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Jordan Wright
October 29, 2012
Special to The Alexandria Times 
Warren Ives is a young, handsome, well-educated Wasp on the rise. His budding career as a futures trader at Shearson-Lehman is all but guaranteed in Wall Street’s storied halls. With his editor girlfriend, Lesley Rosen, an erstwhile Jew who works at the esteemed publishing house of Harper and Row, they acquire a converted former temple on the Lower East Side of Manhattan planning to live there in loft-style splendor. They are from all outward appearances, a typical upwardly mobile New York couple.
From the moment they move in they become captive to strange Hebrew chanting coming from an unknown source within the temple. They befriend their local grocer, Morris Lipkind, inviting him into their newly modernized space to witness the eerie sound. The aging Lipkind who worshipped in the shulwhen the neighborhood once had the largest Jewish community in the country, regales them with tales of the former synagogue and its members, eventually identifying the voice as coming from its former cantor. He translates the words of the chant, “Build your house the way it was.” This ominous news becomes the hinge on which the plot turns. News that affects the couple’s relationship as it wrestles with complex and universally familiar issues of faith and spirituality.
 James Myers (Warren Ives), Steve Rosenthal (Morris Lipkind) and Heather Benjamin (Lesley Rosen) – Photo by Shane Canfield You shouldn’t expect author and playwright Ira Levin, who penned such notable suspense and horror stories like Rosemary’s Baby, The Stepford Wives and Deathtrap, to hand you a pretty package tied up in a Bendel’s bow. Cantorial centers around a young man’s discovery of his spiritual self and his subsequent obsession with its origin. A tender and deeply affecting story – it is perhaps more in the vein of Hesse’s Siddartha – played with moving intensity by James Myers (Warren Ives), Heather Benjamin (Lesley Rosen) and Steve Rosenthal, whose portrayal of Lipkind is riveting, Yiddish-inflected hilarious and linguistically convincing. Of particular note is actor John Shackelford in a small but pivotal role as Warren’s estranged politician father. It’s always a thrill to experience Shackelford’s versatility and nuanced performances. Also memorable are the hauntingly beautiful cantorial vocals by actor/singer Rick Flint.
 James Myers (Warren Ives) and John Shackelford (Williams Ives) – Photo by Shane Canfield The entire production boasts tightly crafted theatrical elements starting with the design team of Ken and Patti Crowley who have transformed not only the stage in their bold lighting plan, but have also included the very theatre walls. Their use of uplights, downlights, lights to highlight props, spots, and stage lights all in rich jewel tones combine with Set Designer, Dan Remmers evocative set to make a spare yet dramatic architectural design in this well-acted ethnic comedy slash drama slash personal journey. See it!
Through November 17th at The Little Theatre of Alexandria, 600 Wolfe Street. For tickets and information call the box office at 703 683-0496 or visit www.thelittletheatre.com.
Musical Visions: Live Music and Art Auction
Jordan Wright
October 17, 2012
Eighteen years ago the non-profit Hungry for Music was founded by local entrepreneur Jeff Campbell – a man inspired by a vision to heal the world through music. The idea germinated back in 1992 while Campbell was taking a fund-raising certification program at George Washington University where he came up with the idea to organize a concert to benefit the homeless by asking street musicians to donate their talents. GW’s Lisner Auditorium became the setting for two concerts to benefit DC’s Coalition for the Homeless and led to many area food drives.
By the time of its founding two years later, the organization had redirected its mission. Campbell explains, “In 1994 I wanted to do something with kids and music. I’d met a photographer who was putting cameras in the hands of kids to give back and that was what it did it for me. I realized how powerful music was for kids.” He started with kids that wanted to play but had no access to musical instruments – kids in blighted neighborhoods, kids in schools with no music programs, needy kids whose families barely had enough money to put food on the table.
Across America funding has dried up for school cultural programs and entire music departments have shut down. But Campbell looks to revive the performing arts for kids who have little hope and few creative outlets – – one musical instrument at a time.
As expected the organization takes in monetary donations, but others give new or used musical instruments – horns that were neglected in favor of soccer, guitars outgrown and pianos gathering dust. Four times a year Campbell drives around the country in a van loaded to the gills with instruments promised to dozens of kids. He visits with grateful teachers and students from the Appalachian Mountains and out to the Midwest of Chicago and Milwaukee, then on down to the New Orleans’ Gulf Coast where they enthusiastically await his arrival. “It’s very therapeutic for me,” he admits. The rest of the year is dedicated to shipping instruments to needy kids.
Each spring, in tribute to Campbell’s Louisiana roots and New Orleans supporters, Hungry for Music hosts a zydeco-fueled Crawfish Boil in Alexandria (Read my coverage of that event here – https://whiskandquill.com/?p=1951). Summer brings the wildly popular, Cof-a-Que weekend fundraiser; a three-day BBQ competition and all-day-and-night music bash set on a Loudoun County farm beside a picturesque lake. In May 2013 Campbell will be in the Woodstock, NY area to host yet another benefit concert.
Throughout the year Campbell sells CDs compiled from songs donated by some of the country’s leading musicians like Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Paul Simon and others. The legendary bluegrass pioneer Hazel Dickens performed for one of their benefits shortly before she passed away.
The organization’s reach has expanded both nationally and overseas, helping children in places as far-flung as El Salvador. In Galax, Virginia, home to the country’s renowned Old Fiddler’s Convention, Campbell takes stringed instruments to the Junior Appalachian Musicians (JAM) a youth group founded by musician and elementary school counselor Helen White. Her initial program has grown to encompass 22 programs in three states and now serves more than 900 kids.
 MUSICAL VISION: Live Music and Art Auction On November 8th, Bluegrass, Blues and Jazz will converge at the Gibson Guitar VIP Showroom across from the National Portrait Gallery for the Hungry for Music Musical Visions: Live Music and Art Auction. The event will feature food and drink with live performances by local musicians. “Over 20 DC-based artists have transformed old donated violins, clarinets, flutes and guitars into art and photography for the silent auction. It’s a really cool performance space with guitars all over the walls,” Campbell says.
For more info on this event visit www.hungryformusic.com.
Jordan Wright
October 2012
Special to www.dcmetrotheaterarts.com, www.broadwaystars.com, and www.localkicks.com
When friends ask me where to dine before the theatre I try to respond authoritatively. But, alas, my brain turns to porridge as I mentally scroll through the limitless options. I try to hone it down by asking: Which theatre are you going to? What kind of food do you prefer? Do you need parking or Metro nearby? Want something hip and trendy, white linen chic or bold ethnic flavors? As an early diner there are great deals to be had before the swells arrive. Here are a few dazzling spots to choose from before the curtain rises on the evening’s entertainment. Madly sorry if I left out your favorite!
Both Rasika Penn Quarter and the new Rasika West End have a three-course pre-theatre menu for $35.00 Monday through Fridays from 5:30 till 6:30 PM and Saturdays from 5 till 6:30 PM. Dishes are derived from regions all across India. There’s Palak Chat and Sev Puri among other specialties and mains like Chicken Makhani, Lamb Roganjosh and Tandoori Salmon. Desserts register with Carrot Halwah with cinnamon sabayon and Gulab Jamun with ice cream.
 Crispy Spinach Chaat at Rasika These two stylish Indian restaurants are on the “Hot List” making it an affordable way to sample their wares. In the West End 1190 New Hampshire Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20037. For the Penn Quarter location 633 D Street, NW, Washington, DC 20004 www.RasikaRestaurant.com
At Ceiba the three-course early dinner is a mere $29.00 a pop. This upscale contemporary Latin-inspired resto gives you choices like Yucatan Shrimp or Peruvian Seviche and Cuban Black Bean Soup with ham and cheese croquet. Entrees are straight from the Dinner Menu with a $9.00 up charge for the Brazilian Seafood Stew, Churrasco Beef and Tower of Crab.
 Ceiba Restaurant – Photo credit Scott Suchman A delicate Flan or Chocolate and Banana Mousse Cake and seasonal sorbets wrap up the Conga line. Served Monday through Saturday 5:30 till 6:30PM. Sunday from 5 till 6:30PM. An extensive small plates Bar Menu for pre- and post-theatre is half price, and signature cocktails drop to a cheery $5.00. Check the site for exact times. 701 14th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20005 www.CeibaRestaurant.com
Dinner at the Oval Room across Lafayette Park from the White House is spectacular anytime but a three-course dinner served from 5:30 till 6:30 nightly is a mere $35.00. One of my favorite chefs in town, Tony Conte, wields an elegantly spare paradigm on Modern American cuisine. What a terrific way to experience his exceptional cuisine for half the price of a regular dinner! Is this really legal?
 The Oval Room at night Try the Corn Soup with sorrel, pine nuts and brown butter or Sashimi of Tuna with smoked tapioca, tamarind and buttermilk to start. Then it’s on to entrees like Rockfish with pumpkin seed pesto or Prime Rib with a cherry-chili relish. Conte gets playful with dessert and I’m all in on a Chocolate S’more Bombe with salted caramel. But wait! A Cherry Pie with pine nut brittle ice cream? Hmmmm…. Shouldn’t we just have dessert first? 800 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20006 www.OvalRoom.com
At 701 Restaurant Executive Chef Ed Witthas created a stunning three-course pre-theatre menu for $32.00 with lots of options to choose from. Appetizers like Fig and Arugula Salad with goat cheese, crispy guanciale with a vanilla vinaigrette; or Salmon Crudo with porcini powder, English peas and lemon agrumato oil raised my gastro antennae. Two of the entrées got my attention too – NY Strip Steak with corn-cheddar grits and zucchini relish, or Duck Leg with mango curry, jasmine rice and bok choy.
 Stylish cuisine by Executive Chef Ed Witt at 701 Restaurant Did I mention dessert? There are several options, but bring on the Pear Thyme Crème Brulee with spiced fruits and thank you very very much, Chef. Curbside valet parking is $8.00 with dinner validation Monday through Saturday. What a steal! 701 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20004 www.701Restaurant.com
Just off Pennsylvania Avenue is Fiola – the brainchild of celebrated chef Fabio Trabocchi, who was chosen to create last year’s Garden Café Italiano at the National Gallery of Artto complement the Venetian Exhibit. His $35.00 pre-theater menu served in a sleek modern setting doesn’t stint on elegance or ingredients.
 Fine dining at Fiola The opening act is either Prosciutto with rhubarb and Monte Enebro cheese, or Burrata made with buffalo mozzarella. Then choose from Branzino with a prosecco zabaglione; slow-cooked Ossobuco; or a light pasta dish. Desserts are Hazelnut Crusted Caramel Tart or the traditional Zuppa Inglese – a trifle made with raspberry and lemon granita. From 5:30 till 6:30PM. 601 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20004. www.FiolaDC.com
Central Michel Richardhas a brand new pre-theatre dinner for $35.00. So new it’s not even posted on their website yet! Richard’s consistently lovely at-your-Grandmére’s French cuisine will be a real treat for theatregoers and I heartily recommend it. Begin with a choice of Green Lentil Soup, Goat Cheese Caesar Salad, or Deviled Eggs with fresh boquerones – tiny marinated sardines. A trip to Atlantic City last week to try his new outpost at Revel afforded me the opportunity to sample some of these delicacies. (More deets on that in next week’s column.)
 Chicken Julia from Central Michel Richard Entrees are Mussels in white wine; Garlic Salmon with lemongrass emulsion; or Chicken Julia, a crisp roasted chicken named after Childs. End with Chocolate Lava Cake or Fig Tart both served with housemade ice cream or sorbet. You can even return to enjoy your dessert after the show! 1001 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20004 www.CentralMichelRichard.com
Johnny’s Half Shell is James Beard Award-Winning Chef Ann Cashion’s temple to Chesapeake and Gulf Coast sustainable seafood. This Capitol Hill destination is known for its Saturday night live Jazz and Blues performers and laid back atmosphere.
 Dining at Johnny’s Half Shell The three-course dinner is very specific and starts off with a mixed green salad before moving on to New Orleans-style File Gumbo Fillet of Catfish with shrimp and sausage risotto or Chicken Etouffee. Dessert is Angel Food Cake with Caramel Sauce. It’s $35.00 and is served nightly from 5 till 6:30 PM. We love the complimentary validated parking in an adjacent garage. 400 North Capitol Street, Washington, DC 20001 www.JohnnysHalfShell.net
Executive Chef Shannon Overmiller, formerly of Restaurant Eve, helms the kitchen at The Majestic – a cozy circa 1949 retro American restaurant in the heart of Old Town and within minutes of MetroStage and The Little Theatre of Alexandria. If you’re Metro’ing just hop the free trolley from the King Street station and exit at the front door. The cuisine is rustic with a decidedly modern twist. The $35.00 “Royal-Fixe” menu is available all evening. You simply select an appetizer, entrée and dessert from the regular dinner menu. Entrées come complete with sides – no need to order veggies a la carte. But do look for items identified with “crown” icons that have a clearly marked upcharge.
 The Majestic in Old Town Alexandria Still I like the Wild Mushroom Soup with caramelized onions and Appalachian cheese crostini, followed by the Amish Roast Chicken or the Chesapeake Bay Seafood Stew – no additional charge on any of these dishes! Desserts are plucked right from the dinner menu and include Brownie Sundae, Churros and Pumpkin Cake. 911 King Street, Alexandria, VA 22314 www.MajesticCafe.com
José Andrés’ ever-popular Jaleo outposts include the Downtown, Bethesda and Crystal City locations. All feature a three-course pre-theatre menu priced at $30.00 but items vary slightly. I noted a Gazpacho with Endive and Ensalata Russo as starters, Garlic Shrimp or Pan Seared Scallops; and for dessert a Flan from Andrés’ mother’s recipe, Arroz con Leche, or Hazelnut Mousse Cake. Check available times and locations on their website. Be sure to try the dinner-plus-ticket offer for Synetic Theater in Crystal City where there’s also free adjacent parking after 4PM. www.Jaleo.com
 Culinary creative genius Jose Andres
P.S. If you’re lottery-flush and with plenty of time to spare (I only mention it because some of us have been waiting for this news for a long time), his exceptional destination restaurant, Minibar by José Andrés, has reopened at last in a new location – 855 E Street, NW. Call months in advance for a reservation.
Jordan Wright
September 26, 2012
Special to www.dcmetrotheaterarts.com, www.broadwaystars.com, and www.localkicks.com
 Executive Chef Adam Goldman – Photo credit Jordan Wright Get Global
Masa 14has a special place in my heart. There’s just so much to like here. Bold flavors, super-creative fusion cuisine – think of it as Asia romances Latin America and Mexico. Add a great rooftop garden, super casual ambiance, an all-you-can-eat-and-drink brunch and yummy seasonally inspired food by and it’s a sure-fire winner. Last week I sampled the new fall offerings – Cornmeal Crusted Oysters with togarashi aioli, Roasted Beet Salad with curried goat cheese, and an ooh-and-aah Cream of Corn Soup with sweet corn tomato relish and lump crabmeat. At the same time the restaurant will present a series called “Melting Pot” to run one month per quarter starting with riffs on Asian-Brazilian dishes and drinks from Sao Paulo. Owned by über chefs Richard Sandoval and Kaz Okochi, Masa 14 has earned the street cred it deserves.
 Cream of Corn Soup Masa14 – Photo credit Jordan Wright For the $35 brunch and drinks deal first pick your poison. There’s Masa Mimosa, Galleata (made with Faretti Biscotti liqueur and OJ), Strawberry Lemonade, Lychee Bellini or Bacon Bloody Mary to put you in a laid back Sunday mood. Then go for in-house made flatbreads, salads, eggs dishes, sandwiches and Banh Mi burgers. You’ll need to order the brunch for your whole table to get in on this offer.
Another option is to go up one flight to the Banchan Rooftop Brunch. The three-course menu breaks the fast with a basket of bread, then four small salads to share, a choice of one entrée and one dessert. Tack on $15 for the bottomless brunch drinks. Entrees are house-made biscuits smothered in chorizo or sausage gravy with scrambled eggs; Oaxaca Herb Waffle with scrambled eggs and sausage gravy and a side of spinach and arugula; or a grilled Monte Cristo made with crushed Masago rice crackers and served with agave syrup for dipping. There’s also the Masa pizza topped with Oaxacan cheese, bacon, prosciutto and pico de gallo or a fantastic Cuban sandwich that subs pork belly in place of pork tenderloin. Seafood comes in the form of Roasted Salmon with Oaxacan cheese polenta and salsa verde. Follow with chocolate tart, sopapillas, banana and chocolate spring rolls, or fruit empanadas then string up a hammock for your siesta. www.Masa14.com.
 AOL Jan Brandt shows Custom Boots – Photo credit Jordan Wright South of the Border in Clarendon
Bursting onto the Clarendon scene is Fuego Cocina and Tequileria, a Latin explosion hotter than Pancho Villa’s spent pistol. It’s the current brainchild of successful restauranteurs and partners Jeff Tunks, Gus DiMillo and David Wizenberg of the Passion Food Hospitality Group. The two-level paean to Mexican cooking has a wide range of dishes from antonitos and tacos to botanos (small snacks) and entrees like posole and carne asada, a grilled skirt steak served with nopales salad. Meats are cooked low and slow and falling off the bone. Fish are seared or fried. A whole trout is crisp and succulent with Cholula aioli for dipping. This is a highly ambitious menu with over 65 dishes including nine varieties of tacos in which roasted goat, shrimp, pork, beef short ribs and tilapia appear in starring roles. Authentic ingredients like huitlacoche, the Aztec fermented corn, epazote, the ancient fresh herb, and mole negro, the deep dark chocolate-infused sauce, appear alongside the hipper duck confit which gets incorporated into a traditional flauta. Fuego’s Chef de Cuisine Alfredo Solis, who has cooked at Zola, Ceiba, Acadiana, DC Coast, District Commons and Ten Penh, can at last cook from his Mexican roots. Olé to that!
 Prickly Pear Margarita – Photo credit Jordan Wright On the street level a long serpentine bar soars to the rafters with over 120 tequilas. I went for the Prickly Pear Margarita. Tame but hydrating. Up a gracious winding staircase is the expansive second story with a bird’s eye view of the downstairs and the peek-a-boo kitchen at work. Black leather low-backed booths stretch down the center of the room in a sleek space designed to see and be seen. Along the far wall a twelve-foot raised fireplace anchors the scene – a sweet spot to cozy up in winter. www.FuegoVA.com.
 Chef and Restauranteur Cathal Armstrong – Photo credit Jordan Wright American Cuisine at the National Gallery’s Garden Café
The Smithsonian’s National Gallery of Art continues with its theme of pairing up food and drink with current high profile exhibits. October is the opening of Masterpieces of American Furniture, a spectacular installation of American Chippendale furniture, portraiture and decorative arts from the distinguished George and Linda Kaufman collection. Following in the very large footsteps of Chefs Jose Andres, Fabio Trabocchi and Michel Richard, famed local chef and restauranteur Cathal Armstrong partners with the Garden Café’s Executive Chef David Rogers to offer American regional cuisine in the Garden Café Americana.
 American Chippendale Collection of Kaufmann – Photo credit Jordan Wright Armstrong who has built a considerable empire in Alexandria, VA with The Majestic, Virtue Feed & Grain, Eammon’s – A Dublin Chipper, PX, TNT Bar, Society Fair and Restaurant Eve, hails from Ireland but has been offering regional American cuisine right alongside Irish fare since coming to our area.
“It’s a tremendous honor for an immigrant like me to showcase an American menu,” Armstrong told me. “I drew from the quintessentially American dishes of the 1700’s to the 1850’s to create the menu and to reflect the same period of the exhibit. The American palate is extraordinarily broad. I thought about the South, the Pacific Rim influences and the Burgundian climate of the Northwest. For me it was inspiring.”
On his interest in the art world he explained, “My wife Michelle was a former student at the Corcoran and art has always been a part of our home life. In Ireland I did carpentry and joinery for my uncle, a master Chippendale style cabinetmaker, who once made a wedding cabinet with 21 secret compartments and a dollhouse for Laura Ashley’s daughter.”
 Glazed Root Vegetable Salad – Photo credit Jordan Wright His fall/winter menu features refined comfort food like Glazed Root Vegetable Salad with rosemary and toasted garlic vinaigrette and Roasted Butternut Squash Salad with toasted pumpkin seeds. Braised Beef with aromatic vegetables and a Turkey Pot Pie served with a buttermilk biscuit show Armstrong’s reverence for the South. A warm apple pie with vanilla ice cream revealed a tender buttery crust and the Georgia Pecan Pie with caramel sauce was spot on. The buffet is lavish, assorted breads, a cheese plate, salad, entrée and dessert. At $20.75 per person it’s quite affordable.
A small selection of American beer and wines are available. Alexandria’s Port City Brewing Company’s Optimal Wit makes an appearance as do several vintages from Virginia’s Rockbridge Vineyards. Mixologist Todd Thrasher contributes a few snappy cocktails to the list with a Bourbon Milk Punch and a refreshing Gin Rickey. Museum going just got a whole lot merrier! www.nga.gov/dining.
 Author and Executive Chef Mike Isabella – Photo credit Jordan Wright “Down The Shore” with Mike Isabella
Jersey born and bred Mike Isabella has a passion for food – earthy, soul-stretching, heart-stirring Italian food – and he’s decided to share it with the home cook. His new cookbook Crazy Good Italian (Da Capo Press Lifelong Books) takes you into the kitchen with his nonna to teach you the family’s recipes. Included in the over 150 recipes that speak to his Italian roots is his famous Pepperoni Sauce, the one that wowed the judges on Bravo’s “Top Chef”. Isabella has gotten to be a familiar fixture not only on television, where he was seen in a cameo appearance on “Life After Top Chef”, but also around the DC area with his casual resto Graffiato and M Street venture Bandelero.
 Smoked Olives with Baby Bellas – Photo credit Jordan Wright At Graffiato where he held his book launch and signing, samples of some of the book’s recipes were served up to an adoring crowd and Isabella proved to be the ever-gracious host. Counters were piled high with delicacies like Crispy Baby Goat on Creamy Polenta, Smoked Olives with baby bellas, and Rainbow Cookies made with tri-colored almond paste drew knowing foodies. This moment was the culmination of years of hard work and the young chef knew it was a helluva lot easier than working the line. “This is everything I’ve worked towards and here it is, and it’s mine,” he said, knowing this was his shining hour. www.graffiatodc.com.
Jordan Wright
September 24, 2012
Special to The Alexandria Times 
Warning: Spoiler Alert. The plot of Medea will be revealed here. For those of you who are without knowledge of Greek mythology, you may want to stop reading now. Others, whose memories of Jason and Medea may be just a tad rusty, might find it handy to bone up with this truncated recap.
For starters Jason dumps Medea, wife and mother of his two boys, to marry a younger hotter babe whose father, Creon, is the filthy rich King of Corinth. Nothing modern-day sociologists would find surprising. But in twenty-four hours his adoring spouse will be banished from the kingdom to live on the mean streets of Greece without so much as a drachma to her name. No social safety net in place then, but heaps of public scorn and the usual pariah status. But Medea will not go gently into that good night. “Oh triple fool,” she cries out, “You have given me time.” And a plot that makes The War of the Roses look like an exercise in marital merriment thickens.
As soul sister to the sorceress Hecate, “Help me to remember the venomous fire!” she implores the Queen of the Night, Medea’s knowledge of potions and the Dark Arts is legendary and spot on deadly. And you know what they say about Hell having no fury like a woman scorned, especially a woman who has already betrayed her father and murdered her brother to promote her husband’s social standing. Jason should have known he’d get his head handed to him.
Ah, “the violence of love,” the Muses wail, trying to dissuade Medea from her retribution. But there’s no stopping the avenging soon-to-be ex-wife from calling on the gods of the underworld to back her up. Woe betide to our hapless Argonaut. That’s some vindictive crew.
 Anissa Parekh Marking the beginning of its 35th anniversary is Port City Playhouse’s presentation of Medea with Anissa Parekh playing the lead. Remember that name. Parekh, who was trained at both the Studio Theatre Acting Conservatory as well as the Shakespeare Theatre Company, is a skillful actor, whose knowledge of stagecraft is immediately evident. It is thanks to her that this production has meat on its ancient bones. Her ability to center the other performers by dint of her powerful stage presence saves it from drowning in the Aegean Sea.
Though I am a huge fan of PCP and their bold choices, this drama does not have the usual high caliber of performances, except for the commanding presence of Parekh. Costumes are neither period nor contemporary but a hodgepodge of 30’s, ‘40’s and 50’s retro dresses with aprons and randomly chosen military uniforms for some of the men. The primitive set includes a small refrigerator used as a stool, several chairs and a panel with double doors situated at the edge of the raised stage. A black box theatre style would have been less distracting than watching actors yank at sticky doors while trying to wriggle through the narrow space without toppling off the proscenium. Somewhere Dionysus and The Muses are cringing. But notwithstanding these awkward production values and throwaway supporting roles, see it for Parekh. Her Medea is memorable.
At The Lab at Convergence, 1819 North Quaker Lane, Alexandria, VA 22302. Performances continue on these dates – September 25, 28, 29 at 8pm and September 22 and 29 at 2pm. For tickets and information call 703 838-2880 or email PortCityInfo.com for reservations or visit www.portcityplayhouse.org.
Jordan Wright
September 22, 2012
Special to www.dcmetrotheaterarts.com, www.broadwaystars.com, and www.localkicks.com
 Individually numbered limited edition Hennessey’s V.S. Cognac bottle with a new Futura-designed label What is so extraordinary about legendary graffiti artist Futura, neé Leonard McGurr, is that at a mere 57 years old he has outlived so many others of his genre and generation and continued to triumph in the Paris, Tokyo and New York art worlds, where he enjoys patronage and support from leading fashion designer Agnes B. and international art critics.
A fixture on the New York City scene in the ‘70’s with the late graffiti artists Keith Haring, Dondi and Jean-Michel Basquiat with whom he shared space at the Fun Gallery, Futura has enjoyed a resurgence of appreciation for his abstract street art and can command upwards of $200K a pop for his space age surrealism. Defined by his pioneering thin-lined style of aerosol art, now referred to as “Graffuturism”, he has been known for painting backdrops on stage during concerts with The Clash, album covers for Unkle, and designing edgy street fashion under the name of Futura Laboratories.
Earlier this week we met up at Smith Commons restaurant in the trendy Atlas neighborhood for the launch of the individually numbered limited edition Hennessey’s V.S. Cognacbottle with a new Futura-designed label.
 Futura autographing Jordan Wright – What were some of your early influences?
Futura – Let me take you back to the 1964 World’s Fair and the Unisphere. I was fourteen, and I saw a fantastic experience of what the world was going to be like. All the New York City schools were busing kids out there to see it. That was my first indication that we lived in a really big world.
By 1969 Neil Armstrong was landing on the moon and it was the Vietnam War. I was going to school on the subway and seeing graffiti on the trains and I became inspired by Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey. I had read Alvin Toffler’s Future Shock and I was into sci-fi, but the seed was planted by the World’s Fair. The future sounded promising. We would have more advanced technology, something I have always been fascinated by.
JW – Everything was about supersonic travel and food was jet-puffed back then.
F – Oh yeah, I had to have my Tang. That’s what the astronauts were drinking. I felt very connected to what my perception of the future was going to be. It wasn’t just jet packs but Dick Tracy two-way radios and face time, whatever we have in our toolbox of technology. It was the Golden Era of that movement in New York.
JW – Who did you hang out with?
F – In 1974 I joined the Navy and was stationed on a carrier in Alameda [California]. I remember I was at the 1980 Grateful Dead show in Oakland. I had been brought out there with a crew from New York, ‘manicurists’ who were out there to ‘clip’ marijuana. None of us had been told why we were there. I remember the Hare Krishnas and sprouts and carrot juice.
I was running around at night and painting but it wasn’t until the 1980’s in New York when uptown and downtown came together on a social platform and the alternative galleries in the East Village began to dominate the early 1980’s art scene. It was Basquiat, Haring, Scharf, myself, Dondi, Zephyr, a veritable who’s who. Some came from the subway school of art, some more traditional. Basquiat, the great artist that he was, came from nothing but he was very clever. He knew about art history and had all the answers. He was more calculated, writing these provocative and powerful phrases, and he was very prolific too. But it was Haring that commercialized the art. And Andy’s big show at the MOMA had a huge impact. But I wasn’t one of Warhol’s group. I was homophobic back then and felt uncomfortable in the gay world. I regret the ignorance I grew up with.
JW – Graffiti was considered unacceptable then. People were talking about what products would facilitate its removal and what kind of machines could blast it off surfaces. When did it begin to become an acceptable art form?
F – In the beginning of that period it was, “How did it all progress beyond where it was?” And in a sense the rudimentary graffiti that still exists anywhere you go, is made by some kid with a can or marker and some sort of rebellious energy to express themselves. It’s unfortunate but it’s always going to remain on some lower level. There’s nothing productive or beautiful about it. It’s like a dog pissing on a fire hydrant. There’s always going to be what we call a “toy”, someone at the bottom of the barrel, and then you have your masters who are more mature and know their place in the system.
When graffiti was being cleaned from trains and security was increased to prevent it, artists could no longer access subways. Today it’s hard to paint on trains anywhere in the world from Russia and Tokyo to Sao Paulo and India. But why did we have a decade of street art? Because it’s the most accessible to artists.
JW – Do you still paint on the streets?
F – Oh no. I just had an opening in New York this week at Valmorbida on Washington Street and sold a painting for $190K. It was very large, 8 feet high by 16 feet wide. That will help out my family a lot. I’m in the middle of a renaissance. It’s great. Recently my Paris gallery bought several of my earlier paintings to get them off the market and control the market. Now they can control the inventory and offer new work too. I’m happy to see a great price for my work at auction. It’s a secondary market that the galleries use to sell my new work.
JW – How do we encourage younger artists coming up?
F – I’ve always told younger artists to first and foremost have a sense of humor. Don’t allow others to dictate what your process or vision is. It’s uniquely yours. Today there are more artists then ever. Back then you had to think on your feet and be creative. I see our society as seventy percent lazy. Nowadays artists don’t have to paint illegally. They can just ask a business to do a mural on their walls. There are ways to do public works today. So artists need to be more entrepreneurial, take advantage, be more forward thinking – not wait for the opportunity to come to them.
JW – What’s next for you?
F – I’ll be continuing my tour with Hennessey. We started in August going to cities throughout the US. Now we head to London, Paris and Tokyo. In 2014 I have a proper Rizzoli book coming out. I had a book in 2000 that sold out. I tried to buy a new copy online and it’s now selling for $500. Prior to myself Hennessey co-branded with artist KAWS. I’ll be doing a show in Tokyo next June and of course I’m still making work in my Brooklyn studio.
Interview with Futura conducted, condensed and edited by Jordan Wright.
 Futura Artist at interview with Jordan Wright
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