Football Fever

World Cup madness has taken over in a way that I don't recall in past years. I realize that I am not a sporty person and don't follow much, but this year, I feel like I can barely get anyone to return a phone call because the games are so engrossing. I think also that this year, the games are actually on at times when people can easily watch them unlike past years when some of my friends would watch in the middle of the night. I'm not exactly sure how this works, since the Cup is being played in South Africa, but I'm glad that people everywhere are enjoying some exuberant shirtlessness as demonstrated above by Yuri Zhirkov of Russia celebrating Russia's victory over Finland at the qualifiers.

In the meantime, I have just started rehearsals for "Man of La Mancha" at the Hangar Theatre. I am staying on the Ithaca College campus and have been happy to discover that men play tennis shirtless here in Ithaca. Every time I walk to the rehearsal room, I'm delighted to discover some good shirtlessness on display. In the words of that beloved musical "Annie," I think I'm gonna like it here.

Rehearsal period is fast and furious, and so my posts will have to be brief. I do look forward to finding out what they else they do shirtless when the weather clears up. I will be sure to let you all know. Until then, I am...

Yours in shirtlessness,
Nandita
President
IMS

How It Is Done

For the beginning of the World Cup, I thought I would offer a video of Didier Drogba of the Ivory Coast team who demonstrates excellent technique in ripping off his shirt when he scores a goal. I know that World Cup fever is spreading, and I might be compelled to watch a sport other than swimming since there appears to be so much shirtlessness. Whoo hoo!

Last night I had a reading of my Jane Austen play which featured no shirtlessness but lots of verbal banter. It seemed to go well, and after an amazing amount of drama which included one actor contracting a stomach flu, I was just so grateful to have my play live a little bit. People are asking me what comes next, and I have to say that I have no idea. I just keep putting it out there and hoping that, like good male shirtlessness, someone will start to appreciate it.

Finally, I am getting myself ready to go to Ithaca for the summer where I will be performing in a production of "Man of La Mancha." I just found out that our housing does not include televisions. I think that I am about to discover Hulu. If anyone has any bright suggestions for what to watch online (shirtless content only, please) feel free to post! Until then, I am...

Yours in shirtlessness,
Nandita
President
IMS

More Soccer Shirtlessness

I thought I would continue with the World Cup series. I know close to nothing about soccer, but I do know that players like to rip off their shirts upon making a goal. This seems like a sport that IMS can rally behind! So toady, I give you Carlton Cole from the UK team who apparently created quite a stir by posing for this photo. He was both shirtless and pantsless in it, but you all know how I feel about pantslessness. Given this photo, I certainly do hope he scores a goal sometime soon.

I returned from my high school reunion pleasantly surprised by how much fun I had. I don't think that I would really care to see any of my classmates shirtless at this point, but I will say that I was impressed with how fit and happy my class seemed. It was really a fun weekend of catching up and reminiscing, and I was so happy to be reminded of how much fun I actually had way back then.

Now that I'm back in New York, I am stressing about the upcoming workshop of my Jane Austen play which does not feature any shirtlessness but will feature me for the first time. After working and working on something for so long, it's almost terrifying to have the thing that I have been working for some to fruition. Am I ready? It's almost like imagining what would happen if good male shirtlessness became the norm. Am I ready to handle it? I guess these existential questions and others will be answered on Thursday evening. Until then, I am...

Yours in shirtlessness,
Nandita
President
IMS

World Shirtlessness

For those IMS members who are getting excited about the World Cup (and I know you are out there!), here is a shirtless Chistiano Ronaldo to get your party started. He has clearly just ripped his shirt off in this shot and is now flexing and screaming. I'm hoping that there will be a lot of that during the World Cup this year. It will make for a fantastic summer!

My short play "Rule of Engagement" opened at the Gene Frankel Theater last night. I realized that this play is the pre-cursor to my shirtless play since the male character alludes to his buff physique at the end of the play, and now I think I need to write a play in which the male character starts out shirtless at the top of the play and stays that way for the whole thing. Then I could have an evening of short plays about shirtlessness! But seriously, it is always a joy to see a play come to life on stage, and I am exceptionally grateful to my actors for their hard work on making my words sing.

I'm off to my high school reunion this weekend. I am filled with both curiosity and dread. We all end up re-living high school for the rest of our lives anyway, and sometimes being faced with our own narratives can be scary. Hopefully there will be some fun surprises to distract me! Until then, I am...

Yours in shirtlessness,
Nandita
President
IMS

Sadness and the City

So I saw the movie over the weekend, and I have to say that even more shirtlessness could not have helped this film. I was genuinely excited to have some fun on a Saturday afternoon in my Manolos and my party dress, and yet I emerged as bored as Ms. Parker and Mr. Noth look above. One of the main platforms of this blog (and may I say movement) is that good shirtlessness makes everything better. I shudder to think what SATC 2 would have been like without the Australian soccer team taking off their shirts at the pool. I don't think I have ever been more grateful for good male shirtlessness in my life.

My list of why I hated the film is long and not really to the point of what IMS is all about, and so I will only say that I don't understand why the entire cast talked so slowly. SATC the series was known for its snappy dialogue which made the pregnant pauses between every single line of the movie incredibly dull. To fill those pauses with conspicuous consumption and stereotypes of the Middle East did not help. I literally came home and watched some of my favorite episodes from the series to remind myself of why I went to the film in the first place.

On this Memorial Day, I am going to try to turn my mind from the 2 and a half hours of my life that I paid $13 to waste and think about how much I hope we will no longer be at war next Memorial Day. I wish for all of our soldiers to come home soon. Until then, I am...

Yours in shirtlessness,
Nandita
President
IMS

SATC 2, More Shirtlessness

Well, at last Memorial Day weekend is upon us, and I am looking forward to relaxing a little bit in between cleaning jags and seeing the new "Sex and the City" movie. I don't care about the reviews. I want to see the girls get some shirtlessness. Hurrah! Apparently, Samantha has two love interests, cutie Noah Mills, and the above, Max Ryan. Of course if anyone is going to have two shirtless love interests, it would be Samantha. Power to her!

It has been an extremely stressful few days of trying to get a handle on various writing projects before I go away for the summer to do a show. I've lost an actor from a workshop, found out via email that my play is being re-written in rehearsal, and am generally swamped with annoying tidbits of information that don't really help me. I deserve two and a half hours with the girls being frivolous. Then I will get back to business.

At least there is some good news to report - Daniel Craig has purchased an apartment in Tribeca! This means that I will be spending a lot of time in Tribeca, wandering the streets, looking for IMS Poster Boy 2007. I hope he leads the trend of good shirtlessness in NYC. Until then, I am...

Yours in shirtlessness,
Nandita
President
IMS

Shirtlessness in the City 2

According to the publicity, the "Sex and the City" sequel contains a lot of shirtlessness, even though much of the storyline takes place in Abu Dhabi. Go figure. I don't really care, as long as there is some good shirtlessness to follow up the extremely delightful male torse of Gilles Marini from the last movie. I thought I had had enough of SATC after the last movie, but every time I see a trailer or commercial for the film, I notice that my heart rate increases. Now I actually can't wait! And knowing that this man, Noah Mills, is in the film as Samantha's love interest assures me that I will not be disappointed. My Manolos are ready to go to the movies this weekend!

Mr. Mills is apparently making his screen debut in the film after a career of modeling, mostly shirtless. I'm thrilled to see that Samantha keeps getting hotter and younger guys which offers a little bit of hope to all the fabulous single ladies out there. Of course, I am blushing because Mr. Mills was born in 1985, but I'm sure I'll get over it in time for the movie. Whoo hoo!

Yours in shirtlessness,
Nandita
President
IMS