Nicholas Garr

SPOTLIGHT on RUSTY FARIS PRODUCTIONS

1) Who is Rusty Faris Wheel Productions?

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John Faris and I, Justin Adkins, created this production outfit in January 2015 in an effort to make films that we are excited to see. After film school, we both realized that we work well together and have strengths that would benefit the company and our films. As such, we created Rusty Faris Wheel Productions to produce all types of films with a focus on horror and action/superhero fare.

2) What are you working on at the moment?

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Currently, we are producing a superhero short film called “The Friend.” Principal photography begins on November 2, 2015. We are also finalizing our three additional projects for the upcoming screening.

3) Do you have any upcoming events you would like people to attend?

We are having the Rusty Faris Wheel Screening Event, presented by Artists Without Walls, on November 6, 2015, at The Cell Theatre, 338 W23rd Street, NY, 7:00 to 8:30, which will screen all three current projects. (Promo piece below.)

4) What are 3 of your favorite films/shorts and why?

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Between the two of us, three of our favorite films are The Evil Dead (Justin), The Dark Knight (both), and 48 HRS (John). The Evil Dead is Justin’s favorite movie of all time. Sam Raimi is a true inspiration as a low budget, young filmmaker who established a strong career. The Dark Knight is, for both of us, one of the strongest cinematic depictions of any superhero derived from an existing comic book. 48 HRS. is widely recognized as the pioneer American buddy cop movie and is a perfect example of a simple film on a minimal budget that stands the test of time.

5) Who are the filmmakers past & present that you admire and why?

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Sam Raimi, Christopher Nolan, Alfred Hitchcock, Walter Hill, and Mario Bava. All of these filmmakers are fantastic storytellers who can create a visual, tense, gritty, violent, and beautiful picture for the audience as the stories unfold.

Justin Atkins and John Faris

6) Who is your greatest inspiration and why?

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For me, Justin, it is Sam Raimi. As stated above, he started out as a young, ambitious filmmaker who raised money, gathered his friends, and made a little cult movie. This led to greater things in the form of the Spiderman movies. For John, it is Christopher Nolan. In the same vein as Sam Raimi, Christopher Nolan started small by writing, directing and producing his first feature film, Following, in 1999, while working a full-time job and using his friends as actors. Nolan proceeded to wow critics with Memento and is credited with the resurrection of the now billion dollar DC Comic Film Franchise.

7) Name 5 things that you would like to accomplish in the next 5 years?

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-Make at least two feature films
-Work full time on our films
-Help other filmmakers produce their visions
-Continue to develop relationships with other artists for collaboration
-See the distribution of our films

8) If you could dream of trying something in the arts you haven’t tried, but would like to, what would it be?

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We would like to venture into the musical arts in the form of creating music and scores as well as singing. We also envision making films that are far beyond our comfort zones of the horror/action-comedy/superhero genres.

9) What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

We enjoy watching movies as well as creating new characters and stories for our films. We also enjoy the fine art of beer drinking.

LIV MAMMONE'S "ARTISTS WITHOUT WALLS SHOWCASE at THE CELL" WRAP-UP

LIV MAMMONE’S “ARTISTS WITHOUT WALLS SHOWCASE at THE CELL” WRAP-UP

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Niamh Hyland, Sasha Papernik, Anette Homann and Noel Lawlor — **Niamh Hyland, Sasha Papernik, Annette Homann and Noel Lawlor**

This month’s Artists Without Walls’ Showcase at The Cell Theatre really exemplified our organization’s core values of both diversity and community, bringing a set of fresh, new, young artists amidst seasoned veterans of the AWoW stage. The whole evening was filled with the warmth and the welcoming atmosphere we have come to expect from these gatherings. The Cell itself feels as though it’s growing smaller and more intimate with each passing month, as this family of faces come together to support, sustain, and shine. But the circuit never closes, always making room for more.

First up, Richard Stillman gave us all a laugh with two musically accompanied story recitations. One, a comical rhyme about a young highland lad named Angus with a prominent honker he puts to use in a bagpipe band; the other, a Peruvian pied piper tale about a young man who uses the forgotten tradition of pan flute playing to rid his mountain town of a scourge of slimy frogs and finds his place among them. Richard, too, has embraced an art form not seen often these days with his oral storytelling and showed us why it is still vivid and necessary. (How on Earth did he make that bubble sound?)

I.S. Jones shimmered with grace and grit reciting three spoken word poems; a gripping piece about racist language; the sensual “Kingdom of Touching”; and a gloriously uplifting ode to those forces in her life which have tried and tested her. I.S. had worried that her work would be “a little risky” for the audience, but we were jolted and moved by the elegant truth in her work. Her calmness and refined manner acts as a prism through which torrents of feeling are focused. Her risk was rewarded and we would welcome her future work.

Cellist, pianist, and songwriter Noah Hoffeld demonstrated his incredible range, favoring us with a melodic ballad, a rocking ode to the music that shaped his youth, and an utterly heartrending classically inspired solo to return us to his Juilliard roots. His vocals are reminiscent of Matthew Good, at once tender and rough-edged. It was a roller coaster of feeling to be witness to just a fraction of what he is capable.

In a happy accident, we were then joined by Eithne Nic An Riogh, just this week transplanted from Ireland. She had reached out to fellow University College Dublin alum Niamh Hyland looking for a cello and we were most fortunate that, instead, she wound up with a slot. Borrowing Noah’s, Eithne treated us to a million dollar smile and two beautiful pieces, a cello standard as well as a deeply moving Irish song about a woman who cannot be buried on the island of her choice. It was heartwarming to see how these fellow performers came together on a spur of the moment to share her talent with us.

Have you ever wondered what would happen if the Sopranos’ Chris Moltisanti was given the psychic powers of John Edwards? Character actor Nicholas Garr has finally given us the answer and it is as hilarious as you would expect. Watching how Nick has altered his body language especially is truly evidence of his gift. He left us in stitches. A pilot should be sent to HBO now that its gangster show niche has a void.

The second poet of the night, Alex Shapiro, was brand new to the AWoW stage, and brought a bouquet of lively, thought provoking, philosophical musings. These poems as quick and sharp as shots of whiskey. Alex inhabited his whole body for his reading, giving off an air of approachability and an enviable talent for memorization. We are lucky to have caught him before he heads out to the Midwest to continue his writer’s journey.

Ed Romanoff is never less than awe inspiring and was a perfect closer for our evening. Ed has performed a great deal with AWoW and is an integral part of its nature, but those who were in the audience last night hearing him for the first time are to be envied. He demonstrated his prowess as a lyricist and his signature sound–steady as a train and sharp like a razor–in three tracks. The first was new, the story of a boxer and his shiftless women. His second choice was a deeply personal gesture for fellow member Connie Roberts, a song called “Orphan King.” Niamh and Noah then joined Ed for his song “Two Yellow Roses,” giving an already breathtaking number a level of depth we as audience members were held in thrall by. It is always an indescribable pleasure when showcase performers come together in impromptu collaborations. This is part of the magic of the space and there is nothing else like it.

We hope that you could be present and that you’ll join us for the next Showcase on August 25th, at The Cell Theatre.

WALL-TO-WALL TALENT at AWoW's HOLIDAY SHOWCASE at THE CELL

“What a great night of talent…and Niamh Hyland’s voice is stunning. I literally get goosebumps. Amazing. ” Mitch Traphagen

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Joseph Goodrich started things off with “The New Boy”—a poignant and humorous look at Christmas in a small Minnesota town. Goodrich’s story skillfully conveyed the turbulent emotions of its main character, a seven-year-old boy whose life has been touched with loss. Sensitive writing and a bravura performance by Goodrich made “The New Boy” a welcome guest.

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Ron Vazzano’s poem “Trains: A Christmas Story,” suggested paradoxically, the joy and peril of getting what you wish for, in that it can come at a cost of a loss of innocence and humiliation in the process. Beautifully done.

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Award winning singer/songwriter/author Michael Sheahan opened his performance with “Jingle Jangle Jingle All Night Long” from his award winning Christmas Book, CD and Dance DVD, Mr. Holidays Presents The Roof Top Hop. This up-beat, joyful Christmas song had the audience smiling, laughing, and tapping their feet to it’s wonderful Christmas spirit. His second song “Some

Things Never Change,” the title track from Michaels Christmas CD, touched the audience’s heart with it’s loving sentiment for Mom and Dad as they physically change over the years. Michael finished his set, appropriately ringing in the New Year, with “Year Out…Year In.” You can hear all the above mentioned songs on Michael’s latest Christmas CD Some Things Never Change.

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Here’s what the audience had to say about playwright Brona Crehan and actress Grainne Duddy:

“Moonlight Sonata – a roller coaster of a ride. “

“Beautifully written and wonderfully told.”

“We felt like we were eavesdropping on something deeply personal and could have listened all night.”

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Singer/songwriter Ed Romanoff began his performance sharing the ironic discovery of his own Irish heritage and being welcomed to Ireland by Phillip King on the RTE program, “Where The South Wind Blows.” Ed then continued his engaging rootsy storytelling with an Irish twist by becoming the voice of Willie Sutton in a ballad about the famed Irish bank robber, paroled on Christmas Eve by Governor Rockefeller. Ed also played a crowd pleasing new song, “A Golden Crown,” about a boxer and a claddagh ring.

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Admiring Vera's 2014 AWoW Poster — **Admiring Vera’s 2014 AWoW Poster**

Nicholas Garr gave a wonderfully moving, and hysterically funny performance, from his solo theatre piece Paper Tigers, which explores our shared issues of love, sex, ambition, and self image, in a world where things are often not as they appear. In the scene Nick performed, Father Rodney, a teacher at an all boys Catholic school, gives his final religion class, to a group of graduating seniors. In Nicholas’ Paper Tigers, a Mafia psychic, channels a variety of characters from the underbelly of the familar, in order to help his audience find “spiritual understanding and their true inner selves.”

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What if 19th century Paris’ most infamous party-girl were undead and on the loose in the Big Apple? Marion Stein read from her new novel Blood Diva (published under the pen name VM Gautier) which reimagines the heroine of Camille and La Traviata as a vampire-about-town enjoying the human smorgasbord that is New York. Blood Diva is available in paper book and as an ebook at Amazon and other fine booksellers. Click here for a link to the Blood Diva blog.

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Honor Molloy and Niamh Hyland brought the evening to a close with “Christmas on an Island.” Adapted from a Radio Eireann script written by Honor’s mother Yvonne Voight, this selection from Smarty Girl – Dublin Savage is set in the wilds of Inish Maan during the last days of 1954. Honor played the mother and the mischievous Noleen O’Feeney. Niamh played a handful of Island Women, including the Mighty Spirit, Bridgie Flaherty. There was a song—miracle a song–as Niamh sang the first verse of “Silent Night” in Irish. Then the whole crowd joined in to celebrate the season and send each other home (with a quick stop at the Westside Tavern first.)

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The next Artists Without Walls’ Showcase is on January 27th, 7pm at The Cell Theatre, 338 W23rd St., NYC

All photos by Vera Hoar and Mitch Traphagen.

WHAT A NIGHT! AWoW's SHOWCASE at THE CELL 8/26/2014

It was another splendid evening of performances at Artists Without Walls’ Showcase at The Cell Theatre this past Tuesday. Mark Donnelly got the evening started with the opening monologue from his new play No Dead End (still a work-in-progress). A terrific performance, plus cool props — black-and-white posters of Humphrey Bogart, James Cagney, Spencer Tracy and the Dead End Kids in the background.

Honor Finnegan roused the crowd with her humorous lyrics and powerful voice. She sang a new song, “Fortune Cookie”, on which she played the ukulele; Aviv Roth joined her on guitar for Christine Lavin’s hilarious “Air Conditioner Song”, followed by Honor’s rousing blues, “Internet Junkie”. At the break, Honor was seen enjoying salted peanuts at the bar. Channeling Dizzy Gillespie for a future tune, Honor? “Salt peanuts. Salt peanuts!”

Cannes Film Festival and Obie award winning actress Renata Hinrichs gave an engaging and riveting performance of a section from her solo show, Random Acts. The play brings humor and pathos to a time in our history we shouldn’t soon forget. Tickets are now on sale for her second show, October 18th at 6pm, in the United Solo Festival Link to tickets: http://bit.ly/1nuGzZT

Warren Malone, a New York based singer/songwriter who is originally from Manchester England, was joined by his eleven-year old son Gibson for a rousing set. They began with a Jerry Lee Lewis tune, “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On,” with Gibson on the piano, pumping out a driving boogie pattern with his left hand while his right added some flashy ornamentation. They followed with Warren’s poignant song about his father, “Whole Life Blues,” and concluded with another great flashback, Fats Domino’s “Blueberry Hill.” A sensational performance by this very talented father and son duo.

Nicholas Garr opened the second half of the Showcase by giving a wonderfully moving and hysterically funny performance from his solo theatre piece Paper Tigers, which explores our shared issues of love, sex, ambition, and self image in a world where things are often not as they appear. And the lobster outfit was incredible!

Marty Kleinman, the popular New York storyteller, read an excerpt from his new short fiction collection, Home Front. Careening between heartbreak and hilarity, Marty’s tale took us on a white-knuckle joyride through the convulsing Bronx landscape of the late 1970s. Through his spot-on dialogue of ne’er-do-well characters, and keen observations of life during New York’s nadir, we were reminded that there were darn good reasons why “Fun City” apartments could be had so cheaply back then.

Last night, Steve Simring’s mother returned from the grave to tell a sympathetic audience about her less than successful marriage. She rarely made mistakes, she said, but she screwed up royally when she married Simon. At last, according to her, she found vindication and understanding in a group of lovely, caring people at the Cell. She’s happy to report that today she is resting peacefully. Perhaps she’s recovering from expending so much breath in the final moments of her act. You had to be there!

All in all, a great evening, bringing AWoW’s Summer Showcase Series to a close. The next Artists Without Walls’ Showcase will be at The Cell Theatre on Tuesday, September 23rd, 7pm, 338 W23rd St.

Photos by Mitch Traphagen

For more information on Artists Without Walls contact info@artistswithoutwalls. com