(Actor Zachary Levi, right, claps along to the music of Vintage Trouble, at the Bohemian Dream party at Bardot Hollywood.)
By Terry Keefe
This past March 6th, I had the good fortune to attend the "Bohemian Dream"-themed party at Bardot Hollywood, which benefited the Young Storytellers Foundation, one of the cooler arts-based charities that I've ever heard of and certainly one I would have loved to come to my school as a child.
The Young Storytellers Foundation (http://www.youngstorytellers.com/) brings an incredible program to certain arts-poor Los Angeles area public schools: the nonprofit group invites entertainment industry professionals to the participating schools, who provide the students with a variety of tutoring in the art of storytelling. A significant portion of the program involves students writing their own screenplays and then having them performed by professional actors, including some genuine stars, a few of who acted as hosts of the party at Bardot: Jason Ritter of "The Event", Zachary Levi of "Chuck", Benjamin McKenzie of "Southland" and "The OC", and Josh Radnor of "How I Met Your Mother".
(Above: Actor Tate Donovan interviews some Young Storytellers. Below: Actor Ben McKenzie and a Young Storyteller.)
(Below: Actors Tate Donovan and Ben McKenzie perform a student's screenplay at a Young Storytellers event.)
I had the opportunity to talk with Jason Ritter, who has been working with Young Storytellers for the past six years. Elaborating on performing the readings of the children's screenplays, Ritter said, "It’s so much fun. The kids don’t have any of the self-consciousness that comes later. So, they’re not sitting there nervous if the audience is going to laugh at their jokes or anything like that. They’re just enjoying it. There’s a thrill that comes with someone performing your work and to see that in its purest state, without any of the adult filters, is such a beautiful thing."
He continued, "The amazing thing is that you can see it in the moment: you can see that their lives are changing. That their possibilities are opening up behind their eyes."
(Actor Jason Ritter and event creator Mike L. Murphy, speak to the assembled partygoers at Bardot.)
The Bohemian Dream party was an elaborate affair and a feast for the senses, created by filmmaker and animator Mike L. Murphy and Jamie Becker. Guests were greeted with roses, along with a glass of Lucid Absinthe. Musical performances included Vintage Trouble, the CTDB Quartet, Greek vocalist Alexia Vassiliou, and DJ Raviv Ullman. Mae Whitman of "Parenthood" and "Arrested Development" joined actor-songwriter Landon Pigg of Whip It to perform a number of songs as well. Illusionists Michael Friedland and Kevin Viner entertained the crowd, and PR for the event was provided by Supernova PR and Marmar PR.
(Actress Anya Benton participates in a card trick, above.)
(The talented artists at Girls Drawing Girls did live figure portraits, above.)Mike L. Murphy (check out Mike's cool directorial work here) chatted with us about how he became involved with the event, "It sort of originated when I threw this huge Easter party, and someone said, ‘You should just throw a big party for charity.’ I researched all the charities in town that I liked, and this one I just fell in love with. My mom was a schoolteacher for 35 years. She taught kindergarten, and I 've also taught, and so it seemed to be the right vibe."
For more information on Young Storytellers, go to http://www.youngstorytellers.com/
(Vintage Trouble, above.)
(Above: Actresses and models Katie Walder, Robin Phelps, Anya Benton, Cooper Harris, Agnes Olech and Charlene Amoi)
(The legendary Green Fairies of Absinthe escaped from the bottle at Bardot, above and below. At bottom, the generous supply of party sponsors Lucid Absinthe.)
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