Elizabeth D'Onofrio Reel

Gulf Islands Film Commission update

Hello all,

I know I haven't been blogging much lately, but that is because I have been working diligently on a business plan to launch, The Gulf Islands Film Commission. It's coming along well but I am still in need of $$ to set aside work hours, Gas for traveling to other Film Commissions and meetings, and office supplies (paper and ink for now). I really appreciate your help and would like to Thank the kind people that have donated so far. Small amounts are great and they will get you on our newsletter mailing list so that you will be aware of what is happening regarding film on our lovely Island. 

Hey Landlubbers, Islanders, and Film Lovers,

I am still looking to raise money for the education I need to go after funding for a Film Commission on Fort Myers Beach for FMB, Sanibel, Captiva, and surrounding areas.

I don't know how many of you continue to read my blog, but those of you that do, please follow this link and vote for me everyday from now until July 25th. Once a day or from different IP addresses.

http://www.strivectin.com/powertochange/?x=us_showcase22_2713_31

It's for a good cause and has to do with doing what I love to help others get jobs and to promote tourism on my beach town.

Thanks so much!!!
vote! vote! vote! Facebook and tweet your hearts out!

Awaken The Dawn

Busy, Busy, Busy

Here's an update on what I have been doing since the New Year. I am the Talent and Film coordinator for the revamped Fort Myers Beach Film Festival. http://www.fmbfilmfest.com
I have lots of films to watch. I also received films from the SAG Awards and really want to watch them too. So I guess I should put my netflix on hold for awhile. Can you do that? I decided to do some acting in an hour production of vignettes here on the beach. It's called "A Beachy Love" and my friend Mark List and I will be doing a one-act called, "Open and Shut Marriage" by Bruce Kane. It's a funny one. So I am also learning lines and building a character. One more thing. Classes. I am teaching a class at The Laboratory Theater of Florida called, "Readers Theater". A great class for seniors and other people that don't want to memorize lines, but are interested in the creative process of working on a play. 10 week class on "The Importance of Being Earnest". I also am trying to get together a Film and TV acting class. Still looking for a space closer to me to hold them out. You see the beach in season (now) is always backed up in traffic. If you have to go north on the Island to go over the bridge to Fort Myers than there is a lot of time spent in traffic. So I am trying to get a class going over the South bridge to Bonita and Naples. So as you can see I am keeping busy these days with hopes for a better financial situation coming my way. Yay, Shawn just went out to get Margarita and Taco stuff for today. Sunday is my only day and night to spend with the love of my life. Oh yeah, I also had a great time visiting my son and friends in L.A.. He is such a wonderful young man. It certainly was a treat to participate in my Acting Coach's (Sharon Chatten) class. She is still the best ever. It was also great to spend a bit of time with her, chatting about family and stuff. She is so beautiful in and out. The knowledge I always gain from her is priceless. The pic you see here is at my darling friend's, Stephen Marshall and Michelle Lyons wedding. Vincent and I met Stephen at The American Stanislavsky Theater in NYC in 1979 and the three of us have been friends ever since. You can catch a glimpse of him and his talent as the photographer/traitor in "Steal This Movie". We lived, studied and worked together for many years in NYC. When we all were living in L.A. I met Michelle. Such a beautiful woman and dear heart. I got them together 18 years ago and they finally decided to get married. I also got to visit with my dear friend, Lori in Hollywood. It was all so much fun. Well, back to the drawing board. January is just about gone, but I think I have enough stuff to hold me over this season. Winter in Florida. Jan-April.

A Long Strange Trip it's Been

Wow, I have never had so much trouble putting on a play before "Sisters of the Sea". We started rehearsals in August with a full cast. Little by little, actors began to drop off. Some had day job commitments and others just flaked on us. By the end of October, a few weeks from our first performance we had only 6 actors out of 10. Let's go back a bit, though. We started losing people in August. One of our actors had to have eye surgery so he walked. It was funny because he actually wore a patch on his eye, but after the surgery there would be no patch. Then in late September, when we had already almost two months of rehearsal, our two leads, dropped out. We replaced one with an actor that was actually playing two small parts. He jumped right in and was a wonderful, Captain Jack Rackam (Abrahan De la Rosa). We were still missing a Mary Reed (Lead) and finally someone recommended the wonderful, Lydia Franz. This was the beginning of October, just a month and a half left for her to rehearse, find her character, and get the lines down. She did it. After finally getting our Mary and Jack, we still had to find someone to play the two small roles that Abe had moved up from, and two other characters. Tobias Sampson, James Bonny, Temple Lawes and Henri. We finally got a Henri, played comically by the very talented, Ivy Levinson. Our Temple Lawes finally appeared with just a few weeks to go. Then we split the characters, that were supposed to be played by the same actor. Well ah! Our James Bonny showed up with a week to go, and do you believe I filled the role of Tobias Sampson, just two days before our first show? Thanks to Keri Hendry (Anne Bonny), Abe de la Rosa (Calico Jack), Sherwood Cooper (3 characters), Michael Weeg (4 characters), and last but not least Chaz Maupin (2 characters) for sticking it out through 3 grueling months of rehearsal for only three performances. They are gems. All in all the Kudo's were many, and we had nice size audiences. It finally was a great cast and a great show. Onward and Upwards and C'est la vie!