Providence Art Club
11 Thomas St, Providence, RI 02903
401.331.1114

Our very own Steve Gervais will be exhibiting his latest oil paintings, of some of H.P. Lovecraft’s favorite haunts– at the esteemed Providence Art Club, of which he is a member.

“Along Thomas Street, in the shadow of the First Baptist Church, stands a picturesque procession of historic houses, home to the studios, galleries and clubhouse of the Providence Art Club. Said to be the oldest art club in the nation after the Salmagundi Club in New York…”

The Providence Art Club was a beloved haunt of H.P. Lovecraft, who included it in stories such as the Call of Cthulhu.

…My mother is a landscape painter of no little skill, whilst my eldest aunt is still more expert in this direction, having had canvases hung in exhibitions at the Providence Art Club…
(Letter to Rheinhart Kleiner, 16 November 1916)

…We went out to an exhibition of paintings at the Art Club, (the colonial house in hilly Thomas Street, in front of which I snap-shotted Mortonius last fall—I mean the fall of ’23)…
(Letter to Frank Belknap Long, 1 May 1926)

Finding Lovecraft: Life is a Hideous Thing (Cat Hainfeld, extended trailer, 2011, 10 min.) Explores the life and work of HP Lovecraft, using an innovative mix of narrative and documentary storytelling. A Lovecraft-inspired story unfolds for the filmmakers as we delve into this extraordinary man through archival research and expert interviews.

AM 1200 (David Prior, 2008, 39 min.) Not a Lovecraft adaptation but very LOVECRAFTIAN in feel, AM 1200 tells the story of a man on the run, who finds himself the unwitting pawn of a possessed evangelical radio station and must ask himself whether it is better to reign in hell than serve in heaven, paired with:

Pickman‘s Muse (Robert Cappelletto, 2010, 77 min.) An artist, Robert Pickman, becomes obsessed by visions of unworldly horror, revealed to him through an ancient artifact discovered in an abandoned church.

Films begin promptly at 6pm on both nights at the Rochambeau Library, 708 Hope Street in Providence, RI [map].

More on Facebook and GoProvidence…

Thanks to Craig Mullins of Unfilmable.com for the details! His site is a fantastic place for keeping up with the world of Lovecraft in film. Cheers!

Steve is bringing his musical talent to the stage as part of the Marley Bridges Theatre Company’s production of  ”Menace of the Morgue.” This rock musical features – you guessed it, zombies! – and pays homage to 1960s psychedelic sci-fi/horror cinema.  It’s an original work, written and directed by Rhode Island native John McKenna.

Tickets are only $5!
Friday, April 22, 2011, 7pm
Saturday, April 23, 2011, 7pm
At Empire Tea & Coffee
22 Broadway, Newport, RI 02840
Tickets available online

I’ll be there on Saturday night, along with my fellow Finding Lovecraft producer, Jim Wolpaw…Come join us –this should be a hoot!

Menace of the Morgue

Dr. Chester Menace has invented a device that translates a zombie’s groans, screams and moans into understandable language. The result? A society where humans and zombies coexist, but the truce is a delicate one. Come enjoy an evening at the theatre like none other! This Musical Zombedy is going into workshop performances for two nights only, and each performance will feature a ‘talk back’ at the end with the producers, director, actors, musicians, and crew. Your feedback will help shape the future of the show, and in October, Dr. Menace will return for three nights at the Casino Theatre for the world premiere.

Featuring original rock songs & ballads including:

• “Hate the Zombies”
• “The One I’m Not Livin’ For”
• “Lucky Stiff”
• “The Early Pre-Dusk of Dr. Menace’s Re-animated Undead Zombies”

…and more!

Read more at the Marley Bridges Theatre Company’s website…

Dr. Anderson returned to his native RI for the interview, from his home in South Florida [see bio]. The interview felt more like a dream discussion group; Dr. Anderson holds a wealth of knowledge on the Old Gent, paired with an amazingly integrative mind. I particularly enjoyed our delving into the criss-crossing Lovecraft themes of reverse Darwinism, identification with the monster, and xenophobia.

A favorite memory is picking flowers with Dr. Anderson (a most delightfully amiable human being) in the park next to the RISD Auditorium on North Main St,; you can see them sprouting from his coat pocket in the stills I pulled from the video. A note to other filmmakers– this sounded like a great idea, until the flowers quickly started wilting under the studio lights. Continuity nightmare…But hey, maybe they’ll make for tentacular action in the jump cuts.

Our great thanks to Dr. Anderson for being so generous with his time, knowledge, and creative energy!

Finding Lovecraft: Life is a Hideous Thing explores the life and work of HP Lovecraft, using an innovative mix of narrative and documentary storytelling. A Lovecraft-inspired story unfolds for the filmmakers as we delve into this extraordinary man through archival research and expert interviews.