Updates

From the Producer's of And Everything is Going Fine:
"Independent Film Channel is distributing the film for North America. We're still looking for an overseas distributor."
No dates as of yet (Aug. 2010).
Steven Soderbergh to present And Everything is Going Fine
August 3rd, 2010, New Orleans.
Rare opportunity as Soderbergh in attendance. Only previous appearance was in NYC.
Australian Review of And Everything is Going Fine
In Australia! In Melbourne! And Everything is Going Fine
Sun 25 Jul 4:45 PM Greater Union Cinema 5
11:30 PM Greater Union Cinema 5
And remember the Munich Festival showings:
Munich Schedule Announced:
Wednesday, 30.06.2010 17:30
Gasteig – Vortragssaal der Bibliothek
Saturday, 03.07.2010 17:30
Filmmuseum
Making memories matter - Kathie Russo in conversation about And Everything Is Going Fine
by Chris Docker
Spalding Gray Widow Kathleen Russo: 'Irish Car Crash Sparked Suicide'
from the Post Chronicle
Recent quote from Kathie Russo on plans for Book, Play & Film About Husband's Life
Gray's Widow Plans Book, Play & Film About Husband's Life
Actor/writer SPALDING GRAY's widow is keeping her late husband's legacy alive
by writing a book about her time with him and a play and film based on his journals.
Kathleen Russo was left devastated when Gray committed suicide
by jumping off the Staten Island Ferry in New York in 2004,
and she's committed to keeping her dead husband's memory alive.
Currently producing Steven Soderbergh's documentary about Gray's life,
And Everything is Going Fine, the Hollywood costume designer has big plans for 2011.
She tells WENN,
"There is so much work that I'm doing.
There's a book for (publishers) Knoft next year
and I'm doing a play based on his journals that will tour Britain, called There Are Stories to Tell.
It comes to Glasgow next March. It's a cast of five people that represent a part of his life
- the adventurer, the journal reader, the family man, the lover and the career person.
"It will also be a film;
Whoopi Goldberg is one of the producers on the film.
John C. Reilly is gonna be in it, we think,
as The Family Man and John Leguizamo as The Lover and Whoopi as The Career Person.
Lucy Sexton and I worked on the script and we're starting to get the money together."
Sexton, who will direct the film, is married to filmmaker Stephen Daldry.
Reviews of And Everything is Going Fine from Edinburgh Festival:
obsessedwithfilm.com
eyeforfilm.co.uk
Life's Work: "And Everything is Going Fine"
Edinburgh Film Festival Schedule of And Everything is Going Fine
June 19, 2010 18:30
June 20, 2010 18:30
SPECIAL FEATURE: Kathie Russo (Producer) and Forrest Gray (Soundtrack) in attendance at both screenings

Munich Schedule Announced:
Wednesday, 30.06.2010 17:30
Gasteig – Vortragssaal der Bibliothek
Saturday, 03.07.2010 17:30
Filmmuseum
Soderbergh on the Death of Spalding Gray
On Spalding's Birthday (2010), Roger Ebert wrote on Twitter (quote is from Killing Fields):
"The sea's a lovely lady when you play in her. But if you play with her, she's a BITCH!"
A superb review of And Everything is Going Fine by Theresa Smalec at the fanzine.com is more scholastic essay than review
As such, it contains many parts of the film, including the beginning and end,
which some fans may regard as spoilers
for those eager to see this film, they are teasers
Theresa unknownly did the last interview with Spalding which is also superb and is listed under Books on this site. Note the assistance of photographers of Clay Walker and Ali Hossaini

And another great review I found today from The Documentary Blog.
The Globe and Mail in Canada has the first foreign review of Fine, and it's a good one! (ending spoiler alert!)
see below for other reviews.
- and the PBS review at Hot Docs in Toronto by Jeremy Freed
- and the excellent 'existential' review at Hot Docs by Jonathan Doyle of Media Party
- and a good review from BOMBIPPY at Hot Docs
- and another interesting review from Hot Docs
- and review by Katrina at TSADT.com at Hot Docs
- and the short but great review in Toronto's NOW magazine<
- and perhaps the best review, Nicole Fairbairn, of them all because this one is Inspiration!
- and the Toronto Film Scene review by Katarina Gligorijevic
- and yet another good review from Hot Docs (actually excellent but there are so many...)
by Monika Bartyzel for Cinematical
As of May 2, 2010, these are the remaining festival showings of And Everything is Going Fine:
http://www.edfilmfest.org.uk/whats-on?src=adv&per_page=15&page=2
- Edinborough - Not yet listed as playing

http://www.filmfest-muenchen.de/dc/ffm_en/filmabc/
- Munich - Not yet listed as playing

Spalding Gray: Stories Left to Tell in Denver at Newman Square, University of Denver
Fri, 11 Mar 2011 7:30 pm
Sat, 12 Mar 2011 7:30 pm
Rabih Mroué, winner of the Spalding Gray Award, appears very busy in the Netherlands
art shows, theatre and more...comforting to know that now he can come to the US
In the Netherlands, Rabih Mroué presents an art exhibit:
Between 21 May and 1 August, BAK, basis voor actuele kunst, Utrecht proudly presents
I, the Undersigned, his first solo exhibition .
Powerhouse Theatre at Vassar in Poughkeepsie, NY presents: INTERVIEWING THE AUDIENCE (July 23 - 25, 2010) by Zach Helm (Good Canary, Stranger than Fiction, Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium),
inspired by Spalding Gray, Helm invites audience members on an intimate hilarious, and occasionally shocking journey in this improvised and interactive work.
In a good review from SXSW, Moises Chiullan (Hollywood Elsewhere) comments:
"It'll (Fine) hit theaters in limited release starting in November" One can only hope for wider release and fast move to DVD...
Kathie Russo NPR interview about Stories Left to Tell - 18/3/2010

- and Stories Left to Tell at the Bride in Philadelphia - a short, interesting article about this theatre that was important to Spalding
- and MSN.com still(04/2010)lists Spalding as still living in:
New York, NY
Carmel, NY
Sag Harbor, NY
It's tempting to pay the 99 cents for the 'Details'...
At the NYC premiere of Fine (which seems to be catching on as title), with Soderbergh in attendance,
the Programmer is reported as saying
And Everything is Going Fine will find a wider release this fall, 2010
Does that mean a release deal is in place??? Ohhh, we hope so as that would be Fine...
Ever wonder like me where the title And Every Thing is Going Fine orginates...
I guess when you've seen the Film,
you would know. Thanks to Gavin Dahl, whose excellent review is linked below :
"A story about going to visit his (Spalding's) father and stepmother included the passage, "And everything is going fine, except ..." as a dozen annoyances get in the way of their meal."
I guess this site is a lot of the 'excepts'...
International Premiere of And Everything is Going Fine will be at Hot Docs in Toronto, Canada
Fri, April 30, 2010 6:30 pm
Sat, May 01, 2010 1:45 pm
See link for theatres
further down for other showings
The 2010 Spalding Gray Award goes to Rabih Mroué, Lebanese Playright
Here are the best links:
NY Times Announcement,
Comtemporary Performance Article with videos,
Frieze Art Fair,
Lebanon Bans Tale of Fighters in Militias
REVIEWS of And Everything is Going Fine :

Josh Olson's Day 3 at SXSW: Soderbergh's EVERYTHING IS FINE
- a very good review and story

- and Landon Palmer's excellent review SXSW Review: And Everything is Going Fine

- and the Hollywood Reporter at SXSW

- and a good review in the Huffington Post

- and an excellent review of Everything in the Boise weekly by Gavin Dahl

- and the Tastee Pudding review

- and the Indu Subaiya review

- and Fine liked at Full Frame in Durham, NC and by Slant Magazine at Full Frame



- and the Sarasota Film Festival Review in the Herald Tribune (spoiler of ending)

- and another good review from Full Frame by Katie Review's Blog
Spalding & MeParts 1-19, Parts 20 - 36 and on (60 chapters proposed...)
"A story about a young man and his hero who was far too human for what he needed."
Worthy of an Update, this blog, 30 entries last I checked, is a very well written blog...
with the untold story of Spalding's arrest at the Boston Airport, in 2002
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
From a blog on the SXSW Film Fest:
during the q & a, one of the producers (Joshua Blum or Amy Hobby)
answered a question about plans to release Gray's performance films on DVD
by saying, "We hope to see a box set come out through the Criterion Collection in 2011,
but the deal's not done yet."

- Hope springs eternal that unreleased monologes such as SAD (Sex and Death) will be included
and yes, for our British fans, that the Box Set will also be on Region 2!!!
A reminder that Kaitlyn Kilmetis continues her insightful series on Stories Left to Tell
performed at Queens Theatre in the Park (NOTE: now moving for short run in Manhattan)
Part 1, Part 2, Part 3
And a Review of the Performance at Queens Theatre in the Park, Flushing Meadows Corona Park
A reminder that Radiohole's (Spalding Gray Award winner 2009) Whatever, Heaven Allows continues at P.S. 122 in NYC

More showings for And Everything is Going Fine (note some lack of firm dates as of 09/03/10 - more info to come)
http://www.sarasotafilmfestival.com/2010/festival/films/
- Sarasota - Saturday, April 17th, 2010 5:15 PM, Sunday, April 18th, 2010 2:30 PM

http://www.md-filmfest.com/schedule.cfm
- Maryland - no schedule listed yet

http://www.indiewire.com/article/2010/03/18/stranger_than_fiction_at_the_ifc_center/
Steven Soderbergh’s documentary “And Everything is Going Fine”
will launch the thirteenth season of the IFC Center’s Stranger Than Fiction (STF) weekly documentary film series,
on April 6th, 2010.
Soderbegh will be in attendance for the kick-off of the series, which runs every Tuesday night through June 8.
Each film screened will feature a Q&A with the filmmakers, followed by drinks at Alibi Lounge.
http://www.ifccenter.com
323 Sixth Avenue at West Third Street,NYC | (212) 924-7771

http://www.fullframefest.org/about.php
- Durham, NC - no schedule listed yet

http://www.edfilmfest.org.uk/whats-on?src=adv&per_page=15&page=2
- Edinborough - Not yet listed as playing

http://www.filmfest-muenchen.de/dc/ffm_en/filmabc/
- Munich - Not yet listed as playing

And in all the bzzz about Everything is Fine, let's not forget the various presentations of
Stories Left to Tell
including the Walker Center , Minneapolis, March 18, and 20th, 2010 with special art tour by Kathie Russo
and other showings listed below
Guest Performers:
Thursday, March 18 with Louie Anderson
Friday, March 19 with Kerri Miller
Saturday, March 20 with Kevin Kling
AND:
Philadelphia
Painted Bride Art Center, 230 Vine Street, Philadelphia
03/25,26,27/2010 - 8:00pm
AND:
Flushing Meadows Corona Park
Queens Theatre in the Park
Fri. Mar 19, 2010 @ 8:00pm
Sat. Mar 20, 2010 @ 8:00pm
Sun. Mar 21, 2010 @ 3:00pm
Fri. Mar 26, 2010 @ 8:00pm
Sat. Mar 27, 2010 @ 8:00pm
Sun. Mar 28, 2010 @ 3:00pm
with installments in multi part series by Reach Reporter Kaitlyn Kilmetis of the Queens Tribune
More And Everything is Going Fine
From the Durham, NC dBusinessNews, Durham, NC:
The Full Frame Documentary Film Festival has announced 14 titles from the Invited Programming lineup for the 13th annual festival.
This section features films screening out of competition,
many of which will be accompanied by panel conversations or other live events following the screening.
A list of accompanying special guests, alongside anticipated additions, will be released in the coming weeks.
The 2010 Full Frame Documentary Festival will be held April 8 through 11, 2010 in Durham, NC,
with Duke University as the presenting sponsor. Festival passes are currently on sale at www.fullframefest.org.
Full Frame’s film schedule will be announced March 18, and advance tickets go on sale April 1.
And on the Slamdance web page, And Everything is Going Fine ranks as the 2nd most popular film,
2nd by .01 of a score out of 5.
Blog writings of people who were unfamilar with Spalding's work are very positive.
Future showings/info is unknown as of 07/03/10
which is the 6th anniversary of men (Robin Snead) finding Spalding's body, later writing story in Esquire
Turns out I didn't have that linked on the site...go figure...
And Everything is Going Fine will show at:
South by Southwest Film Festival, Austin, TX, March 13 & 14, 2010
and True False Film Festival in Columbia MO, Saturday, Feb. 27, 2010 / 12:00PM /
and Sunday, Feb. 28, 2010 / 10:00AM
The first full length review is in for And Everything is Going Fine
and it's FANTASTIC - congrats to Soderbergh, Kathie and Forrest...and Spalding...
and the Voice also likes it - note last Q re film's future - no deal for distribution yet...
Stories Left To Tell
Painted Bride Art Center
230 Vine Street
Philadelphia, PA 19106 March 25, 2010 08:00 pm
March 26, 2010 08:00 pm
March 27, 2010 08:00 pm
Radiohole – WHATEVER, HEAVEN ALLOWS
WORLD PREMIERE at PS 122 - Sunday, February 21- Saturday, March 13
SPALDING GRAY AWARD WINNER - Spalding Party Thursday, February 25,2010
NYT - One Singular Auteur, Through Another
SPOILER ALERT - gives away last scene
-excellent article/interview about Soderbergh's Documentary And Everything Is Going Fine
reporter evidently has seen the film and the buzz is very positive...
SPALDING GRAY: STORIES LEFT TO TELL by Outrageous Fortune Company
Queens Theatre in the Park, Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Corona, NY 11368
- Box Office 718.760.0064
Fri. Mar 19, 2010 @ 8:00pm
Sat. Mar 20, 2010 @ 8:00pm
Sun. Mar 21, 2010 @ 3:00pm
Fri. Mar 26, 2010 @ 8:00pm
Sat. Mar 27, 2010 @ 8:00pm
Sun. Mar 28, 2010 @ 3:00pm
This production appears to be not be the original cast, but by their own cast.
Spoken Ink has released a downloadable version of the book
Sex and Death to the Age of 14
http://www.spokenink.co.uk/catalog?id=245
NOTE: this is NOT the orginal audio version which remains extremely rare and
this mp3 is read by another person. However, Spoken Ink is a very good company.
Fomenting ARTS unlimited, Inc. presents: Heather Woodbury’s AS THE GLOBE WARMS
(Heather was the winner of the first Spalding Gray Award)
the new meta-serial for the age of DIY, live and on-line
January 9th, 2010: The episodic marathon begins at Echo Curio in Echo Park, Los Angeles!
A Live, Brand New Half-hour solo performance every Saturday night at 8:00p.m. for 12 weeks.
(Resuming for 12 weeks in July, August, Sept.)
AND On-line from January12th, 2010, continuously every week for 48 weeks
@ www.heatherwoodbury.com
From the New Yorker:
BOWERY POETRY CLUB
Ain Gordon, Bob Holman, David Cale, Carmelita Tropicana, and Josh Lefkowitz read from the works
of Spalding Gray, the actor and writer who went missing in January of 2004 and whose body
was discovered in the East River two months later. (308 Bowery, at Bleecker St. . Jan. 10
at 8.)
These people are from Stories Left To Tell and the location is very good.
Stoners and Self-Appointed Saints by Annie La Ganga
- a monologist in a sense has a reading from her book Stoners and Self-Appointed Saints
at CityLights Books in San Francisco on 2/17/10 - book receives excellent reviews
THE SPALDING GRAYS - Indie / Rock / Alternative
- just discovered this band from Charlotte, North Carolina
no details yet on the name...
This site's good friend Charlie Bethel has good link page
and exerpt from his excellent Beowulf
INTERVIEWING THE AUDIENCE with ZACH HELM - NOTE - this is the second timer Mr. Helm has presented this without the permission of the Estate
or even informing the Estate. I believe the Estate is very understanding.
There is a link on the Sidebar called Performance Rights and if that is unclear,
you can use the Contact link. Performance without permission is bad form at best...
Excellent article/interview with the Glazzies (Forrest Gray's Band)
It references "Open Door with lyrics written by poet Jim Carroll for Forrest Gray’s father,
the late Spalding Gray" - given that Mr. Carroll has now passed on,
does anyone know where to get these lyrics?
and the Soderbergh Documentary, initially just called Spalding Gray, now has a title:
'And Everything is Going Fine'
major kodos to anyone who can tell me why such a title...completely new to me!!!
World Premiere - Saturday, January 23rd at Slamdance which is part of 2010 SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL January 21, 2010 - January 31, 2010 in Park City, Utah.
Swimming to Spalding received great review in NYT!!!

Stories Left to Tell in Sag Harbor -
The cast features Tony Award winner Mercedes Ruehl (The Goat, Lost in Yonkers),
Tony nominee Kathleen Chalfant (Angels in America, W;t),
Hazelle Goodman (The Vagina Monologues),
author Michael Cunningham ("The Hours") and playwright Ain Gordon (A Disaster Begins)and Obie winner for this play.
Spalding Gray Left Stories Untold - Interview with Kathie Russo

Stories Left To Tell at the Bay Street Theatre
Forrest Gray's new band:the Glazzies on myspace...
Mystery of Mexican Group SPALDINGGRAY solved...
From Gary Leiga - band member:
"I play in the band called spaldinggray. We started playing in 1997 and the reason why we choose that name is actually a funny story. We called the band, lester, but we were going to have a show and we needed another name. So I watched a movie and I saw spalding gray on the credits and i thought that would make it a great name for a band. We played as spalding gray the next show and people really liked the band and really dig the name. We didnt know anything about him and the name stucked for 12 years now. I bet that if you say spaldinggray in mexico most people imagine a rock show rather than stand up comedy. The day Spalding Gray died we did receive many e mails. We havent played in a while, we are in a infinitus hiatus."
Spalding was actually very fine with the use of his name by this band.
and his children enjoyed the music.
The CD is Spanish punkish music and is only distributed in Mexico.
The band has offered to sell the CD thru me if you write to me using the Contact link.
Lián Amaris - Swimming to Spalding, directed by Richard Schechner - How exciting is that!!!
According to press notes, "Following the map of experience described in Spalding Gray's masterpiece Swimming to Cambodia nearly a generation ago, Swimming to Spalding recounts one performer’s pilgrimage to the sites in Thailand evoked by Gray in his account of the filming of the movie The Killing Fields. Combining Gray's signature 'table and notebook' story-telling style with her own theatrical approach, performer Lian Amaris details a year of her experiences all over the world – from Bangkok brothels to Baghdad bombings, from Mardi Gras to mental institutions. Part homage, part commentary, Swimming to Spalding reflects on how beauty and grace endure amidst the cruelties of war, prostitution, mental illness, and making art."

I need someone to review this for the site please. Use the Contact link.
Spalding Gray: Stories Left to Tell
(also see Broadway World) featuring Kathleen Chalfant, Hazelle Goodman, Ain Gordon, Lucy Sexton and more!!!
Time: Saturday, Nov 28 8:00pm
Location: Sag Harbor, NY,
Bay Stret Theatre
One Bay St., Sag Harbor, NY, 11963
The Egg (Albany, NY) has announced the cast and special guest readers for the upcoming production of
Spalding Gray: Stories Left to Tell on Saturday and Sunday, November 13-14, 2009: NYC cast members: Bob Holman, author-poet-poetry slam champion Carmelita Tropicana, Obie Award-winning writer-performance artist Josh Lefkowitz, playwright-poet-performer Ain Gordon, three-time Obie Award-winning actor-director-writer Special guest readers: James Howard Kunstler, Saratoga Springs author of “The Geography of Nowhere” and other books about the urban condition Rex Smith, editor of the Albany Times Union and co-host of “The Media Project” radio show.
See also Speaking of Spalding Gray where in Kathie Russo calls Spalding "the grandfather of monology"...
and Reviving the voice of Spalding Gray.

Stories Left to Tell schedule as of 09/09

Nov. 13 and 14, 2009 The Egg in Albany, NY
March 18-20,2010 The Walker Arts center, Minneapolis
March 25-28, Painted Bride, Philadelphia

Soderbergh Doc Premier at Sundance 2010

The Soderbergh Documentary on Spalding is finished and will open Saturday, January 23rd at Slamdance which is part of 2010 SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL January 21, 2010 - January 31, 2010 in Park City, Utah.

Read the link for part of an interview with Soderbergh. Very interesting description of the Documentary.

Petition to bring back 'Trying Times'

Dear John Boland (NOT from PBS),

Thank you for using our free petition hosting service.Your "Bring Back 'Trying Times' on PBS" petition is now live online at www.PetitionOnline.com, and it will be considered for linking from the PetitionOnline.com directory pages.The main URL for your petition is: http://www.PetitionOnline.com/trying87/petition.html

Now that your petition is actually live here on the web, we recommend you put some energy into spreading the word. The concept is simple: themore people you can send to read your petition, the more people willsign it and thus contribute to your cause.In addition to promoting your petition on your own web pages, ideas forencouraging visitors to your petition include e-mailing a petitionannouncement to your friends and sympathizers, submiting your petitionpage to major search engines, promoting the petition in appropriate newsgroups and online forums, and getting as many good incoming linksconnected to your petition as possible. Consider contacting thetraditional media press as well, locally or nationally, as appropriate. Please contribute $2.00 (or more) and help maintain PetitionOnline.comas a premiere free speech forum. Contributing is quick, easy, private,and secure, directly to PetitionOnline.com: https://artifice.securesites.com/cgi-bin/support_petitiononline.cgi or if you prefer, via the Amazon.com Honor System, online at: https://www.amazon.com/paypage/P3KXN6BPYN3FLV -- * --Note, however, that in helping to promote this petition you areexpressly prohibited from sending unsolicited bulk mail messages ("junkmail" or "spam"). This includes, but is not limited to, bulk-mailing ofcommercial advertising, information announcements, and political tracts.Such material may only be sent to those who have specifically requestedit.To help support your primary petition promotion efforts, each person whosigns your petition will automatically receive an email message from usto confirm their signature, which also suggests that they take a momentto tell a few friends about your petition.If your petition is a good one, with support among visitors, lots oftraffic will lead to lots of signatures. And that's the whole point!Good luck and best wishes,Kevin MatthewsPetitionOnline.comby Artifice, Inc. "This is the marketplace of free ideas" (tm) http://www.PetitionOnline.com > A new petition has been submitted by John Boland (NOT from PBS), uptonatom@telus.net.
The petition title is: Bring Back 'Trying Times' on PBS.> > The petition URL is: http://www.PetitionOnline.com/trying87/petition.html
The petition is directed to: John Boland, Chief Programmer, PBS> > The start date is: ..> > The end date is: ..>> The petition statement says:We,the undersigned,ask that PBS bring back the show Trying Times that ran in 1986 and 1987. There were 12 episodes. The main reason to bring this series back is that it was exceptional. It was also the early work of many actors now well known. The list is at http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0190206/. These include :
Rosanna Arquette, Candice Bergen, Teri Garr, Spalding Gray, Steven Wright, Stockard Channing, Carrie Fisher, Sally Kirkland, Robert Klein, Jean Stapleton, Jessica Harper, Tim Matheson, Ted Stidder, John Stockwell, Lyman Ward, Griffin Dunne, Corey Feldman, Sheila McCarthy, Judge Reinhold, Peter Scolari, Louie Anderson, Catherine Bach, Hagan Beggs, Hope Lange, Ketty Lester, Gail Boggs, Anne De Salvo, Katherine McGrath, Linda Purl, Danitra Vance, Dustin Berkovitz, David Byrne, Bruno Gerussi, Betty Phillips, Ruth Springford, Richard Dimitri, Alejandra Gollas, Jerry Houser, Marcell Rosenblatt, Al Ruscio, Melanie Jones, Catherine O'Hara, Keanu Reeves, Robert Ridgely, Ron Silver, Eric Ayala, Buck Henry, Kurt Knudson, Jon Polito, Tracy Brooks Swope, Anne Ramsey, Jeff Schultz, Doug Tuck, Laura White, George Belanger, Kalimba, Max Perlich, Ken Smith, Jay Brazeau, Norman Browning, Jackson Davies, John Steadman, Álvaro Carcaño, Ellen Gollas, Dondee Spencer, Alex Bruhanski, Brandon Call, David Alden, Gabriela Goldsmith, Ron Wertheim, Janne Mortil, Jaqueline Fernandez, John Sabol, Irina Areu, Jeff Daniels, Julie Hagerty, Swoosie Kurtz, Roger Cudney, Geena Davis, Nancy Lenehan, Peter Riegert...
I have had a number of people ask me if I have particular episodes. It was never released on VHS or DVD. Releasing the complete set of episodes on DVD and PBS selling them is another viable alternative.
We specifically address this request to John Boland, Chief Content Officer, PBS. The fact that this request was started by another John Boland is purely coincidental. My interest in particular is the episode 'Bedtime Story' written by Spalding Gray and Renee Shafransky. As with all the episodes, the writing is hilarious and the episode outstanding.
Respectfully written by John Boland, Webmaster for the Estate of Spaling Gray www.spaldinggray.com

SPALDING GRAY: Stories Left to Tell REVIVED

Thanks to Kathie Russo, Lucy Sexton and mappinternational.org, the play Stories Left to Tell (SLTT) will begin a national tour. The following are the cities and dates that have been arranged so far. Keep watch on the site, or join the mailing list or ever better - find a theatre near you that wants to present this amazing work. Note that I do not have the exact theatres yet, just the cities and dates:

Albany- Nov. 13 and 14, 2009
Minneapolois- March 18-20, 2010
Philadelphia- March 25-27, 2010

FROM KATHIE RUSSO:

SPALDING GRAY: Stories Left to Tell

To benefit the Spalding Gray Award
ONE NIGHT ONLY presented as part of Barrow Street Theater's
Summer SOLO Series

Thu, July 16 8pm
Tickets $35 Online
By Phone: (212) 691-1555
In Person: Soho Playhouse Box Office
(Open Tue - Sun 1-8pm)
15 Vandam Street (1 block north of Spring Street, just west of Sixth Avenue)
"Vividly funny. joyous, devastating, affecting, gorgeous...a breathing portrait." - Ben Brantley, New York Times

"Fresh, engaging, moving, powerful. Gray's words not only relate the story of his own life, they allow a new group of artists to reflect on what being alive can mean." - Mark Blankenship, Variety

Stories Left to Tell catapults us into the hilarious and heartbreaking life and words of one of the most revered storytellers of our time. A five-person ensemble performs Spalding Gray's legendary stories and monologues---interwoven with previously unpublished material from his letters and journals. As Backstage put it: "Gray was a funny funny man; this show20is a gift."

Featuring Ain Gordon, Bob Holman, Aasif Mandvi, Carmelita Tropicana and Frank Wood

Conceived and Directed by Kathleen Russo and Lucy Sexton

100% of the proceeds from Stories Left to Tell presented by the Barrow Street Theater directly supports The Spalding Gray Award

The Spalding Gray Award is an annual commissioning award created by Performance Space 122, UCLA Live, and Kathleen Russo.

The Spalding Gray Award supports gifted writer/performers who fully realize both aspects of Spalding's legacy, who are fearless innovators of theatrical form, who reach into daily experience and create resonant, transcendent work that makes us all bigger, wider, wiser and, somehow, more than we were when we entered the theater. The Award Committee is Vallejo Gantner (P.S. 122), David Sefton (UCLA Live), Philip Bither (Walker Arts Center), Ben Harrison (The Andy Warhol Museum), and Kathleen Russo.

Gray developed may of his famed monologues at Performance Space 122 and it is still home to his signature desk. Gray developed and created Morning, Noon and Night, Gray on Gray and Interviewing the Audience at P.S. 122, where he was working on Life Interrupted at the time of his death.
Winners of the Spalding Gray Award:
  • 2008 - Radiohole
  • 2007 - the National Theater of the United States of America
  • 2006 - Heather Woodbury
Be sure to check out all of the one-night-only performances of acclaimed solo shows and take joy in the fact that $1 of all ticket sales to the festival will also be donated to The Spalding Gray Award!

CANADA ONLY on CBC TV - excerpts from Monster in A Box to be used on TV show Triple Sensations:

TIME: June 29th, 2009, 8 PM (this appears to be consistent across Canada but check your local listings). I have no further details about the show.

Thank you to Instinct Entertainment and www.thesidestreetproject.com for their cooperation.

From our good friend James Braly (one of the few persons who gets an update without the subject being directly Spaldingish...)

Love your lifestyle but hate your life? Fear you've sold your soul to the Devil but too afraid to confirm your fears? Gotten so far off track from what you wanted to be that you are utterly unrecognizable to yourself? This show is for you! Best of all, it's entertaining, in a cautionary tale kind of way.

I hope you'll join us as we develop The Monthly Nut Fridays & Saturdays at 8PM, and Sundays & Mondays at 7PM.

Tickets: www.SMARTtix.com or 212.868.4444. Info at www.JamesBraly.com or www.barrowgroup.org.

Special Promotions/Codes:

TWO FOR ONE NIGHT - Monday, June 8.
Use promotion code 241 at SmartTix.

STUDENT NIGHTS ON SUNDAYS - June 7, June 14, and June 21. Tickets are $10 for students on Sundays. Use promotion code TBGSTU.

ACTOR NIGHT - Monday, June 15.
Join Paul J. Michael for a post-show discussion about image and marketing, and how to cultivate relationships with agents and casting directors. Tickets are $15; use promotion code TBGACT.

SOLO SHOW DISCUSSION - Friday, June 26th.
Ever wanted to write your own solo show? Join TBG co-artistic director, Seth Barrish, and the Monthly Nut himself, James Braly, for a post-show discussion focusing on storytelling, writing and producing your own show. Both James and Seth have enjoyed commercial success with their direction, creation and performance of many one-man shows.

June 3, 2009:

This article is so good, and so packed with information about monologists' performances, that I am going to copy and paste right here - I will remove this at any time upon request. Strict copyright remains with Theatre Mania. I am only using it because it is excellent. I apologize that if you don't go to their site to read this, as that means less hits for them and they do have ads. It appears to be a very good site so please visit. Part of article by Dan Balcalzo:

Aasif Mandvi, Dallas Roberts, Nilaja Sun, et al. Set for Summer Solos Series: (my addition to Title - one performance only of Stories Left to Tell):

Jun 3, 2009 ·New York

The Soho Playhouse will present the Summer Solo Series, featuring one-night-only performances of acclaimed solo shows, June 18-August 4.

Highlights will include Martin Moran's The Tricky Part (June 22), Dallas Roberts performing writer/director Adam Rapp's Nocturne (June 25), Nilaja Sun's No Child... (July 9), Aasif Mandvi's Sakina's Restaurant (July 28), and Heather Raffo's In Concert: Sounds of Desire (July 30).

There will be a special benefit performance of Spalding Gray: Stories Left to Tell on July 16, directed by Lucy Sexton and featuring Ain Gordon and additional artists to be announced.

The series will also include Amy Wilson (June 18), Stephen Payne (June 29), Taylor Negron (July 7), James Braly (July 14), Thaddeus Phillips (July 21), Debra Ehrhardt (July 23), and performances of works by Glen Berger (June 30 and August 4).

For more information, visit www.sohoplayhouse.com.

Also from The Broadwayworld article

All tickets are $35 with a portion of the proceeds from each performance going to benefit theSpalding Gray Scholarship Fund, and may be purchased by visiting the Soho Playhouse website at
www.sohoplayhouse.com, or by calling (212) 691-1555. For group sales, please email: boxoffice@sohoplayhouse.com, or call (212) 691-1555.

The broadwayworld.com article also has very good list of schedule for other monologists.

Finally! a link to download music from spalding gray - punk band from Mexico. If anyone can write to them in Spanish and ask them why/how they chose their name, please contact me (the webmaster for the Estate of Spalding Gray) - look for Contact info on sidebar. Note that this music is very punk. The band also has some videos on youtube, mixed in with Spalding Gray clips. Is band still together???

http://www.myspace.com/spaldinggray

At http://www.stltoday.com/blogzone/joes-movie-lounge/joes-movie-lounge/2009/05/steven-soderbergh-on-hookers-and-hedge-funds/ (interview with Soderbergh), it says:

Q: You’re rumored to have at least five other movies coming out. What’s next?

A: I’ve got a movie about Spalding Gray that I hope we’ll finish editing by the fall. “Moneyball,” based on the book about baseball executives, we’ll be shooting this summer. The Cleopatra project (a ’20s musical featuring Catherine Zeta-Jones and a soundtrack by Guided By Voices) will shoot next year, and so will the movie about Liberace (starring Michael Douglas).

Interview with Kathie Russo re Stories Left to Tell in Boston - Feb. 2009

On rare occasions, I post updates from friends of the site. With Mike Daisey, I usually leave it up to him as his site www.mikedaisey.com, does a great job. But this one is so bizarre, it's a MUST read:

From Mike:

In a few weeks I'm traveling to the remote island of Tanna, a tiny speck at the end of the Vanuatu island chain in the South Pacific. It is the location of the last cargo cult in the world: a religion created by islanders after Americans built temporary bases here during WWII.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cargo_cults

The religion revolves around the worship of American power, and the summoning of America's power back to the island through sympathetic magic. Islanders enact rituals where they wear whiteface and create costumes that look like military uniforms, and sit at bamboo tables to "type" on bamboo recreations of typewriters...because they saw American servicemen doing the same, and it made the cargo come, and with it the power of America.

From the Wikipedia entry about the John Frum cult:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Frum

"In 1941, followers of John Frum rid themselves of their money in a frenzy of spending, left the missionary churches, schools, villages and plantations, and moved further inland to celebrate traditional custom through feasts, dances and rituals. The movement gained popularity in the 1940s when some 300,000 American troops established themselves in Vanuatu. The islanders were impressed both by the egalitarianism of the Americans and their obvious wealth and power. This led them to conflate perceived benefactors such as Uncle Sam, Santa Claus and John the Baptist into a mythic figure who would empower the island peoples by giving them cargo wealth."

Meticulous simulacra have been created—life-size models of McDonnell Douglas DC-9 aircraft, lovingly shaped from bamboo and straw, totems made to call power back to the island. Control towers of bamboo, whole runways accurate to an inch but made of palm fronds—a universe constructed from faith that they could compel America to return to the island.

Now the religion is over fifty years old, and the islanders' faith has evolved with the times. Today the village elders watch CNN on satellite uplink...and they write new hymns to draw out the power of America, based on the news events they see occurring in that far-off land.

I will be there for a massive celebration, held once a year, when the islanders recreate the stories of America from across the sea. They will re-enact the events of the past year—I hope I will see Obama be inaugurated a second time—in great detail.

Thanks Mike. Check out the links. Totally in the belive it or not category!!!

Playbill - Stories Left to Tell in Boston, April 09-

Cast announced!

Josh Lefkowitz, Ain Gordon, Hazelle Goodman and David Cale. Guest performers feature Claire Messud, Buddy Cianci and Christopher Lydon.

someone please go and send me a review. I know there was/is someone in Boston who wanted the show there...just can't remember...

Resulting 'piece' - made possible by the 2007 Spalding Gray Award

by The National Theater of the United States of America at Performance Space 122

Spalding Gray's America by William Demastes

Chapter 5 - (strictly copyrighted)

Courtesy Hal Leonard Performing Arts Publishing Group
19 W. 21st Street, suite 201
New York, NY 10010

From our good friend monologist James Braly (www.jamesbraly.com):

I'd like to draw your attention to another candidate worthy of your vote: Victoria Rowan, host of READING-PA-LOOZA, founder of IDEASMYTH, and writing workshop leader extraordinaire, who has been nominated for a Daily Candy Sweetest Thing Award.

My writing workshop leader for five years, Victoria helped me (and many other writers I know) significantly improve their craft. She's the real deal. And as Al Franken (and Norm Coleman) just learned in Minnesota, every vote really does count.

Please visit http://www.dailycandy.com/sweetest_things/2008/new_york/advice.jsp

IMPORTANT UPDATE

Stories Left to Tell - the amazing play of Spalding's works and Diaries will play in Boston in 2009!!! A MUST SEE!!! Schedule:

Sunday, Mar 1 (2009) 2:00pm
at Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston, MA

AND

Date Time Tools
Thursday, Feb 26 7:30pm Add to Calendar Send email about this event
Friday, Feb 27 7:30pm Add to Calendar Send email about this event
Saturday, Feb 28 7:30pm Add to Calendar Send email about this event

(http://calendar.boston.com/boston-ma/events/show/85701563-spalding-gray-stories-left-to-tell)

AND

http://www.storieslefttotell.com/ (note: as of Dec. 24th, 2008, this site is NOT up to date)

For Reviews of the Play, see http://www.spaldinggray.com/spudreviews.html

Personal Reviews from Boston Show are invited. Click Contact on this site - send in Word.

Note re book: Spalding Gray's America:

Author: William Demastes Biography & Memoir
Publisher: Limelight Editions
ISBN-10: 0879103604
ISBN-13: 9780879103606
Format: Softcover
Publication Year: 2008

Will I read it...oh yeah, I want a signed copy!

Remember to buy thru our link to amazon.ca (link to amazon.com coming soon!) For now, sign in thru .ca on out affiliate page then click link to .com - scholarship fund still gets percentage).

jb

From the Publisher:

Spalding Gray’s Americais a thoughtful study of Spalding the artist, taking readers from his early days with the Performance Group and Wooster Group all the way through his entire career. It’s alively and accessible evaluation of Gray's career, nicely illustrated.We definitely recommend it for all Spalding Gray fans! Here are a few lines from the introduction to give you an idea of the author’s point of view:

Gray the consummate storyteller offered honest, usually hilarious, and often poignant confessions that bear witness to a world that has generated ever more frequent moments of isolation, self-doubt, and despair. Gray was willing to deal with such moments. But in a spirit that is almost uniquely American, he never allowed us to wallow in the misery that often accompanies those times of doubt, desperation, and panic. Optimism pervaded his performances, even as he recounted dark times when a positive attitude seemed more like foolhardiness. But then, isn’t that what America is all about? Gray’s perspective on life in our world always took on an absurdly funny luster that penetrated his audience and offered us all a sense that, whatever our particular woes, we’re all in it together. And that is a good thing. Of course, Gray was doing far more than just talking. He worked hard at his craft, elevating his talent as a storyteller to an art form rarely (if at all) recuperable by the most ambitious of imitators. One felt that there was something intense and very significant going on when we were in Spalding’s presence, despite his disarming affability.”

http://www.applausepub.com/itemDetail.jsp?itemid=332725

David T. Little, a New York based composer
has written a piece in memory of Spalding Gray, which will be
premiered Dec. 9th, 2008 by NOW Ensemble at Princeton University.
It ends the concert, which begins at 8 pm EST, and is being webcast from
http://music.princeton.edu NOW Ensemble will perform the work again
on December 17th at the Chelsea Art Museum in New York.

Update links about Soderbergh Documentary (it's still in the works)...

http://animeboobs.org/?p=2817#comment-68

http://www.indiewire.com/people/2008/12/honor_roll_08_v.html

Kathie Russo on This American Life! Yes!, she tells a great story about Spalding going missing and the appearance of a bird in their house. Very good story. A MUST listen. Second part of show..."Irish folklore teaches that a live bird in the house represents a departed soul that has been freed and dead birds in the house represent departed souls who are restless." (quote courtesy of http://anatomyofadress.wordpress.com/2008/12/08/souperb/#comment-649)http://www.thisamericanlife.org/Radio_Episode.aspx?episode=369

The Holiday Fundraiser to benefit Time for Teens will be held at the North Haven home of Kathie Russo on Saturday, December 6, 2008 at 7 p.m. Tickets are $150 and $250 (the $250 amount will sponsor a child for camp in 2009). Nick & Toni’s will cater the event. To reserve, call Laraine Gordon at 338-7258.

Teens Find Time to Grieve
http://sagharborexpress.sagharborpublishing.com/shexpress/community/teens-find-time-to-grieve/#comment-2661

Fundraiser at Kathie Russo's - if you can go, please send me (Contact/jb) pictures.

Note re book: Spalding Gray's America:

Author: William Demastes Biography & Memoir
Publisher: Limelight Editions
ISBN-10: 0879103604
ISBN-13: 9780879103606
Format: Softcover
Publication Year: 2008

Will I read it...oh yeah, I want a signed copy!

Remember to buy thru our link to amazon.ca (link to amazon.com coming soon!) For now, sign in thru .ca on out affiliate page then click link to .com - scholarship fund still gets percentage).

jb

From the Publisher:

Spalding Gray’s Americais a thoughtful study of Spalding the artist, taking readers from his early days with the Performance Group and Wooster Group all the way through his entire career. It’s alively and accessible evaluation of Gray's career, nicely illustrated.We definitely recommend it for all Spalding Gray fans! Here are a few lines from the introduction to give you an idea of the author’s point of view:

Gray the consummate storyteller offered honest, usually hilarious, and often poignant confessions that bear witness to a world that has generated ever more frequent moments of isolation, self-doubt, and despair. Gray was willing to deal with such moments. But in a spirit that is almost uniquely American, he never allowed us to wallow in the misery that often accompanies those times of doubt, desperation, and panic. Optimism pervaded his performances, even as he recounted dark times when a positive attitude seemed more like foolhardiness. But then, isn’t that what America is all about? Gray’s perspective on life in our world always took on an absurdly funny luster that penetrated his audience and offered us all a sense that, whatever our particular woes, we’re all in it together. And that is a good thing. Of course, Gray was doing far more than just talking. He worked hard at his craft, elevating his talent as a storyteller to an art form rarely (if at all) recuperable by the most ambitious of imitators. One felt that there was something intense and very significant going on when we were in Spalding’s presence, despite his disarming affability.”

http://www.applausepub.com/itemDetail.jsp?itemid=332725

Important Update from Mike Daisey:

"we're making a movie. IF YOU SEE SOMETHING SAY SOMETHING is becoming a feature film.

It's being directed by Steve Anderson, who did a film a few years ago about the word fuck, conducted the last interviews with Hunter S. Thompson, is a trained Hollywood stunt driver, has lounged in the grotto at the Playboy Mansion, and posesses a great eye and understanding of the piece—between all these skill sets he will be outstanding at translating this monologue to film."

This will now be complete. Please watch for the DVD. I'm sure Mike will tell us when it's released. Remember to buy through affiliates

PS: Mike is playing Vancouver, Canada! see www.mikedaisy.com for details.

VANCOUVER, BC
MONOPOLY!
at the Push Festival
February 4th at 9pm

don't think I may have posted the first year winners yet.
Listed below please find
the 2nd year winners of the Spalding Gray Competition/Scholarship
here at Ross School.
The Middle School Winners were:
First Prize: Hayden Aldredge
> > Second Prize: Kate Fitzsimons
> > Third Prize: Ben Okin
The High School Winners were:
> First Prize - Adrian Trunzo
> > Second Prize - Raphael Odell Shapiro
> > Third Prize - Joseph Saunders

Please see the fund raising page... and use the affiliates as money goes to Spalding Gray Schoralship

From James Braly:
Dear Friends & Friendly People:
In the spirit of the times --
“When Washington offered me a hand-out, I said, 'Thanks, but no thanks.'”
-- there will be two liars on stage tonight at Comix
in New York City as part of a special Liar show.
One liar may be me. Or maybe not.
In any case, I invite you to come see eight amusing stories,
and practice your ability to discern who is telling the truth.
It will come in handy this fall.
Details below. Thanks for reading...
James www.jamesbraly.com
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 22 @ 8:00 PM (doors 7:00)
Big Fat Liar Edition:
Eight short and sweet stories. Two of them are lies. Expose either liar to win. COMIX
353 West 14th Street (just east of 9th Avenue)
www.ComixNY.com
Advance tickets: $15 with promotional code: LIARVIP
Day of show: $20 (plus 2-drink min)
Advance tickets HIGHLY recommended. Are you made of money?
with:
JAMES BRALY "Gaspingly funny." Variety
OPHIRA EISENBERG "Marvellous. She is a class act." The Scotsman
PETER AGUERO "Late Night with Conan O'Brien"
MARTIN DOCKERY "Fantastic." NY Times
JULIET WAYNE The Moth GrandSlam Finalist
JIM O'GRADY Journalist; NY Times
ED GAVAGAN The Moth GrandSlam Champion
PETER LUBELL Producer/editor IFC, NPR
and host ANDY CHRISTIE "Who?"
www.TheLiarShow.com

VERY SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

Thanks to permisson from Kathleen Russo (Estate of Spalding Gray)
and in cooperation with www.sideshowworld.com and John Robinson,
I am extremely pleased that we will be posting the complete text of
In Search of the Monkey Girl, photos by Randal Levenson, www.randallevenson.com.
The book is quite rare ($50 minimum)
and if you purchase it, please use our affiliates.

First installment at www.sideshowworld.com/thstgod-RL-SG-SearchMonkeyGirl.html
(all copyrights are maintained by Estate of Spalding Gray and Randal Levenson)

Shawn Watson brings back Swimming to Cambodia

Swimming to Cambodia
LONG’S HILL THEATRE, Victoria, BC, Canada
by Spalding Gray / Performed by Shawn Watson
Victoria, BC
Monologue • 85 mins • $9
http://www.intrepidtheatre.com/fringe2008/venue7.html

Written over 20 years ago by the late maverick monologist
Spalding Gray, Swimming uses Gray’s small role in the film
The Killing Fields
to discuss global instability, social injustice, genocide, the cold war, politics, sex, drugs, relationships, travel,
and the quest for perfect moments.
This excellent new production, directed by Graham McDonald, is fresh, funny, original, intelligent, and aware.
TIMES: Fri Aug.22,2008 7:00
• Sun 24,2008 9:00
• Mon 25,2008 7:00
• Thu 28,2008,8:45
• Sat 30,2008, 6:15
• Sun 31,2008 6:00

Facebook Bans James Braly Ad!!!

During National Breast Feeding Week,
James Braly's producer Anna Becker, brought out the following ad for Life in a Marital Institution,
which was then BANNED by Facebook, casting shame on Facebook and giving James free publicity.
The following picture, used with Mr. Braly's permission, is entiled "GOT BREASTMILK?"

www.jamesbraly.com the image

Interview with James:

www.wnyc.org/shows/bl/episodes/2008/08/19/segments/106263

AAFFILIATE SURVEY
Please fill out a survey we are doing solely for our information,
involves how we can improve the use of affiliates
and hence raise more money for the Spalding Gray Scholarship Memorial Fund.
Click Here to take survey

PERFORMANCE RIGHTS
Performance rights for most of Spalding's well known monologues are now available:
Please have people contact Dramatic Publishing at 815-338-7170.
They can also apply for rights at our website,
www.dramaticpublishing.com.

Other Monologists Updates:
1) by
request (and he deserves it as reviews have been Excellent):
We would like to
invite fans of Spalding Gray to see James Braly appear as a monologuist
in Life in a Marital Institution: 20 years of monogamy in one terrifying hour
at the Soho Playhouse in New York City.
The show is beginning
previews June 26th and runs until August 31,2008
For a discounted $25-$40 ticket (regularly $55),
visit www.lifeinamaritalinstitution.com
and use code SEB
Venue name and address: SoHo Playhouse
15 Vandam Street, NYC (212) 691-1555
(off 6th Ave., 1 block north of Spring)
1 block north of Spring Street stop (C & E train),
3 blocks south of Houston Street stop (#1 train)
Also see www.jamesbraly.com
2) Also, Mike Daisey's national tour of the very important
IF YOU SEE SOMETHING SAY SOMETHING,
a monologue about the secret history of the Department of Homeland Security.
SANTA FE
Lensic Performing Arts Center
June 26th to 28th,2008

WASHINGTON DC
Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company
July 11th to 20th,2008

PORTLAND, OR
Time-Based Art Festival
September 11th to 14th,2008

MAINE
Colby College
October 3rd,2008

CHICAGO
Museum of Contemporary Art
October 10th to 12th,2008

NEW YORK
The Public Theater
October 15th to November 30th,2008

Further details at www.mikedaisey.com

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT - Box Set of "all"
Spalding's Monologues to be released soon after
premiere of Soderbergh Documentary on Spalding opens
at Toronto Film Festival, September 2008.

(Release has since been delayed - date now unknown)

Kathleen Russo - new Producer for NPR,
Southhampton, NY - WLIU 88.3 FM/WPBX-FM - give a listen,
she produces the morning show (DO IT! - good musical
contrast to Forrest!!! LOL...)

Kathleen Russo -
guest of honor along with Al Styron at NY Hospital on Jan. 30,2008 at 5:30pm
to discuss living with depression.
(no further details available)

Forrest Gray - The TOO BUSY BEING BORED Band
- mentored and produced by Blue Men Group
- playing sold out shows, among there fans...the Strokes
and Jim Carroll
- music and video at above link - check it out!!!

EVENT - November 15th - 17th
Interviewing The Audience (unfortunately done without permission of the Estate. There are ways to get performance rights and the Estate is very understanding. However, prior permission MUST be obtained!)

Photos: Stories Left To Tell, The Final Bow

Spalding Gray: Stories Left to Tell to Close June 26
by Andrew Gans

The Second Spalding Gray Award Goes to The National Theater of the United States of America

Now on DVD: Heavy Petting - A Film by Obie Benz
View Spalding Gray Clip

Photo Flash: Steven Soderbergh at Spalding Gray Screening
by Mark Rupp

"It's Just Good Storytelling"
Filmmaker Steven Soderbergh discusses Gray's Anatomy
by Chris Willard

Soderbergh on Gray's Anatomy

Charles Busch Joins Stories Left to Tell Cast, May 23-June 3

Photo Coverage: Whoopi Goldberg in Stories Left to Tell

Goldberg Set for Stories Left to Tell Birthday Performance

Anthony Rapp to Join Spalding Gray: Stories Left to Tell

Ain Gordon: Two Time Winner of Obie Award

http://www.dancetheyard.org/

Benefit Reading of Stories Left to Tell
June 13 & 14, 2007
The Yard, Chilmark, MA (on Martha's Vineyard)

Presented by The Yard (Artistic Director Wendy Taucher) and Monina von Opel, with permission of Kathie Russo

Directed by Reno

Cast:

Friday, June 13: Brooke Adams, Amy Brenneman, Robert Brustein, Reno, Tony Shalhoub
Saturday, June 14: Brooke Adams, Paul Benedict, Donavon Dietz, Reno, K.C. Wilson

EVENT
THE LAST DAYS OF DESMOND NANI REESE: A Stripper’s History of the World
Written and performed by Heather Woodbury
Winner of the first Spalding Gray Award

Kron Steps in for Chalfant in Spalding Gray: Stories Left to Tell
By Andrew Gans

One of a kind Spalding Gray item for sale at eBay: T- shirt signed at Stories Left To Tell wrap party, Los Angeles June 2006

Daisey Show Aftermath

Monologuist Mike Daisey's Work Attacked


No, on second thought, not a group of Paris Hilton aficionados,
nor New York tourism activists,
but a Christian force whose mission was to attack ideas and words and notepaper.

It's getting so an artist can't sit behind a table
--- with ideas, a microphone, paper, pen and a glass of water.
Oh no! He said the fuck word!
If the group in question wants a listening/protesting experience,
perhaps they should direct their attention to Bush administration communiques.
Now THAT's obscene.

Stories Left To Tell Extends Off-Broadway Run; Dratch Will Guest Star
by Andrew Gans

Josh Lucas Will Guest Star in Spalding Gray: Stories Left to Tell Beginning March 20
Broadway.com

Stories Left To Tell: The Kathie Russo Interview at Austin 360
by Brad Buchholz

Shades of Gray
Sarah Maxfield interviews Kathie Russo at Culturebot

EVENT
Stories Left To Tell
February 20 - May 13 2007 at the Minetta Lane Theater

The Minetta Lane CAST UPDATES

Stories Left To Tell

August 2006
Musical artist Bob Egan presents Spalding's Lament.
The Spalding Gray website is updated with a new
emphasis upon fundraising.

Artistic Web Design writes . . .

2006 LOS ANGELES EVENT
UCLALIVE concludes it's 2005-2006 Spoken Word series with
Leftover Stories to Tell
A Tribute to Spalding Gray
The Unpublished Works
Wed-Sat, Jun 14 -17 at 8pm
Sun, Jun 18 at 7pm
Tickets: $45 ($15 UCLA students)
310.825.2101
www.uclalive.org

Cast to date includes:
Brooke Adams
Margaret Cho
Frances Conroy
Teri Garr
Gina Gershon
Ain Gordon
Bob Holman
Miranda July
Alice Sebold
Tony Shaloub
Roger Guenveur Smith
Loudon Wainwright III
Kerry Washington
Paul Zaloom

2006 NEW YORK EVENT
May 31 - June 4 - 2006
Leftover Stories to Tell
Directed by Kathy Russo and Lucy Sexton at Performance Space 122
Tickets are $50 and may be purchased by calling Theatermania at 212-352-3101
or online at www.theatermania.com. For information call P.S.122 at 212-477-5288
or visit www.ps122.org

2007 EVENT
March 30 and 31
The Edison Theater at Washington University
Leftover Stories to Tell: A Tribute to Spalding Gray

. . . And The First Spalding Gray Award Goes TO . . . Heather Woodbury

Spalding Commemorated in Tompkins Square Park

EVENT
Thanks to Alex Sylvia and the East Austin Studio Tour
chocolatemedia.com presents:

russ c. smith • beauty-devotion-power • photographic exhibit
the seventh exhibition of the tour

Saturday 19th & Sunday 20th of November 2005
Cesar A. Sylva Studio
1402 E. Second
Austin TX
633-9728
Also featuring the passionate paintings of Alex Sylvia.

Magnolia Pictures announces it's Magnolia Home Entertainment
division; titles to be released include Steven Soderbergh's
Spalding Gray, The Last Monologue

Life Interrupted: Exit Talking

Playbill News: Life Interrupted is published by Crown
(Purchase)

LETTER FROM KATHIE; EVENT

Dear Friends:

For the second year in a row, the Hampton Film Festival
will dedicate a category in Spalding's name called "Gray
Matter." The festival runs October 19-23. The category entries
are seen by the committee as those films dedicated to innovative,
risk-taking cinema.

"In life, new visions surround us constantly, it is always just a matter
of perspective. These are a few that took us to a place we hadn't
expected to go, challenged our notions of truth and opened new
avenues of thought . . " Rajendra Roy, Program Director of the festival,
commenting on the films chosen for Gray Matter.

In addition to Gray Matter, we will have a reading of Spalding's recently
published book, "Life Interrupted" at Book Hampton in East Hampton
on Saturday at 5pm with Roy Scheider, Bob Balaban, Steven Gaines
and Joe Pintauro reading. The event is free and we're serving Spalding's
favorite beer and peanuts in the shell (favorite snack). I hope you can attend.

Just another Spalding update, more to come . . .

Best,
Kathie

Saturday 10/22 at 5pm
Tribute to Spalding Gray: Book Reading Event

Join us for a series of readings from “Life Interrupted: The Unfinished Monologue”
written by the late Spalding Gray. Roy Scheider, Joe Pintauro, Steven Gaines
and Bob Balaban will read excerpts from his last book. Gray, a Sag Harbor resident,
was a regular participant at the festival and this reading will pay tribute (along with
the Gray Matter films at the Hamptons International Film Festival) to a community
member tremendously missed.

The reading will be followed by a reception and discussion with the readers led by
Gray's widow, Kathleen Russo. Russo will also be producing a new film by
Steven Soderbergh exploring this never-performed monologue by Spalding Gray.

EVENT
MAY 2006
The New Group (Naked) presents A Spalding Gray Matter ,
exploring the titular star's tumultuous life. It is performed
by its author Michael Brandt and directed by Ian Morgan

FILM
New Soderbergh project explores a never-performed
monologue by Spalding Gray; produced by Amy Hobby
and Kathie Russo, along with Joshua Blum.

LETTER FROM KATHIE RUSSO; LIFE INTERRUPTED PUBLISHED
OCTOBER 2005 BY CROWN; READING AT BARNES AND NOBLE
OCTOBER 13TH, 2005.
Dear Friends and Family:

As promised, I'm trying to keep Spalding's memory alive and am pleased
to inform you that the last book he was working on "Life Interrupted"
will be published by Crown this October. A reading will take place at
Barnes and Noble on Thursday, October 13 at 7pm. Readers will include
Frank McCourt, Francine Prose, Am Homes and Paul Muldoon. The event is
free and open to the public.

Also, this Sunday's NY Times will print Spalding's love letter to New
York City in a special section dedicated to the anniversary of 9/11.

Again, thanks to all of you for the warmth and concern you continue to
show our family and I hope to see you soon.

Best regards,

Kathie

EVENTS
Josh Lefkowitz and Abby Browde
Theatre Building Chicago and Breadline Center,
Tickets: $20 ($12 students)
Call: (773) 327-5252 (Theatre Building); (312) 498-3369 (Breadline)

EVENT
Monologuist Martin Moran in The Tricky Part
August 23rd through September 4th

EVENT
UCB Theater presents monologuist Brian Finklestein
September 1st, 8th & 15th
8 PM

EVENT
Posted July 5th, 2005 by jb
http://www.pioneerarts.org

Director David Fried Oppenheim has just informed me that his
small theater company in western Massachusetts, PACE, has
very graciously been granted the first ever performance rights
(after Spalding himself) for several performances of Swimming to
Cambodia. The monologue will be performed by Jason
Rose-Langston, who, aside from being an accomplished actor also
received a Masters in Social Work from Smith College.
Performances are Friday, July 29th to Sunday, July 31st, all at 8 pm.

Tickets can be ordered at the following web page:
www.pioneerarts.org/onlinestore/category.cfm?Category=61
or phone 413-527-5999 or 877-835-4897.
Thank you, David, for the info.

EVENT 2006
UCLALIVE concludes it's 2005-2006 Spoken Word series
with
Leftover Stories to Tell
A Tribute to Spalding Gray
The Unpublished Works
Wed-Sat, Jun 14-17 at 8pm
Sun, Jun 18 at 7pm
Tickets: $45 ($15 UCLA students)
310.825.2101
www.uclalive.org

DVD BOXED SET
Posted May 18, 2005

Sources say that negotiations are taking place
for the release of a box set of Spalding's monologues not previously released on DVD.
You heard it here first! Visit spaldinggray.com,
your source for the most comprehensive, up-to-date information
on Spalding and his works
--- and on the people and artists who remain inspired by him.

(RELEASE POSTPONED INDEFINITELY)

EVENT - May 7, 2005
Nuci's Space/Athens, GA
Mark Mobley reads from Monster in a Box.
http://www.nuci.org/

May 27 through June 11, 2005 at the Flamboyan Theater
A Spalding Gray Matter is written and performed by Michael Brandt.
http://www.theatermania.com/content/show.cfm/show/111119
http://www.breedingground.com/SFFspalding.html
http://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/news/apr05/5apr05spalding.htm

EVENT - May 4, 2005
Spalding's friends and colleagues read from his work:
Bogosian, Holman, Reno, Valk to Read Work of Spalding Gray at Barnes & Noble
http://www.playbill.com/news/article/92516.html

Life Interrupted : The Unfinished Monologue (Hardcover)
by SPALDING GRAY

13/04/05 - One year anniversary of Memorial Service in NYC

One year ago,
I was fortunate enough to be invited to this memorial service.
We had planned on posting what people said but one person balked.
I still have an idea cooking for this.

My whole story and more is on
this site at NYC Diary. The New Yorker liked it but couldn't fit it in it's niche.
If you haven't read it, please do.


Since it's all really there, I thought I'd mark the anniversary by announcing that with the help of Barlow's blog,
I'm building up a large mailing list for updates.
It will take time to finish as my shattered ankle still remains 'no weight bearing'
and the arthritic pain is intense.
I did however manage to update the list
of spud films with much greater detail on availability.

Having said all that,
one year later I still feel the same loss.
David Sedaris, Amy Sedaris, Dave Gorman and Nilaja Sun have helped
but the emptiness remains.
I am blessed by being able to work on this site. Thank you Kathie.
jb (the rev)

Saving Grace by Todd Rundgren (copyright remains with todd and will be removed if you let me know todd...)

I think I’m gonna love it
I think I’m gonna love it
Because I know someday someone else will see it my way
And then I’ll know I was not wrong
I know they won’t believe it
I know they won’t believe it
They think that I’m no good
But I will make myself understood
’cause I believe it all along

I think I’m gonna love it
I know they won’t believe it
When they finally see the saving grace in me

I know the time is gonna come
When I will mean something to someone
Until that day I’m hanging on

Playbill News: Steven Soderbergh to Direct Documentary About Spalding Gray
http://www.playbill.com/news/article/91794.html

Actor/writer Nilaja Sun wonderfully characterizes Spalding Gray in Blues for a Gray Sun.

01.10.05
On this solemn day, I leave you this link:
It's a virtual gravesite on the Internet.
Many are "buried" here.
Many more have left "offerings" of comfort.
For with every breeze of air that passes by,
I can hear you, Spalding . . . Godspeed to all of you. --- Stevie.
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&ampGRid=8485319nbsp

ANNIVERSARY – Special Update – changes, contest winners and more!

to all spuddies and other members of the human race:
i'm rev...ed up today:
1) from the kansas city star:
One year ago: North Korea
said it had shown its "nuclear deterrent" to an unofficial U.S. delegation
that visited the disputed Yongbyon nuclear complex.
Michelle Kwan won her seventh straight title and eighth overall
at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Atlanta;
Johnny Weir skated to his first men's title.
Actor-writer Spalding Gray, 62,
vanished from his New York apartment
(his body was found two months later in the East River).
Novelist Alexandra Ripley died in Richmond, Va., at age 70.
2) it has been quite a year for me. Highlights are:
- going to NYC for the Memorial
- having the help of AF in web design
- shattering my ankle and requiring 10 months bed rest with ankle above hip.
3) I miss you spud, I really do
4) I'm not scared of dying
I don't really care
if it's peace you find in dying
well let the time be near...
just bundle up the coffin
cause it's cold way down there...
crazy cold down there
and when i die
and when I'm gone
there'll be one child
born in a world to carry on
to carry on...
(an excerpt from When I Die by Laura Nyro written when she was about 15.
Laura died of ovarian cancer at the age of 49)
5) the contest is over and winner's are:
a) AJ wins a copy of In Search of the Monkey Girl (promised to her months ago)
b) there are 3 other prizes:
King of the Hill with Spalding in an amazing role, amazing movie (only available on VHS)
True Stories on DVD
the Playboy with one obscure pic of Spud, circa 1968 (?)
- one winner is Stevie,
another is Russ Smith (chocolaterecords.com)
and Susan DeSocio, who due to illness
could not attend Memorial service.
- Since Russ and Susan are both MIA,
Stevie gets first choice!
6) this the end of the yahoo group.
I am going to a mailing list on web page.
Members here have a default join unless you write me.
Joining is by email to me.
Contributions are welcome.
Access at the moment is by myself or AF only…
tell your friends! Next contest may be an all expense trip to NYC
(accommodations not included).

(Transportation for 1 via bus from Montreal one way only)
(not valid in Quebec and Nevada)
7)

there once was a fellow named Spalding
who seemed to have found his calling
some days he was gray
one day he drifted away
now we know he can still hear us calling

(rev jb – c. 2005)