Anxiety Auction
Elizabeth McQuern isn't the first would-be-performer to deal with stage fright, but she is the first to attempt to get rid of it on eBay. McQuern moved from Indiana to Chicago two years ago to be a stand-up comic--she has yet to take the stage (she's currently a writing student at Second City) so she decided to sell her stage fright on the popular auction Web site. The winner, besides acquiring said stage fright and instructions on how to release it, will also get a promise from McQuern that she will take the open mic comedy stage within one month. "Though it scares me to death," McQuern says, "this is a contract that will make me stop dragging my feet." She also posted a YouTube video of herself acting out her worst fears on stage. "The video shows me making a fool out of myself, and that has helped to get it out the way." The auction ends March 15. Place your own bid at http://tinyurl.com/2H9G48.

Forever Female
Female directors are being celebrated this week at Loyola University--in conjunction with Women's History Month, the school is hosting its first International Women's Film Festival, put on in part by the school's International Film and Media Studies Program. Explains Jeffrey Harder, the director of the festival, "All of the films are directed by women and all have received a fair amount of [positive] critical reviews over the past two years and we wanted to get some international diversity." The eight films--including Kum-Kum Bhavnani's "The Shape of Water" and Laura Greenfield's "Thin"--begin screening Thursday at Loyola's Finnegan Auditorium (6430 North Kenmore) and wrap up Sunday with a brunch. "Most of them are outstanding and worth watching," Harder says. "When you look at them together it gives you a certain perspective of women directors at this point in history, which is unique to a festival. It's a really nice lineup and I'm really looking forward to seeing them all."

(2007-03-13)

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