ARTS INTERNATIONAL
Editor/Publisher, Bina Sharif
ARTS INTERNATIONAL covers THEATER, FILM, VISUAL ARTS, CUISINE, AND LITERATURE

Saturday, February 14, 2026

FRICKS PRESENT POMP

 FRICKS

PRESENT

POMP!

Written and Directed

by

Courtney Campbell

Set and costume design: Devon Horn

Sound: Emma Magnus

Lights: Taro Baugham

Sound Engineer: Max Robinson

Couldn't find the Slipper room on my way to this show, Pomp.

We walked back and forth on Orchid street looking for the magical, "SLIPPER ROOM"

And with all the slush and snow almost came back. Then we saw two other ladies looking for the same

 place and we reached the slipper room. On opening the door and seeing the long flight of stairs almost

turned back but something was telling me, "Sweetheart, don't lose heart and go up."

I decided to listen to that inner voice and went up huffing and puffing.

Once I saw the intimate room, red curtain and the excitement at the bar I was happy for not giving up

and once the curtain went up, oh! what a show they put up. I was so excited and thrilled to see  

Wolfie (Amazingly talented, Emma Magnus) wearing a grand costume and Stanzi (Madison Iosia)

equally marvelous in a beautiful costume, I was so excited from the beginning to the  very end and trust

 me,

They didn't disappoint me.

It made me think of the old Lower East Side and the shows they used to do. Those fun things have been

replaced by commerce but while I was watching Pomp, I knew there is still hope for new talent,

 Imagination and brilliant sense of humor which sustain great shows.

Emma Magnus and Madison Iosia are hugely talented. They had enregy, great sense of humor, style

and novelty. It was such a pleasure to see actors like that. So free and commanding the stage every

 second and wonderful Dash Perry (Debt Giovanni) coming in and scaring the hell out of Wolfie.

(I was whispering to my partner, "Here comes the debt collector to give Wolfie a heart attack."

Poor Wolfie, Loaded with talent and debt...a bad combination but Emma Magnus dealt with it

in such a fun way.

Everything about Pomp was brilliant, the lights, the sound, the set, the costumes and the writing and

 direction by Courtney Campbell.

I haven't had such fun at any show for such a long time.

These actors should be any playwright's dream come true.

Thank god the staircase didn't influence me enough. One must never give up.

There is bliss after the long flight of stairs.

REVIEWED 

BY

BINA SHARIF

ATCA MEMBER

Editor/Publisher: artsinternational.blogspot.com

Email: binashariff@gmail.com

Mobile:212-260-6207



Sunday, February 8, 2026

EVERYTHING IS ....

 EVERYTHING IS ...

A scolar, philospher said,

Trust no body

Believe nothing

Share nothing

Silence is golden

Be silent

And live, and live fully

Forget about anything you hear, anything, you are told, it's gossip ...

Gossip and fake nonsense

Mostly fake

Fake news

Fake success, 

Fake stories

Fake friends

Fake strangers

Fake families

Even fake enemies

Nothing you see,

Nothing you hear,

Nothing you are told...

Nothing is real...

Just forget about everything, very nonsense

And stop wasting your energy and time...

You hear?

And this is the last time I am telling you...

Really, you have wasted your life on this bull shit

And it is bull ahit

STOP IT

STOP IT

STOP IT

FROM THIS MINUTE ON...STOP THIS NONSENSE ABOUT ETHICS, DIGNITY

INTEGRITY. JUST STOP IT...

Remember what AURELIUS said and take care of only that.

AURELIUS SAID,

" LIFE IS MADE OF THREE THINGS

BODY

BREATH

INTELLIGENCE

From this day on you are going to concentrate only on those three things.

Body, Breath, Intelligence.

Promise?

Promise...

You broke all your promises before

Please commit to your new promise.

Otherwise your gods will be upset with you

and you don't want that.

Do you?

Oh!no. No, you don't want that.

What are you without your daimon, your god

Your daimon lives inside of you

You breath because of him

Your body is healthy because of him

nd you are not a moron

You have intelligence

And who gave you intelligence? and all other things?

Your god inside of you

And that is the only deity you don't pay attention to?

May god forgive you.

You talk about corruption, fake people, fake success, important hustlers,

all day long, day after day...

You have such energy? such stamina? so much time on your hands to waste

And all you have forgotten is your god who lives inside of you...

Who gave you breath, a healthy body and intelligence, the power to distinguish

between good and bad, between right and wrong, between peace and turmoil

between reality and fake unreal gossip...

ALL DAY YOU LISTEN TO FAKE NONSENSE...

ACTUALLY, YOU LIVE IT...

STOP, STOP, PLEASE STOP.

JUST DO YOUR WORK

THE THINGS YOU LIKE TO DO

THE THINGS YOU LOVE TO DO.

PEOPLE, YOU WANT TO TALK TO

PEOPLE YOU WANT TO SEE

PEOPLE YOU WANT TO HELP

PEOPLE YOU WANT TO LOVE...

LIVE A CLEAN LIFE

BE PROUD

BE THANKFUL...