From: owner-chakram-refugees-digest@smoe.org (chakram-refugees-digest) To: chakram-refugees-digest@smoe.org Subject: chakram-refugees-digest V2 #48 Reply-To: chakram-refugees@smoe.org Sender: owner-chakram-refugees-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-chakram-refugees-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk chakram-refugees-digest Thursday, February 21 2002 Volume 02 : Number 048 Today's Subjects: ----------------- [chakram-refugees] Re: Kevin Smith ["S. Wilson" ] Re: [chakram-refugees] Re: Kevin Smith [NZJester ] [chakram-refugees] Robert Bruce on Kevin Smith Foundation [MistNY@aol.com] [chakram-refugees] Kevin Smith Memorial Page at XWPVS ["M. Cornwell" Subject: [chakram-refugees] Re: Kevin Smith > i can't even think about it. my heart goes out to his family and > friends > and to all those whose lives he touched who will miss him. > > sadly, > > md My apologies for the crosspost. I'm stunned. Not sure what to think yet. I went into the hospital several days ago for surgery, so this evening I was lucid enough to get online and check my email. The last I'd heard before I left, a *very* tiny news blurb, was that he was injured but was okay. I just watched an old Season V ep this evening on Oxy, and wondered yet again when Kevin was going to break into Hollywood. The last 2 or 3 years, I really noticed his talent and how much fun it looked like he had with 'Ares' in dramas and comedies. I didn't know the news yet. :( My heart goes out to his family and friends, to Lucy and Renee and all the gang at XWP as well. S. Yahoo! Sports - Coverage of the 2002 Olympic Games http://sports.yahoo.com ========================================================= This has been a message to the chakram-refugees list. To unsubscribe, send a message to majordomo@smoe.org with "unsubscribe chakram-refugees" in the message body. Contact meth@smoe.org with any questions or problems. ========================================================= ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 20 Feb 2002 21:09:57 +1300 From: NZJester Subject: Re: [chakram-refugees] Re: Kevin Smith At 10:37 PM 19/02/02 -0800, S. Wilson wrote: >I just watched an old Season V ep this evening on Oxy, and wondered yet >again when Kevin was going to break into Hollywood. The last 2 or 3 >years, I really noticed his talent and how much fun it looked like he >had with 'Ares' in dramas and comedies. I didn't know the news yet. :( The sad thing was he was on the verge of his Big Hollywood Break He was meant to Fly to Hawaii next month for a part in a big budget Bruce Willis Movie Catch ya later Jester New Xenaland http://www.angelfire.com/tv2/newxenaland/ ========================================================= This has been a message to the chakram-refugees list. To unsubscribe, send a message to majordomo@smoe.org with "unsubscribe chakram-refugees" in the message body. Contact meth@smoe.org with any questions or problems. ========================================================= ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 20 Feb 2002 10:19:55 EST From: MistNY@aol.com Subject: [chakram-refugees] Robert Bruce on Kevin Smith Foundation There has been an inordinate amount of confusion among fans about what is being done for Kevin Smith and who will benefit from the donations being made by fans. Robert Bruce, Kevin's manager, answered questions about the Kevin Smith Foundation in NZ News. There is a short article on the website, but there is also a link to an interview with Robert, where he explains the Kevin Smith Foundation that is being set up by Lucy Lawless, Michael Hurst, and himself. You can find the article and the interview at: http://xtramsn.co.nz/news/0,,3882-1147735,00.html Robert states that the Kevin Smith Foundation will initially benefit Sue and the boys, but that the Foundation will be on-going and continue on into the future to provide help to actors' families who may find themselves in dire need of help. I think this will answer a lot of questions that have been circulating around the Xenaverse. Kevin was well loved by friends and fans, and it is evident that everyone wants to help. But the conflicting reports and speculation are only adding to the confusion. So please be patient. The Foundation is being set up as quickly as is possible and official information will be released as soon as it is set up. Best, Mist http://sword-and-staff.com Please pass this along ========================================================= This has been a message to the chakram-refugees list. To unsubscribe, send a message to majordomo@smoe.org with "unsubscribe chakram-refugees" in the message body. Contact meth@smoe.org with any questions or problems. ========================================================= ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 20 Feb 2002 11:46:19 -0500 From: "M. Cornwell" Subject: [chakram-refugees] Kevin Smith Memorial Page at XWPVS FYI We now have a page up at the XWPVS site, http://xwpvs.tripod.com/ksmem.htm If anyone has any fanart or other things you'd like to contribute, whether it be art, poems, and such please send them to: gb_ariel@yahoo.com Mary PR Director XWPVS PS Please share with other lists. _________________________________________________________________ MSN Photos is the easiest way to share and print your photos: http://photos.msn.com/support/worldwide.aspx ========================================================= This has been a message to the chakram-refugees list. To unsubscribe, send a message to majordomo@smoe.org with "unsubscribe chakram-refugees" in the message body. Contact meth@smoe.org with any questions or problems. ========================================================= ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 20 Feb 2002 22:27:21 -0500 From: "bookdaft" Subject: [chakram-refugees] What I Did During My Trip To Pasadena 2002 - DAY 4 Day 4 Today was the day to begin preparing to return as well as attend the last day of the convention. I checked out where I could ship my purchases back home, then headed to the Pasadena Center. I had promised a co-worker I would try to get Hudsons autograph, so the that was the first thing to do. Hudson and Alex were signing for the first hour of this last day. Over the evening I had conceived the mad plan to offer her copies of the photos I took of Kevin at Dearborn, which I think was his last convention. When I asked, her fan club president told me to e-mail the photos to him. As I turned away, I overheard her say to him, Id like that. Now I have to make sure these photos are better than I think they are  I forgot to get them developed, so Im not sure how they turned out. Im hoping that a friend who has the full-blown version of Photoshop can clean them up. I missed the first part of Adrienne Wilkinson and Tim Omundsens appearance, but when I came in, Adrienne was talking about how she was not happy with Eve. She felt Eve was too weak, but when she tried to make her more forceful, Rob Tapert kept saying, Too strong, too strong. Someone asked if she thought Eve and Virgil would have gotten together after a time. She pointed out there was a little item in the way  that Eve had killed Virgil s father and that might prevent any kind of relationship. She also discussed her upcoming new series on UPN, As If. Apparently, the show is an import from England but built on American characters. Ive seen it advertised, but the way UPN is marketing it right now is surely turning me off. Ill try to give it a go, though. Tim also talked about trying to make Eli more forceful, and thought he was more successful than Adrienne. He is also about to become a dad, in about 3 weeks. Steve Sears was next. One of the first issues he dealt with was A Friend In Need. No mention was made of whether he has seen the finale, but he told us he had his own vision of how to end the show and it was a bit like what was done. He would have had Xena dying to put Gabrielle at the head of a new world order. He talked a bit about his involvement in Hourglass. A good portion of the time was spent in discussing the business aspect of the industry. He described one series he pitched and said that at the time he made the pitch, the studios execs loved it and were ready to offer a contract that day. Two days later, everything had changed and the project went nowhere. In the wake of September 11, syndication has taken a hit. Apparently television executives are afraid to give syndicated shows as much of a chance. It has apparently killed Sheena off. They have 35 episodes in the can, but no orders for more. It had the same problem as Xena did toward the end of its run; it was shown at all the weird times of the day and night  as with my local station, 2 or 3 AM. Steve mentioned that whenever Sheena went head-to-head with Andromeda, it many times would beat it in the ratings. But more often they werent given the chance. He also mentioned one piece of advice Rob Tapert had given him about bringing a series concept into reality  that it takes forever. Syndication has given producers a lot of flexibility, which is one reason it has been popular. Networks give them numbers (of viewers) but syndication has latitude. Steve once asked Rob if the studio (either Universal or Studios USA) ever interfered and Rob said there were only a couple of times. I think this has been reported in other places. Steve also brought along a couple of items to be auctioned off for Kevins family. One was a large early Xena poster board, which had been in the writers office; the other was a picture of Caesar and Brutus on the beach from Destiny, with an off-color remark written by Karl Urban. Later, both went for nice prices. Tim Omundson popped out about then and offered a picture of Kevin and him that had been taken the last time Kevin had been in the US. Tim said he and Kevin had become very close and he had sent a copy of the picture to Kevin. He auctioned it off on the spot, with the proviso that the only other copy would be with Kevins wife and the one on his hard drive, which would remain unavailable to anyone else. Creation followed Steve and a music video with a charity auction. The auction was to benefit Hudsons charity, the James Ellis Foundation and Lucy s Safe and Sound Appeal, but pieces were also auctioned off for the benefit of Kevins family. I missed a bit of the first part, but it seemed to me that of the items auctioned off, most went for Kevins family, which was really nice. Jacqueline Kim discussed her current project  writing a film script  and how hard it is for Asian-American women to get regular work in the industry. She noted that there are a few actresses, Lucy Liu and Ming Na, who are examples of the progress of the industry. And she has read a study that shows some indications of improvement. But she pointed out, I cant wait for things to get better. She was in New York, 3 blocks from the World Trade Center, and saw it after the collapse of the South Tower. One of the things that most everyone outside of New York doesnt get is how much that experience has marked those still there. The rest of the country has moved on, for the most part, but she pointed out that those people who were there or are still there are still living it. Someone asked about the air-sharing kiss, which she insisted wasnt a kiss at all. She described the conditions around that scene, in which Lucy was sitting in dirty, tepid water and how the director of photography and the director were getting concerned about the time. Lucy finally told Jacqueline to simply put her head in the water and Lucy would find her  and she did, quite admirably. A couple of questions dealt with Jacquelines appearances on ER, one of which was about an exploration of singing projects. She said she had no plans to do anything in that realm. Then she was asked to sing something (she has a lovely voice), so she sang the lullaby she sang in ER. And brought down the house. While she isnt currently working on any film projects, she does have 4 films coming out, none of which I can recall the names. The last one, though, is a documentary or docudrama, which may air on Bravo or A&E, perhaps in the next year. Michael Hurst followed Jacqueline. I was looking forward to his appearance because I always liked Iolaus and the Widow Twanky. He opened by telling a great Kevin Smith story, about how Kevin got him terribly drunk where Michael ended up locked out of his house standing on the front step, napping in between arriving and Michaels wife opening the door. He also told another story that filled out his eulogy from Saturday night. Michael and Kevin were in a bar when the All Blacks won the championship over the South African rugby team. Kevin ran out into the street and stopped all the traffic by doing the haka, right in the middle of the street. There were many Hercules questions. One fan asked what his favorite Hercules episode was. He said he had favorite moments. One episode he did like a lot was King For A Day, which I think is the Prisoner Of Zenda homage. That is one my favorite Herc episodes, bar none. He was complimented many times for his range of talents (which is true) and he described how, in an industry as small as New Zealands, actors had to be able to do a wide range of things, from singing and dancing to acting and directing in theater, film or television. Specializing just isnt possible there. So he made a pact to himself that he would do one theatrical play a year and everything else would be scheduled around that. He was asked about the Dahok storyline and killing Iolaus off. Rob Tapert came to him and said he was going to spike up the ratings by killing Iolaus. They would make everybody mad at them. Although Michael didnt say so, I think he thought that was the end of Iolaus on the show. But he said he loved playing the goodness of Iolaus getting tainted by the evil of Dahok. Then, of course, they did the return of Iolaus II and the original Iolaus. A questioner asked if Michael was aware of the anger over the storyline. I believe he said he knew about it, but pointed out that producers and directors always try to manipulate the audience. It is the nature of the beast. He was asked about his directing work on Xena. Apparently he was brought in to direct Whos Gurkhan because there were no fight scenes in the episode. He talked about the one scene that Sharon Delaney put in her first Making Of Gurkhan video, but didnt make the final cut in the episode. It was a scene in which one of the harem women was trying to prevent Gabrielle from getting to Xena. He said Renee really tore into the other woman, so well that he felt sorry for the other woman. He was also asked to direct To Helicon And Back. Rob wanted to do Saving Private Ryan Xena-style. Michael pointed out there were no explosions, no tanks, no artillery; and Rob No no, we can do explosions. According to Michael, Renee had some real problems with the terrible decisions Gabrielle had to make to save the Amazons. He illustrated it with the scene where Gabrielle has to send the one young Amazon to be blown up. In his original cut, those lines came across much harder and harsher. But he softened it later to what we saw (I think it was a longer scene, so he cut some dialog to help achieve the softening). Michael also talked a bit about Renees and his preparation for the play, which I think occurred after they found out about Kevin. They were in the Sheraton doing the reading and Renee was swearing (for those who have never seen it, her character does a LOT of swearing) and crying. He was convinced that anyone who saw them would think the two of them were having a relationship crisis. Finally, Michael had a request to do the haka. When I was in New Zealand, I saw one performed and it is very dramatic. I wont describe it here, but if anyone is interested, I found a brief description on this site: www.nzrugby.co.nz/history/history_haka.html . The haka ends with the warrior poking his tongue out and down. Ive been told that, depending on the circumstances, the final gesture can be interpreted as either an insult or a challenge. Michael dedicated it to Kevin. I thought it was very moving. He added that Kevin is considered a national hero and that when he goes back to New Zealand, he expects it will be a huge, national outpouring of affection and a celebration of Kevins life during the funeral. After that was the costume competition. I took the opportunity to talk to Steven Sears, who was still wandering around the exhibition hall. Ill include his remarks in another, separate post from these. The competition was followed by another auction, most of which went to Kevins family. But before I talked to Steve, I took a turn through the Hucksters area. On one table, there was a sign that said When Fates Collide script was sold out. Katherine Fugate had made it available for her autograph. Its not surprising it was sold out, given the popularity of the episode. The con ended up with a showing of The Making Of A Friend In Need, which is part of the latest fan club kit. It was interesting, but it will be better seen at home because the circumstances of the hall are not very conducive to watching any film. The final, last function was seven music videos, one for each season and one for the finale. That was it. We pulled the stickers off our seats and departed. It certainly wasnt the con I expected, but despite the terrible circumstances, I was glad I could be there. I hope that the fans were a comfort to everyone who knew Kevin and worked with him. At the end of the con, it was announced that more than $25,000 had been raised for Kevins family. All that in just two days. It was amazing and Im glad I had the opportunity to go. I want to conclude with a few comments about Kevin Smith. I only saw him in one con, the Creation con in Dearborn. He was asked many of the same questions he has been asked before, such as what was it like to work with Lucy and Renee and what was it like to kiss Lucy. He fielded them all graciously and talked a bit about his family, especially his boys, and his interest in sports, most especially rugby. When Hudson asked him to exchange clothing with her, he went along with it and was such a good sport about it. He also raised a lot of money for Hudsons charity by wearing her gown and allowing people to come up for a hug for $20. He was such a gentleman. I think it will be very sad, at least for me, watching those Xena episodes he was in because I know there wont be any more television or films with him in them. But we have what we have and he will always be young and in his prime. I can take pleasure in that. He will remain my favorite Ares, God of War. bd ========================================================= This has been a message to the chakram-refugees list. To unsubscribe, send a message to majordomo@smoe.org with "unsubscribe chakram-refugees" in the message body. Contact meth@smoe.org with any questions or problems. ========================================================= ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 21 Feb 2002 17:00:32 +1300 From: NZJester Subject: Re: [chakram-refugees] What I Did During My Trip To Pasadena 2002 - DAY 4 At 10:27 PM 20/02/02 -0500, bookdaft wrote: >I think it will be very sad, at least for me, watching those Xena episodes >he was in because I know there wont be any more television or films with >him in them. But we have what we have and he will always be young and in >his prime. I can take pleasure in that. He will remain my favorite Ares, >God of War. Well there will at least be one more film coming out with him in "Warriors of Virtue II" I still have not heard what part Kevin played in it only that he had completed all of his contracted work on this film Anyone know any more details about this film? it is a US / Chinese co production Catch ya later Jester New Xenaland http://www.angelfire.com/tv2/newxenaland/ ========================================================= This has been a message to the chakram-refugees list. To unsubscribe, send a message to majordomo@smoe.org with "unsubscribe chakram-refugees" in the message body. Contact meth@smoe.org with any questions or problems. ========================================================= ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 20 Feb 2002 21:23:40 -0500 From: "bookdaft" Subject: [chakram-refugees] What I Did During My Trip To Pasadena 2002 - Day 3 Day 3 It was an extraordinary day. I had no inkling prior to my arrival at the center. I hadnt hopped on the Internet the night before, so I didnt know. But on the entrance doors and in our chairs in the exhibition hall were flyers that began with these words: It is with great sadness that we share the news with you today that Kevin Smith, our beloved Ares of Xena and Hercules, has passed away due to injuries sustained in an accident in China. We find comfort in the fact that all of us are joined together today to share thoughts of this man who made so many friends here in America and around the world. There is no doubt that he was top of the list most friendly, easiest to work with, and incredibly talented performers weve been honored to present over the past 30 years. I wont replicate the rest of the statement here, but it went on to say that Creation was planning a memorial for Kevin at 7 that night. Shocked, I went in to my seat and waited for the first guest. At the time, there wasnt very much information about what had happened. I think most of us were aware he had been badly injured before we came to the convention, but details were scarce. At the beginning of the day, it was announced that a fund was being set up for Kevins family (more details to follow) and that items were going to be auctioned off. Ted Raimi came out and auctioned off Josie Ryans donation, a lovely floral basket, which Lucy and Rob had given her for her appearance at the convention. That went for $180. Following that item, a woman donated for the fund one of the real Jett costumes she had purchased. That one went for $2,000, if I remember correctly. The program began with an airing of When Fates Collide, followed by an appearance by Katherine Fugate. Some of what she talked about has been mentioned at other conventions, but still might not be generally known. Her episode originally had been discussed to be the series finale and was to be a two-parter. But it was decided that the show shouldnt end in an alternate world. She talked about getting the opportunity to write for the show Youre a feature film script writer and you want to write for a television show? She was able to prove that she knew the show and could write for it. A question was also asked about the jail scene and was a kiss intended to be there? She responded that at one point a kiss had been written in, that it was a full, real kiss and was intended to be clear that these were two people who loved each other. She also pointed out that that scene was a natural place for a kiss. However, it was pulled in favor of FIN. Ms. Fugate was also asked about working with Lucy and Renee. With Renee, she felt they had a connection as Americans and that working together had developed a close friendship between the two of them. With Lucy, it was a bit different. Lucy would come up to her and ask questions about the script. Finally she confessed to Lucy that, although she had been smiling and responding to Lucys comments or questions, she hadnt understood a word she said for the whole week! It was a cute story. Ms. Fugate has a film coming out, called CAROLINA, that has a scene which a line which any Xena fan would recognize as either coming from or relating to the show. She said she made the scene critical to the story so that it can t be cut. This sounds like a wonderful homage to the show. Katie Stuart (Genia) was next. Much to my surprise, she said she was only seventeen. Its not that she doesnt look her age, she does. But shes done a lot of work for someone so young. Going to work in New Zealand was a trip of a lifetime for her because the country is so beautiful. She had watched the show, so that simply primed her for going. Katie also said she had been singing a lot recently and was working on finding her own voice and style, in hopes of starting a recording career. William Gregory Lee (Virgil) followed Katie Stuart. He was the first actor to appear that day who had worked with Kevin and he was visibly shaken and sad. He spoke about how his thoughts and prayers with Kevin and his family and friends. On a lighter note, he announced he had just gotten engaged. For those who are interested, the wedding is planned for August 4. Probably two items dominated his time on stage. One was his work on Dark Angel. I had wondered why the character of Zack seemed to have been written out of the show (although Zack did come back in the early part of this season). The production people, including James Cameron, liked what he was doing but executives at higher levels didnt. So Zack had to go. He charged it off to creative differences between the creative staff and the studio execs and to business reasons. The creative differences are also what changed the direction of that show and not necessarily for the better, to my mind, although I really like some aspects of it. He also told us that the ratings for the episodes where Zack died and again when he was brought back went up, so I think he felt vindicated. As for Virgil, he felt a lot of regret for not being able to bring the character to resolution. But because of his commitment to Dark Angel, they could never coordinate schedules to be able to bring Virgil back to Xena. He enjoyed his work on the show. He also mentioned that he believed Virgil is closer to his own personality and Zack was not very much like himself. Someone asked how a child of Joxers could fight so much better than his father. I think he was a bit stumped by that one, but he said that there was a bit of Joxer in Virgil but Virgil was his own man and that was where the ability could come from. He talked about Lucy and Renee both welcoming him into their little family down under and you could see it meant a lot to him. After a break and a music video, they brought Victoria Pratt out. She gave away autographed (on the spot) pictures to those who could answer questions about her shows. Although I have watched them all, Im not well-versed in them, so I found I was generally stumped by the questions. Most of her discussion was about her current show Mutant X, but she did talk a bit about Sin Trade. She is amazed that an appearance in one two-part episode could generate such interest and support for her and her other work. She too, discussed the reasons why Cleopatra 2525 was cancelled. She said it came down to Tribune paying out the money but not getting its return on investment, at least not like it can for its own produced shows. That may spell a long life for Mutant X, since Tribune produces the show, unless Fox wins it lawsuit. Someone asked a question about why she and Gina Torres have been able to continue to get visible work as opposed to others. She felt that both she and Gina can do action women and there is currently a market for that type of actor. Jennifer Sky is more a comedic actress and those are the type of parts she will probably get. At the end of her talk, she called her husband, T. J. Scott, up on stage. For some reason, my mental image of him was older and taller than he is. Shes Canadian and hes an American, but that hasnt made it any easier for her to get her green card. She spoke about the process of getting a green card and that part of it is holding parole papers. Apparently she missed the Orlando con because her parole papers had expired and she couldnt get them renewed in time. Alex Tydings was next, and she came out in tears. She is one of about 5 actors from Xena and Hercules who have worked with Kevin the most and she was having a hard time. She told us that being out on stage with us was helping her. She brought along part of her Aphrodite costume and auctioned that off. I cant recall for certain how much it went for, but I think it was $5,000. The person who bought the item came up on stage and it was obvious both she and Alex were in tears. Once the questions moved away from Kevin and the mini-auction, Alex began to get control of her emotions. She even began to smile. For some reason, I cant remember all that she talked about, perhaps because a lot of it was hugs and comments from people and some picture taking. Alex did say that Steve Sears had become a partner in Claudia Christians and her Hourglass project. I think this is a good sign, since Steve has much experience in the business side of television shows, and his creative contributions should be valuable, too. Someone asked about including subtext in Hourglass, such that it would be maintext. Alex said she was a big fan of subtext and her intent was to put as much of it in the show as she could manage. Alexis Arquette followed Alex Tydings, and he put on quite a show. He came out dressed in drag and was a good-looking woman, too. Some of his patter was really -racy, but I doubt little kids would have understood what he was talking about. Much of it was in the form of double entendres. In The God You Know, he talked about how Lucy and he (at Lucys inspiration) did the scene between Xena and Caligula. Xena is working to persuade Caligula to do something (Id have to watch the episode again to recall what it was) and Alexis said they decided to do it as a tango and that he really enjoyed that kind of creative freedom. Someone I think it was Sharon asked if Lucy really bit his lip. He worked the crowd a bit and said what we saw was the tamest take that they did. I dont know if that is totally true, since he joked a lot during his appearance, but I dont recall that he said it wasn t. All in all, I think he was a success with the audience. Hudson Leick was the last to appear prior to the memorial and she dedicated it to Kevin. Hudson is another actor who worked the most with him and Im sure she was also hit hard by his death. She was more subdued than in other appearances and she didnt do what I call the lesser Callisto sex-kitten routine. She talked about the last time they had appeared together at a con (Dearborn, I think) and that while preparing for their reading of Love Letters, they spent two hours just talking about everything from September 11 to spirituality. She asked us to observe a moment of silence for him. After that, she played with the audience as she usually does and we were having a great time. She fielded a lot of questions, but the highlights of her appearance was the auctioning off her dress, which went for $3,150 (for her charity, the James Ellis Foundation) and raising money for Kevins family. At first it was asked if she would auction off a kiss. She made everyone laugh by claiming this would make her a whore and she ran with that conceit, calling Anita Ellis, who handles fundraising for the James Ellis Foundation, her pimp. It was great fun. After we got into the auction, it was changed to sell a kiss for a thousand dollars. She sold only 6 kisses, but buyers definitely got their moneys worth each kiss lasted a long time. In all, Hudson raised $6,000 for Kevins family, which is great. Finally it was time for the memorial. Sharon Delaney hadnt been seen much, but that was probably because she was working on arranging the memorial. All of the actors who had, or were appearing that day came out on stage. They had placed a call to Lucy, in New Zealand, so that she could take part in the memorial. So on stage there was Katherine Fugate, Bruce Campbell, Steve Sears, Michael Hurst, Lucy by way of telephone, Renee, Ted Raimi, Hudson, Victoria Pratt and Alex Tydings. (Ive since found out that Sharon and I think Gary Berman were also on stage, but both were stationed behind Renee and Ted, so I didnt have a clear view of them.) Lucy spoke first, saying that the performance had gone well the previous night (I found out later that it had been opening night of The Vagina Monologues and that they had observed a moment of silence for Kevin). She mentioned that Danielle Cormack (also appearing in the play with Lucy) had been a great friend with Kevin. Much of the rest of what she said I either cant remember or didnt quite understand, but Ill have a bit more on that shortly. Michael spoke next, about how Kevin, when the All Blacks had won a game, would race out into the street and perform the haka. Michael also spoke about his sense of humor and fun. Renee spoke next and toward the end of her eulogy, her voice began to quaver. Steve Sears told a little story about how Kevin blushed when being told how much of a hunk he was, and how unassuming and sel-effacing he was. Hudson spoke last, saying that she knew he was all right now. These were the only people to speak and I think many of the others may have felt too emotional to talk. It was a very emotional moment. Michael closed the memorial by reading a bit of Shakespeare. It was a most fitting piece, I think. During Michaels talk Sunday I found out that the piece was Shakespeares Sonnet 30. Im including it here: William Shakespeare (15641616). The Oxford Shakespeare: Poems. 1914. Sonnet XXX. When to the sessions of sweet silent thought WHEN to the sessions of sweet silent thought I summon up remembrance of things past, I sigh the lack of many a thing I sought, And with old woes new wail my dear times waste: Then can I drown an eye, unusd to flow, 5 For precious friends hid in deaths dateless night, And weep afresh loves long since cancelld woe, And moan the expense of many a vanishd sight: Then can I grieve at grievances foregone, And heavily from woe to woe tell oer 10 The sad account of fore-bemoaned moan, Which I new pay as if not paid before. But if the while I think on thee, dear friend, All losses are restord and sorrows end. http://www.bartleby.com/70/50030.html The memorial was moving and beautiful. I am so very grateful that they included the fans in the memorial. Kevin Smith will be missed by anyone who knew him personally or had seen his work. Finally, Michael asked the audience to give Kevin a standing ovation, which we gladly did. It was a long ovation, lasting at least a minute, probably more. Then the actors filed out off the stage. We were still applauding and as the applause died down, Lucy started talking again. I think everybody had forgotten about her or assumed she had hung up with the applause! What she said is still mostly a mystery to me. Part of that is due to talking over phone line, which was amplified by a microphone. And sometimes my aging brain doesnt process some speech as fast as it ought to. People will talk to me and my brain will finally puzzle it out later. This time my earsmay have failed me, as well. I think she spoke a bit about the love his friends and the fans had for Kevin, because someone in the audience shouted out We love you, too, Lucy. Sharon returned to the stage while Lucy was still speaking, but Lucy may not have understood she was back. At any rate, Lucy completed what she wanted to say and hung up. Renee has gone auburn, folks. No more golden locks and her hair is longer, it seems to me, done is a modified pageboy. After that, they returned to the schedule and we got to see The Making Of Whos Gurkahn Part 2. Then after about an hours break, Renee and Michael read Love Letters. In a way, this was anti-climactic. But I believe this is more a problem of the play or the format they use here. Both Michael and Renee were excellent. But my attention began to flag as we drew near the end. It probably could have used some fight scenes. I had seen Kevin and Hudson do Love Letters in Dearborn and someone asked me how that performance compared to this one. I think they didnt have as much time to prepare. Hudson mentioned that they only had gotten together the same day of the reading to work through the material. At any rate, there were a couple of cute flubs that Michael and Renee did. At one point Michael read something, then said Oh, thats yours, meaning it was Renees characters lines, which caused much laughter in the audience. And Renee didnt like the way she did one of her lines, so she stopped, much like it is done in film and said, Lets try that again. Afterward, only Michael briefly stepped out to talk for a minute with a few fans. He wasnt there very long and I know this is very hard for all of the actors who knew and worked with Kevin. The day was over, so we left. As I said, it was an extraordinary day. bd ========================================================= This has been a message to the chakram-refugees list. To unsubscribe, send a message to majordomo@smoe.org with "unsubscribe chakram-refugees" in the message body. Contact meth@smoe.org with any questions or problems. ========================================================= ------------------------------ End of chakram-refugees-digest V2 #48 *************************************