Not so long ago, yours truly recently a notice from a group that instructs the art of becoming a “wingman” or “wingwoman” when it comes to a person who desires to meet another person-someone who is a stranger or vague acquaintance for some kind of possible encounter.
The notice, reprinted in part below, gives their following pitch to what they have to offer…
Have you ever wonder where you can find a wingman or wingwoman for events or just someone to hangout with? Life is better when someone has your back, right? This event is a virtual platform to meet others in the group for events and more. If you are looking for a wingman/wingwoman or new friend, please reply with what you are looking for in your wingman/wingwoman. For example: Looking for wingwoman in the Pasadena area, prefers age between 28-34. If you would like to add something extra, you can add: Would love it if the wingwoman also wants a workout buddy or salsa dancing partner. Let’s carpool to various events too! When you find someone that fits what you are looking for, shoot him/her an email to see if he/she are attending an upcoming event or would like to go to the gym together. 🙂
To present a basic lesson to what a “wingman” (or “wingwoman”) is really all about, a wingman (we will use the term “wingman” since is usually taken from a guy’s perspective, but it can apply for all genders), is a second person who assists another when attempting to get in connection with a third party at some in-person event.
This definition was first used by the Army Air Corps (later the Air Force) to describe a second aircraft assisting a pilot in a potentially dangerous flying environment, referring to the aircraft flying beside and slightly behind the lead plane in a formation.
As with many words or phrases, the original concept took upon a new meaning. In domestic society, a wingman is that second person assisting another (a guy helping a guy) brought along on singles outings (as to bars, etc.) that helps you out with the women. (That definition was adapted through UrbanDictionary.com, a place on the ‘net that defines words and phrases that are not traditional expressions or idioms.)
Although much of this wingman stuff caters toward a guy who desires to meet up with a woman for a possible “hookup” session (refer to UrbanDictionary.com for the meaning of “hookup”), a lot of this assisting can be used by people (man or woman) to get connected to another source for other reasons that have nothing to do with sex. As the above blurb notes, using that right hand (wo)man can be applied for networking purposes, such as getting in contact with somebody who may have a lead in a professional position, or obtaining a source for conduction a possible business deal. The person who is in the lead uses the wingman as somebody that works with the head person, but never one that will take over. That is, a person that holds an equal or greater knowledge to the goals sought.
It’s never a bad idea to obtain assistance from somebody in order to achieve some form of accomplishment, as long as that assistance one obtains from a person (usually a so-called “buddy”) won’t backfire when the wingman takes over the situation, nearly leaving the lead person alone wallowing in the dust. There have been a number of cases known to this writer where the wingman became the competition, rather than the aide that person was meant to be.
F’insistance, yours truly was going to attend one of those “meet-n-greet” happy hour sessions that was sponsored by a local chamber of commerce. This meeting was held at a bar affixed to a larger hotel complex. Outside of snacking on the rubbery appetizers along with guzzling beverages from a semi-open bar (only soda pop and a house wine that could have been better was offered for free with drink coupon), there were opportunities around to schmooze with those attending this event. I was there along with another party (my wingman) who was seeking those to assist him in some form of financing deal for a project that dealt with an entertainment complex. (That entertainment complex idea is for another article as it stands!)
Anyway, this man serving as my wingman has an art for speaking to people, especially strangers, for not only getting what he wants, but to start and keeping a conversation going with those folks about nearly any topic. Although at first, these folks may seen a bit hesitant to speak. But after a brief while, they tend to open up toward this person, eventually ready for him to land a deal when appropriate.
So when I and this wingman of mine arrived at the bar when the event was taking place, within minutes, he began to speak with a few folks who were wearing name badges listing their moniker and the company they represent. Again, this was a chamber of commerce event that pushed the idea that local businesses were in the region, and those attending would be aware of these said businesses in the community. That is the reason why everyone in attendance were encouraged to wear those “Hi-My-Name-Is…” stickers on their lapels.
There was one person in attendance I wanted to get in contact with, a person whose business I had an interest in. SInce I was feeling somewhat awkward in speaking to a total stranger from out of the blue, I was counting on the aide of my wingman to get myself going in a chat. So we both approached this person, and he stated to make his talk. He began to ask all about this person’s business in question and how it operates. This person then began to tells us all about this firm. I was going to ask a few concerns on my interest. However, my wingman then started to dominate the conversation, telling this person why he was there–not as a wingman, but to get financing toward his entertainment project in order to get it off the ground! Well, to make a long story short, he exchanged business cards with this person, suggesting that the two arrange some kind of a meeting somewhere to talk about his project in further detail. As for me, I didn’t get much out of this conversation since I was not really involved in this entertainment project, although I was aware of this project after signing a non-discloser agreement with my wingman long before the event we attended.
As for the rest of this happy hour event? I was able to swap a few business cards with others while my wingman took off in attempting to cut deals with others on his own. However, the concept of wingman blew itself out as the both of us were now flying solo- so to speak. My wingman didn’t do much of a job of being my wingman. At least the thought and idea was there!
Whatever the need from business networking to just “hooking up”, a wingman/wingwoman isn’t such a bad notion, just as long as your wing(wo)man doesn’t steal away in what you are attempting to gain! Then again, it’s all about the thrill of the chase as a group or as a single. At the title of this article suggests, one just has to wing it!
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NEWS AND REVIEWS
Continuing its run at North Hollywood’s Sherry Theater is John Patrick Shanley’s THE DREAMER EXAMINES HIS PILLOW, a dark drama that consists a conflict between a down-and-out artist, his part-time girlfriend, and the father of the girlfriend that forms a triangle of sorts between love, lustful desire, and some method of commitment.
Ky Soto is Tommy, an artist that’s seen better days who lives in squander in his one room “studio” that is nearly barren sans his small refrigerator containing low priced beer. He is also living on a thread, down to paying his monthly rent from money he stole from his mother. His only seen artistic accomplishment is a self portrait that exists on a frameless canvas nailed to the wall. Donna (Pauline Schantzer) is his on-again-off again girlfriend who is just as messy as Tommy, resembling a cheap looking slut. She storms into his place demanding that he stay away from her underaged sister as he prefers doing the sister than Donna. Meanwhile, Donna retreats to her father known as “Dad” (David Gianopoulos). He too was once an artistic painter, but sold off most of his work, keeping just one lone paining hanging on an otherwise bare wall. Donna confesses that although she still adores Tommy, she’s fearful that he will wind up as her own father, down to being mistreated as Dad himself did to Donna’s mother, now deceased. But Dad attempts to strengthen out Tommy using his own devices, only to discover that Dad finds something in Tommy that resembles something familiar-a self portrait perhaps!
This rather lengthily one act play by John Patrick Shanley is very akin to his many other stage works this playwright has composed. It holds a lot of minimalism with only three characters, but packs an excessive load of dialogue and pathos that is sharp and smart with a touch of wit graced in. The form of the “less-is-more” school of theatre is reflected within this stage production. The setting is bare bones: Tommy’s s#it-hole room as staged by Jen Ailey is dressed with a few furnishings along with a number of drop cloths scattered and his small icebox containing a few cans of brew, including a few spent cans pre-crushed! Dad’s place (the same stage space) uses the aforementioned club chair and accessories while the rest of the stage is more virtual than overstuffed. The cast of three performing fits right into the bleak surroundings. Ky Soto as Tommy is very thin and nearly high strung who could have been an artistic contender. Pauline Schantzer as Donna is the street wise floozy and for noted slut who tries to keep her heart of gold intact. And David Gianopoulor as Dad is the cocky wiseass of a dad that won’t take any s#it, if not nipping on the sauce first. Illia Volok directs this production that tells this rather somber tale that speaks for the post modern world some twenty five or so years between the “now” (2010’s) and the “then”! (This play was first presented in 1989, and just got better with time!)
This play isn’t a bedtime story as the only dreams implied are the ones that are either busted or just never existed! In other words, the dreams are just that–dreams! But that doesn’t keep this production as presented within the confines of the very intimate Sherry Theatre as simple. In fact, this play, as well as the production team found in front of the floodlights and those behind them, is very tight! One will not mind sitting through a longer than average one act play as there is much to absorb. And that is the dream itself–examination or otherwise!
THE DREAMER EXAMINES HIS PILLOW, performs at The Sherry Theater, 11052 Magnolia Blvd. (between Vinland and Lankershim), North Hollywood, until August 14th. Showtimes are Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights at 8:00 PM. For ticket reservations, contact DreamerThePlay@gmail.com or at http://www.SherryTheater.org ———————————————————————————————————————
The Gloria Gifford Conservatory presents William Shakespeare’s MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING, the evergreen romantic comedy that speaks for many of the elements found in a multitude of The Bard’s plays (integrity, discreditation, and the realm of royal politics among many other traits), but is told with a rather contemporary musical beat.
This review won’t necessarily get into the basic storyline as this production sticks to much of the plot points found in the original piece (hint: the scenario has to do with Claudio falling for Hero, the daughter of the governor of Messina, the community in Sicily where this story takes place–among many other interrelated sequences), but how this show was conceived. It whittles the original work from its three hours running time (give or take) to a little over two hours, not counting the intermission. Into what makes this production as presented by the Gloria Gifford Conservatory unique that in some selected scenes, the lead character breaks out in song, mostly vocalizing (along with its original recording) R&B/jazz numbers from the 1970’s, although a few other tunes of different genres and eras do slip in. Granted, these songs may appear to be way out of context as the players that appear in this stage piece don period costuming of the era as designed by Kasis Pilewicz and Gloria Gifford, and speak in those Shakespearian tones. The songs that are sung (not lip synced) are fitting for the scene(s) depicted. Ditto for some of the stage movements during those musical numbers as they are more from the 20th century that what would be danced to in the late 1500’s! (One James Brown number is twirled by its character mimicking the dance movements as JB once trotted out!) These musical components are this play’s major saving grace, meaning it’s far from being seen as a stuffy 400+ year old stage work in spite of the fact it’s very light and comical. Again, it’s of the period with a flavoring from a domain of nearly today!
In the original Shakespeare play, there are many characters that consist of the ensemble. This presentation holds no exception and it features an extremely robust cast. A total of thirty eight(!) players appear and are rotated in selected performances. Although space within this review doesn’t allow to list each and every player as some of the cast appear during different dates, each one were exceptional! Performing in a work attributed to The Bard has to be mastered in a precise method. So this reviewer will acknowledge the proper credit to them all!
The Gloria Gifford Conservatory, run by the name person who directs and serves as executive producer, has been not only a performer, but teaches the craft of acting. This program showcases the talents of those that work with her. And with shows as to this production, there are multitudes of opportunities to have many of these upcoming thespians show off on what they can do. And indeed they do and then some!
In spite of what the title suggests, there is plenty going on and the only “nothing” is the fact that there is “nothing” bland as seen on the very intimate stage the T.U. Studios provides. Big theatre spots are OK for what that are, but the smaller stage houses give the audience members a chance to be up close and personal to the actors. And that alone is what makes theatre something special! That is the “much ado” and “nothing” more!
MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING, presented the Gloria Gifford Conservatory, performs at the T.U. Studios, 10943 Camarillo Avenue (at Lankershim), North Hollywood, until August 21st. Showtimes are Saturday nights at 8:00 PM, and Sunday evenings at 7:30 PM. For ticket reservations or for more information, call (310) 366-5505, or online at http://www.Tix.com.
For more information on the Gloria Gifford Conservatory, visit
http://www.GloriaGoffordConservatory.com
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