Award-winning film has Interlochen roots

When Josh Ben Friedman (IAA 93-96) wrote a play called Barstool Words as a theatre student at the Academy, he certainly had no idea where the story would go. A few years later, Jeff Glickman (IAC 89-92, IAA 95-96), an Academy classmate, produced the play as a college theatre project at the University of Western Ontario and again later at the Common Basis Theatre in New York City where it received rave reviews. Following the success of the play, Glickman, Friedman and Michael May (IAC 91-93, IAA 97-00) connected to transform the play into a film. Like the play, the film has had considerable success - the group took the Heineken Red Star Award at the 2007 San Diego Film Festival for the film adaptation called Killing Zelda Sparks.

The story is a dark comedy about two high school friends who are brought together by the sudden return of an old nemesis. When her presence threatens to open old wounds and disrupt their adult lives, they plot revenge but the situation quickly spirals out of control.

"We all shared dreams of doing our art as a career," said May. "One thing that was great about this project is that we all had the support of other Interlochen graduates and we had history together. Jeff directed the play in college. I had directed a play that Josh wrote in the one-acts at the Academy. It was great to work on the same team."

Each year, the San Diego Film Festival features more than 100 American and international feature, documentary, short films and music videos. It is one of only seven festivals to award the Heineken Red Star, which recognizes and celebrates achievements in independent film.

With the success of the film, the team has been recognized in several publications including Variety magazine. They have landed a distribution deal as well. The DVD will be released through Time Warner in May 2008 and has already been shown on Canadian television.

Michael May now resides in Los Angeles and Glickman in Toronto. Both are working with production companies and exploring future projects. Friedman is currently living in the Philippines and taking time off from writing to gather new ideas.

Interlochen alumni perform in North Korea

On February 26, the New York Philharmonic traveled to perform in Pyongyang, North Korea. It was the first time since the Korean War that so many Americans walked the streets of the capital city of the isolated communist country. Among the 130 musicians who made the trip were at least 15 Interlochen alumni. Bill Blossom (IAC 58-64) is a member of the New York Philharmonic and wrote Crescendo about his experience:

"The trip to North Korea was momentous on many levels. First, we were thankful for what we have. It was as if we had gone to the underworld to plead the case for human understanding through music. For me it also harkened back to the time Dr. Maddy took the High School Orchestra to play at the Kennedy White House. The context was diametrically opposite but the experience then and now reaffirms my belief in the importance of the arts."

Alumnus is patently successful

Jack Wenstrand (AS 75, IAC 76, IAC St 79-80) recently received his fifth patent for a new devise that combines the function of a wireless presenter tool and a wireless mouse. In the past five years, he is credited with four other patents. Wenstrand is the Director of University Relations and External Research for Agilent Technologies, a program with more than 100 active research collaborations at more than 60 universities in seventeen countries. He is also the Consulting Professor of Electrical Engineering at Stanford University.

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