The Hanslick Girls

August 20, 2018

Shake The World: Jon M Chu’s “Crazy Rich Asians”

“I love this!” Dania said, pointing at the kaleidoscopic credits sequence that twirled across the screen. “All the animated stuff in the movie was really good.”

“Was there a lot of animated stuff?” Gwen asked.

“The phone sequence!” Eleanor said. “With everyone sending texts about Rachel. That was filmed fantastically. Such a good use of the medium. And the cut back to Rachel and Nick in the bar is perfect!”

“Oh, that’s how you spell Awkwafina,” Dania said, as the actress’ name flashed onto the screen.

August 13, 2018

Paint Her Deeper: Soolagna Majumdar’s “Marge Simpson Anime”

Gwen pulled the stack of letters out of their mailbox, and immediately caught sight of the yellowed envelope. A contrast not only due to its color and size, but also by its decoration: tiny stickers of a dinosaur, a fish, a llama, and a teddy bear surrounded their handwritten address. The package – the stamps indicated it had come from Australia – was addressed to Dania.

Near the bottom was a hand-drawn mouse creature, with a speech bubble reading “Do Not Bend Please.” Gwen flattened the package against the wall, soothing out the wrinkles that had formed after the envelope was shoved into their mailbox. The damage controlled, as much as it could be, she carried the mail into the house.

“Dania, you have a package,” Gwen called, dropping the package onto the center table of their living room. “Did you order something from Australia?”

August 6, 2018

Sharpen Thy Wit: Babes With Blades’ “The Lady Demands Satisfaction,” with Denise Yvette Serna

Press Opening was the natural time for a post-show speech. Gwen was desperate to get out of the theatre and into the night air – and she could tell Denise wouldn’t be too far behind her – but they’d sat on the opposite side of the theater from the door, and any attempt to leave might be seen as bad form, against the older man now standing onstage, holding a plaque.

“The writer of this play is the winner of last year’s Joining Sword and Pen competition,” the man crooned. “To create pieces of theatre with strong stage combat opportunities, centered on sturdy female roles. This is his third victory. If he’d like to come down to the stage, please.”

A second man, with a twirled moustache, emerged from the applauding crowd. The two men shook hands at center stage, and Arthur Jolly looked at his name on the plaque.

July 30, 2018

The Early Drafts: Game Grumps’ “Ten Minute Power Hour”

“You didn’t even…savor the…peelies!”

Eleanor and Dania both looked up, confused. Gwen was staring at the computer screen, wearing headphones, as a wheezy laugh rose from the speakers. She quickly grabbed the jack for the headphones and plugged them into the side of the laptop.

The laughter snapped away, but Dania had already dropped her book into her lap.