We all enjoyed a nice break over the holidays, and that goes for #goodjobtexasjr as well. But we knew 2013 wasn’t that far away, and in those closing weeks we worked on a plan of action to start the year strong.
So far, so good… Continue reading
Author: Lee Hurtado
The E-Book As Appointment TV: John Scalzi’s The Human Division
One of the highlights of my year in geek culture was finally discovering John Scalzi. Of course, it was through his brilliant novel Redshirts, which is about precisely what you’d think, until it inverts and subverts itself in ways I can’t begin to reveal here. Just trust me on this, if you’re a sci-fi geek and you haven’t read it yet, you really should.
And if (like me), the experience of Redshirts inspires you to try more of his work, you should check out his newest project. It might be the best midseason replacement you’re not watching.
Granted, that’s only because it’s not actually on TV. But still.
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An Open Letter To My Niece
Dear Penny,
It was great hanging out with you all this Christmas – I hope you had fun too.
One of the best parts of the holiday (even better than getting to introduce you to Doctor Who) was seeing the look on your face when you opened your present. When you’re trying to find a gift for someone, you always hope you know them well enough to make sure it’s something they’ll really like, but you never really know until you see their reaction. And knowing some of the conversations we’ve had about film music in the past, I was hoping this one would go over well. I’m glad it did. 🙂
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The Hobbit: An Unexpected Solace
As I was getting ready to leave for the Drafthouse, I told a good friend that I needed an escape from the darkness of the day.
Of course, there’s a little more to the story behind my chosen escape route.
In Great Company
It started with Orson Welles, of course.
When I was much younger, and in the earliest stages of my obsession with sci-fi, I learned about the Mercury Theatre of the Air, and their famous broadcast of The War of the Worlds. I remember hearing it for the first time and thinking it was so cool. (Seriously, take away all the baggage of its history, and it still holds up.)
Since then, I’ve always had a weakness for old-time radio drama. And as I haven’t heard nearly enough of it in my life, I can’t pass up an opportunity to recreate that classic radio experience.
Combine that with one of my favorite holiday stories, then add some wonderful local actors, and you have the kind of show I can’t resist. Continue reading
Reflections On The Spiritual Discipline Of Putting Up A Charlie Brown Christmas Tree
The beginning of the holiday season is very personal to each of us. For some, it may be the day after Thanksgiving. For others, it may be the first time It’s a Wonderful Life or Elf or Die Hard airs. (I’ll admit, I don’t get that last one, but that’s probably just me.)
For me, it’s really quite simple:
First listen to Guaraldi’s “A Charlie Brown Christmas.” First listen to @sirpatstew‘s reading of “A Christmas Carol.” The holidays are here.
— Lee Hurtado (@HurtadoSt) November 28, 2012 Continue reading
In Which We #power Up And Set The #scene
#goodjobtexasjr began this summer with one show. But it’s since grown into something much more.
Week by week, as we moved forward with the show, we’d see new segments added, and new team members would join us to help expand the show beyond its original studio space, and beyond its original mission statement. By the last show of #rocktober, #youngandfresh wasn’t simply a music show, but a showcase for the community.
It wasn’t long before it would become a showcase for the network…
Attuned
I’d like to think it’s a mark of success for The San Antonio Stage Script Study Group that so many of our meetings leave me thinking of things I wish I’d thought to say in the moment.
And it’s safe to say that the ideas inspired by our most recent meeting are very me. Continue reading
Making A #goodjob Great
When Nikki signed on to host a show on #goodjobtexas, I had a feeling there would be much more to #youngandfresh once we really got into it. One of Nikki’s gifts is the ability to look past the present moment of a project and see its future potential.
And there’s a LOT of potential in this one. Continue reading
‘Fast’ Friends
Since the end of PDP‘s last regular acting classes, we’ve had a lot of people asking when Nikki would be teaching again. And while it may be a cliché to say their interest was overwhelming, we really were overwhelmed to find out how much those classes really meant to people. So we looked for the kind of “limited-engagement events” I’d mentioned in that post.
The first of those events came in the summer, as Nikki led a summer acting camp at The Rose Theatre Company. And parents and kids alike responded really well to Movie Magic. So when the opportunity for another workshop… well, arose, it made great sense to return to the theater. Continue reading
Lee Hurtado, Writer 