, and then the uproar
will happen. Back to relationships for a moment. A relationship
between any one to three objects will have attraction
or lack of. Which in addition will create friction. Odd man out, or
man in. Magnets. The Stronger the relationship, better chance
for friction. But forget sience, and remember the heart.
Your center where all starts. When did we forget to appreciate eachother
because we all come to the arts for the same reason the passion, the
desire, the heat. That feeling you get when your parents took
you to your first play, and you got that tingleling feeling
all over your body when the music started. We forgot man. Or
when you used to dress up, and the reasons we did was just to
pretend to be that person in real life we saw in public. May it
be doctor, lawyer, President of USA. biker, jock, who
knows but we played together without the judging. What I
am saying is; That I don't come to theatre to judge other peoples
idea of art, but to share in it. And as an actor, and a black
one I come to share with you, and everyone who is willing to see
me, and the ones I share the stage with. The key word is share.
You share in art, and in relationships. Then I share with you,
and so did Laura, and from our hearts, and you have nothing
good to say about either of us. Followed by our lack of sexual
tension inside the play as if it was our choice. I love sex man
and if they're exsist a chance to even hint, it I am on it.
Another form of the human relationship. But the
director insisted that we were just friends. I disputed her
choice of course. The reason being; the greater the risk,or
need the bigger the fall, but in the end followed her choice.
You speak of imagination, yet the greatest imagination exsist
on great risk, down and dirty risk. Ones that challenge you as
a person. Or to see something from another persons perspective.
And not get lashed for it.
I have the reputation of showing up late to shows. And I have
no excuse, that maybe I try to do to many things at once, but
the funny thing is I come thru every single one of them no
matter what people say! Because of my need, my love, and dedication,
I come to share with you, and others and the ones I share the
stage with. But may I add, that as an actor I give from the heart, intentions
come from within to the out. I give 110% of my heart to you, if
you were on stage with me. I wouldn't let you down In hopes that
we would give eachother an honest reaction,and if it was
a painful one I would share that moment with you, and would just
respect you because we could go there together, we just
used our imagination.
We live in one world, and in it exsist 10,000,000 different
other worlds, and that many more realities. Imagin If you knew what
was like to just muster in one, and if you can't handle the
curiousity,go hang out in one for awhile just to taste, get
a feel and then we evolve.
Perhaps we may have some bad moments, some painful ones, and then
those ever longed for happy ones. but at least we lived, loved,and
learned. You know, you hurt me, a lot, you made me feel the pain
I hate the most. But the thing is I can use that pain now
as an authenticity in the show. So, in a way thank you. But also I felt
you favoritism in you review. So I challenge you to
go to a show and find something good about each actor. Even
if it's just that they are there, because this is where they
feel the most at home.
Thank You for Your Time
Anthony!