Tag: Groups

by David Burgess on May 8, 2023 0

Tips For Using Your XFL Discount Code

There are a few things you can do to use your XFL discount code effectively. First, make sure to check the associated event page on the XFL website to see if there is a discount code available. If not, make sure to check the events page frequently.

There are a few different ways that you can find coupon codes for XFL, but the best way is to look online. There are a few different websites that offer coupon codes for a variety of different retailers, for example Couponvario.com, Couponfollow or CouponCabin.com, and you can usually find a code for XFL on one of these websites.

Second, find a store that offers the XFL discount code and use it. Third, use the code sparingly. If you use the code too often, it may lose its value. Finally, keep in mind that the code is good for a limited time. Use it wisely!

If you’re looking for a discount code for the XFL, there are a few things you can do. First, check out the XFL’s website for available codes. You can also find the codes on social media, such as Twitter and Facebook. Finally, be sure to keep track of your purchase dates and receive updates when new codes are released.

There are a few things you can do to maximize your XFL discount code experience:

Use the code at the time of purchase. This will get you the best deal.

Add the code to your shopping cart at the time of purchase. This will also get you the best deal.

Use the code at the time of checkout. This will save you time and hassle.

Compare the prices of the different stores and find the best deal.

Use the code to get an extra 20% off your purchase.

There are a few things you can do to get the most out of your XFL discount code.

Make sure you use the code while you’re still able to get the deal.

Don’t use the code if you’re already charged.

Be sure to cancel your order if you use the code.

Keep your code handy and use it often. You’ll be appreciate it.

If you’re a fan of the XFL, you may be interested in using one of theirdiscount codes. You can find these codes at the bottom of each page of the XFL website.

One code, “XFL10OFF“, gives you a 10% discount on all orders over $100.

Another code, “XFL15OFF“, gives you a 15% discount on all orders over $150.

And finally, “XFL20OFF“, gives you a 20% discount on all orders over $200.

So, if you’re thinking of buying any XFL merchandise, be sure to check out their website for codes that could save you some money!

If you’re a fan of the XFL, there are a few things you can do to take advantage of your discount code.

First, check out our XFL blog for tips on how to use your code. In addition, our XFL forum is always a lively place to chat about the league and its games.

Finally, be sure to check out our XFL schedule, which includes all of the games and times you can expect them.

If you’re looking for aDiscount Code for the XFL, or any other professional league, there are a few things you can do to maximize your chances of getting a discount.

Make sure you’re subscribed to the league’s e-mail newsletter. This will contain news and offers about the league, as well as discounts and deals available to members.

Join the league’s social media groups. These groups can provide valuable information and resources about the league, as well as tips and advice from other members.

Ask your league representative how you can get a discount on tickets. Many leagues offer discounts on tickets for members, but it’s important to ask specifically about the discount code you’re looking for.

Do your research. Many leagues offer different discounts and deals, so it’s important to research the individual league and its specific offers before making your purchase.

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by David Burgess on May 9, 2018 0

The Artists of the Old West

Capturing the Wildlife (and Scenery) of the Old West (Recent West, Too!)

When explorers started their journey from the Eastern United States to discover the Western United States, they encountered Native American cultures and communities and wildlife they may have never imagined.

They encountered various Native American groups such as the Lakota Sioux and Blackfoot, the Comanches of the Western plains and mountains, and the Apaches, Navajo, Pueblo tribes of the American desert Southwest, to the groups of Pacific Northwest tribes such as the Bella Coola, the Haida, and the Kwakiuts. Most of the time, their encounters were friendly… although many times misunderstandings caused later conflict.

The explorers also encountered the numerous critters of the Wild West–grizzley bears, wolverines, timber wolves, antelope, moose, elk, deer, skunks, porcupines, great horned owls, flying squirrels, bald eagles, turkey vultures, and other critters.

In those days, photography wasn’t yet well developed (sorry… bad pun)… so those in their exploratory groups who had any art skills wound up drawing a lot of what they saw in their journals. Some of these artsts came to more fame because their art was so realistic and dramatic. And many more modern artists came into the field to further this capture of images from the wild west.

This Squidoo lens explores some of these artists and provides links and resources to more information on these amazing folks.

Charles M. Russell by the Bay…. eBay, That Is

I was born in Montana — and my adopted Grandpa, who normally worked as a logger in the deep forests of the Montana Northwest (near Kalispell and Flathead Lake), was also a wilderness guide for hunters. My Grandpa had some wild stories about his adventures in the Montana boonies–many of his stories were unbelievable.

One of his wilderness guide “clients” when Grandpa was younger was an artist named Charles M. Russell. And he had an original painting by Charles M. Russell in his living room that illustrated aspects of some of these adventures (the painting he had depicted some Native Americans going after a grizzley bear). (Grandpa Lloyd also had a huge bear rug on the floor of his living room–I used to play on it when I was a toddler and still remember it.) He also had some paintings by other western artists decorating his walls in other rooms of the house. His house was a veritable museum of animal trophies (most of the animal had been used for meat) and western art and other decorations. Maybe it helped that Grandma was a member of the Flathead Indian Tribe–Grandpa had an “in” with the backwoods of Montana.

You may find your own Charlie Russell artwork here for your own western-themed office, den, home, or cubicle!

The early wilderness and explorer artists created their work in a rough way…

Sometimes they had to make their own tools, inks, and surfaces…
The Mountains of the American West – Aspens and PinesCarrying art materials on the long journeys in the early days wasn’t easy… and having the right tools for drawing sometimes meant having to make them on the spot. Some charcoal from a campfire or the carbon from a lamp was used to create a drawing tool or ink. A tanned hide of a deer, elk, or antelope may have been used to make a flexible, foldable surface for the artwork. Pigments from the wildflowers, tree barks, and different mineral-content clays may have been used to create the various inks and paints. But most of the travelers most likely also carried their journals…. handing books of blank pages on which they could capture their notes as well as their impressions of the striking scenery, events, animals, and people they were seeing.

Athough some of the first wilderness old-west artists were Charles M. Russell and Frederic Remington, later artists carried on their tradition of capturing the adventure of the American Wild West.

Elmer Sprunger by the Bay… eBay, That Is…

After World War II, Elmer Sprunger came to Bigfork, Montana to live and work. His experiences with the wildlife of Montana became the theme of his drawings and paintings. And since my folks and I also lived in Bigfork, Montana for a while, we got to know Mr. Sprunger and his family. My Mom and Dad were teachers in Bigfork–and probably got to know Mr. Sprunger through his kids at the Bigfork school.

No matter how they met Mr. Sprunger, my folks developed a friendship with him such that they were able to acquire some of his paintings. Mr. Sprunger passed away in 2007– but he has left his legacy of beautiful wildlife paintings and drawings for others to enjoy.

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by David Burgess on May 8, 2018 0

10 Tips to Promoting Creativity

Here are 10 steps to promote creativity in your life and lifestyle.

The truth is I believe everyone has some creative bent; a creative talent or way of expressing yourself. Some people arrange flowers; some sew clothes; some love to bake or cook; some are into interior decorating. Whether you are writing novels or just blogs; drawing portraits or architectural plans, carving wood or jewelry-making, taking creative photographs or taking pi to the next level, everyone is exercising their creativity some way. As creative people, we need to cultivate time, space, and a mindset to allow for that creativity to happen.

Photo credit: Photo of my friend, Merrily McCarthy, a fabulous artist living in the Yosemite Valley in California.

1. Time.

The first thing you must do is carve out the time to allow for creativity to happen. Whether you have toddlers under foot or a corporate job to run off too, you still have to find the time to energize your creative soul. You can carve out time at the beginning of the day or after everyone else has gone to bed, or dedicate a Saturday to your creativity; which ever way you do it, make sure you have a block of uninterrupted time just for you. The truth is we make time for what is a priority in our lives. So the question is, how important is your creativity to you?

2. Space.

With me, as a painter, I find I am energized to paint at the drop of a hat, if there is a space set up for me to close the door and keep the world at bay. For some, it only needs to be a small corner of a table or bench, for others you will need a garage or a separate studio. Whatever the need, make sure your space will accommodate you and your creative work and allow you to step into and out of it with relative ease.

Photo credit: Photo taken by myself of workspace at Sorenson Studio in Fresno CA.

3. Support.

This seems an obvious necessity but sometimes it has to be asked for. Your family needs to know that you NEED this, so ask for their support. It helps to have a spouse or children that will have your back when it is your creative time. You will be happier for the time and they will be happier to have you fulfilled.

Photo credit: Royalty free image from stockxchng.com

4. No Interruptions.

Turn off all electronic devices that may call you away and suck up your creativity time. Turn off your email alarms and twitter feeds. Turn off your phone. You can always get back to people later. That’s what God made messages and voice mail for.

There are times when interruptions are unavoidable, such as children needing you or emergencies. However most interruptions can be avoided by simply turning off ringing devices. Think about it.

Photo credit: Photo I took of my granddaughter playing with the phone.

5. No excuses.

As you build up the habit of taking time for your creativity, you may find you are not in “the mood” every day or every time you have it on your schedule. The funny thing is that if you let that be a good excuse, you will stop keeping your scheduled creative appointments. Make yourself, whether you feel it or not and the feelings will follow. It’s funny how the mood comes as soon as you start creating and not before. I like to read about artists
who overcame great odds and obstacles to create world famous works of art. In light of their sacrifice, I feel I have no room to complain that I’m not in the mood.

6. Make a list.

I don’t always know what to do during my creative time, so I have begun making lists. In the middle of the day or at night an inspiration may hit me. I have started the habit of writing these inspirations down and later when I have the time, I can explore them more fully. Some people tell me they get inspired in the shower or driving. It is as if creativity will hit you most often when you aren’t really thinking about anything. Write it down. You will be excited to see how the list grows.

9. Join a group.

Join a group of like-minded creatives in your area and actually attend meetings. There are writers groups, art groups, woodworkers, drama and theater groups; you name it, there is probably a group somewhere nearby. The benefit of being able to visit like-minded creatives is so varied that I could never list them all. One of the best benefits is the constant inspiration. Every time I come home from a meeting with my art group, I feel inspired to create something new.

Photo credit: Photo I took at my last art group meeting as we watched a demonstration.

10. Share your creativity.

Dean Dallin demonstration There is a certain fulfillment that comes with sharing your creative bent with others. Donate a work of art per year; create something for a family member’s birthday or holiday; share a photo of your work on social media; volunteer to do a demonstration. Wherever you share your work, make sure it is with someone who will appreciate what you have done. Nothing hurts worse than giving a gift of your creativity to someone who doesn’t like your work or doesn’t appreciate you. However those who do appreciate creativity will serve to energize your future work. Create on.

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by David Burgess on May 8, 2018 0

Playwright Zoo

Zoo playwriting?

A resource linking you to some of the coolest new trends as well as classics particular to playwrights and their craft. — And check out the Playwright Zoo Archive for past musings and featured artists.

Polar Bears

The coolest.
Michael R. McGuire is one of the playwrights whose opinion I trust. He’s a theater artist working within his community as a major contributor to the local arts scene in New London, Connecticut. He is a self-taught self-starter who also helps other theater-artists see their work produced. I’ve know Mike for a few decades, and we’ve worked together to co-produce new-play festivals and full-up productions. He founded a playwrights group that meets regularly throughout the year where members bring new work to have it read and discussed (then we all go out for food and beer). He’s the kind of guy you want to have around when you’re trying to get a new piece on its feet. Everybody should have a friend like Mike.

Michael R. McGuire has written plays for the past 16 years. His play SOMETIMES I FEEL LIKE I MISSED THE TRAIN was part of The Lark’s 2004 Playwrights Week and showcased by The Planning Stage at The Golden Street Gallery in 2006. He was awarded a CT Artist Fellowship in 2005 for his play THE NEW GIRL with which he produced a showcase at the Avery Point Playhouse. His plays PERSEPHONE RULES! and THE MISJUDGMENT OF OENONE are published by Brooklyn Publishers.

McGuire founded the playwrights reading group Writers’ Roundtable in 2000.

The interview:

Michael R. McGuire – why the “R”?

There is another playwright in America named Michael McGuire. We were getting one another’s rejection letters returned. The other McGuire has been around longer so I added my middle initial. Plus, it sounds cooler.

You’re a playwright based in Southeastern Connecticut. What are some of the challenges to you as a playwright not being in a big city?

The biggest challenge is the lack of opportunity to network with theater professionals. Literary managers have no face to put with my name. Of course this might also be an advantage…

What are the benefits?

I enjoy being an outsider. Because so many playwrights live in NY, they tend to have a New York sensibility. My New London, CT sensibility is a bit different and informs my writing.

Living in a small arts community like New London County, how essential to you and your work has been the acquisition of production skills?

I have produced, directed and also acted in many of my own productions. It is essential for a playwright to see the work in front of an audience. If opportunities do not present themselves, you must create them.

What makes you want to produce the works of others as well as your own?

I sometimes come across a script that I simply must see on stage. Your play TO DIE FOR WANT OF LOBSTER was one of these. (That it had a great role for me had nothing to do with it)

I do not consider myself an especially skilled director of the works of others and prefer to leave that to others when I can.

Being outside of the mainstream loops and circles that life in New York or another theater hub could offer, how do you get your work out there? Do you have a marketing plan? If so, how does it work?

I wouldn’t call it a plan so much as a dogged tenacity to submit my work to every theater I can find that might be appropriate. In addition to Dramatists Sourcebook, I also search online and scour the resumes of playwrights I admire for theaters they began in.

I keep a database of all my submissions and mail frequently. How does it work? I’m not so sure it does!

While the stereotype of the struggling playwright places him/her in a room, alone, flushing out genius across pages, waiting for discovery – how does it really work from your experience? Are you alone or do you depend on others?

I write in coffee shops. I need a bit of hubbub to write. Silence is deadly to me. I read a great deal and consider all writing as part of a larger conversation. Nothing is created in a vacuum. Our playwrights group Writers’ Roundtable has been a valuable resource for feedback and inspiration.

How did you find other artists in your small-town community to work on your plays?

Mine is a theater-heavy small-town due, in part, to our proximity to The O’Neill. New London has an artistically thriving if financially struggling community. I am also fortunate to have an actress girlfriend, Heidi Harger, who has inspired imagery for more than one of my plays.

What resources are do you use to expand your knowledge of writing? What’s available when you’re off the beaten path?
Given Amazon.com everything that is available elsewhere is available here. The works of Gary Garrison, Jeffery Sweet and Stuart Spenser have been valuable, especially early on. Reading the works of current playwrights has also been important. I have to travel a bit to see professional theater, but every playwright should watch live theater.

You recently participated in a 24-hour play experiment, which was the first of it’s kind in the New London area – what was that like? What was unexpected?

We were given an assignment in the evening and had to have a 10 page play written by morning. The plays were handed off to randomly selected actors and director who rehearsed and had the play before an audience that night. It was fun for me because I didn’t have to direct it myself, a rare treat.

Unexpectedly my director, unknown to me before the project, is interested in an on-going collaboration on future plays.

You’ve also participated in the now defunct Local Playwrights Festival at the O’Neill Theater Center, which was produced and performed by all Connecticut and Rhode Island based volunteers to present workshops of plays by local authors – how relevant was that earlier experience for you?

Having an early play (WHAT’S GONNA SET YOU FREE?) selected for that festival was the encouragement I needed at that time to let me know I might be in the right business. It also introduced me to other playwrights and the local theater community at large. It is impossible to overstate the importance of that event. You may blame them for all my subsequent scribbling.

Any plans for the short play that came out of that?

I’m not much of a short play writer in general, but I may send it out here and there.

What are some recommend reads for playwrights?

I mentioned some writers above, and of course read any play you can get your hands on, but also read magazines, novels, comic books, essays and everything else. Ideas are everywhere. I could live ten lifetimes and not run out of ideas.

What do you recommend a playwright order from the bar when being taken out after a showing of one of his/her plays?

If the show went well, have a Guiness or two. Remain sober enough to absorb the praise. If the show went poorly, start pounding whiskey. I accept no responsibility for anyone who follows this advice.

Anything else?

Learn the rules and then break them with style.

The Monkey House

Musings on the state of theater-arts

A Playwright & Web Forums: How to Use Them for the POWER OF GOOD
(your good & others)
from the mind of Kato McNickle

There are a lot of playwright specific forums, groups on Facebook or MySpace, and other web-based cyber-groups floating around. One thing I’ve noticed from participating in these forums and groups is that about 1 outta 50 playwrights actually knows how to interface, interact, and maximize the potential of these virtual porticoes. How savvy are you when it comes to participation thru posting? Are you that one or the other 50?

If that forum your a member of was a theater — what would you do with it? Would you really only tap on the mike once our twice, see if it was on, and only leave a brief calling card — or would you do more? Can you do something more memorable, more lasting, more significant with your stage-time?

I think sites such as these are like stage-time. How can you do more than leave a calling card? How can you use this forum to make a statement — to leave an impression? From impressions come connections. The connections are what we seeks as artists.

Visit the Playwright Zoo Archive.

Creative Creatures

Workshops for the writer @ Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health

Writing as a spiritual practice, a creative path, or as a way to re-vision your life story helps you access the thoughts behind your thoughts and experience a new intimacy with yourself. Writing helps us make friends with our inner critic, freeing us to create and express without inhibition.

Kripalu provides a welcoming environment in which to turn inward toward the words that are calling you-and offers you a variety of skilled teachers to guide you on the next step of your writing journey.

FastLinks to theaters

These theaters accept unsolicited plays

Actors Theatre of Louisville
Louisville, KY. National 10-minute play contest.

Act II Playhouse
Ambler, PA. Full length plays, musicals, and solo pieces.

African Continuum Theatre
Washington, DC. Multicultural work relevant to African-American community.

Alabama Shakespeare Festival
Montgomery, AL. Plays from Southern writers with Southern or African-American themes.

Amas Musical Theatre, Inc.
NYC. Multicultural casts and themes.

ART Station
Stone Mountain, GA. Full-length plays, musicals, solo pieces that describe Southern experience.

Asian American Theatre Company
San Francisco, CA. Innovative rendrings about the Asian American experience.

Bristol River Theatre
Bristol, PA Cutting-edge works, plays that experiment with form.

Celebration Theatre
West Hollywood, CA. Plays not previously produced that provide a prgressive gay and lesbian voice in contemporary theatre.

Centre Stage-South Carolina
Greenville, SC. Full-length, unproduced plays.

City Theatre
Miami, FL. One acts only that represent a diverse mix of subjects and themes.

Columbus Children’s Theatre
Columbus, OH. Social issue one-acts acceptable for audiences in grades K-5.

Dad’s Garage
Atlanta, GA. Full-length nontraditional plays, comedies.

Detroit Repertory Theatre
Detroit, MI. Full-length issue oriented plays.

East West Players
Los Angeles, CA. Plays by or about the Asian American experience.

El Centro Su Teatro
Bilingual and/or Spanish language plays, plays dealing with the Chicano/Latino cultural asthetic or political experience.

Express Children’s Theatre
Houston, TX. Plays for young audiences.

5th Avenue Theatre
Seattle, WA. Adventure Musical Theatre: ongoing program that commissions original musicals performed for K-6 students.

Foothill Theatre
Nevada City, CA. Seeks full-length plays. New Voices of the Wild West: annual spring series of plays about the rural American West.

Growing Stage Theatre
Netcong, NJ. Accepts plays with a production history suitable for family audiences.

Hangar Theatre
Ithaca, NY. Accepts one-acts for for young audiences only.

Huntington Theatre
Boston, MA. Accepts plays from Boston area playwrights only; agent submission all others.

Jewish Theatre of the South
Atlanta, GA. Works on Jewish themes.

Jobsite Theater
Tampa, FL. Topical, politically and socially relevant theatre; plays appealing to 20- and 30- somethnings.

Kitchen Dog Theater Company
Dallas, TX. Plays from Texas and Southwest playwrights.

Kuma Kahua Theatre
Honolulu, HI. Plays set in Hawaii or dealing with Hawaiian experience.

Merry-Go-Round Playhouse
Auburn, NY. Plays for young audiences.

Mill Mountain Theatre
Roanoke, VA. Accepts unsolicited one-acts for CenterPieces reding series only.

Miracle Theatre Group
Portland, OR. Hispanic playwrights, plays that deal with the Hispanic experience.

Mu Performing Arts
Minneapolis, MN. Asian-American expeience, plays combining traditional Asian performance with Western theatre styles, short plays suitable for school tours.

New Georges
NYC. plays by women only, works with vigorous use of language and heightened perspectives on reality.

New Jersey Repertory Company
Long Branch, NJ. Work not produced professionally, social or humanistic themes.

A Noise Within
Glendale, CA. Translations or adaptations of classical material only.

Oldcastle Theatre Company
Bennington, VT. Accepts musicals and plays.

OpenStage Theatre & Company
Fort Collins, CO. Accepts full-length plays.

Oregon Children’s Theatre
Portland, OR. Plays and musicals for young and family audiences.

Playhouse on the Square
Memphis, TN. Full-length plays and musicals.

Playwrights Horizons
NYC. American writers only, works with strong sense of language that take theatrical risks.

Porchlight Music Theatre Chicago
Chicago, IL. Full-length and one-act musicals.

Sanctuary: Playwrights Theatre
Brooklyn, NY. Accepts playwrights with at least one professional production only; prefers plays with unusul structure, radical core ideas, epic form, work that’s off the map or otherwise seen as impractical.

Seattle Children’s Theatre
Seattle, WA. Accepts unsolicted plays for Drama Summer School season only: one-act plays suitable for young actors.

Seem-To-Be-Players
Lawrence, KS. Plays for young audiences.

Soho Repertory Theatre
NYC. Accepts unsolicited scripts for Writer/Director Lab only, deadline: May.

TADA! Youth Theater
NYC. Plays for young audiences.

Thalia Spanish Theatre
Sunnyside, NY. Plays with Hispanic themes.

Theater by he Blind
NYC. Works by and about being blind.

Theater for the New City
NYC. Experimental American works; plays with poetry, music, and dance; social issues.

Trustus Theatre
Columbia, SC. One-acts for late night series – 45-75 minutes in length. No topic or experimental structure is taboo.

Two Chairs Theater Company
Grand Junction, CO. Full-length, one-acts, 10-minute plays. Annual short play fest, deadline Jan. 31.

Unicorn Theatre
Kansas City. MO. Full-length contemporay social issues.

Victory Gardens Theater
Chicago, IL. Accepts plays from Chicago residents only. All others submit 10-page sample and letter of inquiry.

VS Theatre Company
Los Angeles, CA. Accepts unique and edgy full-length unproduced plays with submission form.