#Kenneth Gordon Maplewood

[thepermanentrainpress]

THE PERMANENT RAIN PRESS INTERVIEW WITH ESABELLA STRICKLAND

Esabella Strickland is a young achiever. Aside from being a Vancouver-based actress, the artist is an author, scriptwriter, media host, and learning disabilities advocate. Her new novel Then And There, Here And Where (GenZ Publishing) was released earlier this month, the debut of a saga “filled with mystery, magic and knowledge.” 

Congratulations on the release of Then And There, Here And Where! You collaborated on this novel with your father Michael. Tell us about the inspiration behind Orabella, her gift, and adventures.

Well growing up my parents would read to me because I had a hard time reading because of my dyslexia and ADHD. However, when they read to me, I could see the images clearly in my head like a movie. My mom would read Nancy Drew to me, and my dad would tell me scary stories when we went camping together. When I changed schools (a private school for dyslexia, ADHD) my confidence grew because I was socially alienated and bullied at my old school for learning differently. So, I came up with this idea with my dad to create Orabella who also has ADHD, dyslexia and social anxiety but learns to overcome her fears and become a heroine. I also wanted readers to learn about history so there is fiction/non-fiction edu-entertainment so you’re learning while having fun.

What do you hope readers take away from this story?

I want to inspire girls, especially girls who are bullied or socially alienated because they feel different, to find their super power within, ask for help and follow your passion even if it’s music, art, dance, acting... keep doing it no matter how many setbacks you have... follow your dreams! 

Can we assume that Orabella’s story will continue with future novels?

Yes, we are halfway through our second novel, our plan is to write as many books as possible. With each book Orabella is a year older so she grows with you, like a friend. There is mystery, magic and personal growth.

Outside of being an author, you are also a screenwriter. You’re currently the GenZ Script Consultant for Graisland Entertainment. How has this experience been?

It has been really cool, I first reached out to Michael Grais on LinkedIn asking if he wanted to collaborate on a horror movie together, which caught him by surprise considering I am only 15. He sent 2 scripts he finished and asked me what I thought, so I read through each of them and gave him my honest feedback, it was then he gave me the green light to write Death Noise - an Urban Legend Horror. I have gone through so many edits and re-writes but I was prepared because I went through the same thing with our book. Mr. Grais is really cool, he is honest and supportive. I am working on a second urban legend horror for him so we will see. I love storytelling from writing, drawing, painting, and playing music.

You have been growing your skills as a media host, having hosted for EveRIAthing, and at Geektopia and the Variety Show of Hearts Telethon. What has been the most rewarding event for you to be apart of, so far?

Oh by far the Variety Telethon because it is helping kids like me, to improve their lives. Variety BC helped me with tuition so I can stay at my present school, which is for kids with learning challenges. I love sharing their stories. I have gotten a lot of hosting mentoring and training from EveRIAthing, which carried over to me hosting the Variety Telethon for the 3rd year in a row. I love hosting because I love hearing and sharing stories. I also hosted Geektopia to raise money for the Amanda Todd Foundation. I also helped host Meowfest to raise money for the Langley Animal Hospital and the regional Animal Protection Society.

What advice would you share with aspiring hosts and media personalities?

Oh find a mentor or teacher to train you and find a cause that you believe in and approach them to see if you could help promote them. I started by having a YouTube channel and my first interview was with George Takei, which was really cool. So don’t be afraid to try new things.

You are a learning disabilities advocate, as you live with anxiety, ADHD and dyslexia. You are a true figure of empowerment! Why is it important to you to ‘lift as you rise’ and build this awareness?

Yes because I was bullied and socially alienated when I was younger, I do not want anybody to feel this way, so as I succeed I want others to succeed with me. It’s so easy to feel alone and sad no matter what age you are so its important to know that somebody is there for you. So, if you have a goal or a dream then I want to be here to support you with that. Also never be afraid to ask, and if the answer is no, then keep asking until you get a yes. We were turned down by so many literary agents because our book was not the right fit or the right timing, but we did not give up and we kept asking until we found GenZ Publishing.

Tell us about how attending Kenneth Gordon Maplewood has helped you? What other resources have you used over the years?

OMG in so many ways, they teach you based on your learning style; also there are small class sizes with more teachers so you can get the support you need. Also being around kids like me helps as we all have been bullied at previous schools, so we understand each other. I also see a counsellor who helps with my anxiety and gives me tools to work on like meditation, tapping and self care time (without feeling guilty about it).

You’re quite active on social media! You’ve received support from a lot of other filmmakers, media personalities, and artists, specifically Bif Naked. What has that support and encouragement meant to you?

This is a huge encouragement because they are doing what I am doing – lifting as you rise. It is also important to find mentors to help build you up too. Those are the ones who struggled to get to the top and know how hard it is; so like Bif Naked, she reaches down and helps you up.

Do you have any upcoming projects you’d like to share?

I am booked for a role on a feature film, which I can’t talk about as of yet, and also Michael Grais and I are close to getting financing on our feature film urban legend horror Death Noise. It is so scary and cool, it’s set in the late 70’s [and is] like Close Encounters of the Third Kind meets Stranger Things.

You love cats! You have Meeko and Daisy Mae at home; tell us about your love for them.

Oh Meeko just passed away he was 16 years old, and he was my best friend, it was really hard letting him go. When you said ‘I love you’ to him, he would wink at you or he would coo like a bird when he knew I was anxious. Meeko would also put his paw on my lap if I was sad or snuggle next to me. Daisy Mae is my 2-year-old Holland Lop. I love her but I also want another cat soon.

Who are a couple of musical artists you are listening to on your playlist?

Hmm I am more into songs than artists so I like Frank Sinatra, 70’s classic rock, AJR, Of Monsters and Men, and SALES.

If you could be any ice cream flavour, which would you be and why?

Oh Neapolitan ice cream because I like a blend of flavours - 3 of my favourite flavours together, oooh and also lime/lemon sorbet!

Follow Esabella’s upcoming projects at https://www.esabellakarena.com/ and Orabella’s adventures at https://www.orabellatheoracle.com/.

[papermoonloveslucy]

LUCY AND THE BOGIE AFFAIR

S2;E13 ~ December 15, 1969

Directed by Herbert Kenwith ~ Written by Pat McCormick and Jim McGinn

Synopsis

When Kim and Craig find a stray dog in the rain, they take it home and name it Bogie.  Next morning, it gives birth to a litter of puppies!  Just as they've managed to give away all the puppies to good homes, Harry hears that there's a reward and they have to retrieve them again!  

Regular Cast

Lucille Ball (Lucy Carter), Gale Gordon (Harrison Otis Carter), Lucie Arnaz (Kim Carter), Desi Arnaz Jr. (Craig Carter)

Guest Cast

Lord Nelson (Bogie) makes his fourth appearance with Lucille Ball after playing Nelson, Mr. Mooney's dog in three episodes of “The Lucy Show.”  

Jack LaLanne (Himself) was a nationally known exercise guru who owned a chain of health clubs and hosted a long-running television show from 1952 to 1983.  

Happy (Himself) is Jack LaLanne's dog.  He appeared with LaLanne on many of his television shows.

Eugene Molnar (Jack's Cameraman) appeared on four episodes of the series. These are his only screen credits.

Sherry Alberoni (Candy) was a second-season replacement Mousketeer on “The Mickey Mouse Club” (1955).  She also dubbed Patty Duke's vocals in the film Valley of the Dolls (1967).  This is her only appearance with Lucille Ball. 

Steve March (Steve) is the son of Mel Torme and the adopted son of the Arnaz family's friend, Hal March. Mel Torme appeared several times on “The Lucy Show.”  Hal March appeared on “I Love Lucy.”  Steve March will appear in one more episode starring Sammy Davis Jr. and will write a song for an episode starring Ann-Margret.  

Debbie Westcott (Debbie Westcott) was the daughter of Desilu Prop Master Kenneth Westcott.  This is her only screen credit.

Irwin Charone (Mr. Farnsworth) made five appearances on “The Lucy Show.” The expressive character actor also did an equal number of “Here’s Lucy” episodes. He died in January 2016 in Maplewood, New Jersey, at the age of 93.

This is the first of 14 episodes directed by Herbert Kenwith. Born in New Jersey, Kenwith started out as an actor on Broadway, and then produced 65 productions at Princeton's McCarter Theatre. One of these starred a young Lucille Ball, in a show headed to Broadway but never made it due to the serious illness of its leading man. He died in 2008 at the age of 90.  

This is the first and only episode of the series written by comedian turned writer Pat McCormick. McCormick previously wrote “Lucy in London” in 1966.  This is the only episode written by Jim McGinn as well as his only collaboration with McCormick.  

Lucille Ball was a dog lover and owned many dogs during her life.  

Kim and Craig name the dog they find Bogie because it had the same sad look standing in the rain as Humphrey Bogart does at the end of 1942's Casablanca.

When Kim effusively hugs her mother when she comes home, Lucy reminds her she was “just at work, not walking on the moon!” The moon walk of John Glenn and Buzz Aldrin occurred on July 20, 1969 just after this episode went before the cameras.  

Coming home in a thunderstorm, Lucy unwittingly says “It's not a fit night out for man, nor beast!” not knowing the kids have hidden Bogie in the kitchen. Lucy initially attributes the quote to Shakespeare (wrong!) and then to W.C. Fields (right!). The line was spoken by Fields in the 1933 film The Fatal Glass of Beer.  The quote was also spoken by Gale Gordon in “Lucy and the Monsters” (TLS S3;E18). 

When Lucy sees Bogie in the kitchen, she jokes that he's a shaggy horse and calls him “Matt Dillon's last mount!” Matt Dillon was a character played by James Arness (above) on “Gunsmoke,” the long-running western that was “Here's Lucy's” lead-in on CBS.

After Lucy agrees to let Bogie stay, she says “If you want anything, just whistle” paraphrasing Lauren Bacall's famous line to Humphrey Bogart in the film To Have and Have Not (1944).

The nine puppies go to:

Stevie – Craig's girl crazy classmate

Blanche – Lucy's lonely friend from New Orleans

Candy – Kim's friend looking for the latest trend

Pauline Lopus – Lucy's friend looking for a watchdog

Debbie Westcott – Craig's classmate who takes a puppy in exchange for going steady with Craig  

Natalie Schwartz (unseen) – a friend of Craig's

Freddy Dawson (unseen) – a friend of Kim's

Lucy tries to give one to Jack LaLanne but he ends up giving her one of his dog Happy's pups instead.  Including the one she was intending to give LaLanne, this still leaves one puppy unaccounted for by the script.

Lucy's telephone call with an unseen Blanche from New Orleans is likely a nod to Tennessee Williams' 1947 play and 1951 film A Streetcar Named Desire, whose principal character Blanche Dubois lives in New Orleans.

To convince Candy that owning old English Sheepdog puppies is the newest fad, Kim crops photos of the pups with music celebrities Barbra Streisand and Herb Alpert and tapes the photos to the inside of her locker.  In 1969 singer Streisand won an Oscar for her performance in the film Funny Girl. Herb Albert was a trumpeter who performed with his group the Tijuana Brass.  In 1969 they released the album Warm.

Lucy's telephone call with the unseen Pauline Lopus is a tribute to her childhood friend Flo Pauline Lopus, whose name used on many Lucille Ball sitcoms.  

Harry has been diagnosed with an allergy to dog fur.  In “Lucy and Harry's Tonsils” (S2;E5) we learn that Harry is also allergic to flowers.  

Harry dictates a letter to Rylander, Mosier and Tebbit. These names are Gale Gordon's go-to addressees for dictation, having been used on both “Here's Lucy” and on “The Lucy Show.”  

Craig says he is now going steady with both Debbie Westcott and Natalie Schwartz. Kim has to go the prom and the spring formal with Freddy Dawson (who she calls “The Creature from the Black Lagoon”). Both Natalie and Freddy don't appear on camera. In real life, Natalie Schwartz was a wealthy friend of Lucille Ball's from Rancho Mirage.  Her husband Danny was the owner of Elmhurst Dairies in Queens, NY.  

Trying to get the reward for Bogie and the nine pups, Harry appoints himself banker of the group. This is ironic since Gale Gordon's previous character with Lucille Ball was banker Theodore J. Mooney.  

In the high school scenes, Craig wears his letter sweater with the large “A” on the chest. It was mentioned in “Lucy and Carol Burnett” (S1;E17, above) that Kim and Craig attend Angeles High School. In that episode, many of these sweaters were worn by the boys in the chorus of the musical fundraiser.  

Humphrey Bogart never appeared on screen with Lucille Ball. However, in “Ricky's Movie Offer” (ILL S4;E5) Desi Arnaz does an impression of Bogart.  

In “Lucy and the Andrews Sisters” (S2;E6) Lucy blows a kiss to a large poster of Bogart from the movie Casablanca. Coincidentally, a poster of W.C. Fields - who Lucy quotes in the episode - is hung next to Bogart!

Lucy's children bring home a dog against their mother's wishes, just like Little Ricky did in “Little Ricky Gets a Dog” (ILL S6;E14).  

The only other “Lucy” show to feature more dogs was “Lucy and Viv Learn Judo” (TLS S1;E22) in 1963.

Shut the Door!  When Harry comes in to share the news about the reward, he leaves the front door open – in a house with unleashed dogs!  

Where the Floor Ends!  In Jack LaLanne's studio and in the Carter home, the camera pulls back too far and reveals the cement stage floor.  This is a weekly occurrence.  

“Lucy and the Bogie Affair” rates 3 Paper Hearts out of 5 

This episode is for dog lovers!  The cute puppies and shaggy Bogie are the best parts.  There is some attempt at a funny montage of getting rid of the dogs to various owners, but it lacks comic rhythm.  Jack LaLanne was a better fitness coach than an actor!  Unusually, the comic finale of the episode happens off-screen!

[schooladvice]

Kenneth Gordon Maplewood School North Vancouver BC #kennethgordonmaplewoodschool Middle/Senior School Math Teacher position available #mathteachers #mathteacher #seniorschoolteacher #educationcareer #schooladvice #schooladvicenet http://bit.ly/2opVbRB