As you may have heard, the powers that be at Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures are making a live-action film adaptation of Akira, the popular Japanese manga and anime. This is exciting, right? Right?! Um...well...you decide. Watch:

I've been sitting on some exciting news for weeks now (are you surprised that I can keep a secret?), and it's finally public! Jukebox Stories—my storytelling, song-singing, bingo-playing theatrical extravaganza, which stars me and musician/nerd Brandon Patton—is one of only ten shows tapped to be a part of the National Asian American Theater Festival. In Los Angeles for the first time, the Festival is happening in conjunction with the National Asian American Theater Conference, where hundreds of artistic leaders and artists from around the country convene to talk shop and spread gossip. (Okay, they're here to talk shop, and I'm here to spread gossip.)

You know what that means, right? Brandon and I have to work on making the show even more Asian-y than it already is! "How is that possible?" you ask. "The last time I saw Jukebox Stories, I walked out feeling compelled to open a laundry business." Well, just know that we have plenty of Asian-y tricks up our sleeves. So save the dates—June 24 and 26, 2011—as we prepare to ching-chong it up for your entertainment! (Our first shows in three years!)

More details are forthcoming. In the meantime, check out this article about the festival and conference in the Los Angeles Times.

After being psychologically and emotionally date-raped by Battle: Los Angeles, I headed over to Cold Stone Creamery with a friend. Absent crisis counseling, ice cream was definitely in order. (Lest you think I'm unfairly exaggerating, this is what Roger Ebert has to say about the movie: "Here's a science-fiction film that's an insult to the words 'science' and 'fiction,' and the hyphen in between them.")

Cold Stone was advertising a quartet of new sundaes, but the one that caught our eye was something called the "Churro Caramel Crave"—pieces of crispy churros, shoved into vanilla ice cream, slathered in hot caramel, and topped with whipped cream. It looked like a little piece of heaven, frankly. I mean, c'mon! Churros! Ice cream! Caramel! That's a combination so fucked-up that it had to be good!

Well, I'm here to report that the Churro Caramel Crave is disgusting. It's so overly sweet, sloppy, and suffering from identity issues that it crosses the line from "indulgently tasty" to "an abomination." The thing is, we didn't realize how wrong this dessert was until we had eaten the whole thing, were dripping with shame, and gripping ourselves in gastric discomfort.

The whole goal of washing away the dirt of Battle: Los Angeles didn't happen. It was like expecting to meet a crisis counselor but instead being forced to spend time with circus clown prone to inappropriate touching.

You have been warned.

I wrote a new post for The Gamut....



Read "Using Video to Promote Print."

I wrote a new post for The Gamut....



Read "Woody Allen on Discipline."

I didn't intend to post anything about that white UCLA student who ching-chonged her way into viral-video infamy over the last few days (news updates here) because why expend energy engaging with something as stupid as that? (It's like trying to argue Grothendieck's Galois Theory with a three-year-old.) But I came across a funny, clever, tempered response video from an Asian-American musician named Jimmy Wong who hits it right out of the park. So I'm posting it. And that's all I have to say about the subject. Watch:

I wrote a new post for The Gamut....



Read "Mark Richard's Media Blitz."

I wrote a new post for The Gamut....



Read "José Rivera on Writer's Block."

When I boldly declared a few years ago that Joe was better than Steve on Blue's Clues, it ignited a comments thread of grown men and women defending Steve with the passion and fury of, say, the American Revolution. "Ugh, purists," I thought. What little I had seen of Steve confirmed that I was right and they were wrong.

Last week I decided to watch the three-episode arc in which, after nearly 100 episodes starring Steve, Joe is introduced and Steve makes his permanent exit (which, inexplicably, spawned Steve-is-dead rumors across the Internet). I have to admit that I understand what experts mean when they say Joe is more in-your-face and eager to please while Steve is cool, soothing, and perhaps a bit slyly (but not condescendingly) self-aware. They're two different approaches, and, yes, I'm man enough to admit that I like them both.

But what I really want to talk about is the aforementioned arc's final episode, titled "Steve Goes to College." THAT EPISODE IS DEVASTATING! Yes, I started crying at the end! The way Steve says goodbye, expresses his appreciation for our friendship, encourages us to look after of Joe—it's a emotional climax, a punch to the gut. After hugging Blue, Steve turns to us and confides, "I'm gonna miss you too. I'll never forget how you helped me find all those clues. You really are so smart. Which reminds me. Will you take good care of my brother Joe while I'm at college...? Great.... 'Cuz sometimes he needs a little help.... Kind of like me." Oh, man, I teared up a little while I was typing that.

I have a question for parents. Were your kids traumatized by Steve's departure? Did they have an emotional reaction like I did? And how did they recover from a blow like that?

I really need to toughen up.... Indoor rock-climbing, here I come!

I wrote a new post for The Gamut....



Read "New Ways to Tell Old Stories."

I don't know why I always feel compelled to write commentary to accompany some of the videos I post because sometimes my titles speak for themselves. Truly.

Like this post. "Cat Puts on a Bunny Hat by Itself." That's all that happens here. Seriously. Watch:

As we continue to wait patiently for Pork Chop's return to the world of viral videos (it's been years!), let's once again dig into the archives.

Remember Pork Chop's drug addiction? Aren't you glad he's not coordinated enough to get to his evil drugs? Watch:



Are you happy...or sad...for him?

Several years ago I launched Writing Is Rewriting, an advanced playwriting workshop at East West Players' David Henry Hwang Writers Institute. And even though I have little time these days to facilitate something like this (writing Channing Tatum fan fiction takes time, people!), I'm bringing it back this summer. (A colleague accuses me of having "founder's disease.") You hereby have my permission to pass along the details to anyone who might be interested:

WRITING IS REWRITING: A NEW-PLAY DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOP WITH PRINCE GOMOLVILAS

Enrollment by Application Only
Application Deadline: April 4, 2011
Notification: April 18, 2011
Workshop Begins: May 9, 2011

This comprehensive 13-week new-play development workshop gives playwrights the opportunity to work intensively on revising a full-length play and bringing it to completion--the goal being a polished script ready for submission to theatres, festivals, and contests. The workshop features weekly lessons on different aspects of the rewriting process, writing exercises to help lead playwrights into a deeper understanding of their work, reading assignments of relevant plays by well-known authors, and group outings to play productions around town. Aside from weekly monitoring of each playwright's progress, each playwright will have two class sessions dedicated to workshopping two different drafts of his or her play. Directed feedback sessions will help playwrights realize their own unique vision and voice; equally important is participating in each other's feedback sessions, as all the playwrights will find common ground in the issues that concern them during the rewriting phase and the strength of this tight-knit community will help playwrights reach their fullest potential. The workshop will culminate in staged readings at East West Players by professional actors and directors. Enrollment is by application only, and the workshop is limited to 6 playwrights. Applicants should also note that the application process isn't necessarily an evaluation of the quality of their work, but rather of this particular instructor's ability to help improve it.

Instructor: PRINCE GOMOLVILAS
May 9, 2011-August 1, 2011
Mondays, 7:00PM-10:00PM
(no class May 30; to be rescheduled)
Staged Readings: August 13-15, 2011
Maryknoll Japanese Catholic Center
222 S. Hewitt St., Los Angeles, CA 90012
Fee: $500 (ACTS members $475)

BIO:

Prince Gomolvilas's plays include BIG HUNK O' BURNIN' LOVE (East West Players, Los Angeles, 1998), THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING (Singapore Repertory Theatre & East West Players, Singapore & Los Angeles, 2000), BEE (Lorraine Hansberry Theatre, San Francisco, 2001), and the stage adaptation of the Scott Heim novel, MYSTERIOUS SKIN (New Conservatory Theatre Center, San Francisco, 2003), which have been produced around United States, in Singapore, and in the U.K. THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING was published by Dramatic Publishing in 2002. He received the PEN Center USA Literary Award for Drama; Julie Harris/Janet and Maxwell Salter Playwright Award; International Herald Tribune/SRT Playwriting Award; East West Players' Made in America Award for Outstanding Artistic Achievement for the Asian Pacific Islander Community; and grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and Wallace Alexander Gerbode Foundation. He also teaches in the Master of Professional Writing Program at the University of Southern California. He received his MFA in Playwriting from San Francisco State University.

Plays that have been developed in the Writing Is Rewriting workshop include Paul Kikuchi's IXNAY and WRINKLES, both of which were eventually produced by East West Players in 2009 and 2011, respectively; Tim Toyama & Aaron Woolfolk's BRONZEVILLE, which eventually received an Ovation Award Nomination for Playwriting for the Robey Theatre Company production in 2009; and Aurelio Locsin's HELLTOWN BUFFET, which was eventually produced by Rude Guerrilla Theater Company in 2008.

APPLICATION PROCESS:

Requirements:

• You must have a completed draft of a full-length play.
• You must commit to attending all 13 sessions of the workshop (on time!) and all 6 staged readings (with few, if any, exceptions).
• You must agree to complete all reading assignments. Aside from reading the work of classmates, an additional 4 to 7 plays will be required reading during the course of the semester.
• You must agree to attend all play field trips. Playwrights will go to see 2 to 4 plays during the course of the semester.

Submit:

• A brief one-paragraph synopsis of your play.
• A brief explanation of why this workshop sounds right for you.
• A PDF version of your entire play.
• E-mail these items to BOTH prince@princegomolvilas.com and jliu@eastwestplayers.org by Monday, April 4, 2011. Playwrights accepted into the workshop will be notified by April 18, 2011.

When the band Goldenspell (my friend Eric's one-man music project) asked me for a blurb to promote an upcoming show (March 30 at the Silverlake Lounge in Los Angeles), I happily said "yes" because: 1.) I'm really good at sounding smarter and more perceptive than I actually am; and 2.) I honestly dig Goldenspell. I mean, look at the magic I can spin when I really like something:

"Characterized by ethereal vocals and inviting indie-pop sensibilities, the aptly named Goldenspell evokes a bit of mid-career Flaming Lips and late-career Rilo Kiley. But Goldenspell's sense of driving percussion gives the band a more propulsive sound that begs its listeners to hit the dance floor."

"Little House" is an awesome track, and its music video (directed by John C. Bradbury—you know, Jake!) is a terrific bit of filmmaking and DIY effects. Watch:



That song, as well as a couple others, can be downloaded for free here, you cheap bastards!

A few weeks ago, novelist Janet Fitch (White Oleander, Paint It Black) headlined a USC Master of Professional Writing Program student-faculty reading at Barnes & Noble at The Grove in Los Angeles. (Fountain show, what-what!) I attended because Janet is so famous that when I bump into her in public places I yell "Janet Fitch!" and then turn to whomever I'm with to announce, "That's Janet Fitch! She's famous!" I have no sense of decorum about these types of things, but that's why, I suspect, you love me so.

Janet read short-short fiction that debuted on her blog. Each piece was created by using the same writing exercise:

Inspired by a simple word, chosen at random, write a two-page double-spaced story, using the Word at least once.

The exercise may seem simple, but it has yielded—at least in Janet's case—remarkable snapshots of unexpectedly fascinating characters. The prose? Sharp, concise, and often bitingly funny.

I love "All but Dissertation," inspired by the word "clip"—but all her work is worth a read.

Check out Janet Fitch's blog for more (free!) short-short fiction.

It's been a long-ass time since my beloved Pork Chop has made a video (he's like the J.D. Salinger of viral-video cats), but, when he does return (hopefully soon), I'm sure you will be amazed by what you see. I'm not exaggerating. He and I have a comic bit that we do that has to be seen to be believed.

While I wait to get all the paperwork in order (Pork Chop has to approve everything), let's re-visit the following classic Pork Chop video. Watch:



Oh, don't you miss him so?!

Longtime Bamboo Nation readers (all of whom I want to rub up against violently in order to show my appreciation) know that the golden age of this blog has long since passed. Gone are the days when I was posting regularly, multiple times per day even, keeping you thoroughly entertained at your boring job or helping you become better at procrastinating.

But just because the good times are a distant memory doesn't mean they can't return—with the kind of enthusiasm and fury that will surely cause you extreme discomfort (because of all that rubbin'-up-against-ya friction).

So, for the foreseeable future, let's get Bamboo Nation back on track here. I'll do my part, and all you have to do is read regularly and, if you're so inclined, comment passionately (after all, the Romanians are still doing so, against their better judgment) or share my more compelling posts via your various social networks or send me funny (or amazing) videos to ensure I have a fresh stream of content. If you've been reading me for a while, you know the kinds of fucked-up clips that make me laugh or cause my jaw to drop in awe.

For example, the cat in the following video is a perverted peeping tom. And I think the inherent comedy in this is sublime. Watch:



Welcome back, everyone! (Well, not exactly all day, every day, but as much as Princely possible.)