Jeanne Marie Spicuzza

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Jeanne Marie Spicuzza (born 1969) is a poet, performance artist and actress, author of novels, children's stories, plays and screenplays, watercolor painter and illustrator, musician, composer and herbalist. She is the founder of Seasons & a Muse, Inc.[1]

Contents

Life

Jeanne Marie Spicuzza was born the middle child to Robert and Marianne, teachers and devout Roman Catholics, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Jeanne grew up in the midst of her numerous Sicilian-American relatives and was highly inspired, particularly by her great uncle, Francesco Spicuzza, who made his living as a painter in the earlier part of the twentieth century. She excelled in her parochial education, particularly in theatre, writing and visual arts, but was troubled by her mother's hospitalization during her early years.

At the age of sixteen, Jeanne became pregnant with her daughter, Stephanie, and was encouraged by teachers and administrators to withdraw from Shorewood High School. She determined not to marry. Guided by her mentor, Dr. Nanette Metskas, she obtained her equivalency, and attended the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Residing on Milwaukee's fashionable East Side, Jeanne discovered community among its artists. She began training as a master herbalist, completed her first illustrated children's book, studied tarot and engaged in social and political activism. Jeanne marched for peace and women's rights, and struggled with university psychology department staff. After years of persistence, and with the help of the campus animal rights group, Jeanne was granted her request that the department provide alternatives to animal research. She attended the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music and studied classical guitar. In 1993, she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy and psychology.[2]

Three months later, following a hike through the Maine wilderness of the Appalachian Trail, Jeanne founded Seasons & a Muse, a seven division entity that was to become the first arts and film corporate collective of its kind. Within one year, she was one of several poets to feature at Lollapalooza. Her play, "Hope is My Favorite Color," was staged by director Yvonne Johnson at the Betty Brinn Children's Museum soon after. In 1996, Jeanne performed segments of her multi-media performance, "NAKED" at the Pabst Theatre. She soon met Guy Hoffman, drummer of Violent Femmes, whom she would later marry.[3]

In 1997, Jeanne made her first journey abroad, traveling and studying in cities such as Florence, Venice, Crete, Bingen, Amsterdam and others. She met her beloved family in Sicily for the first time, and passionately commenced what would become seven years of research and three years of writing for her screenplay "Breath of God: The True Story of Hildegard von Bingen." "Breath of God" would later be blessed by His Holiness Pope John Paul II, and would receive honors from the Vatican Division of Arts and Culture and the Academy of Arts and Sciences Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting. She studied acting with talents like Diane Salinger, Jason Alexander and Courtner Burr, and trained at Ivana Chubbuck Studios, Theatre Royal Haymarket and others.

After ten years of international performances in New York, Amsterdam, London, Chicago, Los Angeles and others, and various awards and nominations, including The Golden Headset Award and Shepherd Express Best Performance Artist 1998, Jeanne's screenplay "Making Angels" attracted the talents of Emmy- and DGA Award-nominated director Julie Dash ("Daughters of the Dust," "The Rosa Parks Story"). "Making Angels" is scheduled to commence production in 2007.[4]

Works

  • Making Angels, (2007) (pre-production)
  • beautiful terrible & true, 2001, 2005 (ISBN 0-9763952-0-7)
  • Field Day (DVD), 2004
  • Images of Women (Internet and one-woman performances), 2002
  • Jeanne Spicuzza (CD), 2001
  • Labors (VHS), 2000
  • Naked (VHS and live performances), 1998, 1999, 2001
  • Breath of God, a movie

References

  1. ^ http://www.poetsencyclopedia.com/jeannespicuzza.shtml
  2. ^ http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4196/is_19981218/ai_n10460184
  3. ^ http://www.onmilwaukee.com/music/articles/spicuzzahoffman.html
  4. ^ http://www.filmmakermagazine.com/filmsites/filmsites_S.php

External links

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