Stories Left to Tell in NYC in Jan., 1011

Spalding Gray; Stories Left to Tell
Performance Space 122 - part of the COIL Festival Wed Jan 5, 2010 at 6.30
Fri Jan 7, 2010 at 6.30
Sun Jan 9, 2010 at 9.30
Tues Jan 11, 2010 at 4.30
Cast: Kathleen Chalfant, Hazelle Goodman, Ain Gordon, Bob Holman
and a different special guest at each show.
Jan 9th the guest will be Jonathan Ames

And Everything is Going Fine showings

As of Dec. 20, 2010 - These are the showings of And Everything is Going Fine
according to IFC (note that occasional other showings appear in google alerts which may or may not happen - always best to check around and please let Contact at the spaldinggray.com site know of any showings not listed here)

Sag Harbor (presented by Lesser), 24/12/10
12/31/2010 (opens) - Denver, CO (Denver Film Society) - 01/06/2011 (closes)
1/3/2011 (opens) - Austin, TX (Alamo Ritz)- 1/5/2011 (closes)
1/14/2011 (opens) - Seattle (SIFf Cinema) - 1/20/2011 (closes)
1/18/2011 (opens) - Goodman Theatre, Chicago, IL
1/21/2011 (opens) - Nashville (Belcourt) - 1/24/2011 (closes)
2/03/2011 (opens) - Bloomington, IN (IU Cinema)- 02/06/2011 (closes)
2/04/2011 (opens)- Portland, OR (Northwest Film Center) - 2/05/2011 (closes)
2/11/2011 (opens) - Hartford, CT (Real Art Ways) - 2/17/2011 (closes)
2/19/2011 - Boulder, Co. (International Film Series)
3/04/2011 - Omaha, NE (Film Streams)
3/10/2011 (opens) - Toronto, ON (TIFF Bell Lightbox) - 3/16/2011 (closes)
3/18/2011 (opens) - Columbus, OH (Wexner Center) - 3/19/2011 (closes)
4/23/2011 (opens) - George Eastman House, Rochester, NY - 4/24/2011 (closes)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SpaldingGray.com mailing list - Nov. 28, 2010

Very short one - I have been working on numerous updates, new pages, new features and following up on many, many emails - just posted over 100 changes to the site due to emails and google alerts.
There are a surprising number of monologists requesting to be listed on the site - for sure they get listed - 5 requests in one 24 hour period - there are now 126 monologists listed...

1) And Everything is Going Fine in NYC and other places (some listed on site but best to check locally) on Dec. 10 - special stuff leading up to NYC opening
LA opening is Dec. 13th
International festival showing continue
IFC ON DEMAND is available as of Dec. 22 - see http://www.ifcfilms.com/get-ifc-films-on-demand to check you area ( I live in Canada so can not get this...whahhh!)
Everything available and current is on http://www.spaldinggray.com/Fine.html

2) Stories Left to Tell continues some showings in 2011
See http://www.spaldinggray.com/SLTT.html

3) And yes the University of Texas has acquired the Spalding Gray archives from the Estate.They are cataloging the collection and then it will be on the site with new page.
If you google it, there are many articles about it. One of the best is:
http://www.utexas.edu/news/2010/11/09/spalding_gray_archive/
Very good and exciting. University of Texas is known for their extensive Archives.

IFC Press Release on 'And Everything is Going Fine'

Here is the recent press release from IFC (I got it Nov. 15, 2010):
Official Selection: Edinburgh Film Festival, Slamdance Film Festival, True/False Film Festival, SXSW Film Festival, Hamptons Film Festival
AND EVERYTHING IS GOING FINE A Film by Steven Soderbergh Soderbergh’s Portrait of Spalding Gray, Told through Gray’s Own Performances, Opens Friday, December 10 at IFC Center
Special Screenings of Gray’s Films Presented in Days Preceding Opening
AND EVERYTHING IS GOING FINE, Stephen Soderbergh’s incisive and entertaining portrait of Spalding Gray, opens for an exclusive engagement at IFC Center on Friday, December 10. In anticipation of the opening, IFC Center will also screen a selection of Gray’s films the week of December 6, with special guests in person to introduce those shows (screening schedule to be announced November 22).
(Also special showing in LA Dec. 13th and other openings, including IFC On Demand, Dec. 22nd
See http://www.spaldinggray.com/Fine.html for complete, current details.)
AND EVERYTHING IS GOING FINE provides an intimate look at master monologist Spalding Gray, as described by his most critical, irreverent and insightful biographer: Spalding Gray. Director Steven Soderbergh, who collaborated with Gray on the film adaptation of his celebrated Gray’s Anatomy (1996), has distilled 25 years of rare and revealing footage to construct a riveting final monologue. There are glimpses of Gray’s father and of his son Forrest (who provides soaring music for the end credits), but for the most part this is an inspired one-man show, a bittersweet display of the writer-performer’s playful and embattled intelligence, his gift for tracking universal truths by looking himself squarely in the eye.
“At the very first meeting I had with Steven to discuss making the film, he said ‘I want Spalding to tell the story of Spalding,’” notes Kathleen Russo, Gray’s widow and one of the producers of the film. “After that, there was no question in my mind about anyone else directing this movie. So I handed him 120 hours of Spalding footage, which became a 90-minute documentary, all told by Spalding through the eyes of Steven Soderbergh. This is a labor of love between the director, the editor, the producers and the family of Spalding Gray—a collaboration whose main goal was to have one more story be told by one of the most unique monologists of our time.”
Spalding Gray is most celebrated for his series of 18 monologues, including Sex and Death to the Age 14; Booze, Cars and College Girls; A Personal History of the American Theater; India and After (America); Monster in a Box; Gray’s Anatomy; It’s a Slippery Slope; Morning, Noon and Night and the Obie Award-winning Swimming to Cambodia. He performed with The Performance Group and The Wooster Group, and on Broadway in plays by Gore Vidal, Thornton Wilde and others. In addition to the film adaptations of his own works—among them Swimming to Cambodia, directed by Jonathan Demme, and Monster in a Box, directed by Nick Broomfield—Gray appeared in more than 40 films, including Roland Joffe’s The Killing Fields; David Byrne’s True Stories; Soderbergh’s King of the Hill and John Boorman’s Beyond Rangoon.
89 min., not rated.
An IFC Films release.

Press screenings: Tues. Nov. 30 at 11:00am, IFC Center • Fri. Dec. 3 at 11:00am, IFC Center
To RSVP, or for information/publicity photos, contact Harris Dew at 212 924-6789
or email hdewATifccenterDOTcom

(from jb at spaldinggray.com - words in () are added by me)

Fine to open in San Antonio as well as NYC

'Fine' opens in San Antonoio, Texas, opens Dec. 10, 2010 - the link has all information available as of Oct. 26th, 2010
(no word on Kathie Russo attendance in San Antonio as NYC opening same night)
- Again note that NYC opening is same date as San Antonio:
IFC Center 323 Sixth Avenue at West Third Street,NYC - (212) 924-7771
Remember that the Spalding Gray Official website has all the latest showings, domestic and foreign:
http://www.spaldinggray.com/Fine.html

Thanks
jb
webmanager for the Estate of Spalding Gray

spaldinggray.com Mailing List Note - Oct. 10, 10

There are likely things that I forget - however for now, let's concentrate on 2 films:
1) And Everything is Going Fine
2) Paper Mache Chase (Spalding's last film)

1) The web page now has a page called Fine where everything possible to my knowledge about And Everything is Going Fine is put.
At the moment, the highlights are some articles on the Sag Harbor showing...Monday I think. Very good articles including Theo's appearance in a short film.
And most if not all international showings coming up - there are LOTS - Magnolia has done a great job of distribution
And the only other US showing that I know of is in Memphis as well as the NYC opening at the IFC theater on Dec.10th, 2010.
I could use more info on American festival showings if available.
2) now...the personal quest for Paper Mache Chase - a short film - see http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0379924/ (Spalding's last film)
I have been trying to find out about getting a copy of this for almost 6 years. I originally contacted Barbara Feinstein who produced it. She promised me a copy but then back down as she was shopping the idea as a feature. this was years ago.Further attempts to find her have failed. I found out from a European producer that she now works for a NYC talent agency. A google search (http://www.jigsaw.com/scid15710243/barbara_feinstein.xhtml) reveals that she works at

Hartig, Hilepo Agency Ltd.,54 W 21st St Rm 610New York, NY 10010-7344
USA

I emailed her but there with no response. Anyone else knowing her whereabouts, please let me know.

3) Then I found the Assistant Director through exhaustive research. She has written to the director David Jordan with as yet no response. She has provided great assistance.

I have contacted comedian Jim Gaffigan who was also in the film. He wrote back but knew nothing new.

Cynthia Nixon was also in it yet to contact her seems impossible given her fame.

4) My next step is to contact everyone who was in the film. One of the actresses with a bit part as a yoga student has asked me to find a copy as she has never had one.

So as you can see, my search has at times been relentless and will continue. Anyone wanting to help or knows anything, please let me know.

Hey, with the outstanding help of an Irish fan, we found the Black Spot in Ireland where the car accident occurred. The picture is on the page under Spalding's Ireland. There is more to come there I think. It includes an exclusive transcript of a phone interview done with Spalding from Sag Harbor after the accident with an Irish radio station. The transcript was obtained at great cost by the Irish fan. Please take special note that the transcript is exclusive and the radio station is very serious about copyrights.

That's it for now. Perhaps the shortest mailing list ever.

In Canada where I live, it's Thanksgiving. So happy Thanksgiving to the Canadians on this list.

And the almost traditional zen story from

http://www.101zenstories.com/

The Dead Man's Answer

When Mamiya, who later became a well-known preacher, went to a teacher for personal guidance, he was asked to explain the sound of one hand.

Mamiya concentrated upon what the sound of one hand might be. "You are not working hard enough," his teacher told him. "You are too attached to food, wealth, things, and that sound. It would be better if you died. That would solve the problem."

The next time Mamiya appeared before his teacher he was again asked what he had to show regarding the sound of one hand. Mamiya at once fell over as if he were dead.

"You are dead all right," observed the teacher. "But how about that sound?"

"I haven't solved that yet," replied Mamiya, looking up.

"Dead men do not speak," said the teacher. "Get out!"

So find Paper Mache Chase or "get out!" (not really - just joking - would a small prize be an incentive? Remembering that previous prizes have yet to awarded due to the chaos in my office and the stroke I had somewhat conveniently helping forget what the contest was even about, let alone the winners...)

jb

Oh, yes, thank you for the people who signed the petition to bring back Trying Times (fantastic PBS series with Spalding doing one show). I thought I might have an in as the head of PBS programming happened to have the same name as me. I and another fan had done exhaustive research trying to find existing copies of the series which were reportedly burned in a fire. We did find most episodes. Alas when I went to contact him, my namesake had gone back to his old job.This project continues. And yes to my friend in Boston with PBS connections, please proceed with your attempts. This is another one that won't go away for me.

So many projects, so little time or is it vice-versa...

take care
jb

ps: not that affiliate income now got to PS122 at the request of the Estate.

And Everything is Going Fine in Memphis, TN
at Indie Memphis Film Festival, Oct. 21 - 24, 2010
as of Oct. 6th, details were still vague - check back on spaldinggray.com or festival website

International showings of And Everything is Going Fine

INTERNATIONAL SHOWINGS of And Everything is Going Fine as of Oct. 3rd, 2010
(Please check links for festival updates as some status is SUBMITTED = not yet confirmed,
PASSED means submitted but not accepted)
Thank you to Magnolia Pictures and the Estate of Spalding Gray for their work and information

Filmfest Munchen (Germany) June 25 - July 3, 2010 - ACCEPTED
Deauville Festival of American Cinema (France) September 3 - 12, 2010 - SUBMITTED
Batumi International Film Festival (Georgia) September 15 - 28, 2010 - INVITED
Cologne Conference (Germany) September 26 - October 1, 2010 - ACCEPTED
AmFest (Russia) October 6 - 12, 2010 - ACCEPTED
Viennale (Austria) October 2010 - PASSED
Pusan International Film Festival (South Korea) October 7 - 15, 2010 - SUBMITTED
Dok Leipzig (Germany) October 18 - 24, 2010 - SUBMITTED
American Film Festival (Poland) October 20 - 24, 2010 - INVITED
Kaohsiung Film Festival (Taiwan) October 22 - November 4, 2010 - SUBMITTED
Tokyo International Film Festival (Japan) October 23 - 31, 2010 - SUBMITTED
CNEX Documentary Festival (Taiwan) October 28 - November 7, 2010 - ACCEPTED
Sheffield Doc Fest (UK) November 3 -7, 2010 - ACCEPTED
CPH: DOX (Denmark) November 4-14, 2010 - ACCEPTED
Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival (Taiwan) November 4 - 18, 2010 - SUBMITTED
Stockholm International Film Festival (Sweden) November 17 - 28, 2010 - SUBMITTED
IDFA (Netherlands) November 18 - 28, 2010 - PASSED
Epos Art Film Fest (Israel) November 24 - 27, 2010 - INVITED
Plus CAMERIMAGE (Poland) November 27 - December 4, 2010 - SUBMITTED
Dubai International Film Festival (United Arab Emirates) December 12 - 19, 2010 - SUBMITTED
DocPoint - Helsinki International Documentary Film Festival (Finland) January 25 - 30, 2011 - SUBMITTED
31º FANTASPORTO - FESTIVAL INTERNACIONAL DE CINEMA DO PORTO (Portugal) February 25 - March 6, 2011 - ACCEPTED
Off Plus Camera International Film Festival (Poland) April 2011 - SUBMITTED
Indie Lisboa (Portugal) May 5 - 15, 2011 - SUBMITTED

Oct. 1, 2010 - further details as of now on release of Fine

Scenes From A Life: Spalding Gray as Himself … and Not
- an interview with Kathie Russo about And Everything Is Going Fine - EXCELLENT
including 'opens nationally on December 10, and will continue to be screened at festivals overseas until next May'
- Spoiler alert as many scenes in the film are discussed

Fine showing in Sag Harbor

And Everything is Going Fine showings at Hamtons International Film Festival
http://www.ticketinguide.com/hiff2010/And_Everything_Is_Going_to.html?
Oct 08, 6:45PM, UA East Hampton Theater 3
Mon, Oct 11, 2:00PM UA, East Hampton Theater 3
No word if Kathie Russo will attend but given she lives nearby...
And remember, reviews are most welcome for this Spalding Gray Site - see reviews

Distribution - And Everything is Going Fine

From the Producer's of And Everything is Going Fine:
"Independent Film Channel is distributing the film for North America. We're still looking for an overseas distributor."
No dates as of yet (Aug. 2010).

And Everything is Going Fine in Australia

In Australia! In Melbourne! And Everything is Going Fine
Sun 25 Jul 4:45 PM Greater Union Cinema 5
11:30 PM Greater Union Cinema 5
And remember the Munich Festival showings:
Munich Schedule Announced:
Wednesday, 30.06.2010 17:30
Gasteig – Vortragssaal der Bibliothek
Saturday, 03.07.2010 17:30
Filmmuseum

latest news - June 29th, 2010

latest news as of June 29th, 2010:
1) Kathie talks about 'Fine'
http://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/feature.php?id=807
2) Kathie talks about Irish car crash and the suicide
http://www.postchronicle.com/news/entertainment/tittletattle/article_212309535.shtml?rssfeed
...3) Kathie talks about future plans - the book, the movie based on Stories Left to Tell, and Stories Left to Tell comes to Europe
http://www.contactmusic.com/news.nsf/story/grays-widow-plans-book-play-film-about-husbands-life_1149058
4) Soderbergh on death of Spalding
http://www.spaldinggray.com/docs/Soderbergh_on_the_death_of_Spalding_Gray.pdf
(if link does not work, it is on the site under Updates)
5) 3 Reviews of 'Fine' in Edinburgh are on the site - all very good
Thanks,
jb , webmanager
www.spaldinggray.com

Review of And Everything is Going Fine by Theresa Smalec

A superb review of And Everything is Going Fine by Theresa Smalec at the fanzine.com is more scholastic essay then review
As such, it contains many parts of the film, including the beginning and end,
which some fans may regard as spoilers
for those eager to see this film, they are teasers
Theresa unknownly did the last interview with Spalding which is also superb and is listed under Books on spaldinggray.com. Note the assistance of photographers of Clay Walker and Ali Hossaini

Spalding Gray's Ireland

From an Irish fan:
I am currently investigating Spalding Gray's Ireland. He he appeared here a number of times,
at the Galway Arts festival and in Dublin. He was a big fan of Ireland which he said had the same quirkiness
as New York, that is until his accident near Moate, Co Offaly, June 2001.
That accident and how he was treated after his accident became the basis of the monologue "Black Spot"
and the unfinished book "Life Interrupted".
I have found the spot where Spalding had his accident, the interviews he gave in 2002 about it
as well as reviews and articles on him during his appearances here in the 1990s.
His accident is surrounded in mystery, we are dependent on Spalding for an account on what happened,
an account which was challenged by the doctors in Tullamore hospital where he was first treated.
I would like to find out the truth of what happened to him in Ireland
and am looking for any further records of this disaster.
Perhaps someone out there has a recording of him doing "Black Spot" before he dropped it.
Perhaps others spoke to him about his accident, I would really like to know what actually happened.
I live not too far from Moate where it happened and
I have set up a blog giving an account of my ongoing investigations:
http://spaldinggrayireland.blogspot.com/


Kind Regards


David FItzgerald, Irish Midlands

Perhaps a release of Fine

At the NYC premiere of Fine (which seems to be catching on as title), with Soderbergh in attendance,the Programmer is reported as saying And Everything is Going Fine will find a wider release this fall, 2010.

Does that mean a release deal is in place??? Ohhh, we hope so as that would be Fine...

ps - to Chinese bloggers using this blog for blog spam stop - read about karma then please stop...

jb

mailing list march 28, 2010

It has occurred to me that there is much that goes on at the site that goes somewhat unnoticed. Sure, the biggies make it to Updates on the page, the mailing list, blog and the facebook appreciation page. And some other things eventually make it to the page. Like the Turkish grad student who writes a psychoanalytic analysis of Monster in the Box - yes he's from Istanbul and writes virtually perfect English as well as an interesting paper. The Brazilian writer who is translating Gray's Anatomy for performance in Rio. The student who wants to know how true Spalding's stories were...and the list goes on and on - oh, a multi part blog on a one month retreat with Spalding in 2002 - great story buried somewhere in Fan Writings and destined for Updates as it's really good.

Here are the latest 'biggies' (and it always seems I miss a few or make a mistake - last time I got something completely backwards but I don't remember what, it was relatively obvious, and I had few complaints(corrections) - besides my favourite (Canada spelling, eh) bumper sticker is 'DAM - Mothers Against Dyslexia'...
1) numerous excellent reviews for And Everything is Going Fine - blogs where people got stuck in Austin traffic, some making it, some not.
Latest great review is:
http://www.filmschoolrejects.com/reviews/sxsw-review-and-everything-is-going-fine.php
2) I think I sent out some of the festival showings. They are all on Updates on the site. The unofficial Soderbergh site(www.soderbergh.net) chose spaldinggray.com as their link for 'Everything' since it has the best listings - better than imdb!!!
Of recent note is the NYC showing on April 6th with Soderbergh in attendance, and the Canadian showing in Toronto (Tarrannta) April 30th, May 1st - all details on the site. Based on the SXSW attendance - get you tickets asap.
3) Stories Left to Tell keeps showing to wonderful reviews - one NY writer doing a great 3 part series from rehearsal to show.
4) the Monologist page has been redone in alpha order. Believe me it's a lot of work to move lots of code around even with an alpha program to help. There are about 100 monologists listed now!!!
5) and it is official as of today - the 2010 Spalding Gray Award has been awarded to Lebanese playright Rabih Mroué who performs mostly in Europe - and that will now change. The best links for him will be on the site soon (now!) but for now here is what the NY Times wrote today:
The 2010 Spalding Gray Award has been given to Rabih Mroué, below, an actor, director, playwright and visual artist in Beirut known for controversial work that reflects his country’s political climate. The Lebanese Interior Ministry banned his 2007 performance piece about that country’s civil war, “How Nancy Wished That Everything Was an April Fools’ Joke,” written with Fadi Toufic. (The ban was later reversed.) The award, named after Gray, the monologist who died in 2004, is sponsored by a consortium that includes Kathleen Russo, Gray’s wife; Performance Space 122 in New York; the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis; the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh; and On the Boards in Seattle. It comes with a stipend to create a new work and provides for a full production of that work by each organization. (copyright NY Times).
6) And while I think of it, Radiohole, who won the 2009 SG Award continues for a bit to perform at PS122. And spring is wonderful in NYC...
7) and at SXSW:
during the q & a, one of the producers (Joshua Blum or Amy Hobby)
answered a question about plans to release Gray's performance films on DVD
by saying, "We hope to see a box set come out through the Criterion Collection in 2011,
but the deal's not done yet."

- Hope springs eternal that unreleased monologes such as SAD (Sex and Death) will be included
and yes, for our British fans, that the Box Set will also be on Region 2!!!

So that's the biggies for now. With the eventual success of Everything, things will just get busier and busier ... and ain't that Going Fine...

somewhere in the Dharma
(another good bumper sticker - 'my karma just ran over your dogma')

jb

Schedule for And Everything is Going Fine

For the most up to date schedule for And Everything is Going Fine, go to Updates at www.spaldinggray.com. Includes NYC, Toronto, Munich, Edinborough and more...

Thanks,
jb

Review : And Everything is Going Fine

The first full length review
http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117941957.html?categoryid=3883&cs=1
is in for And Everything is Going Fine
and it's FANTASTIC - congrats to Soderbergh, Kathie and Forrest...and Spalding...

SLTT in Flushing Meadows

SPALDING GRAY: STORIES LEFT TO TELL by Outrageous Fortune Company
Queens Theatre in the Park, Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Corona, NY 11368
- Box Office 718.760.0064
Fri. Mar 19, 2010 @ 8:00pm
Sat. Mar 20, 2010 @ 8:00pm
Sun. Mar 21, 2010 @ 3:00pm
Fri. Mar 26, 2010 @ 8:00pm
Sat. Mar 27, 2010 @ 8:00pm
Sun. Mar 28, 2010 @ 3:00pm
This production appears to be not be the original cast, but by their own cast.

Anniversary poem

Missing Spalding

His "Swimming to Cambodia"

Those monologues we knew

Such talent in one single man

So much, yet still so blue

Six years ago, his mind made up

Our Spalding went away

This world was just too much for him

He knew he couldn't stay

With scrambled thoughts, alone he went

To find his peace of mind

He's found that peace, though sad we are

For us he left behind

Some people still don't understand

Unclear inside their brain

But we who do must learn from him

Must come in from the rain....

We miss you, Spalding.

Always, Barb
copyright Barb Murphy, 2010

Heather Woodbury's new show

Fomenting ARTS unlimited, Inc. presents: Heather Woodbury’s AS THE GLOBE WARMS
(Heather was the winner of the first Spalding Gray Award)
the new meta-serial for the age of DIY, live and on-line
January 9th, 2010: The episodic marathon begins at Echo Curio in Echo Park, Los Angeles!
A Live, Brand New Half-hour solo performance every Saturday night at 8:00p.m. for 12 weeks.
(Resuming for 12 weeks in July, August, Sept.)
AND On-line from January12th, 2010, continuously every week for 48 weeks
@ www.heatherwoodbury.com
See http://heather-woodbury.blogspot.com/2010/01/for-immediate-release.html

BOWERY POETRY CLUB

From the New Yorker: http://www.newyorker.com/arts/events/readings/2010/01/11/100111goab_GOAT_above1
BOWERY POETRY CLUB
Ain Gordon, Bob Holman, David Cale, Carmelita Tropicana, and Josh Lefkowitz read from the works
of Spalding Gray, the actor and writer who went missing in January of 2004 and whose body
was discovered in the East River two months later. (308 Bowery, at Bleecker St. . Jan. 10,10
at 8.)

(These people are from Stories Left To Tell and the location is very good.)