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W e d n e s d ay, s e p t e m b e r 11, 2024
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STAFF PHOTO BY JAN RISHER
Jonathan Grimes, president/CEO of Baton Rouge Arts Council, at lunch at Tsunami Highland
HEART & SOUL Arts Council of Greater BR’s Jonathan Grimes is as ‘adaptable as possible’
BY JAN RISHER Staff writer
Jonathan Grimes, the president and CEO of the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge, met me at lunch at the new Tsunami on Highland Road — where the sushi was delicious and the spicy edamame reached a new level of spiciness on that particular day. The restaurant’s beautiBATON ful, artsy decor was an appropriate setting for ROUGE our lunch chat. CLASSICS Grimes, 38, is a fellow who wears many hats. He was appointed to his new role at the Arts Council in May 2024, which makes him new to his job but not new to the local arts scene. Not only is he an arts administrator, he is also the equivalent of a full-time musician — a drummer who is on the road doing weekly musical performances. “Music has been in my blood my whole life. I love that I get to work at a place that empowers artists and
STAFF PHOTOS BY JAVIER GALLEGOS
Megan Guthrie, left, and Alexis Trahan practice their screams in between takes at The Dunham School during the filming of ‘Senior Prank’ on July 20.
Filmmakers’ first feature film ‘Senior Prank’ inspired by events at a Baton Rouge high school
ä See CLASSIC, page 3G
BY JUDY BERGERON
a prank my dad pulled when he was in high school where they put crickets in the school library at Jesuit (an all-boys enior pranks — if Catholic high school in New you weren’t the Orleans),” Fagan said. “So a mastermind behind lot of real-life pranks have one, you were probbeen weaved into this story.” ably laughing from In addition to co-directing, a distance at one during your Wax and Fagan also have high school days. roles in the film and co-wrote For most, these teenage anthe script. Fagan sums it up tics are just memories. For like this: The movie is about young Louisiana-born filmfour friends who commit a makers Bailey Wax, 29, and Director Gray Fagan, left, works with actors harmless senior prank that Gray Fagan, 27, the memories goes horribly awry. From steer the plot for the longtime Nicole Prunty, center, and Chase Keith at The Dunham School during filming. there, it’s a snowball effect. friends’ first feature film. At its core, the movie is about The comedy “Senior Prank” wrapped a 20-day shoot in Baton ham School, had him tossing stink friendship and the discovery of self before that last chapter of high Rouge in early August. bombs into a few classrooms. “It was not received well,” Fagan school closes. In this case, a bunch On the set of kids try to cover up their tracks, said. “I got in trouble.” That said, whenever the filmmak- but in doing so, they make friendOn Day 18, the 40-member cast and crew converged in the musty ing duo took the script back to the ships that will last them hopefully bowels of The 13th Gate in down- same headmaster who dealt out Fa- long past high school, like a trautown Baton Rouge to film scenes gan’s punishment back in 2015, the ma-bonding moment. The twists include a camera from involving a clandestine drug op- school administrator remembered. Fagan says the movie’s prank a gas station across the street that eration. Fagan’s literal blast-from-the- is more intense than the one he recorded the prank footage, the past prank, which unfolded at the pulled. ä See ‘PRANK’, page 3G “The opening scene is based off filmmakers’ alma mater, The Dun-
S Staff writer
Was the first working helicopter invented in Alexandria? BY ROBIN MILLER Staff writer
Paul Leo Ortego never said his version of the helicopter was fancy. It wasn’t. But that didn’t prevent the Alexandria resident’s machine from flying with a pilot onboard. Which is something Igor Sikorsky couldn’t claim when test-flying his first helicopter in 1910. Sikorsky is credited
ä See CURIOUS, page 2G
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