Don’t be looking for any thematic order here in Past
Goings-on…there isn’t any.
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An unusual
piece of work, this photo of cast members from Dark Shadows…curious in that
it seems to imply in its stateliness a definitive portrait of all the
principals of the piece…and with beautiful results, I must admit. However,
where, in fact, are the rest of the principals? I think I could count
at least a dozen actors of importance who are missing here. Let’s see:
One or two partly hidden or otherwise unrecognizeable creatures…one of them
could be Clarice Blackburn, poking her nose out from behind Louis
Edmonds. Those clearly among the missing are Lara Parker, Humbert Allen
Astredo and Thayer David (the very essence of D.S. for me). Where does this photo come from
anyway? I ask. I have no memory of ever having seen it before, let alone
posing for it…and occasions such as this are easily remembered. I strongly
suspect we were all photographed separately by some brilliant camera artist
and then one by one placed in various perspectives so that however distant
from the camera , every one comes out clearly…well, almost every one.
The whole thing, in a rather amusing way, resembles a room at Madame Tussauds
in |
>>>><<<<
CLICK
ON THE PHOTO TO BEGIN OUR LATEST FESTIVAL "TEASER"
>>>><<<<
CLICK
ON THE PHOTO TO BEGIN A RARE PERFORMANCE
FROM ITHICA, 1989
>>>><<<<
CLICK
ON THE PHOTO TO BEGIN
OUR LATEST SAMPLE FROM SHAKESPEARE AND
EVIL INCARNATE
>>>><<<<
Plot
of Arsenic and Old Lace
The 'murderous old lady'
plot line was inspired by actual events that occurred in a house in
Kesselring
originally conceived the play as a heavy drama, but a friend, reading the
half-finished play, convinced him it would be much more effective as a comedy,
a sort of farcical
black comedy
revolving around Mortimer Brewster, a theatre-hating drama critic who must
deal with his crazy, homicidal family and local police in Brooklyn,
New York, as he debates whether to go through with a honeymoon with the woman
he loves and has recently agreed to marry.
His
family includes two spinster aunts who have taken to murdering lonely old men by
poisoning them with a glass of home-made elderberry
wine laced with arsenic, cyanide and "just a pinch" of strychnine;
a brother who believes he is Teddy Roosevelt and digs locks for the Panama Canal
in the cellar of the Brewster home (which then serve as graves for the aunts'
victims); and a murderous brother who has received plastic
surgery performed by an alcoholic
accomplice, Dr. Einstein (a character based on real-life gangland surgeon Joseph Moran)
to conceal his identity and now looks like horror-film actor Boris Karloff
(a self-referential
joke, as the part was originally played by Karloff).
>>>><<<<
~~
UPDATING PHOTO GALLERY ~~
SOME
NEW PHOTOS CAN BE FOUND IN PHOTO
GALLERY SHOWCASING THE 2007 DARK SHADOWS FESTIVAL IN
>>>><<<<
On-going through
2008
with Jonathan Frid
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We’ve been gradually building up a sizeable number
of items being sold or put up for bidding on eBay during the past 2 or 3
months. It has been our driving ambition to dispose of most of the
materials stashed away or even “lost” for decades in our cellar rather than
let them rot as junk in a coating of dust. This undertaking will continue to expand even after
the holidays and on into the spring and summer of 2008. We would welcome any comments you might have on all
of these activities especially from those of you who have participated in
this eBay exercise so far…whether you have won a bidding or not. >>>><<<< |
A
POSSIBILITY FOR 2008
>>>><<<<<
Post
40th Anniversary business
The
more I get settled into a quieter mode following the months of hectic
preparations for "J.F.s 40th Anniversary" gala...the more I seem to
be evolving a new and fascinating approach to a cheerful way of spinning out my
senior years that will embrace my continuing career...all this based on a sort
of foolish notion I declared to my associates recently. "Folks",
I said, "My days of deadlines are over. I have created a new plan
for myself: Jonathan Frid's Four Year Plan". (I should live so long)
It's
not a book I'm thinking about but it is about a
website (JonathanFrid.com). It's about eBay. It will be about
readings/enacting tales old and new...and its about
preparing for future festivals, near and far...
(to be continued later in the week when our webmaster Mark
Lawrence returns)
>>>><<<<
A
brilliant last minute surprise at the recent
Dark Shadows Festival in Tarrytown, New York
Now
for the first time ever, you can own a DVD of Jonathan Frid on stage performing
one of his critically-acclaimed one-man shows! This DVD is Jonathan
Frid's Fridiculousness, arguably Frid's most popular one-man show, videotaped
in 1992 in
$13.95
covers the cost of the DVD and postage. Email nckersey@aol.com for
details on how to order this DVD for yourself; consider ordering several as
gifts!
>>>><<<<
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The As I reminisce over the August weekend
celebrating the 40th anniversary of my personal beginnings with
Dark Shadows, I am certainly mindful of the huge costs and endless
organization in connection with this huge success. |
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Meanwhile, I’m basking in waves of beautiful
memories inspired by the overwhelming reception given to me by the huge
audience present. Never before during that forty years had I come face
to face with so many warm smiles. Never before had I consciously tried to
make at least a flickering glance back as I scribbled my name or initials or
whatever. I was not always successful, of course, and I am very sorry about
that. It was ( You were ) an extraordinary audience
simply because you were more than with me throughout the various segments.
For a great deal of the time you were even ahead of me. You knew your subject
that well…”subject?... ”subjects”…not only Dark
Shadows, not only my Readers Theatre items, but my weird sense of humour as
well. Yes it takes two to tango and I felt we were a dazzling couple. Thank You |
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ANOTHER
SPIN FOR VISITORS' CORNER
YOU
WOULD BE AMAZED BY THE AMOUNT OF FEEDBACK THAT ACTUALLY COMES TO OUR ATTENTION
OVER A PERIOD OF TIME AND IT IS NOT EASY TO COPE WITH A RESPONSE, LET ALONE
READING ALL OF THEM. SO THEREFORE, STARTING IMMEDIATELY
MONDAY WE WILL BE POSTING ANY AND ALL FEEDBACK RECEIVED IN VISITORS' CORNER.
IT IS AN EXPERIMENT THAT WILL BE REPEATED EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE. THIS WAY
WE CAN KEEP THINGS MOVING IF NOT ALWAYS TO THE SATISFACTION OF MANY OF YOU
INSISTING UPON A RESPONSE. WE DO READ THEM AS BEST WE CAN AND WILL
CONTINUE TO TRY AND REPLY TO SOME.
>>>><<<<
John
Arkelian (editor of ArtsForum...a Canadian arts review located in Durham,
Ontario) who has written some of the most intelligent treatments
of Dark Shadows ever...has now added
Issue No. 14 - Summer/Fall 2007, article number 7 to our collection of his
articles.
>>>><<<<
1966
My
first trip to
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Romeo and Juliet |
The Tempest |
Two Gentlemen of |
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Lord Capulet |
Caliban |
Duke of |
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Father to Juliet |
Savage and deformed slave |
Father to Silvia |
A
busy summer for me...little did I know what lay ahead in...
1967
..From
the savage Caliban ('66) to the vampire Barnabas ('67):
I had no idea how busy I would be trying to figure out the human complexities
of yet another monster during the following summer of 1967...However, that's
another on-going story.
For
more on Barnabas now, click the new "Frid's Essays" link: Essays #2, #9,
and #10
>>>><<<<
A
SPECIAL ITEM FROM OUT OF NOWHERE:
Published in 2006 in an issue of
The Journal of the Richard III Society of
Canada
"...we began the meeting with
Jonathan Frid's "The Bookends of the Wars of the Roses", adapted from
his one-man show, 'Jonathan Frid's Shakespearean Odyssey'. Jonathan
compared and contrasted Shakespeare's treatment of Richard II and Richard III
in the plays that bear their names. He went on to elaborate on the belief
in the Divine Right of Kings, and the steady decline of this concept through
The Bard's 'history plays'. Punctuated by dramatic readings from Richard
II, Jonathan's presentation emphasized the theme of betrayal against God and
family that Shakespeare examined in both Ricardian plays."
>>>><<<<
Problem from Visitors' Corner: "The frame below takes up far too much space on
the screen"
|
Reply:
Hello devoted follower, we have taken into consideration a few feedbacks like
the one you posted regarding the "link bar" taking too much space
at the bottom of the page. My answer to this is the note I posted some time
ago on the front page of the site, "the latest comings and goings with
Jonathan Frid...". It is advised that
"(this website best viewed at 1024x768)". Have you tried this
suggestion? Granted the screen we are using is 19" in size here, but I
have sampled the website on many other machines with screens varying in size.
All of which I sample with the suggested resolution. Your suggestion is quite
valid about reducing font size but this takes away from visibility which John
has stressed the importance of. I would like to take this opportunity to ask
for feedback (via visitor's corner) as to everyone elses personal
experiences. If there is a common problem with viewing, we will make changes. |
>>>><<<<
Artsforum
Magazine is a quarterly Canadian magazine of arts and
ideas which covers all aspects of performing and visual arts, as
well as such public policy issues as international relations and
human rights. Launched in the Fall of 2000 to serve the Eastern
Greater Toronto Area, Artsforum, originally established and maintained to this
day by John Arkelian, won an award in 2001 as the Best Arts Magazine
in Ontario.
~~~
"Almost
unknown on this side of the border, the gothic television drama Dark Shadows
became a popculture phenomenon during its five year run on ABC-TV (1966-1971),
making a star of Canadian stage actor Jonathan Frid."
~~~
Click here
to view Artsforum articles and reviews on Dark Shadows
>>>><<<<
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TARRYTOWN 2007 |
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ANOTHER 40TH AUGUST 17/18, 2007
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>>>><<<<
Posted by Paul W.
on 2007-02-28 23:30:52
Hey Jonathan, I was just wondering
if we could get an update on the progress of Evil Incarnate. Things seemed to be
going so well there for a while with the video presentations but we have heard
nothing in the last two months. I'm really looking forward to seeing the next
installment, even if it is not your final installment. Could you give us an
idea where things stand? Thanks. I really enjoy and appreciate all your
efforts.
Reply:
You are absolutely right, nothing. These last two months unfortunately
have been rather a painful time for me in that I had a bad fall in January
resulting in damage to my tail-bone, but nothing broken, making it quite hard
to be active in all of the current on-going business of the website. Although
the aggravation is still with me, it is much improved. I am anxious indeed to
move ahead with an upcoming special installment. So please don't despair.
For a reminder of this special installment, see A New Spin on Digital under Jonathan at Large.
jf
>>>><<<<
Shades
of Jonathan and Richard; A plea to Sherlock:
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>>>><<<<
Revisiting a most fascinating article on "
for the full story
>>>><<<<
An Audio Presentation
I am overjoyed with the marvelous work that Mark Lawrence and Sherlock have brought to this piece that plays out Richard of Gloucester’s gloomy if not gruesome wooing of the widowed Lady Anne over the casket of her now deceased father-in-law, King Henry VI.
Anne’s own father, Richard Neville
Earl of
It seems we now have two versions of "The Wooing of Lady Anne" running simultaneously. The original can be found under Audio Gallery, first established there 3 years ago. And now in 2006 we have a new version being developed and posted under "Evil Incarnate" within the links below.
>>>><<<<
Working on the perfection of our digital program...seriously.
>>>><<<<
>>>><<<<
A Recent Posting from Visitors' Corner
"Dear Mr. Frid, Hi there... I like the little teasers that you are putting up for your update to the Evil Incarnate section. But you demoted Sam to the second page and he strikes me as being a front page kitty. But still I'm looking forward to seeing more added to the Evil Incarnate section..." Valentina You will indeed...thanks. jf
Not to be forgotten however...lol
"Forgotten? No way!" meows Sam, our honorary Chair.
>>><<<
Sam says "meow" from his new home.
>>><<<
>>><<<
A new linkbar (see below) replaces "menu/index"
listing the following categories:
1."Career Highlights" contains the first sound recording of Jonathan's voice for this website.
2."Jonathan at Large" It will no longer be generating the essays however (see ''Frid's Essays''). Otherwise it will be the catch-all for reporting just about everything else in the way of prospects, musings and activities.
3."Biography" memorable highlights of 60 years of acting. (we are currently searching for Mary O'Leary's listing of every play production that Frid took part in under ''Actors' Equity'' ruling going back to the late 40's).
The following CATEGORIES, 4. to 9. will be clarified in due time. Meanwhile, they can be reached in their present form by clicking on the linkbar below.
4.''Photo Gallery''
5.''Frid's Essays''
6.''Visitors' Corner''
7.''Special Project''
8.''Audio Gallery''
9.''Evil Incarnate ''
**** 
****
And what about our devoted followers of the past 6 years to make of all this? Not a thing, just hang in!! Everything is going to be clearer before long.
>>>><<<<
"A Group of Six has come together to really get something moving in Frid's long neglected Evil Incarnate" The Webmaster
Mark Lawrence (Webmaster)
Sherlock (Illustrator)
Nancy Kersey (Consultant)
Roberta Jacobs-Meadway (Consultant)
Artur Kustra (Consultant)
Jonathan Frid (Producer)
>>>><<<<
Our webmaster Mark Lawrence is will be happy to take on critics of our technical work and/or any actual technical problems you may be having with connecting. He will also be glad to help me respond to other matters that you may wish to enquire about. through ''Visitors' Corner''
>>>><<<<
( under the menu/index dealing with Shakespeare's King Richard III )
Rather than reorganizing it into a more readable form (as once promised), we have decided to post pieces from it periodically onto the Home Page as we continue to do the laborious work in making improvements to the four episodes of Evil Incarnate.
I have to keep reminding myself that I am an octogenarian and that this is a hobby, plain and simple. As much as I would like to answer all my visitors' feedback...and I do read and appreciate it...I'm getting a rather weak with my time management. But I will keep trying.
>>><<<
Keep your eyes peeled for an audio presentations chosen from some of my Readers' Theatre days. Samples like "Here There be Tygers", "The Open Window", "Dead Call", "Yma Dream" and "My 'Fridean' Connections" may appear.
"YES" says Sam, "just get on with it!"
>>><<<
"Age hath not withered him"...Oh?
Oh my goodness...could this be an x-ray of the "mighty-one's fangs" ...hahaha? Anyway, it was a gift to me compliments of my oral surgeon celebrating the end of a year long journey in dental magic.
>>><<<
Sssh...
...this photo is of my... ugh em ... great-great-grandfather chatting with his friend Artur whose wife Alina, along with her mother Zofia visiting from Poland, did much to enhance the old man's garden during the past summer months ('05). The flower boxes that are visible are part of their work. My great-great-grandfather seems to hobnob with the right people, doesn't HE? (even at 175 years old...what?)
>>>><<<<
The camera in catching the blazing glory of an outdoor autumn day can be most unkind, however, to the human condition…or at least to mine
…so…
…we will just remove the ancient homo sapien (me) from the garden scene
and give place to the following indoor snapshot of
yours truly "puttin’ on the ritz" for a recent New Years Eve Bash
05/06.
>>>> <<<<
Below is a picture of me pointing to my home’s nickname “Cottage Country.” How else could I get away with a croquet set...of all things...asserting itself in a corner of my living room? (see living room above)
>>>><<<<
With Grandpa
Lost in time.
>>>><<<<
While recovering from some dental work fit for an retiree (some sedative involved), we are posting some photos of my appearance on a Merv Griffin Show a millenniumago. These pictures that reached today were gathered by Jackie Blockus, through the good offices of Nancy Kersey.
Can't remember the name of the pretty lady being victimized by yours truly, can you help me?
>>>>><<<<<
The
Octogenarian Look: Wrinkles and
Wisdom and all that jazz!...Enjoying a hot
lazy summer and still hangin' in and no air-conditioner. Hope you are too.
If an air-conditioner is a must, then so be it. Thank you all. jf
>>>><<<<
A Summing Up
See Jonathan At Large under Misc. Items for an official list of all the Actor's Equity Stage Productions in which yours truly has performed over a period of 40 years (1955-1988).
>>>><<<<
Check out five more responses in Visitors' Corner to recent incoming feedback!
>>>><<<<
Four responses to Brant Davidson followed by one from yours truly regarding Brant's and other viewers'
input on "Frid's acting career"…all to be found in...Essay#11...under Jonathan At
Larg
>>>><<<<
on the
MENU/INDEX
Career History: Three highlights...that's it. Be
prepared for an audio greeting.
Biography: Other highlights covering a period of sixty years, among them some
unusual foot notes. No audio. Open to overlooked additions…none at present.
Special Project: The list can change periodically. At this time, only items dealing with the background to Evil Incarnate based on Wm. Shakespeare's King Richard III, plus essays and information about the monarch's life and times will be the exclusive subject matter of Special Project. They are:
· The Lady
Anne makes news in the Toronto
· A Summing Up
· Another take on Richard III
· Program
· Frid a New Yorker/Old Yorkist
· Pure Evil
· Pondering
· General Notes
· Synopses
· Frid as Richard...1965
· The Bottled Spider.
Audio Gallery: a collection of readings by yours
truly, readings that include Poe's Cask of Amontillado and selections from
Shakespeare's The Tempest (Caliban's Island ),
a TV recorded piece from King Richard II on The Dick Cavett Show. Also, Evil
Incarnate: four episodes from Shakespeare's King Richard III, all specially
designed for this website.
Photo Gallery: Definitely a non-fixed, but ever changing item on the menu / index. Photos from many collections, both professional and private will provide the materials.
Jonathan At Large: Always on-going with ever changing general themes, especially with the essays. A current one in the works, for example, Gazing: Frid's Miraculous Survival As Barnabas Collins.
Visitor's Corner: There's been a tendency of late for essays to evolve from the feedback that appears on the Visitor's Corner. Two good examples: De-Canadianizing My Voice and "Gazing". There's always my yearning to put more up on Visitor's Corner than I actually do, even though all the comments are read in the feedback section.
Past Goings On: Former Top-of-Site headlines. Things that are no longer new, but often still relevant.
Contents of Shows: Reviews / critiques of all the standard pieces from my One Man Shows. JF's Fools and Fiends, JF's Shakespearean Odyssey, and Jonathan Frid's Fridiculousness. Recent shows are often made up of a mixed collection of prose and poetry from all three...as well as from other sources.
Engagements: New shows will be posted at the Top of Site if and when they are scheduled.
Acknowledgments: More of an embarrassment that so few have been recognized for their time and talents.
>>>><<<<
Lets liven up the Photo Gallery for a change...
its been a year or two
>>>><<<<
There is proof in the old saying...
you win some...
Posted by dnilsen@rochester.rr.com on 2005-04-11 17:50:22
Mr. Frid, I have to say just how much I LOVE coming to your website! Today, with the addition of your latest photo, I laughed so hard. Your sense of humor is priceless. I check in every couple of days and look forward to whatever new appears. I have never had any real trouble viewing pages, pictures or your audio. You have without a doubt one of the best websites going. Your humor, stories and orations are unique. I so appreciate the chance to keep up with you. And greetings from your neighbor across the lake (Rochester, NY). You have many fans here. Thank you for putting a smile on my face.
...and you lose some
Posted by Alyssa on 2005-04-12 22:43:52
Mr. Frid, I, like others, am puzzled by your reluctance to discuss Dark Shadows. Surely you realize that without that no one would be googling you? Mr. Frid, I think you should realize this simple fact: you are a has been, and if it were not for your contribution to Dark Shadows you would not even have that claim to make, without Dark Shadows you would be a never was. You are arrogant and assumptive, and this web site is nothing more than a sad old man trying to live in a past that never really was.
>>>><<<<
John Arkelian has this to say about Artsforum
"As a magazine of arts and ideas,
Artsforum covers books, film, DVDs, theater, music, art, photography, and
travel. Every issue contains at least one piece of short fiction.
Television, dance, architecture, and poetry make occasional
appearances. As far as "ideas" are concerned, the sky's
the limit: We cover international relations, human rights, law
reform, political affairs, ethics, international security, and more. Or
goal? To challenge accepted wisdom, foster reasoned debate, and stimulate
our readers to think critically about the world around them - whether a
subject arises from the arts or from important public policy issues of the
day. While our base is the Greater Toronto Area, our goal has always been
to produce a magazine that would appeal to thoughtful people wherever English
is read. Artsforum is available by subscription worldwide, and we have
attracted readers well beyond our original base - across
For previous content on Artsforum click here
>>>><<<<
My camera and my ego had a fight the other day. Guess who won.
NEW!! Valentina writes in Visitors' Corner: "So your ego and the camera had a fight. I'm going to guess you won, because if not, you would not have posted the photo...I have the feeling you are playing with us..."
OF COURSE..BUT GUESS AGAIN...IT LOOKS TO ME LIKE THE CAMERA DID WIN...
HAH!!!!
P.S. Familiar faces?
...
HOW DID ALL THIS UGLY BUSINESS ABOUT MY FACE GET STARTED ANYWAY?
Answer
I happened to mention this unflattering picture of myself to Sherlock. We had a few giggles about how ugly it was and so she, using her usual creative craft, rendered it as Barnabas (in old age...irony) by putting the bangs on my forehead. My instant reaction was "my gosh, I look like Hitler!" "How about putting that abrupt moustache of Adolph's on the image as well." "Okay", Sherlock agreed, and the above was the result.
...
acknowledgements to Sherlock and our webmaster Mark for artwork
>>>><<<<
Surprise! Surprise! Two or three feedbacks have been added to Visitors' Corner...a hopeful sign of more input to come.
>>>><<<<
See Movie Magic's "Hollywood Vampires" in Jonathan At Large / Miscellaneous Items
>>>><<<<
"It (Dark Shadows) is a surprising addictive blend of Gothic romance and supernatural suspense." John Arkelian
Canadian
Publisher John Arkelian is known widely throughout
"Again, I’ve given short shrift to my friend John
Arkelian over the last year or so and to the great work he has done almost
single-handedly establishing this periodical, encompassing the arts for a large
area known as the “Durham Region” which is just east of
"In summing up, I feel that his running commentaries have done great honour to Dark Shadows over the last few years. They contribute to the only publication I know that has reviewed the series with any real import at all." jf
To review Arkelian's previously posted articles and copyrights from issues #7, 8 and 9 see Jonathan at Large. You may also find John Arkelian's contact information on that page.
Below is Arkelian's current article appearing in the Winter 2004/05 edition #11 of “Artsforum” dealing with DVD sets 11, 12, 13, 14, & 15, each of them with 40 episodes”
>>>><<<<
...It's always "amazing" how so many of you ask if I'm still alive simply because I've not replied to your personal e-mail messages. Obviously you have not been keeping up with the work (the blood sweat and tears) expended on the Homepage all this time.
Granted most of the sweat has been done by our most distinguished webmaster, Mark Lawrence and his predecessors...all known in my book as "websters".
>>>><<<<
Oh, boy! Did I ever put my foot in it with the "Gazing" biz...as well as somehow anointing myself as a stage-struck grammarian of the English language! Well, it takes nerve to get into such trouble, I suppose. So be it. jf
>>>><<<<
A surprising amount of new items have been squeezed into the on-going quandary of good acting vs. bad acting right through to Part 5 of Essay#9:Gazing in Jonathan at Large.
Essay#9: Gazing in Jonathan at Large
Options
Jon Lioncourt Feedback, November 29, 2004 along with further views on the subject from respondents Bobbi and Russ Williams, can now be seen on Jonathan At Large, Gazing: Part 5.
The original Gazing Introduction from this page, as well as a few other items, can now be found in Past Goings On.
In fact, all items on the Home Page are now being transferred on a periodic basis to the permanency of Past Goings-on...recent, old and ancient. To find these, click on the Menu Index.
>>>><<<<
Jon Lioncourt does it again!!!!
Trying to rescue Frid from fits of despair... and all for a good cause.
Sometimes
I feel that Jon had wished he’d never used the word “gazing” in his first
feedback. I hope before we’re through with all this, I can convince him
otherwise …of its importance to me in my nailing the solution once and for all
to the quandary of good acting vs. bad acting. My moment of “gazing” was a
perfect example of an actor giving off in what appeared to be two diametrically
opposed states of being in one gaze. It was at the center of a dilemma which
was to decide, I was told, the very survival of Dark Shadows. I had convinced myself
that it was doomed. It never, never occurred to me that it would survive on the
strength and conviction of viewers ( fans, if you will ) like Jon Lioncourt.
>>>><<<<
To the adventurous among you who have been trying to
make sense out of our display of Jon Lioncourt's latest feedback during the
last few days, we have made some major improvements to clarify who says what
and to whom, and so on. Please give it another look see within Jonathan
At Large, Gazing: Part 5. Jf
>>>><<<<
This picture was found aborn at the bottom of
a trunk along with...
...one or two more odds-and-ends from yesteryear at the bottom of that there trunk.
>>>><<<<
…appeared briefly on the Introduction Page
>>>><<<<
Enough of those "bleeding" Essays #9 and #10 that have been taking up so much space on the Home Page, at least for now.
Time to get them activated on Jonathan at Large where they belong...and time to clarify which is which!?!
Most other "stuff" has been relegated to Past Goings-on, some of which will be rescued and reshaped to work with the essays in their own slot.
>>>><<<<
"A fresh Concept!"
well, sort of...
What
to do about those leftover bits and pieces from the ongoing essays
"Gazing" and "Ignoring Barnabas" that now lay dormant in
Past Goings-on. I have just said that I would somehow weave these
leftovers back into the main body of the active essays in Jonathan-at-Large...
or something like that. Well that was yesterday. I've changed my mind again.
In
my search, I got to reading large segments of Past Goings-on... just for fun.
Gradually I discovered that I had unknowingly created a rather nice rambling
"memory lane" kind of story, that stands up by comparison to
anything else on the site.
So,
I am leaving well enough alone. Besides, the surviving ongoing originals, "Gazing" and "Ignoring", hold
their own in Jonathan-at-Large very well (together or separately?...I’m workin'
on it) and without help from what I had been regarding earlier as the
"scrap pile".
Welcome
then, all of you, especially newcomers, to scan or read "in depth"
Past Goings-on for its own sake.
>>>><<<<
So Where Were We?
November
8, 2004
During
this interim period of mentally working out follow-throughs for the two Essays
#s 9 & 10 (Jonathan at Large) I find myself constantly
reviewing the work I have already put into these essays. I invite you
yourselves to take yet another look at them. They are now much clearer
than before in line with the precise direction prescribed for them, I
think...I hope.
I
still see a future amalgam of the above two essays. Meanwhile, #9
"Gazing" will show how I gradually moved
on from my clumsy beginnings as Barnabas and into a well
seasoned portrayal of a highly complex man. It will also tell of
other "clumsy beginnings" ...in theatre productions, for
instance...two of which turned out to be among the
highlights that made my life's work in acting
totally worthwhile.
#10
"Ignoring Barnabas?" I will cite the opening words of Chapter 3 of
Ecclesiastes from the Old Testament, which starts off: "For
everything there is a season..." My guess is that the essence of the
passage has partly to do with indulgence vs. balance, which perhaps
applies here when it comes to the question of indulging or ignoring
Barnabas. Still, this essay will dwell, momentarily at least, on
some of my recollections of those years in Dark Shadows to make up for any
apparent neglect.
A
sample or two of scenes that I have happy memories of: i) my first
encounter in the past with Victoria Winters (Alexandra Molke) She
knows Barnabas but Barnabas doesn't recognize her...an intriguing and
charming way of launching the storied past ii) my discovery that
Josette (Kathryn Leigh Scott) has turned Barnabas down for another,
Jeremiah(Anthony George)- a near disastrous scene technically…rescued by an
obliging technical crew in the editing room later that same day...quite a
scene unto itself…and iii) two other contentious scenes, ironically, with
the same actor (A.G.) only in different time periods, he in two different
roles, Jeremiah in the past and Burke Devlin in the present (the Blue
Whale and what I call “the steady as you go scene”); and with myself
in these two scenes, of course, in two different states of
"being". Thanks to Nancy Kersey for rattling my memory cells re
names etcetera.
Fleshing
out all of the above will be realized shortly in the
"Essays" section of Jonathan at Large.
>>><<<
Outlook
Express and Feedback administration (Visitors' Corner) are again
functioning.
During this period of
limited technical assistance, we will continue reviewing recent
undertakings...expanding, correcting, clarifying etc.
>>>><<<<
Oct. 24/04
Part 4 of Essay #9 Gazing @ Jonathan at Large has been undergoing important
adjustments over the past day or two. Please review it for a much clearer idea
of where we are going with this particular series of essays. ( See Frid's
Essays / Jonathan at Large on Menu/Index )
October 30/04
Essays
#9 and 10 (Gazing and Ignoring Barnabas)
have once more been thoroughly reviewed...incorporating important new
clarifications.
The Two developing essays #10 "Ignoring Barnabas?" and #9 "Gazing" have been getting a bit of a run-around in all this juggling of items in the Menu/Index, but now you will begin to see them both taking off in full sail at Jonathan-at-Large.
>>>><<<<
Some sort of major/minor step will be taken shortly with this website. In the meantime:
1. All but one of the items that were here before, will now be found in Past Goings-on.
2. "An outline of the Menu/Index" is all that remains here of the Home Page.(See Below)
3.The contents of the Menu/Index itself also remain in place.
>>>><<<<
(All the material here on the Home Page (Top of the Site) and below in Jonathan at Large...concerning the two ongoing essays etc...will be reviewed shortly for textual and graphic additions, deletions and corrections and last, but not least...clarification).
Oh yes! Those two essays to be resolved: one, the latest on-going:
Essay # 9 “Gazing”
plus the beginnings of the new
Essay #10 “Ignoring Barnabas?”.
The latter was sort of developing simultaneously along with “Gazing” until it got unhinged somehow from the site.
(It was not ‘saved’...by yours truly, I suppose, but it is now slowly under re-construction). Both of these essays have been prompted by ‘feedbacks’ appearing on “Visitors’ Corners” but both, perhaps, are close enough in purpose to eventually meld into one.
In order for “Ignoring Barnabas” (Essay #10) to catch up with “Gazing”, I will re-start it here for now at the top of the site:
Ignoring Barnabas?
This essay was suggested…yes, even inspired…by a feedback on Visitors’ Corner by someone called Deborah. I quote:
"As to what appears to be your love/hate relationship with Barnabas: You can run-but you can't hide. Barnabas was a part of our lives for a long time and you can't change that by ignoring him."
As for: “You can run but you cannot hide.” I dunno. I was never very good at running but I’ve done pretty well at hiding. But ignoring? Well that’s what this essay is all about.
Yes, I have ignored Barnabas, quite deliberately at times, especially when it comes to discoursing on career matters
>>><<<
Before returning to Part 4 of “Gazing” in Jonathan at Large, I want to return for a moment
to a particular shot of my 2nd episode on "Dark Shadows" in Part 1: The one of Joan Bennett descending
the stairs with the back of my head in the foreground.
The shot represents yet another difficulty I used to have...finding my marks on the floor. We actors were very disciplined as to where we placed ourselves for the sake of the cameras. Without this discipline you the viewer would rarely see what we were up to. In this particular case the cameras had a bit of juggling to do...because I had not found my mark. I was aimlessly wandering around in the main hall trying to recall what I had to say. But the cameras did a good job of adjusting to Miss Bennett's descent down the stairs and she was saved from being completely blocked after all.
>>><<<
*See Part 4 of "Gazing" now in Jonathan at Large*
>>><<<
“Oh no! Alas, I rather hate
myself. For hateful deeds committed by myself! I am a villain…”
The
tragic disintegration of Richard's reign reflected in the sample sketch
above from the upcoming Episode 4 as well as other unfinished
business with Evil Incarnate will be resumed at a later date.
For more on Evil Incarnate, click Special Project on the menu/index.
>>><<<
PRETTY MUCH CLEARED THE DECKS AT THE TOP OF THE SITE ( SEE PAST GOINGS- ON ) TO MAKE SPACE FOR THE FIRST SEGMENT IN A WHILE OF MY ONGOING ESSAYS: "GAZING" AND "IGNORING BARNABAS?".
MORE TEXT WILL BE SHOWING UP NEXT TUESDAY 9/21, 2004.
>>><<<
Just testing...to be sure I've not forgotten how to put written copy up on the site myself...when nobody else is around...no frills. jf
~
All my Guardian Angels are back
at school or college working out their Fall
programs before fitting me into their schedules. So I
just have to sit back for a few days and wait. That's just as well, since
this weekend I have to go to a meeting of the Richard III Society of
~
I was about to make a correction/update in Past Goings-on until it struck my ailing mind that what was wrong in the past stays wrong since that's what it was in the context of its history. O.K.?
~
In spite of my concerns for fleshing out other items on the website such as “Gazing” and “Ignoring Barnabas?”, as well as the unfinished business of “Evil Incarnate”, I’m nevertheless anxious to make good on my determination to update recent news from John Arkelian re his continuing reviews of Dark Shadows DVDs plus my one-man shows in his brilliant arts magazine entitled “Arts Forum”. Please check all this out on Jonathan at Large.
>>><<<
And
so watch for the continued development of essays “Gazing” and “Ignoring Barnabas?” at Jonathan
at Large.
Things are looking up again for www.jonathanfrid.com!
We have a promising new webmaster aboard. His name is
Marc. He is strictly a technician rather than a frustrated web-designer. He
doesn’t just fix computers, he actually builds them.
With this new shot in the arm, I don’t know right now
when I’ll get back to the intricacies of Evil Incarnate and Richard III. Marc
forthrightly says he’s not up on the manipulation of Flash/ Animation, and yet
he seems to fully recognize it when he sees it. So who knows at this point in
time?
>>><<<
Dark
Shadows DVD Reviews from
I’ve
given short shrift to my friend John Arkelian over the last year or so and to
the great work he has done almost single-handedly establishing his Arts Forum,
a periodical, if you will, covering just about all the arts for a large area
“known as Durham Region” just east of Toronto on the north shore of Lake
Ontario. I dare say it is probably the
busiest cultural region in all of
Article
#3 is new.
>>><<<
|
A New Format in a New Location |
All of the items dealing with the
background to Evil Incarnate...plus essays and information about the
life and times of King Richard III...have been the exclusive subject matter of
Special Project...casually posted over a period of several months.
We are now about to undergo our first attempt at re-arranging these entries into a consistently readable introduction to Evil Incarnate...for posting in the Audio Gallery at a later date.
Meanwhile, See Special Project
~~~
An Intriguing Experiment/ A
Curious Result
March 12/04
While the four parts of Evil Incarnate (Richard III) await further improvements and completion, we draw your attention to a novel and intriguing experiment for Episode 3 (A Troubled Coronation) by clicking to one of three options following its audio/visual performance. With one option, you will be treated to Frid’s reading coupled with the Shakespeare text only. Curiously, the meaning of the text becomes crystallized and lends itself to a clearer understanding of the original audio/visual version. Is it possible that sometimes a word can be worth a thousand pictures?
As one viewer puts it: “A Troubled
Coronation…improves each time I visit…and the special options included at the
end…a definite plus! Your spoken words and the written words are in perfect
sync…a truly pleasant experience! Simply helps us to remember the words all the
better…”
|
Updates to Watch For In these past few days, we've been doing many technical changes on the site. As you can see, on the Menu/Index, the order has been redone to put the more important items at the top. However, all the hyperlinks still need to be touched up, and will be in the next day or two. In the meantime, for the people who haven't seen Special Project in a while, please do so through this link. More changes will be carried out on the Menu/Index and on the Website at large. |
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>>><<< "Update" in the works...check it out later >>><<< All the materials relating to Shakespears's King Richard III and Evil Incarnate are currently gathered together under Special Project. In due time, they will be integrated into Audio Gallery as "introduction" to Evil Incarnate. Meanwhile the order of items within Special Projects is undergoing a bit of surgery. One of the main themes (Frid's re-evaluation, for example, of Shakespeare's play as pure theatre and not history) is being clarified. There is a movement afoot to restructure the whole of www.jonathanfrid.com. Right now, it is in the realm of possibility rather than probability. A risky business, you might say, letting the cat out of the bag "right now". Well, be it so. jf Keep in touch.
>>><<<
LOSING A TALENTED ARTIST
FOR NOW Sad to say, Trev
Jimenez, our artist of great promise, cannot be a part of our present
undertaking as he is busy fulfilling that promise taking extra courses at an
arts college in southern
>>><<<
Feb. 28/04 The business of editing Troubled Coronation continues to persist in giving us problems. Meanwhile, it is still available for viewing.
>>><<<
Episode 3: A Troubled Coronation |
As some of the older
"news" items of Frids latest goings-on at the top of the site begin
to grow stale for many of you, they will be periodically withdrawn and posted here
in no particular order. This will be for the benefit of newcomers to
the site not up on the latest comings and goings. Meanwhile
"veterans" can move on more quickly to whatever else interests them.
~~~
Feb 17/04
Immediate attention will be given to the business of editing "A Troubled Coronation" beginning tomorrow.
~~~
"The Wooing of the Lady Anne gets a valentine
treatment from a top Canadian paper, THE
New to Special Project ... Feb16/04
~~~
Jan 20/04
This site, for the most part,
will remain on hold until further notice.
No important additions to the site involving Flash Animation will be made. Only information in a simpler format will be posted... apart from what is currently available on the Menu/Index.
The
Feedback Administration has been presenting more technical problems. Therefore,
there will be no replies posted on Visitors’ Corner at this time.ade. Only information in a simpler format will be
posted... apart from what is currently available on the Menu/Index.
The
Feedback Administration has been presenting more technical problems. Therefore,
there will be no replies posted on Visitors’ Corner at this time.
Thank you for your continued patronage. jf
~~~
~~~
Dec. 22/03 Winter Solstice
Our new procedural plan for developing new items for the website: This is an Experiment.
Get whatever it is up on the site at once, then start editing, correcting, etc. until the editing is complete. Otherwise, it'll never get there.
This is a bold plan indeed as it puts me/us in the doghouse when things are really out of sorts, but thats the way its gotta be for now.jf
~~~
Nov. 25/03
I've
just returned from a week or two vacation in
~~~
Yes, access to the Menu/Index has been restored, thanks to
our temporary student Webmaster, Matthew Van Andel.
~~~
Visitors' Corner, an inexplicable ongoing problem on the website.
We have not been able for some time now to bring up a single
message on Visitors' Corner let alone from the more than 1000+ messages we
have collected in the feedback administration program since last
winter. We regret this very much, and are trying our very best to get to
the source of this enigma...first by finding a suitably skilled technician for
the job. We'll keep you in touch. jf
~~~
Tues Oct 28 and Sat Nov 1
getting gotten to be that
time for some
HORROR & HILARITY
>>><<<
Jonathan
Frid's
Spooks & Spoofs
An Evening of Story Telling
for
All Hallows Eve
at
COLLINGWOOD'S
charming and intimate
GAYETY THEATRE
>>><<<
A pot-pourri of stories from my readers’ theatre collection…a sort of “best from J.F.’s ‘Fridiculousness’ and ‘Fools and Fiends’”…all in the spirit of spoof the spooks which turns out to be a mix* of “Yma Dream”, “Here there be Tygers”, "The Ghost” and “The Open Window” along with shadier items like "Ghosts", “Dead Call”, and of course including two of Edgar Allan Poe’s chilling masterpieces: the Tell-Tale Heart and The Cask of Amantillado. Sound familiar? It’s been a while. Perhaps the reprieve will inject some fresh zip into the proceedings which will include one or two interesting new items. Hope you can make it. J.F.
Final arrangements have been made for a reception
hosted by Jonathan following both peformances, at a
restaurant very near the theatre, where the actor will be
happy to join the guests for photos, punch, Q&As, and
autographs.
Typically
me of late at a Q&A session
~~~
09/21/03 There have been many "calls" about not receiving
the first of the much ballyhooed photos at the top of the site. Thanks
for the tip-offs. Will try to rectifiy the problem as soon as possible with the
limited help I have during this period without a Webmaster.
~~~
Not much of anything new on the website until we get a new Webmaster. Hang in! 09/10/03
~~~
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1. Richard, Duke of
See “Audio Gallery” Evil Incarnate – Introduction & First third of Episode 2.
2. De-Canadianizing, De-Americanizing and De-Hanoverianizing All Our Accents???.
See “Jonathan at Large” – Essay #8 now complete with Part IV
3. New sets of Dark Shadows DVDs as reviewed in the Artsforum.
See “Jonathan at Large”.
~~~
Just
discovered a new tool, at least for my computer!
But
rumor tells me that I can't speak for yours as well.
(Just
remember I'm without a webmaster at this point)
If
you have lines that spill over the edge of the page
( a
common problem from user feedback ),
try
clicking to "VIEW" at the top of the screen,
scroll
down to "Text Size" and then
over
and down to "Smallest".
This
will work using Internet Explorer
Hope
it works on your computer.
~~~
There
are groaning errors on the site that still need to be rectified...
quite
apart from much in the way of further progress.
Oh
well, there's always tomorrow.
jf
~~~
“The Visitors’ Corner” will continue as soon as I can
get a hitch in the FeedBack mechanism checked.
By the way, all of the
messages coming in through Feed
Back Administration (those up to
100 or 200 words) have been read regularly.
While much appreciated, it’s the replies that
take the time.
jf/asz/jb
~~~
The following projects, still to be completed, are nevertheless moving along slowly but surely in our workroom.
1) A Troubled Coronation for King Richard III. (Sketches by Trev Jimenez)
2)
Re-programming for individual speed control of "Brief Notes" at the
opening of the introduction to the "Wooing of ... ". - No, not
so. Instead, we're adding music to make it seem to pick up speed.
3) More responses to the large amount of Feedback that we're getting (What an ugly word: “feedback" ... like "feed bag". Well, that’s the computer for you).
4) Spelling and grammar still need work... as always (ho-hum).
~~~
Remember, in case you've missed one or two recent features at the top of the site, you can always check out "Old Goings-on" at top of menu/index
~~~
5) New formats for Parts III & IV of De-Canadianizing My Voice:
i) Part III - The German connection and its effect on the
court life of
a dilemma of what constitutes a standard English for students to follow.
ii) Part IV - a follow-through version of "De-Canadianizing
My Voice" bearing the title: "De-Canadianizing,
De-Americanizing and De-Hanoverianizing All Our Accents".
~~~
Part II
of Essay #8 can now be seen on the site
Essay # 8 De-Canadianizing
My Voice
(How?
and Why?) And Other Vocal Matters (prompted by a “feedback” from Visitors
Corner)
see “Jonathan at
Large”
~~~
When I played
Richard back in 1965, my innocent or misguided intention was to give a
balanced picture of a man, for all of the evil that he was purported to have
committed. The director laughed at me saying...(continued under "Special
Project").
Duke of
(before Shakespeare got a hold of him)
afterward
King Richard III
~~~
~~~
Latest couple of Frid
photos and a spokencommentary in the introduction to Episode 2:
“The wooing of the Lady Anne”
See
Audio Gallery.
~~~
I. Introduction only to the "Wooing of the Lady
Anne" (“…to make the wench amends…”) can now be seen on the Audio
Gallery.
Important
Announcement:
Further input into Evil Incarnate, beyond the Introduction
of the Wooing of the Lady Anne will be suspended for a month or so due to
the technical intricacies to be achieved, as well as our aim to catch up
with work on other elements of the Menu/Index, which have been sadly
neglected in recent months, especially responses to the large input from
viewers to the Visitors’ Corner.
II. Jonathan has
begun, slowly but surely, to deal with the feedbacks...from the
present moment back to the begining of the year. See
"Visitors' Corner".
III.
Photo Gallery: needs some new/old
“pics” not seen before, or rarely seen at all. See you soon.
~~~
What’s been happening with Evil Incarnate
and Episode 2: The Wooing of the Lady Anne?
Or to the Photo Gallery or to the Visitors’ Corner (that busiest of “corners” with
little life sustaining help from me) or to Jonathan at Large
or to Special Project?
Not much.
Why Not?
Because life’s getting too short to be expending all
my time on this demanding hobby. But
quitting? No way! I admit to having bitten off more than I can chew, even with
all the help I get from our human resources.
I just need to organize all things better and to rid my
relentless quest for perfection of so much fidgeting, forgetfulness and
miscommunication.
So there.
Time here, I think, for the credits.
Webmaster…………Adam Szakacs †
Artist………………Sherlock *
Reader……………..Jonathan Frid
‡
Computer Assistants…….Christina
Slote,
Garnet van Popta
† Web specialist
* sketch for "Here There be Tygers" at
Biography &
Cartoon Collage at
Contents of Show
‡ The rest of the site
~~~
and
The Tudor Dynasty
take
A Grim View of
Richard, The Accused
Our opening salvo for
has now been mounted.
Episode 1
THE REIGN OF TERROR
Click Audio
Gallery
on the Menu/Index
ahead
~~~
Coming very soon:
Episode 2
THE WOOING OF THE LADY ANNE
Coming Later:
Episode 3
A TROUBLED CORONATION
("Tyrrel, I
mean those bastards in the tower.")
Episode 4
COLLAPSE
("...throng to the
bar, crying all 'Guilty! guilty!'")
~~~
New to “Special
Project”
Malia Howard’s e-mail
from a purchaser of her book “An Actor’s Curious Journey” who recalls Frid’s
performance of King Richard III in 1965.
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A
Dark Shadows Report “arts” in the high-tech world of
movies, TV, DVD and Video. Check out Jonathan at Large on the Menu/Index. |
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CHILLS & THRILLS (Essay #7 - Part 1) |
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Biography Update |
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At last, a great technical breakthrough with Caliban's
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Getting together on the "Visitors' Corner". A dialogue is being established through the "Visitors' Corner" between you and ourselves with both Adam Szakacs our Webmaster and Jonathan, yours truly, offering brief comments on the feedback items that many of you have been submitting in recent weeks. So check out the "Visitors' Corner" and you'll see what we mean. |
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During October, September and back into August we have been "up-dating" the web site in many subtle and many obvious ways... from spelling errors, to rewrites, to never before seen photographs. Catch them if you can. |
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Remember the kick start with "Villainy" for the Photo Gallery way back when? Well, the follow-through will be more "genteel" with prettier pictures, if you please. We have two pics for starters... and some... check'em out. |