Bring It 2012!

For my final post of 2011, I decided to give you Benjamin Bratt because of his mixed ethnic heritage and in this picture he is featuring his semi-shirtlessness with water, one of my favorite accessories. I have many hopes and dreams for 2012, the least of which is not that there will be more cultural diversity on stage, that ethnically appropriate actors will be seen for roles that were written for them, and that all of this will involve more male shirtlessness. I also hope that I will elevate myself past the sharecropper level in my career. All I can say is that my motto is "Kick It Up A Notch!" and I hope that all of you will be able to join me in doing so.

2011 was a wonderful year in many ways. I spent 5 months in the deep South learning about public notices against shirtlessness as well as performing the works of the Bard. Then I had the chance to perform in "The Rocky Horror Show" where almost all of the men took off their shirts and Rocky in fact never put his shirt on. The fall brought me back to New York where I found that everyone was taking their shirts off on stage all the time! The movement has really had an impact!

So I toast you, my fellow IMS members, for a job well done in 2011 and to further success in 2012! As always, I am...

Yours in shirtlessness,
Nandita
President
IMS

X-tra Shirtlessness

So another IMS member has sent me a clip of some excellent shirtlessness from X-Factor judge Steve Jones. His job is to judge others on their talent, and it seems only fair that he take his shirt off. My favorite part of this clip is the shot of the audience of women smiling and clapping when he finally does it. It really warms the heart of this IMS president.

The holiday season is upon us, and I have to admit that I have high hopes for 2012. All indications point to more good male shirtlessness in the future. I will be taking this Friday and Monday off for the holiday and wish you all a safe, happy, and healthy Christmas weekend. I continue to be...

Yours in shirtlessness,
Nandita
President
IMS

Merry Christmas, Singapore

A new IMS member recently sent me an article about the opening of a new Abercrombie & Fitch flagship store in Singapore which featured 40 shirtless men. The pictures attached to article made it look like there were more Asian men involved in the opening which would make sense in Singapore, but this picture looks a little bit like the American stage, very homogenous. I'm hoping that there were lots of hunky Asian hotties inside giving some good shirtlessness.

I didn't post on Monday for two reasons. 1) I was doing a workshop of a hilarious new play that rehearsed and performed all day long, and 2) I wanted to the article about "Motherf***ker with the Hat" to stay up for longer than three days. This turn of events in the theater has truly affected me and my psyche. I find myself becoming much more agitated when I talk about race in the theater which was actually the topic of the new play that I was working on. An audience member at the reading asked me why so many plays by playwrights of color have to do with race, and I found myself red in the face and flabbergasted. Perhaps because race has a profound affect on how one navigates through the world, especially when one is not the race of the dominant culture? I mean what does one say to that? Race- it's an issue.

So with that, I will make a wish that there will be more diverse shirtlessness in 2012. Until then, I am...

Yours in shirtlessness,
Nandita
President
IMS

Concept Shirtlessness

This week a friend and IMS member has been sending me pictures of this man, model Miguel Iglesias, as an option for the blog while he procrastinates from studying for his final exams. I know good male shirtlessness always makes me do better on my exams! It has been a bit difficult to find a picture in which Mr. Iglesias is shirtless but also wearing pants, but here's a good one, I think. I told my friend that I was actually hoping to post some Latin shirtlessness today because of a bit of a Latin scandal that is storming the theater community.

A production of "Motherf***er with the Hat" was recently staged at Theaterworks in Hartford, CT, featuring two Caucasion actors in the leading roles that were written as Nuyoricans. The playwright expressed his outrage at the choice on Facebook which then resulted in a New York Times article. My friends in the New York theatrical community are outraged, even more so because it was revealed that the two roles were simply offered to the actors without auditions and no Latin actors were ever seen for the roles. This turn of events depresses me as an actor knowing that even when a role is written with my "type" in mind, I may not even get seen for it much less cast, and as a playwright knowing that when I write ethnically specific roles, a theater may still cast whomever they want. How will our theater ever change from the incredibly homogenous art form it has become?

What gives me comfort is the amount of discussion the event has spawned. And good shirtlessness. I'm just saying that I look forward to the day when men of all races are on the American stage taking their shirts off in front of their ethnically diverse female co-stars. Until then, I am...

Yours in shirtlessness,
Nandita
President
IMS

Holiday Shirtlessness

I recently saw a giant billboard for Hugh Jackman's sold out Broadway show called "Hugh Jackman: Back on Broadway" and thought, "Here's a guy who gives good shirtlessness and can sing and dance!" He hasn't been on the blog in a while, and in honor of his show, I thought I would post him. I have a soft spot for a song and dance man, having been a song and dance woman for a significant period of my life. I don't believe he takes off his shirt in the show, although he did in "Boy from Oz," but I will forgive him for that. Sometimes, I'm sure he wants to be appreciated for his talent!

In any case, I've been receiving a lot of positive commentary on the shirtlessness from my play last week. I realize that these days, one needs to have a star to sell theater tickets, but I'm hoping that I may have just found the antidote for our star-crazed culture - shirtlessness. I may have to figure out how to make a guy take off his shirt in every play I write from here on out just as Gail Collins manages to mention Mitt Romney driving to Canada with the family dog strapped to the hood of his car in every single column. I assume she will stop after the election next year, but depending on the outcome, she may not. Good male shirtlessness would certainly make me happier than Mitt Romney! I'm going to start working on my plan right away. Until next time, I am...

Yours in shirtlessness,
Nandita
President
IMS

Twin Shirtlessness

One of the many joys of being President of IMS is receiving pictures like this one in my inbox. I have no idea who these two men are, but a new IMS member just sent this picture to me, strong in her belief that they should be added to the blog. Indeed they should! The cause is strong, my friends, the cause is strong.

I am gearing up for a full month of holiday parties and last minute shows and hoping that some shirtlessness is on the menu for at least some of the events. This afternoon, my writers' lab is hosting a mailing party, and the man who is organizing the event has offered to take his shirt off if only some of the writers will come in and help him. I shall be folding and stuffing letters into envelopes this afternoon! I'm so glad that shirtlessness is being used as an incentive to do good works. I wonder what else it could be used for...

Yours in shirtlessness,
Nandita
President
IMS