A preview of Erik Spangler’s ‘hiking opera,’ Cantata for a Loop Trail; Monica Lopez-Gonzalez’ theatrical experiment, UltimaPartida – The Final Draw; Rob Hatch reviews the 48 Hour Film Project; and Yoruba Richen discusses her documentary, The New Black
An innovative musical production is about to debut in the woods of Baltimore’s Leakin Park, a ‘hiking opera’ titled, Cantata for a Loop Trail. The Signal’s Aaron Henkin hikes the trail with composer and sound artist Erik Spangler.
A man and a woman agree to meet in a cabaret for an emotional, final conversation. A piano player tickles the ivories at the club, and his music has a strange way of following along with the ups and downs of the couple’s tête-à-tête. Such is the scenario in a new play called Ultima Partida – The Final Draw, and playwright/director Monica Lopez-Gonzalez joins Aaron Henkin to explain how it works.
For your average Hollywood movie, the production timeline goes something like this: six months for script-work, casting, and location scouting; four more months for shooting; then another eight months for editing and post-production. Now imagine compressing that timeline into two days. It’s not a challenge for the weak of heart, but it can be done. Several local teams proved it last weekend at Baltimore’s 48 Hour Film Project. Event producer Rob Hatch visits with Aaron Henkin to tell how it went.
The documentary film, The New Black, explores gay rights within the African American community. From church pews and conference rooms to street corners and kitchen tables, the film reveals the evolution of this divisive issue. Director Yoruba Richen talks with producer Lisa Morgan.
