The
WendyArts FoundationInspiration:
Wendy was a talented artist and she loved being involved in many different art forms. She was a photographer, a painter, a sculptor, a sketch artist, an actress, a singer, a songwriter, a writer, a poet. She was fortunate in her short life time to have the opportunity to practice many of these things to her heart’s content. Not every artist is so lucky. It is often difficult if not impossible to survive and flourish as an artist.
Purpose:
The WendyArts Foundation is dedicated to helping artists of all walks of life to get their break and to have an opportunity to live what they love. The foundation’s goal is to create opportunities for artists of all ages and disciplines to be artists. This may be helping a playwright stage a production of his or her original work, or helping a talented young sculptor or painter find gallery space to display their masterpieces. Support may include donations of art supplies to underprivileged schools to encourage the artistic development of children.
Distribution Plan:
Donations made to the WendyArts Foundation may be earmarked for current arts grants, endowments or both. Distributions will be made on an irregular basis as grant requests are evaluated and recommended to the Board of Directors. Individuals or groups that are looking for support may contact the foundation with a request for assistance.
“The Ultimate Milkshake” is a comedy about the little things that define our lives: birth, death, friends, love, sex, dreams, and finding a really good dessert. John and Anna have been friends since college and as they hit their thirties, they are also hit with a dose of reality. The impending birth of John’s niece and the sudden death of Anna’s aunt force the two to take stock in their lives. When the John and Anna realize that all their friends have married off and left them to each other, they wonder if Anna’s late aunt wasn’t right: John’s a boy and he’s a friend, shouldn’t that make him Anna’s boyfriend? But since neither of them have had successful relationships in the past, maybe what they need is right in front of them. Or maybe they’ll blow the whole thing when their friendship is tested with the hassles of flight delays, waiting rooms, La Maze, lumps, lesbians, public bathrooms, public displays of affection, boxers, panties, the alphabet, Darth Vader and Julia Roberts. Written by Dylan White, “The Ultimate Milkshake” has been described as “touching, poignant and really, really funny.” It’s a friendship that’s not for the lactose intolerant.
Produced by Karen Soltero and Dylan White
Starring Dylan White as John and Karen Soltero as Anna
Opening April 12, 2001 at the Secret Rose Theater on Magnolia Street in North Hollywood, California, the play is dedicated to Wendy and will run on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights through May 19, 2001.
Support for the play is through donations made to the California Association of Local Arts Agencies.
AVA is a hip LA chick. Cute, clever, and a little quirky, this twenty-something female is the epitome of the Hollywood girl. But she is no ordinary girl. With the aid of her techno-savvy sidekick and friend, BETHANY, she can transform into AVALON, a super hero, with SUPER FEMALE POWER. She’s the heroine of all single women in LA, out to conquer a mysterious evil that clouds the hearts of men. The contents of her always messy and overcrowded purse can transform into her superhero costume and the utility belt she wears around her waist with the push of a button.
A tragedy has befallen the City of Angels. Most of the single men in LA have been possessed by evil demons that are out to destroy the population by breeding hate. They wrap themselves around the hearts of normally caring and loving men and turn them into dating nightmares. Together, Avalon and Bethany work to rid the city of these evil creatures, by capturing the possessed men and taking them in for De-Demonization.
Avalon’s most recent conquest begins in Kane, a local Hollywood hotspot. Bethany and Ava enter the crowded bar in hopes of spotting a demon or two. Ava is wearing her special, high tech sunglasses that enable herto see the demon writhing inside an otherwise caring and loving man. It doesn’t take her long to find her mark. DEVON is tall, dark, and handsome, every girl’s dream. Bethany moves aside to let Ava work her flirting magic. In no time at all, she has won his attention and a date with him for the following night.
The afternoon of the date, she arrives home just in time to catch Devon’s call. They set a time and he asks her to pick him up since his car is in the shop. Later that evening they arrive at the party. The enormous house belongs to the parents of Devon’s friend JOE, who are conveniently out of town. The party is raging. Devon offers to get them drinks and secretly spikes Ava’s soda when she isn’t looking. We start to see the true side of this monster when he runs into Joe at the bar and confesses his plans to maneuver her upstairs. Ava is not fooled by the drink and sets it down to lead him to the dance floor. The loud music provides Devon the perfect opportunity to lure her upstairs, where it is “quieter” and they can “talk.”
Devon locks the door behind him as he leads Ava into the room. He quickly begins making sexual advances towards her. Ava excuses herself to the bathroom where she calls Bethany after she locates her phone in the jumble in her purse. After summoning her sidekick, she pushes the button on her purse and turns into Avalon. She returns to the bedroom and attacks the demon. He argues, he fights, and he goes down with a shot from her stun gun. But not for long. Luckily, Avalon has the foresight to check her makeup after the fight and sees him coming in her mirror. A few well placed karate moves and he is down for the count. Bethany arrives to take him away. They meet back at Ava’s place a little later for a Level Four de-briefing, code for facials, popcorn and girlie movies. Stay tuned for the next adventure with Avalon and her SUPER FEMALE POWER.
Written by Nikki Burroughs and Karen Soltero
Produced by Karen Soltero and Nikki Burroughs
Starring Nikki Burroughs, Bart Johnson, Christine Burke
Directed by Steven Akahoshi
Executive Producer Chris Monson
Dedicated to the memory of Wendy Soltero
As of 3-12-01 currently in post production