Q&A: Actor/Writer Paden Fallis on "Dark at the End of the Tunnel"

Paden Fallis is an actor and writer whose second full-length solo play, DARK AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL, performs October 24th as part of the United Solo Festival in New York. It’s the story of a blind man who wakes up lost and confused, fearing he may have killed a man. Desperate for answers, he delves into his childhood, his loss of sight, regrets, and his strange fascination with US General Curtis LeMay. Theatre Jones described it as “the acting equivalent to a gymnast’s floor routine.” Developed through a residency at The Field and with input from Visions services for the visually impaired, it shares themes of blindness—both literally and figuratively—with Fallis’ first piece, THE PLAY ABOUT THE COACH. That play convincingly creates an entire college basketball game from the coach’s point of view. Both pieces have received critical acclaim, with runs at Dallas’ Out of the Loop Festival, the Philadelphia Fringe Festival, and The Kitchen, The Tank, and The Peoples Improv Theatre (PIT) in New York. Paden joined us to discuss the plays, his own connection to their common themes, and what’s next for him.

Making the Shoot: Win an LA Photo Celebrity Shoot for The Lab Magazine

Making the Shoot (MTS) is an international photography competition hosted by The Lab Magazine (a recent stated “Site of the Day”) and Photoculture, created “to offer life-changing opportunities for photographers worldwide, find and promote emerging talent, and cultivate a new standard in juried competitions.”

Making the Shoot describes the competition. “Taking the step from being a photographer to a ‘working’ photographer can be a big leap, and as artists ourselves, we’ve been there. What is ultimately needed to move a career forward—access to a great subject, working with experienced hair/make-up/wardrobe, top tier production tools, and the ability to have your work published and seen in a great platform—can seem out of reach for many. We can amend that.”

Making the Shoot will be offering several prizes from their sponsors, but it’s also a great opportunity for the selected photographer, who will be flown to Los Angeles in January 2012 for a fully-financed celebrity photo shoot to be published in The Lab Magazine’s issue No. 5, on stands worldwide in March 2012.

An impressive lineup of professional judges has been assembled to critique submissions.

To enter, visit www.makingtheshoot.com and submit your work to have it seen by some of the top photographers, agents, stylists, managers and creative minds in the industry.

The Project Solution Makes a Direct Impact

We first met Joe Gonzalez when we interviewed Jimmy Aquino, his co-host for the Comic News Insider podcast, at New York Comic Con last year. Gonzalez has since left the podcast to devote himself to The Project Solution, a non-profit philanthropic organization he co-founded with Tara Bracco.

The Project Solution’s goal is simple: to apply funds directly to specific, low-cost, and attainable projects in distressed parts of the world. With many organizations, when a someone makes a donation, it’s difficult to know exactly where their money actually goes. When a donation is made to The Project Solution, the donor knows exactly where and how their money is spent and what—and who—their contribution affects.

Just a few of the young organization’s many completed projects include:

• Building a new roof for the Foyer d’Orelph Orphanage in Haiti
• Extending a water tap to the Cameroon village of Fuli, bringing fresh water to 500 locals
• Building a new bathroom facility in the Indian village of Bachevra to serve the local school and villagers
• Building a bathroom facility for a primary school of 150 children who previously had no facilities
• Purchasing a computer for orphans at the Africa Hope Center in Kenya through “The 10-Cent Project,” Solution program,” which works with schools to give students the opportunity to help children throughout the world with dimes
• And too many more to list…

The Project Solution continues to grow and expand its many programs, offering community outreach and informational events, as well as showcases of student artwork from around the world with its Art Project Solution. They also make it easy to get involved, offering an annual “Subscription for Change” option at reasonable levels.

Check out the video below and visit www.theprojectsolution.org for more info.

SITE OF THE DAY: "The Lab Magazine" Features Art, Fashion, Film, Music, and Photography Interviews

The Lab Magazine is a print and online publication covering art, music, film, photography, and fashion. The majority of the site and magazine’s content consists of interviews with personalities of note, from musicians such as Florence Welch (of Florence & The Machine) and Lykke Li to actors such as Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad) and Sam Rockwell. Often even the interviewer is an artist of note, such as actors Paul Rudd and Terrence Howard. The site is stylish and a nice complement to the print edition. Check out the LAB.TV section for video features such as short films, musical performances, and behind-the-scenes coverage of photo shoots.

Rest in Peace, Steve Jobs: 1955-2011

The world has lost a true visionary with the death of Steve Jobs, co-founder and former CEO of Apple. He was an undisputable genius of his time, revolutionizing the technology space, changing the way we listen to music, and combining exquisite design and function in products we didn’t know we couldn’t live without.

A former Gizmodo staffer has posted a nice story about Jobs and the grace he displayed during the Gizmodo iPhone 4 debacle last year. Definitely worth a read. Apple has also posted a simple tribute at www.apple.com/stevejobs.

We’ll miss you, Steve.