DeeWorks Live! 4pm to 7pm Today

On today's show meet the fabulous Singer/Songwriter, Author of Ritta Book and Ritta Learning Doll, Cynthia “Lady Rose” Roberson. Ms. Roberson is a well-known singer and song writer, flooring audiences from the famous Apollo Theater in New York City to Sapporo Japan. As a dedicated mother and Educational Media Specialist for Newark Public Schools, this modern day educator is using her gift of creativity and artistic accomplishments to enhance the quality of learning in the school library media center through what she calls, "The Arts in Language Arts".
By using the arts of music, drama, dance, poetry, with arts and crafts, students are encouraged to build on those innate strengths to overcome their weaknesses. This specialist understands that her students possess unique talents and special abilities that standardized testing don’t measure or account for. Since all learners are different, the RITTA BOOK™ concept provides a variety of teaching methods to better match the variety of learning styles and interests that students bring into the media center, making teaching and learning a more appealing and rewarding experience for both students and educators alike.

Other Show Highlights:
Don't miss the great music played by DJ DMix. He is spinning the tunes that make you say "ooooo weeee, that is my jam." Sis Peeola has informed us that she will now be doing Celebrity Gossip - not really sure how that could turn out for any of us, but maybe that means she won't be singing. (We can only hope - lol ). Chef Jesse Jones will be bringing his "Tips from Chef Jesse" segment.

We have lots more in store for you, Dee Spencer and Kevin Foushee will keep things lively and entertaining as well. Be sure to check us out on our live UStream TV channel where you can watch us live at www.Ustream.tv/deeworkslive

Join our network at www.deeworkslive.ning.com

Want to contact us, advertise with us, be a guest on the show: deeworkslive@gmail.com

Call us live on the air at 1-877-849-1975.
Thanks for your continued support, spread the word about DeeWorks Live! - "if the work won't come to Dee, then Dee will go to work"

Nina Paley's SITA SINGS THE BLUES

One of the highlights of the 2009 Southern Appalachian International Film Festival was the Nina Paley film SITA SINGS THE BLUES. I had the pleasure of being on the screening team and now it turns out that one of the playwrights who is working with AAPEX, Jared Reinmuth, is cousins with the film maker.

The film is brilliant so check it out - and be on the lookout for Jared's adaption of THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO, by Afro-Franco novelist Alexandre Dumas.

Seems like we got a family with some talent in it here.

Scroll on down for Jared's email and background on the film.

Jaz Dorsey

Dramaturg

The African American Playwrights Exchange

Nashville, Tennessee


Merry Christmas everyone. This amazing film, Sita Sings the Blues, is the work of my cousin, Nina Paley. It is brilliant -- as the NY Times review will attest. Some of you may have met Nina at our post-wedding party at Bourbon Street. Please see this film. You will not regret it! Hope everyone is having a joyous holiday season. Have a safe and happy new year. 2010 will be great! Hope to see you all soon. Peace.

Best wishes,

Jared & Saluda

Sita Sings the Blues (2008)

NYT Critics' Pick This movie has been designated a Critic's Pick by the film reviewers of The Times.

Nina Paley

A scene from “Sita Sings the Blues,” directed by Nina Paley.

December 25, 2009

Legendary Breakups: Good (Animated) Women Done Wrong in India

By A. O. SCOTT

Published: December 25, 2009

Animation is, at heart, the simplest form of cinema: a flutter of drawings fooling the eye into seeing motion. Nowadays, at least at feature length, the form tends to be a much bigger deal, with every year bringing can-you-top-this spectacles full of noisy, shiny figures and images.

“Sita Sings the Blues,” Nina Paley’s new film, which arrives in New York on Friday trailing festival love, is certainly ambitious and visually loaded. There are songs, bright colors and a story taken in part from one of the biggest, oldest epics in the world. But it is also modest, personal and, in spite of Ms. Paley’s use of digital vector graphic techniques, decidedly handmade. A Pixar or DreamWorks extravaganza typically concludes with a phone book’s worth of technical credits. Ms. Paley did everything in “Sita” — an amazingly eclectic, 82-minute tour de force — by herself.

Well, she didn’t sing the songs. Instead, she selected recordings from the early jazz singer Annette Hanshaw, whose voice, poised between heartbreak and soigné resignation, sets a mood of longing for this multilayered tale of love gone wrong. This music also provides an unlikely but seductive accompaniment to the main story, which comes from the Ramayana, an ancient and voluminous Indian epic.

Its hero is the blue-skinned Rama, avatar of the deity Vishnu, but Ms. Paley is more interested in Sita, his wife, whose devotion becomes both a romantic inspiration and a feminist cautionary tale. Her adventures are narrated by three shadow puppets who speak in the accents of modern Indian English and who quibble over details and interpretations.

Meanwhile, Sita, Rama and other characters from the Ramayana are rendered in various styles, including a “Betty Boop Goes Bollywood” look for the musical numbers and an illuminated-manuscript manner for the dramatic scenes.

All of this is entwined with the simpler, sadder, more drably drawn chronicle of a woman named Nina, whose longtime boyfriend, Dave, takes a job in India and eventually breaks her heart. This is a stripped-down, modernized variation on what happens to Sita, whose absolute love for Rama is repaid with suspicion, a humiliating trial by fire (to test her purity) and banishment. Hanshaw, crooning after inconstant or unkind lovers, completes the picture.

Not that “Sita Sings the Blues” will leave you wallowing in transhistorical, multicultural woe. On the contrary: Ms. Paley takes the pain in stride, and uses it as an occasion for whimsy and inventiveness. The movie’s playful spirit may represent a bit of defiant payback for whatever actual Dave may be out there; it shows that sometimes formal ingenuity can be the best revenge.

And the ingenuity of “Sita” — which evokes painting, collage, underground comic books, Mumbai musicals and “Yellow Submarine” (for starters) — is dazzling. Not busy, or overwhelming, or eye-popping. Just affecting, surprising and a lot of fun.

SITA SINGS THE BLUES

Opens on Friday in Manhattan.

Written, directed, animated and edited by Nina Paley; music sung by Annette Hanshaw; released by Gkids. At the IFC Center, 323 Avenue of the Americas, at Third Street, Greenwich Village. Running time: 1 hour 22 minutes. This film is not rated.

African American Short Films on TV this weekend (Select Markets)

Check out "Roger Mosley,Karen Malina White in AA Short Films on TV FRI-SAT-SUN!" on POWERFUL PEOPLE and FRIENDS

Ann Dandridge

Time: December 25, 2009 at 1am to December 27, 2009 at 5pm Location: On TV in FL-GA-nC-TX-AL-MO-MD-MI-WV-NV-MO-OH Organized By: BADAMI PRODUCTIONS Event Description: AFRICAN AMERICAN SHORT FILMS Roger E. Mosley Karen Malina White “African American Short Films” ON TELEVISION FRIDAY, December 25th TIME STATION CITY 1:00 AM WAGT-TV NBC Atlanta, GA 6:00 AM WFOR-TV CBS Miami-FtLaudrdle,FL SATURDAY, December 26th TIME STATION CITY 1:00 AM WSAZ-TV NBC ChrlstonHntington, WV 1:00 PM WWAY-TV ABC Wilmington,NC 1:00 PM KPLN-TV MYTV Tylr-LngviewLFKN,TX 2:00PM WJTC-TV MobileALPensaclaFtWlt,FL 2:30 PM WADL TV Detroit,MI 5:00PM WFXI TV FOX Grnvlle-NewBern WA,NC 7:00PM KNLC-TV St. Louis, MO 8:00 PM WBAL-11-2 Baltimore, MD SUNDAY, December 27th TIME STATION CITY 2:35AM WEWSTVABC ClvelndAkronCanon,OH 1:00 PM KMBCTV ABC Kansas City,MO 1:30PMWZZMTVABCGrndRpdsKlmzooBCrk MI 2:00 PM KOLO TV ABC Reno, NV 4:00 PM WBQC TV Cincinnati,OH Set Your VCR, DVR to record or TIVO African American Short Films, Watch Us Again or Watch US Later!!!! Email us by clicking http://www.badamitv.com and/or select Contact Us so we can read your comments and notify you when we are next on. This show contains 5 short films. Enjoy!!!! In this episode you will see: “Charlie Johnson” stars: Art Evans, Karen Malina White, Roger E. Mosley, Willard Pugh, Angelina Gibbs and other talented and recognizable cast members, who bring us great performances in this family story. “Love Conquers Al” is a comedic love story that takes place in a mans mind!! “Change” is a minute and a half long but packs a feature length community message. “Backwards Day” is a short film about a dream. Or is it a dream. “Safe At Home” is a story about a man and his two sons. Please tell your friends and family to watch the airing of this show. And If they email us shortfilms@badamitv.com we will notify them when we are next on. Visit us @ http://www.badamitv.com Thanks for watching! Ann Dandridge

See more details and RSVP on POWERFUL PEOPLE and FRIENDS:

http://anndandridgepublicrelations.ning.com/events/event/show?id=2347143%3AEvent%3A42345&xgi=20wukVMJ9VvgvH&xg_source=msg_invite_event

About POWERFUL PEOPLE and FRIENDS

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Plays By Women RSS Feed

Friends,

I have just implemented our new nytheatre.com - Plays by Women RSS 
Feed. You can see it/subscribe to it by linking here:

http://www.nytheatre.com/nythbywomen.xml

This feed will be updated daily with any new reviews of shows by 
women and any new listings I receive for shows by women. (Obviously 
over the next week or so there will be very little activity, but 
after that there should be new items every day.)

Let me know your thoughts!

Thanks,
Martin

Martin Denton
Editor/Producer,
nytheatre.com
nytheatrecast.com

Call for Children's Plays (Deadline: 1/15)

Seeking CHILDREN'S SCRIPT submissions of all genres from emerging and established playwrights for "Titi Talula's Theatrical Reading Series", a new reading series for young audiences. Readings will be staged during the summer in various public locations in 2010. A committee will then select one play to be presented as a production Fall 2011.
GUIDELINES:
1. Accepting children's monologues, one-act plays, musicals and full length plays 45 minutes max in length. Plays that involve puppetry must be at basic level for children to manipulate puppets. All submissions must be written for the theater.
2. Accepting submissions written in English, Spanish and Portuguese. A combination of submissions with two languages, i.e. English and Spanish, accepted.
3. Submissions must be suitable for performing to or by children.
4. Submissions must have simple plot structures and be centered on exploring social issues that foster positive change such as community, diversity, equality, physical and mental health, substance abuse and violence prevention, protecting endangered species and environment.
5. All submissions must include the playwright's contact information, bio and resume, appropriate age range/ grade levels of submission, synopsis, number of characters and age range, genre type, running time, and copy of the full script. Also if the submission has been previously workshopped or staged include date, producer, theater company and location.
6. Selected works will be assigned a director and cast from our pool of talented actors.
7. Reading of selected work will be given 8 -12 hours of rehearsal and a Q&A forum with audience to help workshop play.
8. Submissions must be MAILED, please send through postal service. Scripts will not be returned.
All submissions must be postmarked by 1/15. Submissions received after this deadline will be considered for the following year. Mail postal submissions to: Attn: Lillian Ribeiro, Director of Performance & Film. _gaia Studio, 315 3rd Street, Jersey City, NJ 07302. Mark Envelope "TT."

Source: TRU

Call for One-Act Scripts for or about Women (Deadline 1/15)

Seeking ONE-ACT SCRIPT submissions of all genres from emerging and established playwrights for the "Lips Living Room Reading Series," a reading series for, by and about women. Once the plays have been chosen for the reading series, a committee will then select one play as the finalist to be presented as production Fall 2010.
GUIDELINES:
1. Only accepting unpublished one-acts plays written for the theater (no screenplays, no poetry, no short stories), 15 minutes max in length.
2. Plays must center on issues concerning the lives of women or feature principal women characters.
3. All submissions must include playwright's contact information, bio and resume, synopsis of play, number of characters, genre type, running time, and copy of the full script. If submitted play has been previously been staged or produced please provide dates, producer, theater company and location.
4. Selected works will be assigned a director and cast from our pool of talented actors.
5. Reading will be given 8-12 hours of rehearsal and a Q&A forum with audience to help workshop play.
6. Submissions must be MAILED, please send through postal service. Scripts will not be returned.
All submissions must be postmarked by 1/15. Submissions received after this deadline will be considered for the
following year. Mail postal submissions to: Attn: Lillian Ribeiro, Director of Performance & Film, _gaia Studio, 315 3rd Street, Jersey City, NJ 07302. Mark Envelope "LL."

Source: TRU

Call for Plays

The Seeing Place Theater is now accepting submissions for its 2010 reading series - and for their special "play-casting" program. For more information, please visit www.seeingplacetheatercom. Playcasting brings new plays, new playwrights, new actors and new theatrical experiences to you on your own schedule. Either subscribe to the RSS feed, or download episodes to your computer or your digital musical player and listen to them on the go. Every week they will present a full-length or short play that will be recorded in full and produced for podcast distribution. They are now accepting submissions for completed plays and works in progress that are suitable for staged reading. For consideration, scripts must be no longer than 150 typed pages and should not require more than 150 minutes to perform. Filmscripts, screenplays, and adaptations of other authors’ work are not eligible. Would you like them to consider your play? Please submit the following to info@seeingplacetheater.com:
- One-paragraph synopsis
- Full character list
- 10-page script sample
- Author’s name, email, and phone number

Source: TRU

Call for African American Playwrights

SEEKING AFRICAN-AMERICAN PLAYWRIGHTS.
Eric Woodlin of Incoming Tide Entertainment LLC is accepting scripts by African-American playwrights for potential development. Please contact via website www.incomingtideentertainment.com click "Submit Script" – for questions call 914/7405437 (office).

Source: TRU

Call for Plays

The Planet Connections Theatre Festivity, New York's premiere eco-friendly theater festival, is accepting submissions for its 2010 season. The festival accepts all topics and subject matters including, but not limited to, new works, musicals, adaptations, one-acts, and solo shows. For details and an application, visit www.planetconnectionsfestivity.com. The festival has been written up in the NY Times, Clyde Fitch Report, and recently Broadway World. Last year's productions received favorable reviews from Backstage, nytheatre.com, Broadway World, Fab Marquee and more. The Festivity fosters a diverse cross-section of performances, and seeks to inspire artists and audiences both creatively and fundamentally, in a festive atmosphere. At the heart of the festival are like-minded individuals striving to create professional, meaningful theater, while supporting organizations which give back to the community at large. The application is at www.planetconnectionsfestivity.com/application.html. Please contact Glory Bowen (PlanetGlory@gmail.com) with any questions.

Source: TRU

Call for Urban Plays (Deadline 1/11/2010)

The Downtown Urban Theater Festival (DUTF) is currently accepting submissions for its eighth season, scheduled for 4/19 through 5/2 at the Theater for a New City, in the Lower East Side of New York City. DUTF, presented by Creative Ammo Inc., is a two-week celebration of urban theatrical expression by a cross-section of playwrights. This annual event focuses on theatrical works that resonate with the essence of urban life and speaks to a whole new generation whose lives defy categorizing along conventional lines. For DUTF 2010, we plan to accept 12 theatrical works; six full-length productions (60-90 minutes) and six shorts (30-45 minutes). Each work is performed only once during the festival. Three of the outstanding works produced during the festival will receive $1,000 awards in the categories of Best Play, Best Short and Audience. To submit for DUTF 2010, please provide all of the following information in ONE (1) document file:
1) Bio with contact information of the playwright - name, address, telephone number and email address; photo of
playwright
2) Synopsis of theatrical work
3) Complete script of theatrical work
4) Actor/director/crew bios, if available
5) Description of stage set (if any) and production needs (i.e. sound and lighting)
Send it to Arcos Communications by 5pm on Monday 1/11, 2010 at nsantiago@arcos-ny.com or mail to Downtown Urban Theater Festival, C/O Arcos Communications; 341 West 38th Street, 12th Floor; New York, NY 10018. Keep New York theater alive and vibrant!

Source: TRU

Call for WOMEN Playwrights (Deadline 12-31)

SEEKING MONOLOGUES FOR AND BY WOMEN.
Key City Public Theatre in Port Townsend, WA, USA, requests monologues by women playwrights for their second annual celebration of International Womens' Day, Here, There and Everywhere. They are particularly interested in receiving submissions by women writers from outside the United States and Canada. They will accept a maximum of two pieces per writer. Monologues may be sent in the body of email or as pdf or doc attached files. Please submit entries by email to submissions@keycitypublictheatre.org. Deadline: 12/31. Monologues must:
• must be by a female writer
• must be written for a female character
• must be a minimum of 5 minutes / maximum of 10 minutes
• may be stand-alone or from a longer work
• must be in English or accompanied by an English translation
A maximum of two 2 submissions per writer! Please include playwright's contact information and short bio. Send monologues in the body of your email or as pdf or doc attachments. Six - seven selected pieces will be performed at Key City Public Theatre in Port Townsend, WA, USA, on Sunday, 3/7, in honor of International Women's Day (Monday, 3/8). The event will be a fundraiser for our local women's shelter. Selected monologues will receive a royalty of $10. Questions? Write to submissions@keycitypublictheatre.org. Info about Here, There and Everywhere: www.keycitypublictheatre.org/news_09_HereThereEverywhere.htm. Please help them reach out to women writers outside of the US and Canada by forwarding this to other women playwrights around the world.

Source: TRU

A Gospel Christmas TV Special

Ann Dandridge has invited you to the event 'LALAH HATHAWAY,HOWARD HEWETT,DESIREE COLEMAN JACKSON,SHANICE and More on TV THU-FRI-SAT-SUN!' on POWERFUL PEOPLE and FRIENDS!

Check out "LALAH HATHAWAY, HOWARD HEWETT, DESIREE COLEMAN JACKSON, SHANICE and More on TV THU-FRI-SAT-SUN!" on POWERFUL PEOPLE and FRIENDS

Ann Dandridge

Time: December 24, 2009 at 12pm to December 27, 2009 at 8pm Location: ON TV in CA-FL-GA-FL-MD-TX-CT-DC-VA-NY-NM-MS Organized By: BADAMI PRODUCTIONS Event Description: "A GOSPEL CHRISTMAS" http://www.badamitv.com Howard Hewett Shanice Kenny Lattimore & Chante Moore Desiree Coleman Jackson Shirley Murdock Lalah Hathaway "A GOSPEL CHRISTMAS" Set Your VCR, DVR to record or TIVO "A Gospel Christmas ". Watch Us Again or Watch US Later!!!! Email us at gospelmusic@badamitv.com This 2009 Christmas Special marks the beginning of our 13th year on the air. This show Stars: Kenny Lattimore, Chante Moore, Howard Hewett, Sounds of Blackness, Jonathan Butler, Beverly Crawford, Daryl Coley, Norman Hutchins, Doc Powell, Shirley Murdock, Lalah Hathaway, Desiree Coleman Jackson, Shanice! THURSDAY, December 24th TIME STATION CITY 12:00 PM WCBS-TV CBS New York, NY FRIDAY, December 25th TIME STATION CITY 12:35 AM WTVR-TV CBS Richnd-Petrburg,VA 1:00 AM WRC-TV NBC Wshngton DC Hgrstwn 1:00 AM WVIT-TV NBC Hartfrd-NewHaven,CT 5:00 AM WFOR-TV CBS Miami,FtLaudrdale,FL 6:00 AM WMAR-TV ABC Baltimore,MD 6:00 AM WAGT-TV NBC Agusta,GA 10:00AM KCAL-TV Los Angeles, CA 12:00 PM WXIA-TV NBC Atlanta, GA 6:00 PM KRIV-TV FOX Houston, TX SATURDAY, December 26th TIME DATE CITY 1:05 AM WCBI-TV CBS Colmbus-TupelWstPtMS 5:00 AM WFOR-TV CBS Miami-FtLauderdale,FL 12 PM KPLN-TV MYTV Tylr-Lngview-LFKN,TX 2:00 PM WFXI-TV CW Grnvlle-NewBern-WA,NC 3:00 PM WJZY-TV CW Charlotte, NC 4:00 PM KOAT-TV ABC Albuqerque-SntaFe,NM SUNDAY, December 27th TIME STATION CITY 12:30PM WZZM-TVABC GrndRpds-KlmzooBCrk 7:00PM WJTC-TV Mobile,ALPensaclaFtWalt,FL Please tell your friends and family to watch the airing of this show. And If they email us at gospelmusic@badamitv.com we will notify them when we are next on. Thank You For Watching! ANN DANDRIDGE Visit us @ www.badamitv.com

See more details and RSVP on POWERFUL PEOPLE and FRIENDS:

http://anndandridgepublicrelations.ning.com/events/event/show?id=2347143%3AEvent%3A42301&xgi=31mcYHzOqfBBU9&xg_source=msg_invite_event

About POWERFUL PEOPLE and FRIENDS

PEOPLE who Gather to Help Improve the Quality of Life for OTHERS! Never consumed with being RUDE or Self-Centered SHARING is Important&RARE!

871 members 2631 photos 334 songs 213 videos

89 discussions 191 Events 487 blog posts