Isaac and the Awkward Situations
Comics, Vaudeville, Art Education, and Music
Author Archives: isaacparis
Edward Gorey Tribute show and Vaudeville in Portland at the Showdown
I haven’t performed in Portland in a hot minute! ITs always fun to share the stage with Svetlana Trantastic, who incorporates puppets into her political performance art. I’m excited to see the performances from these burlesque artists and musicians! I heard the venue is really nice.
Then, a few days later, I’m hosting my own show. I’m renting a theater to have it in. Many of the actors who have read before are unavailable this year so we will have new readers and new stories. mixing it up.
A variety of readers will perform the works of Edward Gorey with cello accompaniment. A plethora of dancers will perform, burlesque, drag, juggling and a few unusual surprises are planned. Local spooky vendors will haunt the lobby as well. Mention Edward gGorey and you’ll either hear “oh, i LOVE him” or “who? Its the 100th anniversary of his birth so many people are planning events to celebrate him. I heard of a touring show in Florida in October, and the Edward Gorey house in Cape Cod is having an event in February.
Cast
Nisha Caulkins, cello
Ralph Stricker Chapman, cello
Isaac Paris, host and producer
Marina Brisby, co-producer
Tamathy Howald, reader
Dandy Pie, reader
Bettreena Jaeger, performer
Luke N Good, performer
Clyde Maxx, performer
Marilyn Kent, vendor
Future macabre radio presents: Eddie Teagarten’s got a Magic Gun
Here is a brand new episode featuring my childhood friend David A Gregory. I wrote this piece with Andrew Laniohan in mind for it, but it didn’t work out to have him so David recorded it and it turned out better than I could have imagined with him as the lead. Many many friends contributed voices from the Eugene comedy scene, trek theater and casting call club.
This play has explicit language the FCC would consider obscene, so it isn’t suitable for radio play. I’d consider it PG-13.
I recorded some jazz for the soundtrack, and the Eugene band “the eye five” contributed two songs.
I’d like to someday release an even better deluxe edition. I’d like to find a New Orleans jazz band willing to let my use their music, and re-record a few lines, get my own placeholder voice out of there completely and fix a few things, but people are busy and didn’t get back to me.
New music from Paper Scissors
Craig has released a new song, it’s only available on Spotify now. If you have Spotify, you can listen to it here. I think it will eventually be on bandcamp too.
I didn’t play on this song, but Ryan did. There is a plan to release new music that I will play on! stay tuned.
the history of clowns, and the history of computers.
i made videos of my slideshows on the history of clowns and of computers. I have shared these with students but other people might be interested too.
When people say “why should we fund the arts?” or “What did the arts ever do for communication technology?”
Shannon and the Clams
Playing Portland’s Project Pabst festival… its Shannon and the Clams! one of my favorite bands. Listening to them always makes me want to play joyous music.
These are drawings I made of Shannon and the band in 2015. wow 10 years ago! Am I any better now?
I’m working on a new play about a band. I was inspired reading Kathleen Hannah’s book “Riot Girl” and listening to this podcast interviewing Shannon. It sounded like she was a cool person and listening was like hanging out with friends. I’ll let you know when the play is finished 🙂 the plan is it will be a “behind the music” style documentary about a fantasy band.
Soccer Mommy at Project Pabst
I was able to attend Project Pabst last July. Many great bands were playing but it was Soccer Mommy and Big Thief who made this show important to me.
Soccer Mommy’s music meant a lot to me when I was low, though I prefer her older songs, recorded more simply, her new stuff is good too and her band played very well. The stage was decorated with a lo fi video tape look from a projection, her band name in huge letters, but cars driving and waving palm trees. Footage taken from cars by a naive filmmaker, the scenery of California going by, the rearview mirror: it fit her music well I thought.
Her style has been called “bubble grunge.” I think she’s got honest stark lyrics that are inspirational and seem confessional. She reminds me of Elliott Smith. Her 2018 album “Clean” is solid throughout. With “Scorpio Rising” and “Still Clean” being standouts, I was psyched that she played them live. “Yellow is the color of her eyes” is my favorite on “Color Theory.” “Try” and “Death by Chocolate” “Henry” are charming and sound like they could be from a scene I could be a part of. They are more naive and kimya Dawson or Daniel Johnston like in their lo fi recording aesthetic. She’s made several new albums since Color Theory, and I clearly have some homework to catch up on. Here are some drawings of the show. Took me 11 months to finish them. These pieces ended up very “mixed Media” with watercolors, alcohol markers, gel pens and paint markers.
Here’s a closeup with detail on Sophie. She wore real baggy pants for this show.
Guitarist Rodrigo Avendano played synth too.
Tabling at pixie panic’s Nerd pride!
Last week I tabled at an art fair on 2nd Ave. at Clay Space and Whitaker Printmakers put on by them and Wildling arts collective. This coming Sunday, I will set up my table again, and I will inform people that they could listen for free to Future Macabre Radio, my original series of Science Fiction radio plays.
To make my booth interactive, I’ll bring my theremin and invite anyone who wishes to to play it. I believe my brother will be able to attend it with me as well. He will be bringing some of his pearler art.
This is a good fit because the most recent episode features a trans character and has a queer love story. “The island of Dr. Vertussis” features a character named Dina, who becomes Dean played by Sam Stark, a Seattle based voice actor.
If you listened to episode six, “I’m a poet” it featured Zala Runa as Libby, a woman who kind of saves the world. Zala will be present at nerd pride playing DND in a live performance improv event at 1.
I also made some new comics in case there is time for me to share them. I share four of them here for you. to see more, You’ll have to come to the event itself. I have a rap about dungeons and dragons that also name drops some Lord of the rings and Diablo stuff And I have a Star Trek villains rap and a history of science fiction piece, and a piece that describes the queer coded villain.
I hope to see you there! 12 at the park blocks in Eugene, Or. I’d like to table at more events. I’ll keep an eye out for more events.
Grrl Band and Major Tomboys
I got to see this fun all girl band play at the wow Hall they played originals and a cover of a Chapel Roan song.
Their songs are on Spotify but they are hard to google because of their name. Their Instagram is here
They were opening for the best cover band ever! The Major Tomboys!
I can’t recommend them highly enough! They were so fun! Of course Bowie has more wonderful catchy hit songs than almost any other artist and they packed the night with hit after hit played impeccably. “Fame” was a highlight. Notice they have a sax player? She also picked up a flute sometimes. This band totally rocks and they put on a fantastic show 🙂 I’d go again in a heartbeat.
Ghostbot of Veronica Craft reading at OCT in Eugene, Or
Exciting news, my play “the Ghostbot of Veronica Croft.”
will be read in April as part of the NW10 festival held right next door to where Spectrum used to be. it was the first episode of my series “Future Macabre Radio” (and can be listened to at futuremacabe.bandcamp.com)
This will be the first time it will be performed with a director and actors live in front of an audience, and the first time one of my plays has been produced live in about 22 years.
Auditions are February 1st at OCT on Broadway.
Pay What You Can Preview, Thursday, April 3, OCT
· Evening Performances, April 4, 6, 10, 11, 12
· Matinee Performance, April 13
· Playwright Talkback following matinee, Sunday, April 13, OCT
Isaac Paris (playwright, “Ghostbot of Veronica Croft”) is grateful to be involved in his first production at OCT. He is an art teacher at Network Charter School, makes original science fiction audio plays, writes music and plays in a band, and loves his pets.
Thank you to Mary Cruse, Nick Armstrong Crews, and to Naomi Fitter for feedback on this play, Nikki Brackett for interpreting the character, Yeehaw for their support, and the talented cast and crew of the show. See you In April
Isaac and the Awkward Situations 