Author: cottonward

The Brady Bunch

I’ve recently watched most episodes of the Brady Bunch. What I like most are the behind the scenes stories, in particular how gay Robert Reed made the BB kids his surrogate family and was there for them and loved them as a real Dad. He was a real-life father but, after the divorce, his daughter didn’t live with him and was later adopted by her step-father.

There’s a moving quote by “Peter” saying Reed was a positive influence on him, and the BB was a more loving family for him than his own.

“Marcia” says in an interview that she didn’t suspect Reed was gay, she’d fantasised she’d “run off with him one day and marry him”!

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David Varela — digital storytelling

Varela’s visit to Australia was sponsored by the Screen Writers’ Association and the Australian Society of Authors nabbed him for a talk about transmedia.

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Picnic

The Sydney Order of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence held a picnic at the weekend to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the founding of the local house, the second one of its type in the world (the first is in San Francisco.) Several nuns were dressed in their homemade habits among the Gathered Faithful at Long Nun Point Birchgrove (used to be known as “Long Nose”, now Yurulbin Park) because this was where the Sisters held their first event in November 1981.
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Michèle and Dorothée Heibel’s art

Drove 2.5 hours to Cessnock. Great going over the Harbour Bridge, the gorgeous stretch with Spectacle island and Dangar island on the Hawkesbury.  The dried trees, like upright witches’ brooms and the canopies of eucaplyptus trees breaking like waves over the heat below. It was so hot. Saw a kangaroo resting in the grass when I went for a walk near a service station.

The exhibition was excellent, really blew us away as we walked in, so vibrant. I knew Michèle Heibel from when we worked at ACP for the Packers, around 1995. A couple of other friends from those days had turned up too, Ashlea and Fi, and thanks to Facebook, we’d all been in touch again.

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Backstage tour at Sydney Opera House

Went to this — which usually costs $150 — but was free because the Sydney Opera House was having an Open Day. Thousands turned up. I stood on the stage and saw the orchestra pits, the rehearsal room and backstage areas, green rooms, costume-making.

My favourite bit was reading the staff noticeboards and the many clippings from The Sydney Morning Herald (reviews and also smaller stories from the My Career section or other little features about lesser-known chorus or orchestra members). It was great to see these are so important and often took up one-third of the noticeboards! They’d also pinned up postcards or email printouts from audience members praising their performance — this pleased me as I do this after feeling inspired by a great show, so I wonder if my emails are printed and stuck up somewhere? Nice to see they’re appreciated.

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