1.       What do you do when you’re not being a Tympanic Company Member?
 
Get into fights with Darth Vader.
 
2.       What is your favorite Chicago “L” stop? Why?
 
Addison Red Line – You can see my house from there! No I don't live at Wrigley field.
 
3.       Why on EARTH would you agree to be a part of this crazy band of HOOLIGANS!?!
 
I am in it for the fortune and glory.
 
4.       Who are some of your favorite artists…theatre, music, visual, any medium counts!
 
David Mamet, Jackson Pollock, Muddy Waters
 
5.       Tell us two truths and a lie.
 
I am ¼ Cuban.
I can run like the wind blows. 
I was actually sent here from the future.

Thanks for reading!

Susan

 

What’s your character’s name? Grip

Where did you get your “real person” name? I was supposed to be named after my Greek great grandmother. Her name is Malamo. My mom did not like the idea of me being tormented throughout my childhood years with a name like Malamo so she settled on Alexandra. My classmates in pre-school could not pronounce Alexandra so in turn they started calling me 'Ali'.

What would your robot name be? Meowbot

 What’s something even yo’ Mama don’t know about you?  This could be a little awkward, but…

Which early 90’s television icon would play you in the story of your life?  Will Smith- Fresh Prince of Bel Air . 

 In five words or less, why should we shell out $15.00 to see OZMA & HARRIET?

Not the Mama!

OZMA & HARRIET at The Side Project

March 25th – April 18th

Thurs – Sat @ 8:00p and Sun @ 7:00p

Reserve your seats here or call 773. 442.2882. 

Thanks for reading!

Susan

1. What’s your character’s name?

 Ozma Frankenberry Morales Younger….or just Ozma.

2. Where did you get your “real person” name? 

I’m pretty sure my parents named me after Saint Christopher, who as you may well know is the “Christ bearer.”  My whole life, I’ve struggled with the meaning of this.   Perhaps my parents thought that I would someday bear the Christ child.  But I cannot get pregnant?  Perhaps they thought that I would someday carry people across a wide river, but I am quite frail and small and actually am terrified of water.  Perhaps they thought that I would be one to carry the weight of the world on my back….that’s actually pretty spot on.  Or maybe they just really thought the name Christopher was cool.

 3. What would your robot name be?

 I’m kind of partial to Ozma Frankenberry Morales Younger…..my brother used to call me R2Chris2 (see photo above), which I always thought was cool. 

 4. What’s something even yo’ Mama don’t know about you?

That’s tough.  My mama knows a lot about me.  I think the one thing she didn’t know about me growing up, was that I secretly played basketball in high school.  The reason I kept it a secret was because one day, while I was at a party, my body started changing.  I started growing hair in places that I didn’t have hair in.  I realized that my father had gone through this too.  He was practically covered in hair.  I soon found that this new hair growth was actually helping with my basketball skills.  My team went from last to first place, and I also won the heart of the girl of my dreams, all whilst gaining this new popularity, simply because of the hair on my body.  Everyone started calling me “The Wolf,” and while it shot me to stardom at my high school, I soon realized that I couldn’t control this frenzy being caused by my unsightly body hair.  During the final game of the season, I decided not to let this mangle of dark hair grow.  My coach was pissed at me, the school was counting on me, and it all came down to one final foul shot.  It was almost like it took place in slow motion, but I made it and we won the championship!  I quickly realized that the girl of my dreams was actually my best friend, and that I didn’t need all of that body hair to be successful.  My mother, to this day, does not know this about me.  And I will never be able to tell her.  I mean, she can’t stand basketball!

Here is an action shot of Chris during his glory days

 5. Which early 90’s tv icon would play you in the story of your life?

Fred Savage.  The Wonder Years is my life.

 6. In five words or less, why should we shell out $15.00 to see Ozma & Harriet?

 Sex, TGIF, and Whitey-tighties (3 of my favorite things!)

OZMA & HARRIET opens March 25th – April 18th

The Side Project

Thurs – Sat @ 8:00p and Sun @ 7:00p

To reserve your seat e-mail admin@tympanictheatre.org or call 773.442.2882 or go here.

Thanks for reading!

Susan

What’s your character’s name?

TV Ozma

Where did you get your “real person” name?

Just like most people named Jared, age 25-30, my mother was a huge fan of the TV show The Big Valley. Apparently there was a character name Jared on the show and apparently he was very popular with child bearing ladies of the 80′s.

What would your robot name be?

 I dont understand the question…my Robot name is Jared Nell

What’s something even yo’ Mama don’t know about you (or your character’s Mama’s don’t know about them)?

That I moved out a couple years ago. I built a fantastic Ferris Bueller-esque body double on my last day in St. Louis. But I think she may be wising up. I just got an e-mail from her the other day saying she feels like she can't talk to me anymore, that I've become distant. I feel like I can ride it another couple months.

Which early 90’s television icon would play you in the story of your life?

Kirk Cameron.

In five words or less, why should we shell out $15.00 to see OZMA & HARRIET?

 Because it's easily worth $12.  (And after that, whats another couple of dollars?)

OZMA & HARRIET opens Thursday March 25th, 8:00p at The Side Project

E-mail admin@tympanictheatre.org to reserve your seat (HINT: Thursday is FREE PREVIEW). Or go here to buy a ticket in advance.

Thanks for reading!

Susan

Reserve your seat for our preview Thurs, March 25th at admin@tympanictheatre.org (HINT: It's FREE on preview night). 

Thanks for reading!

Susan

www.tympanictheatre.org for more ticket info

I do not know a single artist in this city who simply sticks to one medium. We are not just writers, not just actors, not just musicians or set designers. We bleed our creativity on to everything we touch. But sometimes we need to birth new means of creativity when our main medium gets a little stale. In the pursuit of following up on some old promises to myself about not being JUST an actor, and hoping to feel a little less crunchy, I stumbled across nk. He did some promotional shots and the set for a friend of mines show, and l immediately connected with his work. I felt as if his photos were familiar to me. Like that deja vu you just can't place. So like the good little facebook-er I am, I friend-ed him before I really knew him, in hopes of seeing more of his work. Eventually, I was able to meet nk face to face, so we are real friends now, well at least acquaintances. He was even kind enough to agree to an interview, and share some of his personal photos with us. I hope you enjoy both, and remember to get out there and bleed on something else for a change, well…you know what I mean.

-Megan

Give us a little bit of background on yourself…where are you from, what are you doing in Chicago, is your name actually NK? or does that stand for something…

I am originally from California. I moved from there when I was 17. Since then I have lived all around the US from Alaska to New York. I've been in Chicago going on 4 years. What brought me here it a bit illusive save the fact that I have always wanted to live in all the large cities in this country and I was living in Minneapolis and ready for a move. Chicago happened to be the closest big city and so it was the logical choice.

My name is actually spelled nk, all lowercase. This is the name I go by and was conceived in an attempt to add some depth to my birth name of which will have to remain a mystery.

1.How did you get into photography?

Growing up I had a Canon AE-1, a stunning 35mm camera. I played around with that for years, came to understand the basic composition of a photograph. When I started moving around the country I started using a Nikon N60 35mm and a bit later in life a Nikon D40 digital camera. After photographing all the usual subjects (landscape, portrait etc.) I found that photographs of people speak a certain depth I can appreciate. Therefore I tend to only photograph people.

2.Are there any artists that you feel affect your work? stylistically or that inspire you?

Some of Emily Forgot's work moves me, namely the If You Could print series. Cristiana Courceiro combines photography and graphic design in a way I find very influential. She's one of my favorites. Jason Munn over at The Small Stakes gives me hope that graphic design can really bring people to a rock concert. Francesco Clemente's work for the film Great Expectations is a great example of perfect asymmetry I tend to really enjoy in my photographic subjects.

3.Where do you get ideas for shoots?

It helps if I am familiar with my subject whether they be a friend or an acquaintance. The more I am exposed to their personality the more ideas I have. Contrasting environments lends a lot intrigue to my expressions and so I usually put pretty people in ugly situations. Though it may be a subtle thing I find it very important to express the displacement of people from their 'natural' environment.

4.You do a lot of theatre and live event shots, is one more difficult then the other?

Recently I have had the opportunity to shoot a few events and just recently a photo run for a play for which I provided various design elements. I find indoor photography difficult without the proper equipment but the challenge can sometimes yield amazing things. Shooting indoors for me causes my subjects to condense especially in tight spaces. Depending on the type of feeling the photographs are meant to induce this can be a good or bad thing. On the other hand there is something about natural light and the way skin absorbs it, how the body yields to it's warm. I would say that any type of shoot is not a thing of difficulty more then it is a question of taste. Put me outside with a long lens and interesting people and I am where I want to be.

5.What was your most interesting shoot and why?

My most interesting shoot was many years ago when I was 18. I was at a concert in California where I met a young woman who had spent some time as a model. I asked if I could take her into a nearby abandoned wreck of a building to take a few shots. She agreed and I experienced for the first time a person who felt at home in front of a camera. I learned more about her in the dark room developing her photos then I think I could have in person. It was then I realized that a single moment captured on film can cause in the viewer an opportunity to discover details of which maybe the photographer did not intend. For me this is what is so great about art; boundless discovery.

6.What is your favorite photo that you've taken?

I recently did a shoot for a play in which my two subjects did a lot of posing outside of my influence. I enjoy when my subjects take just a little of my direction and expound on it. I took a photo of the male subject carrying the female subject over his shoulder. The contrast of her body draped over his, her ivory boned hand lightly grabbing at the back of his shirt, her sincere laughter hiding behind her tossed hair just wrecks me.

7.Since all art is objective, what do you feel is interesting or unique about your work, what makes it "art" to you?

What I hope my photographs induce in the viewer is the feeling of how comfortable the subject is with expressing themselves. Hopefully people who see my photographs we'll see a part of the subject they wouldn't without my influence. What makes it art is how the elements allow the viewer to discover something.

8.What other mediums do you use to express yourself besides photography, I know you did the set design for 'Down the Road', do you use the same principles for photography when you work with other mediums?

Anything I make tends to be heavily influenced by obsession with balance. Whether it be with the amount of graphic elements, light, tones, I am only happy with a piece of art when the numerous variables settle into some sort of harmony with each other. I do a lot of graphic design and what I like to call gift design: single pieces of art for my friends and loved ones.

9. Do you have any showings coming up? A website where people can view your work?

At this time I do not. A website is in the works.

10. What type of baby(camera) do you have ?

I have a Nikon D40. I have intentions of getting a Nikon D90 along with a some new lenses.

–nk