From:
Mark MacNamara
Date: Monday July
07, 2003 2:13 PM
To:
show@fintushel.com
Subject: Revelations
Just a note of appreciation, we saw your Revelations solo show at the
Marsh a few weeks ago and loved it. Loved the immense wall of language
and your obsessed and possessed character, we totally believed you were
John. We are writers living in the Mission and saw the show by chance,
because it was close and we wanted somewhere we could walk to. What a
great surprise then to find it, you and to find someone willing to go
into that territory, hell. the past the future etc. Do you know the
local group Word for Word? And if you ever do any children's workshops
in SF et us know and we'll send the kids.
Barbara & Mark MacNamara
bksunbound@excite.com
From:
Mark MacNamara
Date: Monday July
09, 2003 12:57 PM
To:
show@fintushel.com
Subject: re: Revelations
Eliot,
Yes, of course, please use whatever you like on your website.... We encouraged
a number of people to go see you, but I'm afraid it was too close to the end.
Had we only seen it sooner. Would you please let us know if you do this again,
and anything else you're in. Please count us as a huge fans. And actually I
would be interested to know whether you've been profiled locally or nationally
for that matter, no doubt when you were in New York.... I ask because my wife
and I write for various periodicals.
Regards,
Mark (Barbara wrote the earlier note)
http://www.graphesthesia.com/wh/index.html
Eli Bishop
July 11, 2003
good &
beastly
Here are some excellent spectacles that happened in front of me lately.
Eliot Fintushel's Apocalypse.
Fintushel, a clown with considerable physical and musical skill, performs the
entire text of the Book of Revelations. The show's full of nifty sights and
sounds and has multiple layers of historical and cultural depth—he starts the
piece by respectfully removing a prayer shawl and phylacteries, performs
interludes of Jewish, Coptic, and medieval French liturgical music, descends
into terror and glee at the collapse of civilization, and ends as a smooth,
confident preacher who could be on the radio right now. Even if you don't read
his program notes, it's obvious that he thinks this is a crazy, dangerous book
that's caused a lot of trouble... but he embodies every part of it with full
conviction, so that the love and concern for the wayward churches is just as
real as the venomous glee at the torture of sinners.
"again i wanted to say how i appreciated your show and the invisible doors
you open up. and that you can pull off me being enthralled by a full
speaking of revelations. what a high bar you set and for me you sailed
right over." -- Christina O'Reilly, Loading Zone Theater
it took me awhile to digest your apocalypse performance, especially since my
knowledge of christianity and the bible in particular is so limited - but we
just finished learning about judaism and christianity in my world religion
class so now i wish i could see it again. i wanted to tell you, that night
after the performance i had an amazing dream where i was flying above a huge
body of water (i never have flying dreams) and i had a parachute on and i
could control how and where i moved by my breath. i think your portrayal of
the angel inspired this. so, thanks! i awoke with a light heart and inspired
to move again. i hope you are doing well! -lilli
"Every one of us was crying in the first fifteen minutes." --Ken Haus, video
crew
"Maybe it's because this guy has nothing to sell, no sect, no slant--it's the
first time I ever saw Revelation presented in a way that I could actually
understand it." --Richard Stone
"It all sounds so wonderfully crazy, it sounds fintus-helish. -- Irma Zaleski
Eliot... your show is
superb. The story radiates through your body and voice with vital poignancy. You
combine grace with terrible urgency. The four horsemen, the woman-with child,
the whore of Babylon, the devastating imagery of mankind and earth's demise..
all breathtaking. It has stayed with me all day. Will be returning next weekend.
Mazel Tov,
Corisa
l-e-o
Thanks for news of the show and that great review -- so articulate,
and I think, an accurate description of the energy you are bringing
to the text. It is an important time to be doing this piece and the
reference to shock and awe was not lost on me.
Carry on, sweet brother. You are making us think.
Love,
George Levenson
I saw your show last night--bravo! Awesome. One of the most
amazing bits of theater I've ever seen. Bravo, sir, bravo! --Richard
Heller
I am in AWE! You're show is incredible and you are absolutely, totally
mesmerizing. I praise you for taking on such a challenge and your execution
is brilliant.
oh Eliot, I have a hard time going to theatre alot of times, because I find
I'm too critical... BUT last night watching you I found I had the best time
at the theatre in years. I found I had to remind myself to breathe and not
fall off my chair while I was watching.
you prove that theatre can be done anyplace (which is my favorite kind of
theatre) It makes it so pure and carries the essence of clear and clean
storytelling without anything to get in the way.
Thank you.
Thank you for your creativity.
Thank you for your bravery.
Thank you for the excitement.
Thank you for extending your run. If I'd missed this I would have kicked
myself to the apocalypse.
You are AMAZING
I am such a fan
mollie boyce
Oh, and I went to your show...and wow...it was
awesome! I thought the music was really cool (two tin
whistles at once!) and the mask that opened up to
reveal another one was also extremely neato.
Thanks again,
~Meghan Kestler-Tobias