I shouldn't talk about it too much since the playwright is still making adjustments, but all I'll say is that it was a funny and relevant piece that walked the line between slapstick and political satire very nicely.
It was a great pleasure last night to have been involved in the staged reading of a new comedy called "The Unavoidable Tragedy of King Larry" by Michael Monteiro Wise. The play had been written for The Playwriting Workshop with Trey Nichols at Moving Arts. I shouldn't talk about it too much since the playwright is still making adjustments, but all I'll say is that it was a funny and relevant piece that walked the line between slapstick and political satire very nicely.
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It was a packed night at the Vaucluse Lounge on September 4th for the Asians On Film and Asia Cinema Entertainment Mixer. Many thanks to Scott Eriksson and Chenjie Pan (co-founders of Asians On Film) and the rest of the hosts at the mixer! That includes Sam Yim, Kai Braden, John Wusah, Jon Komp Shin and Sierra Mercier. Keep an eye out for the red carpet interviews. Can't wait for the next mixer in December! I'm happy to say that last week was relatively busy. I landed a role on the NBC/U pilot presentation "Boomeranged" with super funny writer/actors Elena Crevello and Heidi Niedermeyer, and director Lev. L Spiro. Hopefully I'll be able to post some more stills or video once the pilot has gone through its whole process. Regardless, it was awesome working with the team and I'm excited to see it get picked up!
This weekend was also a two day shoot on the short film My Best Friend Ben. I was able to work with longtime friends and collaborators, which is nice if you get along as we do. My good friend Christina Jun wrote and starred in the film. I was cast as a lascivious reality TV "Bachelor" along with the lovely Jamie Miller as the "Bachelorette." It's funny... because the last time I worked on one of Christina's projects she wrote me as a cancer-faking horn dog. It's comforting to know how your friends view you. Anyway, congratulations to Christina Jun on wrapping production. I'll be posting more about it soon! Don't forget to follow me on Twitter @tylerhampong. And check out my new credits on IMDb. I meant to do this earlier. These are my remarks after accepting the Best Screenwriter Award at this year's 72 Hour Shootout for Case File 69. I wasn't particularly prepared to say anything and I neglected to thank my team who deserve thanks most of all. So thank you Jamie, Christina, Matt, Sam, Vivi and Gabe -- Team Ghetto Slate. Two pretty cool things. One (1): I was included among the Top 40 Asian American Actors Under 40 to Watch for in Hollywood posted on IMDb by Asians On Film. And a two (2): a clip of my short was used in this trailer. Enjoy. Tonight at 8pm is the first night of a weekly series of readings produced by the Celebration Theatre! The reading is free to attend, though there is a suggested donation of $5 or $10. More information at the City of West Hollywood Calendar. I'm so sad that I won't be able to make it tonight, but I will definitely be present down the line.
Support for these readings are important as the West Hollywood Arts Commission needs to see how dedicated the West Hollywood community is to their theatre. So check it out tonight or any of the other nights, and I hope to see you there! Celebration Theatre is a community of artists dedicated to presenting innovative, provocative, and relevant work that examines the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex, and allied (lgbtqqia) experience. we challenge society’s perceptions of this community and give a vibrant voice to its evolving identity. Getting an Honorable Mention for Best Comedy at the Asian On Film Festival... it's a great way to kick off Wedlocked's run through the festival circuit! Read the full article on Asians On Film and watch Wedlocked without leaving my website! And in honor of such an incredible technology that allows us to do what we do, I've posted a picture from SnapKnot. By the way, did I mention that posting this picture makes me eligible to win either a D800 or a 5D Mark III? Both nice cameras. And this offer is tempting because I've been reading up on the technical side of cinematography, which in turn justifies my being a sell-out. Ahem... The book I'm referencing is the second edition of Cinematography by Kris Malkiewicz. Unfortunately, it's from 1992 and doesn't offer any insight into the digital generation, but I picked it up off a thrift store book rack, and you get what you pay for. Nevertheless, it's given me a better understanding of lenses and I'm excited to start applying this knowledge. Hopefully, I'll win that free camera... Courtesy of: SnapKnot I first met Lavrenti in New York at the Lee Strasberg Institute. It was 2007 and we were in our early twenties in a city idolized as the mecca for artists. While at Strasberg, we were cast in a play that offered us an unconventional introduction to improvisation and movement-based theatre. Neither of us really knew what it was, and it's hard to say whether anyone else involved knew much better, but we made the best of it. It was a vessel for experimentation, and why not? We had nothing to lose since the only critics were our peers. Which, in retrospect, can be encouraging and shitty all at the same time. Despite receiving mixed reactions for our show "E-Dating," we made strong friendships navigating the frustrating charm of New York theater. He's been a close friend and companion in our journey as actors from New York to Los Angeles, and I'm proud to say that his new film "The Mad Ones" (Produced by Aniruddh Pandit, Saurabh Kikani and Jefferson Dutton) is among one of his best performances in an also wonderfully-executed film. It follows three run-of-the-mill office workers who are frustrated with their place in the system and in life. It's about clarifying the difference between artistic freedom and laziness, the difference between a hard-working individual and a "phony" (a la "Catcher in the Rye"), and that the answers to those questions are the meaning people give them. It's funny as hell, but according to Lavrenti it's not a dramedy... so then what is it? Well, if I were to place it in another arguably arbitrary category, I'd call it an Existential Comedy. Really, it's a angsty tongue-in-cheek look at our culture that puts our idea of creativity into perspective. When it comes out, I hope many people get to see this refreshing film. Nice work, buddy. And keep an eye out for my "cameo" appearance. I sneak in there like a ninja! |
About MeI fall somewhere between Dogme 95 and Archives
December 2023
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