An Imposter Among Us

I've bitten my tongue on this particular matter for a few months now, but at the end of the day no one else is going to stand up for my work except me.

They say imitation is the highest form of flattery. Well, I say imitation stinks. And I am certainly not flattered.

Others have come out with an online documentary series about artists and the challenges they face trying to balance art and life. Sound familiar? They're releasing 3 episodes a month, and 3 of them have focused solely on day jobs. Sound familiar?

Some claim that originality no longer exists. I disagree. Let's be original, people.

And, you know, it's funny how the world works sometimes. They've received a great deal of support from the local art world as well as some heavy-hitting press in a very short amount of time, all for an issue that's already being explored in a very similar way, for an idea that isn't theirs.

Victor Hugo said, "There is nothing more powerful than an idea whose time has come." I guess it took 3 years for them to catch on and catch up.

Maybe I should have waited until the economic crisis hit to release Keeping the Lights On.

So timing is everything, it seems. But I guess it also helps to have some names and clout to boot. Who cares if it's not your idea or how the thing looks? You've got the right people in your corner and it's "Come right on in!" I guess power and politics trump originality and quality. How naive I was to think otherwise.

Some key players involved have known about Keeping the Lights On from day one but chose to back them anyway, all while remaining quite silent about another series doing the same thing. And some of the media outlets that have shined light on this other series knew about Keeping the Lights On, too. I don't say this out of jealousy or envy or even bitterness; I'm just saying. Yup, it's very funny how the world works sometimes.

So what does this all mean? Well, I've let some of the people involved know that I'm aware of what's going on and I've expressed my feelings on the matter. Will they stop doing what they're doing? It's highly unlikely. The ball is rolling and, besides, the Rockefeller Foundation (their biggest supporter) wouldn't be too happy about that. They would surely want their money back.

If there's no way to stop the train, I guess our only recourse for now is to keep on doing what we do—bringing you the original documentary series about artists and their day jobs. In the least, it gives me the opportunity to live up to my production company's name.

Thank you for listening (well, reading). And thank you for all your support—past, present, and future.

New York Clown Theatre Festival

Our friend Ishah Janssen-Faith is performing in this year's New York Clown Theatre Festival. Here's all the info straight from the source's mouth:

"We, JAMES & JF, are proud to announce that our new show, CHANNEL ONE, is included in an all-star lineup at The New York Clown Theatre Festival 2010 at The Brick Theater.

THREE NIGHTS ONLY!
Sunday, September 19th at 8pm
Wednesday, September 22nd at 9pm
Thursday, September 23rd at 7pm

Buy tickets now: $15
Here's how: www.bricktheater.com/clown or 1-866-811-4111

THIS MATTERS.

JAMES & JF is Emily James and Ishah Janssen-Faith together. CHANNEL ONE is their first full-length show about two lonely sisters in the future who discover a live audience and something called 'TV.'"

Congratulations Ishah!