Welcome to the companion podcast to the digital magazine The QueerCentric!
The QueerCentric is the companion podcast to the popular digital magazine of the same name (www.thequeercentric.com ). This is a place to go beyond the pages, to talk about what is happening around us and to have meaningful conversations about the World and culture as it affects the LGBTQ+ people. The magazine was only one step in uncovering our voices again. It is important to step up and speak out, for as the World has proven, we cannot afford to be silent even for a minute. Who said we can’t have fun along the way!
Plot: “A woman who raised herself in the marshes of the deep South becomes a suspect in the murder of a man she was once involved with.” -IMDB
Review: I do not know if Where the Crawdads Sing is a faithful adaptation of the beloved novel (the book and I have not crossed paths yet). I am of the mindset that we are often too quick to judge films based on books without acknowledging the differences between the two art forms. Before beginning this review, I would like to highlight some of those differences.
Nothing in this world is as fantastic as your imagination. When reading, we dig deep into a world created by someone else, but we also color in between the lines with our own experiences. As we watch a movie, we would do ourselves and the filmmakers a favor if we acknowledged we are observing someone else’s imagination brought to the screen.
A novel can take you eight, ten, or twelve plus hours to read. Authors have the luxury of creating worlds dripping with description and countless characters to meet along your journey. Since no audience will tolerate a movie of that length, creators must decide about what to cut and what to save. Something you thought was paramount to the story may be one of those details left on the cutting room floor.
For an adaptation to work, filmmakers often must make creative choices different from that which appears on the page. They usually do this to help a film flow easily on the screen.
There are countless other reasons adaptations are hard to get right, but these are three I try to keep in mind when watching a movie based on existing source material.
As far as this film is concerned, I think it does a lot of things right. The lessons it tries to teach and the story it successfully tells are much stronger than the areas where it might falter. From its opening scene, it creates a world shrouded in mystery as officers unravel the mysterious murder of a young man found in the marshes on the outsets of Barkley Cove, North Carolina. Desperately searching for answers, they turn their attention to someone standing on the outside of the accepted and expected norm. In their desperation, this film makes its first lesson known. We are too quick to judge those we do not fully understand.
Behind bars and accused of murder, we meet Kya Clark (Daisey Edgar-Jones), or the marsh girl, as the locals call her. Kya is a survivor of domestic violence at the hands of an abusive father battling addiction. As the youngest member of her family, she painfully watches as her mother, and then her siblings one by one, escape the violent wrath of the man leading their household. Left to fend for herself, Kya learns to manage her father’s outbursts of violence and avoid his episodes the best she can. This works for a while until even her own father leaves her utterly alone in the marsh.
Standing in his absence, Kya’s life becomes one of survival. Harvesting mussels to sell at a local shop, she makes ends meet and befriends an African American couple who does all they can to care for the child; all the segregated south will allow. In Kya’s trials, this film reveals its second lesson. In our lust for quick judgements, we often refuse to walk a mile in the shoes of others. Failing to do so means we never fully understand or empathize.
As heavy as the first third of this film is, it gives way to a teenage Kya who is strong, independent, and self-sufficient. Even with all her strength, she is not immune to the longings of the heart. With some innocent flirting thanks to feathers left at a tree stump, she rediscovers Tate Walker (Taylor John Smith), a boy from her youth. He helps her learn to read. Together, they unlock a deep yearning to understand the natural world around them, and a passion between the two defined by teenage love.
As is often the case, Tate must leave as he turns his attention to college. He does with the promise of returning to Kya as much as possible. In a heartbreaking Fourth of July scene, we see Tate fail at his promise. After all that she has endured, this is an act that almost breaks Kya. It makes her vulnerable and fearful of being hurt again. This is when we meet Chase Andrews (Harris Dickinson).
Beginning with the first words he utters on screen, you will distrust everything Chase does. In him, we find a connection to the very beginning of the film. It was Chase’s body found in the muddy marsh. We will spend the rest of the film unraveling the events and accusations that led to him falling from a lookout tower to his death. We will also spend this portion of the film trying to figure out if Kya is the reason he met this fate.
The story and the murder are further complicated by the return of Tate, who has an altercation with Chase concerning Kya. At this point in the story, our worst fears about Chase become known with two scenes that absolutely floored me and broke my heart. Still angry with Tate and attempting to rid herself of Chase, Kya isolates herself once again.
The final third of this film focuses intensely on Kya’s trial and the ultimate verdict. The scenes were interesting and a great way to uncover the mystery of the story. I will not spoil the ultimate outcome, or any revelations born in the last scenes. I also will not spoil the standing of the relationship between Kya and Tate. You should discover those things yourself.
Instead, I will leave you with my final thoughts on this film. As a critic, my job is to judge a film for what it is. I will let the lovers of this book judge its attempt at adaptation. I left the theater inspired by Kya. Her strength, wisdom, determination, and survival skills are all something I wish I possessed. There were also solid lessons to be found here about judgement, empathy, and learning to love those standing on the outside of society. I found the mystery holding this film together gripping. It kept me guessing until the very end. It was beautifully shot, and the supporting cast gave it life. In the end, it gave me everything I wanted and so much more. I recommend you give this a chance. If you’ve read the book, enter the theater with a little grace.
Welcome to the companion podcast to the digital magazine The QueerCentric!
This is the inaugural episode of The QueerCentric with host Queerly Jonny! We talk everything from Gay RomComs to standing up and speaking out in the spaces you exist in and we have a lot of fun along the way. This week we welcome special guest Esteban Herevia Jr!
The QueerCentric is the companion podcast to the popular digital magazine of the same name (www.thequeercentric.com ). This is a place to go beyond the pages, to talk about what is happening around us and to have meaningful conversations about the World and culture as it affects the LGBTQ+ people. The magazine was only one step in uncovering our voices again. It is important to step up and speak out, for as the World has proven, we cannot afford to be silent even for a minute. Who said we can’t have fun along the way!
The QueerCentric is proud to introduce “The QueerCentric Podcast” hosted by Queerly Jonny, produced by The Kurter with special guest Esteban Herevia Jr.
Enjoy the audio segment below taken from Episode #1
It was a specific moment in time. The best art is always about a specific moment. For many of us, it is seared in our memories much like the day JFK was assassinated for the generation prior to mine. I was working the opening shift at the first LGBT bar/coffee house in my small town of Wenatchee, WA. Wiping down the tables as I turned on our televisions, met with the panicked voices of the reporters, the crumbling towers, the smoke. I was confused, I could not wrap my mind around what was happening. It is moments like this that become monuments in your mind. They will never leave you.
Who could imagine that out of the worst pieces of humanity, the very best of it would shine? The Tony Award winning Broadway musical, “Come From Away,” tells the true story of a small Canadian town that takes in thousands of stranded airline passengers lost and confused as multiple flights are grounded with the closing of U.S. airspace during the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack. We follow these individuals as they navigate what it means to care for each other, comfort each other and sacrifice what is needed for another in need.
From the raucous opening with the song, “Welcome to the Rock,” to the haunted longing of “Lead Us Out of the Night,” to the inspirational “Me and the Sky,” this is a solid show, but what is more is that it is a needed show. In a time with such unrest around the World, with terrifying moves backward in the United States, it was nice to be reminded that sometimes humanity truly is the best part of us. As I sat in that audience, I cried more times from happy inspiration than from tragedy.
Knowing that this is based on real people, swelled my heart with joy. This small Canadian town gave completely of themselves, not because they had to, they were not Americans, and they did not know these 7,000 strangers. All they knew was that these people were scared and needed help. In providing basic needs they gave each other hope, comfort, and much love.
I will admit that just thinking of this show can make me tear up. We need more beautiful examples of the best part of ourselves if only to remind the World how we could be. Sadly, the Broadway show has announced its final day, October 2nd, but so far the touring show will live on. Do yourself a favor and go see this show, support its message, receive its hope. You will not regret this moment.
In Spokane, WA you can still catch this show until August 13th at the First Interstate Center for the Arts. Visit https://www.broadwayspokane.com/tickets for tickets today!
Plot: “At a remote South American trading port, the manager of an air-freight company is forced to risk his pilots’ lives in order to win an important contract as a traveling American showgirl stops in town.”
Review: Years ago, I attended a break-out session at the Seattle International Film Festival. The session featured a panel of local film critics speaking about the craft, their approach, and how they watch movies. As a new film critic, I went to learn and seek some guidance on how to improve.
One of the film critics there gave me fantastic advice. “Watch a lot of movies that came out before you were born.” For me, this advice has morphed into a goal of watching these movies with a critical eye. I analyze pacing, writing, delivery, cinematography, directing, acting and the score of the film. I try to remind myself of technological limitations and attempt to appreciate a film in the time and space in which it was created.
Some weekends, when there is not a new film to be seen, I will find a classic movie playing at a local independent movie theater and do some homework. The goal of seeing more movies that came out before I was born delivered me to Only Angels Have Wings starring Cary Grant as Geoff Carter and Jean Arthur as Bonnie Lee.
On a remote South American trading port, where pilots often must traverse dangerous mountain passes to deliver the mail and other items, we first meet Geoff and Bonnie. The route is so dangerous that shortly after Bonnie Lee’s arrival at port, a tragic plane crash takes place due to fog. Charged with balancing the safety of his pilots against fulfilling delivery contracts, Geoff is the man making the impossible decision to send men out into these harsh conditions. In the wake of a pilot’s death, I found my first real complaint with this film. No one seems to care that a man has died. Beyond a few drinks and quips, everyone at the port’s bar seems to care very little about the danger the pilots face.
Bonnie Lee is supposed to be staying just for the evening. Wrapped up by the unpredictability and an attraction to Carter, she misses her ship and stays. Watching the movie, it was apparent to me she found herself engulfed by the moment. This brings me to my second complaint about the movie. The dialogue is often nothing more than quips, comebacks, and writing you will only find in the movies. More than once, I thought to myself, no one talks like this. Based on the writing alone, it surprised me to see Carter and Lee falling in love with each other (something they do incredibly fast). Those quips and comebacks mask moments meant to reveal two people falling in love.
Their love story is not the most interesting thing about this movie. To me, the most mysterious character is Bat MacPherson (Richard Barthelmess). In desperate need of a new pilot, Bat emerges, but he does so with a darkened past. This past will sow distrust among his fellow pilots and will leave you questioning his character.
As he flies over and through the mountains, I found myself impressed by the aerial work captured on camera. On multiple occasions, I had to remind myself that they filmed this movie in 1939. Seriously, it is that impressive. But the beauty is dangerous, and another crash happens. This tragedy brings us back to where this journey began.
Coming full circle left me wondering about the point of this film. More than the love story or learning to trust someone again, the idea of an unhealthy obsession with work moved me, no matter the costs. People matter more than things. No piece of mail or delivery is worth a man’s life. Settling on this idea made this movie worth the trip.
Plot: “An aging Chinese immigrant is swept up in an insane adventure, where she alone can save the world by exploring other universes connecting with the lives she could have led.” -IMDB
Review: Earlier this year, I read Roger Ebert’s autobiography Life Itself. In the book, the film critic said, “If you don’t know how to describe a film, write about the experience.” As I sit with Everything Everywhere All at Once, this quote is guiding my reaction to this film.
The opening 30 minutes of this movie are chaotic and noisy, yet foundational. Here, we meet the Chinese immigrant family at the center of this story and the laundromat/apartment they own that will serve as a base camp for our adventure. In these first 30 minutes, we experience our first encounter with the multiverse; spaces in time, we will spend the rest of the film exploring. The rules holding these worlds together and allowing characters to move about them are confusing (my only real complaint with this film). Ultimately, what we learn in the first 30 minutes is what we will spend the rest of the film unpacking.
In those first 30 minutes, we learn of generational trauma and the impossible weight of expectations. We meet a married couple whose marriage is falling apart, a mother and daughter with a deeply strained relationship based on cultural experiences, a daughter seeking acceptance for who she is and who she loves, and the challenges many immigrants face as they navigate a system that is not built with them in mind. As familial drama pours over into the multiverse, there is a lifetime of experiences to draw upon, as Evelyn Wang (Michelle Yeoh), the mother/wife at the center of this story, wrestles with her new unbelievable reality.
The multiverse itself unleashes fantastic capabilities and a daughter, Joy Wang (Stephanie Hsu), who will serve an all powerful and misunderstood villain. While the multiverse is hilarious, it is a tool for the dominant story. For Evelyn, we see a woman burdened by the work of holding a family and business together. For Joy, we see a daughter fully immersed in Western culture, but fighting an ingrained desire to please her parents. In so many ways, these are fully realized and complex human beings. They are the full sum of a unique story; a story unseen by most native-born Americans.
The arc of this film is a journey toward reconciliation between mother and daughter, wife and husband, and cultural expectations. Or will everything fall apart? This journey is wonderfully hilarious, deeply philosophical, and presents the audience with a unique cinematic experience. Its writing beautifully holds the world together, the cinematography is awe-inspiring, and the acting/directing is some of the best I have experienced in a long time.
Everything Everywhere All at Once was a cinematic journey I did not want to end. Its first 30 minutes deserve a second watch just to provide some clarity, but when it finds its footing, it delivers a film I will never forget.
Art knows no borders, knows no age and knows no sexual identification. Art is one of the earliest forms of communication, a way to record history and capture emotions. When an artist paints, sculpts, writes, sings or acts they are becoming that which they are creating. A Painter or sculpture or drawer shares an emotional story using their tools and their medium of choice.
Being an artist myself I understand what an artist is, how you live and breathe what you do. There is something that compels you to create day and night. Artists take what is known and stand it on end, they go beyond what is seen, they can imagine what is something unthinkable to the rest, but when an artist is done it is pure creation.
LGBTQQIAAP or Queer artist, I use “Queer” because i want to include all the letters in all the arrangements with all their wonderful meaning because for every letter their are millions of creative artists in the world creating visual art that will make you laugh, cry, freak out or smile. A Queer artist is no different than a heterosexual artist, religious artist or artist from a different culture, art is like science universal and wonderful to the many if only understood by the few.
We have had the opportunity to talk with a queer art lover who supports queer artists so much that he started a Queer Art Walk in Spokane, Washington for PRIDE month. I interviewed Andrew Whitver about creating the Spokane Queer Art Walk and to the new caretakers of this wonderful event, Shantell Jackson and Melissa Huggins from Spokane Arts. (Spokane Arts is taking over the Spokane Queer Art Walk because Andrew is leaving Spokane this year.)
QC: Andrew, are you going to miss not being in charge of The Spokane Queer Arts Walk?
Andrew – I like to start projects and then move on . I was never in charge. It was my idea, but I had a team that I worked with.
QC:Tell us the story that first prompted you to start Spokane Queer Art Walk?
Andrew – I moved to Spokane from Seattle in 2017. I had started the Capitol Hill Queer Art Walk a few years back. My partner and I had a pop up in Capitol Hill called Calypte Gallery. We started showing queer artists for Pride month, so I thought why not ask more participants in the Capitol Hill Art walk to participate in a Queer Art for Pride? It caught on and still exists today. Upon moving to Spokane, I noticed in June that there were not any art venues showing queer art. I reached out to a few organizations and they thought Pride was just a weekend event. I conveyed to them that Pride is celebrated the entire month of June. I talked with the libraries, Spokane Arts, Downtown Spokane Partnership, Saranac, Kolva Sullivan, and Trackside Galleries, also First Ave Coffee and Terrain. All of these organizations and more commited to showing queer artists in the month of June 2019.
QC: Is the reason for the name and timing of the event, Spokane Queer Art Walk, because you are LGBT or ally?
Andrew – Spokane has a ” First Friday” It’s the first Friday of the month when galleries and other art venues have their openings. So I thought why not have the First Friday in June be the Queer Art Walk? I am a queer activist who supports queer artists.
QC: Was it difficult to find venues to show? How many locations?
Andrew – The Spokane community was extremely responsive to the event. It was not hard at all to find venues to participate. I think we had 9 places.
QC: How many artists did you have?
Andrew – We had over 40 artists participate.
QC: After the first show, what things changed for the second year?
Andrew – The pandemic hit the second year, so we had a few window displays
QC: What are the criteria for artists to participate?
Andrew – They have to identify as queer.
QC: You mentioned you are leaving Spokane will you start another “Queer Art Walk” where you are moving to?
Andrew – I moved to Wisconsin. I’m not sure if I will start a queer art walk, but I’m sure I’ll find a way to support and increase visibility for queer artists
QC: You are handing the reins over to Spokane Arts. How do you feel about that?
Andrew – I love that it is going to continue. Spokane Arts is the leading arts organization in the region so I am very happy to see them organize the event.
Spokane Arts mission is to support arts and culture in the region through grantmaking, programming, advocacy, and professional development. They foster creativity by providing direct support to individuals, groups, and organizations in the creative sector, and promote local arts and culture to the wider community.Shantell Jackson (program director) and Melissa Huggins (Executive Director) are key to this mission of Spokane Arts.
QC: Did you know about Spokane Queer Art Walk from the first event ?
Shantell– Spokane Arts actually participated in the first Queer Art Walk—we hosted poetry performances in our gallery & a few visual artists. I first met with Andrew about his vision for Queer Art Walk in February 2019, along with Mika Maloney, who worked for Spokane Arts at the time, and Tiffany Patterson, one of the QAW organizers.
QC: Did Andrew approach Spokane Arts or did Spokane Arts approach Andrew?
Mellissa – Andrew has served as a Spokane Arts Commissioner for the past few years, which means he’s one of our board members. He’s become deeply involved in our organization since he founded QAW. When he decided to move to the Midwest with his husband, he wanted to make sure that Queer Art Walk wasn’t dependent solely on the small group of volunteers who’d created it. So he asked Spokane Arts to take on Queer Art Walk as one of our ongoing/annual programs, which we were delighted to do, and we formed a planning committee that includes the volunteer organizers who helped pull off the previous events, plus city arts commissioners, and Shantell and myself as Spokane Arts staff.
QC: Can you describe how the passing of the torch, so to speak, is being handled?
Shantell – Andrew and I met along with the committee to discuss what has been done in the past and what my role will be as the new Program Director. Andrew pretty much had the venues and artists for 2022 ready to go. My role has been confirmed with the venues. I am also working with committee member and artist Remelisa Cullitan to curate the Chase gallery for the QAW. Andrew has been helpful and still attends planning meetings.
QC: Are the seven venues for the Queer Art Walk new this year or repeat venues or a little of both?
Shantell – A little bit of both, this year we have new spaces in the city that are eager to support artists. We are still working to solidify artists in these spaces, but I am excited to have a couple of new venues on the walk. One being Locust Cider.
How do I approach a new year? With a lot of intention and then panic over that long list! ha. I think like everyone, I set goals for better health and better organization. This year so far has been easier to get closer to those goals.
How has your music changed or been influenced by the pandemic? Has It?
The pandemic gave many a big boost of energy in music but for me, I felt like I was standing still. I write many songs from hindsight than while I am going through it. I am glad to see the fog rise as we get past what I hope is the worst of it. That has made it easier to write. Maybe I will write some tunes about it once I get some more distance from it.
Do you have new music on the horizon?
I have been writing a bit more in the past few months. Working on a new all acoustic album at the moment.
What are some essentials on your playlist currently?
Of my music, I tried to play a song a day starting in Jan. Some essentials of mine are Red Hot Tears, Leave Nothing Behind, Save The Afternoon, and Everything To You.
Of others, I am really loving new albums by YOLA, Adele, Tina Dico, and some older INXS.
What is your favorite song that you have recorded so far?
There are favorites of mine that I have recorded because they were fun to record (These Small Town Boys, Running, You’re Gonna Need Me) and others because they connected with audiences live in a big way (Bartender, Save The Afternoon, We Are The Same).
Finish this sentence “Life without music is…”
Life Without Music is paralyzing.
What excites you about making music?
The feeling that you said something that everyone was thinking but no one had brought it up yet. When you hit a chord or sing a melody that feels original and personal at the same time.
A musician to watch (other than yourself of course)
YOLA, Çelişse, Jake Wesley Rogers, Sierra Hull, Namoli Brennet!
Live performance vs. creating in the studio
Always LIVE! I am a live artist through and throughout. Studio always feels like trying to re-create something where as being live feels real and in the moment.
If you could make one wish for your listeners this year, what would it be
To find an artist who makes you FEEL something with their music or with their words.
Since Youtube became the thing, regular people started thinking like directors, producers and screenwriters. Now you can watch hundreds… nay thousands of web series.
Before I go on, what is a web series? Basically a web series is internet based, about 5 minute to max 60 minute, film work that airs online. Sometimes called a webisode. Most are in the 15ish minute range and usually released on a regular basis. These webisodes are set up to be stand alone episodes that build to a finale like television shows. Webisodes are great places for up and coming writers, directors and actors to practice their craft and learn before they go after the bigger gigs. Webisodes are also a great opportunity for seasoned veterans of TV and movies to be creative and have fun making their own type of entertainment without all the bureaucracy and red tape.
In the next few issues we will follow a few creators of these shows and find out the who, what, and why webisodes are becoming so mainstream and enjoy hearing from those who write, direct and act in all types of these shows.
There will be 2 parts to each webisode interview such as follows. We are going to meet Artie O’Daly; writer, producer and actor who acts in two web shows “Successful People” and “Bad Boy” In this issue we interview O’daly, next issue we will have a quick interview with the cast including Mr. O’daly and then we will chat with each of their characters .
Really quick let me list a few shows you may have seen Artie in:
The Big Bang Theory
Vegas
Castle
Scorpion
Scandal
The odd Couple 2017
Modern Family
Silicon Valley
Successful People
Superstore
General Hospital
Millennials
Tell us about Artie O’Daly? What led you to acting.
I was a creative kid, so part of it is just natural. I loved to write plays and shoot short movies with our video camera and I was obsessed with sitcoms and scripts. All of it fascinated me. As a young kid, my dad had a good friend – a wonderful man named Tony Askins – who worked as a cinematographer on many television series. If you’ve seen the first seven seasons of Will & Grace, you’ve seen his work. As a kid, he invited the whole family to come visit him while he was working on “The Love Boat” and then again on “Dynasty II: The Colbys”, and I think there was something about seeing actors at work at that young age that clicked in with the naturally creative side of me. I saw it was something people did with their lives.
Tell us about Artie O’Daly the screenwriter?
Hmm… Accidental? Untrained? Totally making it up as he goes along? I’m kidding, but also not. I never strived to be a writer, even though, looking back, I wrote far more than I ever acted. And “untrained” might only be true in the traditional sense. As I mentioned, I was obsessed with sitcoms and would videotape them and rewatch them so many times as to know every beat, joke delivery, pause, set up, wordplay, all of it. This is most specifically to the show “The Golden Girls”. I think there’s something about studying the finished product that trained my brain to understand the fundamentals of comedy. As an adult, I write shorts just so I act in them!
Tell us about Artie 0’Daly the Director?
Hmmm… Major diva? Totally controlling? Like David O. Russell, but gay? This time I am fully kidding, although you can’t help but be controlling when you’re the director. It’s kind of the job. I literally just had a day of shooting “Bad Boy” yesterday and told the cast, “You guys know I don’t know what I’m doing, right?” I’m not really interested in directing, but since I write the scripts, it makes sense that I would be the one to steer the filming of it.
You are all three of these things, but which would you say drives you the most?
Acting. Are you kidding me? It’s the most fun! It’s literally playtime. Writing is the hardest. It’s the most satisfying when it’s done, but it’s work. Directing might be more enjoyable if I wasn’t in the show because I could see more how it’s coming together while it’s being filmed, but yeah, acting is the thing. Super funsies.
We want to talk to you about your web series “Successful People” and “Bad Boy.” Where did the Idea for Successful People come from?
Successful People came about with my friend, Theresa Ryan, who also plays “Whitney” in Bad Boy. We had come across a couple of younger, but much more successful people at a play one night who couldn’t help but mention that they owned a gastropub and just got back from Paris within the first two minutes of meeting them. They were actually lovely people, but as soon as they walked away, we turned to each other and were like, “Ugh. What assholes.” In jest, but also in seriousness. We knew we wanted to do a project called “Successful People Are Assholes” after that. We talked about it for five years until we finally settled on doing a web series and took action.
Where did the Idea for “Bad Boy” come from?
The guy who played “Mack” in the first episodes of Bad Boy was a new actor in town and wanted footage for his demo reel. He wanted to do something comedic where he played a “bad boy” type. So it was kind of like a writing job for hire, in that I knew those were my parameters and I had to come up with something. The first short was all the show was going to be. When it became successful, I did a second short. When that also was successful, then I started thinking long-term and decided to flesh out a full story and world.
Because you wrote, directed and played a lead role in each one, what did you like the best?
I actually didn’t direct Successful People. The first season was directed by Janina Maria and the second season was directed by the team of Craig Tovey and Ryan Lagod and because I didn’t have to direct and could just play, I’d say I liked doing that show better!
Each character is different. What do you like about each of your characters in “Successful People” and “Bad Boy?”
It’s an unstated fact that some of the fans know, but the characters I play in each of these shows are supposed to be twin brothers. I’m Chet Kensington in Successful People and Scott Kensington in Bad Boy. I haven’t gotten around to explicitly talking about it in Bad Boy. I’ve tried to work it in, but it’s never felt organic. So it was basically just a thing that a fan might notice, that both characters had the same last name. To answer your question, they both have aspects of me, of course. Chet is, frankly, dumber. Haha Or perhaps just more innocent. He doesn’t make plans, he does whatever anyone tells him to. He’s also trying hard to achieve success and stay positive. Scott is much more mature, stable, grounded, successful, but in that, he’s even more isolated in his life and views his work as his sole purpose. I like Chet’s go-with-the-flow attitude, but I love Scott’s personal stability even when his life is crazy.
Creating a web show is very intensive with what goes on behind the scenes and in front of the camera, what to you is the most rewarding aspect of creating these shows?
I know it’s probably better to say the reward is just having completed it, which certainly is a reward in and of itself, but the most rewarding thing to me is other people enjoying it. Which I guess is another way of saying, “Other people’s opinions are what matter most.” I’m thinking of having that crocheted on a pillow.
The comedy writing in both are very campy meaning simple and straightforward with a smile, chuckle or laugh guaranteed, but at the same time they are very imaginative keeping one off guard and thinking they know what will happen next but it is totally different. How do you come up with humor and jokes?
I’m just naturally brilliant. Just kidding. It’s actually hard work. Remember how I mentioned writing is hard? Yup, this is why. I’ll be writing and think, “Okay, the character needs to say something funny here” and then I’ll write something so totally unfunny and realize I’m a fraud. I’ll usually sit and say various things out loud to see what would make me laugh if I heard it. And if nothing comes within five minutes, I’ll literally write into the script “SOMETHING FUNNY HERE” and come back to it another time.
When you were casting both web series did you have a cast member in mind or did you do an open call? If you had actors in mind, tell us if you wrote the part for that person. If you did an open cast call, how did you choose the perfect people?
I’ve never had a casting call, although I would love to find a way to meet more actors. Scratch that: I would love to find a way to meet more GOOD actors. You gotta be specific with your wishes or you never know what you’re gonna get. As I wrote the show, I’d typically have the actor in mind as I wrote so I could incorporate their voice or style into the dialogue. When I was looking for another “bad boy”-type actor to play Jim, I’d remembered Drew Canan from a play I worked on, but had never seen him act. So he actually did a self-tape for me and we worked from there. That’s happened two or three times, but it’s always been people I already know or referred to me by someone I trust.
I love Alina Bock and Drew Canan. I cannot see Bad Boy without them. Alina is such a naturally gifted comedian. She can go from grounded to absurd within the same line. When she did her first episode, she was just starting to post more character videos onto her social media, and that gave me the idea for her to keep coming back to the show in various disguises. Drew, on the other hand, I usually have to bring down. His style leans towards the broader, more physical range of comedy, so when you see those elements in the series, that’s him naturally.
Web series are many different lengths, yours are all about 15 plus or minus minutes. What made you choose that duration length? Tell us the science of webserise in your mind?
Well, look, I certainly don’t have the science figured out. Every time I release a video, I’m sure no one’s going to watch for whatever reason. The thumbnail’s wrong, the length is too long, the title is terrible, etc etc. The first couple of shorts were only five minutes and, to be honest, that’s hell for me. I call myself an “overwriter” because I’ll write twenty pages when you ask for ten. But we were always limited by the number of hours and pages we could feasibly shoot in a day. When Jamie Hobert came on board as the director of photography in episode nine, we started developing our own creative balance and it opened the doors to longer episodes. It exhausts everyone and is certainly way more than anyone should be shooting in a day and deep down I think they all hate me for it, but oh well. I overwrite the episodes and now we get to make them!
How many more episodes do you think you might have for Bad Boy?
We just wrapped the season finale yesterday, which takes the series to episode 27. I laugh when I call it the season finale because this “season” has lasted four years. I know the show is popular and people want more, so I imagine I’ll start making a season two soon, but right now, I just needed a button on this story arc and a momentary rest. And by “momentary rest”, I mean, “I just wanna hang out at the movies every day for a couple weeks”.
As a creator of funny web series, what would you tell people who want to start their own?
I had to stop for a moment because I don’t want to sound like a dick, which I often do, and there are so many elements to making any series, web series included. If you’ve got a team around you to help, awesome. If you’ve done some writing or acting or editing or producing before, even awesomer – you’ll be ahead of the game. If you’ve just got an idea and think it’ll be fun, then I’d be cautious and point out that it’s a lot of work. I do believe in supporting creative people because we often have enough voices in our heads telling us that what we do is worthless. I’m my own hype man now. I’ve got these amazing friends who are wanting to be in the shorts and I’ve got Jamie who has become amazingly valuable with the filming and editing and feedback process, but when it comes down to it, I’m alone in my apartment, writing, planning, trying to make my own dreams come true. I do it because there’s nothing else I want to do and because I know it’s something I can do. It’s not a hobby; it’s a job to me. What I’m getting at is I would encourage people to follow through if they’re going to take it seriously, because there’s no guarantee anyone’s going to see it and it’s a mountain of work. Having said that, and if whoever is reading this is like, “Yeah, I wanna do it even though I’ve never done it before,” then I’d say start small. Do a single four minute short. Consider it a learning experience and then see if you wanna keep going after that.
When you are done with “Bad Boy” are you going to edit it together to make one continuous movie?
Not exactly because it isn’t designed to be a movie. Sometimes only hours have gone by between episodes, but sometimes it’s been weeks. I do plan to upload them all as a single file on YouTube so people can stream them in order as a binge viewing experience.
Would you like to see either “Successful People” or “Bad Boy” as a full feature show one day?
If you mean as a full thirty minute sitcom on proper television, abso-frickin-lutely. That has been the goal since those days of visiting “The Love Boat” and videotaping “The Golden Girls”. That is where I’m hoping this all leads.
I have followed Artie-Scott (Daddy Scott) for quite a while when I ran across Episode #2 of Bad Boy, “Bad Boy Comes Out” and I was hooked and watched all that had been created. I still like getting the notices for the next episode, yes it is still being made and the plot thickens and the jokes keep me smiling or laughing.
I cannot wait to share the cast members’ insight about the show and get to interview their characters’ alter ego. Here is the show that first got me hooked.
Plot: “A woman who raised herself in the marshes of the deep South becomes a suspect in the murder of a man she was once involved with.” -IMDB 
There are countless other reasons adaptations are hard to get right, but these are three I try to keep in mind when watching a movie based on existing source material. 
Who could imagine that out of the worst pieces of humanity, the very best of it would shine? The Tony Award winning Broadway musical, “Come From Away,” tells the true story of a small Canadian town that takes in thousands of stranded airline passengers lost and confused as multiple flights are grounded with the closing of U.S. airspace during the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack. We follow these individuals as they navigate what it means to care for each other, comfort each other and sacrifice what is needed for another in need. 
P
One of the film critics there gave me fantastic advice. “Watch a lot of movies that came out before you were born.” For me, this advice has morphed into a goal of watching these movies with a critical eye. I analyze pacing, writing, delivery, cinematography, directing, acting and the score of the film. I try to remind myself of technological limitations and attempt to appreciate a film in the time and space in which it was created. 
As he flies over and through the mountains, I found myself impressed by the aerial work captured on camera. On multiple occasions, I had to remind myself that they filmed this movie in 1939. Seriously, it is that impressive. But the beauty is dangerous, and another crash happens. This tragedy brings us back to where this journey began. 
The opening 30 minutes of this movie are chaotic and noisy, yet foundational. Here, we meet the Chinese immigrant family at the center of this story and the laundromat/apartment they own that will serve as a base camp for our adventure. In these first 30 minutes, we experience our first encounter with the multiverse; spaces in time, we will spend the rest of the film exploring. The rules holding these worlds together and allowing characters to move about them are confusing (my only real complaint with this film). Ultimately, what we learn in the first 30 minutes is what we will spend the rest of the film unpacking. 
QC: Andrew, are you going to miss not being in charge of The Spokane Queer Arts Walk? 
QC: Was it difficult to find venues to show? How many locations? 
The pandemic gave many a big boost of energy in music but for me, I felt like I was standing still. I write many songs from hindsight than while I am going through it. I am glad to see the fog rise as we get past what I hope is the worst of it. That has made it easier to write. Maybe I will write some tunes about it once I get some more distance from it.
Really quick let me list a few shows you may have seen Artie in:
We want to talk to you about your web series “Successful People” and “Bad Boy.” 
Because you wrote, directed and played a lead role in each one, what did you like the best?
The comedy writing in both are very campy meaning simple and straightforward with a smile, chuckle or laugh guaranteed, but at the same time they are very imaginative keeping one off guard and thinking they know what will happen next but it is totally different. How do you come up with humor and jokes? 
As a creator of funny web series, what would you tell people who want to start their own?
If you mean as a full thirty minute sitcom on proper television, abso-frickin-lutely. That has been the goal since those days of visiting “The Love Boat” and videotaping “The Golden Girls”. That is where I’m hoping this all leads.