Friday, April 25, 2014

Shakespeare Saturdays: Chorus opening speech from HENRY V, performed by Mark Redfield

SHAKESPEARE SATURDAYS...


Today we begin our "Shakespeare Saturdays" series; monologues and scenes posted every Saturday for the fun of it, the hell of it, the vocal exercise of it,  and to celebrate William Shakespeare's 450th through-out the year...

I thought it's be fun to begin with Chorus's opening speech from HENRY V, asking the listeners to kindly use their imaginations to enhance a poor theater's production values...

I hope you enjoy these little sips of Shakespeare.

-Mark Redfield
26 April, 2014

ps--although we really don't know the date of Shakespeare's birth, we DO know he was baptized on this day--April 26th. 



HOUSE OF CARDS SEASON THREE TO SHOOT IN MARYLAND

Here's the PRESS RELEASE:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

GOVERNOR MARTIN O’MALLEY AND MEDIA RIGHTS CAPITAL ANNOUNCE HOUSE OF CARDS WILL FILM SEASON THREE IN MARYLAND

ANNAPOLIS, MD (April 25, 2014) – Governor Martin O’Malley and Media Rights Capital announced today that they have reached an agreement that will keep the hit television show House of Cards filming its third season in Maryland.

“Spoiler alert: we’re going to keep the 3700 jobs and more than 100 million dollars of economic activity and investment that House of Cards generates right here in Maryland,” Governor O’Malley said. “Media Rights Capital has been a great supporter of the people and entertainment community in Maryland and we couldn't be happier to continue our partnership.”

The Maryland General Assembly first passed the Film Production Tax Credit in 2011, providing $26 million in tax credits in the show’s first two seasons. With the growth of the production, House of Cards will receive a total of $11.5 million in 2014, through a combination of both the 2014 Film Production Tax Credit program and a General Assembly authorization of $7.5 million in grants in the FY15 budget. Governor O'Malley led negotiations with MRC to finalize the agreement, which provides less than the production qualified for, but enough to keep the hit franchise in Maryland.

“House of Cards is the gift that keeps on giving, having injected hundreds of millions of dollars into the local economy, while also helping to provide thousands of jobs to our Maryland community,” commented Asif Satchu, co-CEO of MRC. “We are very grateful to both Governor O’Malley for his tireless efforts to help keep jobs in Maryland and the leadership of the General Assembly for their continued advocacy and support.”

The producers of the show expect to begin production on Season 3 over the next several months.

 Kevin Spacey in Netfix' HOUSE OF CARDS

Poe Forevermore Radio Theater nominated "Best Multi Media Horror" in RONDO AWARDS! Please vote for us!

I'm very happy that the audio plays and books I'm producing under the banner POE FOREVERMORE RADIO THEATER has been nominated this year for a Rondo Award in the "Best Multi Media Horror" category!

Please take a moment and vote for Poe Forevermore Radio Theater. Basic rules and instructions ar ebelow, and voting only takes a few minutes.

There is just a week left to vote in  the TWELFTH ANNUAL RONDO HATTON CLASSIC HORROR AWARDS.
 
Balloting ends at midnight the night of Sunday, MAY 5, 2014. (If you have already voted this year, feel free to forward the ballot to a friend).

  — TO VOTE:  Simply ballot the ballot from the Rondo website HERE. or cut-and-paste works fine; or type a list, and send an e-mail with your picks to, David Colton, at taraco@aol.com by Sunday night at midnight, May 5, 2014.

  -- Every e-mail must include your name to be counted.  All votes are kept strictly confidential. No e-mail addresses or personal information will ever be shared with anyone. And no, you do not have to vote in every category.

 So, please take a moment and vote for POE FOREVERMORE RADIO THEATER today, in category # 23 BEST MULTIMEDIA HORROR The ballot is here: www.rondoaward.com

Check out POE FOREVERMORE RADIO THEATER frequently as we add new titles of audio plays and audio books weekly. Poe Forevermore Radio Theater is HERE.

Thank you for taking the time to vote for us and support our work!
-Mark Redfield
25 April, 2014



Thursday, April 24, 2014

National Poetry Month, April 2014 THE RAVEN by Poe, recited by Mark Redfield

 April, 2014 has been National Poetry Month, and as I've been working on the script and the pre-production chores of the audioplay biography of Edgar Allan Poe called ALONE: THE LIFE OF POE, I've been posting daily recordings of the poet's poems.

I should have been posting them here as well, but, well, I haven't. So, along with other entries in the coming months, I'll be posting a Poe poem here once-a-week.
 
Here's Poe's famous poem THE RAVEN, which made him something of a rock star when it was published in his lifetime, in 1845.

Enjoy the doom and gloom!

-Mark Redfield
24, April, 2014


Wednesday, April 23, 2014

THE BIRTH AND DEATH OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE We Celebrate 450 Years: April 1564-April 201

Historians believe that the great playwright and poet was born on this day in 1564. He also died on this date, April 23rd, in 1616. There some who insist that his birth be celebrated on the 26th, because there is a baptismal certificate for that day, although there is no birth record. Regardless, today we honor the great William Shakespeare, for his words and characters live on.




William Shakespeare

To celebrate and honor Shakespeare, I'm going to post a newly recorded monologue or scene each Saturday here at AN ACTOR'S NOTEBOOK. Look for posts headlined SHAKESPEARE SATURDAYS for my recordings, and for articles and stories about The Bard, along with each recording..

I think Shakespeare is best when you can HEAR him performed (and even better to see AND hear!), so I've selected a wide ranging and eclectic series of speeches that I've recorded, and I hope you like them.

They were fun to record, and allowed me to think about characters and plays I hadn't performed in years, or look at old favorites anew, and play some characters I missed earlier in my career.

To start things off, here is Prospero's epilogue, spoken at the end of THE TEMPEST. One of Shakespeare's last plays, this monologue is rather fitting to hear on the anniversary of The Bard's death, as Prospero is surely giving up his magic and creativity and letting his every "third thought" be of his own death...This monologue, in many ways, is about endings then, and about beginnings, much like the play THE TEMPEST itself.

For your indulgence and pleasure, I submit most humbly,

-Mark Redfield
23 April, 2014