Creating All the Time with Kate Micucci

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“Mike Birbiglia’s new gem of a film, Don’t Think Twice, explores the relationships between members of Commune, a long-standing improv troupe. When the troupe’s theater is sold to Trump and a key member of the group garners a big gig on “Weekend Live”, the friends are forced to reassess their individual values and sense of identity. Kate Micucci of Garfunkel and Oates plays Allison, a peculiar improviser and illustrator. Although in real-life Micucci had no previous experience with improv, you wouldn’t know it from her relaxed, imaginative performance. I talked with Micucci about her creative spirit, knowing your own butt strength, and one particularly hard day.”

READ THE FULL INTERVIEW ON VULTURE

A Totally Tubular History of Seattle in the 1980s

 

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Photo: Seattle Municipal Archives

“The 1980s were an exciting — and sometimes horrifying — time in Seattle. Construction of Columbia Center was completed, the Green River Killer was on the loose, the first Costco opened, Ted Bundy was executed, Boeing headquarters relocated, the first pint of Red Hook ale was sold, Bill Gates became the youngest billionaire of all time, three robbers raided the Wah Mee gambling club and killed 13 people, the Tacoma Dome opened, Sir Mix-a-Lot exploded on the scene and fathers grew mustaches.”

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

 

When Your Child’s Worrying Becomes Worrisome

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Jocelyn Skillman, Youth and Family Therapist. Photo: Joshua Huston

“What Seattle’s children are anxious about today might surprise you. While many are afraid of the dark or getting bad grades, some local mental health professionals say others worry about Mt. Rainier erupting and Donald Trump becoming president.

Regardless of the source, anxiety is a natural part of being alive. When we perceive danger, our thoughts race, our heart rate increases, stress hormones pump and our breath becomes shallow. This physiological response compels us into action when a real threat is present, or it’s time to perform a challenging task. But when the anxiety is prolonged and irrational, it can become a barrier to fully engaging in life. “

READ THE REST IN SEATTLE’S CHILD MAGAZINE

Or pick up a hard copy at your local Seattle library!

 

Ana Gasteyer Gets Into Character in ‘Lady Dynamite’

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“Legendary SNL cast member Ana Gasteyer lives up to her reputation on the brilliant new Netflix streaming comedy Lady Dynamite, on which she plays talent agent Karen Grisham. Created by Arrested Development‘s Mitch Hurwitz and writer/producer Pam Brady, Lady Dynamite follows comedian Maria Bamford (playing a version of herself) as she struggles with mental illness and her career in Hollywood.

If you’ve ever met a talent agent in the flesh, you’ve probably met someone like Gasteyer’s Karen Grisham. She chatters at the speed of light, flatters with abandon, and is prone to deranged bouts of irrational anger. Saying so much crazy so quickly was a challenge, but Gasteyer makes it look easy. Be forewarned: the jokes land swiftly, so it can be difficult to catch all the funny over the sound of your own laughter.

I caught up with Gasteyer on Lady Dynamite, her jazzy musical act, and method acting at the guacamole table.”

READ THE FULL INTERVIEW ON VULTURE

Meet the Woman Designing for the Stars of Outer Space

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Lindsey Aitchison. Photo: NASA

“Growing up in Norman, Oklahoma, headquarters of exciting attractions like the National Weather Center and Andy’s Alligator Fun Park, Lindsay Aitchison was destined for great things. On a road trip to Disney World one summer at the age of four, her family stopped off in Houston, Texas at the Johnson Space Center. One riveting IMAX film later, and her fate was sealed. She was going to work for NASA.

Today Aitchison is NASA’s Deputy Project Manager of the Advanced Spacesuit Project. Her work days are pretty typical. She wakes up around 6:30AM, takes her dogs out, eats breakfast, and then designs spacesuits for astronauts to wear on Mars. You know, the usual.”

READ ALL ABOUT IT ON RACKED!

How Andrée Vermeulen Turned Self-Loathing Mac and Cheese Into Celebratory Mac and Cheese

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“You may recognize Andrée Vermeulen as a house performer at UCB or as one of the many hilarious characters she played in CollegeHumor videos, but hopefully you now know her best as Dr. Monica Scholls in Steve and Nancy Carell’s hilarious hit series Angie Tribeca. If you haven’t yet seen the new slapstick comedy on TBS, you’re missing out. Vermeulen plays an all-business deputy medical examiner, analyzing forensic evidence for LAPD detective Angie Tribeca (Rashida Jones) and drawing absurd conclusions. We got the scoop on Vermeulen’s big break on Angie Tribeca, her self-loathing macaroni, and her dream role in the musical Hamilton.”

READ THE REST ON VULTURE

Jake and Amir: Lonely and Horny

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“Comedy duo Jake Hurwitz and Amir Blumenfeld are back in the habit writing, directing, and starring in Lonely and Horny, a goofy new web series on Vimeo. Amir plays Ruby Jade, a narcissistic thirty-something who feels entitled to sex and can’t comprehend why women won’t do it with him. Jake plays Josh Rice, a dating coach who teaches classes on getting laid in the vein of The Pick-up Artist.Although the premise of the series falls in familiar misogynistic territory, the writing and characters flip the script and create a refreshing reversal. The result is a funny mashup of a bro-comedy with a feminist flair. Whereas a lesser series might write a young male character who can’t get laid because women are just too “shallow and dumb” to appreciate his greatness, in Lonely and Horny, there’s nothing wrong with the women. It’s Ruby. He’s an unapologetic jerk. That’s why no one wants to sleep with him. As for Jake’s character — Although Josh Rice gives sexist dating advice, that’s just how he makes his living. Off the clock he’s spending time in a loving relationship with his wife and baby. So while Lonely and Horny probably isn’t going to be honored by the Geena Davis Institute on Gender and Media as a symbol of feminist progress anytime soon, the series is a step in the right direction. I caught up with Jake and Amir on Passover seders, dating antipasti, and the future of Lonely and Horny.” 

READ THE REST ON VULTURE

Aasif Mandvi on ‘Mother’s Day’ and Donald Trump

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Aasif Mandvi. Photo: Amina Elahi

“In a brief interlude from his satirical combat of Islamaphobia on the Daily Show and his web series, Halal in the Family, Aasif Mandvi co-stars in Mother’s Day, a wacky holiday comedy directed by Garry Marshall. Much like Marshall’s Valentine’s Day and New Year’s Day, the movie features multiple intersecting storylines and a star-studded cast. Mandvi plays Russell, an Indian American doctor, husband, and father. His wife Jessie (Kate Hudson) has managed to keep her interracial marriage and toddler a secret from her conservative southern parents. But when Mom and Dad unexpectedly show up for a visit (spoiler!), Jessie can no longer shield her husband from her narrow-minded family. Racist antics and slapstick hilarity ensue.

The full star-studded cast includes Julia Roberts, Jennifer Aniston, Jason Sudeikis, Timothy Olyphant, Britt Robertson, Sarah Chalke, Hector Elizondo, Margo Martindale, Shay Mitchell, Jack Whitehall, Jon Lovitz, and a pug. If you and/or your mom are hankering for a turbocharged, action-packed cornball rom-com, Mother’s Day is the movie for you. I caught up with Mandvi on interracial romantic comedies, working with toddlers, and Donald Trump’s inner child.”

READ THE FULL INTERVIEW ON VULTURE 

Why Do Ghosts Wear Human Clothes?

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Garments for the Grave. Designer: Pia Interlandi.

“Paranormal enthusiasts often report sighting spirits dressed in Victorian period clothing, flowing white dresses, or just jeans and t-shirts. Why? If ghosts are, as paranormal investigators would have us believe, essentially human spirit energy stuck in purgatory between earth and the great beyond, why do their manifestations include the manufactured convention of clothing? We consulted paranormal and death experts from around the globe on what ghosts are wearing these days and why.”

Read the Full Article on Racked – IF YOU DARE