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Hear ye, hear ye!
In the late 90s, Lawrence wrote a really fantastic book, "Lemon", ostensibly about a man who becomes unusually enamored - nay, in love with - a lemon - but (to me, anyway) is about individuality and the singularity of everyone and everything. Not unlike Munro Leaf's "Ferdinand The Bull", but for adults!
Initially excerpts appeared in McSweeney's, and then the full novel was published. I remember walking into a Manhattan Barnes & Noble, and being confronted by a giant display of Lawrence's book immediately as I walked in, prime real estate.
Here's the NY Times review, singing his praises as a masterful writer. They forgot to call him Dancing Lawrence, though.
Capitalizing on Lawrence being a true "renaissance man", each book jacket was hand drawn by the author.....so, like the lemon itself, each book would be it's own, distinct, singular entity.
Here's the one I got.
Here's how he inscribed it, one of the sweetest things anyone's ever said to me.
Yeah, me and Lawr go way back.
I first met the man in the summer of 1989, when I was asked to replace an actor in an intense, monologue-heavy, three character play called "Room". I had a week to learn the entire script and rehearse with the cast. Upon entering the theatre for the first time, there was Dave Engelhardt (who was producing the show), Joe Norton (who wrote it), and Lawrence Krauser (they didn't call him "Dancing Lawrence" back then). I met all three of these lifelong mates in the same minute. Friends to LOOB all!
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| I replaced Darren Martin as "Dean" with only a week's time. It took the balls of a spider to pull it off . There's a rip in the paper, but the play was directed by the brilliant Linda Shirey. Linda, where ever you are, we love you!!!! Thank you!!!! And lest you think I'm just being kissy-kissy...if it weren't for Linda.....no Dancing Lawrence. Think on that! |
In this play, Lawrence and I would be acting opposite each other, along with another amazing talent, Tyrone Henderson. Future LOOB member Steve Goodman provided bongo accompaniment throughout the whole play, the beginning of his association with that instrument. It was trial by fire for me, for all of us, but we pulled it off and the play was a great success. During the day, Lawrence and I would stand on the street, and he'd play his trumpet while we checked out the local talent. We became great friends and had many, many adventures together, including one involving a shoe. Don't ask, we'll show you one day.
Like Lawrence, I had my fingers in many pies, and one of those things was this band I was in, Life Out Of something or other....in August of 1990, Lawrence and Dave took a ride out to Stony Brook where this band was to play not one but two gigs in a single day, including a three-set radio broadcast. The story of that day is for another post, but the result is that he first became a great booster of the band (Dave also!) - eventually joining the group in late 1991. Lawrence was with LOOB for a long time, even past me and Ted leaving!
But hey.....what happened to "Lemon"? What about that book? What about this screening? Where is this all going, Mike?
Lawrence could write. He could write books, he could write plays. He could act. He could play trumpet. He could play piano. As we all know, he was a dancer. But what he really wanted to do was make films! Even before I met him, he had made a film, "Home Cooking". He had made a fantastic, fantastic short film starring his parents entitled "The Horrible Child", which he eventually developed into a great play that has been performed around the country, as well as a full-length feature.
The odds were against it. Lawrence and Larissa Tomakova - brilliant painter and wife of Lawrence - had decided to have kids. Without a bit of help from the slimy pharmaceutical companies, they hit the jackpot and begat TRIPLETS!!!!!!!!!!!! TRIP-UL-ITS, people!!! Three months later - one for each child - because they didn't already have enough on their plate, they began filming the screen version of "Lemon".
People called it "Krauser's Folly", they said it couldn't be done. "Lawrence...filmmaking is very expensive....why not write another book? Or a play?" "Poor Lawr....how's he going to pull this off? With triplets?"
Frankly...and I know I'm not Frank, but still.....I was worried for the guy, for the whole family, for all of us....
Well, let me tell you people, as the old folk expression goes......he who is named Lawrence laughs last!
People called it "Krauser's Folly", they said it couldn't be done. "Lawrence...filmmaking is very expensive....why not write another book? Or a play?" "Poor Lawr....how's he going to pull this off? With triplets?"
Frankly...and I know I'm not Frank, but still.....I was worried for the guy, for the whole family, for all of us....
Well, let me tell you people, as the old folk expression goes......he who is named Lawrence laughs last!
The film just came back from Slamdance, where it was well-received. It's being screened in New York on April 1st. My music is all over the damn thing. Better yet, Life Out Of Balance - yes, that Life Out Of Balance - plays the movie out over the credits....appropriately, it's the 1993 recording of "Someone's In My Head". In this case, that someone is one special lemon....(though it could also be the other way around, with the lemon musing about Wendell, that's occurred to me too...)
WENDELL AND THE LEMON
Wednesday, April 1, 8:30 PM
Anthology Film Archives
Second Avenue & 2nd Street, NYC
8:30 PM.
$6
Lawrence Krauser (emailer/director)
Larissa Tokmakova (editor)
Josh Wick/imperfectfilms (producer)
Producer Josh Wick continues the LOOB affiliation even further; Josh is a former student of none other than Life Out Of Balance founding member Ward Regan! No wonder why Josh is so smart and good-looking!
And so....I do hope everyone reading this is able to make it out..... but if not......or in the meantime......check out the trailer....
Here's a review of the film:
For LOOB freaks, here's the Who's Who page on the website (i mean, might as well just check out the whole website!), but you can see both Hubie and myself on the page, as we look today; interestingly, both of us distorted our faces for the pics.....LOOB minds think alike!
PS: If you want a great blast from the past, check out "The Millenium Club" circa 1989/90. Today, this would have been a web series. I think includes the original "Horrible Child", starring his parents, a must-see.
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| Driving Lawrence |
