And I'm not just noticing it, but today, so did Lady Gaga!
Yesterday, Lady Gaga tweeted about Caroline's performance of "Fat" to her 30 million followers!
Watch the electric video after the jump!
Read More......
Showing posts with label The Excelano Project. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Excelano Project. Show all posts
Thursday, September 27, 2012
And I'm not just noticing it, but today, so did Lady Gaga!
Yesterday, Lady Gaga tweeted about Caroline's performance of "Fat" to her 30 million followers!
Watch the electric video after the jump!
Read More......
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Here's a gem for our "Penn Performers" week...
Wanna win a trip to LA and meet with a Hollywood casting director, talent agent and headshot photographer?
Thanks to a Penn alum, the chance is now yours!
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Back in 2007, I reported on Caroline Rothstein's (C'06, Excelano Project) powerful "They Call Me Granola" performance.
Now almost 2 years later, Caroline's still on fire...and I want to share with you 2 of her pieces that moved me!
1) If you're a New Yorker and have spent anytime on the subway, then you'll relate to Caroline's poignant poem called "Love Letter to the A Train"
Click here to expand +/-
Love Letter to the A Train
Usually, you serenade me in your Manhattan arms
But tonight, you hold me in Brooklyn
Like you were waiting for me
With your open doors
I’m not afraid that you will leave me if I cry too much
Because even at night
You ride on the local C track
You’re that reliable
Hold my torso on your bench
I’ve only had to stand once
There’s always an open seat for me
You are the only thing in my life I’m not afraid to depend on,
Other than myself; even though sometimes you’re late
I still know that you will catch my salty tear drops the way
Buckets catch ceiling leaks when bathtubs overflow
I am a pool of anguish tonight
I whisper in your sultry ears in springtime and
Don’t even have to ask permission
I’m afraid that a human would leave me if I cry too much
You remind me of myself
The way your open doors
Let strangers walk on uninhibited
And tell you their stories
I am chapters of open notebooks
And pages of hidden diaries
Filled with secrets because everyone
Rides me for my reliance
I hold messages in the cracks and crevices
Of my brain synapses
The way your dim lights
Flicker at dusk
Your train cars bound by chains of dependency
I feel like you will always catch me – unconditionally
You’re the only one I trust to bear my burden without
Having to take your needs into consideration
I will see you on Sunday
I hope my tears are gone by then
And I look forward to our two hours together
The one uptown into Fort Washington
And the one back downtown into the West Village
I could linger in our routine for decades
I never expected that an East Village girl like myself –
So happy on the Lexington line I ride on my own side –
Would find comfort in you:
Knight of the West Side highway, 8th Avenue,
And tracks deep enough to soak my tears
2) And check out this impassioned, chilling piece Caroline did called "For Bernie Madoff" at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe in New York City, during a Friday night slam. Enjoy this as Caroline holds no punches!
If you like the above, then you'll be interested to learn that Caroline recently released a new *chapbook called "This Book Wrote Itself" (her "For Bernie Madoff" piece is in this book). She had a release show which took place in an Off-Broadway theatre called the Tank where she did a solo show featuring pieces from the new book.
Keep up with Caroline and get her new book on her blog HERE
*A chapbook is a book of poetry. It's typically a book that a poet puts out on their own, so mostly self published/printed, etc.
Share
Tweet
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Earlier last fall, I posted about how Lindsey Rosin (C'07, The Excelano Project, The Writers House, Kappa Alpha Theta) joined forces with her father Charles Rosin (Executive Producer of Beverly Hills 90210 for the first five seasons) to create www.showbizzle.com, a new form of internet entertainment that combines daily updates of original, scripted video content with a social network aimed at emerging actors, writers, directors, fans of the biz – basically anyone with a computer who is looking for some fun entertainment. (see Lindsey in photo to right directing this week's episode you can see HERE)Earlier this week, showbizzle relaunched with even more features including:
- A 23 week series set in Hollywood told from the first person point-of-view of Janey, an aspiring screenwriter who likes to hang out at her favorite coffee shop and listen to the crazy stories that her friends are only too willing to share. As Janey puts it, “there’s always somebody hooking up, screwing up, breaking up…all while chasing their first big break.” The series is set in Hollywood in 2009. Season One will feature 29 cast members, with new episodes available on a weekly basis.
- “Inside the Bizzle” is an ongoing conversation with top industry insiders such as David Semel (“House”), Elizabeth Heldens (“Friday Night Lights’) and Ted Cohen (“Friends”) about their careers, how they succeeded and their heartfelt advice for people getting started.
- “Bizzle Bits” is a place to watch behind-the-scenes footage about the show.
- “The Digital Showcase” is a stage to promote professional and upcoming talent.
- A community section as a resource for emerging talent, starting with the 21 contemporary monologues available for free download on the website. It will also feature some of our favorite member-submitted videos on the Digital Showcase, then let the members vote on their favorites – and give a community member the opportunity to be paid to do original material on the site.
On a related note...
Find out how DuelingTampons.com can get your contacts and information to advance your Entertainment career!
Visit www.showbizzle.com here
Other great Website Wednesday posts
New to DT? 14 easy suggestions to get started!
Read More......
Monday, May 25, 2009
Not About Winning: Team Philadelphia Shocks The Brave New Voices Judges + New Poet Stars On The Horizon (VIDEOS)
In previous posts, I had discussed how the "Brave New Voices" Team Philadelphia had challenged the judges on a technicality of one of the other teams who got into the finals. Apparently the other team went over their allotted time and as a result Team Philadelphia got into the finals.
In the final episode which aired last week, Team Philadelphia decided to take themselves out of scoring points in the contest and that it wasn't as much about "winning" as it was about letting their voices be heard. They then proceeded to perform brilliantly in the rest of the episode. (Team Hawaii won).
As a tribute to the excellent work seen on the show from Josh Bennett (C'10), Alysia Harris (C'10), and Aysha El Shamyleh (C'10), I wanted to share some more excellent performances from the Penn group of which they are a part: The Excelano Project. Check out some of these moving on campus performances above!
Recently, Josh Bennett performed at the White House for the Obamas. Read more about it at the DP HERE!
Connect with DT on
Read More......
Monday, April 13, 2009
Highlighted this week on the show were moving performances from Alysia Harris' (C'10, The Excelano Project) and Josh Bennett (C'10, The Excelano Project, Brave New Voices 2008 slam champion).
- Watch Alysia's "That Girl" piece above ... it's yet another performance of hers that will give you the chills!
- If that's not moving enough, then watch Josh's "Carbon Copy" piece above where he honors his love for his father directly in front of him.
While the show has only aired 2 episodes, from the site, it looks like we should be expecting another performance from Aysha El Shamayleh (C'10, The Excelano Project) sometime soon.
Good luck Team Philadelphia!
Read More......
Friday, April 3, 2009
Over the years on DT, I posted about The Excelano Project, a captivating group at Penn that performs the Spoken Word.
Apparently, 4 members of this group have caught the attention of Russell Simmons and will be starring in Simmons' new HBO show "Brave New Voices" debuting this Sunday night at 11pm ET/PT.
Per the HBO site, the show is "one part Def Poetry Jam and two-parts documentary" which "features the finest young spoken word artists in the country".
Representing from Penn are Josh Bennett (C'10), Aysha El Shamayleh (C'10), Alysia Harris (C'10), and Chloe Wayne (C'10).
If you recall, last year I named Alysia Harris' performance of "What's in a Soldier", the "#1 Penn Video That Will Give You the Chills".
Best of luck to Team Philadelphia!
Watch out for them on Sundays at 11 pm ET/PT on HBO!
Read More......
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
What happens when you graduate from Penn, have a hot TV spec that catches the attention of ABC, ..and then the writer's strike happens?!You partner with your successful Hollywood father to create an entertaining and informative website for other creative types to join and network on.
Lindsey Rosin (C'07, The Excelano Project, The Writers House, Kappa Alpha Theta) has joined forces with her father Charles Rosin (Executive Producer of Beverly Hills 90210 for the first five seasons) to create www.showbizzle.com , a new form of internet entertainment that combines daily updates of original, scripted video content with a social network aimed at emerging actors, writers, directors, fans of the biz – basically anyone with a computer who is looking for some fun entertainment.
Other Penn alumni friends have worked with Lindsey on showbizzle; Gabe Laskin (C'05, Mask and Wig) and Spencer Crawford (W'05, Mask and Wig), both have appeared as actors on the site (Gabe even has one of the three leads). Joey Power (C'06), Stacey Lloyd (C'06), Reg Tigerman (C'07, Mask and Wig) and Jonah Platt (C'08, Off the Beat) all wrote different characters for showbizzle as well.
Per Lindsey,
"The website serves as the daily blog of our fictitious blogger and main character, Janey. She hangs out at her favorite coffee place listening to old friends and new acquaintances, from all strata of Hollywood, confide intimate details about their career ambitions; creative aspirations, pipe dreams, hook ups, romantic liaisons, embarrassing day jobs, galvanizing moments, personal quests, major revelations, unexpected characters and narrative twists – you know, the basic personal and professional stuff that typifies what it's like to be young and in Los Angeles in 2008."Lindsey sums up the site in 4 points:...+/-
1) Entertainment: it is a social entertainment website that streams scripted two-minute vignettes – updated on a daily basis – these vignettes are centered around the lives of twenty-somethings as they live and work in Hollywood.
2) Community: By joining our site, users can create their own profiles and submit their own videos and blog entries to tell their own stories – as well as comment on our scripted entertainment content, which will influence future story lines.
3) Insider information: Ever wonder what it really takes to make it in Hollywood? showbizzle also offers career advice and insider info via video-taped conversations between showbizzle writer/executive producer Charles Rosin and various Hollywood types. The one thing we can assure you about the 170 videos we will be posting on the showbizzle website this fall is that each vignette feels authentic and different from virtually everything else you can currently find on the world wide web.
4) In addition users will be encouraged to send in videos and blog entries and allow the community to determine their favorites. The winners will then be brought to Hollywood and be involved with the professional production of showbizzle when we go back into production in early 2009,” Charles said. Lindsey adds, “For some people, it might be an incredible opportunity and a big break -- the amount of exposure available on the internet is endless and that is so priceless to a young talent who is just starting out on their career and trying to break through.”
Find out how Lindsey got her start as a writer, & what she wrote at Penn which led to her selling a pilot pitch idea to ABC. More of my posts about Penn alumni websites
Submitting a story to Dueling Tampons: What you need to know...
New to DT? 14 easy suggestions to get started!
See which Penn undergrads and alumni are registered on DuelingTampons.com
Friend Me Up:
Facebook 
MySpace 
Friendster 
Twitter 
Digg Read More......
Thursday, January 17, 2008
While my #4 and #3 picks for my "Penn videos that will give you the chills" have been beautifully made films, yesterday I introduced a powerful spoken word video as my #2 pick.
The more I experience these Spoken Word performances from our Penn community, the more I really like this genre.
...Which brings me to #1 pick today from an award winning undergrad with tons of passion and an interesting background story to match.
Click here to check out my #1 pick!
Raw truth and expression is what you will find in Alysia Harris' (C'10, The Excelano Project) April 2007 Spoken Word College Nationals winning performance of "What's in a Soldier".
Before you watch it, note Alysia's story behind her spoken words:"I wrote that poem because my father was in the army for 22 years and when he was sick he stayed on the amputee floor at Walter Reed Army Hospital. And it was really life changing to see people who were my age 18, 19, who were literally half the people they were before they left for iraq, no legs, no arms, disfigured for life, but all still optimistic and smiling. These men are my age and while I'm off in a classroom pouring over Russian literature these men are out there squaring off with death. And it just made me think. People are so quick to criticize the army and those who serve, but they have no idea about what they are willing to sacrifice."
Check out Alysia's passionate performance of "What's in a Soldier"
Check out all of my Top 4 "Penn videos that will give you the chills"
See which Penn undergrads and alumni are registered on DuelingTampons.com
Click to see what other 2010 Penn grads are up to
Check out our 600+ Penn videos
Sign up for daily emails to get notified about alumni and undergraduate updates! (click here to see a newsletter)
Add yourself to our facebook, friendster and/or myspace profiles!
Submitting a story to Dueling Tampons: What you need to know...
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
So far, my #4 and #3 picks for my "Penn videos that will give you the chills" have been beautifully made films combining stylized photography, use of music and special effects.
Today I bring you an engaging video from one of our alumni jam packed with emotion and truth.
Click here for my #2 pick.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
The more I write about alumni and undergrads, the more I'm realizing that not only is there a lot of talent out there, but our Penn folk have some powerful opinions and voices.
One such alum is Caroline Rothstein (C'06, The Excelano Project), a spoken word poet currently living in New York City. Her poetry is honest, real, personal, and political.
...Listen to the power behind her poem below, "They Call Me Granola" (put your headphones on..not safe for work). This is great...:
This past year, Caroline also self-published a book of her poetry called "What I Learned In College." Books are $5 and can be purchased by emailing Caroline directly at caroline.rothstein@gmail.com.
In addition to spoken word, Caroline keeps a blog that she began upon moving to Atlanta. You can find her adventures throughout the United States and deep into the streets of Manhattan.
Listen to more of her poetry HERE
Learn how Caroilne got started in "spoken word" HERE
More alumni specializing in "the spoken word" HERE
More 2006 alumni alumni news HERE
Read "Life Worth", an excerpt/poem from Caroline's chapbook* "What I Learned in College"HERE
*A chapbook is a book of poetry. It's typically a book that a poet puts out on their own, so mostly self published/printed, etc.
"Life Worth"
He’d just bought a pair of shoes
Hundred dollar sneakers, shopping bag, right hand
He walks down Central Street in Highland Park, Illinois –
a brand name sidewalk with affluent stores
He knocks on the pharmacy window to buy Gatorade and a bag of pretzels but they wave him away –
It’s 4 PM on a Sunday and they are closing up shop
A senior at his high school pulls an illegal U-Turn
An elderly man stops short to avoid collision, skids onto the curb,
and throws my brother into the side of a store building
His head cracks open, his eyes close shut,
and his sneakers fling into the air as his spleen develops cuts
They do brain surgery, put him on respirators,
Rabbi Mason prays by his ICU bedside but he never wakes up
I’m crouched over his bedside begging him,
Yelling at him “Josh, wake up! Josh, please, wake up!”
He was only shoe shopping,
Walking side by side teenage girls that purchase emaciation on a hanger,
Which is really just a metaphor for
Shirts sewn in sweat shops by starving children
And studies say that executing killers costs more than
Keeping them in prison for the rest of their lives
And funeral prices are on the rise:
Cremation packages start at 2000, the average casket is 6000
28 dollars a month to purchase an orphan on the internet
13 bucks for a Japanese picture bride to weed the fields and strip sugar cane
Not too much for a mail order bride –
Choose her nationality, her body shape, and human pedigree
And since this is an unregulated business,
I don’t have fancy statistics to insert here: ____
About how many women are bought by strangers yearly
As we get a price check in aisle five
To bargain lives that we further judge when they die
My family goes to trial so the killers can pay for our loss in insurance
There’s no way to judge but the judge sits there asking me:
How much was his life worth?
My fifteen year old brother had 20, 000 dollars in savings
From selling beanie babies at a hundred times their cost
On an ebay auction block
650 dollars to buy an African teen on a Southern auction block
How much is a life worth?
We purchase human beings from fruitless trees
We consume materials and will them to our offspring
We hang child labor on manikins
We dangle death next to cash registers
We kill children in store front windows
And judge their worth in finances even though
The only bank in heaven is the locked vault of karma
The only currency in heaven is a set of intangible beliefs
The only worth in heaven can’t even be proven
How much is a life worth?
He was fifteen years old walking happy on a sidewalk
He was fifteen years old shackled standing on an auction block
He was fifteen years old starving sewing in a sweat shop
How much is a life worth?
Josh, wake up, Josh, please wake up
How much is your life worth?
It’s worth waking up every day to face the misery of death’s reality
It’s worth becoming straight edge
to never miss a single moment of sobriety
It’s worth my living breath to overcome death
Josh, you are what my life’s worth
Share
Share
Tweet
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Carlos Andrés Gómez (C'04), award-winning NYC poet and actor, has a voice. ...And it's channeled through his passion for the spoken word. After checking out his videos, the best word to describe this guy is captivating!
At Penn, Carlos was the founder of The Excelano Project one of the nation's premier spoken word/performance poetry collectives.
You may have seen him earlier this year on the cover of the February issue of Brass Magazine and on the most recent season of HBO's Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry.
His passion for this art form has opened doors into the acting world as well.
Click here to watch Carlos in action as he discusses his craft and his involvement in the film The Inside Man and HBO's Def Poetry.
Click below to watch his other captivating performances:
"What's Genocide"
"Tipping Point"
"All We Have"
Click here to check out Carlos' website
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Entertainment Related
Penn Memories
More Fun
Holiday Related Posts
Halloween
Thanksgiving
Hanukkah
Christmas
Mardis Gras
St. Patrick's Day
Easter