Time: Tue, 01-May-2001 15:30:00 GMT     IP: 165.97.10.201

Dear Fellow Artist et the Shamu Sho Kilim,

Mee end Vanity Fairy bof sez yu kikt al ar assis yu wuhs so gud. 
I hoppe yu wil do yore rapping agin nekst time. Maybee in sum nu 
langijes.

Your Fellow Artist,

Ratgirl

Time: Tue, 01-May-2001 18:59:36 GMT     IP: 198.214.102.11

Alas, I don't know if Korey knows any other languages besides 
English and German. Jeremy Lamb, however, has been known to rap 
in French, so perhaps we could have a Franco-Prussian War/Battle 
of Verdun/Maginot Line recreation between our Teutonic and Gallic 
rappers. I'd write the frame if you guys are up for it.

Time: Tue, 01-May-2001 19:50:12 GMT     IP: 165.97.10.201

Dear Fellow Artists et Shamu Sho,

THET WIL BEE SO CULE - YU GYS GOT TOO DOO ITT!!!

Yu kin go on ture efterwords end becom famus.

Your Fellow Artist,

Ratgirl

Time: Wed, 02-May-2001 07:38:16 GMT     IP: 24.27.44.115

YES!  Let the war commence (but not until after this week's show 
so I can witness it.)

Time: Wed, 02-May-2001 19:10:16 GMT     IP: 129.116.78.131

We'll just have to see, ya'll.  

Time: Thu, 03-May-2001 20:44:56 GMT     IP: 198.214.102.11

Hey everybody,

Do a good show this weekend. I'll be in New Orleans for Jazzfest 
(yay!) and will sadly miss the third No Shame (boo!).

But you will be in the more than capable hands of Allison 
DeFrees and I hope to return from Louisiana bitterly 
disappointed that I will have missed the best No Shame in Austin 
to date. I know of a number of people who'll be performing this 
weekend. It should be a fab show.

Drop me a line and tell me how it goes.

Shannon

Time: Tue, 08-May-2001 14:07:22 GMT     IP: 198.214.104.105

Hey everybody,

How was the show this past Saturday? Haven't heard from anyone.

Shannon

Time: Wed, 16-May-2001 21:03:08 GMT     IP: 64.217.73.146

It got as quiet as a dot-com downturn in here ...

Time: Fri, 18-May-2001 13:40:36 GMT     IP: 198.214.103.189

Yeah, I don't know what's going on. Maybe having a show this 
weekend will get people inspired to post long, partisan reviews 
of the show. More life, I say!

Your host

Time: Fri, 18-May-2001 20:30:42 GMT     IP: 165.97.10.201

Dear Fellow Artists et the Shamu Sho,
Four the Shamu Sho tomaro, I is going too doo sumfing wif 
gumdraps.
Whut abowt yus?
Your Fellow Artist,
Ratgirl

Time: Fri, 18-May-2001 20:34:15 GMT     IP: 165.97.10.201

Dear Fellow Artists et the Shamu Sho,
Is wee going too hev a wrap wor er nut?
Whut upp, mi homies? I fink yus is skird. I wil wrap in rat, iff 
yus wil wrap inn the langijis uv yur natif peepuls.
Your Fellow Artist,
Ratgirl

Time: Sun, 20-May-2001 06:59:31 GMT     IP: 24.27.44.83

Well, good thing I didn't take you up on that bet, Ratgirl, 
because Michael Barnes did respond to my second email.  Here is 
what he wrote:

"Amie, very good points. There is a subjective element to all 
this as well. Try as we might to make lofty decisions, we 
critics often end up reduced saying: "I liked that!" or "I 
didn't prefer that." Anyway, continue keeping us honest, Michael"

OK, a sort of honest answer.  But it still doesn't make things 
right in my book.  Sigh.

As far as the show tonight, I have to say that I thought the 
overall quality of the pieces was a little better than the last 
show I attended (end of April).  However, I didn't understand 
the films.  Especially the one with the TV.  Anyone care to let 
me in on the joke?  Somebody sure thought it was funny.

Also, why did we have to start almost half an hour late?  Is it 
something I should expect for every show?  If so, that's ok, I 
just need to be mentally prepared next time.  On a brighter 
note, this show seemed to go faster than the last one I saw, 
even with the late start time.  Faster is good.

My favorite pieces were the dog piece (it made me cry) and the 
tap dance piece.  Good job, guys.

One last thing for this message post, all of you who aren't 
otherwise engaged this coming Friday or Saturday, May 25th and 
26th, should most definately check out HyperZoo by Ethos.  It's 
a performance art installation and it's one of the most 
evocative things I've seen in a long time.  And I'm not just 
saying that because I know the people involved, because frankly, 
I'm not a big fan of Ethos' work.  However, I really liked this 
piece.  Tickets are only $7 and you can stop by any time during 
zoo hours, which are from 9PM-11PM.  You can stay as long as you 
want and leave when you're ready.  No pressure.  It's like an 
art exhibit.  The zoo is located in an airplane hanger at the 
old Meuller Airport.  Getting there can be sort of confusing so 
follow these directions carefully.  From I35, travel SE on 
Airport Blvd. for about 3/4 of a mile.  Look for Patterson Park 
on your right.  (If you make it to 38 1/2 street, you've gone 
too far.)  Directly across from the park, there is a cluster of 
buildings and a huge Phillips 66 sign.  Turn in to the parking 
lot and you're there.  Hope some of you can make it.

Thanks for a fun show.  I won't be able to make it to the next 
No Shame because of a family reunion, but I'll definately be 
back for more.

Amie  

Time: Mon, 21-May-2001 21:49:26 GMT     IP: 66.68.79.115

But. Wasn't able to make the show last Saturday. And I really 
wanted to. Too many engagements, too little time.

Time: Mon, 21-May-2001 21:50:23 GMT     IP: 66.68.79.115

What was this email in reference to, Amie? I'm lost.

Time: Wed, 23-May-2001 03:18:08 GMT     IP: 209.184.0.143

Order from 5/19/01

Sorry we don't have the order from the show I missed (5/5/01). I 
heard it was small but that there were some lovely pieces. Lauri 
Anne Poole"s (sp?) piece was especially fine from what my peeps 
have reported.

Anyway, I thought this last show was pretty solid. Many video 
pieces, monologues, etc. I'd still like to see more pieces 
involving more than two people, but that I hope will come with 
time. Consider it my challenge to you for next show.

Enough yakking, here's the order:


1. Antonio Benavides Cantu Diego Espiritu Franciso Garcia 
Hernandez Ignacio Jesus Karne Lopez Martinez Nunez Ochoa Perez 
Quiroz Reyes Sanchez Tito Uno Valdez Wowie Xochi Ybarra Zulu 
Smeeth, by same (Gonzo Gonzalez). A short mysterious message to 
all the ladies from a guy named Chili. Video piece.

2. Critical Exchange, by Amie Elyn. Amie reads from and gives 
thoughts on her recent emails to American-Statesman critic 
Michael Barnes on the inequities of the nominating process for 
Austin theatre awards. Essay/monologue/manifesto.

3. Slaves in My Bunker (#12), by Ratgirl. Ratgirl tells us of 
her living arrangements and the sorry state of her tiny guitar, 
then sings a ditty about Thom the World Poet to the tune of 
Yellow Rose of Texas. Comic monologue.

4. Georgie Girl, by Roy Dearen. Bubble Boy Roy's piece about his 
dog Georgie. Dramatic monologue.

5. My Blues Had a Baby and They Called it Bi-Polar Disorder, by 
David Trachtenberg. Blues song about the travails of bi-polar 
disorder. Musical piece.

6. Summer Lovin', by Chelsea Gilman. Film starring Jeff Amos and 
his cigarettes on a ferris wheel.

7. Worst Case Scenario, by Loaded Gun Theory. Perfomed by Travis 
Holmes and a couple of the LGT people I don't know. Insturctions 
on how to survive cougar attacks, charging bulls, and alien 
invasions. Comedy sketch.

8. Gook as Sugar Toes the Chinaman, by Gook (Hung Nguyen). While 
Spike Jones' song "You're a Sap Mr. Jap" plays, Hung in yellow 
face does tap dance routine. Conceptual comic dance piece.

9. The People's Republic of No Shame Part 1 or Erin Brown Took 
the Crown, by Shannon McCormiick (based on material provided by 
Lee Eddy). Shannon reads from high school year books while 
talking about colors as last names, STDs, and dance contests. 
Conceptual/dramatic monologue.

10. The U.S. Mint, by Jeremy Lamb. Film starring Jeremy and 
other cats from the Well Hung Jury. Jeremy struggles with props 
including a beer can and a television while the TV yammers on 
about the number of $5,000 bills in circulation. Conceptual film.

11. Common People, by Jarvis Cocker. Performed by Mike D'Alonzo 
and Chris Alonzo. Mike introduces Jarvis Cocker (Chris) who 
sings Common People while wasted, then announces he will never 
play Austin again. Musical sketch.

12. The Wounded Girlfriend, by Veronica Nicks. Veronica reads 
her mission statement and the text from a package of razors to 
an unseen mental health professional or perhaps an ex-boyfriend. 
Serio-comic monolgue.

13. Nocturne, by Jon Benner. Starring Ben Sterling and some guys 
I don't know. Experimental film-noiry piece including beat-heavy 
instrumental music. Film.

Time: Wed, 23-May-2001 03:20:25 GMT     IP: 209.184.0.143

New No Shame stuff:

Here's the new deal. I've been feeling that it's been taking me 
too long to get the show started and Amie Elyn has confirmed my 
suspicions. I think one of the ways that I can deal with this is 
by having sign-ups start at 10:30 on Saturday nights. This will 
allow for people to get to the Hideout a little bit later than 
they have been and will cut down on the bored milling around 
factor that I'm sure contributes to pre-show fatigue. The other 
thing I'm going to do is not open the space at all until 10:50 
and then I'll let everyone in, perfomers and audience alike, at 
the same time. And then the show will start as close to 11 as 
possible.

The other thing I would like to see happen is for someone to 
volunteer to be our house manager in the same way Allison 
DeFrees has been helping me do box office. This would be a 
simple role, but it would alleviate the pressure on me while I 
take scripts and ferry them up to the light booth, etc. If 
anyone would be interested in lending a hand, please let me know.

OK, so there's the new deal.

Sign-ups at 10:30

Everyone enters the space at the same time

Looking for a helping hand in the house manager role


Thank you all. You are beautiful.

Your host,

Shannon

Time: Wed, 23-May-2001 03:24:20 GMT     IP: 209.184.0.143

Two more things:

I've seen the mock-up of the poster we're going to distribute for 
June and it kicks ass. Brain Yanish is a genius. You can visit 
his web site at www.brianyanish.com.

If anyone would like to post scripts to the No Shame web site for 
other No Shamers to peruse, contact me or the web master whose 
address in somewhere on the No Shame pages (I just can't think of 
it right now).

Shannon

Time: Wed, 23-May-2001 20:28:37 GMT     IP: 24.27.44.83

In my piece last Saturday, I shared some of the email I have been 
exchanging with Michael Barnes about the Austin Theatre Critics 
Table Award nominations.  The post on the message board was his 
response to one of my replys.

Time: Fri, 25-May-2001 04:21:01 GMT     IP: 24.27.44.83

Then why did it feel like it was 5 hours long?

I'll tell you why.  "Wit" has to be one of the most boring, one 
note plays I've ever seen.  It would have made a much better 
short story.  Why does Pulizer Prize have to equal dull?  Who 
gives those things out?  I don't know, but I can guess.  Boring, 
middle and upper class white people.  Get with it, guys!

I have seen Spalding Gray and he talks for two hours and it's 
very engaging.  The main character in Wit retells the same 
monologue for less than two hours and I wanna slit my wrists.  
Maybe being a real person makes all the difference.  Then again, 
Heather Woodbury plays characters who do nothing but talk and 
it's riveting.  So maybe the real key is that the character or 
person talking HAS TO HAVE LED AN INTERESTING LIFE SO THEY HAVE 
SOMETHING INTERESTING TO SAY.  The main character in Wit does 
not fit that description.  She doesn't even come close.  I've 
sat next to more entertaining characters on the bus.

In short, don't waste your time or money.  RESIST THE HELL THAT 
IS POPULAR AMERICAN THEATRE.  

Time: Fri, 25-May-2001 16:36:30 GMT     IP: 165.97.10.201

Dear Fellow Artists et the Shamu Sho,

If yu is finking of seeing Wit, I fink itt wud bee betur too go 
too ve hospittle end spind 2 owers tauking too sik peepul end 
thin maybee spind $30 own bying thim baluns ur beeny babees.

The big stoogie has a sik muver thet wud luv four sum uv yu too 
vizit hur. She may bee dull butt et leest she's rilly sik end nut 
just pretending. Lest weke she fel owt a hur moterizd cher end 
hert hursef. Reel sikniss is so much mor funi, end intristing end 
emoshunully muving then pretend sikniss. Plus, it dudnit cost 
thirtee dolers too go si itt.

I thot the storee wuhs nut veri tru end I thot the mane ladee 
wusnit veri beleevabul er likabul. Jist becuz a play is abowt 
sumthing thet skares peepul, dudnit meen its gud. End whut wuz up 
wif hur gitting nekid et the end? Thet wuhs kind uv a mikst 
metefour, wusnit it? I mene, wuhs it supozd too bee sum kind uv 
metafisicul pairadocs? Too indikate beeing free frum the bodee, 
wee ekspose the bodee? Ratgirl thinks the awdiens mite bee 
smarter then the peepuls hoo thot up thet crap. Maybee nut. Butt 
I wuhs boored. Wuhs yu?

End wuts wif the docter bashing? Did a bunch uv loyers underrite 
the sho? Iff it wuhs supozed to sho how docters is unfeling, I 
got thet efter abowt 2 minits. I didnit nede itt to bee ramd doun 
my throte itt four 2 mor owers. End dey made de nurs intoo a 
saint. Der is mor sutiltee (uv carikter) in any givin episod uv 
Bay Wach.

(I chalinj inywon too disagri wif thet last statmint. I wil bring 
inn a copee uv a Bay Wach episod end wee wil wach it end thin yu 
kin tel mee hoo is rite.)

End this frum uh direkter hoo jist rote a buk own direkting. Gee, 
Ratgirl shur must bee et odds wif de wurld, but I wuhs mildlee 
insultid end mostlee bored by hiz rathur trite direkting choysis. 
Most impurtintlee, I didnit git the feling hee nu wut Def wif a 
capital D is al abowt.

I welcom rebutils, butt onlee frum peepuls hoo fev SEEN or HERD 
(fur the visiallee impard) the play, plees.

Thenk yu,

Your Fellow Artist,
Ratgirl

Time: Sat, 26-May-2001 13:36:02 GMT     IP: 209.184.0.216

I haven't seen Wit, so I'm staying away from that debate. But I 
just saw Anna Bella Eema at the Blue Theatre last night, and I 
would say it was the most satisfying production I've seen here 
in Austin. The play is good, the direction wonderful, and the 
three actresses each turn in one of the strongest perfomances 
I've seen. In short a true piece of theatre, and it looks like 
it only cost a handful of coins to stage. And it's experiemntal 
but still full of narrative.

I highly recommend this play. There are only a few shows left, 
and Sunday performance is for women only. Go see it.

Shannon

Time: Sun, 27-May-2001 06:05:27 GMT     IP: 66.68.162.59

well...fuck... you took the words right out of my mouth. i was 
really expecting a fucking wonderful show, and i got "wit"..if 
you could even call it that. i knew the experience was going to 
be a nightmare when the main character started speaking. there is 
nothing worse to me than the "actor voice" and that is all i got 
from the actress. she was so insanely disconnected from her 
character. through the show i kept thinking about how she must 
probably use that same voice in her stereotypical portrayals of 
shakespeare... and you know something is wrong when the audience 
starts thinking about the actor's private life and is not in any 
way being held by the scene. it must have been before the 20 
minute mark when i first had to look at my watch... i would do 
the same about 5 more times. 
see... i really wanted to like it... when you go to a show, you 
hope that the experience will be atleast somewhat enjoyable... i 
was truly bored through the entire show. the main problem for me 
was (as i discussed before) the main actress. if she atleast 
seemed remotely connected- i would have probably had an easier 
time, but she wasn't. it did not even seem as though SHE believed 
the character... and how can you expect an audience to believe 
you when you don't even believe yourself. her inflictions were 
odd.. 
the most exciting part of the show for me was seeing lameece play 
one of the students/ a doctor.. she is a tremendous actress.
if i hadn't gotten into the show for free and had ended up paying 
more than $5 for the ticket i would feel pretty disgruntled right 
now.
so if you haven't seen it... don't... but sometimes these kinds 
of plays are the most interesting. you learn from them... i 
really think they help actors/actresses grow... 

done,
yasmin