Saturday, August 30, 2008

Humor award goes to Put Valley satirist

These days Kane is basking at being named winner of the 2008 Robert Benchley Society Award for Humor. She is quite thrilled that this year's judge, famed comedian Bob Newhart, selected her essay, "Guide for the Opera Impaired."...MORE...

Monday, August 25, 2008

Helen K. Garber - Emphasis Santa Monica


HELEN K. GARBER Joins 48 fellow Santa Monica Resident Artists
for “EMPHASIS SANTA MONICA” ART SHOW

OPENING RECEPTION
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 13
6:00 pm - 9:00 pm

49 Santa Monica resident artists including John Baldessari, Bruria Finkel, Frank Gehry and Helen K. Garber will be exhibited Aug. 20-Oct. 18 at Santa Monica College’s Pete & Susan Barrett Art Gallery.

The art show – featuring an eclectic mix of works in all media – will coincide with the grand opening of the 499-seat Eli & Edythe Broad Stage at the SMC Performing Arts Center, where the gallery is located. The exhibit Coincides with The Broad Stage Grand Opening

The show is curated by Bruria Finkel - an award-winning artist and curator whose works have been exhibited worldwide.

“Santa Monica’s Main Street, 4th Street, Franklin Street and the (Santa Monica) Airport have had a long list of artists who found their inspiration working there,” curator and artist Bruria Finkel said in the show’s catalogue. “To mention a few: Richard Diebenkorn and his Ocean Park series influenced by light, sea and sand; James Turrell, who pioneered the idea of light as an art medium; Judy Chicago, who created atmospheric pieces here; and of course Robert Irwin. Painters such as Ed Moses, Charles Garabedian, Arlene Hendler, Roberto Chavez, Curtis Hoekzema and innovators such as John Baldessari created in studios on Main Street for years. Many more found the light and the community of artists a source of inspiration.”

Photographer Helen K. Garber fell in love with the Ocean Park neighborhood the first time she visited in 1981 and has lived behind Main Street for more than 25 years. She once had a studio at Ashland and Main and now has her digital work printed by master fine art printer, Jack Duganne. Duganne Ateliers is located in the in the last remaining art studio complex on Main Street in Santa Monica.

Ms. Finkel chose an image of Ms. Garber's that was featured in the the 2005 Hermes exhibit and publication, Looking at Los Angeles, Metropolis Books, edited by Ben Stiller, Marla Hamburg Kennedy, Craig Crull and Jane Brown.

Helen K. Garber, known for her night urban landscapes, has images in the permanent collection of the Venice Biennale, Venice, Italy, George Eastman House, International Museum of Film and Photography, Rochester, NY, the Brooklyn Museum of Art, NY, the Museum of the City of NY, the Portland Art Museum, Oregon, and important corporate collections including City National Bank and Hunton & Williams, LLC.

The opening reception is scheduled from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 13. Gallery hours are noon to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. (NOTE: Gallery hours are noon to 4 p.m. Aug. 20-22. The gallery is closed Saturday, Aug. 23.)

The gallery is located at the SMC Performing Arts Center on Santa Monica Boulevard at 11th Street. For information, call (310) 434-3434.

The exhibit comes at the same time the college will hold its gala opening of the new Eli & Edythe Broad Stage in the SMC Performing Arts complex, where the art gallery is located. The 499-seat theater (called The Broad Stage for short) will open Sept. 20 with an inaugural gala featuring legendary opera singer Barbara Cook. The venue is complemented by the Edye Second Space, a 99-seat black box that opened last fall and is located right next to The Broad Stage.

Sunday, August 24, 2008

Register Now and Save Money on Benchley Society Annual Gathering in New York

The Sixth Annual Gathering of the Robert Benchley Society will be Friday through Sunday, October 3-5, 2008, in New York City.

The Main Event

The highlight of the event will be the Saturday, October 4th Awards Dinner.
  • This year's Annual Humor Awards Dinner will be held at one of New York City's exclusive gentlemen's and ladies' clubs in the heart of the fabulous theatre district where Mr. Benchley and the members of the Algonquin Round Table hung out. Thanks to the kind support of Joseph Handlin, a New York City Benchley fan, we are able to hold our dinner in this private club–an impressive venue that most of us would not otherwise have the opportunity to enjoy. You will not want to miss this event which will be the year's largest gathering of Benchley fans.
  • At this event Madeleine Kane of Bayside, N.Y., will be presented with the Robert Benchley Award for Humor. In addition to Ms. Kane's first place entry, Guide for the Opera Impaired, we'll be honoring our medalists in this year's competition, which was judged by Bob Newhart. They are Mike Tuck (2nd) of Hopkins, Minn. for Welcome to America, Jesse Levy (3rd) of North Hollywood, Calif. for How to Watch a Sad Movie and Retain Your Manliness, and Denise G. Weeks (4th) of Richardson, Texas for How to Start Your Own Band.
  • The cost for dinner (including tax and tip) is $100 per person and includes wine with dinner.

Also on the Card
  • For those in town Friday early evening there will be an opportunity to meet for cocktails and dinner.
  • The Saturday program will kick off with brunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on a 1920s-style yacht cruising around the Island of Manhattan. The cost of this event is $75.
  • At 5:30 p.m. on Saturday we'll gather for pre-dinner cocktails at a location closely associated with Mr.Benchley.
  • Sunday's program is still under development. Our previous Annual Gatherings have a blast and expect the entire program, including Sunday to keep up the tradition.

    This will be our fourth time gathering in New York. The Society has also held it's annual event in Boston (2005) and Los Angeles (2006). Photos of recent Annual Gatherings–
    The preferred hotel for the event is The Roosevelt Hotel on Madison Avenue at 45th Street. Note that as a small group we have not been able to arrange a convention rate at The Roosevelt Hotel. You are on your own to book a hotel room.
    Don't miss this event which will be the largest 2008 gathering of Robert Benchley fans. Commitments to attend have already been made by members of Robert Benchley Society Chapters in–
    • Ann Arbor, Mich.
    • Boston, Mass.
    • New York City
    • Washington State

    This will be our fourth time gathering in New York. The Society has also held it's annual event in Boston (2005) and Los Angeles (2006).
    How to Sign Up

    The price for registration is–
    Now through September 4th$10
    September 5 through 18$15
    After September 18$20
    for details or to register visit our registration page.
  • Tuesday, August 19, 2008

    Robert Benchley Society and Mad Kane in the News

    Benchley Award Goes to Humor Columnist Madeleine Begun Kane
    Editor & Publisher - USA By E&P Staff NEW YORK Humor columnist Madeleine Begun Kane has won the 2008 Robert Benchley Award for Humor. The final judge of the contest was comedian/TV ...

    Ready for your close-up? Casting in Southfield for Kim Catrall movie
    Detroit Free Press, United States - Aug 7, 2008 Chosen: By final judge Bob Newhart, New York City humor columnist Madeleine Begun Kane as the winner of the 2008 Robert Benchley Society Award for Humor. ...

    Putnam Valley's Madeleine Kane Wins National Award for Humor
    Putnam County News and Recorder (subscription), NY - Aug 12, 2008
    ... autobiography "I Shouldn't Even Be Doing This," taking time out from his busy schedule to serve as finals judge, named Madeleine Begun Kane (of Putnam. ...

    Sunday, August 17, 2008

    Robert Benchley Society Annual Gathering Set for Oct. 3-5 in New York

    The Sixth Annual Gathering of the Robert Benchley Society will be Friday through Sunday, October 3-5, 2008, in New York City. This will be our fourth time gathering in New York. The Society has also held it's annual event in Boston (2005) and Los Angeles (2006).

    Wednesday, August 13, 2008

    Robert Benchley's Wayward Press: The Complete Collection of His the New Yorker Columns Written as Guy Fawkes (Paperback)

    Product Description
    Robert Benchley
    (1889-1945), writing under the pseudonym Guy Fawkes, originated the New Yorker's Wayward Press column on press criticism. S.L. Harrison has collected all of Benchley's Wayward Press columns, with a Prologue by Nat Benchley.

    About the Author
    Robert Benchley
    is best remembered for his dozen books, motion picture work (he won an Academy Award in 1935), theater criticism for the New Yorker, and as a member of the famed Algonquin Round Table. S.L. Harrison, a former newspaperman and Congressional staff member, is the author of Mencken Revisited: Author, Editor & Newspaperman, The Editorial Art of Edmund Duffy and other books. A former Public Affairs Fellow, Hoover Institution, Stanford University, he is editor of the journal Menckeniana and a communication professor at the University of Miami, Coral Gables, Fla.

    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Product Details
    Paperback: 341 pages
    Publisher: Wolf Den Books; 1 edition (July 8, 2008)

    Tuesday, August 12, 2008

    Robert Benchley Society Annual Gathing Set for Oct. 3-5, in New York City

    The Sixth Annual Gathering of the Robert Benchley Society will be Friday through Sunday, October 3-5, 2008, in New York City.

    Details will be announced in a few days.

    The highlight of the event will be the Saturday, October 4th Awards Dinner where Madeleine Kane of Bayside, N.Y., will be presented with the Robert Benchley Award for Humor. In addition to Ms. Kane's first place entry, Guide for the Opera Impaired, we'll be honoring our medalists in this year's competition, which was judged by Bob Newhart. They are Mike Tuck (2nd) of Hopkins, Minn. for Welcome to America, Jesse Levy (3rd) of North Hollywood, Calif. for How to Watch a Sad Movie and Retain Your Manliness, and Denise G. Weeks (4th) of Richardson, Texas for How to Start Your Own Band.

    This will be our fourth time gathering in New York. The Society has also held it's annual event in Boston (2005) and Los Angeles (2006).

    The Amiable Child in the Times

    Robert Benchley's favorite place in New York (and it wasn't "21") makes the New York Times today, the Amiable Child Monument. It is written by Corey Kilgannon, one of my favorite Times reporters:

    There, maybe 100 yards northwest of the tomb, is a monument on the west side of Riverside Drive devoted to a much lesser known person than President Grant: St. Claire Pollock, who died at age 5 in 1797. This is the Amiable Child Monument, a small, simple urn on a pedestal surrounded by iron fence, and perhaps the only single-person private grave on city-owned land in New York City, and it has inspired a book of poetry and a contemporary mystery novel.

    Dorothy Parker News

    The Third Annual Dorothy Parker Day is Saturday, August 16th, in Long Branch, New Jersey, Mrs. Parker's birthplace. The schedule of events:

    10:00 to 11:30 AM -- Dorothy Parker Dog Walk and Blessing of the Dogs. FREE & Open to the Public. Back Parking Lot of Saint Michael's Catholic Church, Ocean Avenue, Long Branch

    12 to 1:30 PM -- Algonquin Round Table Luncheon. Open Mic Readings of Dorothy Parker's Works. Jesse's Café, 139 Brighton Ave., West End. Reservations Required: 732-229-6999

    2 to 4:00 PM -- Readings and Dramatic Interpretations of Dorothy Parker's Works. FREE & Open to the Public. Long Branch Free Public Library, 328 Broadway, Long Branch

    4 PM -- A Toast to Dorothy Parker. The MIX Martini Lounge, 71 Brighton Avenue, West End.

    4:30 PM -- Algonquin Round Table Dinner. Open Mic Readings of Dorothy Parker's Works
    Jesse's Café, 139 Brighton Ave, West End. Reservations Required: 732-229-6999

    Saturday August 16th at 3 & 8 PM & Sunday, August 17th at 2 & 7 PM. The Little Hours, a New Musical by David Bucknam. Based on the Works of Dorothy Parker. New Jersey Repertory Company, 179 Broadway, Long Branch. For Information & Reservations: 732-229-3166

    Sponsored by: The Long Branch Arts Council, The Long Branch Free Public Library, Long Branch Historical Association, and the Dorothy Parker Society

    To see video and photos of previous Dorothy Parker Day events, look here:
    http://www.dorothyparker.com/nj/

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    In New York, a special Dorothy Parker birthday party planned for Wednesday, Aug. 20. It will have live music, singing, and a lot of fun. The event is "1930s Idol" and will be held at Broadway Baby Bistro, 318 West 53rd Street, at 10 p.m. in the Chicago City Limits Room. The evening will feature an Open Mic contest showcasing 20 talented contestants performing songs from the 1920 and 1930's and competing for prizes. There is NO COVER and the cocktails will flow. The event is 10 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. For more information, click here. http://www.jenniferwren.info/Jennifer_Wren/1930s_Idol__.html

    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    In Los Angeles, the red-hot chapter of the DPS also has a party planned. Hoist a few in honor of Dorothy Parker's birthday.
    Date: August 22, 2008
    Time: 7:00 PM
    Place: Culver City Hotel bar
    Address: 9400 Culver Blvd., Culver City, CA 90232
    Phone: (310) 838-7963
    We'll gather in the bar of the Culver City Hotel -- A landmark drinking establishment near the MGM studio where Dorothy Parker worked as a screenwriter during the '30s. Come for ribaldry, epigrams, aphorisms... and those few people who use words like that in sentences. The rest of us will be at the bar. Join us!
    More info:
    http://sites.google.com/a/adriennecrew.com/dorothyparkerwest/
    http://www.culverhotel.com/

    And September 26-27, the DPS LA Chapter is hosting its first Parkerfest West! It will be at the fabulous, the fantastic, and the super special Chateau Marmont. All info is here: http://sites.google.com/a/adriennecrew.com/dorothyparkerwest/

    Dorothy Parker Society News
    Our June party on Governors Island was fantastic. Hundreds showed up for the 1920s Lawn Party, with live jazz performed by Michael Arenella and His Dreamland Orchestra. We will be repeating this party in September and it will be our annual Parkerfest! Save the date for the 2-day party, Sept. 13 & 14. If you want to see photos and video of the June party, look here:http://www.dorothyparker.com/special/

    In addition, on Thursday, Sept. 11, Potable Productions will present a reading of Parker works. It will be at the Salmagundi Club, 8-10pm. More information will be on the site soon.

    More Dorothy Parker Society News

    Dorothy Parker Society officer William Zeffiro has announced the venue and schedule for his musical THE ROAD TO RUIN. (He wrote the book, music and lyrics). We will have a special DPS Night on Friday, Sept. 19, 8 pm, with a post-show cast party, details TBD. If you are interested in attending, email Kevin@dorothyparker.com to get on the VIP List.

    Synopsis: It's 1928 Do You Know Where Your Daughter Is? The Road To Ruin (The 1928 Exploitation Musical), where sex delinquency, neglectful parents, bottled water and Christians bring down Little Sally Canfield, "The Nicest Girl at Central High." But Never Fear: by the final curtain, justice is served and redemption achieved through good works, cookies and dogs.
    Venue: 45th Street Theater, 354 West 45th Street, New York, NY
    Schedule: Sept 18, 8pm; Sept 19, 8pm; Sept 21, 8pm; Sept 25, 8pm; Sept 28, 8pm; Oct 1, 4:30pm
    Youtube clips: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8M31KfIH6g
    http://www.nymf.org/Show-860.html
    http://www.theroadtoruin.com

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    Eleanor Cox, a member of the Dorothy Parker Society, has a treat for you. She has organized the Great Gatsby Boat Tour. Mrs. Parker and her pals spent a lot of time on Long Island's fabled "Gold Coast" -- where Fitzgerald set The Great Gatsby. Now, see the locations via a boat tour of beautiful Manhasset Bay, led by Eleanor. The schedule is
    August 31 at 1 pm (Labor Day weekend)
    September 7 at 1 pm
    September 21 at 1 pm
    Cost is $25 per person. Departs Port Washington Town Dock on Main Street. Check with her on schedule.
    More information here. http://greatgatsbyboattour.org

    Special Dorothy Parker News
    There are still some copies left of The Ladies of the Corridor for Dorothy Parker Society members: a limited edition numbered first edition of 40 copies. Each is signed by Marion Meade, the book's editor and Parker biographer, who wrote What Fresh Hell is This? These are on sale for $10 each, plus $3 shipping. (Outside the USA, shipping is $6). Once these are gone, that is it. To order, click here. http://www.dorothyparker.com/books01.html

    Do you live in Los Angeles? A chapter of the DPS is up and running. The LA Chapter is hitting the monthly burlesque night at El Cid in Hollywood. Shoot an email to labrainterrain25@gmail.com

    Are you a member of Facebook? Look for the new group called Dorothy Parker Society.

    Monday, August 11, 2008

    Benchley Humor Awards Dinner Set for Oct. 4th

    Watch for details about the 2008 Robert Benchley Society Annual Gathering and Awards Dinner, October 4th, in New York City.

    Robert Benchley Society

    For more information about the Robert Benchley Society, local chapters near you, our annual Award for Humor, and our Annual Gathering, visit The RBS Website