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Diz White’s new book ‘Haunted Cotswolds’ out Halloween 2010, LA book signing 10/21/10

lynn-hasty — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 22:11:52 +0000

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

Filmmaker Jon Reiss set to release new book “Think Outside the Box Office” 3/15/10

lynn-hasty — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 08:39:10 +0000

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 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.

The Rachel Rosenthal Co.’s TOHUBOHU! Extreme Theater Ensemble Debuts Feb. 19 – 21, 2010

lynn-hasty — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 01:59:41 +0000

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

Total São Paulo L.A. Book Signing Party 5/9/09

lynn-hasty — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 00:13:09 +0000

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.

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

“Total Sao Paulo: A Guide to the Unexpected” out 4/29/09

lynn-hasty — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 02:16:39 +0000

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.

# # #

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