29 minute read
Recently Reviewed
recently reviewed EDITED BY JESSICA BRYCE YOUNG
$10 OR LESS $10-$15 $15-$25 $25 OR MORE
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The price range generally reflects the average cost of one dinner entree. Bakeries, ice cream shops, etc. reflect relative cost for one person. Search hundreds more reviews at orlandoweekly.com
LE HOUSE VIETNAMESE RESTAURANT
Le House presents a focused menu of soups, handhelds, noodle/rice dishes and specialty dishes, most notable of which is a duck bean curd noodle soup with a piquant broth reddened by annatto seed oil. Porky nem rolls and delicate chicken wings slicked with sweet chili-garlic fish sauce make ideal sharing starters. The pho is legit. Open daily. (reviewed Sept. 30) 595 W. Church St., 407-530-7024, facebook.com/lehouserestaurant, $$
THE AARDVARK
There’s a gastropub inside this neighborhood bottle shop in SoDo that serves some of the finest “gulf to grill” and “grove to stove” fare in the city. Chef Hugh Holland is the maestro behind such refined creations as gator jambalaya, speckled trout atop Florida fried rice, and crawfish gnocchi tossed in a subtly sweet “tornado” sauce fashioned from serranos, jalapeños and molasses. More than 200 beers are also offered. Open daily. (reviewed Sept. 23) 2610 S. Ferncreek Ave., 407-894-9999, theaardvarkfl.com, $$$
HENRY’S DEPOT
Situated in a 140-year-old building, this Sanford food hall named after railroad tycoon Henry Plant is anchored by a gorgeous Art Nouveau-meets-Florida Cracker cocktail bar, but there are some above-average eats to be had here as well: fresh seafood at the Current Seafood Counter; vegan vittles from Dixie Dharma; oak-fired pizzas with Southern roots from Oak Flame; and primo sandwiches from Salvatore’s. The Greenery Creamery offers dairy and vegan ice cream, while Mahogany Coffee pours some of the best coffee in Sanford. Look for What the Chuck, a craft burger joint by Tennessee Truffle’s Nat Russell, to open soon. (reviewed Sept. 16) 212 W. First St., Sanford, 407-548-6931, henrysdepot.com, $$
MASON JAR PROVISIONS
Neighborhood eatery serves a bevy of bar bites and substantial handhelds with a Southern bent. Porky boudin balls, bourbon-glazed pecans and not-so-jerky beef jerky pair well with brews, while fried bologna sandwiches, barbecuebraised rib hoagies and burgers make
CONTINUED ON PAGE 37
ideal takeout options. To-go cocktails are provided by Burton’s Bar next door. Open daily from 4-10 p.m. (reviewed Sept. 9) 805 E. Washington St., 407-270-4322, masonjarprovisionsorlando.com, $$
BOVINE STEAKHOUSE
Park Avenue gets its own high-end chophouse, in the former (completely renovated) Park Plaza Gardens space. Steaks are procured from Linz Heritage Angus from Chicago, which complements BoVine’s brick walls, brown hues and big-shouldered aesthetics. The 30-day dry-aged ribeye is a charred wonder, and the lamb rack seared with an anchovy-herb crust will draw order envy. Classic apps like shrimp cocktail with nose-flaring cocktail sauce and a prime tartare make worthy preludes. Open daily. (reviewed Sept. 2) 319 S. Park Ave., Winter Park, 407-7941850, bovinesteakhouse.com, $$$$
534 SCRATCH KITCHEN
Gorgeous brick-walled Parramore gastrobar presents a diverse menu of eats, from tacos and wings to steaks and shrimp cocktails. Of note are the lobster rolls and spicy crab cakes, while the 20-ounce blackened ribeye and pankocrusted salmon with Cajun glaze are expertly prepared. Open daily. (reviewed Aug. 19) 534 W. Church St., 407-704-7913, 534scratchkitchen.com, $$$
TAQUERIA LAS CAZUELAS
There are scores of taco options at Taqueria Las Cazuelas, from lengua and al pastor to chorizo and nopales, but don’t overlook the soups and stews they’ve become known for; pozole, menudo and caldo de res are hearty meals of slurpy comfort. Call in your order beforehand to prevent a lengthy wait – they do a brisk takeout business. Open daily. (reviewed Aug. 12) 10360 E. Colonial Drive, 407-930-7632, facebook.com/ taquerialascazuelas2, $$
MEE THAI
The cuisine of Isan, a region in northeastern Thailand, gets the spotlight at Mee Thai with such bracing dishes as nam tok (waterfall beef), som tum (fiery papaya salad) and laab (ground meat salad) being expertly prepared. Traditional offerings like pad Thai are impeccably balanced, with ultra-fresh ingredients. The mango sticky rice (the rice is a luminescent green) makes a colorful ending. Open daily. (reviewed Aug. 5) 1200 Lee Road, 407-802-2323, facebook.com/meethaiorlando, $$
SEANA’S
Comfy café on the corner of West Colonial Drive and Good Homes Road, offers a mix of elevated Caribbean and soul food classics like oxtails slathered in a subtly sweet sauce over yellow rice with sweet plantains and “liquid gold” mac & cheese. Another winning combination: turkey wings smothered in house-made gravy served with smoked collard greens. The rum punch is, almost literally, a knockout. Open daily. (reviewed July 29) 719 Good Homes Road, 321-800-6846, seanasorlando.com, $$$ n
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Hosts Nando Luis Roman and Christina Carmona on the set of Indie Cinema Showcase
PHOTO COURTESY INDIE CINEMA SHOWCASE
LOCAL LOOKS
Indie Cinema Showcase returns at the unlikeliest time
BY CAMERON MEIER
They say timing is everything, but don’t tell Orlando’s Indie Cinema Showcase.
In a year that has seen major fests scrapped and local events, such as this week’s South Asian Film Festival, go virtual, ICS has bucked the trend by relaunching itself following a seven-year absence. The TV show is back, albeit in a tweaked format, doing what it did when it began in 2009: giving local, low-budget, independent filmmakers a broadcast voice.
Episodes air on Orange TV’s entertainment channel, Vision TV (Spectrum channel 492 or Comcast channel 98), at 8 p.m. on Saturday and again at 6 p.m. on Sunday, in addition to YouTube, Vimeo, Roku and eventually Apple TV. Most episodes last 15-30 minutes and feature interviews, local movie news and films. Those films (or trailers) are all made by Floridians and usually run less than 10 minutes.
Indie Cinema Showcase is the brainchild of Emmy-winning local filmmaker Gerald Godbout III.
“I did a pilot episode [in 2009] to convince the program director [at Orange TV] that I could do a show on my own. Before that, I was just doing editing for them,” Godbout says. “I went to my boss, Bill Suchy, and I said, ‘You know, I would love to do a show about filmmakers.’ And he said, ‘I’ll let you do a pilot … and we’ll go from there.’”
The pilot was a success, as was the entire first season, which was hosted by John Theisen (FilmSlam founder) and Tim Anderson (now Enzian Theater’s programming coordinator). But when Theisen and Anderson left to pursue other projects, Godbout rang the changes.
“I wanted to do something bigger,” Godbout says. “It wasn’t just talking heads. It had packages. I had a little bit more of a typical entertainment show.”
That format continued until 2013, when Godbout ended the show to focus on his filmmaking and writing. But ICS wasn’t forgotten, and, against the odds, Godbout rebooted it in January. But even when COVID-19 “slammed the brakes
FILM LISTINGS
on the show,” according to Godbout, he soldiered on with a format devoted exclusively to screening films.
ICS recently played local filmmaker Erin Laine’s I Just Want You to Be Happy. Though the short film had already played traditional fests, Laine says she is happy to have her movie get a different type of exposure.
“Local access TV is pretty cool,” she says. “The fact that you can tell your friends and family you’ll be broadcast is pretty neat. The hosts seem genuinely interested in the genre since they are filmmakers themselves.”
Those hosts are Nando Luis Roman and Christina Carmona, and their involvement dates back to the early days of ICS.
“I joined the show toward the end of the third season,” says Roman. “At the time, their in-studio hosts had moved, and it left Christina to do the show as the sole host. So she approached Gerald and pitched the idea of bringing me on board as a guest host until they could find a replacement. He ended up liking the chemistry that we brought on screen [and] asked me to continue.”
That chemistry was rekindled seven years later.
“When Gerry was approached by Mike Seif, who runs Orange TV, and asked if he’d be interested in bringing back ICS, Gerry said yes as long as he could bring his host back as well,” Roman says. “So he reached out to us [and] asked us if we would be interested in once again taking up the mantle.”
“It was a no-brainer for us to jump right back in because we loved working with Gerry and working with ICS,” says Carmona. “This time it’s very different, though, because Nando and myself aren’t just hosts – we also co-produce and cowrite episodes.
“I believe that one of the biggest things that sets ICS apart is that we are more than just a film showcase. … We spotlight everything from makeup artists, prop and special effects, and even film schools. We try to provide different aspects of the filmmaking process because you never know who out there is wanting to get into the field as a voice-over actor, or a music composer or even a stunt/fight choreographer. ICS is a big supporter of the arts and in particular filmmaking, and our goal is to help the film community in Florida grow.”
For more information, visit indiecinemashowcase.com. feedback@orlandoweekly.com
Oct. 8 Popcorn Flicks in the Park: Frankenstein Meets the
Wolf Man You’ll get no spoilers from us. Sunset, free, Central Park, 150 W. Morse Blvd., Winter Park, enzian.org
Oct. 10-11
South Asian Film Festival Made in Bangladesh, Jallikattu and Chhota Cinema: New Indian Shorts 2020. Festival stream will be available from midnight Oct. 10 through 11:59 p.m. Oct. 11, individual films may be streamed for 24 hours from purchase time. $10-$25, online only, enzian.org
Oct. 10 Saturday Matinee Classics: Hush … Hush, Sweet
Charlotte A tense 1964 psych-horror starring Bette Davis, Olivia de Havilland, Joseph Cotten, Agnes Moorehead and Mary Astor. It’s the unofficial followup to What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? but minus the Big Crawford Energy. Noon, $9, Enzian Theater, 1300 Orlando Ave., Maitland, enzian.org
Oct. 10
Midnight Movies: Blood Feast Again, no spoilers here. 11:59 p.m., $12, Enzian Theater, 1300 Orlando Ave., Maitland, enzian.org
Oct. 10, Oct. 13
Total Recall 30th Anniversary Has it really been 30 years since Sharon Stone attempted to slay Arnold Schwarzenegger with nothing more than her thighs and a killer aerobics ensemble? As far as we know, yes, it has. 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday, 7 p.m. Tuesday, various theaters, $14, fathomevents.com
Oct. 11
Central Florida Film Slam A screening showcase and networking outlet for independent and student filmmakers working and living in Central Florida. 1 p.m., $9. Enzian Theater, 1300 Orlando Ave., Maitland, enzian.org
Oct. 11
Drive In Movie: The Nightmare Before Christmas Is it the love story of Jack Skellington and Sally, or is it Taken with Sandy Claws in place of Liam Neeson’s daughter of the month? Does it really matter? 6 p.m., $10 per vehicle. Old Town, 5770 W. Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway, Kissimmee, myoldtownusa.com
Oct. 11, Oct. 12
Psycho 60th Anniversary The scariest 60-year-old you know. 4 p.m. Sunday and 7 p.m. Monday, various theaters, $14, fathomevents.com
Oct. 13
Cult Classics: The Blob Bad things happen in Pennsylvania. 9:30 p.m., $9. Enzian Theater, 1300 Orlando Ave., Maitland, enzian.org
ON (small) SCREENS IN ORLANDO
Jahi Di’Allo Winston as Mouse in Charm City Kings
PHOTO COURTESY HBO
BY STEVE SCHNEIDER
PREMIERES WEDNESDAY:
Hubie Halloween – Just when you had started thinking of Adam Sandler as the guy who made Uncut Gems, he goes and reminds you he also made Hotel Transylvania 1, 2 and 3. The key difference is that Hubie Halloween – in which Sandler has to protect his home town of Salem, Massachusetts, from the supernatural – is live action instead of a cartoon. Then again, with the likes of Kevin James, Rob Schneider and Shaquille O’Neal in the supporting cast, “live” is a thoroughly relative term. (Netflix)
PREMIERES THURSDAY:
Charm City Kings – The 2020 Sundance Film Festival awarded a special jury prize for ensemble acting to Charm City Kings, a dramatic portrait of a teenager who yearns to join an elite team of dirt-bike riders. Heck, I would have given them an award just for using “elite” and “dirt” in the same sentence. (HBO Max) The Cleansing Hour – Horror and comedy vie for screen time as a couple of Internet hoaxsters who stage fake exorcisms find themselves face-to-face with a genuine demon. Shades of 2010’s The Last Exorcism. And also every season of Dance Moms. (Shudder)
PREMIERES FRIDAY:
Deaf U – This documentary series profiles the student body of a private college for the deaf and hard of hearing. Cue special prompt: “I SAID, ARE YOU STILL WATCHING?” (Netflix) The Forty-Year-Old Version – Here’s another 2020 Sundance winner, this one for best directing. That would refer to first-timer Radha Blank, who also wrote the script and stars as a struggling New York playwright who turns to rapping to save her career. Who knew WAP stood for “wack-ass playwright”? (Netflix) The Haunting of Bly Manor – Having won the lottery (nyuk nyuk) by adapting the work of Shirley Jackson, the creative team behind The Haunting of Hill House turns their talents to Henry James’ The Turn of the Screw. Several cast members from Hill House return as different characters, establishing a repertory-company feel that could continue into future seasons, just like … um, American Horror Story. Uh-oh. (Netflix) The Right Stuff – Strap in for episodes 1 and 2 of a new series adapted from Tom Wolfe’s classic book about the early days of NASA. Of course, the book was also the basis for a high-profile 1983 movie, but Wolfe himself didn’t care for it very much. That means this episodic version has a chance to better reflect his vision, just like happened with … um, The Shining. Uh-oh. (Disney+)
PREMIERES TUESDAY:
Evil Eye – The third of this month’s Blumhouse/Amazon co-productions concerns an Indian-American woman who begins to suspect that her new boyfriend is part of a sinister curse that’s bedeviled her family for years. Boy, I remember when all you had to be was a good provider. (Prime Video) Nocturne – In October’s fourth and final Blumhouse/Amazon offering, a Juilliard student uses the notebook of a dead girl to beat her sister in a music competition. Canny strategy, but you really get hosed on book buyback. (Prime Video)
THEWEEK
OCT. 7 Ugly Lies the Bone
Newly discharged soldier Jess returns to her Florida hometown after three grueling tours of Afghanistan. Through Oct. 18. $20-$35. Garden Theatre, 160 W. Plant St., Winter Garden, gardentheatre.org
OCT. 7 Bowtie Pop Up Bakery
A partner event of Come Out With Pride 2020. Bowtie Bakery is an LGBTQ/ally-owned small business that focuses on working with local and LGBTQ-owned businesses. A portion of the day’s proceeds goes to LGBTQ charities. 11 a.m.-8 p.m. at Hourglass Brewing, 480 S. Ronald Reagan Blvd., Longwood.
OCT. 9-11 Kountry Wayne
“Kountry” Wayne Colley’s videos have catapulted him from life in small-town Georgia to social media superstar. Various times, $36. The Orlando Improv, 9101 International Drive, theimprovorlando.com
OCT. 9 New Works: An Artist-in-Action Group Exhibition Opening
Collaborative show from local artists Nicholas Kalemba, Matthew Mosher, Wanda RaimundiOrtiz, Jacoub Reyes, Ericka Sobrack and Victoria Walsh displays work created while they were artists-in-residence at this Maitland institution. Intriguing on every level, in that we get a look at the creative process of local artistic luminaries during a pandemic that has wracked Central Florida, see how their work was impacted by COVID-19 and deep systemic injustice thrown out into the open, and perhaps take some form of comfort in these works as a way of feeling less alone. (Open through Jan. 17, 2021.) $6. Maitland Art Center, Art & History Museums Maitland, 231 W. Packwood Ave., Maitland, artandhistory.org
OCT. 9 Future Islands
Indie rockers Future Islands will release their new album, As Long as You Are, in October on 4AD. And as much as they’d surely like to take the album on the road, touring is off the table. So they’re gonna make lemonade out of lemons with a one-night-only worldwide livestream the night of the album’s release from their Baltimore home base. Naturally they’ll be playing a set heavy with tracks from the new album and older, road-tested hits too. And – more good news – downtown Orlando venue the Beacham is the designated local affiliate for this event, so your dollars will help keep the lights on there. 7 p.m., $15. noonchorus.com/fi-foundations
OCT. 10 Playfest: Take My Hand And Wave Goodbye
Livestreamed staged reading of a new play by Tammy Ryan, part of Orlando Shakes’ Playfest. A family is confronted by the sudden impact of gun violence and the difficult necessity of grief. 7:30 p.m., $10. orlandoshakes.org/playfest
OCT. 10 Saturday Soundwalk
Explore the sounds and rhythms of our urban and natural world and develop a deeper understanding of how we fit into the ecosystem. 11 a.m. rain or shine, free. Canaveral National Seashore Apollo Beach Visitors Center, 7611 S. Atlantic Ave., New Smyrna
OCT. 10 “Amplify, Empower, Illuminate: Four Plays, Many Diverse Voices”
Livestream of Mojada by Luis Alfaro, directed by Ana Martinez Medina. Premiere with talkback on Saturday, 7 p.m., free. To watch, follow link at arts.cah.ucf.edu.
OCT. 11 Bazaar Botanica
Plants, art, vintage ephemera and oddities, all for sale in a swanky new food hall. 1-6 p.m., free. Henry’s Depot Culinary Collective, 212 W. First St., Sanford, facebook. com/bazaarbotanicaorlando
OCT. 11 “Representation Matters: Latinx Artists, Latinx Stories”
A talk-show style broadcast component of Opera Orlando’s ongoing #RepresentationMatters campaign. This episode will feature Argentinian conductor Jorge
“WHAT WOMEN WANT”
[CORNELL FINE ARTS MUSEUM]
Parodi, who returns to Orlando this season as maestro for the MainStage production of Die Fledermaus. Presented in Spanish with English subtitles. Free on Opera Orlando’s YouTube channel.
OCT. 12 “The Right to Vote: Women and Race in the 1920 Election”
Distinguished author Martha S. Jones, Professor of History and the Society of Black Alumni Presidential Professor at Johns Hopkins University, examines the epic history of African American women’s pursuit of political power and how it transformed America. 6 p.m., free. Livestreamed on the UCF History Department YouTube channel.
ONGOING EVENTS Adam Golka 32@32
Pianist Adam Golka, freshly 32, has decided to tackle all of Beethoven’s 32 piano sonatas in what would be the composer’s 250th year. Over three weeks, Golka will run through all the hits in Rollins College’s Tiedtke Concert Hall. Applying Grateful Dead-style endurance and commitment – on both the performer and audience’s sides – to the world of classical music, this should be an unbelievable few weeks for music fans. Livestream tickets for these shows will also be available. Through Oct. 18. $20-$70. Tiedtke Concert Hall, Rollins College, 1000 Holt Ave., Winter Park, bachfestivalflorida.org
Bright Young Things
Adapting to the twin necessities of social distancing and experiencing art in person, Creative City Project’s latest project uses the streets of downtown Orlando as a stage. Bright Young Things is an immersive, outdoor theatrical experience set in an alternate reality where
Submit your events to listings@orlandoweekly.com at least 12 days before print to have them included
Prohibition was never repealed. The audience follows a group of eight “young bohemians” on a jaunt through downtown as the story unfolds around them. Audiences choose a duo of actors (the entertainers, the smugglers, the lovers or the agents) to follow throughout the journey of intersecting storylines, essentially creating four different plays. Through Oct. 24. $35. Meetup locations revealed upon purchase. creativecityproject.com/brightyoungthings
The Fantasticks
Broadway’s longest-running musical tells a story of parental failure to control grown children’s lives and the extremes the young must explore to find their way. Through Oct. 18. $25-$30, or $35 streaming. Athens Theatre, 124 N. Florida Ave., DeLand, athensdeland.com
Haunted Road
An immersive, contactless haunt telling an original, theatrical story with twisted creatures and “unexpected scares” in every scene. A family-friendly version is offered in the daytime on select weekends. Through Nov. 7. $20-$79. 15239 Lake Pickett Road, thehauntedroad.com
In the Heights
Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical about the hopes, dreams and heartbreaks of the close-knit community of Washington Heights, Manhattan. Through Oct. 11. $25. Osceola Arts, 2411 E. Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway, Kissimmee, osceolaarts.org
A Lot of Pumpkins Fall Festival
Pumpkin patch, pony rides, hayrides, farm animal encounters and autumn fun. Through Oct. 31. $12-$23. Santa’s Farm, 35317 Huff Road, Eustis, santaschristmastreeforest.com
Scream n’ Stream
A drive-through haunt on a 32-acre abandoned RV park in Kissimmee with a storyline worthy of a ’90s slasher flick, SNS fits the frights into a 1.25-milelong tableau. Through Oct. 31. $54-$75 (priced per vehicle). 2001 E. Southport Road, Kissimmee, screamnstream.com
Tunnel of the Damned
A paranormal entity has taken over the island of Manhattan and turned its residents into zombies. Bad news: You’re stuck in a tunnel, and the only way out is through. There’s a dinner theater add-on if the walkthrough isn’t enough for you. Through Oct. 31. $180-$87.50. Orlando Forum, 6362 International Drive, facebook.com/theorlandoforum
MUSEUMS + GALLERIES Bombshell: Masquerading Warfare
Local designer Ben Van Beusekom creates haute couture gas masks with crystals, feathers, leather, beads and myriad fabrics. Through Oct. 11. Free. CityArts, 39 S. Magnolia Ave., orlandoslice.com
Oliver Jeffers: 15 Years of Picturing Books
Original paintings and illustrations by the author of The Heart and the Bottle, The Great Paper Caper and The Incredible Book Eating Boy. Through Oct. 25. $15 (children 4-17: $5). Orlando Museum of Art, 2416 N. Mills Ave., omart.org
The Puerto Rican Artist Collective, Keepers of Heritage: Evolving Identities
The Keepers of Heritage work in paints, sculpture and other media, presenting vibrant portraits of Puerto Rican life. Assembled over the course of two years, the exhibit moves on to San Juan next, so do not sleep. (Through Oct. 25.) $10. Albin Polasek Museum and Sculpture Gardens, 633 Osceola Ave., Winter Park, polasek.org.
Marcus Jansen: E Pluribus Unum
The first solo exhibition in the U.S. for New York artist Jansen pulls from over a decade of eyepopping work. Jansen combines contemporary art and graffiti techniques into bold, towering canvases that take a hard look at 21st-century American life. Free, registered time slot required. Cornell Fine Arts Museum, 1000 Holt Ave., Winter Park, rollins.edu/ cfam
What Women Want
On the 100th anniversary of American women getting the vote, Cornell’s curators dove deep into the treasure trove that is their permanent collection of contemporary art for the portraits that make up this exhibition. What Women Want includes selfportraits by Carrie Mae Weems, Shirin Neshat, Zanele Muholi, María Magdalena Campos-Pons and Dana Hoey, photography exploring the intersection of the personal and the political. This diverse group of artists engage with issues of gender, representation, critiques of a broken system of authority and the fact that so much hasn’t changed in the last 100 years of struggle. Free, registered time slot required. Cornell Fine Arts Museum, 1000 Holt Ave., Winter Park, rollins.edu/cfam
What Is That You Express in Your Eyes? The Inspired Works of Alberto Gómez
Crealdé invited internationally exhibited artist Alberto Gómez to create a large mural triptych on the history of immigration in the United States, which will debut during this exhibition and be exhibited at the Orange County Arts & Cultural Affairs’ FusionFest in November. Free. Crealdé School of Art, 600 St. Andrews Blvd., Winter Park, crealde.org
Cynthia Slaughter, Documentary Photographer: On Love and Loss
In a series of deeply intimate photographs, Slaughter documents the life of her 94-yearold mother, a retired farmworker in the celery fields of Sanford, Florida, where she has lived since 1950. Free. Hannibal Square Heritage Center, 642 W. New England Ave., Winter Park, hannibalsquareheritagecenter.org
Growing Up Maitland
Photos capturing over 100 years of school, sports and play through the years for Maitland kids. $6. Maitland Historical Museum, Art & History Museums Maitland, 221 W. Packwood Ave., Maitland, artandhistory.org
Voices & Conversations
This group exhibition of contemporary American artists involves some heavy (and familiar, to OMAgoers) names with a focus on issues of identity, inclusion, activism and engagement. Artists include Nick Cave, Therman Statom, Bisa Butler, Kyle Meyer and Kerry James Marshall. You’ll see glass installations, woodcuts, and a quilted portrait by Butler of activist Wangari Maathai that made the cover of Time. $15. Orlando Museum of Art, 2416 N. Mills Ave., omart.org
Construct: Our Orlando
In the third iteration of the Mennello’s Construct: Our Orlando group show, curators pulled up two locals: Don Rimx and art collective Lemon Press. Don Rimx, known for large-scale murals celebrating Afro-Caribbean and Puerto Rican culture, brought his maximalist, multi-layered approach to portraiture for this show, with symbols, color and motifs inspired by the convergence of African Diasporic religions and Catholicism. Lemon Press (Anna Cruz and Adam Lavigne) combine painting, cartooning and installation to address time and memory – something we are all wrestling with in this bizarre locked-down pandemic year – recording 2020’s loss and potential through a fictional language inspired by hieroglyphs and other ancient systems of communication. $5. Mennello Museum of American Art, 900 E. Princeton St., mennellomuseum.org
Kristy Lee & Paul T. Scarborough: Unapologetic
Free. Mills Gallery, 1650 N. Mills Ave., facebook.com/ millsgallery.orlando
JEFRË: Points of Connection
Central Floridian Filipino-American multimedia artist JEFRË transforms his usually towering installations and sculptures to a more human scale for this OMA exhibition. Consisting of new and site-specific works alongside reproductions of past works, notable pieces include a binary code wall made of aluminum, intricate metal sculptures, and mind-melting digital projections. JEFRË has exhibited work in major cities worldwide – currently, his work continues on a 24-story high figure, The Victor, on a bridge connecting the cities of Pasig and Quezon in the Philippines, soon to be one of the world’s tallest sculptures. $15. Orlando Museum of Art, 2416 N. Mills Ave., omart.org n
“QUICKIES”
I was dumped in August by a guy I was seeing for 10 months. He told me that he wants to work on himself and “needs to be selfish” right now. Since then, we have spoken every day, shared numerous dinners and gone on hikes. Our friendship is killing me. With him I hold it together. Away from him I cry all the time. I’ve started seeing a therapist and I’m on medication. I’m trying to be mature about the breakup and match his level of “coolness” but it’s destroying me. My friends tell me that I should stay away from him, allow some time to pass and reassess. But the thought of losing him is almost as bad as the thought of keeping him in my life. he never wants to meet up with her when
I should also mention that I ended a 10-year relationship for the opportunity to date him.
Simply Heartbroken And Talking To Ex Really Extending Depression
“Hey, Dan, what I’m doing is making me
miserable – should I stop?”
Yes, SHATTERED, you should stop. Your friends are giving you excellent advice: stay away from this guy for at least a year – don’t talk on the phone (with him), don’t share meals (with him), don’t go on hikes (with him) – and then see how you feel after you’ve talked, shared meals and gone on hikes with other people. It’s always nice when exes are friends, MTP, but it’s not an easy pivot and it can’t be executed instantly. And transition to friendship is always much harder for the person who was dumped – because of course it is – and it’s even harder when a selfish dumper accepts or demands the kind of attention and emotional support longer entitled to.
P.S. If you ended a 10-year relationship for a romantic prospect, not a romantic certainty (and there’s no such thing as a romantic certainty), then that 10-year relationship needed to end. If your ex-boyfriend implored you to end that 10-year relationship and 10 months later dumped you to “work on himself” and then did everything in his power to keep you all to himself even after dumping you, then that “friendship” needs to end too.
My name is a variation on “John Smith.” I met a woman and she liked me but then she did a cheapo background check on me and found a “John Smith” who had committed felonies – including assaulting a high-school principal – and ended things with me. I am not that “John Smith” and I am innocent of these crimes! She had every reason to trust me: We met at my house and she viewed the premises without incident. What do I do?
Not That Guy You had this woman over to yours, NTG,
and she viewed the premises without incident. OK … so you didn’t rape or kill her when she dropped in. But it doesn’t obligate her to keep seeing you.
If you can prove you’re not John Smith, High-School Principal Assaulter, and she doesn’t care, then there’s some other reason she doesn’t want to see you again. (Was there a MAGA hat on the premises?) Whatever her real reason(s), you’ve been given a “no.” And like everyone else, NTG, you have to take “no” for an answer even when it feels unfair or arbitrary.
I’ve been with my boyfriend for almost five years and everything is amazing – except that he sees his ex-girlfriend when I’m not around. He says she wants to meet me but from the dumpee that the dumper is no
I’m with him. Their “dates” are becoming more frequent. She’s a single mom and he has expressed to me that he wants to be in her son’s life.
My feelings of discomfort are escalating and I’m having trouble believing him when he says he wants me to meet her. When I bring this up, he gets angry and says I’m being too emotional. Am I being a crazy jealous girlfriend? I need some help. I want to be a better person. Should I reach out to his ex-girlfriend directly since my boyfriend refuses to make it happen? Or do I bail on the relationship? I feel that uncomfortable.
Ex-Girlfriend Looms Over Everything
Bail.
I’m in my early 30s and I’ve been struggling to make new friends. A lot of the people in my extended social circle are polyamorous/queer, and while I identify as queer, I’m in a monogamish relationship that isn’t poly.
Lately I have been finding that I have been getting approached a lot by people who want a romantic/sexual connection. It seems like the only people who want me around lately want in my pants and they assume because I’m queer I’m also poly without asking directly. So people ask me if I want to “hang out” and I’m often unsure if they mean “hang out” in a date context or a friend context. I’ve ended up on dates I didn’t know I was going on!
My biggest issue is that I don’t understand why people want to date/fuck me but don’t want to be my friend. I’m pretty averagelooking and I am not overly flirty. So why is this happening?
Noodling On This Problem Over Lattes, Yeah? There’s nothing stopping you from asking
– asking directly – for a little clarity: “Hang out? I’d love to! But do you mean ‘hang out’ as in ‘spend time together as friends’ or ‘hang out’ as in ‘let’s-go-on-a-date’? I ask because I’ve wound up on a couple of dates that I didn’t know were dates and it was awkward.” As for why this is happening … well, either the poly people in your social circle assume – incorrectly – that all queer people are poly or you’re much more attractive than you’re giving yourself credit for, NOTPOLY, or some combo of both.
I’m a gay man who, due to extensive BDSM play, has developed very prominent nipples. They’re always erect and very visible through my clothing unless I wear outrageous patterns or tape them down. Yes, I’m somewhat embarrassed by them. I don’t have gynecomastia (moobs), just really, really, really noticeable nipples.
While they are a definite boon between the sheets, they’re a bane on the streets because I’m very self-conscious about them. Do people notice this sort of thing on men? Is their reaction negative? Am I being ridiculed behind my back? Mind you, folks universally treat me with kindness and respect, probably because that’s how I approach everyone else, but a little voice in my head keeps telling me there’s this shameful part of my body that’s being made fun of by everyone. Well, everyone except the guys who helped get me to this point. Your thoughts?
Tortured In Tormenting Situations
Only a small percentage of the people you
meet will notice your nipples, TITS, and the thought processes for 99.9 percent of the people who do will go something like this: “Big nips. Eh, whatever.” The noticers will immediately file this useless-to-them information about your tits away and never give it/them another thought. (Unless you’re the governor of New York.)
I think you’re self-conscious about your tits because you know why they’re so prominent: extensive and, I assume, highly enjoyable BDSM play, and you worry other people – straight people, vanilla people, judgy gays – will take one look and realize you’re a kinky motherfucker. But most people won’t make that leap and the ones who do are either kinky themselves or, if not, they aren’t going to dwell on your tits or hold them against you. Stop kink-shaming yourself. You earned those tits and you should be proud of them!
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