2005 Arts Festival: Storytelling Night

September 29, 2005 – Hollywood, CA: Award-winning short stories were brought to life by professional actors, who performed roles in the 1930’s style radio play format with live original music and sound effects. Storytelling Night kicked off the fifth annual Artists For A Better World (AFABW) Arts Festival, a multi-arts celebration held at Celebrity Centre International. This year’s arts festival is a benefit for those effected by the Gulf Coast Hurricanes.

DAVID BARTLETT, veteran of many Hollywood films (sound designer on Total Recall, Speed and Pulp Fiction; writer of the award winning screenplay Whiteout and winner of 7 film festival awards for films he has directed, written or produced) directed the show and selected the award winning stories for tonight’s performances. Bartlett says, “I love to help writers succeed, because I agree totally with the old adage that the pen is mightier than the sword, and I subscribe to what L. Ron Hubbard said, ‘ideas and not battles mark the forward progress of mankind.’ Nearly every art form in use today has some aspect of writing at its core, and that core is put in place by the writers of the world.”

Actors and the stories they portrayed include: MIKE FALKOW (The Brothers Grim, Crazy, You Too Could Be a Winner), ANNIE BROWN and 11 year old AMALIA BROWN who performed Portugal-born VAL GAMIERO’S “Kayla and the Night of the Falling Stars,” a fantasy about a five year old girl battling monster creatures from outer space in her basement.

15 year old MONET LERNER (chosen as a performer on the Rick Dees show and also the Bernie Mac show) performed a monologue she wrote when she was 12 years old titled “Julia,” about a young woman who visits her dying girlfriend for the last time.

TAMRA MESKIMEN (of the popular comedy troupe The Really Spontaneous Theater Company and the show Second Term), and 11 year old JOSH SHAPIRO performed ROBIN BEAMAN’S “Deja View” a tale about an old woman who realizes her 8 ½ year old neighbor is actually her recently dead husband in his new life.

“The Way of the Eagle” by New Yorker DAVEDA LAMONT ended the evening with the tale of a young Native American brave who has nightmares that turn out to be the abilities of a Shaman religious leader. This was performed by GINO MONTESINOS (from Collateral, Alias and SpongeBob SquarePants The Movie), JOHN MARIANO (from The Tonight Show starring Jay Leno and veteran of hundreds of character voiceovers in animated films and commercials), as well as ANDREW SHUBE and FABIENNE MAURER.

Original music was written and performed by jazz and session musician JOHN NOVELLO of the group ‘Niacin.’

Envelopes were provided for contributions to assist those effected by the Gulf Coast Hurricanes.

Artists For A Better World International is dedicated to building a worldwide network of artists who share a vision of creating a better world through aesthetics and is open to persons of goodwill from all religions, nationalities, creeds, races and cultures. In short, any and all who desire to help in the creation of a better world.