this week in lectures, signings, panel discussions, workshops, and Q&As

BIRDS: A FESTIVAL INSPIRED BY ARISTOPHANES

American premiere of Nikos Karathanos’s The Birds is a highlight of Greek arts festival in New York (photo by Kiki Papadopoulou)

St. Anns Warehouse, Metrograph, New-York Historical Society, Brooklyn Museum
Through June 16
onassisusa.org

In a classic Odd Couple episode, Oscar and Felix finally get on the same wavelength while on the game show Password when Oscar gives the clue “Aristophanes” and Felix responds, “Ridiculous!” However, there’s nothing particularly ridiculous about “Birds: A Festival Inspired by Aristophanes,” more than a month of film screenings, art exhibitions, panel discussions, a theatrical adaptation of Aristophanes’s The Birds, and more, produced by the Onassis Cultural Center New York and taking place at numerous locations in Manhattan and Brooklyn. “Democracy was under threat when Aristophanes presented his comedy The Birds as part of the Dionysia festival in Athens in the fifth century BC,” explains festival curator Violaine Huisman in a program note, continuing, “Oligarchy was jeopardizing Athenian democracy, while war and constant legal battles raised havoc among citizens. The festival itself offered a chance for the people of Athens to congregate and revel in equal parts, to address state affairs and be entertained — all together.” Sound familiar? The timing is certainly impeccable. The centerpiece of this third annual Onassis Festival begins tonight with the American premiere of Nikos Karathanos’s inventive adaptation of The Birds, presented by St. Ann’s Warehouse and the Onassis Cultural Centre–Athens. The play runs May 2-13 and is accompanied by the free audio and visual lobby and garden exhibit “Nature of Justice: On the Birds.” There will also be events at the Brooklyn Museum, Metrograph on the Lower East Side, and the New-York Historical Society. Actually, looking at some of the photos from the production of The Birds, it does have a “ridiculous” quality to it, but in a good way. απολαμβάνω!

Wednesday, May 2
through
Sunday, May 13
The Birds, American premiere of Nikos Karathanos’s adaptation of the Aristophanes comedy, in Greek with English supertitles, St. Ann’s Warehouse, Brooklyn Bridge Park, $46-$66

Thursday, May 3
through
Sunday, May 13
“Nature of Justice: On the Birds,” multimedia exhibition, curated by Mari Spirito, with works by Machine Dazzle, Louise Lawler, Sofia Stevi, and Theo Triantafyllidis in conjunction with Nikos Karathanos’s adaptation of The Birds, St. Ann’s Warehouse garden and lobby, Brooklyn Bridge Park, free

Saturday, May 5
Pigeon Toes: Bird Walks, led by Paul Sweet of the American Museum of Natural History, Jane’s Carousel, Empire Fulton Ferry State Park, 1 Water St., free with advance registration, 8:00, 11:30, and 3:30 for adults, 10:00 and 2:00 for children six to twelve with adults

Alfred Hitchcock The Birds is part of Greek festival inspired by Aristophanes

Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds is part of Greek festival inspired by Aristophanes

Monday, May 7
“Nature of Justice: A Visual Arts Response to The Birds,” panel discussion and audience Q&A with artist Andreas Angelidakis, independent curator Reem Fadda, and Brooklyn Museum director Anne Pasternak, moderated by Onassis Foundation director of culture Afroditi Panagiotakou, free with advance RSVP, 7:00

Thursday, May 10
“Voices on: Post-Show Artist Talk,” with director Nikos Karathanos and members of the cast, moderated by St. Ann’s Warehouse artistic director Susan Feldman, St. Ann’s Warehouse, free with show ticket, 9:30

Saturday, May 12
Meet the Fledglings, family-friendly programs by the Wild Bird Fund in conjunction with the exhibition “Feathers: Fashion and the Fight for Wildlife,” for ages five and up, New-York Historical Society, 170 Central Park West, museum admission plus $5 per child, 2:00 – 4:00

Friday, May 18
through
Sunday, May 20
“Birds,” screenings of films relating to birds, including Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (Jim Jarmusch, 1999), The King and the Mockingbird (Paul Grimault, 1980), Brewster McCloud (Robert Altman, 1970), and The Birds (Alfred Hitchcock, 1963), Metrograph, 7 Ludlow St., $15

Sunday, May 19
Birdheart, by Julian Crouch and Saskia Lane, family-friendly show with puppets, free with museum admission but advance RSVP required, 4:00

Wednesday, May 23
“Talk: David Levine,” performative lecture in conjunction with the opening of the exhibition “David Levine: Some of the People, All of the Time,” Brooklyn Museum, free with advance RSVP, 7:00

Saturday, June 16
Cool Culture Family Festival, with arts & crafts, storytelling, scavenger hunts, concert by Shine & the Moonbeams, and more, Brooklyn Museum, free with museum admission, 12 noon – 4:00 pm

BROOKLYN MUSEUM FIRST SATURDAY — RADICAL WOMEN: LATIN AMERICAN ART, 1960–1985

Sylvia Palacios Whitman, Passing Through, Sonnabend Gallery, 1977, documentation of performance (photo by Babette Mangolte)

Brooklyn Museum
200 Eastern Parkway at Washington St.
Saturday, May 5, free (“David Bowie is” requires advance tickets, $25), 5:00 – 11:00
212-864-5400
www.brooklynmuseum.org

Latin art is the centerpiece of the Brooklyn Museum’s free First Saturday program on May 5. There will be live performances by Batalá New York, Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana (Mujeres Valientes), Combo Chimbita, and Jarina De Marco (with visuals by Screaming Horses); a curator tour of “Radical Women: Latin American Art, 1960–1985” led by Catherine Morris; a community talk about the Sylvia Rivera Law Project; a hands-on art workshop in which participants can make a mask honoring their cultural heritage; a candle-decorating collage workshop with feminist collective Colectiva Cósmica, featuring a set by Ecuadorian-Lithuanian producer, DJ, and cultural activist Riobamba; screenings of experimental short films by Latin American women filmmakers, hosted by Jesse Lerner; a book-club talk about Marta Moreno Vega’s When the Spirits Dance Mambo; and pop-up gallery talks on “Radical Women: Latin American Art, 1960–1985” by teen apprentices. In addition, the galleries will be open late so you can also check out “William Trost Richards: Experiments in Watercolor,” “Arts of Korea,” “Infinite Blue,” “Ahmed Mater: Mecca Journeys,” “A Woman’s Afterlife: Gender Transformation in Ancient Egypt,” and more. However, please note that advance tickets are required to see “David Bowie is,” at the regular admission price.

FRIEZE NEW YORK 2018

Lara Schnitger, Suffragette City (Hammer Museum, Los Angeles, USA), 2016 Courtesy the artist, Anton Kern Gallery, New York. Photo: Joshua White Photography

Lara Schnitger, “Suffragette City” (Hammer Museum, Los Angeles, USA), 2016 (courtesy the artist, Anton Kern Gallery, New York; photo by Joshua White Photography)

FRIEZE ART FAIR
Randall’s Island Park
May 2-3 (preview), 4-6 (public), $74.50 per day
frieze.com

It’s May, and the big white tents are opening on Randall’s Island, where the seventh annual Frieze New York is sheltering art offered by nearly two hundred galleries from more than two dozen countries. More integrated into New York City’s nonstop art scene than ever, Frieze not only features associated Frieze Week projects and events around the city but also invites a more diverse group of fairgoers, artists, and activists with an updated layout and new curators. Frieze is associated with performances, installations, and events throughout the week, including Eduardo Chillada’s first exhibition at Hauser & Wirth, Huma Bhabha’s “With a Trace” at Salon 94, and Adam Pendleton’s provocative six-month installation, “Black Dada Flag (Black Lives Matter),” at Scylla Point on Randall’s Island, an area once called “Negro Point.” (Pendleton’s “What a day was this” is also on view at Lever House.) At the fair, “bespoke” private art tours beckon collectors looking for exactly the right something, while an Art Passport for teens and special $12 admission pricing on Friday for the eighteen-to-twenty-five-year-old crowd aims to bring in cost-conscious art fans and young artists; Frieze ticket holders also receive $5 off the price of admission or $25 off a membership at MoMA all weekend long. Meanwhile, MoMA PS1 is hosting the “Night at the Museum: Springtober Fest” party on May 5.

The Live program, offered for the first time in New York, is curated by Adrienne Edwards, the newly appointed Whitney curator of performance, and showcases seven pieces in ASSEMBLY, focusing on collective protest with processions, ritualistic and conceptual performance, sound installations, banners and flags, and more. The Frame section features nineteen solo shows by emerging galleries, while the thirty-six galleries in Spotlight concentrate on important twentieth-century work. Be on the lookout for work by Kapwani Kiwanga, the winner of this year’s Frieze Artist Award. Frieze Talks keeps things lively with a stellar lineup of novelists, writers, historians, and artists in discussion, a few of which are spotlighted below, ensuring that Frieze New York’s traveling spectacle under the tents never has a dull moment, even when fairgoers are perhaps just resting their feet. Frieze also tends to have the best dining choices of any of the art fairs, so come hungry.

Adam Pendleton, Black Dada Flag (Black Lives Matter), 2015–2018. Digital print on polyester, dimensions variable. Courtesy: the artist and PACE

Adam Pendleton, “Black Dada Flag (Black Lives Matter),” digital print on polyester, 2015–18 (photo courtesy of the artist and Pace)

Wednesday, May 2
Lara Schnitger, Suffragette City, procession through the fair, 5:00

Thursday, May 3
Raúl de Nieves and Erik Zajaceskowski, THANK YOU/THANK YOU, procession through the fair, 3:00

Lara Schnitger, Suffragette City, procession through the fair, 5:00

Jerry Saltz presented by New York magazine, 6:00

Friday, May 4
Abraham Cruzvillegas and Carlos Amorales in conversation with Yuri Herrera, 12 noon

Ottessa Moshfegh in conversation with Patty Cottrell, 3:00

Kaitlyn Greenidge in conversation with Kerri Greenidge, 3:00

Saturday, May 5
Fred Moten in conversation with Sondra Perry, 12 noon

Lara Schnitger, Suffragette City, procession through the fair, 3:00

Rujeko Hockley in conversation with Kaitlyn Greenidge and Kerri Greenidge, 3:00

Sunday, May 6
Elif Batuman in conversation with Negar Azimi, 12 noon

Dave McKenzie, Furtive Gestures, 1:00

MoMA PRESENTS: TAMER EL SAID’S IN THE DAYS OF THE LAST CITY

Khalid (Khalid Abdalla) experiences loss of many kinds in Cairo in Tamer El Said’s In the Last Days of the City

IN THE LAST DAYS OF THE CITY (Tamer El Said, 2016)
Museum of Modern Art, MoMA Film
11 West 53rd St. between Fifth & Sixth Aves.
April 27 – May 3
212-708-9400
www.moma.org
bigworldpictures.org

Tamer El Said’s extraordinary debut feature, In the Last Days of the City, is an elegiac love letter to his deeply troubled hometown, Cairo, as well as a treatise on the responsibilities filmmakers have to their art and to society as a whole. Almost ten years in the making, the film was shot between 2008 and 2010, finishing shortly before the Arab Spring uprising in January 2011 in Tahrir Square, and was not completed and screened until 2016, when it started winning prizes at festivals around the world. It finally receives its New York theatrical release at the Museum of the Modern Art, running April 27 through May 3, where El Said will take part in a postscreening conversation on opening night at 7:00; in addition, on April 30 at 7:00, MoMA’s “Modern Mondays” series will present “An Evening with Tamer El Said,” in which the director will discuss Cairo’s Cimatheque — Alternative Film Centre, which he and actor and activist Khalid Abdalla cofounded in 2012 to help grow independent cinema in Egypt. In the Last Days of the City is about loss of all kinds; Abdalla (The Kite Runner, United 93) stars as Khalid, a thirtysomething filmmaker living in Cairo whose life is unraveling: His girlfriend, Laila (Laila Samy), has left him, he needs to find a new apartment, his hospitalized mother (Zeinab Mostafa) is very sick, and his city is crumbling right before his eyes. He meets with three friends and fellow filmmakers, Hassan (Hayder Helo), from Baghdad, Tarek (Basim Hajar), an Iraqi living in Berlin, and Bassem (cinematographer Bassem Fayad), from Beirut. They decide that each of them is going to film their cities and send the footage to Khalid, who will incorporate it into the work he is already making but has reached a block. Throughout, radios and televisions report state news about Hosni Mubarak, the Egyptian football team, and the Muslim Brotherhood, revealing Egypt to be a country on the brink of something big, but neither the characters nor the filmmaker expected what actually occurred.

Khalid (Khalid Abdalla) looks over a Cairo about to undergo radical change in Tamer El Said’s In the Last Days of the City

Four friends meet in Cairo and decide to collaborate on a film in Tamer El Said’s In the Last Days of the City

Fayad captures a city bathed in a golden glow and facing an ominous future. Historic locations are surrounded by buildings turned into rubble. El Said and editors Mohamed Abdel Gawad, Vartan Avakian, and Barbara Bossuet cut between the film and the film-within-the-film, as Khalid interviews Maryam (Maryam Saleh), Hanan (Hanan Youssef), Laila, and others, trying to find out more about himself and his past as well as the Cairo he loves and fears. In a nod to the French New Wave, the camera occasionally continues on a subject with the dialogue not synced — for example, they look out contemplatively, their mouth not moving, their words heard in voice-over. The camera often loses focus, blurring the character as Khalid wrestles with various aspects of his life and career. Most of the film is improvised — El Said initially wrote a fake script in order to get permits, then went through numerous rehearsals before starting shooting. Although there are autobiographical elements, including Khalid living in El Said’s own apartment, the director considers it more of a personal venture and not about himself, a melding of fiction and reality. The film moves with the pace and rhythm of the city as a cloud hangs over it; while it was clear that something was going to happen, El Said did not anticipate the revolution that took place, centered in Tahrir Square. He also chose not to film any of the actual riots and protests and instead decided to participate and join the fight. It’s an option that Khalid does not take in the film; there are several scenes in which he sees violence but decides to either walk away or photograph it without trying to stop it or report it.

In the Last Days of the City is very different from the 2011 documentary Tahrir, in which Italian director Stefano Savona immediately went to Cairo upon hearing about the rebellion, got right in the middle of the action, and released the film shortly after the events. In the Last Days of the City is very much about the filmmaker’s role in the social contract. One of the reasons it took so long for El Said to complete the film was because he and Khalid, who was a major figure in Jehane Noujaim’s 2013 documentary, The Square, also about the Arab Spring, spent several years constructing and establishing Cimatheque, an arts institution where independent filmmakers can flourish in a country without any kind of cinematic infrastructure. Of course, there were budgetary issues as well. In the end, even though In the Last Days of the City very specifically searches for the soul of Cairo, it could really be about any person trying to find his or her place in their hometown, as change — personal, political, societal — looms on the horizon.

BRIC OPEN: BORDERS

BRIC House exhibit serves as inspiration for four-day free festival on borders (photo by twi-ny/mdr)

BRIC House exhibit serves as inspiration for four-day free festival about borders (photo by twi-ny/mdr)

BRIC House
647 Fulton St., Brooklyn
April 26-29, free (advance RSVP recommended)
718-683-5600
www.bricartsmedia.org

The theme of this year’s BRIC OPEN festival is “Borders,” four days of free programs focusing on borders both real and imagined, physical and ideological. The series is being held in conjunction with the exhibition “Bordering the Imaginary: Art from the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Their Diasporas,” a collection of sculpture, painting, installation, and video that, in the words of BRIC contemporary art vice president Elizabeth Ferrer, “consider the complicated interrelated histories of two Caribbean countries that share a single island, their tradition of cultural and social exchange, and the social injustices that have long burdened the people of both nations.” The exhibit includes impressive work by Raquel Paiewonsky, Pascal Meccariello, Fabiola Jean-Louis, iliana emilia garcia, Patrick Eugène, and others. “Borders” begins April 26 at 7:00 with “Art Intersecting Politics,” a conversation between Paola Mendoza and Darnell L. Moore, preceded by a spoken-word performance by slam poet Venessa Marco. Friday night’s schedule consists of a concert by Blitz the Ambassador, Lido Pimienta, and the Chamanas (as well as a screening of Blitz’s fifteen-minute film, Diasporadical Trilogia), the ninety-minute walking tour “Borders We Carry” led by Kamau Ware through downtown Brooklyn, an Immigration Action Fair, and Alicia Grullón’s “Empanar!” mobile art project.

On Saturday, there will be a family art-making workshop in which participants can add to a Building Bridges mural; a Greenlight Bookstore pop-up shop; a “Drawn Together” workshop led by “Bordering the Imaginary” artists Vladimir Cybil Charlier, Antonio Cruz, and garcia; Juanli Carrión’s “Memelismos: Memories from the Other Side” participatory storytelling installation; more walking tours; screenings of short films and Jeremy Williams’s On a Knife Edge; the discussions “Reflections on the DACA and the DREAM Act: Erika Harrsch & Yatziri Tovar” and “Haiti-NYC-DR: Reflections from the Diaspora,” the latter with Suhaly Bautista-Carolina, Edward Paulino, Albert Saint Jean, Ibi Zoboi, and moderator Carolle Charles; and a RAGGA x BRIC dance party with DJs Oscar Nñ of Papi Juice, Serena Jara, LSXOXOD, and Neon Christina and a live performance by Viva Ruiz. Sunday features a gallery tour and the closing talk “Biscuits without Borders” by Jess Thorn, aka Touretteshero. In addition, the exhibitions “Under the Same Sky . . . We Dream” by Erika Harrsch and “What time is it there?” by Katie Shima will be on view throughout the festival.

JASPER JOHNS: A LIFE’S WORK

brooklyn public library jasper johns

Who: Caitlin Sweeney, John Yau, William Villalongo, Martha Wilson
What: Roundtable on Jasper Johns’s career and preserving the work of living artists
Where: Brooklyn Public Library, Central Branch, 10 Grand Army Plaza, 718-230-2100
When: Thursday, April 26, free but advance RSVP recommended, 7:30
Why: In conjunction with the publication of the five-volume Jasper Johns Catalogue Raisonné of Painting and Sculpture (Wildenstein Plattner Institute), the Central Branch of the Brooklyn Public Library is hosting a free panel on April 26 with senior researcher and WPI director of digital publications Caitlin Sweeney, art critic and curator John Yau, painter and collagist William Villalongo, and performance artist and Franklin Furnace founder Martha Wilson. They will discuss the career of Georgia-born artist Jasper Johns, who will be turning eighty-eight on May 15, as well as the importance of preserving the work of a living artist. A catalog will enter the collection of the library as part of the event.

TRIBECA TWI-NY TALK: JEFF KAUFMAN / EVERY ACT OF LIFE

Producer and director Jeff Kaufman on the set of Every Act of Life (photo courtesy Jeff Kaufman)

EVERY ACT OF LIFE (Jeff Kaufman, 2018)
Tribeca Film Festival
Monday, April 23, SVA Theater 2 Beatrice, 8:00
Tuesday, April 24, Cinépolis Chelsea 6, 5:00
Wednesday, April 25, Cinépolis Chelsea 2, 6:15
Thursday, April 26, Cinépolis Chelsea 9, 4:00
everyactoflifedocumentary.com
www.tribecafilm.com

Four-time Tony winner Terrence McNally and his husband, producer Tom Kirdahy, appeared in the 2015 documentary, The State of Marriage, about marriage equality, but director-producer Jeff Kaufman and producer Marcia Ross were surprised to learn that no one had made a film about McNally himself. So they did. The result is Every Act of Life, an intimate portrait of the Texas-born activist and playwright, who has also won two Obies, four Drama Desk Awards, and an Emmy and has been a fixture in the theater community for six decades, writing such popular and influential works as Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune; The Lisbon Traviata; Lips Together, Teeth Apart; Master Class; Kiss of the Spider Woman; and Love! Valour! Compassion!

Kaufman and Ross combine archival footage of many of McNally’s works with personal photos and new interviews with an all-star lineup that includes Angela Lansbury, Nathan Lane, Audra McDonald, Larry Kramer, Edie Falco, F. Murray Abraham, Tyne Daly, Billy Porter, Chita Rivera, John Slattery, Rita Moreno, Joe Mantello, and Christine Baranski, among many others. The film follows McNally through every act of his life, from his childhood in Texas living with abusive, alcoholic parents to his homosexuality, from his relationships with Edward Albee, Wendy Wasserstein, and others to his bout with lung cancer and marriage to Kirdahy. Every Act of Life is having its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival on April 23, with Kaufman, Mantello, Abraham, Lane, and McNally participating in an “After the Screening” conversation moderated by Frank Rich. (The film is also being shown April 24, 25, and 26.) Just as the festival got under way, Kaufman, who has also directed Father Joseph, The Savoy King: Chick Webb and the Music That Changed America, and Brush with Life: The Art of Being Edward Biberman, discussed the project via email in this exclusive twi-ny talk.

twi-ny: You first interviewed Terrence McNally and his husband, Tom Kirdahy, for The State of Marriage. How familiar were you with him and his work at that time?

Jeff Kaufman: Marcia grew up in Mt. Vernon, just outside of NYC, and the great love of her youth was coming into the city to go to the theater. It shaped much of her life that followed. I grew up near Seattle with a love of classic movies and art, so my discovery of the theater came a bit later (in part by subscribing to the Fireside Theatre Book Club). We both loved Terrence’s work but also made some lasting discoveries through making this film.

Every Act of Life is an intimate look at the life and career of award-winning playwright and activist Terrence McNally

twi-ny: Do you have a favorite play of his?

JK: For Marcia, her favorite play by Terrence (of many) is Love! Valour! Compassion! She says it speaks so beautifully about relationships. There are many characters and moments and plays of Terrence’s that keep reverberating for me, but I would mention (so others can look them up) the spiritual moments in A Perfect Ganesh and Corpus Christi, the sense of family and scope of life in L! V! C!, and the deep connection to the power of the arts in Master Class.

twi-ny: What made you think he would be a good subject for a full-length documentary? Was it difficult to get him to agree to the film?

JK: When we interviewed Terrence and Tom for The State of Marriage, we were so impressed with how direct and open and full of feeling Terrence could be. His life and work have changed many lives, and launched many careers, so his story is about a community of remarkable people as well. Through Terrence’s life and work we connect to a history of the theater, the struggle for LGBTQ rights (as Nathan Lane says, “Terrence has always been ahead of his time”), overcoming addiction (thanks in large part to Angela Lansbury), and what it means to keep searching and growing (and loving) throughout your life. So, for us Terrence, like his plays, speaks to a lot of important concerns.

And since we worked well together in the previous film, it wasn’t hard to get him and Tom to agree. They’ve been great to work with throughout the project.

twi-ny: Terrence gives you remarkable access to his life. Did that happen early on in the process, or did you have to establish a rapport?

JK: Our first conversation about doing this film was with Tom Kirdahy, a theater producer and former AIDS attorney who is also Terrence’s husband. Tom understood completely that honesty and access are essential. None of us wanted a fawning tribute. Terrence wasn’t comfortable with every aspect of our interviews, but he was remarkably forthcoming and unvarnished. I’ve interviewed hundreds of people, but Terrence is unique.

twi-ny: Were there any times he asked for the camera to be turned off?

JK: When he decides to open the door, he opens it all the way. There may have been a few things he pushed back on a bit, but we always got what we needed.

twi-ny: Terrence is known for being a perfectionist and, at times, demanding, yet he is very relaxed throughout the film. Did the making of the film actually go that smoothly? Whose idea was it to have numerous scenes in which two characters speak very comfortably to each other?

JK: I always try to put interview subjects in a positive frame of mind (even while asking a lot, on several levels). Marcia is a great ally in this as well. Often when I’m working with the film crew to set up the shot, Marcia engages in her singular way (and depth of theater knowledge) to help keep the subject engaged and relaxed. Then I conduct the interview. Since you asked, I came up with the idea for the various sequences (Edie and Murray talking about Frankie and Johnny, etc.).

Jeff Kaufman interviewed a vast array of theater people for documentary about Terrence McNally (photo courtesy Jeff Kaufman)

twi-ny: You have amassed a terrific cast of characters from both his personal and professional life for the film. What was that experience like, “casting” the documentary? Was there someone you really wanted to interview but was unavailable?

JK: Casting is key in documentaries, narrative films, and the theater. Also important for our work is to get people to tell stories that put the audience in a scene with the subjects of our films. We were pretty much able to talk to everyone on our list . . . but I would have loved to go back in time and film Terrence with some of the people who are no longer living. We got as close as possible to that by finding unseen footage of Edward Albee and Wendy Wasserstein, having Bryan Cranston read an amazing letter to Terrence about what a writer needs to keep going, and getting Meryl Streep to read a letter from Terrence’s beloved high school English teacher.

twi-ny: In the film, Terrence and the actors talk about the importance of collaboration, which even extended to many of the documentary participants helping the Kickstarter campaign by contributing special rewards for donors. How does collaboration in theater compare with collaboration in film?

JK: Both are essential, and as Terrence says, life is about collaboration as well. I have a strong vision for what I want the documentary to be and say. So does Marcia. However, that only comes together through the work and vision and talent of many people.

twi-ny: What was the single most surprising thing you learned about theater and Terrence McNally while making the film?

JK: I don’t know if this qualifies as a surprise, but Marcia and I were both impressed by finding in Terrence, and others in the film, great artists who could easily rest on their laurels but who instead are still inspired, still learning, and still striving to do new and better work.