The Opposite of Love

June 8, 2024June 8, 2024 / lolitaland / Leave a comment

As a huge fan of theatre, I was excited to be invited as a member of press to attend “The Opposite of Love,” presented by NewYorkRep. This play was staged at the Royal Family Performing Arts Space in New York City, a beautiful venue with an intimate setting in a restored landmark building.

Theatre has always been a space where complex human emotions are laid bare, inviting audiences to confront issues, reflect on meaning, and empathize with characters. “The Opposite of Love” is no exception. This powerful play dives deep into themes of love, intimacy, trauma, and healing, offering a poignant exploration that resonates on multiple levels.

Opening night photo – May 30, 2024, by Jeremy Varner

Trigger Warnings

“The Opposite of Love” tackles potentially triggering topics, including:

Sexual abuse, asssault, and non-consensual acts
Emotional and psychological trauma
Discussion of suicide
Graphic sexual language
Depictions of intimacy

The Story

“The Opposite of Love” is a contemporary drama set in NYC that centers around two characters: a young wealthy woman who is grappling with the aftermath of childhood sexual trauma and a down-on-his-luck male prostitute who learns more about himself and his own trauma. In the script, Eloise is described as a beautiful girl with tragic thoughts and Will is described as a tragic boy with beautiful thoughts. These descriptions ring true!

When we think about the opposite of love, the first thing that comes to mind is hatred but actually — the opposite of love is really indifference.

The Talkback with NYSCASA

Following the performance, there was an insightful and impactful talkback session with the cast of the play and a representative from the New York State Coalition Against Sexual Assault (NYSCASA). NYSCASA plays a crucial role in supporting survivors of sexual violence and advocating for systemic change to prevent future violence. They are working to create a world where survivors are believed, supported, and empowered to heal.

The talkbalk highlighted the importance of community support and resources for those affected by sexual violence. It was a reminder of the real-world implications of the play’s themes and the ongoing efforts needed to address these critical issues.

The Cast and Crew

The strength of “The Opposite of Love” lies in its exceptional cast and crew, who bring the story to life with nuanced performances and sensitive direction.

Written by Ashley Griffin
Directed by Rachel Klein

Starring Danny Gardner as Will
Starring Ashley Griffin as Eloise

Set: Brendan Mc Cann
Lighting: Zach Pizza

Intimacy Director: Crista Marie Jackson

Stage Manager: Kelly Merritt

General Manager: Kaylin Kellin

Human beings…we’re not meant to be alone. To never be touched.
Eloise

The Opposite of Love has limited engagement plays until June 15. If you attend this play, I’d love to hear your feedback in the comments!

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Exploring Poetry and Dance: Dongpo – Life in Poems

March 17, 2024 / lolitaland / Leave a comment

In a harmonious blend of tradition and innovation, Dongpo – Life in Poems was a captivating performance hosted at the David H. Koch Theater in Lincoln Center, New York City this weekend. The show offered a profound exploration into the life and works of the legendary Chinese poet Su Dongpo. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I attended this show, but I was delighted to be transported into the enchanting world of classical Chinese poetry.

Su Shi (苏轼), whose art name is Su Dongpo (東坡) and whose courtesy name is Zizhan (子瞻) remains one of China’s most celebrated literary figures, renowned for his poetic mastery during the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD). His works continue to resonate across generations, inspiring countless artists, scholars, and writers worldwide.

Shen Wei was also inspired by Su Dongpo. His multifaceted talents as a choreographer, director, playwright, painter, set and costume designer, and visual effects art director, all come together to encapsulate the essence of Su Dongpo’s life and poetry through his unique style of contemporary operatic dance.

Central to the production’s immersive experience is the live guqin music by Zhao Xiaoxia, which serves as a poignant backdrop to Shen Wei’s choreography. The guqin, a traditional Chinese instrument, evokes the spirit of ancient China, enriching the performance with its melodies and emotive resonance.

Collaborating with a stellar creative team further elevates Shen Wei’s artistic vision. Chinese-French composer Chen Qigang, renowned for his work on the 2008 Olympic Games’ Opening Ceremony, brings a unique fusion of Eastern and Western musical influences to the production. Xiao Lihe’s expertise as a lighting designer, honed through education at the prestigious David Geffen School of Drama at Yale University, infuses the stage with atmospheric lighting that enhances the emotional depth of Shen Wei’s choreography.

At Dongpo – Life in Poems, Su Dongpo’s poetry was brought to life through a dynamic fusion of music, dance, art, and theater. Audiences can expect a mesmerizing journey through the poet’s life, as his timeless verses are interwoven with captivating choreography and evocative melodies.

Dongpo – Life in Poems is not just a theatrical production; it is a celebration of cultural heritage and artistic expression. Through the medium of performance art, the audience explores themes of love, longing, nature, and the human condition.

As the world continues to embrace cultural exchange and appreciation, Dongpo – Life in Poems serves as a poignant reminder of the enduring power of art to transcend boundaries and connect people across time and space. Whether you are a poetry enthusiast, fan of dance choreography, or have an interest in Chinese history, this show will be a great experience for you.

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Instameets

April 1, 2017April 9, 2017 / lolitaland / 3 Comments

Have any of you heard of Instameets? They’re basically meetups among people who are active on Instagram. I had never heard of these meetups until I moved to NYC. I got invited to my first Instameet by theamazingknight, and it was a cool experience!

Photo by theamazingknight

My first Instameet was the Broketographers one on January 21, 2017. I got totally lost trying to find the meetup location though… It was in Battery Park, and I had never gone that far downtown before. Other Instagrammers told me to look for people with DSLR cameras, since this was a photography meetup. However, there were a lot of people with DSLR cameras. I awkwardly asked a group of people, “Are you guys here for the Broketographers meet?” And they were like: “Uh… we’re just tourists.” Right. Tourists sometimes carry DSLR cameras too.

Eventually, I found the meetup (but it was after wandering around aimlessly for over an hour, plus buying a hot dog from a stand and messaging people on Instagram trying to figure out where everyone was).

Photo by theamazingknight

The meet itself was pretty chill and fun! Lots of people were there, but the vibe was generally friendly and cool. I didn’t know anyone, and it was also my first time meeting theamazingknight. Since the group was so big, it split into smaller clusters of people. There were also many more photographers than models, so I noticed a bunch of photographers would cluster around a single model or two models. There was some fluctuation though when people would switch groups or break into smaller groups.

I also went on the Staten Island ferry for the first time! We basically all went on the ferry to Staten Island, took some photos, then immediately hopped back on the ferry to Manhattan.

Photo by theamazingknight

Next, people started wandering off for dinner or to find other things to shoot. I joined a quickly forming group too, and we all introduced ourselves and decided to walk to find food. However, it took us hours to actually get food since the photographers kept stopping to capture cool shots. Street shots, creative shots, and more! I modeled in some of the shots too.

Here was one of my favorite street shots, captured in the financial district:

Photo by theamazingknight

Theamazingknight used a prism to create this effect! His photography style is so unique and memorable.

Our travel to get food took forever… We ended up getting some roast duck in Chinatown after dumplings at a cool hole-in-the-wall place down an alley. When we got the roast duck though, there was no seating so we had to get it to-go in a paper bag/plastic bag combo. Eating this duck on the sidewalk was an awkward experience (and involved me leaning over the bag like in the following photo collage).

Yes, we were getting stared at. Nope, we didn’t care. One of the photographers was joking about how this is a model’s true habitat. No one can separate me from my roast duck! After food, we went to the rooftop of a tall apartment building in Chinatown to try to capture the view of the city. It was a beautiful sight! The stream of lights from the cars traveling down the street between clusters of high-rise buildings was definitely something I’ll remember. Here are some candids Ktodoma captured of me on the rooftop:

If you want to see more photos from the Broketographers Instameet, visit this Facebook album!

The second Instameet I attended was the HEX NYC Photowalk hosted by Moodygrams on March 4. I didn’t stay at this meetup very long since it was super cold and I was shivering even with my winter jacket (and my plenty of layers underneath: thermals, big thick sweater, thick jeans, fleece socks). I really wanted to go inside, but it was a Photowalk which meant… walking outside, of course. It was really windy this day too.

Photo by Ronith

You can see a glimpse of my sweater in the photo below. Fun fact: the sweater and jeans are hand-me-downs from my mom! They’re both articles of clothing from the 1980s. I love vintage clothing because the quality is so nice.

Photo by Richard Wu

I don’t have too much to say about this Instameet since I didn’t stay very long. My body was exhausted and I couldn’t handle being out in the cold for an extended period of time, even with my heaviest winter jacket (which is an L.L. Bean jacket by the way, so definitely manufactured for the cold).

I haven’t seen any other photos of me from the HEX/Moodygrams Instameet, but if you see any, let me know. Thanks! If I ever find photos from this meet in the future, I’ll add them to this Facebook album.