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Posts by: Julie Anixter

On the Power of the Amateur

Julie Anixter
By Julie Anixter
Collaborative Design

One of the most memorable scenes in the movie City Island happens when Andy Garcia, playing an earnest and aspiring blue collar actor, performs his first audition for a movie. He mangles it. The audition is an abysmal failure. But somebody sees something, and for reasons that should only be revealed by seeing the movie, he is offered a second chance.  As the film unfolds, we see Garcia 'acting' as true amateur. In a tour de force performance of an actor acting as someone who has never acted before, we see him figuring it out as he goes along - trying, learning, stumbling, recovering, finding his footing and, ultimately, his own rhythm, with consequences that must be seen on the big screen to be appreciated. 

For director Raymond De Felitta’s own story behind the story, there’s more here.

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On the Power of An Invitation

Julie Anixter
By Julie Anixter
Collaborative Design

Like many tourists from all over the world, I visited Harlem on Easter Sunday. I was looking for Gospel music, but I found something even more exquisite - the co-created call-and-response service at the Harlem Church of Christ. From the first beat of the pastor's sermon, I knew it wasn’t going to be a passive experience. The entire service was filled (in a binary, spoken-word, sung-hymn kind of rhythm) with the a capella singing of psalms, hymns and spirituals. And the choir? From the first time the pastor raised his hands to conduct us from the podium, I realized that we, the congregation, were the choir! You can experience this for yourself any Sunday at the 10 a.m., 1 p.m. or 6 p.m. services, or on alternate Thursday nights at Church of Christ, 480 Lenox Avenue in Harlem.  And as bonus:  Sylvia’s Soul Food is next door.

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