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January 2014

The Photography of Clayton Beck

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January 2014 CONTENT

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2013 Photo of the Year 100 Word Bias A Probability of Words Community Talk Radio Community News and Notes

26 Cover Feature

26 The Photography of Clayton Beck

36 DigiTips

36 Cyber Bullying

38 Event

38 3rd Annual Elvis Crawl

40 Fashion 4 Ways

40 The Masculine Male

42 Features 42 46 48 52

Adryenn Ashley - Reno Film Reverse Aging Bonus SkyTip Media World Champ Skier David Wise

54 First Person

54 Help Autumn Alexander Bonus 56 The Fitness Lifestyle 60 Food Porn - RAWR

64 Freestyle

64 Makeup Artist Grace Avila 70 Illustrations by Lucido

72 Local Lit

72 Crimson Rain - Tex Leiko Bonus

26

75 Market Watch

75 Top 4 Reasons for Listing Your Home

77 New Business

77 I Bean Grounded 79 The Little House Cafe

80 On The Rise

80 Model Courtney Holst

82 PEZ Sez

79

82 Audacity @ Holland Project 84 Photography by Frank Haxton Bonus 86 Radio - Myree Townsend 89 Raw Nutrition - Something New

42

92 Riverwalk Report

82

92 by Courtney Meredith 95 Scene - Sierra Essentials

96 A Tantric Journey 96 by Laz Daka

100 Theater

86

48

80

100 Flirtin' with the Monster 102 RATA Bonus 106 Stage Beauty

Editor/Publisher Oliver X Art Director Grae Warren Business Development Shelly Brown Design Associates Mike Robertson Kristine Palmer Design on the Edge Paula Campbell Megan Duggan Copy Editor Elisika Arango Contributing Writers Tina Mokuau Jenny Spencer John Clement Thomas Lloyd Qualls Cody Doyle Rory Dowd Sean Cary Sean Savoy Gertie OK Elisika Arango Isha Casagrande Amber Howland Contributing Photographers Chris Holloman Shannon Balazs Tony Contini Clayton Beck Dana Nollsch Anicia Beckwith Digiman Studio Kyle Volland Kiley Sauer Illustrator Lucido Jerry Stinson PAN Pantoja Sales 775-412-3767 Legal Counsel MATTHEW P. DIGESTI, ESQ. | THE DIGESTI LAW FIRM LLP" Submissions renotahoetonightrocks@gmail.com Website renotahoetonightmagazine.com All content, layout and design is the property of Reno Tahoe Tonight Magazine.

Duplication or reproduction is prohibited without the expressed written consent of Reno Tahoe Tonight Magazine. Copyright 2012. Reno Tahoe Tonight is produced on 10% recycled American paper and is printed with all soy and vegetable inks.

Snapshot

Photographer Bishop Bautista Ahi Poke Tacos at Naked Fish Sushi in South Lake Tahoe California

2013 Reno Tahoe Tonight Photo of the Year Nominees Since our print debut, Reno Tahoe Tonight has established itself as a home for photojournalism. Inspired by great publications like LIFE magazine and National Geographic, we endeavored to tell stories with our photos--which often depicted the gritty underbelly of the culture.

A

s the region has blossomed, so too has the talent we’ve featured, we are proud to have been a proving ground for developing young photographers with an eye for beauty and a respect for the sanctity of the singular moment.

So we felt it was long overdue to pay tribute to the many standout contributors who truly make our publication happen month after month with their stunning imagery. These artists, a mixture of working professionals and ambitious developing talents, come from all walks of life and we are privileged to feature them in our pages.

The criteria we used to select these finalists was based on excellence in photo and photo illustration in work submitted and published in our pages in calendar year 2013. This first year we are doing a public vote and in coming years we will impanel a group of industry experts to determine a winner.

Voters are encouraged to place their vote for their favorite image listed from the finalists featured in the following pages (appearing here in print in alphabetical order and in the January 2014 digital edition) via email to: renotahoetonightrocks@gmail.com

The following are the nominees for Reno Tahoe Tonight’s inaugural Photo of the Year honors: Anicia Beckwith Pixella Productions - “Dark Moment” – Model Arriauna Kidd Bishop Bautista Marie Adair Photography “Flying” – Model Lina Maria Chris Holloman Katipo Creative – “Fur on Flesh” - Model Brittney Brannagan Frank Haxton Digiman Studio – “Paradise” Shannon Balazs Shannon Balazs Photography – “Bobby McFerrin”

Congratulations to all the nominees and thank you for another great year!

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Anicia Beckwith

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8 Reno Tahoe Tonight

2013 Reno Tahoe Tonight Photo of the Year Nominees Bishop Bautista

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2013 Reno Tahoe Tonight Photo of the Year Nominees Chris Holloman

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2013 Reno Tahoe Tonight Photo of the Year Nominees Frank Haxton

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2013 Reno Tahoe Tonight Photo of the Year Nominees Shannon Balazs

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Editor's Letter

Text and photo Oliver X

Hello 2014!

2013 was a breakout year in many respects for Reno Tahoe Tonight.

Our digital edition’s monthly readership exploded to over a quarter million plus, due in large part to our aggressive multi-platform marketing, and the stunning images created by talented artists like Anicia Beckwith, Clayton Beck, Frank Haxton, Chris Holloman, Bishop Bautista and Shannon Balazs.

Under the stewardship of our award-winning Art Director Grae Warren, RTT’s design team lifted us, with standout work turned in by Courtney Meredith of Design on the Edge, and newcomers Kristine Palmer, and Megan Duggan. Mike Robertson and Paula Campbell continue to make meaningful contributions to our page design and Copy Editor Elisika Arango makes us smarter with her fastidiousness. Photographer Tony Contini continues to do some very heavy lifting as our eyes on the street, doing design work for Swill, shooting the majority of our business features, and impressing us with his live concert coverage, reportage and visual art.

Most noticeably, our column writing grew by leaps and bounds in 2013, as community voices

like Emily Reese, Dr. L Martina Young, New Age cosolargist/explorer Sean Savoy, novelist Thomas Lloyd Qualls, and media personality Sean Cary contributed important pieces that grew a loyal readership from diverse sectors of the culture.

Our print partner CPC Solutions continues to print us on the best paper in the world with vegetable and soy ink, delivering the finest custmer service in the industry.

2014 promises to be another banner year for RTT as we debut our new free mobile app on iTunes and Google Play this month, and expand to over 350 retail locations and lifestyle destinations from Truckee, California to the Hallelujah Junction. Increased coverage of health and wellness and a HUGE commitment to the culinary arts will be a renewed focus editorially, as we feel there’s a big part of those cultures that are not being served.

We are so thankful to have earned the most eclectic readership in northern Nevada, from artists, judges, vegans and teens, to police officers, ranchers, burners, beauty queens and everyone in between.

Welcome home!

Reno Tahoe Tonight 17

100 Word Bias

Thee Reverend Rory Dowd

Album images courtesy of the artists

PostWar - Aprés Guerra (EP)

I’ve been waiting a long time to get my ears on this debut EP from the powerhouse trio. Strangely heavy and poppy at the same time, smart songwriting and soulful overtures fuse with aggressive and melodic rhythms to kick you in the face with poetic sentimentality. Seriously, these are three Reno musicians who made their marks with drastically different sounding bands, writing songs better than mere mortals have any right to be able to create. The standout song has got to be the epic musicality and brutality of “Cold Tear”. This is just a taste of good things to come.

Name your price for the EP at http://postwarmusic.bandcamp.com/

Aversion Therapy – Snake Oil (LP)

The reigning Reno Masters of Cheese are back at it again. With a fresh new CD, the irreverent punks punch more sacred cows than drunk seniors, starting with “Two Wetsuits” and “Raver Girl.” However, this is a departure from earlier recordings, with a more serious intent. The boys tackle local bones of contention with “Train Trench” and move on to larger social attitudes and social justice with the seriously rocking tunes “Biggest Risk” and “Battleground.” I also had a good time with “You Don’t Care, Just Dance”, cause, yeah… guilty. It’s catchy. More substance is not always a bad thing.

Download the entire album at http://postwarmusic.bandcamp.com/

Merkin – Don’t Ask What This Song Is About (EP)

Recently relocated to L.A., the theatrical trio has not let up, releasing some of their most polished work yet. As always, dramatic singing and emotive narratives play counterpoint to savage countermelodies and relentless drumming. “Victory Song” is one of my personal favorites by the band, somewhere between a lullaby, stoner jam and head-banging freak-out. I cannot stress enough the underlying epic-ness of the songs.

Like tales from a darkly psychotic Broadway production, the three songs on this EP peel back the edges of scabs in our culture and minds. More than just writing rock songs, Merkin is making auditory art.

Listen to the whole thing at http://www.reverbnation.com/MerkiNband

Strange On The Range – Strange on the Range (LP)

Breathing new life into old standards is what this band of Truckee troubadours does. Their eleven-song self-titled album will get you schooled up real quick. This CD is a mother plucking good time, with a good mix of modern acoustic country, bluegrass and traditional. For a three-piece with no drums, they create an extremely full sound. While the band plays a couple tunes I was unfamiliar with, the covers that I did know were excellent. When a CD has me yelling at it that the tempo’s too fast on a song I like “Shady Grove” I call that damn successful.

Catch them every Wednesday night at Brasserie St. James or at https://www. facebook.com/pages/Strange-on-the-Range/136905253045271.

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Text Thomas Lloyd Qualls Photo Kelly Peyton

A Probability of Words

Begin.

Whatever it is, Goethe says, begin it.

At least, that's what some people say he said.

And in his own way, the Buddha speaks of the same thing, when he talks about the beginner’s mind. Jesus teaches that the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to children. And Meister Eckhart tells us to trust the magic of beginnings.

Forget New Year's resolutions. Just for a minute.

I'm talking about real change. Real openings.

Real transcendence. Because that's what we're all after with these promises to stop doing any number of the self-sabotaging things we’ve been doing and finally stick to something we say we will or won't do.

What I'm talking about is fundamental realignment of awareness.

To truly understand the power of beginnings, to really be the begin, is to wake up every day in a new world. To embrace beginner's mind, question all your questions, give away all your answers, stand naked in the sunrise, and truly believe in starting over. To begin is to believe down deep in your indestructible soil that transformative change is possible. Right now.

More than this, to begin is to live in the most immediate right now you can imagine. That all your yesterdays only matter in that they were the vehicle to bring you to this right now, fully 20 Reno Tahoe Tonight

enveloping, beautifully poignant, present moment of begin.

Living in the begin is sexy.

The begin is sexy because everything is new and exhilarating, like a first kiss. Instead of simply being in the now, choose to be in the begin. Because in the begin, things are always beautiful. Sure, you are present, you are aware, but you are also breathtakingly alive.

There is an eagerness, an anticipation, and also an overwhelming sense of right now. It is not merely a hope for things to come, it is an embodiment of the desire to stand right where you are, to soak it up. To be wide awake. To not care about tomorrow, because right now, we are turned on. This brand new [anything and everything you are fully enmeshed with in the begin] has reminded you of the beauty of being fully awake.

Beginnings are stealthy.

In Dune, Princess Irulan reminds us that, "A beginning is a very delicate time." Which is true, in the sense of the fragility of an idea or an action or a thought that has not yet rooted, not sprouted buds, not caught on. Another way to look at it is that beginnings are easy. Because mostly, nobody notices them. They’ve not suffered from overexposure, embarrassment, partial failure, the need to reboot.

Beginnings often slip through the cracks, down onto the floor, past the ticket-takers, and right up to the stage, before anyone is the wiser. Nobody notices until they are way past the beginning, until there’s enough momentum to survive scrutiny.

And then, it's kind of too late. Not too late, as in too late to begin. Too late as in there's no undoing a beginning that nobody saw coming, that's already in the middle of being, that's half way through its own realization. Just let him finish what he was saying.

A begin marks a point that lights up the circle.

It's true I've said there are no beginnings and no endings, only random points on a circle, staccato notes on a page. That our stories are woven like snakes around a divining rod. Not stretched out and laid flat.

If the story is circular, why does a begin matter?

For the same reason that staccato notes matter.

Because the begin is a flash of light, illuminating everything in its path, waking us up, giving us a glimpse of the whole.

The newness of anything is seductive. A new car, a new house, a new lover, a new town, a new restaurant, a new flower in the yard. But the begin takes us beyond the surface sexiness of such things and into a parallel realm where we not only are awakened to the saturation of beauty all around us, but confident in our newfound ability to access it, to create more.

So if you are tired of trying to be present in your life and but find yourself not there most of the time, considering entering a world where everything is always new. In the words of Michael Stipe, begin the begin.

Thomas Lloyd Qualls is a writer, novelist, videographer, painter, bike rider, foot massager, co-creator of the Power of Words Video Project, sometimes salvager of troubled lives, and a regular contributor to Reno Tahoe Tonight Magazine. His debut novel, Waking Up at Rembrandt’s, is now available in print (think of vinyl, only for books) and on multiple e-version platforms. (If you want to stop what you're doing and buy it right now, go ahead.

We'll wait for you.)

Under the heading of things to look forward to: a book of poetry entitled love jaywalks; new paintings, and his second novel, Painted Oxen, due out in 2014. In the meantime, feel free to stop by his website whenever you like and subscribe to his online journal, alchemy of words. www.tlqonline.com Reno Tahoe Tonight 21

Text Chip Evans

Photo Debbie McCarthy

Community

Community Talk Radio Yep! It’s a thing!

W

hat does northern Nevada have in common with Nepal, Kenya, Sudan and Bangladesh? All these places are developing “community radio” for economic and cultural development. In these foreign countries, and many others, new stations are being put on the air with government funds and support from the United Nations and the World Bank. For most of these stations the programming consists of local news and events, “talk radio” and music. Here in northern Nevada the home of community radio is America Matters Media using a talk radio format.

The term and purpose of community radio seems somewhat self-explanatory – community generated programming designed for the benefit of a specific community. Perhaps you’ll be amused, as I was, by a description from a recent case study on Nepal by researchers from India’s Anna University:

“Active participation of indigenous communities in local radio production not only mandates acknowledgement of ethnic identity in the new nation building but also give an opportunity of lesson learning on the potentiality of using community radios as one of the tools for empowerment. In this context, reestablishment of identity through community radio deserves appreciation because it facilitates the creation of discursive space which will ultimately help to establish pluralist democracy by creating different public spheres.”

My decoder ring says they’re saying community radio is a tool to help people of a diverse community form a collective identity and use that to empower the community to build itself.

One can make the case that this communitybuilding process is underway in a powerful way here in northern Nevada, allowing community radio to be a key contributor.

At AMM, we constantly invite people of our community to come to the studio, get on the microphone or call or text or email or tweet and share their news and views about our local

community. How do we measure success?

Primarily by how many people get involved.

Our nearly forty different weekly programs, our average sixty daily visitors to our study and our nearly one hundred daily social media contacts attest to our progress. It certainly sets us apart from our local traditional radio stations.

We’ve achieved this by being true to our three key differentiators: 1. MM is the home of community radio 2. AMM has the most comprehensive integration with social media in radio, and 3. AMM entertains voices across the entire spectrum of politics and thought

AMM is a hybrid in the radio world. We are a for-profit media company with the usual revenue-generating programs, advertising spots and social media placements. But, for no cost, we add to that. We are a virtual open house for local charities to come on air and explain their work, ask for volunteers and other support from the community, and announce their upcoming events. We seek out elected officials and government representatives to inform our listeners of important issues and developments they should know about. We promote local businesses by providing air time to talk about their unique offerings.

It is our daily joy at AMM to introduce our listeners to so many good people and tell them about the many great things happening, and encourage them to engage in building northern Nevada.

Chip Evans

Chip Evans General Manager, America Matters Media Chip@AmericaMatters.us 855.790. TALK, 775.827.8900 www. americamatters.us

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Community

and

Reno Little Theater announces a limited engagement of “Excerpts” Written and directed by Bob Gabrielli Reno Little Theater announces the second production of its Off-Off Wells (formerly Fringe) Series. Excerpts is written and directed by local playwright Bob Gabrielli, and tells the story of human prototype, FLX, as he screens excerpts from five lives and tries to determine which life to select for himself. Excerpts is a thoughtful, funny look at a different kind of afterlife and runs four shows onlyJanuary 9-12, 2014.

Tickets are $7 and can be purchased at www.renolittletheater.org. January 9-12, 2014 Reno Little Theater 147 E. Pueblo St. Reno, Nevada 89502. Special Events: Thirsty Thursday (free drink included with ticket purchase) January 9th, 2014. Cast Talk-back (post-show Q&A with Cast & Crew) January 10th, 2014. Evening Performances: January 9, 10 & 11 at 7:30pm. Matinee Performance: January 12 at 2pm Cost: $7.

Draper Strategies signs world champion freestyle skier, David Wise, and world leader in earth movement technology, MB America Reno-based marketing and communications firm, Draper Strategies and Communications (DSC), recently added two internationally-known clients to its rapidly growing roster. DSC will now provide marketing, public relations and brand and sponsorship management to world champion freeskier and twotime X-Games gold medalist, David Wise. Additionally, the firm will provide marketing services to MB America, a global leader in the production and marketing of equipment for earth movement, demolition and recycling.

Free skier David Wise

“We are thrilled to welcome David Wise and MB America to the DSC family,” said Mike Draper, CEO of DSC. “We seek clients who have an incredible passion for what they do and these clients more than fit that mold.”

MB America

David Wise, 23, is a freestyle skier who has conquered the halfpipe, winning the 2013 FIS World Championship, 2013 AFP World Championship, two X-Games gold medals, six National Championships and two World Cup gold medals. A native northern Nevadan, Wise grew up skiing in Lake Tahoe and has now had the privilege of skiing all over the world. Over the next month-and-a-half, he will compete in a variety of events including the U.S. Grand Prix which makes a stop at his home mountain, Northstar, in early January. The events are part of the selection process for the U.S. Ski Team which will be announced on Jan. 18 in advance of the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia this February.

“David is an incredible talent, ambitious athlete and all-around great person and we are proud to be a part of his journey to Sochi in February and far beyond that,” said Tara Trovato, president of DSC.“We are so grateful at the opportunity to partner with clients that are at the top of their field and we’re looking forward to helping them achieve tremendous success.”

24 Reno Tahoe Tonight

Need 2 Speed

Also a new client of DSC, MB America, headquartered in Reno, Nev., is the north American spinoff of Italy-based, MB SpA. The revolutionary company aims to increase the presence of MB crusher buckets throughout North America.

The crusher buckets are a new, technologicallyadvanced piece of equipment that attach to any excavator and skidsteers and can crush all types of demolition material allowing it to be re-purposed for other projects. The company will be featured at the construction industry’s largest exposition and convention, CONEXPO, in Las Vegas this March.

“MB America is truly a hidden gem when it comes to businesses in northern Nevada and we are eager to share their story,” said Draper. “The future is bright for them and we look forward to helping make it even brighter.”

About Draper Strategies and Communications Formed in 2013, Draper Strategies and Communications (DSC) is a full-service, boutique public relations, and public affairs firm. With clients that include Grand Sierra Resort, Great Reno Balloon Race, National Championship Air Races, Western Lithium Corporation and more, DSC is led by veteran Nevada public relations and public affairs professionals, Mike Draper, Tara Trovato and Ashley Brune. For more information on DSC, visit www.DraperStratComm.com, find DSC on Facebook at www.facebook.com/DraperStratComm or follow DSC on Twitter @DraperStratComm.

Need 2 Speed, LLC - Electric Indoor Go-Kart Racing Opens in Reno Need 2 Speed public electric indoor go-kart racing is now open! Need 2 Speed offers kid’s karts that are capable of 25 mph and adult karts capable of 45 mph. They have private rooms for corporate meetings, birthday parties, and other social and team building events.

Need 2 Speed has a large track for a Grand Prix style racing experience. At Need 2 Speed we use Pro Score® electronic scoring which allows you to measure your skills against everyone who has raced at Need 2 Speed. Race for the fastest time of the week, fastest time of the month, or take the challenge of becoming the top of Need 2 Speed’s

ranking system. You can also access your scores live on our website.

Member discounts on 14 lap adult racing is $18; $23 for Non-members. Youth racing for 12 laps is just $15 for Members and $20 for Non-members, making Need 2 Speed one of the most exhilarating family values in town. For more information you can visit our website at http://www.n2sReno.com or contact us at 775-851-RACE or email info@n2sReno.com.

Cyber Security Group, Wasting Arrows, NEXGENstore and Quest Counseling and Consulting sign on with Biggest Little Group Traveling into the New Year brings new clients for Biggest Little Group (BLG), a full-service marketing and communications agency. For starters, BLG introduces Cyber Security Group, a security solutions provider that offers security services and information technology specialists.

From being cyber safe, BLG then goes to shooting arrows at the only indoor archery range in northern Nevada, Wasting Arrows. Family owned and operated, the husband and wife team share their passion for the popular sport while providing year round, challenging fun for all ages.

Next up is NEXGENstore, an online retailer based out of Reno that features the next generation of product innovation direct from concept to consumer. Merchandise on the site has been conceptualized, patented and manufactured by NEXGENstore's team.

Finally, adding to the new array for BLG is Quest Counseling and Consulting, a nonprofit organization that specializes in outpatient adolescent substance abuse services.

For more information BLG can be reached at www.biggestlittlegroup.com - 775-771-7004

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Cover Feature

The Photography of Clayton Beck Cover photo and feature photos by Clayton Beck Special thanks to the canvasses Donny Thompson, Gina Tarantino, Brok Sellars, Lily Hartung, Lonnie Haley, Jillian Ann, Amanda Sharkey Rachelle Lanning and Clayton Beck.

26 Reno Tahoe Tonight

Reno Tahoe Tonight 27

Cover Feature Clayton Beck

28 Reno Tahoe Tonight

Reno Tahoe Tonight 29

Cover Feature Clayton Beck

30 Reno Tahoe Tonight

Reno Tahoe Tonight 31

Cover Feature Clayton Beck

32 Reno Tahoe Tonight

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Cover Feature Clayton Beck

34 Reno Tahoe Tonight

DigiTips

Text Amber Howland Photo Edward Howland

Cyber Bully ing

A friend of the family has recently come under fire for her occupation.

She is a professional hunter who’s enjoyed local notoriety among those who support her profession. However, recent comments by a fellow hunter sent her into national limelight highlighting what she does.

A

s a result, those who don’t agree with hunting have come to the forefront with a full cyber assault.

The harassment has escalated and her personal information has been broadcast nationally online and she is now inundated with threats to her home, family, and person.

While this may be an extreme example, it begs the question, how do you protect yourself online from cyber bullies?

Fortunately, there are some precautions you can take depending on your needs: • First of all, don’t put private personal information on social media. This includes cell phone numbers and addresses. If you need to give out personal contact information for business purposes, provide your contact information through email or over the phone directly with that person.

• Do not post or discuss vacation dates on social media. Broadcasting this information to the general public opens you up to potential criminals looking for easy targets.

• If you have a lifestyle or job that is controversial, all social media accounts should be tied to an email address that is not personally associated with you. Create an email account that can be used for social media and junk mail.

• Although your business related social media pages may be public, you should still ensure your personal social media accounts are set to private in your settings so only friends can access your information.

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• Don’t allow photo tagging or comments without prior approval. This is a setting that can be changed on both your personal and business pages.

• Turn of your location setting. This will not allow people to know where you are when you are on social media.

Social media has changed the landscape of acquiring personal information but you can still take action to protect yourself online with the above steps. If you have experienced cyber bullying online, talk to a social media expert and see what they can do to update your settings and remove personal information online.

Do you have a digital topic you’d like me to write about in a future column? If so, please let me know by emailing me at amber@ dragonflymedia.net.

-Amber Howland

Dragonfly Media, Dragonflymedia.net, (775)746-4690 Amber Howland is General Manager of Dragonfly Media, based in Reno, Nevada. Dragonfly Media works with small to medium size businesses to increase their digital influence through SEO/SEM, social media management, website/app development, and email marketing.

Event

The 3rd Annual Elvis Crawl: Suits and Showgirls

January 4 @ The Silver Legacy, Eldorado, Harrah’s, Circus Circus and The Little Nugget Text Ed Adkins Get ready for the first bar crawl to kick off 2014, the 3rd Annual Elvis Crawl: Suits & Showgirls! Grab a suit at the thrift store, break out your best or throw on something fit for the King as we celebrate Elvis’s birthday, as well as Reno’s own glitzy suits & showgirls past.

The event begins 7:30 pm at the Silver Baron Lounge and continues to 11 other locations in the Silver Legacy, Eldorado, Harrah’s, Circus Circus and Little Nugget.

This is one of Reno’s smaller crawls and given its Elvis theme is held mostly in the casinos, so you don’t have to worry about spending time outside in the cold! Crawlers will also get to check out Elvis impersonators, participate in costume contests, and even meet mini-Elvis and Marilyn!

As always, each venue will also feature $3 drink specials and $3 beer specials.

In order to participate, crawlers just need to purchase a commemorative Elvis Crawl cup. Cups are only $5 and are available for pre-sale at Junkee Clothing Exchange, and will be available on crawl night at the starting point at Silver Baron as well as the other venues on the crawl.

Participants are encouraged to dress in Elvis-related costumes or in suits or showgirl outfits in keeping with this year’s theme. This is a 21 and over event.

fans will want to keep an eye out for the Valentines Pajama Crawl on February 15th and the second annual Leprechaun Crawl on March 15th.

More information can be found at www.elviscrawl.com, and crawl

Ed Adkins owns and operates Let's Do Things www.letsdothings.com 775-342-9565

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2

Fashion

1 1.

rock me

2. don't feed the hipsters 3. prep school 4. suit up

fashion

4 ways

The Masculine Male Guys, if you want to be taken seriously in life then you need to dress the part. First impressions are key in business, romance and establishing new friendships and connections. This does not mean you need to dress up every day, but it does mean that you should consider a few things when dressing for your day. What image do you want to portray? What is your goal? How can your clothing help get you there? I have been a style consultant for over 15 years and 40 Reno Tahoe Tonight

I love styling men. Here are 4 tips for you to consider when dressing and 4 examples of fashion forward and comfortable options.

Simply Stylish – Don’t overdo it. Keep things simple by wearing one stand out piece at a time. It could be a cool tee, some fashion forward shoes or some masculine jewelry. Just don’t wear more than three pieces of jewelry or more than three colors at once. (Unless you are Oliver Ex)

3

Text & Styling Isha Casagrande, LipstickLLC.com Photos Nick Schab Model Christian Casagrande Hair Rhonda Avers, Lipstick Fashion Lounge & Salon All clothing from The Summit

4 Power Play – Know the power of texture.

Layer up on opposing fabric details in like color groupings for a unique look that helps you stand out for the right reasons.

Couture Comfort – Try your clothes on and make sure each piece is comfortable. If it is not, it may be the wrong fit. Confidence is the best accessory you can wear and you cannot have confidence without comfort.

Fashion Fear – Invest ½ hour of your time to get some solid fashion advice. You can make a complimentary 30 minute style consultation with me at The Summit. I am a stylist, not a salesperson. I will give you honest advice and help you create a plan that works for your lifestyle and needs. For more information go to LipstickLLC.com ROCK ME – Rock Revival jean$158, Affliction tee $64, BKE jacket $89.95, BKE button up $49.95, BKE sunglasses $58 and BKE bracelets $14.50-$16.95 all from Buckle.

DON’T FEED THE HIPSTERS – Sweater $69.50, “Don’t Feed the Hipsters” tee $39.50, button up $79.50, Heritage slim jean $99 and leather belt $59.50 all from Lucky Brand Jean.

Fossil crossbody bag $188 from Dillards.

PREP SCHOOL – Puffer coat $78, sweater $49.95, “The Modern Oxford” $49.95, Henley $29.95, belt $29 and khaki jean $59.50 all from Ga. TUMI backpack $445 from Dillards.

SUIT UP – Cashmere sweater $89, button up $64.50, suit jacket $398, suit pant $160, sunglasses $49 and belt $49 all from Banana Republic. Ralph Lauren pocket square $39 from Dillards.

Isha Casagrande is a fashion stylist who has a passion for fashion and a love for shopping.

Isha’s attitude is that fashion is about confidence and that confidence is about style. Welcome to her fashionable world where labels do not matter, but that your self-worth does.

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Feature

Adryenn Ashley

and the Reno Film Directory Text Oliver X Photos Alina Vincent

http://AlinaVincentPhotography.com

“Where’s our weekly meeting for film people?”

Adryenn Ashley

– Adryenn Ashley The flaming meteor force of nature that is Adryenn Ashley has landed and Reno’s indie film community will never be the same—thank God! The gorgeously curvaceous brainiac dynamo with a Master’s Degree in Film Production and Finance has a message for aspiring filmmakers: If you want to make a film there are no longer any technical or financial obstacles to getting it done right here in Reno! And with her newly minted Reno Film Directory, essentials like crew services, stages and studios, storyboards and animatics are all just a click away at www.renofilm.com.

42 Reno Tahoe Tonight

Oliver X: For those who might not know you yet, tell us about your background.

Adryenn Ashley: I am an award-winning film producer and award-winning best-selling author.

My first film was called Metal a dark depressing art film about a black man who can’t get a job; that starts off with eight minutes of a blind woman playing a cello badly. It is art; it is film; it is not a movie. It toured the world for two years; went around the world twice and won a number of film festivals. What was really interesting about that film and what sparked a lot of discussion was it wasn’t black people who were touting this film-even though we did win the Hollywood Black Film Festival and a bunch of other black film festivals--it was middle class white people who had finally gotten a glimpse into what it mean to be an urban poor person that’s not gang bangers and drug dealers. It wasn’t that lifestyle at all. It was literally the struggle of urban poor. That really opened their eyes and started a discussion and that was how we won the critical acclaim we got.

So that’s how I got started.

My company is called 21st Century Pictures Group. I’ve made a number of films and I’ve helped produce a number of other films. I started off as an actress and fell off a truck working on I Know What You Did Last Summer. I was working as Sara Michelle Gellar’s stunt double and stand in and I got hurt. I ended up in a cast for eighteen months and couldn’t walk unassisted for six years, so I’m handicapped. I was in a cast during the first movie I produced. Thankfully I met an acupuncturist who has given me my life back. So, I want to recreate my experience as a first-time filmmaker here in Reno.

Oliver X: To most people the phrase Reno indie film is oxymoronic.

Adryenn Ashley: I’ve been here a year and a half and I’m like ‘Where’s the film community?’

I found 1 Million Cups and I was like, ‘Here’s all the entrepreneurs and the venture capitalists— my people!’ But the filmmakers aren’t there. So where’s our 1 Million Cups or where’s our weekly meeting for film people? And then how do you tell the difference between someone who knows what they’re doing and somebody who’s pretending.

Right? There are a lot of pretenders out there.

Seriously if you have more than ten projects going at a time, you’re probably not going to get any of them done. You gotta keep your eye on the ball.

That’s why I scaled back on my consulting. I launch viral campaigns for a living. That’s what I do. But my true passion is to launch RenoFilm. com. For me, being able to sit in bed in my cast in my pajamas and pull out the Reel Directory and completely produce a film in six hours from my bed—because I had all the information at my finger tips. I mean I knew what I was doing. It wasn’t like I didn’t know what questions to ask. I knew I needed a camera person; I knew I needed a grip truck… I knew what I needed and I could find it all easily. So I’ve translated that experience of how I produced my first film into the Reno Film Directory. So there’s forums for people to have discussions about casting, there’s a calendar. And there’s information about production issues. Like ‘I’m having this issue about location what do I do?

Or ‘I’m having this issue with my music clearance how do I get a compulsory license? There are all of these different things.

give you your parking pass and you could block off the block. They made it easy and I wanna see that same thing happen here. I wanna see all the road blocks removed.

I have a philosophy about art films. I think awardwinning films bring cache to an area. And the RSCVA’s mission is really to book hotel nights. So we have a different mission, but I think that going both tracks will actually lead to the same result.

Because if we do more independent film, lower budget independent film, and get people who have been making music videos, or commercials into more long form and get more experience.

Things will change dramatically.

Oliver X: What excites you about Indie Film?

Adryenn Ashley: Fly filmmaking. Spike Lee. I want to do a whole program on this. You shoot with what you got. You have no budget. The great thing is we no longer have to shoot on 35mm film; we don’t have the film processing, we don’t have to have the telecine. Everything’s digital and everything’s immediate. And you can actually shoot an amazing film. Somebody out there already owns a RED. Adobe Premier, Creative Cloud twenty-five bucks a month. There’s no excuse. Finance is no longer an obstacle to filmmaking. You can do the Hollywood Film Institute’s two day film school online for $395 www.webfilmschools.com . If you don’t know what you’re doing, that’s the best first step.

Oliver X: Are there location and permitting criteria in place for Reno shoots like location fees etc?

Adryenn Ashley: I think they’re putting something in place, but to my knowledge there’s nothing yet. But that could change. And again, if they put something like that in place, I’m gonna be the first one to raise my hand and say, ‘In San Francisco, I literally called the union and I said ‘I’m doing a film; my budget is $80,000 and we’re shooting here…’ They said, ‘You’re good.’ The union was not going to shut me down on an $80,000 film. There’s kinda like this little unspoken thing. I had a full DGA cinematographer. But I had permission. That was the great thing about San Francisco: you could get your location permit for like twenty bucks. They

Adryenn Ashley

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Feature

Reverse Aging Cleanzology

Text Gertie OK

Reverse Aging is a collaborative of super amazing spa energy devices that help many intelligent people cleanse, relax and energize all at the same time! The wellness spa is in a cozy craftsman home on Wells Avenue. The mystical house is loaded with everything needed to cleanse, such as aromatherapy, medical grade infrared saunas, ionized water, whole body vibration devices, spinal alignment machines, massage equipment, foot reflexology zappers, filtered showers as well as a superfoods pharmaceutical free health shop.

T

he upstairs floor has three infrared sauna rooms that are fully equipped with alkaline water, salt lamps, diffusers, books, games, DVDs, meditation CDs, crossword puzzles, computer tables--even WiFi and Netflix is available to keep guests entertained. Some saunagoers get online to work on their computers, while others read study, meditate or, get this, watch a DVD while sweating out the cellular pollution as a true holistic cleansing experience for modern times. Country boys, city girls, the elderly to infants all comfortably nestle under one roof to do mainly one thing: feel better.

This unique sanctuary has pleasant undertones of medicinal essences of aromatherapy, including lavender, eucalyptus, frankincense, thyme, lemongrass, and cinnamon to name a few, which permeate throughout the home. Spa owner Diane Underwood says that the pure oils offer our brain some clean and clear information, an alternative to the normal neurotoxins we are exposed to daily.

Underwood encourages you to BYOB (bring your own (water) bottle)!

Negative ions are holistically pumped throughout the spa with different modalities, but without the use of ozone to keep the germs, dust and air pollution at bay.

The aromatherapy may help with pain, relaxation, oxygenation, lung function, circulation, colds, energy and mother earth. The focus is on brain function and brain food but the owner feels too much time explaining the benefits puts most people on overload.

The spa’s drinking water is negatively ion charged, magnetized, electrocuted, purified, is filtered to a 46 Reno Tahoe Tonight

.01 micron and is delicious. It is supposedly super energizing, alkalizing and hydrating. In other countries alkaline water systems are mainstream and considered medical devices. The electrocution breaks up the clusters and zaps the viruses, parasites and microbes--most people are unaware that the critters exist in our drinking water. The concepts are not mainstream, but science does back these natural approaches.

Underwood believes if we were all doing more raw foods and juicing we wouldn’t need such high doses of pH water. But most of us are eating cooked food, which is super acidic and pretty close to dead food. Therefore ingesting more non GMO, live, organic, vegan, and energized food might be a promising method for pH balancing, digestive issues, cognitive function, pain, and hormonal balance needed due to high acidity.

Infrared sauna veteran Underwood says that the medical grade infrared saunas are the most-used modality at her spa. Reverse Aging’s saunas are made in the US. The wood is sustainably harvested aspen. The heaters are solid ceramic stones like Native Americans use in their sweat lodges. Underwood states, “Infrared sauna-goers should be weary of the newest trend of saunas coming in from China labeled as “carbon.” The polycarbonate (plastic) heaters are actually old waterbed heaters and made of epoxy glues and fiberglass which are well-known carcinogens.”

Underwood’s been training physicians professionally since 2002 on how to utilize infrared saunas properly for optimal results. A multi-modality-tasker, Underwood wants to offer the purest products to facilitate the best cleanse via the skin through perspiration. Sweating in a radiant infrared sauna also has the ability to

cleanse the blood, lymph, liver, kidneys, glands and skin--which is our biggest organ. If we are excreting neurotoxins from sweating, maybe there is some room for some brain food.

PubMed.gov studies suggest “repeated” thermal therapy has shown to be activating and stimulating to the immune system by a hyperthermia effect. Raising the body core temperature even if it is artificially induced may stimulate more T-cell, natural killer cells, white blood and red blood cell production via heat shock protein activity to ward off invaders.

Infrared saunas and hyperthermia may be a promising method for many chronic issues including pain, osteoarticular diseases, heart conditions, nervous system issues, obesity, depression, hypertension etc.

This place has a balanced twist of everything that has to do with pure cleansing. Sweating goes hand in hand with mineral depletion. All of Reverse Aging’s products are bioavailable, such as their minerals from petrified kelp, triple purified water, and a laser beam! Mineral replacement is a serious concern for sauna-goers. Instead of the chemical fizzy pharmaceutical chemistry of non bioavailable synthetic beverages known as energy or electrolyte drinks, the spa’s focus is on bioavailable brain food. “If we are excreting neurotoxins out of our cells--especially repeatedly-maybe we are making room for nutrients?”

Underwood emphasizes.

For people interested in a very detailed cleanse, a customized five minute “Compass” reading suggests directions on essential oils for each person’s specific needs. The Compass is set up for all members to use at their convenience, like everything else in the spa.

Reverse Aging is open 24/7 for clients that invest in cleansing spa passes. Wow, a place that lets clients use what they want, when they want, with no pretentiousness? The vision was created in 2000 after the health conscious spa owner Underwood claims she was health challenged with many conditions that she has successfully completely reversed. The biggest claim is turning around her pain and auto-immune disease Rheumatoid Arthritis suggested by her nutritionist.

Underwood shared her personal home sauna with anyone open to cleansing. The miraculous sauna had amazing deep healing powers that naturally encouraged her to open a business. Underwood enjoys sharing her knowledge with everyone in her path, many of which were skeptics that disliked traditional saunas. Light therapy is now a universally known modality--especially overseas.

Many cultures have been sweating out toxins for thousands of years.

On the first introductory three hour session, every device is offered so one can pick and choose their favorites if they decide to invest in some quality cleansing time. All ages are welcome. It really is an awaking warp speed cleansing experience for intelligent people that know the wealth of their well-being. http://www.ReverseAgingNaturally.com

Editor’s Note: Before starting any alternative therapies or treatment modalities, it is advisable to consult your physician.

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Feature

SkyTip Media Text Oliver X Photo of Chase McMullen by Nigel Siri Studio photo by Joe Siino

48 Reno Tahoe Tonight

Q&A WITH CHASE MCMULLEN FROM SKYTIP MEDIA

RTT: Prior to SkyTip, you were a tenacious chronicler of live events and performances with Precision Productions and earned a reputation as the go-to videographer for the skate and hip-hop scene. How did you get into camera and video work?

Chase: I’ve always had a camera in my hand. When I was a boy, I would hide anywhere to tape family around the house growing up. They always either laughed or screamed when I played it back! I turned 16 my buddy bought me a cam at the flea market, promised him I’d make a skate part in return. That one part lit a fire in me; and I made thousands of videos after.

I became enthralled with the whole thing; it consumed my every moment.

I wanted every video to be better than the last, no matter how big or small the project. Then Hip-Hop came, and so did the ability to be hired. I’ve always been a 100% percent guy, so I always go 100% on every video I make. I think the clients that hire me see what I do and how hard I work on everything I do, and the word spread because of it RTT: Talk about SkyTip and the services you provide to businesses and folks needing design, social media impact and a compelling video narrative for their products, skills and services.

McMullen: Every service we provide is a form of marketing, and geared in creation, to making our client money. We are strongly noted for our video services provided with unique capabilities at professional levels, and

creativity put into the video projects we put out. More notably, website design is the fastest growing service inside the company. Our website designs, custom imagery, user configuration to the systems we build, and custom responsive units are some of the best you will find anywhere in the country.

We custom build website systems that 2-way interact with our clients social media pages; are fully optimized then submitted to Google/Bing and provide user manuals with a coaching session on how to use the website. This year we will be adding 30-day warranties on any website we create.

RTT: Many visual artists have a preference for executing the kind of work and services that they are best at. Things like editing can be a real pain. What advice can you offer folks getting started in building a wellrounded skill set?

McMullen: The best advice I can give to anyone trying to become well rounded in a craft is to find your rhythm and stay consistent. When you do anything geared at where you want to go in life, you give it your best.

In giving it your best, you give that project a piece of yourself. That ability to give a project that piece, then relax, and do it again is what I’m speaking to. That trait keeps you consistent and allows you to become better. Once that part is achieved you will find yourself learning more in your field and at a high level since you’re are not slacking on anything. The part from there that separates people, in my mind, is the ability to relax for shorter and shorter times between projects, while keeping them at a 110% effort level.

RTT: SkyTip has been aggressive in their growth and marketing strategies, with billboard advertising and old-fashioned B2B outreach.

What are the biggest mistakes you see small businesses and artists making with their branding efforts?

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Feature

SkyTip Media

Chase: The biggest mistake I see time and time again in marketing is the inability of individuals to recognize what can, and what will make them money. Whether it be a bad logo or brand name design, spending a few extra bucks on your business cards or flyers; having the ability to see what professional quality can do for you still rings true. People now a-days are in a rush, and most times believe they can “do it your-self.” This happens more often than I can keep track of! People everywhere flat-out believe they are photo or video professionals when they buy a DSLR, with a free video/photo editing software. People truly don’t see this truth right away, but always end up there after experiencing the agony that follows the DIY approach to media marketing.

Other times when those people are actually pleased with what they did, I ask them how long it took; crickets at this point or a mumbled response because they don’t want to say. The time spent creating the website could have been better used to focus on the business activities, and continuing to make money for the business. Hiring someone to build your website, one you can run following them building it, usually ends up costing close to the same amount as the DIY approach. Think about it; in time spent learning, building, market research, graphic design, and revenue lost not being open and operational as a result, is close to, if not more than the equivalent of the hard cost.

RTT: There are plenty of charlatans out there selling Followers and Likes in social media packages. Do local businesses and bands really think we don't know that those hugely inflated numbers are fake? How does a business or performing artist navigate through all the bullshitters out there trying to take their money under false pretenses?

McMullen: Everyone needs to understand that 50 Reno Tahoe Tonight

numbers online anywhere do help your searchable rankings with Google and Bing. The part not to become confused with is the content. When you run into a social profile off the search with high numbers, do you judge that page’s content and or interactions almost immediately? How about creating a profile and inflating numbers on it, when you pull your page up and see the large numbers with below amateur imagery, do you call a professional or DIY, learning a design program to make it look cooler? What I’m getting at, is that if your social media page has large numbers all over it, you should have custom graphic changes frequently, constant new videos, trending upward materials, and increased interaction numbers; that match the profiles. When those things aren’t regularly happening to those “large numbers” profiles; it looks bad to prospects. If there is less frequently posted, consumer-leveled content, on “moderate number” social profiles; you look accurate to prospects. In these situations if you’re the client, gage a presentation’s numbers by content quality and interactions. When you’re the business owner or artist, try to envision your page the same way a client would! You can always look at someone’s website for a faster more accurate opinion.

RTT: As we start a new year, what projects are you excited about that you're working on?

McMullen: I am very excited to venture back to the skate industry with the release of Trick Tips V.2 in 2014. And I am undeniably most excited on the technology direction we are headed in. There will be SkyTip media responsive website themes and plug-ins for sale to WordPress, Drupal, and Joomla systems in the first quarter.

Contact McMullen to talk about your web site, social media and branding needs at chase@skytipmedia.com

Feature

Skier e e r F n o i p m World Cha

e s i W d i v Da

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wo-time Winter X Games gold medalist, six-time US National titlist and current FIS World Champion freestyle skier David Wise is definitely one to watch at next month’s Olympic Games in Sochi. But the humble young Reno native doesn’t define himself by his daredevil half-pipe contortions and amplitude; instead he draws his strength and inspiration from his faith and from his loving wife Alexandra and their precocious two-year old daughter.

I spoke to the aptly named Wise recently as he trains for the biggest challenge of his career next month: The Winter Olympic Games at Sochi.

Oliver X: How is your training different in-season versus off season?

David Wise: The balance between training is a lot different in the off season. The off season is primarily strength and just physical training where I’m in the gym and on my mountain bike. Doing those things that I really don’t get a chance to do a lot of when I’m skiing. Because as soon as the ski season starts, it’s like six hours a day of skiing and by the time you finish you’re exhausted. I’ll do what I call maintenance workouts in the gym, but it’s not nearly as strength focused. You kinda hope 52 Reno Tahoe Tonight

Text Oliver X Photos Alexandra Wise

to start the season really strong so that you can kind of maintain that as you go.

Oliver X: When you train are you training for a certain personal goal to reach a benchmark in your training, or are you training for stamina and to get the strength to execute a trick or technique?

David Wise: A lot of the stuff—especially here at MRI is jumping oriented--jumping, twisting, plyometrics. Max is really good about coming up with skiing related drills. I don’t goals like a weight lifter would have to bench a certain amount of weight for example, but I do have goals like ‘Man I’d like to be able to get to the fifth stair today, or I’d like to be able to jump this altitude today and do a 180.’

Oliver X: What separates you and the top athletes in your sport from the rest of the pack?

David Wise: I think the thing that separates me from the rest of the pack is the stuff that I do in here. I do a lot of what may be seen as weird things to make myself a better skier. I have a blacked out pair of goggles that I put on with these huge headphones and just zone out and visualize. What’s cool about our sport is that each individual skier has a different

way of looking at the half-pipe and skiing the halfpipe. It’s a sport, but it’s also an art.

Oliver X: When you’re competing, do you feel like you’re competing against the next competitor, or is it to execute something to fulfill a goal you have for that particular meet?

David Wise: It’s a little bit of both. I think there are a lot of guys are out there competing against people.

For me I’m mostly competing against myself. I learned somewhere along the way to not think about the things that are outside of my control. I have no influence over what they do. All I have power over is what I do moment to moment. So I started setting goals like regardless of what they’re all doing this is what I’d like to do for this event.

This is where I’d like to progress the sport. And once I started thinking that way, I suddenly wasn’t feeling any more pressure and I was winning a lot more often, so it’s become my philosophy.

Oliver X: That’s a cool state of mind. Now how did you get to that point?

David Wise: I made a lot of mistakes; I fell a lot of times. One of the athletes that resonates with me is Michael Jordan when he said, ‘The reason I succeed is because I’ve failed so many times.’

You know in my ski career I went through so many years of just beating myself up; I couldn’t land runs in finals. I’d qualify first and then I’d end up last. I couldn’t figure out the mental aspect of competing. So I started figuring out that aspect of not putting too much pressure on myself and really embracing the fact that I have an opportunity to go out and do what I love. Looking at it from that perspective has basically freed me.

Oliver X: As a young athlete, do you think having a great wife and child to come home to is a motivator, or do you think some athletes would consider that a distraction?

David Wise: I think some athletes would definitely consider having a family a distraction. For me it’s the biggest motivator possible. For one thing I’m not out there just competing for myself. As a professional athlete, it’s easy to be caught up in that selfish lifestyle. Everything is like ‘I’m gonna go train and I’m gonna go eat my protein-filled breakfast.’ Everything is self oriented. Having a family has made me realize that skiing is just kind of a silly thing that we do. As much as I love it, it’s still just guys sliding around on some sticks. There are more important things in life. I can be content with who I am regardless of my performance on skis. Win, lose or fall, I get to come home to a beautiful wife and an amazing daughter. That eases the pressure and makes me perform better.

not know your body is the temple of the spirit of holiness who dwells within you.” You and your wife are very active in your church. What role does your faith play in your professional career and as a man?

David Wise: My faith is a big part of who I am and how I think about things. It comes down to that contentment thing as well. I’m content with where I’m at spiritually because I’m a man of faith and I feel I’m in the right place. I feel God’s approval in what I’m doing.

Oliver X: How will winning gold at Sochi change you?

David Wise: There’s no way to even judge how my life will change. It’s funny I was watching an interview of Shaun White before he won his first Olympic gold medal and he had won everything else in the sport, so he was quite famous already. He was like ‘If I win the gold it will be so awesome.’ But seeing how much his life has changed since then is pretty insane. I’m just looking forward to the ride.

Oliver X: What’s Holy Grail in your sport right now and what trick do you think will win the gold in Sochi?

David Wise: Doing the back-to-back double cork twelves last year was kinda the Holy Grail and was one of the things that helped me win the gold at the X Games. Who knows where it will go. There are some guys who will probably try triple corks in the half-pipe which is in my opinion, is a little too gnarly to do in a half-pipe cause there’s just not enough hang time as you can get on a jump. The guy who wins this year at the Olympics is the guy who has a little bit of everything. https://www.facebook.com/mrDavidWise

The Wise family

Oliver X: I Corinthians 6:19-20 says “Do you Reno Tahoe Tonight 53

First Person

Help Softballer Autumn Alexander Get to Australia

M

y name is Autumn Alexander.

I am a seventeen year old girl from Reno, Nevada and I currently play center and left field for both the local travel team (The NV Comets) and Varsity for Spanish Springs High School.

While at a tournament in Golden Eagle I was approached by the coach of the All-Star USA Softball Team and given the opportunity to travel to Australia with them this summer from June 14 to June 26. The roster will consist of only fourteen girls from around the United States and each of these players was selected because of the unique skills, character, and personality they possess.

While in Australia I will spend four days playing in the 2014 Blacktown Softball Challenge Tournament at Blacktown Olympic Park in Sydney, Australia. The rest of the time I’ll be learning how to surf, swimming with dolphins, exploring the Gold Coast and getting close to many of the exotic animals found in the Australian Outback. This is truly a once in a lifetime opportunity for me to both experience the diverse mix of cultures away from the United States, as well as expand my college resume.

Playing in Australia would be a dream come true, not only because I’d get to go to Australia, but because I’d get to play the game I love more than anything in the world while being there. I have played some sort of softball my entire life and through all the struggles and changes that life has thrown at me, the game has always remained the same.

Softball has become somewhat therapeutic for me.

Every game I play, I play in remembrance of my mother. I don’t really remember her ever going to my 54 Reno Tahoe Tonight

softball games, but I also don’t usually pay a lot of attention to anything going on outside of the game while I’m playing it. When my mother committed suicide seven days after New Years in 2009, it killed me because death had taken my hero away from me.

The one person I thought would always be there and I could always run to, was now missing from my life and I had no possible way of getting her back.

Not only did I lose my mother that day, but I lost contact with half of my family--including a number of my siblings. Although the pain of their loss will always be there, I try not to focus on it because I know that they would not want me to live a life of pain and remorse. My mother was under the influence of meth and depression when she took her life, but before all that she was a fun-loving, incredibly beautiful woman and she left behind eight unbelievably beautiful children to carry on her legacy.

I have gotten as far as I am because of such tragedies. I am the person I am because of the battles I was forced to fight, and I don’t regret any of it. I play my game in remembrance of the person my mother was--before the meth, before the sadness, and before the suicide--and I will continue to play no matter how hard it gets. Because I want to prove that I am not a replica of my mother and my future is going to be what I make of it.

That is my message and I want the world to hear it! Because no matter what people think or expect out of you, for whatever reason, you are in control of your life and you can do anything if you are willing to work hard at it.

If there is any way you could help support my cause and campaign to get to Australia, please go to my webpage: http://www.gofundme. com/594bvo. If you would like to know more about me, feel free to follow or message me on Facebook: Autumn Alexander.

First Person

The Fitness Lifestyle Text Thomas DeLauer Photos Marcello Rostagni

56 Reno Tahoe Tonight

“Money doesn’t wait atop the hill; Glory doesn’t wait atop the hill; all that waits atop the hill… is the top of the hill.”- Nike.

I

only have one tattoo on my body, and it is this quote. I sometimes have to remind myself that I am not chasing some dream, nor am I trying to get filthy rich off of something as superficial as my looks, but I am chasing and building something that I love, simply because it is there for the taking and I want to reach the “top of the hill.”

Health and wellness eventually becomes something that is your lifestyle. It’s been said time and time again that fitness is not a hobby, but it is a way of life. I believe this to be true, but it can also be threatening to those that are simply trying to maintain a healthy balance in their lives. Not everyone is trying to get on stage or have their life consumed by exercise or fitness, but it is imperative that it does not take a backseat to everything else in your life. A vast majority of people are so focused on the day in and day out of their lives that it isn’t until they retire and start having health complications that they focus on their physical fitness and overall health. It’s never too late to start, but the sooner the better!

My background is a bit different. I have always been competitive--more so with myself than with others.

Even from the age of 12, I would look in the mirror and say, ‘My abs aren’t showing enough,’ or I would run around the track beating myself up because I wasn’t shattering my last time. It was actually to the point where I was an odd-ball because of it, but it never went away. I was always able to take accountability and accept what needed to be done to better my body.

For years I was a long-distance runner, running my first full marathon at the age of twelve. Needless to say, by the time I was seventeen I had started to overdo it and began having trouble with my knees.

It was at this point that I began focusing my time towards non concussive workouts, like weight training, and the rest was history. I have a tendency to go full bore into whatever I put my mind to, and before I knew it, I was getting on stage as a heavyweight bodybuilder. This lasted a couple of years until I began feeling the effects of now being TOO heavily muscled; I said to myself, “There has to be a happy medium here.”

A couple of years went by, bought a house, landed a good job, networked with the right people, all while staying in impeccable shape. It wasn’t until my wife pointed-out that I need to begin doing something

with my physique again, so with that said, it was no-holds-barred as I entered my first Men’s Physique competition through the NPC (National Physique Committee). I nationally qualified in my first competition and so it all began. I now speak as an advocate for living a life of balance and health while still competing--which is something that is very difficult to do. Since stepping back on stage I have become a sponsored athlete and am working towards earning my pro-card in 2014. My goal is to become an ambassador for the fitness industry, not just another body. I strive to be someone that people look up to and admire, all while condoning the healthiest lifestyle possible while still looking utterly awesome!

Keeping your diet in check is not the easiest of tasks. So when someone is attempting to get in shape, especially if for the first time, I recommend setting short terms goals for yourself. One of my favorite things to do is something called “carbcycling.” What this means is that you are simply alternating higher carbohydrate days with lower carbohydrate days. This keeps the metabolism consistently working and never developing a said homeostasis. If you have an exceptionally tough workout one day that would generally be your high carbohydrate day. On a day that you are not working out, or you are choosing to have an easy day, that will be your lower carbohydrate day. A general rule of thumb for carbohydrates when dieting is that on a high carb day, you should consume about 2g of carbohydrate per pound of bodyweight, and on a low carbohydrate day, you should consume about 0.5g of carbohydrate for every pound of bodyweight. I like this method as it allows you to set short term, attainable goals for yourself. Just knowing that if you can get through the lower carbohydrate day that you can relax a tiny bit on your high carbohydrate day. It is, however, important to note that this does not mean that you should binge or eat any carbohydrates you want on a high carb day, it just means that you can let go of the reins a tiny bit.

Another common hurdle that new exercisers face is finding a gym and/or a good trainer. Big box gyms are great, but they intimidate most people. Just like anything, it is important that fitness be a good experience for those who are undertaking this new endeavor. I recommend gyms like Anytime Fitness as they give you full access to awesome gyms at all hours of the day, so there are no excuses. Personally, I use Anytime Fitness in Zephyr Cove, Nevada; [it’s] probably one of the best laid out Anytime Fitness operations that I have seen. There are some inspirational physiques working out there, but all the while without the attitude.

Another key to success is choosing the right supplementation. It is so easy to fall into the fads of all these fancy schmancy products. When it all Reno Tahoe Tonight 57

First Person comes down to it, stay with what is pure and something that your body can absorb. With many supplements, you will waste 80% of them simply because your body cannot absorb them. I am a HUGE advocate for HIT Supplements out of Boise, Idaho. Their motto is ‘Efficacious Products Backed

by Science,’ and they are quite frankly one of the only products I have ever used that have not elicited some form of side effect. I always tell those who ask “Keep it simple!”

“take that first step

towards your goal and do it! "

Lastly, set a goal for yourself. The National Physique Committee has done a great job of making the prospect of getting on stage much more attainable. With the advent of the women’s bikini division and men’s physique divisions, you do not have to be an extraordinarily muscled person to look like you belong on stage. I think it is a great thing that they have done this, as it helps remove some of the stigma that the bodybuilding culture has had in the past. Tahoe has its very own bodybuilding competition held every August in South Lake Tahoe appropriately named, ‘The Tahoe Show.’ Sometimes the best thing that you can do for yourself is to simply execute; take that first step towards your goal and do it!

Thomas DeLauer is a national level men’s physique competitor and fitness model. He prides himself on being a spokesperson for natural bodybuilding and his transition from the world of bodybuilding into men’s physique.

Thomas trains out of Zephyr Cove, NV as well as Austin, Texas where he is the North American Director of Operations for AmeriTeak USA. At the age of 25, Thomas is proud of his level of success and attributes much of it to the discipline that has been instilled upon him from a life of fitness excellence.

Thomas thanks his supportive wife, Amber and his entourage of four rescue dogs and three horses.

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We a r e p r o u d to w e l c o m e M r D a v i d W i s e to t h e Draper Strategies family a n d w e ’ r e l o o k i n g fo r w a r d to making every day a ‘ G o l d M e d a l D a y. ’

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Food Porn

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RAWR inside West Street Market Downtown Reno Beet ravioli with sundried tomato vinaigrette, fresh sprouts and pine nuts.

Photo Tony Contini Chef Brett Kendall

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P H O T O G R A P H Y

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G R A P H I C

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Freestyle

Makeup Artist Grace Avila Photos

Adnan Martinez AKO Photography Grace Avila is a self-taught Makeup Artist who learned by reading books, watching makeup videos, attending seminars and practicing her techniques on friends and family. After graduating from Milan Institute of Cosmetology in 2010 and obtaining her license as an Aesthetician Avila worked with major companies such as Clinique and Bobbi Brown.

With her skills Avila has gone on to work on films, TV and web series’ and has been credited as a key makeup and special effects artist on IMDB. Recently Avila won the RAW Artist Award as Makeup Artist of the Year for 2013 in Reno, Nevada.

Grace enjoys doing makeup from everyday looks to special effects. Avila also teaches the importance of skin care; how to use your own products and showing proper makeup application techniques as well as tips and tricks on creating that special look just for you. From simple and natural or dramatic, Avila makes her clients look their best for any occasion. www.makeupbygrace.yolasite.com www.facebook.com/Makeup By Grace Avila www.IMDb.com

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Freestyle

Makeup Artist Grace Avila

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Freestyle

Makeup Artist Grace Avila

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Local Lit

Text Kelly Rush Cover art Leslie Parawan

Crimson Rain –Tex Leiko Author Tex Leiko’s debut novel, Crimson Rain, is a scyber-fifantasy tale of a post-nuclear new-future society facing some old-world challenges.

T

he story itself features classic conflicts between man vs. everything--including himself. Also present are several interesting male-female interaction angles. Then there’s the government, greedy corporations, scary technology, giant swarming wasps, and most of all, pain. This book is about a lot of pain.

Crimson Rain is the first novel in a series of four Leiko plans, with the second in the works for release in the very near future. The ending was clearly inconclusive and had a “To Be Continued…” feel without coming right out and saying so.

Speaking of feel, Crimson Rain has a lot of it, and not just emotional. The writing style, language, subject, and characters evoke a cocktail of “comicbook-dates-sci-fi-and gets-drunk-with-a-fantasyrole-playing-video-game.”

And it works!

For being so far in the future, however, the cabal of main characters in Crimson Rain seems to struggle with some very primitive situations. The world is in apocalyptic, anarchic chaos and multiple good vs. evil scenarios are playing out in society. There are wars, enemies, bad guys, and monsters, love, sex, and death. Somewhere in the midst of this mess exists the techno-metal band, Psyker Scream.

They communicate and control everything they do telepathically through their “fans.” This further contributes to the comic/cartoon ambiance of the overall story.

I mentioned there’s a lot of pain in Crimson Rain. It opens with main character Dr. Max Hall

injecting character Zarfa Cudrow with a DNAsplicing bot injected into his arm with a 14 gauge needle. Most injections are given with 0.26 gauge.

It’s like a soda straw vs. a plumbing pipe! Yes, pain. As if the injection isn’t bad enough, the side effects are even worse, inducing unimaginable headaches and sickness. But Zarfa was once nearly eviscerated by a 13-foot wasp, so this DNA bot thing is just child’s play to him. All he wants is to retrieve his sister safely from the big, bad corporation that kidnapped her.

Zarfa meets up with Crimson Rose, a girl he used to treat badly in school. Crimson is also a former schoolmate of Dr. Max and just wants to make the world a better place. After reacquainting themselves, the trio joins forces to fight the kidnapper corporations, Synaptix and Polyhelix, who are trying to overthrow the government. They experience many trials and tribulations, often facing death.

Crimson Rain is a complex book of several intertwining storylines. It is well-written and interesting from a continuity standpoint. The characters speak and interact like we do today, but many of the technologies and concepts are of a futuristic nature.

Despite the high-tech concepts and intricate plotlines, Crimson Rain is an intelligent, easy read. It straddles multiple modern themes and genres that could be of interest to a diverse readership of any age. That said, some of the dialogue and basic themes are slightly juvenile and might find a great primary audience in the youth market.

Crimson Rain features some exceptional graphics by artist Leslie Parawan. Her main technique is realism, especially portraits and still life objects.

Parawan uses various mediums for painting such as oils and acrylics with lots of layering. She also enjoys drawing with pencil, pen, colored pencil, and charcoal. See more examples of Leslie Parawan’s creativity and expression at Facebook.com/leslie.parawan.

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Lipstick Fashion Lounge is a petite boutique that is brimming with the latest apparel and accessories for your stylish life. It’s like walking into your best friends closet with a glass of bubbly to play a little dress up. We are fashionably affordable with items ranging from $5-$60. We get new clothing, accessories and girly gifts daily so it is a great stop to satisfy your inner shopaholic on a regular basis.

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333 South Arlington Avenue - Reno - NV 89501 - 775.348.2675 w w w. l i p s t i c k l l c . c o m

Market Watch

Top 4 Reasons for Listing Your Home Early in 2014!

Text and photo courtesy of Shirley Larkins

2013 was a gangbuster year for Reno/Sparks real estate.

As you may know, home prices shot up dramatically throughout the year, and summer was a hot, hot market due to low inventory and huge demand from home buyers. As the summer waned, we saw more inventory come into the marketplace so prices began some leveling but didn’t fall through the end of the year.

If you were thinking about selling your home last year, but waited until now to get a higher return, I caution you to act fast to take full advantage of the seller’s market we are still in. There are four things you should know that may impact the return you get and the time it will take to find a buyer.

1.

Number of listed properties is still on the rise: Abnormally low inventories

in our market from late 2012 through the summer of 2013 really helped boost prices in our area. The National Association of Realtors® defines a “balanced market” as when there is a four- to five-month supply of homes for sale. For a few months in early 2013, we saw just a three-week supply of homes in some areas of Northern Nevada! By August that increased to about a 2.5 month supply and we now have about 4.1 months of unsold inventory, according to the Reno/Sparks Association of Realtors®. That means you need to get your home on the market now for top price and negotiation power.

2.

Rising interest rates: The Federal

Reserve started talking about tapering their monthly purchases of bonds in the second half of 2013, which resulted in a decline in

housing stocks. That caused interest rates to spike a bit. Since it is unknown what the Fed is going to do this year, we do not know what is going to happen with interest rates.

But with housing prices still going up, some buyers may be knocked out of the buying pool even if interest rates stay stable.

3.

Healthcare costs: Since the impact of

4.

Weak job creation: We are still experiencing high unemployment in Nevada. While more jobs are being added, according to national press, many people are in part-time positions or working for lower pay than before the recession. These lower wage positions do not help people on the road to homeownership. The gap for getting qualified for a loan and having the money necessary to make the purchase happen is growing.

Affordable Care Act is still being sorted out, people who are worried about how much they will have to pay for health insurance and other medical costs may wait to buy a home. This may particularly impact those in the 26-to 40 age bracket, further reducing the potential buying pool.

What does all this mean for homeowners? It means if

you have been thinking of moving up – or of down-sizing – now is the time to start talking to Realtors®. Spring and summer are the busiest times for buying homes. Call a Realtor® today to help sort through the many details specific to selling your particular home and draft a marketing plan to help you get top dollar when the time is right for you to list property.

Shirley Larkins is a top-producing Realtor® with Chase International who has helped more than 140 clients successfully negotiate the buying and selling process.

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New Business

I Bean Grounded Text Oliver X Photo Tony Contini

O

wners Cara Kennedy and fiancé Todd spent six months renovating the stylish little café (located next door to Eye Candy Salon and across from The Montage on West Second Street) turning the former Wild West Tattoo parlor into a place where customers can come in, relax , read, watch TV and enjoy a sensible cup of Joe. I Bean offers dairy alternatives like soy milk and almond milk substitutes and has morning starters like oatmeal and delicious selection of quality teas.

Café’s are a hard racket to turn a profit from, but the handsome couple are ambitious and eager to master the trade. With high vehicular and pedestrian traffic in a developing district that’s rapidly becoming an art hub (there are no less than five businesses that showcase art on their walls within two blocks of the establishment, including The Waterfall, Noble Pie Parlor, the aforementioned Eye Candy Salon, Java Jungle Vino and Outsiders Hair Studio) I Bean Grounded is well-positioned to contribute to the district’s burgeoning art corridor.

Oliver X: What new things are on your menu for the winter months?

Cara and Todd: We are constantly featuring a new special every month. January’s special is 16 oz “peppermint mocha;” last month we featured a 16 oz “pumpkin spice” latte. We love that being a small family business allows us the freedom to be flexible and creative in what we do and offer to our customers. Next month who knows, Cara and

One of the newest members of the Riverwalk Merchants Association is also an innovative gallery café serving fresh coffee beverages from the ubiquitous Hub Roasters in a fresh environment in the heart of downtown.

I are thinking a “toasted marshmallow” might say HELLO January!

Oliver X: Where do you source your pastries and sweets from?

Cara and Todd: We always use local pastries, currently we are working with a wonderful chef from the Hoyfjellet Kitchen; her prices are kept reasonable, which allows us to do the same for our customers while still providing quality pastries.

Oliver X: What artist are you featuring for January and February?

Cara and Todd: We haven’t decided on an artist for January yet, all artists we feature are local talents and we love that we have these large open walls for them to display their work. Not all of the work displayed is for sale, some artists simply wish to get their art “out there” and let it be shared with others in the community. We don’t charge a commission or wall fee, so this allows some very talented new art a chance for exposure and review by a very rich art culture community.

Beginning in January I Bean Grounded’s operating hours will be from 6:00 am to 6:00 pm Monday through Saturday and 7:00 am to 4:00 pm on Sundays. When the weather warms up and the days grow longer they will start staying open later and add something new and different for Reno’s warm spring evenings. Located at 124 West Second Street Reno, NV 89501. 775-786-1115.

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New Business

Text Oliver X Photos Tony Contini

Models Briana Maselli and Molly Beth

The Little House on Center A good diner is hard to come by--and even harder to write home about.

But get a place with good service, a warm and inviting atmosphere and food served up with a smile, and you’ve got a recipe for success.

L

ocated in what was once the venerable Rose’s Café, the newly opened Little House on Center is a welcomed addition to one of my favorite parts of Reno’s Midtown District. Though it’s positioned on the shady side of Center Street, the place is awash in natural light and fairly bristles with energy and the comfy conversational din of happy customers eating satisfying American comfort food.

Specialties of the house include Eggs Benedict and their phenomenal burgers. As a basic breakfast guy, I favor the Meat Breakfast (choice of bacon, ham, sausage or linguisa and eggs with potatoes and toast $7.50). The Little House also makes some mean, light and fluffy flap jacks too! Their Spicy Seared Tuna was absolutely divine, served with Asian red pepper aioli; spouts, lettuce and onion on a toasted roll $9.99.

Owned and operated by twenty year-old Alex Long--who’s going to UNR and pursuing a business degree with a Spanish minor--and his mother Esmeralda Barrientos, The Little House on Center is a family business in the truest sense of the word.

Barrientos has over twenty years of casino culinary experience and her family of property developers and restaurateurs is prepping son Alex for his place in the sun once he’s finished with his education.

When Barrientos and her kinfolk saw Rose’s going under, the family members decided to pool resources and purchase the property. Remarkably Rose’s had previously run off of a couple of pannini grills, so the family got to work installing a full-on commercial kitchen with hood, grease interceptor, commercial ranges; took out some walls, painted, put down new flooring, added some patio space for outdoor seating in the spring, summer and early fall months and generally raised the property up to its full physical and aesthetic restaurant potential.

While The Stone House, Hi-Point, Peg’s and SqueezeIn needn’t lose any sleep over the arrival of The Little House on Center, the establishment has soul, and in the very near future, is certain to become a favorite destination for Midtown residents looking for good eats at affordable prices.

The Little House Café is located at 725 South Center Street in Midtown, a half block north of Maytan Music. Hours of operation are 7am-2pm seven days a week.

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Model Courtney Holst

P

hotographer Marcello has the best job in town: finding beautiful models to shoot on a daily basis! The creator of the popular model search and beauty competition Models and Bottles has once again found a super talent for us to feature in model Courtney Holst. I first encountered Holst at last year’s Models and Bottles event at Montbleu in South Lake Tahoe. The Gardnerville native (who has a script tattoo on her upper left torso that reads: “Somehow with a flip of a coin I ended up here”) really stood out for her feminine class, poise and muscular physique. Below Holst speaks about how she got started in modeling and how she keeps her fantastic body in top shape.

Oliver X: You’re not the stereotypical waifish model and your muscle tone suggests you have been a serious athlete, gymnast or trainer. Talk about your background and how you got into modeling.

Courtney Holst: I’ve been a dancer since the age of 6. I think that has to do a lot with my musculature and posture. I haven’t been dancing for a couple years now but it’s funny because when I meet other dancers they will always ask, ‘Are you a dancer? I can tell you are by the way you walk or present yourself.’

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Text Oliver X Stylist Sierra Wilson Hair & MUA Edin Carpentar Photographer Marcello Rostagni

About a year ago, a friend asked me to model for him and he had an assistant on set who also assists Marcello Rostagni put on the event Models & Bottles. We talked a lot off set and she later contacted me to audition for Models & Bottles. I competed in the event twice, once in Lake Tahoe at Opal Ultra Lounge, and again in Reno at Edge Nightspot. I won third place the first time and first place the second time, and since then I’ve pursued more modeling and absolutely love it!

Oliver X: What does your fitness regimen consist of?

Courtney Holst: I only work out a couple times a week. I think a clean diet is number one in keeping the physique you want. I also naturally have a muscular body so I mainly do cardio just to burn fat, (i.e. running, hiking, jump rope, swimming). If I am trying to tone up though, my favorite way to workout is to take barre classes. Barre classes actually use a ballet barre and the workouts are similar to the ballet training I did growing up, they work on core strength, flexibility, balance, and just help you get rid of unwanted fat and chiseled features.

Oliver X: What tips can you give young women as we enter that time of year when everyone is making fitness resolutions?

Courtney Holst: Fitness resolutions are great but make it a lifestyle! Don’t give it an expiration date, and don’t take on too much at once. If you want a change in your diet or fitness, start out slow and set small goals. After you accomplish the first goal, set your next goal higher, that way it will become more of a lifestyle and it will feel more natural. I’ve always been athletic but as a kid I ate a lot of junk food, and I will admit, still do on occasion now, (I have such a big sweet tooth!). But when I decided I wanted to start eating healthy, I took it on slow, and I eventually started craving healthy food rather than junk food. I think it was because you find you feel so much better and satisfied putting something nutritious into your body rather than something unhealthy along with the guilt of eating it afterward.

Oliver X: What projects do you have coming up for 2014?

Courtney Holst: I honestly don't have any projects in the making right now. I just got done with a few projects that fell right on top of each other and that was a crazy couple of weeks! It seems you either have no new jobs coming up, or you have a few and they are all happening at once! I do have some goals for 2014 though, which would be to stretch out to other clothing designers outside of the Reno/ Tahoe area looking for models.

I've also done some film work this year so I'd like to do more film in the next year coming up as well. I guess I'm the kind of person who doesn't set goals in stone, but I have ideas of where I want to go or what I want to do and just let that guide me. www. facebook.com/courtney.vonholst Reno Tahoe Tonight 81

PezSez Text Jenny Pez De Spencer

Preview Audacity Coming to The Holland Project January 9, 2014 You can always tell a band is good if you want to listen to them in your car. Audacity only leaves you wanting more. They’re punk, pop, easy to dance and sing along with and just fucking fun. If you don’t start now you will miss the chance to see them in a small intimate setting like The Holland Project. Reno, I know you are notorious for not going to bands you have not seen, but I implore you, if you miss this you are once again idiots.

I had the privilege to ask the lead singer, Matt Schmalfeld, a few questions before they come to town.

Pez: So you’re coming to Reno how do you feel about that?

Well it’s always great to return to the “Biggest Little City in the World” and hang out with our friends at the Cal Neva all night. This date in Reno is greatly anticipated by everyone in Audacity and White Knight. Look out!

Pez: Who would you say your main influences are?

The Replacements are a big influence, along with The Minutemen. Big Star, Meat Puppets, and as always the Slack Mafia bands like Pterodacdudes and White Knight keep us PUMPED! Pez: What do you think people walk away with when they see your show?

Big smiles!!! Lots of people walk away with ringing ears. Some people walk away with an LP orRachelle a shirtLanning if we’re lucky!

Pez: Finally name one amazing thing you have seen on all of your tours that you will probably talk about for the rest of your lives.

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A couple weeks ago, we were driving south along interstate 25 in Wyoming; a pack of reindeer in formation flew right in front of our van. We linked up, and they took us quickly and safely back to California!

Check out their new album, “Butter Knife” at http:// soundcloud.com/suicide-squeeze-records/couldnt-hold-acandle-by. And catch Audacity at The Holland Project January 9 with Drummer Thomas Alvarez, Cameron Crowe on Bass; Vox/Guitar - Matt Schmalfeld and Guitar - Kyle Gibson.

All performances will be held at the Laxalt Auditorium located in the Nelson Building at 401 West 2nd Street, Reno NV. (directly across from the Greyhound Bus Station)

Ticket prices are $12 general admission & $10 students/seniors Tickets available for purchase at: www.twnn.org • Or by calling: (775) 284-0789 The Washoe County School District neither endorses nor sponsors the organization or activity represented in this document.

The distribution of this material is provided as a community service. *** Due to its mature subject matter, this play is strongly recommended for ages 15 and over only ***

Reprinted with the permission of Simon Pulse, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division from CRANK

by Ellen Hopkins. Cover photo-illustrations and cover designed by Sammy Yuen Jr. (New York, 2004)

Photography

Photographer Frank Haxton Digiman Studio Client William Furs

Radio

Myree Townsend Sales and Marketing Director America Matters Media Inc. Text Oliver X Photo Alina Vincent AlinaVincentPhotography.com

“I see community radio exploding!”- Myree Townsend Myree Townsend has been selected to join the America Matters Media management team as Director of Sales and Marketing.

The talented Townsend has an extensive background in radio sales, marketing, business administration, communications and media. She played an integral role in developing and maintaining lasting customer relationships in the Northern Nevada and Northern California markets for Creative Coverings. She has started and operated several small businesses during her sixteen years in our community. For the past twelve years Townsend has been lecturing and conducting seminars and self-esteem workshops to pre-teens, teens and adults on how to bring out what is uniquely different about them, to help them discover and illuminate their beauty from the inside out.

Townsend is a member of the Northern Nevada chapter of the eWomen Network.

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“Myree brings a winning combination of success in sales and as a small business owner along with knowledge of our local community,” says Chip Evans, general manager of America Matters Media.

In this newly created management role, Townsend’s responsibilities include design and implementation of marketing and sales efforts, in conjunction with management, and the selection, training and direction of affiliate marketing/ sales representatives. She will participate in development of mutually beneficial relationships with advertisers, sponsors and key strategic partners. Townsend will work with show hosts and potential show hosts in acquiring sponsors and advertisers. She will also work with and coordinate the sales efforts of other America Matters Media staff.

Evans adds, “The addition of this new position is key to AMM’s next phase of corporate development, namely the building of our financial strength to prepare for expanded operations. We are very pleased to have Myree join the team at this important juncture.”

A graduate of Eastern Oregon University with a degree in Business Economics and Marketing Management, Townsend brings her entrepreneurial experience and verve to an industry on the cusp of tremendous growth.

“America Matters Media is giving a voice and vehicle to connect people locally through multimedia tools and programming that add value and make consumer and community impact,” Townsend notes.

more accountable to community voices. You see this in the way our numbers are skyrocketing.

On the relationship side, there are no long term commitments required and we can customize packages to meet any budget.

RTT: How do you sell community radio in an era of social media and mobile dominance?

In addition, as a broadcast and content creating entity we’re really very balanced on both ends-which is unique for radio which tends to lean one way or another on the political spectrum. This can alienate a side of your market. We don’t want that. It’s exciting to hear people say that they used to listen to another talk show and now they listen to our programming. We invite a million points of thought. That’s what we embrace here at America Matter Media.

Myree Townsend: Radio was the first technological means we had of connecting people with products. So for me it goes back to creating those connections, and giving people a voice in our community. It was a no-brainer for me to come aboard and help clients, listeners and brands spread the word about their products, services, mission and message.

RTT: What’s the value incentive in advertising on America Matters Media?

Myree Townsend: We’re a multi-faceted integrated media company with the ability to produce a sixty-second promotional message inhouse and run it every day for a month for $150!

You can’t even get quality commercially produced business cards for that price! To purchase a similar package from traditional radio you would be paying $40-$50 per radio spot.

So when a client signs on with us they’re getting connected to individual radio personalities who have brands, professional and social networks that boost their business profiles and community presence, reaching a broad base that they’ve never previously accessed. This makes a powerful ripple effect on our listenership, who then act on that awareness.

We have sixty drop-in visitors to our studios each day and we run seventy plus hours per week of live broadcasting each week. This has a tremendous value to a business owner. No other media environment creates this type of synergy under one roof, with B2B interactivity, word-ofmouth directly to our studio audiences, real-time social media postings, coupled with our on-air programming and messaging. The more senses that you can stimulate in someone, the more they’re going to remember you and your message.

RTT: What do you see in the future for this format?

Myree Townsend: I see community radio exploding and it makes me giddy inside. Listeners are identifying with a phenomenal product that they’re able to shape and participate in. No other media format is more interactive and therefore

And it really starts with the team that I work with.

They make all the difference. They work long hours and are tireless in their efforts. They are in the community, in the streets, out at businesses and at events making connections and creating access to media that many community members have never had before. Because of the team that our clients are aligning themselves with, you really get much more than you sign up for with us. We’re thinking about your businesses as we go to bed at night; we’re thinking about how we can connect you. Again, it’s giving you a voice. I tell businesses all the time, you need to have many different arms reaching out to your clients. So add this spoke to the hub of your messaging, branding and outreach.

Contact Myree Townsend at America Matters Media 775-843-9548 or at myree@americamatters.us.

America Matters Media integrates radio programming, social media and ecommerce strategies in unique ways to powerfully reinvent community radio. AMM produces and distributes nearly 40 high-quality, diverse programs that educate, entertain and enlighten. AMM radio shows air on multiple major/minor-market radio stations addressing such diverse subjects as addiction/recovery, business, health and wellness, law, parenting, spiritual, cultural awareness, veterans issues, Nevada tourism, current affairs, entertainment, animal health, the American West, the plight of wild Mustangs and politics. Listen live weekdays on 101.3FM and on 99.1FM Fox News Talk.

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Raw Nutrition Text Rachelle Lanning | Photo Tony Contini

Something New

We all get excited about the New Year. A new start, a new you, another chance! Yet, we often keep repeating the same old patterns. Maybe you set out to lose a few pounds, start a new diet, or cut out excess calories and sugar from alcohol. Whatever the intention may be, chances are, that come February they're long forgotten.

I

n the year to come, a fresh perspective and new approach may be all that is needed to create lifestyle changes that are sustainable. Instead of the 'all or nothing' approach, try taking baby steps. Instead of piling it all in an overwhelming heap that you may not be able to stick to, why not focus on one small thing a month?

• In January you give up processed sugar • In February incorporate two healthy organic meals each week that contain no meat or dairy • In March you decide to limit yourself to 4-5 glasses of wine a month

Every person has completely individual health needs and goals. Creating a realistic format makes it so much more likely that you will be able to succeed in making permanent life changes.

When making these monthly resolutions for 2014, try to keep the big picture in mind. Instead of setting out to lose a few pounds, resolve to create healthier habits--this will better serve you. You will most definitely shed some pounds, and chances are, this time you will keep them off.

If you're genuinely craving a dramatic shift, you can kick-off the year with a juice cleanse.

Cleansing can be a quick way to recharge your body and achieve a fresh sense of clarity and empowerment. Plus, dietary changes can be easier after cleansing. Not only will your body be less likely to crave the junk it has just purged, you find yourself grateful to simply be eating food! Of course, check with your doctor if you are under 18, have a severe medical condition, or are pregnant or nursing. If you commit to drinking only fruits, vegetables, herbal teas, and water for a bit, you just might find that kick start you've been looking for. Following your cleanse, why not incorporate more raw fruits and vegetables into your every day routine?

There are so many things that we continually say that we wish for ourselves, yet we feel disappointed once again when we let ourselves down. Instead of repeating these patterns and expecting different results, let's change it up a bit.

It doesn't have to be drastic or over the top, just a slightly different angle. Set deliberate intention with a positive spin, not the heaviness we often attach to the idea of change and depriving ourselves of things we enjoy.

Set your resolutions in a way that simply supports a healthier you by the end of 2014.

Giving yourself the whole year to implement the changes you would like to see in yourself. It's a much gentler and more sustainable approach.

Don't be hard on yourself; you can always regroup, reset your intention, and let things go!

Rachelle Lanning owns The Seed a raw vegan café in MidTown beneath The Studio at 1085 South Virginia. 775-284-5545.

Reno Tahoe Tonight 89

“As an association we are taking charge of our own neighborhood and helping to grow the area organically, encouraging new business to move to our downtown corridor on a daily basis, this is a community to be modeled after” says RWMA president and Reno eNVy owner, Scott Dunseath.

The RWMA has created their own colorful and recognizable brand, including a newly launched website that acts as a resource for locals and travelers, a custom illustrated map of the district, installed over 300 flags to identify the area with their own monies, developed and supported some of the regions most admired monthly events, created the beautification project and held summer cleanup projects to tend to the blighted and neglected areas of the downtown corridor.

RIVERWALK REPORT Text Jaclyn Coleman & Courtney Meredith When sitting in The Riverwalk District in downtown Reno you know you have entered a place of unique splendor, but what you may not know is this area was created that way with help from the independent business owners who have worked together to create a vibrant place for tourists and locals to enjoy. Recently recognized

by Travel & Leisure as one of America’s Coolest Riverwalks, and featured in Sunset Magazine, Alaskan Airlines and New York Travel Magazine.

The Riverwalk is home to Reno’s oldest and most iconic churches, monuments and buildings in our region. You can experience five distinctly different destinations in a two block radius. Go to a movie; take a walk along the river; get a bite at a great restaurant with numerous cuisine options; grab a drink and then go dancing.

Since the late 1990’s employees, owners and volunteers have banded together into what is now recognized as the Riverwalk Merchants Association, also referred to as the (RWMA).

RWMA is a non-profit coalition of over 54 energetic merchants dedicated to promoting and advertising a vibrant and safe downtown that offers unique dining, shopping and entertainment in an area that celebrates Reno’s arts, culture, and history 365 days of the year. The goal of the RWMA is to help preserve the Riverwalk and assist in its continual growth through events, marketing and economic development.

The beauty of the RWMA is that 100% of the funding comes from monthly special events generated by its members. Such as the longrunning Wine Walk, held the third Saturday of each month, drawing up to 3000 participants in its peak summer months, and acting as a catalyst for the discovery of new bars, clubs and restaurants–which have been sprouting up all over the district. A nonprofit helping non-profits is almost unheard of, but over the past 5 years the RWMA has donated over $62,000 from the wine walk sales to other locally ran non-profits.

The Wild River Grille, located in the historic Riverside Hotel, Campo, Reno’s signature brand Reno eNVY, and West Street Wine Bar–inside West Street Market–are just some of hot additions to the area’s fast-rising corridor.

“The Riverwalk District has won hundreds of awards not only for the individual businesses, but also for their District as a whole. With all of the infrastructure and cultural amenities, the art, the dining, the architecture, the theaters and entertainment, you’re going to start seeing more and more people choosing to live and do business in the district, because so much is going on here,” says West St. Wine Bar owner Rick Martinez.

For information visit our website www.renoriver.org, or call 775-825-WALK

Scene

Text Cody Doyle Photos Focus in Photography

The use of essential oils is becoming increasingly more prevalent in today’s society. The benefits are undeniable, and the risk or side effects are nonexistent. In the days before we started to really think about the adverse effects that storebought products can have, essential oils were, essentially, unheard of.

M

any people are now recognizing the benefits from extracting these oils from plants that nature provided for us.

Essential oils can be made from grasses, flowers, roots, fruit peels, twigs, pine needles, resins and bark.

Unlike manufactured, synthetic aromatics and oils, essential oils have healing qualities.

They can improve memory, change or enhance our mood and can also ease pain and other symptoms of illness.

Sierra Essentials Holly Redpath, founder of Sierra Essentials, says when she was a little girl her mother used to burn candles frequently. Although they smelled delightful, after years of burning unnatural, synthetic candles, she discovered the walls were covered in soot. She also attributes her mother’s respiratory problems to prolonged use of paraffin candles. She decided to find a way to make candles that still smelled heavenly, but were eco-friendly and toxin free. She found soy wax. Besides being much healthier, soy candles also burn 50% to 70% longer than petroleum based candles.

Founded in 2008, Sierra Essentials’ natural, eco-friendly candles and oils (along with soaps, balms and spritzers) are crafted in Tahoe and Truckee. Redpath’s business was formed from friends and co-workers asking her to make her special soy based candles for gifts and personal use. So, late at night she would melt soy wax and create her candles; tying small strings around them to make them pretty, and using eco-friendly packaging, such as recycled jute bags as containers.

Holly says that it has always been about her nose; a self-described “smelly girl”, she knows a good thing when she smells it. “For some reason the recipe has come out the way it has,” she says. And from that recipe another small, ecofriendly, successful business was born.

Sierra Essential’s products are primarily carried online at SierraEssentials.com; also in a few shops around Truckee and Tahoe. However, you can find them locally at Never Ender at 119 Thoma Street. Come in and smell the candles, beautiful soaps and get some all-natural lip balm. If we don’t need to, why would we use anything other than what nature gave us?

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A Tantric Journey

Text Laz Daka

I was invisible in a crowd. I felt the only notice from women was when their purse bumped me as they walked by. I wanted a beloved, but women were irrational, un-reliable and untrustworthy in my eyes. I had to stop myself and think, are women really like that or am I missing something?

I realized that I couldn’t change everyone to behave the way that fits me, but I could gain a new perspective.

A new perspective meant opening to new experiences. I discovered tantra and other sex positive communities where transparency, authenticity and vulnerability were supported and encouraged. I listened with an open mind as others shared from their heart. This revealed to me just how private and secluded I had become with my own feelings. It was time for me to do some cleanup and confront blocks as I became aware of them. Many years later and after many layers shed, life is very different.

until I was able to see their Laz Daka own beauty radiate. I saw harmony in nature that before was unnoticed. My senses became sharper which lead me to higher states of pleasure and deeper connection with my partner. I began showing appreciation to the people who cared for me and I chose love of myself and others. The more I lived my life the way that felt sincere and true for me, the more I attracted what I desired in my life! As I accepted my needs and desires, others around me felt safe to do the same.

I learned to adapt and shift my own perspective to one that was compassionate to the experiences of others.

It all started with awareness. I began to question the stories I had told myself… that I was unlovable, that women were untrustworthy and that it was my fate to be alone. Then I began to take responsibility for myself, to stop blaming others and even myself; instead opening to the curiosity of perhaps my beliefs and perspective are limited.

Having grown up in a strong yang environment, I then entered my journey to experience yin.

I developed friendships with women without attachment or an agenda. I chose to be curious and to see the world from a beginner’s mind.

I welcomed support and guidance from other men as I shifted from privacy to community.

I began to get in touch with my own body by becoming aware of what I was feeling. I learned to appreciate my analytical mind, but not solely rely on it.

Amazing things happened along the way, for the first time in my life I began to experience beauty.

People began to shift and morph before my eyes, 96 Reno Tahoe Tonight

The more present I become the more I connect with the people in my life. Instead of having judgment of women, I empathize with them and their feelings no longer seem irrational. I realize they weren’t unreliable; they were looking after their needs. I now cherish this as a blessing, because when someone isn’t looking after their needs and they bend their will to meet yours, resentment lurks around the corner.

Finally, I healed through the hurt inside me that led to my mistrust. The safety of the space I create, factors in other’s decision on what they are willing to share.

I did not learn how to control and dominate the world into my thinking. I learned to adapt and shift my own perspective to one that was compassionate to the experiences of others. I continue to reap the benefits of my development and welcome you to join me. Namaste Laz Daka mailto: lazdaka@gmail.com will be co-facilitating a Tantra Valentine’s Weekend Workshop with Lisa A. Rizzoli February 15 please see www.

Lisa A. Rizzoli tantrasacredloving.com

Theater

Flirtin’ with the Monster

Text Oliver X Special to Reno Tahoe Tonight

@ Theater Works of Northern Nevada January 17-February 2

T

heatre Works of Northern Nevada is presenting the stage adaptation of Ellen Hopkins’ multi-award winning young adult novel Crank in January 2014. The play entitled “Flirtin’ with the Monster” is adapted for the stage by Ms. Hopkins and directed by Holly Natwora. The novel Crank is loosely based on Ms. Hopkins’ older daughter’s addiction to crystal meth. Released in October 2004, the novel quickly found a following due to its timely subject matter, interesting format and honest portrayal of a “good girl’s” fall from grace.

The downward spiraling circumstances that unfold for Hopkins’ central character Kristina (who eventually adopts the name Bree) in Crank are presented in a free verse poetic syntax, with eclectic word placement and spacing, combined with a compelling vernacular and raw introspective inner dialogue, making it one of the most spectacularly creative novels in recent literary history. The narrative intensity, subject matter, depth and immediacy of the gritty plot elements make adapting Crank for the stage quite a task by any measure.

I spoke to Hopkins in an email interview prior to the theatrical opening of the play in Reno to get her perspective on presenting “Flirtin’ with the Monster” for the stage.

Oliver X: I’m curious to see how you met the challenge of adapting the novel’s internal monologue and self-talk into your character development and dialogue for the stage. Talk a little about that process.

Ellen Hopkins: Stage actually works much better for the interior monologues so prevalent in the book than, say, a movie might. On stage, an actor often talks to the audience, so when a character is basically talking to him/herself, that becomes Ellen Hopkins

a conversation with the audience. Because there’s so much interior talk in the book, I did try to give some of those lines to other characters. It was an interesting process.

Oliver X: Casting a particular skill set or type for the Kristina/Bree role must have been difficult.

How involved were you in assisting in casting and directing the play?

Ellen Hopkins: I sat in on the auditions, and gave some input. But it came down almost immediately to a choice between two young women. It’s a tough role because Kristina is in pretty much every scene. Lots of dialogue to master! But beyond that skill set, she needed a certain look. The funny thing was, the director and I agreed on casting without consulting each other until after the auditions. I’ve also sat in on the initial read-through and several rehearsals. I only speak up when I think I can add something. Holly, the director, is awesome.

Oliver X: What if any were your expectations going into this production on how the dialogue would be interpreted by the actors, or did you cover that in your stage directions, blocking and dress rehearsals?

Ellen Hopkins: The actors have done a phenomenal job of interpreting not only the dialogue, but also the motivation behind it. The boys probably had the most difficult time, as in real life none of them are anything like the guys they play. But in the early read throughs, I did mention lines that I didn’t want to be throw-aways, and I explained why. Once there was an understanding of why that particular line was so important, the rest pretty much fell into place.

Oliver X: I envision a Black Swan-like character transformation for Kristina/Bree being played out in front of the audience. How did the actor(s) and director handle that character’s descent?

Ellen Hopkins: Hannah, who plays Kristina, has some personal understanding of that descent into addiction, and she was able to use that to illustrate Kristina’s decline. That is a huge transformation, one that cannot be understated. I know Holly and Hannah spent extra time working on Kristina’s monologues, and it is here you really see her fall.

Oliver X: Was there any material from your two

100 Reno Tahoe Tonight

All performances will be held at the Laxalt Auditorium located in the Nelson Building at 401 West 2nd Street, Reno NV. (directly across from the Greyhound Bus Station)

Ticket prices are $12 general admission & $10 students/seniors Tickets available for purchase at: www.twnn.org • Or by calling: (775) 284-0789 The Washoe County School District neither endorses nor sponsors the organization or activity represented in this document.

The distribution of this material is provided as a community service. *** Due to its mature subject matter, this play is strongly recommended for ages 15 and over only ***

Reprinted with the permission of Simon Pulse, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division from CRANK

by Ellen Hopkins. Cover photo-illustrations and cover designed by Sammy Yuen Jr. (New York, 2004)

subsequent novels Glass and Fallout that found its way into ‘Flirtin’’ by way of continuation or resolution of Kristina’s story?

Ellen Hopkins: Originally, I had thought to make this a three-act play, with each book as an act. But once I started writing it became clear there was more than enough material in book one. So, no.

By the way, I never intended for Crank to become a trilogy. I saw it as a standalone. However, my readers wanted more. And more. And I could give them even more and they would continue Kristina’s journey with her, fingers crossed that she’d find her way out of the morass.

Oliver X: What has been the most rewarding

aspect of this theatrical experience thus far for you as a writer?

Ellen Hopkins: Watching those characters come to life in the flesh. It’s surreal, really.

Ellen Hopkins’ “Flirtin’ with the Monster” will be presented January 17th, 18th, 24th, 25th, 31st and February 1st at 7:30 pm. Matinee performances are January 19th, 26th and February 2nd at 2 pm. All performances will be held at the Laxalt Auditorium located in the Nelson Building at 401 West Second Street (directly across from the Greyhound Bus Station). Due to mature subject matter, strongly recommended for ages 15 and over. Tickets are available online at www.twnn.org or by calling 775- 284-0789. For more information, please visit www.twnn.org or call 775-284-0789.

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Theater

Reno Area Theater Alliance

Text Oliver X

Goodluck Macbeth’s Production of Marvin Gonzales’ The 5th Wind and a Conversation with Bruka Theater’s Mary Bennett

The 5th Wind Goodluck Macbeth’s eight performance run of their first Playwright in Residence work, Marvin Gonzales’ “The 5th Wind,” is a powerful example of community theater at its best. Directed

by Joe Atack, the two-act dark dramedy is about two neighbors in a basement apartment.

Tortured poet Montalban or “Monty” (John Frederick) pines for his dream girl muse Annabel (Kate Atak) who he feels has rebuffed him in favor of another man. Salty building janitor Sorensen (Scott Rankin) confronts Monty in the play’s first scene, talking the poet down from his date with a noose. Pithy man-talk and hard drinking ensues between the two male leads (while Annabel’s hauntingly seductive dialogue is rendered on and off stage effectively), revealing a cynical deception and plot twist that blindsides Montalban, leading to the second act’s knockdown dragout denouement.

Actor John Frederick ably handles Gonzales’ dense dialogue and the comedic timing of his repartee with Rankin’s character is hilarious, in part due to Monty’s romantic myopism concerning matters of the fairer sex, when played against Sorensen’s blue collar sensibilities. The simple wise man and the educated fool archetypes.

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I was struck by a ludicrous thought that Gonzales’ extremely well-constructed and dramatically suspenseful 5th Wind, though not a literal modern reprisal of Poe’s famous last poem “Annabel Lee,” shares some epic similarities. Gonzales’ protagonist is grief-stricken by the perceived betrayal and death of the “relationship” with his Annabel--mirroring the devastation experienced

by Poe’s narrator, whose love of Annabel Lee, he believes, even the angels are jealous of. Gonzales’ Sorensen (or Seraphim), an angel of mercy to Montalban, ultimately betrays him in his jealousy, killing his ill-fated relationship to his beloved Annabel. This was delicious to ponder, though I didn’t get to confirm whether I was Looney Tunes, or onto something here with the talented Gonzales.

I did speak to Gonzales mid-run at The Hub on Cheney Street in Reno about the play. Gonzales noted that the play’s pace and timing had picked up quite a bit since its opening. “There’s a lot of comedy in the first act that I’m not sure was coming across too much in the first weekend, but it has been coming across the past couple of shows,” he noted.

I also asked him about how his own experiences as an actor informed his playwrighting. “In terms of being an actor and a writer--especially writing for theater--not only am I trying to write parts that I think would be fun to play as an actor, but I think I’m more open to what an actor is going to do with the part,” Gonzales says. “So if

they change a little bit of it or something, I’m not gonna take it personally or anything like that. During the process of rewriting the play, watching what actors do with the character might inform later drafts of what I end up doing with the script. I think that being open to that is a direct result of having acted a lot,” he emphasizes. “Understanding that you could have the most concrete script that’s been done to death, as an actor, you still want to bring a new flavor to that.”

I’m looking forward to seeing a second life for this play. Gonzales said he hopes to be able to bring “The 5th Wind” to the San Francisco or New York Fringe Festivals in the near future.

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Reno Area Theater Alliance

Theater A Conversation with Bruka Theater’s Mary Bennett One of northern Nevada’s most gifted actor-writerdirectors, Producing Artistic Director Mary Bennett has been the bedrock of the award-winning Bruka Theater. I caught up with Bennett back stage prior to her annual production of the wise-cracking theatrical extravaganza that is the Buttcracker— which was nearing the end of another successful run—to speak about her season and the exciting things happening in 2014.

Oliver X: Your new season started in October.

Tell me what you have coming up that’s exciting?

Mary Bennett: Our next Artist-in-the-House Series is me, and then I’m going to do an improv acting workshop in January and February. We have “Stage Beauty” coming up for our next show. It’s gonna be gorgeous, sexy and yummy. That’s a piece Bill Ware had wanted to direct for a long time.

So sometimes people will bring different pieces and I’ll sit on them for a while and see how they suit a season. The way that the season has worked out we have some very big ambitious plays. “Stage Beauty” is one of those. The cast is over thirteen people and you know that’s big for Bruka. Once you get that many people in here, I mean, like for “Buttcracker” we have thirty people in here. It’s just huge! Our back stage has exploded with people.

I think when you’re doing smart theater in the community, and we are all different in what we are as community theaters and companies, you have to aim high. It’s Brüka’s ambition to be a semi-professional company where we can pay our contributors, even if it’s small stipends—which we do to our directors and stage managers now--and then our children’s company we pay. We’d like to evolve to a place as artists where, perhaps we cannot completely support ourselves with our art, but that we are honored for our time and for our commitment that we give to whatever it is, theater or visual arts.

Oliver X: I completely concur, and in the early days of RTT we were challenged by our vision to give back to our contributors and we finally arrived at that place. So it must be rewarding for these artists to receive that kind of tangible recognition for their theater work.

Mary Bennett: It is, I think it means quite a bit.

The stipends are very small, but it matters so much to them that they are respected for their art in this way. When we did “Pieces of Eight”--which was our short festival that we did in November, and 104 Reno Tahoe Tonight

we’ll do that again next year-we wanted to stimulate the community to do small pieces and have it run like a festival.

So, each of us performed up to three times and then everybody got ten percent after Bruka made $100. So I wrote checks to people for like $33. But how cool was that! Instead of having to pay to be part of a festival, they had all of it provided for them. We did their lights, we gave them the space… An important thing that I’m sure you deal with is how do you remain a small business that tries to take care of your community and be part of it, and not over spend? OK, if I’m going to pay my artists this year, how do we make it so that Bruka is still here? The work we do is very worthwhile. I live here and I wanna live in a town that says our artists are very talented and worth our time, our money and our care.

Oliver X: Beautifully said. The intention is spiritual and it reverberates through the community and comes back in so many ways.

Mary Bennett: Yes it does.

Oliver X: So, tell me about the Buttcracker.

Mary Bennett: People love Buttcracker and each year we do a different theme. This year “Buttcracker 5 Pirate Booty” is our fifth original production. Our matinee performance will be a special benefit fundraiser for Nikos Theologitis because he has cancer and needs another surgery.

The show sold out. All the money from the box office from that performance will go to him. So we’ll be able to give him about $1,500.

I attended the sold out final matinee performance of “Buttcracker 5 Pirate Booty” the afternoon after speaking with Bennett and sat in the spot booth. The view was fantastic and the show was even better! Bennett’s direction kept things really fun for the actors, who often interacted with audience members and occasionally gave narrator Gary Cremeans V some lip. The witty physical ensemble acting, light sexual innuendo, hilarious dance numbers featuring clever send-ups of contemporary hit songs and the side-splitting sight gags kept me rolling. But it was Cremeans’ show stealing snarky narration—which sounded like a ghoulish melding of SNL’s Bill Hader mocking Dateline’s Keith Morrison with a bit of CBS Mystery Theater’s E.G. Marshall thrown in-that made the night unforgettably entertaining for me. As I left the theater a family of five, speaking amongst themselves, said that the show was the funniest theater experience they’d ever had.

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Theater

STAGE BEAUTY Written by Jeffrey Hatcher Directed by Bill Ware

January 17, 18, 23, 24, 25, 30, 31 February 1, 5A*, 6, 7, 8 2014 at 8 PM Sunday Matinee: February 2 2014 at 2 PM *Artist Night. $10 for Artists & Teachers

Exile is a Dreadful Thing When One Knows His Rightful Place.

I

n January and February of 2014, Bill Ware directs The Compleat Female Stage Beauty. In this dramatic comedy written by Jeffrey Hatcher, the rich territory of the English theatre is explored. In 1661 the most famous portrayer of female roles on the London stage was a performer named “Kynaston.” Like every other player permitted to enact such roles, Kynaston was a man. He’s the toast of the town and the very secret “mistress” of the Duke of Buckingham. But when an unknown named Margret Hughes plays Desdemona one night at an illegal theater, instead of stopping the show, the ever-game King Charles II changes the law to allow women to act. By the stroke of a pen, Kynaston’s world is turned upside-down.

Season Tickets are now on sale.

Reservations are available through our box office at (775) 323-3221. Individual tickets are $20 for general $18 for students, seniors and military and all tickets are $25 at the door. Reservations are also available at the Melting Pot World Emporium @ their new location: 1047 S. Virginia Street. Reno. We validate convenient parking at the Parking Gallery on First and Sierra Street. Check us out at www.bruka.org.

Season Tickets and Gift Certificates are on sale for the holidays. Tickets available online at http://www.brownpapertickets.com 106 Reno Tahoe Tonight

ABOUT BRÜKA THEATRE In the 21st season in downtown Reno, Brüka has been named “Best Theatre Company” by The News and Review seventeen years running. Brüka Theatre is a leader in the region, recognized for its productions, artists and theatre for children series since its founding in 1992. Central to Brüka is the commitment to the reinvestigation of contemporary and classic plays and developing new plays within Brüka’s Artistic Collective, which include winners of the Nevada Arts Council and Sierra Arts Foundation artist grants and 9 local best actor honors. Brüka is a non- equity and not-for-profit theater company that has produced over 80 shows in our downtown Reno location. 2013/2014 season tickets are now on sale.

Sign up for our email newsletter by going to our website at www.bruka.org.