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Twelve O’Clock Tales

with Ava Gardner

 

a play by

Alessandra Assaf & Michael Lorre

 

Directed by Michael A. Shepperd

 

 

 

 


an afternoon

just after two

in

1974

a dressing room bungalow

Universal Studios 

Los Angeles

 

 


Song List

 

It Ain't Necessarily So

George & Ira Gershwin

 

Un Historia de un Amor

Carlos Eleta Almaran

 

Arrangement & Guitars................John O'Kennedy

Piano..............Ed Martel

Bass...........................Jason Hiller

Percussion.........................Scott Breadman

 

 


Who's Who


Thank You!

Solo Artist, my ass!

Honestly, ain’t nothing solo about this!

 

Serious Gratitude extended to…

 

 

Ko Koedijk

Bryan Rasmussen

Jessica Lynn Johnson

ROBBY

Rachel Maya

Jeannine Wagner

Liza Richardson

Philip McNiven

Lillian Byrd

Karen Furno

Pamela Najera

Ana Maria Suarez

Roberto Almaral

Michael Rooney

John O’Kennedy

Ed Martel

Jason Hiller

Scott Breadman

Irmgard Quint

Dickey Beer

Jeff Alan-Lee

Candy Tomanek

Luba Demchuk Dean

Gregory Gunter

David Holt

Ruth Jacobson

Troy Nankin

Michael Lorre

Charles Lago

Liesel Hlista

Mattilyn Rochester

Brooks Almy

Sandra Booker

Evelyn Nacif

Doris Muna

Mary Holmes

Alex McGurk

Jack Grapes

Buzz McLoughlin

Dave Gentry

Dann Gunnels

Kelleia Sheerin

Paula Timon

Ann Hearn Tobolowsky

Jonathan Tudrun

Stewart Zully

Misha Riley

Dana Matthow

Michael A. Shepperd

Hutch Foster 

Glen Alen

Bree Pavey

Lucy Pollak

Mitch Rosander

Ron Assaf

Tiffany Tandecki

The lady Ms. Ava Gardner

 & all of you, too!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Multimedia



Lana Turner


Grace Kelly


Lena Horne


Arlene Dahl


Esther Williams


Frank Sinatra


Artie Shaw


Mickey Rooney


Howard Hughes


George C. Scott


Louie B. Mayer


Did Ava get what she wanted?

MythBlast | The Wedding of Dame Ragnell and Sir Gawain

BY RAÏNA MANUEL-PARIS

The story of Dame Ragnell and Sir Gawain is one of the most popular tales to come down from late medieval England, and scholars generally attribute it to Geoffrey Chaucer.

In “The Wife of Bath’s Tale,” King Arthur gets separated from his knights while hunting. He meets Sir Gomer Somer Joure, who harbors a murderous rage for Arthur and wants to kill him, but since Arthur is not dressed for battle, he makes Arthur swear an oath to return in a year with the answer to this question: What do women desire most?

If he doesn’t find the answer, Arthur will lose his life.

Upon his return to court, Arthur shares his plight with Sir Gawain and they go on a quest to find out, writing down all their answers in a big book. After eleven months they return with many answers, but admittedly the answers seem superficial at best. The hour of meeting his fate is near, and while King Arthur rides out alone to gather his thoughts, he happens upon the ugliest woman he has ever seen.

Dame Ragnell is fat, with large pendulous breasts, has a huge nose, with warts and tusks protruding from her lips. Incongruously, she is riding a gloriously outfitted destrier (a knight’s warhorse) and holds herself in a queenly fashion. There is mystery here, and power.

She tells Arthur that she not only knows his plight, but also the answer to the question that will ultimately save his life. In return she asks for Sir Gawain in marriage. He believes her but says that he can only ask Gawain, he won’t force him to commit to such a marriage. Dame Ragnell accepts the arrangement and tells him to meet her at the same spot on the day of his meeting with Sir Gomer.

Arthur returns to court and confesses to Gawain that he ran into the ugliest hag who told him she had the answer that would save his life, but she would marry a great knight in return for the favor. Gawain, renowned for his chivalry, volunteers and Arthur is greatly relieved.

On the fateful day, Arthur rides out and meets Dame Ragnell at the same place. She tells him the answer:

First we want to be seen in our essence, in our innocent hearts, as who we truly are.

Second what we desire most is sovereignty over own lives.

This is still true for women today: being seen for who we truly are and having sovereignty over our own lives is still something to aspire to a thousand years after l’Amour Courtois was born.

Sir Gomer Somer loses his right to kill Arthur, since he gave a truthful answer, and Dame Ragnell immediately rides back with Arthur to claim Gawain as her husband. When Arthur suggests a small, quiet wedding, Dame Ragnell insists on a grand occasion, and when Guinevere suggests skipping the reception, Dame Ragnell insists on a grand banquet. All witness her terrible appetite and her manners — closer to that of a pig than a gentle lady. They all feel very sorry for Gawain.

As they lie together after the banquet, Dame Ragnell asks for a kiss. Gawain turns to her apprehensively and is amazed at the sight of his bride who has been transformed into an extraordinarily beautiful woman. He’s overcome, and they “made great joy.”

Dame Ragnell explains to Gawain that she was cursed by her half-brother Sir Gomer and his mother, and so Gawain must choose to have her beautiful by night and ugly in daylight, when other men can see her, or else beautiful by day and ugliest by night. Gawain feels that this is an impossible decision for him to make and surrenders the choice to his Lady.

This is, of course, the correct decision. Gawain has given back to Dame Ragnell sovereignty over her own life. The curse is broken. The two live together for five years during which Dame Ragnell gives birth to a boy who in time will become a fair knight of the Round Table. Then she leaves Gawain to fulfill her own destiny.

So....the end is not the end.

The World Ava Had to Contend With

Always Ask a Man
the key to femininity
Dahl
1965 (paperback: 1967)

Ladies! Your wait is over!  Arlene Dahl is here to tell you all the insider secrets of catching and keeping a man. Inside you will find tons of helpful tips on fashion, hair, makeup,and even romance! Evidently, the dudes just love when women are helpless and pretty. Arlene also has the inside scoop from the dreamiest men from Hollywood and beyond. Cary Grant, George Hamilton, Noel Coward, and Kirk Douglas are among the men helping explain what the guys REALLY want.

So ladies, go forth and be feminine!

 

MARY

Awful Library Books

 

Arlene Dahl was one of Ava's dear MGM pals, but is it any wonder our tomboy, Tar-Heel Ava grew so irascible?!

 

 

INTERVIEW with Alessandra

Interview: Alessandra Assaf's Right On Time with Her TWELVE O'CLOCK TALES WITH AVA GARDNER

Alessandra Assaf's one-woman show Twelve O’Clock Tales with Ava Gardner opens at the Whitefire Theatre January 15th

 Jan. 04, 2023  

        

Interview: Alessandra Assaf's Right On Time with Her TWELVE O'CLOCK TALES WITH AVA GARDNER

Alessandra Assaf has taken her life-long admiration for Ava Gardner and fashioned a love letter to her in her one-woman show Twelve O'Clock Tales with Ava Gardner opening at the Whitefire Theatre January 15, 2023. This tale of the silver screen icon is directed by Michael A. Shepperd.

Thank you for taking the time for this interview, Alessandra!

Honestly, the thrill is mine!

What was the very first movie you saw with Ava Gardner?

SHOWBOAT! I was about five. And captivated. I'm sure I was quite annoying - all the questions I asked... but even then, on some primal level, I understood Ava's portrayal of Julie's anguish. I believe it was Dickens who said something to the effect of children so finely perceiving and feeling injustice... I mean already at five, how many times had I watched my older brothers go off to do something wonderful that didn't include me? Ava was sublime in the role!

What is it about her that has kept its fascination with you to write about Ava Gardnerand portray her?

Hmmm... this is a tricky one to answer. I never set out to write a story about Ava Gardner. I was exploring some themes in a writing group that had to do with "physical magnificence" - not a coupling of words I came up with - but rather, an idea, a topic out there in the zeitgeist - that I somehow tapped into. Those explorations invited Ava in.
Beauty was celebrated in my family and Ava set the bar. You simply didn't use the word "beautiful" or "gorgeous" unless you were speaking of Ava Gardner. There were other, more apropos words to describe women who hadn't been kissed by Mother Nature as magnificently as she had. Pretty, charming, adorable, cute, appealing, attractive, lovely, fetching, elegant, stunning, even handsome... when it came to eye candy, you had to be specific!
And I hadn't wanted to play her initially. I was going to play her maid, Carmen Vargas, and tell about Ava. My husband fell on the floor in protest. When I told him I didn't have it in me to play the most beautiful woman in the world, he balked - as a good husband should! The real Carmen was knee high to a duck, giving me several inches on her. The husband convinced me.

Was Here's to Life you wrote with Rachel Maya an earlier incarnation of Twelve O'Clock?

Indeed, it was! My initial musings led me to writing a cabaret show - giving Ava, in this incarnation of her life - the opportunity to sing. Ava Gardner never dreamed of being an actress, but she had a passion for music and would have loved to have become a singer. Growing up poor, such things weren't available to her.
I like to quip that my amazing partner and dear friend, Rachel, was born with a genetic advantage. She's Cuban and Jewish giving her rhythm and wit in spades. Her pithy, incisive edits were a wonderful marriage, adding vibrance to the patter of my cabaret. It didn't hurt either that Rachel is an elegant painter, very visual, and so divinely feminine!

Interview: Alessandra Assaf's Right On Time with Her TWELVE O'CLOCK TALES WITH AVA GARDNERWhen did you start writing with Michael Lorre?

April of '21. My original production Here's to Life was shuttered by COVID in March of 2020. But by April of '21, there were vaccines, and I got itchy to live again, get out there and do something... that and an invitation to perform my show in Sacramento that summer. Through a mutual friend, I reached out to a director I'd admired.
There was so much Michael Lorre loved about my cabaret show, but he wasn't interested in directing a cabaret. He felt the material was too good to be spent on so light a medium. With some tweaks and transitions, he said, he thought my work could be turned into a profound play - more than just another solo show, but rather a play with one actor. Something lasting. YES!

I loved his vision. Clever, acerbic, a masterful storyteller, watching him work, I suspected Lorre had a divining rod between his ears. He created the tension Here's to Life needed to make it a play - giving it an emotional arc, as opposed to just tell a story, sing a song; tell a story, sing a song...
But damn! This required that I'd really have to return to my origins as an actor. No more would I be merely breaking the fourth wall, telling glib, insouciant tales and singing well-loved standards. I'd really have to act. Heaven help me!
He believed in me more than I did myself. But I loved his vision for the script, and for me as a performer. I was seduced! Michael Lorre, that dazzling s.o.b.!
Sadly, that Sacramento production was also shuttered due to COVID. This time, some variant. Delta or Omicron, or maybe it was some other daunting mystery. Perhaps Ava herself? This year marks what would have been her Centennial Birthday. Maybe she's guided me all along to save it for right now! (It is, in fact, her birthday, today December 24th! as I answer your questions!)

How long has it taken from the embryo of the idea of Twelve O'Clock in your mind to this world premiere?

Hard for me to believe it, but FOUR years! I started going to a free Saturday morning writing group led by a young powerhouse of a woman, Jessica Lynn Johnson. And from her guided meditations, out came these musings... I knew that these folk got up and told stories, but I thought it was more like The Moth. I had no intention of making a show, but I fell in love with the Soaring Solo community and got mission creep. I experienced such bravery from them; it was inspiring. And then when I started taking the baby steps of actually crafting something, I received so much support and encouragement! Wow!

Are you covering a specific time frame of Ava Gardner's life?

Interview: Alessandra Assaf's Right On Time with Her TWELVE O'CLOCK TALES WITH AVA GARDNERYes. It is 1974 and Ava's back in Hollywood shooting the film Earthquake! Like many in their 50s, she finds herself at a crossroad.

What cosmic forces brought you together with Michael A. Shepperd for this project?

Cosmic forces indeed! I pinch myself daily. Perhaps it was Reenie who sent him. "That poor girl's gonna need some help!" (That's a line from the play... how Ava met Reenie). And what could be more cosmic than to have a chap named Shepperd shepherd this vision to the stage. Such largesse! So magnanimous and joyful he is. I wanna ask him if we can have a blood transfusion - just put your arm next to mine - and give me some of that, what you got! He's remarkable, uber-talented, a mensch - an embarrassment of riches, really - as an actor and director and a person. He brings insight and sagacity to the material I didn't even know was there! He's playful and brave and loves women... femininity... Goodness, sometimes I think he's teaching me how to be a real girl. Maybe that is what this is all about - Ava, and this entire journey - teaching me about authenticity.

How did you luck upon getting Whitefire for your venue?

It just seems most fitting, as all of this was conceived there! It's where Jessica Lynn Johnson's writing group gathered. But WhiteFire Artistic Director Bryan Rasmussen was just so supportive. I go weak in the knees for enthusiasm, and his was genuine, abundant and generous!

If you were to submit Ava Gardner for a modern dating site, what qualities of hers would you list?

It would probably read something like this -
Looking for a good time?
Seduction comes witty and fully-clothed; the well-timed word, the perfectly timed touch...
"Love looks not with the eye, but with the mind..."
You want the clothes to come off? Remember, a good safe-cracker listens.
Put your blinders on, bastards, then you are in for a real joy ride!

What character flaws would you definitely omit?

Hoo! She had a temper!! That lady knew how to misbehave!

Any similarities do you see between Ava Gardner and yourself?

Oh jiminy! Listing any similarities, I fear stumbling into bragging about myself!
Were I half the woman she was, I'd be happy. Wish I had her courage.
Though as I say this, I hear her telling me, "It wasn't courage, honey, it took balls!"
Ok. In earnest: We are both Southern. Love dogs (in her case, Corgis)... Share the same politics, though while I may be thought a kook for mine, she was slut-shamed for hers. Dubious of religion, but we both understand the special gift that is fried chicken... cherish friendship and despise disloyalty... music and booze, cuddles and laughter... suckers for affection in word, deed, and touch.

What would you like the Whitefire Theatre audiences to leave with after your curtain call?

A good time! A hell-uv-an-Ava good time!
No. But yes, good times aside - beauty is ephemeral; true love is lasting, is sure - true love encourages sovereignty over oneself; not ownership or domination. Ava was Venus, the love goddess of her time, but the love she so desperately craved always eluded her. The "physical magnificence" we hunger will leave you starving.

Thank you again, Alessandra! I look forward to meeting your Ava Gardner.

Oh, but I thank you!