Day: January 23, 2016

I have a higher and grander standard of principle than George Washington. He could not lie. I can, but I won’t.

Samuel Langhorne Clemens,) 1835-1910

Best known by his pen name, Mark Twain, Clemens was a giant of American humor and letters. A Missouri native, he had brief careers as a miner and a river boat pilot before his short stories began to receive widespread notice. He was the keenest wit of his age. He wrote what many call the greatest of American novels, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1885).  Through a series of bad investments he lost all of the money he made from his books and a good deal of his wife’s substantial inheritance, which motivated him to begin many years of international speaking tours. The money from these performances eventually overcame his debt and added to his fame. He was a friend and advisor to presidents, scholars, and scientists, Nicola Tesla chief among them. Born when Halley’s Comet was in the sky, he died, as he predicted, when it returned.

Greg Bover

Gloucester Writers Center Fish Tales

Call for Storytellers

GWC Fish Tales is seeking storytellers for our upcoming show: Tattoo Show and Tell. If you have a tattoo AND a story AND are willing to show your tattoo, then please contact Maureen Aylward at maureenaylward@comcast.net.

The next show is scheduled for Friday, February 12th; location to be determined.

Fish Tales is a live storytelling event that features nine local storytellers at each show. Each storyteller has five minutes to tell a true story that relates to a theme for the night. Similar to The Moth Radio Hour, performers stand before the crowd with just a microphone and let loose a story.

Over the last three years, Fish Tales has grown from a cozy storytelling evening at the GWC to a happening weekend event every five to six weeks with an audience of 80-100 people at every show. We have a fan base. People tell us that Fish Tales is their favorite event in Gloucester because it showcases real people, telling true stories from the heart. Our storytellers are vulnerable, ready to share, funny and honest, and our enthusiastic audience reminds us that it is a joy and privilege to sit and listen to someone else’s life for a while.

For more information and to see a video of our last show, check out the website at gloucesterwriters.org.

Joey, you and I have known each other 7 years now, and I have never felt more strongly about anything I’ve ever recommended to you than I feel about this.

THE DROWSY CHAPERONE!

This show is the funniest musical comedy I’ve ever seen.

It is GUARANTEED to make you laugh.

After you see it, in less than 2 hours, you’ll be on your way home, and you’ll be SO GLAD you spent the time and money to experience this outrageous, oddball musical comedy.

THE DROWSY CHAPERONE!

Never heard of it? Neither had I. But it won 5 Tony Awards on Broadway in 2006. And now I have the lead!

(What character am I? “The Man in the Chair!” They didn’t even give me a name! What’s up with this?)

Plus, this is the ideal theatrical experience for anybody who hates theatre.

In this show, literally the first words you hear are: “I hate theatre!” And it goes downhill from there!

THE DROWSY CHAPERONE!

I’m tellin’ ya, Joey, if you only see one community theatre production this year, see The Drowsy Chaperone.

And you save a third of the ticket price by ordering ahead.

Tickets are $25 at the door, but only $18 (plus service charge) online.

Here’s the link for that: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2469498

6 performances over the next 2 weekends at the Community House in Hamilton.

THE DROWSY CHAPERONE!

Joey, this show has everything: 

A blindfolded guy on roller skates.

Gangsters posing as pastry chefs.

A rich woman spitting vodka in her butler’s face — about 14 times in a row. (I have the privilege of mopping up the mess.)

THE DROWSY CHAPERONE!

I hope every North Shore reader of GMG comes to see this show and then comes up and says hi to me afterward.

They’ll know who I am because I’m the guy who starts the whole thing off by announcing, “I hate theatre!”

Anybody who wants to email me personally with questions about the show can contact me via Unconventional@DougBrendel.com.

See ya there!

Doug Brendel