Laurette Taylor, Anecdote #2

First of all, thank you to everyone who has sent me links and stories about Laurette. My journey has just begun to discover more about this fascinating genius, acclaimed as the greatest actor of her time. Maybe all time? No one can ever know, nor should I even suggest it, but suffice to say that she riveted audiences and her peers alike. Everyone who saw her work on stage and wrote about it, said virtually the same thing. There was no one like her.

I have found in the New York Library many pieces about her in Special Collections and have learned that she wrote about how she prepared for her roles. More on that another time.

Laurette grew up in in a brownstone in West Harlem, NY at 52 W 125 Street. I went there yesterday and lo and behold, it is now part of a business district. Downstairs is this gorgeous vintage clothing shop that also sells a skincare line. The store is called b.o.r.n. (borrowed, old, refurbished, new). The owners are two beautiful men whose names are Jonathan Bodrick and Tynae Abdul.

Laurette's mother was a seamstress in the late 1800s and early 1900s and employed as many as a dozen seamstresses at that address. The upstairs is still used as an apartment but I suspect that Laurette's family occupied the entire building. I think she would love this place.

Meanwhile, check out b.o.r.n.  This establishment has incredible style and the owners and the customers are all BEAUTIFUL!!! I felt like I was on a movie set, the music was funky and just loud enough so that you could still hear yourself talk. But the mood in there was unlike any other place I've been.

52 W 125th Street, Harlem. Go see it.

Laurette Taylor, Anecdote #1, Ben Wiggins Contributor

Laurette Taylor - Anecdote #1, Ben Wiggins Contributor

Spencer was about to go into rehearsal in “The Rugged Path” and, having been of the stage for some fifteen years, was concerned about projection.

“Help me, Laurette,” he said. “How do you do it?”

She snorted, “How do I do it? Like this!”

She reached down, picked up one of her feet and lifted it so that we could see its blistered and bleeding sole. She dropped it and showed us her other sole. The same.

“That’s how,” she said. “I grab that goddam stage with my two feet and send it right up from there through the rest of me and out to them.”

Even Spencer was astounded.

— Tracy and Hepburn: An Intimate Memoir by Garson Kanin

Dear Blogworld,

It's been ages since I last wrote an entry. Not surprising - it's sort of me, myself and I here. But I've spent the last year in Manhattan, and now going back to Vermont, then to Portland, OR for a year of so and I'm kind of out of sorts. In the past few months I've 1. Graduated with my MFA in playwriting, 2. Signed an option with a producer for one of my plays in Los Angeles, 3. Become unemployed, 4. Had my one year anniversary with no alcohol or pills even SLEEPING PILLS!!!, 5. Well, I guess that's about it.

Today I went to The Museum Of Moving Image in Queens with my friend, Janet. I told her I wanted to curate independent films that haven't been distributed. She thought I might get some inspiration and HOLY SHEET, she was right.

Here's what I'm thinking:

Independent film makers give me permission to use scenes from their movies that I will mix in some fabulous and heretofore (is that a word) unthought of method. Okay, that's a stretch. But kind of like being a curator except that I'm going to tell a story with THEIR stories and also find and use archival footage that isn't copyrighted. Not sure what all this is about. I just want to do it. And then figure it out. Maybe a documentary about these filmmakers and their stories? I don't know. But I would love to hear from you if:
A. You have any idea what I'm talking about.
B. You can help me understand what I'm talking about.
C. You are an independent filmmaker.
D. You have some ideas and suggestions of other work that is exploring film collage.

All right, there's more. Janet - beautiful, talented, inspirational - told me about an actress named Laurette Taylor. Ever heard of her? Me neither. She died in the 1940s and was the most admired actress of her generation. But mostly she was a stage actress and did not make films, or at least, not many. She apparently rocked New York with her interpretation of Amanda in Glass Menagerie. I've decided to spend the next few years - or whatever it takes - researching her life and writing a play about here. I would love to hear from you if you know anything about her.  Laurette Taylor. Maybe you heard it here first.

To recap:

Film collage
Laurette Taylor

Thank you for reading, if you are.  I'm happiest when I think I have a plan for the future.

Maura At Night