For Immediate Release:

The Recently Resurrected William Castle Productions Presents

House on Haunted Hill:

A William Castle Annotated Screamplay

Complete with Emerg-O!

To Be Released on October 31, 2011

LOS ANGELES, CA – October 6, 2011
 – Due out on October 31, 2011, William Castle Productions proudly presents House on Haunted Hill: A William Castle Annotated Screamplay. The book features legendary horror filmmaker William Castle’s authentic working script from his 1959 classic thriller with original formatting and Castle’s own hand-written notes.  This collector’s item even comes with a new twist on Castle’s famous theater gimmick, Emerg-O. The 248-page book includes a foreword by acclaimed director Joe Dante (Gremlins, The Howling, Matinee), hailing the book as “an important artifact.” It also includes an introduction by William’s daughter, Terry Castle, who shares her personal thoughts on this seminal piece of film history. A critical perspective of the film by writer and illustrator Charlie Largent is also included as well as a special welcome from William Castle himself. The Screamplay will be available in print for $24.99 via Amazon and select retailers through the recently resurrected William Castle Productions (ISBN-13: 978-0578092928). For more information please visit http://williamcastle.com/blog/william-castle-productions.

House on Haunted Hill: A William Castle Annotated Screamplay cover art by Charlie Largent

“It’s not that often that you find a script from this period surviving with annotations,” writes Joe Dante in the introduction, “And that’s what makes reading this script such a pleasant surprise; you can actually imagine what it was like to be there, reading the script on the set with the actors, and coming up with artistic decisions on the spot.”



House on Haunted Hill – the movie – 

House on Haunted Hill remains a classic chiller to this day. Produced and directed by William Castle and written by Robb White, the shocker is beloved not only for Castle’s suspense-filled direction but what came to be known as “The Gimmick,” carnival sideshow trickery that both scared and delighted the audience. The original film stars the inimitable Vincent Price and features the classic gimmick Emerg-O – an inflatable glow in the dark skeleton attached to a wire that floated over the heads of the uproarious audience during the final moments of the film to parallel the action on the screen.

In the film, eccentric millionaire playboy Fredrick Loren (Price) and his fourth wife Annabelle have invited five strangers to a “party” at the House on Haunted Hill, a spooky old mansion with a murder-laden history. Whoever stays in the house for one night will earn ten thousand dollars each. Loren even provides loaded guns as party favors. As the night progresses, the guests are trapped inside the foreboding house with ghosts, murderers, and other terrors.

House on Haunted Hill: A William Castle Annotated Screamplay –

The Screamplay features the House on Haunted Hill script’s original formatting, maintaining the integrity of the authentic screenplay replete with Castle’s own hand-written notes. In addition, the book cover imitates the leather-bound binders that Castle used for every movie. William Castle Productions, in keeping with the spirit of “The Gimmick,” presents this book with a print version of Emerg-O – simply flip through the pages and scare yourself silly!

The annotated script “pulls back the curtain on the film,” writes Charlie Largent on the artifact, “Castle’s copious notes shine a light on both his own working methods as the director and Robb White’s as the screenwriter … It’s the closest thing we’ll ever have to an alternate director’s cut of this seminal spookfest.”

William Castle –

Born in New York City in 1914, William Castle made horror films in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s and lived his life scaring the living daylights out of people with the numerous horror films he produced and/or directed.  Macabre (1958), House on Haunted Hill (1959), The Tingler (1959), 13 Ghosts (1960), Mr. Sardonicus (1961), Homicidal (1961), Straight Jacket (1964), and Rosemary’s Baby (1968) are a few of his classic credits, the second and third films starring Vincent Price in career-defining roles. In addition to directing and producing, he also made many appearances in films (his own and others) such as Shampoo (1975) and The Day of the Locust (1975).  He also appeared in a non-speaking part in Rosemary’s Baby as the grey-haired man lurking outside the phone booth while Mia Farrow attempts to get in touch with her obstetrician.

Castle is perhaps best known, however, for the marketing strategies he developed to get his fans into theaters. In addition to the tingled butts of movie-goers at The Tingler screenings and insuring moviegoers against death by fright for Macabre, he also created “Illusion-O” a ghost viewer/ghost remover for 13 Ghosts, a “Punishment Poll” for Mr. Sardonicus, and Homicidal audiences were introduced to “Fright Breaks” and the “Coward’s Corner.”  He also introduced audiences to new film making and viewing techniques such as “Percept-O” and “Emerg-O.”

At 15, he began his career on Broadway, securing his first acting role by passing himself off as Samuel Goldwyn’s nephew.  He began his directing career at the age of 18 with a stage production of Dracula before graduating to work as an assistant to director Orson Welles, doing much of the second unit location work for Welles’ noir classic, The Lady from Shanghai (1947). John Goodman’s character in Matinee (1993) was based on Castle. His 1976 autobiography, Step Right Up, I’m Gonna Scare the Pants Off America, was reprinted in 1991 with a foreword by John Waters, who eulogized Castle thusly, “Without a doubt, the greatest showman of our time was William Castle.  King of the Gimmicks, William Castle was my idol.  His films made me want to make films.  I’m jealous of his work.  In fact, I wish I were William Castle.” Castle died of a heart attack in Los Angeles on May 31, 1977.

William Castle Reads to Ghouls - concept art by http://www.kleeproductions.com

Robb White –

Born in the Philippines, Robb White was a preacher’s son who held a wide variety of jobs before landing in the Navy during World War II. He became a prominent Hollywood scriptwriter when he teamed up with William Castle on House on Haunted Hill, Thirteen Ghosts, Homicidal, Macabre and The Tingler from 1958 to 1961. In addition to screenplays, he also wrote television scripts and dozens of novels, mostly adventure stories aimed at younger readers.   Notable among the novels he prolifically penned are The Lion’s Paw (1946), Deathwatch (1972), Up Periscope (1956), Flight Deck (1961), Torpedo Run (1962), and The Survivor (1964).

Terry Castle –
Terry Castle, the real life daughter of cult filmmaker William Castle, grew up in Los Angeles with a dad who made a living scaring the wits out of moviegoers everywhere. Although he was internationally famous, to her he was always just dad, though a larger than life one at that.  While she was growing up in the 1960s her father taught her interesting life skills such as the best recipe for fake blood, the proper way to hold an ax, and how to act out the most terrifying of ghost stories. After working as a writer and producer for years for CNN, Travel Channel, and Nickelodeon/MTV-Networks, she worked with Dark Castle Entertainment (Joel Silver and Robert Zemeckis’ production company named after her father).  At Dark Castle she co-produced and consulted on the remakes of two William Castle films to make the plots even more frightening: House on Haunted Hill (1999) and Thir13en Ghosts (2001). Her soon to be released book, FearMaker: Family Matters, is an homage to her father (he’s a ghost writer on it actually!).  Horror is in her blood, as she carries on her father’s wicked tradition of scaring innocent souls everywhere.

William Castle Productions –
Since the 1950s, William Castle Productions (WCP) has been dedicated to scaring audiences with dozens of film and television releases.  The production company is best known for films Rosemary’s Baby (1968), House on Haunted Hill (1959), and The Tingler (1959). Dormant for a number of years after Castle’s death in 1977, the production company has been re-animated in recent years by the ghost of William Castle in collaboration with his daughter Terry Castle.  In addition to the recently released From The Grave: The Prayer (2011), William Castle Productions will soon release another new book, FearMaker: Family Matters written by Terry Castle.  Additional new film, television, theater, and DVD projects are also currently in the works.

#         #        #

For more information, a copy of the book, photos, or to arrange an interview, please contact Green Galactic’s Lynn Tejada (née Hasty) at 213-840-1201 and lynn@greengalactic.com.

Book Stats:



House on Haunted Hill: A William Castle Annotated Screamplay



From William Castle, Screenplay by Robb White
Publisher: William Castle Productions
Category: Performing Arts / Screenplays
October 31, 2011
paperback • 248 pages • $24.99
ISBN-13: 978-0578092928
8.5″ x 11″ (21.59 x 27.94 cm)
Cover Art by Charlie Largent
Distributed by Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/HOUSE-HAUNTED-HILL-Annotated-Screamplay/dp/0578092921/ref=sr_1_sc_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1317928131&sr=1-2-spell

William Castle (by Leland Cheong/Honolulu Advertiser)

Known for his ingenious marketing gimmicks, legendary horror film producer and director William Castle (1914-1977) has returned from the dead with his first new work in decades, From the Grave: The Prayer (Volume 1), a novel for young adults.  Due out this Halloween season in early October 2011, the 75,000-word book set in Hollywood and Southern France is a compelling thriller infused with history, suspense, and horror.  Dubbed “The Master of the Macabre” and “King of the Gimmicks,” Castle was internationally famous for producing Rosemary’s Baby (1968) and producing/directing countless horror classics such as House on Haunted Hill (1959) and The Tingler (1959).
For Immediate Release:                                                                                                                                            August 4, 2011

“Master of the Macabre” William Castle (1914-1977) Is Back!
The Legendary Horror Filmmaker Has Penned a Chilling Young Adult Novel
From The Grave: The Prayer
To Be Released This Halloween – October 2011
By The Recently Resurrected William Castle Productions

LOS ANGELES, CA – Known for his ingenious marketing gimmicks, legendary horror film producer and director William Castle (1914-1977) has returned from the dead with his first new work in decades, From the Grave: The Prayer (Volume 1), a novel for young adults.  Due out this Halloween season in early October 2011, the 75,000-word book set in Hollywood and Southern France is a compelling thriller infused with history, suspense, and horror.  Dubbed “The Master of the Macabre” and “King of the Gimmicks,” Castle was internationally famous for producing Rosemary’s Baby (1968) and producing/directing countless horror classics such as House on Haunted Hill (1959) and The Tingler (1959).  Castle’s new book will be available in print and eBook versions ($15.99 and $9.99 respectively) via Amazon, Kindle, NOOK, and iBooks through the recently resurrected William Castle Productions (ISBN 978-0615507576 and eBook ISBN 978-1-4507-8404-7).

William Castle - Photo Credit: Leland Cheong, Honolulu Advertiser

“My dad was notorious for both his spine-tingling movies as well as the legendary gimmicks he devised to drive people to the theater again and again,” says his daughter Terry Castle who helms William Castle Productions. “And now, for his latest and perhaps greatest marketing gimmick yet, Dad has written “From the Grave.”  He’s really outdone himself this time!”

Indeed, Castle is as famous for his ongoing gimmicks as he is for the films themselves.  As film critic Sean Axmaker recounts in this review for Turner Movie Classics, “Director William Castle was an ambitious journeyman looking for his breakout film when he hit upon his winning formula with Macabre, a low-budget 1958 thriller that sold its onscreen shock effects with promotional ballyhoo.  In a brainstorm of publicity ingenuity, Castle issued an insurance policy (backed by Lloyd’s of London) to cover all ticket buyers against ‘death by fright.’ The campaign was a success, the film was a hit, and Castle found his new persona: a B-movie P.T. Barnum by way of Alfred Hitchcock. He launched a new gimmick with each succeeding horror film and took to personally promoting and introducing his films, just like Hitchcock was doing on television.”

Castle’s marketing exploits are well documented.  View these two recent articles to learn more (including video clips): “Top 10 William Castle Film Gimmicks” and Film School Reject’s “6 (non 3D) Movie Gimmicks From the Warped Mind of William Castle.”

From the Grave: The Prayer Synopsis –

As the Gypsies gather in the ancient village of Les-Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer for the annual celebration honoring their patron saint, a mystical convergence of events brings four adolescents together at a haunted house and sets them on a perilous quest to locate a centuries-old manuscript that holds the power to release the devastating force of the Ancient Ones upon the Earth.

Fifteen-year-old Sarah and her younger brother Luca are lonely Gypsy kids who travel about Europe with their parents. Forced by their Gypsy father to beg and pick pockets for money, Sarah and Luca find it impossible to earn their father’s approval. Fifteen-year-old Edgar cannot stand his parents (and the feeling is mutual) when the family moves from New Jersey to France so that his parents can live out their dream of being French aristocracy. Fourteen-year-old Aleck’s world is turned upside down when his parents are killed in a car crash and his older sister decides that he would be better off in France with their Aunt and Uncle whose real concern is their own lavish lifestyle.

Beset by their parents and guardians, the four young people must also survive the mercurial activities of a spirit haunting the house that holds clues to the location of the manuscript that is also sought by a secret society bent on locating it for its own purposes. In a frenzied chase that takes them from the ancient villages of Provence through the blood-soaked quarries of Roussillon to the macabre catacombs of Paris, the four must put aside their differences and suspicions to outwit the evil forces who will stop at nothing to get their hands on the ancient book.

William Castle –
Born in New York City in 1914, William Castle made horror films in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s and lived his life scaring the living daylights out of people with the numerous horror films he produced and/or directed.  Macabre (1958), House on Haunted Hill (1959), The Tingler (1959), 13 Ghosts (1960), Mr. Sardonicus (1961), Homicidal (1961), Straight Jacket (1964), and Rosemary’s Baby (1968) are a few of his classic credits, the second and third films starring Vincent Price in career-defining roles. In addition to directing and producing, he also made many appearances in films (his own and others) such as Shampoo (1975) and The Day of the Locust (1975).  He also appeared in a non-speaking part in Rosemary’s Baby as the grey-haired man lurking outside the phone booth while Mia Farrow attempts to get in touch with her obstetrician.

Castle is perhaps best known, however, for the marketing strategies he developed to get his fans into theaters. In addition to the tingled butts of movie-goers at The Tingler screenings and insuring moviegoers against death by fright for Macabre, he also created “Illusion-O” a ghost viewer/ghost remover for 13 Ghosts, a “Punishment Poll” for Mr. Sardonicus, and Homicidal audiences were introduced to “Fright Breaks” and the “Coward’s Corner.”  He also introduced audiences to new film techniques such as “Percept-O” and “Emerg-O.”

At 15, he began his career on Broadway, securing his first acting role by passing himself off as Samuel Goldwyn’s nephew.  He began his directing career at the age of 18 with a stage production of Dracula before graduating to work as an assistant to director Orson Welles, doing much of the second unit location work for Welles’ noir classic, The Lady from Shanghai (1947). John Goodman’s character in Matinee (1993) was based on Castle. His 1976 autobiography, Step Right Up, I’m Gonna Scare the Pants Off America, was reprinted in 1991 with a foreword by John Waters, who eulogized Castle thusly, “Without a doubt, the greatest showman of our time was William Castle.  King of the Gimmicks, William Castle was my idol.  His films made me want to make films.  I’m jealous of his work.  In fact, I wish I were William Castle.” Castle died of a heart attack in Los Angeles on May 31, 1977.

Terry Castle –
Terry Castle, the real life daughter of cult filmmaker William Castle, grew up in Los Angeles with a dad who made a living scaring the wits out of moviegoers everywhere. Although he was internationally famous, to her he was always just dad, though a larger than life one at that.  While she was growing up in the 1960s her father taught her interesting life skills such as the best recipe for fake blood, the proper way to hold an ax, and how to act out the most terrifying of ghost stories. After working as a writer and producer for years for CNN, Travel Channel, and Nickelodeon/MTV-Networks, she worked with Dark Castle Entertainment (Joel Silver and Robert Zemeckis’ production company named after her father).  At Dark Castle she co-produced and consulted on the remakes of two William Castle films to make the plots even more frightening: House on Haunted Hill (1999) and Thir13en Ghosts (2001). Her soon to be released book, FearMaker: Family Matters, is an homage to her father (he’s a ghost writer on it actually!). Much of what lies within the pages of both The Prayer and Nightmare in Beverly Hills is based on real life occurrences shared by the two Castles.  Horror is in her blood, as she carries on her father’s wicked tradition of scaring innocent souls everywhere.

William Castle Productions –
Since the 1950s, William Castle Productions has been dedicated to scaring America with dozens of film and television releases.  The production company is best known for films Rosemary’s Baby (1968), House on Haunted Hill (1959), and The Tingler (1959). Dormant for a number of years after Castle’s death in 1977, the production company has been re-animated in recent years by the ghost of William Castle in collaboration with his daughter Terry Castle.  In addition to From the Grave: The Prayer, William Castle Productions will soon release another new book, FearMaker: Family Matters written by Terry and William Castle.  Additional new film, television, theater, and DVD projects are also currently in the works.

On May 31, 2010 – the 33rd anniversary of his death – Castle began communicating with his many fans again via social media networks not available to him prior to 1977.  He is now communicating through his Facebook page, Twitter (@billcastle), and his personal blog http://williamcastle.com, from the grave.

“I suspect that the development of the social mediaverse has a lot to do with why Dad came back,” says his daughter, “He’s having a blast with Facebook, his blog, and Twitter – with so many cool toys to play with, there’s no telling what Dad will do next!  It’s going to be really interesting to see what he does with it all.”

#         #        #

For more information, a copy of the book, photos, or to arrange an interview, please contact Green Galactic’s Lynn Tejada (née Hasty) at 213-840-1201 and lynn@greengalactic.com.

Photo Credit: Randall Montgomery

Award-winning actress and playwright Diz White is set to release her spine-tingling collection of true stories, Haunted Cotswolds, through The History Press this Halloween season. Set in what many consider the most beautiful part of England, White, a Los Angeles-based British expat, recounts the numerous paranormal events that have occurred in the region while simultaneously documenting the Cotswolds’ eerie architecture and fascinating history. Pieced together from both historic and present-day sources, the 96-page paperback book is filled with tales of ghosts, ghouls and the undead from every corner of the Cotswolds, the second most popular tourist destination in the UK. Included are stories of tortured headless kings, stark-raving mad butchering inn keepers, buried alive country squires, burned at the stake nuns, and other undead who walk among us. The author will discuss and sign copies of the book at a Samuel French reception in Studio City on Thursday, October 21, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. (11963 Ventura Blvd., Studio City, CA 91604; 818-762-0535; www.samuelfrench.com).

For Immediate Release:
September 28, 2010

The Ram Inn — the most haunted building in Britain. Photo credit: Randall Montgomery

Award-Winning Actress/Playwright Diz White
Tells Chilling Tales of Ghosts, Ghouls & Apparitions
From England’s Most Scenic Region
Haunted Cotswolds
US Book Release Halloween (October) 2010 by The History Press
Author Book Signing at Samuel French in Studio City on Thursday, October 21, 2010

LOS ANGELES, CA – Award-winning actress and playwright Diz White is set to release her spine-tingling collection of true stories, Haunted Cotswolds, through The History Press this Halloween season. Set in what many consider the most beautiful part of England, White, a Los Angeles-based British expat, recounts the numerous paranormal events that have occurred in the region while simultaneously documenting the Cotswolds’ eerie architecture and fascinating history. Pieced together from both historic and present-day sources, the 96-page paperback book is filled with tales of ghosts, ghouls and the undead from every corner of the Cotswolds, the second most popular tourist destination in the UK. Included are stories of tortured headless kings, stark-raving mad butchering inn keepers, buried alive country squires, burned at the stake nuns, and other undead who walk among us. The author will discuss and sign copies of the book at a Samuel French reception in Studio City on Thursday, October 21, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. (11963 Ventura Blvd., Studio City, CA 91604; 818-762-0535; www.samuelfrench.com). The book was initially released in the UK in June 2010 where the first print run sold out in six weeks.  The US release is set for October 2010 by The History Press (ISBN 978-0-7524-54269, www.thehistorypress.co.uk/products/Haunted-Cotswolds.aspx).

Ghost of Warwick Castle. Photo credit: Randall Montgomery

Long renowned for its breathtaking beauty, the Cotswolds region in England is well-known and loved for its rolling hills, picturesque villages, and beautiful vistas.  But all is not as it seems. Beneath the quaint surface lies years of brutal history filled with murder, mayhem, bloodshed, and treachery. This sinister past has encouraged the paranormal set — ghosts, ghouls, and other supernatural entities — to take up residence in the region’s underground chambers, spooky inns, and imposing manor houses. The creepy stories of these mischievous spirits, illustrated in the book with more than sixty photographs, feature colorful historic characters and popular Cotswold landmarks: King Charles I’s headless haunting of Chavenage House; the ghost of Warwick Castle as he emerges from his portrait; the ghouls of the Ram Inn, the most haunted building in Britain; the banshee of Banbury Cross; and a ghostly Guy Fawkes and his conspirators who still plot to blow up Parliament.

“I started out a skeptic,” says White about the ghost stories she investigated for the book, “But was quickly reduced to ‘a believer’ whose sleep was disturbed by terrifying dreams after I visited the creepy locations in the book.”

Haunted Cotswolds is part of the ‘Haunted’ series that The History Press publishes by various authors. These are fast becoming collector’s items in the UK. Other books in the series include Haunted Cheltenham (also by White), as well as Haunted London, Haunted Oxford, Haunted Birmingham, and Haunted Nottingham by other authors. Full details on books in the series can be found at www.thehistorypress.co.uk.  White’s Haunted Cotswolds was first published by The History Press in Great Britain in June 2010. It sold out its first print run of 3000 books in six weeks and is now well into its second run. Other books in this same series have taken two years or more to sell out the same number of copies.

The Cotswolds

The Cotswolds -
The book does double duty as a guide to the area with descriptions of Cotswold architecture and history woven into thrilling stories of supernatural happenings. The Cotswolds, which has been designated ‘An Area of Outstanding Beauty’ by the British government, extend through six counties: Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, Somerset, Worcestershire, and Wilshire. This region lies directly east of Wales and includes Stratford-upon-Avon to the north and Swindon to the south. Over six million US tourists visit Great Britain every year and many of those have the Cotswolds on their itinerary — the region is the number one tourist spot in England outside of London.

Why Is The Area Called The Cotswolds?
The rolling hills and thin soil of the Cotswolds area was not suitable for arable farming but ideal for raising sheep.  As such, the Cotswolds acquired its name from the sheep’s enclosures, or ‘cots,’ combined with the description of the hills which, during those times, were known as ‘wolds’.

Diz White. Photo courtesy of the author.

Diz White -
English-born Diz White divides her time between Los Angeles, where she has a career as a writer and actress, and her cottage in her beloved Cotswolds, where she writes books and articles about the area.  She founded and ran her successful comedy group for over fifteen years and three of her group’s plays are in current publication with Samuel French Play Scripts. They are El Grande de Coca-Cola, for which White won the New York Critics Drama Desk Award, Bullshot Crummond, for which she was nominated for an Ace Cable Award, and Footlight Frenzy, which won a Backstage award for Best Ensemble Comedy.  All the group’s shows were televised as specials by Showtime, HBO and ABC, and one of them, Bullshot, was produced as a major motion picture by the late ex-Beatle George Harrison’s HandMade Films.

White studied history of art and architecture, in addition to her specialty graphic design and illustration, at Central/St. Martins where she was awarded a National Diploma in Design. She also trained at City Lit Drama Institute in London. Her comedy group’s success launched White’s solo acting, producing, writing and voice career. She has guest starred in Star Trek Next Generation, starred in the Low Moan Comedy Special for ABC, and the feature Too Much Oregano, which won a Cannes Film Festival award.

Her vocal work can be heard in Titanic, Shrek, Gladiator, Austin Powers, Bruce Almighty, Friends, Garfield, Boston Legal, Frost/Nixon and How to Train Your Dragon among many other television shows and feature films. She is also the voice of Jackie Kennedy in the PBS Documentary Jackie Behind the Myth.  White has written for Paramount, Disney, CBS, ABC and for Los Angeles Magazine and has also taught her own comedy class in Los Angeles and at Yale University.

White’s books include The Comedy Group Book (Smith and Kraus), and Haunted Cotswolds and Haunted Cheltenham (The History Press), which were published in the UK this year.  She is currently writing another book for The History Press that explores the historical events of the year 1910, a pivotal year in English history, which centers around the entries from a recently unearthed Edwardian girl’s diary.

She is also putting the finishing touches on her recently completed comedic memoir entitled A Love Note to the Cotswolds before submitting it to potential publishers. This Under the Tuscan Sun-style book extols the delights of the English countryside as it describes the author’s hilarious roller coaster romp during her search to buy an English country cottage. Together with her husband Randall Montgomery, White is also producing a home entertainment DVD of Haunted Cotswolds, which shows narrated scenic footage of ghost locations from the book.  The DVD will be released in Spring 2011. She can be reached at www.dizwhite.com.

The History Press -
The History Press is the UK’s largest local and specialist history publisher. The company publishes over 500 books a year on a wide range of subjects including Ancient, Medieval and Modern History, Transport, Biography, Popular Archaeology, Sport, Military History, Heritage, Leisure, and Walking.

#         #        #

For more information, a copy of the book, photos, or to arrange an interview, please contact Green Galactic’s Lynn Tejada (née Hasty) at 213-840-1201 and lynn@greengalactic.com.

Just the Facts:

Title: Haunted Cotswolds
Author: Diz White Photographs by: Randall Montgomery and Others
Published by: The History Press
Distributed by: Trafalgar Square Publishing
US Publication: October 2010
Type: Trade Paper
ISBN: 978-0-7524-54269
Pages: 96
Retail Price: $17.95

Table of Contents:
1. Manor House Manifestations
2. Oxfordshire Entities
3. Creepy Cotswold Castles
4. Eerie Inns
5. Cadaverous Cotswold Kings and Queens
6. Gloucestershire  Ghosts
7. Chilling Chippy

The History Press:
www.thehistorypress.co.uk/products/Haunted-Cotswolds.aspx

Amazon:
www.amazon.com/Haunted-Cotswolds-Diz-White/dp/0752454269

Available at bookstores everywhere and through Trafalgar Square Publishing from Independent Publishers
Group, 814 N. Franklin St., Chicago, IL 60610. Toll-free number for orders: 1-800-888-4741.

Gargoyle from St. Mary’s Church, Adderbury.  Photo credit: Randall Montgomery

Haunted Cotswolds Book Signing & Reception

Thursday, October 21, 2010
7:00 – 9:00pm

Award-winning actress/playwright Diz White signs copies of her new book
Haunted Cotswolds at an intimate reception with books & treats (& tricks)

Samuel French
11963 Ventura Blvd.
Studio City, CA 91604-2607
818.762.0535
www.samuelfrench.com

promo video – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6TZFtutycE

For Immediate Release: January 11, 2010

New Book from Award-Winning Filmmaker Jon Reiss
Think Outside the Box Office:
The Ultimate Guide to Film Distribution and Marketing for the Digital Era
To Be Released in Print on March 15, 2010

LOS ANGELES, CA – Award winning filmmaker Jon Reiss is set to release his new book Think Outside the Box Office: The Ultimate Guide to Film Distribution and Marketing for the Digital Era on March 15, 2010. The book is a primer for filmmaking in the digital era covering distribution of all types of media content – feature films, shorts, webisodes, transmedia, vblogs, etc., and is the first to address the new distribution and marketing landscape facing filmmakers today. For more information please visit www.thinkoutsidetheboxoffice.com and the director’s blog, www.jonreiss.com/blog.

The book is a step-by-step, nuts and bolts guide to distributing and marketing a film. Each chapter addresses an essential aspect of a film’s release and offers specific techniques so filmmakers can take control of their distribution and marketing destiny.

Jon Reiss, an award-winning filmmaker himself, spoke with countless filmmakers, distributors, publicists, web programmers, festival programmers and marketing experts to create this ultimate resource of up to the minute information. Throughout the book, Reiss redefines the process from a filmmaker’s point of view empowering the reader to create unique strategies for their individual films.

“Open this book! Eat up every morsel Reiss provides. Internalize it and make it your second skin,” said Ted Hope, Producer (Adventureland, The Ice Storm, In the Bedroom, and 21 Grams).

Jon Reiss is a critically acclaimed filmmaker who has produced and directed feature films, documentaries, shorts and music videos in a career that spans nearly 30 years. Named one of the “10 Digital Directors to Watch” by Daily Variety, Reiss also teaches in the Film Directing Program at the California Institute for the Arts.

The independent film community continues to redefine itself with the collapse of the traditional independent film distribution model. Just as the digital revolution created a democratization of the means of production, a new hybrid approach to distribution has created a way for independent filmmakers to take control, combining the best techniques from each distribution arena, old and new.

Reiss will travel in the U.S. and to Singapore in the next three months. He will close out the Filmmaker Summit at the Slamdance Film Festival in Park City, UT on January 23, 2010. Other participants at the Summit include Steven Soderbergh, Brian Newman, Jamie King, Timo Vuorensola, Khavn de la Cruz, Lance Weiler and Peter Baxter. Reiss travels to NYU’s Singapore campus in February as well as to SXSW and Miami International Film Festival in March.

Jon Reiss’ Upcoming Appearances & Book Signings:

January – Park City, UT –

Sat. January 23, 2010
Slamdance Filmmaker Summit
Part V Workshop: Jon Reiss workshops an existing documentary and narrative film and creates new strategies for distribution in conversation with the filmmakers and the participants.”
11:00am to 2:00pm (US Mountain Time)
Treasure Mountain Inn
255 Main Street
Park City, UT 84060
Book Signing from 2:00 – 2:30pm
http://www.slamdance.com/summit

Sun. January 24, 2010
Book Signing
Dolly’s Bookstore Park City
510 Main Street
Park City, UT 84060
3:00 – 5:00pm
http://dollysbookstore.com/2010/01/sundance-2010-author-signings

February – Singapore –

Wed. February 17 – Thu. February 25, 2010
NYU Singapore Producing Workshop
Jon Reiss will be giving a ten day workshop on producing independent film with an emphasis on reel world survival skills, distribution and marketing.

March – Austin, TX –

Sun. March 14, 2010
SXSW Film Festival Panel
The Main Event: Finding an Audience for Your Film
Specific Location TBD
3:30pm
Book Signing Immediately After
http://sxsw.com/film/talks/panels

While in Austin and South East Asia Jon Reiss will be continuing production of Bomb It 2 for Babelgum (http://www.babelgum.com). Bomb It 2 will be a further exploration of graffiti and street art throughout the world in areas not covered in Bomb It. For Bomb It 2, Reiss will be exploring other U.S. cities such as Chicago, Austin, and San Francisco. In Asia he’ll be covering Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia and perhaps Malaysia. In Europe, Denmark and Italy – both hotbeds of graffiti – will be included and a trip to the Middle East is in the works.

# # #

For more information, photos, or to arrange interviews, please contact Green Galactic’s Lynn Hasty at 213-840-1201 and lynn@greengalactic.com.

CREDITS:

Author: Jon Reiss
Foreword by: Ted Hope
Title: Think Outside the Box Office: The Ultimate Guide to Film Distribution and Marketing for the Digital Era
Published by: Hybrid Cinema Publishing a division of Hybrid Cinema
Distributed by: SCB Distributors
Publication Date: March 2010
# ISBN-10: 098257620X
# ISBN-13: 978-0-9825762-0-5

Content: 354 black and white pages
Cover: Paperback
Size: 6” x 9”
Language: English
Subject: Filmmaking
Price: $24.95

First Printing: 2010
Copyright: c. Jon Reiss 2010 All Rights Reserved

Book Layout and Design: Will Hays
Cover Design: Justin Van Hoy
Book Title by: Susan Graves
Cover Photographer: Jay B Sauceda
Assistant Editor: Stephanie Bousley
Copy Editor: Jennifer Hoche
Website Programmer: Kazuha Torisawa

Online:
Book site – http://www.thinkoutsidetheboxoffice.com
Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/ThinkOutsidetheBoxOffice
Author blog – http://jonreiss.com/blog
Twitter – http://twitter.com/Jon_Reiss
Amazon – http://www.amazon.com/Think-Outside-Box-Office-Distribution/dp/098257620X

Grateful acknowledgement is made for permission to reprint the following copyrighted works:
- Lance Weiler’s Culture Hacker column on Piracy and Torrent Sites and Lance Weiler’s Hope is Missing MIG both originally published in Filmmaker.

Cover photo is from a B-Side screening of Before the Music Dies, Republic Square Park, Austin, Texas June 5, 2006.

Photo Credit: Helena Ruffin

Legendary interdisciplinary artist Rachel Rosenthal is set to introduce the world to her new improvisational theater group, TOHUBOHU! Extreme Theater Ensemble, with monthly performances starting the weekend of February 19, 2010. The name, loosely translated, means “collision or chaos” which Rosenthal describes as not what the Company does, but the process they go through to do what they do. Each monthly performance will span three nights during one weekend. All performance begin at 8:30pm. Tickets cost $20. Reservations are necessary to insure seats…For Immediate Release: December 21, 2009

Pioneering Interdisciplinary Artist Rachel Rosenthal
Introduces Her New Improvisational Theater Group
TOHUBOHU! Extreme Theater Ensemble

With Monthly Performances in Los Angeles
Premiering February 19 – 21, 2010

LOS ANGELES, CA – Legendary interdisciplinary artist Rachel Rosenthal is set to introduce the world to her new improvisational theater group, TOHUBOHU! Extreme Theater Ensemble, with monthly performances starting the weekend of February 19, 2010. The name, loosely translated, means “collision or chaos” which Rosenthal describes as not what the Company does, but the process they go through to do what they do. Each monthly performance will span three nights during one weekend. All performance begin at 8:30pm. Tickets cost $20. Reservations are necessary to insure seats and can be made by calling 310-839-0661 or online via Brown Paper Tickets at www.rachelrosenthal.org. The Rachel Rosenthal Company’s venue, Espace DbD, is located at 2847 South Robertson Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90034. Street parking is available.

The Rachel Rosenthal Company TOHUBOHU! Extreme Theater Ensemble schedule
– start time for every performance is 8:30 p.m. –
- February 2010 – Fri. 19th / Sat. 20th / Sun. 21st
- March 2010 – Fri. 12th / Sat. 13th / Sun. 14th
- April 2010 – Fri. 9th / Sat. 10th / Sun.11th
- May 2010 – Fri. 7th / Sat. 8th / Sun. 9th
– June 2010 – Fri. 11th / Sat. 12th / Sun. 13th

The Rachel Rosenthal Company’s TOHUBOHU! Extreme Theater Ensemble, the latest offering in the 83-year-old Rosenthal’s remarkable career, is inspired by Jean-Louis Barrault’s concept of “Total Theatre” and Antonin Artaud’s “Theatre of Cruelty.” Echoing Barrault’s and Artaud’s revolutionary notions about theater, Rosenthal’s performance aesthetic integrates movement, voice, choreography, improvisation, costuming, lighting, and sets into seismic experiences. This genre of work, total free improvisation, is completely unique. Nobody knows in advance what will happen – not Rosenthal, not Company members, and certainly not the audience. This uncertainty makes the performances psychologically charged for all involved.

“Improvisational theater is the most difficult art form in the world. You can’t perfect your technique and there are no lines to rehearse,” says Rosenthal, “Everything happens in the moment.”

TOHUBOHU! total free improvisation pieces typically start in a similar manner; there is a group warm-up, then Rosenthal directs the group with a few words — sometimes only three or four. The words she selects reflect an idea she’s been thinking about, something related to a current event, a random verb, or perhaps instructions for the number of elements to include on stage. The studio space is darkened for a few moments. One of Rosenthal’s dogs might run by, wagging its tail, as colored lights and sound emerge from the darkness.

Sets are composed on the spot from lengths of bright fabric, boxes, and folding chairs. Props might be added in by Company members from a large backstage collection of objects that include items such as a dress form, telephone handsets, old books, a houseplant, a bird cage, an oscillating fan, fake plastic flowers, and paper bags. The Company stirs in recorded music, sounds, live music, or perhaps chanting.

These initial seeds germinate a piece. From here, the convulsive physicality of the Company begins. The members’ primal actions operate in concert with each other as well as the formal aesthetic elements of light, sound, props, and physical space. Text, which is primary, even tyrannical, in traditional theater, is absent in uniquely ephemeral TOHUBOHU! Through a mysterious alchemical process, the players act, react, and respond to surprises. They collaborate with each other, and everything around them, to create composition, form, and meaning. Since there is no established narrative to satisfy audience expectations, viewers are forced out of passive complacency as they digest what’s going on and anticipate what might happen next.

Performances function formally in space more like visual art than traditional theater, requiring the audience to actively interpret all the various elements. Results can be either abstract or realistic.

“When it’s good, it’s sublime. And when it’s bad, it can be a painful experience. Much like human existence,” says Rosenthal in a naked assessment of the art form, “Sometimes you walk away scratching your head wondering what the hell you just watched. We embrace that sort of uncertainty and chaos which is counter to highly processed culture.”

The Rachel Rosenthal Company members include visual artists, dancers, aerialists, a Cake Diva, and the operator of the Tyrannosaurus Rex model at the Natural History Museum, among others….

Franc Baliton is a performance and installation artist.

Nathalie Broizat is a French performance artist and actress. She has been featured as a soloist in Los Angeles venues such as MOCA, The Getty Center, REDCAT, Highways Performance Space, and the Electric Lodge. A former Fulbright grantee, she has been working with Rachel Rosenthal for the past five years.

Jarred Cairns is in the Studio Arts program at University of California, Irvine. He has been studying with Rachel Rosenthal for over a year.

Doug Hammett, who received an MFA from Art Center in Pasadena, blends the worlds of the visual arts and theatrical arts into works for the wall and stage. He is a past member of CoMMit, Invisible Theater, and Fauve Conspiracy, and a current member of TOHUBOHU! and YesAnd.

Alexis Hunt is a visual and performance artist currently living in Los Angeles.

New York native Nehara Kalev is a dancer, choreographer and co-founder of Catch Me Bird Dance Theater, a reality-based performance collaboration with her husband C. Derrick Jones. She has performed as an aerial dancer with Airealistic and has been featured in the acrobatic Diavolo Dance Theater. She has a BA from Oberlin College and an MFA from University of California, Los Angeles. Kalev has been working with Rachel Rosenthal for several years.

Josué Martinez has a BA in Theater Arts and Dance from Cal State Los Angeles, studying under José Cruz González, Tanya Kane-Parry, and Hae Kyung Lee. He has performed as part of the Teatro Nueva Alma Company, Danielle Brazell’s Queer Exchange Group, and Tim Miller’s Performance Art Group. Currently he teaches theater to children and conducts story times to promote reading at the Commerce Public Library. This is his first year working with Rachel Rosenthal.

Michael Morrissey has performed across the city, from Al’s Bar downtown (Ubu da King, Exeunt, Porno), to Highways on the Westside (Last Queer Taboo, Voluptuous Madness) to The Rachel Rosenthal Company (Timepiece, Ur-Boor, etc.) and beyond… (Last Waltz, Crook.)

Craig Ng has accumulated dozens of credits in film, television, and theater. He is an award-winning Foley artist (post sound film production) currently working in animation on several Disney projects. He also brings a history of dance and martial arts to his explorations with TOHUBOHU!

Dan Poirier is an illustrator, graphic designer, puppeteer, and performer. He has degrees in Illustration from Art Center College of Design, and Theater Arts from University of California, Los Angeles. His creative experience includes set design, live event production management, and storyboarding for animated films. Poirier has studied with Rachel Rosenthal for two years.

Pamela Samuelson has performed as a dancer, aerialist, actor, and musician in New York City, Puerto Rico, and Los Angeles since graduating from Sarah Lawrence College with a degree in Choreography and Religion. She has studied with Rachel Rosenthal for nearly four years.

Joan Spitler is an artist who has performed with Rachel Rosenthal for many years. She has studied with some of the originators of performance art including Eleanor Antin, Alan Kaprow, and Jerome Rothenberg. Her artistic talents as a performer and a renowned cake designer have been featured internationally in gallery settings, onstage, and in television and film.

Mike Steckel studied fine and performance art at the University of Northern Iowa under Jeffery Byrd. He now works at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, primarily as a dinosaur puppeteer. He has been studying with Rachel Rosenthal for two and a half years.

Interdisciplinary artist/arts educator Kate Noonan is the managing director, lighting designer, and sound designer for The Rachel Rosenthal Company. She was also a Company member in a previous incarnation of TOHUBOHU! She has worked in collaboration with Mehmet Sander, The Fabulous Monsters, John Fleck, and Susan Tyrrell, among many others in the Los Angeles theater community. As a performer, she was last seen in Bill Viola’s Dense Presence, a film installation that is part of his Passions series, which had its world premiere at the Getty Center in Los Angeles. She has taught theater arts and Performance from Scratch workshops across the United States.

Rachel Rosenthal, a leading figure from the Southern California arts movement in the 1960s and 1970s, has been inspiring audiences for decades. Born into an affluent Russian-Jewish family in Paris, Rosenthal’s father, Léonard Rosenthal, was a gem merchant widely known as “The King of Pearls.” During World War II, her family escaped France, moving to Rio de Janeiro by way of Portugal. After losing his material wealth to the Nazi’s, her father had to start over at age 65. In 1941, the family left Brazil to settle in New York where Rosenthal graduated from the High School of Music and Art and became a US citizen.

She studied art, theater and dance in Paris and New York after the war with such teachers as Hans Hoffmann, Erwin Piscator, and Jean-Louis Barrault. Her circle included Robert Rauschenberg, Jasper Johns, Merce Cunningham and John Cage, whose Zen sensibility informed and influenced Rosenthal’s aesthetic. With this foundation, she moved West and began her theatrical career in Los Angeles in the mid-1950s as artistic director and performer for the ten-year run of the totally improvised and influential underground Instant Theatre which created Happenings that drew upon notions of chance.

In the past 25 years, Rosenthal has presented over 35 of her own original performance pieces – thought provoking works centered on humanity’s place on the planet. According to Artweek Magazine, “Rosenthal defines what differentiates quality performance art from mundane theatrical exercise…she took us into her reality, and for that brief and precious moment, she altered our vision of the world. This is what great art can and should do.”

Rosenthal has performed in over 100 venues around the world including documenta 8 in Kassel, Germany, The Helsinki Festival, ICA London, The Performance Space in Sydney, The Whitney Museum in New York City, and Museum of Contemporary Art here in Los Angeles. The Pompidou Centre recently included her in its 2006 show Los Angeles 1955-1985. Her pioneering performances have earned Obie, Rockefeller, Getty, NEA and CAA awards, among others.

In 1999, Rosenthal received an Honorary Doctorate from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago; and in 2000 she was honored by the City of Los Angeles as a “Living Cultural Treasure of Los Angeles.” Critics have called her “a monument and a marvel” and Richard Schechner, editor of The Drama Review (TDR), put Rosenthal into the same category as Robert Wilson, Ping Chong, Richard Foreman, Meredith Monk, and Laurie Anderson.

She opened her studio, Espace DbD, on Robertson Boulevard in Los Angeles in 1980. From 1980 to 1983, Rosenthal presented performances by many emerging and established performance artists including Barbara Smith, Eleanor Antin, Cheri Gaulke, Alan Kaprow, John White, Joyce Cutler Shaw, Tom Jenkins, and many others. Rosenthal founded The Rachel Rosenthal Company as an educational non-profit arts organization in 1989.

Rosenthal’s new book, The DbD Experience: Chance Knows What It’s Doing!, was released this month by Routledge. DbD, or “Doing by Doing,” describes her signature method of teaching improvisational theater. In the 130-page book, Rosenthal explores improvisational theater and its relationship to life, offering a blow-by-blow account of what happens in her 34-hour DbD weekend intensive workshops (currently still happening on a bi-annual basis in Los Angeles). This mix of memoir, teaching manual, and manifesto was edited by Kate Noonan (ISBN 978-0-415-55102-1, www.routledge.com). For the full press release on The DbD Experience: Chance Knows What It’s Doing!, see: http://www.greengalactic.com/2009/dbd-experience/

“Chance is the core of improvisation,” says Rosenthal when crystallizing the point of her teaching methods which come to life in TOHUBOHU!, “It’s about breaking down borders, opening up to the givens, activating the moment, and paying attention to what is.”

# # #

For more information, to get on the press list for an upcoming TOHUBOHU! Extreme Theater performance, photos, a copy of Rosenthal’s new book, or to arrange an interview, please contact Green Galactic’s Lynn Hasty at 213.840.1201 and lynn@greengalactic.com

# # #

- event details –

The Rachel Rosenthal Company Introduces
TOHUBOHU! Extreme Theater Ensemble

Friday – Sunday night
Feb. 19, 20, 21, 2010
8:30 – 10:00pm

The Rachel Rosenthal Company
at Espace DbD
2847 South Robertson Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90034

$20
Reservations Required

310-839-0661
www.rachelrosenthal.org

]]> http://www.greengalactic.com/2010/rachel-rosenthal-tohubohu/feed/ 0 http://www.greengalactic.com/2009/dbd-experience/ http://www.greengalactic.com/2009/dbd-experience/#comments Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:25:08 +0000 lynn-hasty http://www.greengalactic.com/?p=337 Pioneering interdisciplinary artist Rachel Rosenthal, 83, is set to release her long-awaited book, The DbD Experience: Chance Knows What It’s Doing! DbD, or “Doing by Doing” describes her signature method of teaching improvisational theater. In the 130-page book, the Obie winning performer explores improvisational theater and its relationship to life, offering a blow-by-blow account of what happens in her 34-hour DbD weekend intensive workshops (currently still happening on a bi-annual basis in Los Angeles). This mix of memoir, teaching manual, and manifesto was edited by Kate Noonan and is set for US release in December 2009 by Routledge.
For Immediate Release: November 13, 2009

Pioneering Interdisciplinary Artist Rachel Rosenthal
Shares Life’s Work in Anticipated New Book
The DbD Experience:
Chance Knows What It’s Doing!
U.S. Release in December 2009 by Routledge

LOS ANGELES, CA – Pioneering interdisciplinary artist Rachel Rosenthal, 83, is set to release her long-awaited book, The DbD Experience: Chance Knows What It’s Doing! DbD, or “Doing by Doing” describes her signature method of teaching improvisational theater. In the 130-page book, the Obie winning performer explores improvisational theater and its relationship to life, offering a blow-by-blow account of what happens in her 34-hour DbD weekend intensive workshops (currently still happening on a bi-annual basis in Los Angeles). This mix of memoir, teaching manual, and manifesto was edited by Kate Noonan and is set for US release in December 2009 by Routledge (ISBN 978-0-415-55102-1, www.routledge.com).

“Chance is the core of improvisation,” says Rosenthal when crystallizing the point of her teaching methods, “The DbD Experience is about breaking down borders, opening up to the givens, activating the moment, and paying attention to what is.”

Memoir
The book starts with a biographical introduction that summarizes Rosenthal’s colorful personal history. Born into an affluent Russian-Jewish family in Paris, Rosenthal’s father, Léonard Rosenthal, was a gem merchant widely known as The King of Pearls. During World War II, her family escaped France, moving to Rio de Janeiro by way of Portugal. After losing his material wealth to the Nazi’s, her father had to start over at age 65. In 1941, the family left Brazil to settle in New York where Rosenthal graduated from the High School of Music and Art and became a U.S. citizen.

She studied art, theater and dance in Paris and New York after the war with such teachers as Hans Hoffmann, Erwin Piscator, and Jean-Louis Barrault. Her circle included Robert Rauschenberg, Jasper Johns, Merce Cunningham and John Cage, whose Zen sensibility informed and influenced Rosenthal’s aesthetic. With this foundation, she moved West and began her theatrical career in Los Angeles in the mid-1950s as artistic director and performer in her totally improvised and influential underground Instant Theatre for its ten-year run.

Manual
The DbD Experience: Chance Knows What It’s Doing! lays out the processes and exercises Rosenthal invented and developed over the last fifty years. It offers a step-by-step, nuts and bolts guide to the methods Rosenthal employs during her 34-hour DbD Experience Weekend workshop. Her teaching methods were inspired by Jean-Louis Barrault’s concept of “Total Theatre” and Antonin Artaud’s “Le Theatre et Son Double.” What emerged is a performance aesthetic that integrates text, movement, voice, choreography, improvisation, costuming, lighting, and sets into seismic experiences.

The book jacket outlines the DbD Experience Weekend process that Rosenthal orchestrates in her Los Angeles studio with a force “equal parts shaman and drill sergeant” (High Performance):

FRIDAY – Origins
Arrive at the Doing by Doing workshop to be greeted by Rosenthal, pioneering theater explorer and your host for the weekend ahead. Explore non-human ways of living and moving. Begin to develop a shared vocabulary with your fellow students through exercises.

SATURDAY – Connections
Continue to connect with the group on an energetic level. Make the journey from Kansas to OZ. Collaborate and create as a group, moving and vocalizing without language. Improvise boldly at every step. Treat music, voice, lighting, costume, sets, props and fellow performers as equals.

SUNDAY – Power
Learn to arrive in the moment when you are needed. Engage with transformative processes and take part in the Star Meditation. Understand your own individual power, joining your physical and emotional self. Perform solo improvisations and the Rambler – the final, extended culmination of everything that you have learned through the 34-hour experience.

Rosenthal says: “The experience can be transformational not only for performers, but anyone – it gives them courage and allows them to take risks.”

Manifesto
Rosenthal’s personal, philosophical and political beliefs are very much present throughout the book. Woven into its pages are tasty ideological morsels that Rosenthal has gleaned in her years as an interdisciplinary performer, activist, master teacher, director, iconic artist, and worrier for mankind. A leading figure in the Southern California Arts movement of the 1960s and 1970s, Rosenthal was an outspoken pioneer in addressing environmental and animal rights issues, and was a founder of “Womanspace,” a hotbed of feminist art and activism. She also brings to the DbD table years of research and meditation, facts and impressions on science, art, philosophy, transformational psychology, holistic health, and personal power.

“We live in a world filled with competition, anxiety and fear which locks us all up,” says Rosenthal connecting the ideals put forth in the book to the reality of modern life, “By allowing ourselves to let go, to improvise, we learn to embrace life as it comes. To truly be in the moment, we can face the unknown with open eyes, work with what is, and open the door to magic.”

Rosenthal’s Career
In the past 25 years, Rosenthal has presented over 35 of her own original performance pieces – thought provoking works centered on humanity’s place on the planet. According to Artweek Magazine, “Rosenthal defines what differentiates quality performance art from mundane theatrical exercise…she took us into her reality, and for that brief and precious moment, she altered our vision of the world. This is what great art can and should do.”
Rosenthal has performed in over 100 venues around the world including documenta 8 in Kassel, Germany, The Helsinki Festival, ICA London, The Performance Space in Sydney, The Whitney Museum in New York City, and Museum of Contemporary Art here in Los Angeles. The Pompidou Centre recently included her in its 2006 show “Los Angeles 1955-1985.” Her pioneering performances have earned Obie, Rockefeller, Getty, NEA and CAA awards, among others.

In 1999, Rosenthal received an Honorary Doctorate from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago; and in 2000 she was honored by the City of Los Angeles as a “Living Cultural Treasure of Los Angeles.” Critics have called her “a monument and a marvel” and Richard Schechner, editor of The Drama Review (TDR), put Rosenthal into the same category as Robert Wilson, Ping Chong, Richard Foreman, Meredith Monk, and Laurie Anderson.

She opened her studio, Espace DbD, on Robertson Boulevard in Los Angeles in 1980. From 1980 to 1983, Rosenthal presented performances by many emerging and established performance artists including Barbara Smith, Eleanor Antin, Cheri Gaulke, Alan Kaprow, John White, Joyce Cutler Shaw, Tom Jenkins, and many others. Rosenthal founded The Rachel Rosenthal Company as an educational non-profit arts organization in 1989. She is currently nurturing a new troupe of performers that she will introduce to the world as The Rachel Rosenthal Company’s TOHUBOHU! Extreme Theater Ensemble in February 2010. The name loosely translated means “collision or chaos” which Rosenthal describes as not what the Company does, but the process they go through to do what they do. For more on The Rachel Rosenthal Company and upcoming DbD workshops, see http://www.rachelrosenthal.org.

The DbD Experience: Chance Knows What It’s Doing! was edited by Kate Noonan, an interdisciplinary artist/arts educator who has taught theater arts and Performance from Scratch workshops across the US. Noonan is also the managing director of The Rachel Rosenthal Company.

Routledge is a global publisher of academic books, journals and online resources in the humanities.

#         #        #

For more information, a copy of the book, photos, or to arrange an interview, please contact Green Galactic’s Lynn Hasty at 213-840-1201 and lynn (at) greengalactic.com.

Just the Facts:

Author: Rachel Rosenthal
Edited and with a foreword by: Kate Noonan
Title: The DbD Experience: Chance Knows What It’s Doing!
Published by: Routledge
ISBN: 978-0-415-55102-1 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-0-415-55101-4 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-0-203-87241-X (ebk)
Book cover photo by: Daniel Joseph Martinez

Table of Contents

1. Foreword by Kate Noonan
2. Preface
3. Introduction (Biography)
4. What is Doing by Doing?
5. Friday: Origins
6. Saturday: Connections
7. Sunday: Power
8. The Dibidi Story
9. Addenda: Post DbD Letters

Online Distribution

Routledge:
http://www.routledge.com/9780415551021

Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/DbD-Experience-Chance-knows-doing/dp/0415551021/ref=tmm_pap_title_0

]]> http://www.greengalactic.com/2009/dbd-experience/feed/ 0 http://www.greengalactic.com/2009/total-sao-paulo-la-book-signing/ http://www.greengalactic.com/2009/total-sao-paulo-la-book-signing/#comments Fri, 27 Mar 2009 00:13:09 +0000 lynn-hasty http://dev.greengalactic.com/?p=115 Carmichael Gallery of Contemporary Art is pleased to present the Los Angeles book signing party for Total São Paulo: A Guide to the Unexpected on Saturday, May 9, 2009 from 3 to 7 p.m. The gallery, known for its well-respected Brazilian street art exhibits, welcomes author Phuong-Cac Nguyen, as she returns to her native Los Angeles for the celebration. Total São Paulo, the first offering from new book publisher Unhinged Jaw Press, is scheduled for release on April 29, 2009. Join the author for complimentary caipirinhas provided by Leblon Cachaça, music and other surprises while enjoying the art of talented Brazilian artist Thais Beltrame, whose solo exhibition opens in the gallery on May 7. Carmichael Gallery is located at 1257 N. La Brea Ave., West Hollywood, CA 90038. For more information on the gallery please call 323-969-0600 or visit www.carmichaelgallery.com. To learn more about Total São Paulo: A Guide to the Unexpected please visit www.totalSPguide.com.

For Immediate Release: March 26, 2009

Carmichael Gallery of Contemporary Art Presents
Total São Paulo: A Guide to the Unexpected
Brazilian Event-Filled LA Book Signing Party
Meet Author Phuong-Cac Nguyen
Saturday, May 9, 2009

LOS ANGELES, CA — Carmichael Gallery of Contemporary Art is pleased to present the Los Angeles book signing party for Total São Paulo: A Guide to the Unexpected on Saturday, May 9, 2009 from 3 to 7 p.m. The gallery, known for its well-respected Brazilian street art exhibits, welcomes author Phuong-Cac Nguyen, as she returns to her native Los Angeles for the celebration. Total São Paulo, the first offering from new book publisher Unhinged Jaw Press, is scheduled for release on April 29, 2009. Join the author for complimentary caipirinhas provided by Leblon Cachaça, music and other surprises while enjoying the art of talented Brazilian artist Thais Beltrame, whose solo exhibition opens in the gallery on May 7. Carmichael Gallery is located at 1257 N. La Brea Ave., West Hollywood, CA 90038. For more information on the gallery please call 323-969-0600 or visit www.carmichaelgallery.com. To learn more about Total São Paulo: A Guide to the Unexpected please visit www.totalSPguide.com.

From hidden bars serving up $2.50 caipirinhas and tiny boutiques, to the best clubs and vintage markets, Total São Paulo: A Guide to the Unexpected is a must-have travel resource for discerning creative types traveling to one of the world’s most up-and-coming cities. Written by Phuong-Cac Nguyen, an American journalist who has been reporting and breathing São Paulo’s pop culture/lifestyle beat for years, this beautifully designed 176-page paperback guidebook packs in places off the beaten track in 10 essential neighborhoods. Sprinkled among the candid, gorgeously shot photographs are also 11 easy-to-read, illustrated maps and 17 interviews with São Paulo VIPs who give the inside scoop on the metropolis’ best spots. A supplemental online São Paulo city guide will be launched shortly at www.totalSPguide.com with profiles on hotspots and provocative features.

Authoritative and in the know, Total São Paulo: A Guide to the Unexpected leads travelers through a rigorously edited list of São Paulo’s locally adored restaurants, art spaces, boutiques, street fairs, bars, clubs and other can’t-miss sights, like the city’s Red Light District and its version of Little Tokyo.

Total São Paulo: A Guide to the Unexpected has a streetwise and clean magazine-style design (think Tokion, Wallpaper, Nylon, Mass Appeal) and is written in a smart, edgy tone that makes it a speedy reference unlike any other travel guidebook about Brazil or South America on the shelf today. Its small, handbook-like size (6.1” x 5.3”) is convenient for on-the-go reading and has a sewn spine for extra durability. Thanks to a team that includes talented, locally based photographers and illustrators, travelers will get a truly first-hand experience of São Paulo through their eyes.

THE SPECS:
- Title: Total São Paulo: A Guide to the Unexpected
- Publisher: Unhinged Jaw Press
- Release date: April 29, 2009
- Cover: Paperback
- 176 full-color pages divided into the top bars, restaurants, shops, and sights in 10 must-see neighborhoods
- 11 easy-to-read colored maps
- 17 interviews with São Paulo VIPs who give the inside scoop on the city’s best spots
- Full-page features on the highlighted locations & experiences in each neighborhood
- Locally created by a team who lives in the city
- Size: 6.1” x 5.3”
- Available online at www.unhingedjawpress.com and independent bookstores worldwide; check site for locations
- Price: $26.99

Phuong-Cac Nguyen writes about São Paulo for renowned trend-hunter blog websites CoolHunting.com and JoshSpear.com. She started her journalism career at the Los Angeles Times and served as one of the editors at URB magazine before expanding her writing work to include marketing projects for Nokia and surf/skate retailer Pacific Sunwear, as well as projects for a respected trend-forecasting agency in São Paulo. She has been published in the Los Angeles Times, the LA Weekly, mcsweeneys.net, Anthem Magazine, and others. Nguyen has appeared on major Brazilian television network O Globo promoting her upcoming book and discussing her favorite hidden São Paulo haunts.

Carmichael Gallery of Contemporary Art exhibits emerging international contemporary artists with a focus on narrative and figurative painting, mixed media and sculpture. The gallery is open Tuesday through Sunday, 1 p.m. to 7 p.m., and by appointment.

# # #

For more information, photos or to arrange interviews please contact Green Galactic’s Lynn Hasty at 213-840-1201 or lynn@greengalactic.com.

]]> http://www.greengalactic.com/2009/total-sao-paulo-la-book-signing/feed/ 0 http://www.greengalactic.com/2009/geshe-michael/ http://www.greengalactic.com/2009/geshe-michael/#comments Sat, 31 Jan 2009 06:31:30 +0000 lynn-hasty http://dev.greengalactic.com/?p=40 The Asian Classics Institute of LA (ACI-LA) is thrilled to present two rare talks by world-renowned spiritual teachers, Geshe Michael Roach and Lama Christie McNally. On Friday, February 20 and Saturday, February 21, 2009 they will present “Where is Your Spiritual Partner?” from 7:00 – 9:30pm. Join Buddhist monk, Geshe Michael and Lama Christie as they use ancient spiritual texts to explore how to make love work in the 21st century. Learn how to find the perfect partner for you and reach a higher level of happiness with them. Following the teaching on Saturday night, stay for the Los Angeles release party and book signing for their new book, King of the Dharma: The Illustrated Life Of Je Tsongkapa, Teacher of the First Dalai Lama (www.jetsongkapathebook.com). ACI-LA, located near LAX, will hold both night’s events at Holy Nativity Episcopal Church in Westchester (6700 West 83rd Street, Los Angeles, CA 90045). The events are free but you must RSVP at www.aci-la.org/SpiritualPartners.html. These teachings are jointly hosted by the Asian Classics Institute of LA and the Holy Nativity Episcopal Church in a spirit of shared wisdom between all faiths of the world. Both nights will be webcast live at www.ustream.tv/channel/SpiritualPartners. For more information on ACI-LA please visit www.aci-la.org.
For Immediate Release: January 30, 2009

Asian Classics Institute of LA Presents
“Where is Your Spiritual Partner?”
Two Rare Talks With Geshe Michael Roach and Lama Christie McNally
Plus LA Release Party For Their New Book
King of the Dharma: The Illustrated Life Of Je Tsongkapa, Teacher of the First Dalai Lama
Friday, February 20 & Saturday, February 21, 2009

LOS ANGELES, CA – The Asian Classics Institute of LA (ACI-LA) is thrilled to present two rare talks by world-renowned spiritual teachers, Geshe Michael Roach and Lama Christie McNally. On Friday, February 20 and Saturday, February 21, 2009 they will present “Where is Your Spiritual Partner?” from 7:00 – 9:30pm. Join Buddhist monk, Geshe Michael and Lama Christie as they use ancient spiritual texts to explore how to make love work in the 21st century. Learn how to find the perfect partner for you and reach a higher level of happiness with them. Following the teaching on Saturday night, stay for the Los Angeles release party and book signing for their new book, King of the Dharma: The Illustrated Life Of Je Tsongkapa, Teacher of the First Dalai Lama (www.jetsongkapathebook.com). ACI-LA, located near LAX, will hold both night’s events at Holy Nativity Episcopal Church in Westchester (6700 West 83rd Street, Los Angeles, CA 90045). The events are free but you must RSVP at www.aci-la.org/SpiritualPartners.html. These teachings are jointly hosted by the Asian Classics Institute of LA and the Holy Nativity Episcopal Church in a spirit of shared wisdom between all faiths of the world. Both nights will be webcast live at www.ustream.tv/channel/SpiritualPartners. For more information on ACI-LA please visit www.aci-la.org.

Geshe Michael and Lama Christie explore ancient wisdom on finding and keeping a Spiritual Partner. A physical relationship is fine. Love is even better. But throw in the soul, and the other two move to a whole higher plane. The Spiritual Partners teachings draw on thousand-year old texts from India and Tibet, and the New Testament. One of the main texts to be used will be that of Je Tsongkapa (1357 – 1419), teacher of His Holiness the First Dalai Lama. These teachings explain how you can help turn your relationship into a spiritual one, or help you find your spiritual mate. Both wise and applicable, these instruction on how to make relationships work here in the 21st Century will inspire and educate.

Geshe Michael and Lama Christie’s new book, King of the Dharma: The Illustrated Life Of Je Tsongkapa, Teacher of the First Dalai Lama, illustrates the inspiring life of this seminal spiritual teacher born in the 14th century, by presenting and preserving a set of scroll paintings known as the Tsongkapa Eighty. Brought out of Tibet by the family of the present Dalai Lama as they fled the Chinese on March 10, 1959, this set of 15 scroll paintings, in more than 200 intricate scenes, depicts the life story of a person that many people believe will become just as important to the world as Jesus or Moses or Mohammed.

The present Dalai Lama’s family gave the scrolls to Khen Rinpoche Lobsang Tharchin, founder of Rashi Gempil Ling, the oldest Tibetan Temple in the US – where they hang to this day. The entire sticker price of King of the Dharma goes to support this Temple, located in Howell, New Jersey, and its monks in order to maintain this historic legacy for the benefit of future generations of spiritual seekers. Retailing for $108.00, this 472-page, 12 x 15″, coffee-table book, fifteen-year in-the-making, seems incredibly priceless. Learn more about this extraordinary book at www.jetsongkapathebook.com, and celebrate its release following the second night of Geshe Michael and Lama Christie’s Spiritual Partners talks in February. It will be available for purchase both nights.

Lama Christie McNally is a translator and professor of ancient sacred texts at Diamond Mountain University. She has published the popular Essential Yoga Sutra with Doubleday/Random House, and in 2003 became one of the first Americans to complete the traditional Tibetan 3-year silent retreat.

Geshe Michael Roach is the first American Tibetan Buddhist monk to be awarded the title of Geshe (equivalent to a PhD), after more than 20 years of study in Tibetan Buddhist monasteries. He is the author of the international best-selling book on managing your life and your business, The Diamond Cutter.

# # #

For more information, images or to set up interviews with ACI-LA spokesperson Lindsay Crouse, please contact Green Galactic’s Lynn Hasty at 213-840-1201 or lynn@greengalactic.com.

]]> http://www.greengalactic.com/2009/geshe-michael/feed/ 0 http://www.greengalactic.com/2008/total-sao-paulo/ http://www.greengalactic.com/2008/total-sao-paulo/#comments Tue, 04 Nov 2008 02:16:39 +0000 lynn-hasty http://dev.greengalactic.com/?p=125 From hidden bars serving up $2.50 caipirinhas and tiny boutiques, to the best clubs and vintage markets, Total São Paulo: A Guide to the Unexpected (Unhinged Jaw Press) is a must-have travel resource for discerning creative types traveling to one of the world’s most up-and-coming cities. Written by Phuong-Cac Nguyen, an American journalist who has been reporting and breathing Sao Paulo’s pop culture/lifestyle beat for years, this beautifully designed 176-page paperback guidebook packs in places off the beaten track in 10 essential neighborhoods. Sprinkled among the candid, gorgeously shot photographs are also 11 easy-to-read, illustrated maps and 17 interviews with Sao Paulo VIPs who give the inside scoop on the metropolis’ best spots. Total São Paulo: A Guide to the Unexpected will be released in April 2009 through www.unhingedjawpress.com and independent bookstores worldwide. A supplemental online Sao Paulo city guide will be launched in December at www.totalSPguide.com with profiles on hotspots, provocative features and a regularly updated happenings calendar.

For Immediate Release: November 3, 2008

Total São Paulo: A Guide to the Unexpected
Travel Guidebook is an Insider’s Peek At
Underground Sao Paulo, Brazil
Coming April 2009

SAO PAULO, BRAZIL/LOS ANGELES, CA — From hidden bars serving up $2.50 caipirinhas and tiny boutiques, to the best clubs and vintage markets, Total São Paulo: A Guide to the Unexpected (Unhinged Jaw Press) is a must-have travel resource for discerning creative types traveling to one of the world’s most up-and-coming cities. Written by Phuong-Cac Nguyen, an American journalist who has been reporting and breathing Sao Paulo’s pop culture/lifestyle beat for years, this beautifully designed 176-page paperback guidebook packs in places off the beaten track in 10 essential neighborhoods. Sprinkled among the candid, gorgeously shot photographs are also 11 easy-to-read, illustrated maps and 17 interviews with Sao Paulo VIPs who give the inside scoop on the metropolis’ best spots. Total São Paulo: A Guide to the Unexpected will be released in April 2009 through www.unhingedjawpress.com and independent bookstores worldwide. A supplemental online Sao Paulo city guide will be launched in December at www.totalSPguide.com with profiles on hotspots, provocative features and a regularly updated happenings calendar.

From hidden bars serving up $2.50 caipirinhas and tiny boutiques, to the best clubs and vintage markets, Total São Paulo: A Guide to the Unexpected is a must-have travel resource for discerning creative types traveling to one of the world’s most up-and-coming cities. Written by Phuong-Cac Nguyen, an American journalist who has been reporting and breathing São Paulo’s pop culture/lifestyle beat for years, this beautifully designed 176-page paperback guidebook packs in places off the beaten track in 10 essential neighborhoods. Sprinkled among the candid, gorgeously shot photographs are also 11 easy-to-read, illustrated maps and 17 interviews with São Paulo VIPs who give the inside scoop on the metropolis’ best spots. A supplemental online São Paulo city guide will be launched shortly at www.totalSPguide.com with profiles on hotspots and provocative features.

Authoritative and in the know, Total São Paulo: A Guide to the Unexpected leads travelers through a rigorously edited list of São Paulo’s locally adored restaurants, art spaces, boutiques, street fairs, bars, clubs and other can’t-miss sights, like the city’s Red Light District and its version of Little Tokyo.

Total São Paulo: A Guide to the Unexpected has a streetwise and clean magazine-style design (think Tokion, Wallpaper, Nylon, Mass Appeal) and is written in a smart, edgy tone that makes it a speedy reference unlike any other travel guidebook about Brazil or South America on the shelf today. Its small, handbook-like size (6.1” x 5.3”) is convenient for on-the-go reading and has a sewn spine for extra durability. Thanks to a team that includes talented, locally based photographers and illustrators, travelers will get a truly first-hand experience of São Paulo through their eyes.

THE SPECS:
- Title: Total São Paulo: A Guide to the Unexpected
- Publisher: Unhinged Jaw Press
- Release date: April 29, 2009
- Cover: Paperback
- 176 full-color pages divided into the top bars, restaurants, shops, and sights in 10 must-see neighborhoods
- 11 easy-to-read colored maps
- 17 interviews with São Paulo VIPs who give the inside scoop on the city’s best spots
- Full-page features on the highlighted locations & experiences in each neighborhood
- Locally created by a team who lives in the city
- Size: 6.1” x 5.3”
- Available online at www.unhingedjawpress.com and independent bookstores worldwide; check site for locations
- Price: $26.99

Phuong-Cac Nguyen writes about São Paulo for renowned trend-hunter blog websites CoolHunting.com and JoshSpear.com. She started her journalism career at the Los Angeles Times and served as one of the editors at URB magazine before expanding her writing work to include marketing projects for Nokia and surf/skate retailer Pacific Sunwear, as well as projects for a respected trend-forecasting agency in São Paulo. She has been published in the Los Angeles Times, the LA Weekly, mcsweeneys.net, Anthem Magazine, and others. Nguyen has appeared on major Brazilian television network O Globo promoting her upcoming book and discussing her favorite hidden São Paulo haunts

# # #

For more information, photos or to arrange interviews please contact Green Galactic’s Lynn Hasty at 213-840-1201 or lynn@greengalactic.com.

]]> http://www.greengalactic.com/2008/total-sao-paulo/feed/ 0