BELIEVE ME is an apparel company started by two women who were sick of the normalization of sexual violence. Their designs feature anti-sexual violence and pro-consent messaging in order to empower people and start a dialogue. Part of the profits on their "no means no" hats go directly to The New York City Alliance Against Sexual Assault, an organization that works to stamp out sexual violence and provide support and resources for survivors. Part of the profits on their "consent is key" hats go directly to Project Consent, an organization running an amazing campaign to raise awareness about sexual violence and the importance of consent. They hope to one day live in a world where a company like believe me does not need to exist. Until ALL our spaces are free from sexual assault and violence, they will keep on creating empowering apparel. Show your support and purchase a hat for you or a friend! Visit www.believemeofficial.com Gotta love changing society for the better~
~T.
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~Written by Communications/Melchior Lover, Toro Adeyemi~ Last night was truly… Magical. When a friend asked me if I wanted to see Spring Awakening on Monday night, I swiftly checked my calendar, saw my evening clear, and replied with a “Yes I can!!” At the time, I had no idea that it would be the Deaf West Theatre's revival of the 2006 musical by Duncan Sheik – a musical that I had seen twice before in my teenage years. I remember waking up before 5am to get to the Eugene O’Neill Theatre early enough for rush tickets, setting up camp and passing the time by singing the score, hanging by the stage door post-show to meet the actors. This revival is like nothing I have ever seen before – the synchronization between the actors using American Sign Language and the actors singing and speaking in English is quite breathtaking. With communication (or the lack thereof) being a central theme between the adult and child characters, seeing this beautiful metaphor played out on stage makes the messaging all the more powerful. This musical serves as a reminder that it’s not always what you say, but it's really how you say it. The most powerful forms of communication tend to be non-verbal: it is through our body language and our tone of voice that we can best convey meaning. Our voice flattens when we’re disinterested, our eyes open wide when we are thrilled, we cringe at an unpleasant thought or jump when we are frightened. Superfandom aside, I would have still found this production powerful even with no musical numbers sung because the actors' physical intentions are crystal clear. Often complex, yet seamless and sophisticated, I derived meaning primarily from their body language and gesticulation (stellar lighting and set design helped to set up the environment, as well). Truly captivating. ERGO: The Word of Our Body is a powerful comms tool. So Dance! Run. Jump. Sit up Straight. Stretch. I highly recommend that you go see this limited engagement while it's running at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre thru January 24th, 2016. You have to see this for yourself. Then, let me know what you think! ~T.
Third Space Theater’s production of Fireface closed Saturday, Sept 5th, and what a great ride it has been! We worked on Facebook marketplace advertising, copywriting, media pitching, press relations, and overall social media strategy for the company. Through Toro Communications, Fireface was listed in nonsenseNYC and Time Out New York, and received reviews from Medium and most proudly, the New York Times. We also secured Metropolitan and Alligator Lounge as local partners – show the provided drink ticket to a bartender at either venue and you’d receive discounts on drinks for the evening. Lastly, we met with the owners of Northern Bell in Williamsburg to plan the Opening Night Reception on Friday, Aug 28th, ideating a delicious, red, Fireface themed margarita cocktail – yum. A big thanks goes out to Third Space for the opportunity! Check them out at www.thirdspacetheater.org and like them on Facebook to keep posted on upcoming productions.
~T.
~Written by Bowser Lover, Toro Adeyemi~ It’s one thing to watch two of your friends play a fighting video game and poke fun at whoever gets schooled...or kills themselves accidentally, of course. It’s a TOTALLY different thing to watch two really, REALLY, good players go at it for a championship title…in a room full of thousands of other people just as into the game as you are. Try to imagine the volume of the cheers by fans witnessing the precise technical skills used to complete a move, and the emphatic groaning when someone royally screws up. In the gaming community, we call this “HYPE,” and there was a truckload of it at Evolution Championship Series (EVO) 2015. *** But first -- I was introduced to Super Smash Brothers Melee (SSBM) at Carnegie Mellon University. I knew the game existed, but I had never seen it played so seriously before. I would often hear the “click click clickity-click” of furious controllers as I walked down the hallway to my fifth floor Fairfax apartment. Turning the corner, neighbouring doors stood open with students concentrating so hard on a screen, you’d think they were doing homework. This trend continued along to the next set of apartment doors, which were full of math, CS, and engineering majors, all “Smashing” away, their rooms surrounding my own. We all soon became friends and I’d watch occasionally, laughing at the insults being thrown around and observing the different styles of the various characters one could choose from: Marth is a good starting character for a n00b because his giant sword is suited for learning the basics of spacing and movement, while Fox lets players with advanced tech skills do flashy combos and complex mind games, as examples. Winner keeps their controller, loser hops off so the next in line can try their luck. I never really played SSBM – everyone knows N64 is my system of choice and that Mario Kart is where I slay (ls: one night, I beat about 6 guys in my apartment... repeatedly). In hindsight, I wish I played more now that I’ve seen how big the Smash community really is. There are dedicated fans and players all over the country and around the world. Don’t believe me? There was a donation drive for a final slot to EVO 2013 where the Smash Melee community beat out 16 other teams by raising $94,683 for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (out of approx $225K!), as well as the creation of a great lore, the Smash Brother’s Documentary, which has over 800K views on YouTube. The fandom is certainly solid. Fast forward to July 17th, 2015 in Las Vegas for the Evolution Championship Series, the largest fighting game event in the world, where gamers can compete or just BYOC (Bring Your Own Controller) for friendlies. 12,000 attendees, 7,000 unique competitors. Besides SSBM, the lineup included Ultra Street Fighter IV, Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, Guilty Gear Xrd -SIGN-, Killer Instinct, Mortal Kombat X, Persona 4 Arena Ultimax, and Tekken 7. Getting there early to grab seats close to the front, I watched Guilty Gear and Mortal Kombat (all very hype) before SSBM was up. Soon enough... IT’S TIME. TO. SMASH!!!
The four “Smash Gods” present at EVO were all in the top 8: Armada, Hungrybox, and PPMD finished in the top 3, while Mango (a legend and my favorite player – ^do you see that Fox tattoo??) came in 5th after an EPIC upset – You could feel the electricity EVERYWHERE. Each year, EVO grows, and I'll definitely be making my way back out to the Las Vegas dessert for this tournament again. *** Whether it’s competitive gaming, fashion, fitness, or comic books, I recommend taking the time to go to a convention and be surrounded by a TON of people who have similar interests to you. You’re bound to be introduced to something you haven’t seen before, make friends, and have fun!
Happy to announce upcoming work with Third Space on their production of
FIREFACE by Marius von Mayenburg Running August 26 - September 5 at The Brick. Pubescent siblings, Kurt and Olga, navigate the violence and betrayal of growing up — and find the cruelty, humiliation, exhilaration of destroying their claustrophobic childhood. 7/21 Press Release on BroadwayWorld.com Follow Third Space and Toro Communications on Facebook for updates! www.thirdspacetheater.org Stay tuned! Post-BODYPUMP coffee and jewels with Gerard Yosca Jewelry. Love, love, love!
From JFK to Bushwick for Orientation Day 1 of the National Theatre for Student Artists 2015 Season -- Professional student theatre in action. Thanks to all who supported our Kickstarter campaign! I'm proud to be the Communications Manager of this organization! ~T. Dinner and a marketing meeting for the National Theatre for Student Artists' upcoming production, Expedition! Stay tuned...
A random conversation with a stranger, a regular thought with myself Written by Toro Adeyemi Even though I’ve moved from Westchester to Brooklyn and am now working in a different field, ECOBAGS® has remained a part of my everyday life. Last week, I took the D train from Columbus Circle after a workout at NYSC. Whenever I travel around the city and see a cotton tote bag, I can’t help but to direct my eyes to the top right corner, searching for the identifiable, green ECOBAGS® logo. This happens at least three times a week when the weather is cold, and much more frequently when it’s warmer out, sometimes multiple times a day! On this day, I saw a woman with a WNYC Radio tote bag, which I see most regularly around the city. It’s easy to spot given the bold, red graphics and the big W N Y C blocking. Most times, I’ll snap a picture and send a text to Sharon, Eco-Bags Products Founder, sharing where exactly I’ve spotted the tote. I’ll either ask the person to pose in a shot, or take one in action (not showing the identity of the person, because to stop everyone I see with an ECOBAGS® tote would be quite the task!). I sit down in the subway, and the woman happened to sit right next to me. I said, “You’ve got an ECOBAGS® tote! I used to work at the company up in Westchester.” We then got into a conversation about what I used to do there as a Brand Strategist, how she uses totes to transport her plastic waste out to recycling, and how she still uses plastic bags sometimes, though she attempts to reuse them as much as possible. I shared that there are certain brands that produce biodegradable trash bags, which led to discussing the conundrum of paying for what you could easily get for free. That is a general theme for people who are comfortable in their habits, and it’s understandable. Why spend money on something that betters the environment when you can do what you normally do, for free? Firstly, I think most people don’t even think about their actions when it comes to plastic waste – it’s just a non-factor in their everyday lives. Those that have the thought but still use single-use bags tend to feel that their contributions are miniscule -- “Oh, I’m just one person, I’m not really ‘destroying the planet.’” Using the rule of generalizability, imagine if everyone were to feel and act that way… All of these individual actions create massive effects! I’ve always appreciated the ECOBAGS ® motto, “Cleaning up the planet, one bag at a time TM“ for the concept it suggests. Every plastic bag you don’t use is a step towards bettering the planet. The next time you’re at the grocery store or the deli and picking up a few small items, ask yourself, “Do I really need this plastic bag?” I see this in my office, too. Colleagues go across the street for a sandwich and come back with it in a plastic bag. Is this necessary? Really, it’s not. At the start of the day, I want people to be more conscious of their actions and the greater consequences on the environment. If we all keep these habits in mind, we’re doing a greater part to keeping the planet Green! The woman got off at West 4th and made a transfer to the F, and I eventually transferred to an M train. With every conversation I have such as this, I wonder if our dialogue will be enough to inspire a bit of change. ~*T*~
I had a great time with ABC Family on Friday!
They came to Catch24 to interview some of us for an upcoming pilot series. |
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