FUMBLING TOWARD ROCK:THE MIRIAM AND HELEN STORY (18 min)

Fumbling Toward Rock:The Miriam and Helen Story features protagonists Miriam Glass and Helen Henderson as they finesse their way through an interview on the timely cable access show "Child Stars: Where Are They Now?" The film opens to anxious Miriam and Helen prepping themselves in the green room. They emerge into the studio with gusto and an indomitable spirit. They are faced by Brenda Barboni, an interviewer determined to politely give these ladies the screws. The movie sails through the interview, featuring entertaining cut-away shots of the women's youth and staged renditions of their favorite original songs. Brenda drills away, attempting to unearth an unhappy childhood or bring the house down by revealing that Helen is gay. The characters are earnest, inept and sincere, compelling in their commitment to delusions of grandeur and the rock star world they have created for themselves. The story rockets to a roaring song and dance finale, filled with hilarity, redemption and jazz hands. Written & Directed by Tara Jepsen and Beth Lisick. Co-Directed by Sini Andersen.

" It may actually be dangerous to allow Tara Jepsen and Beth Lisick to conspire artistically. Individually, these ladies are improv geniuses, pop culture hooligans and brutal comedians whose jabs are both poignant and sharp. Together, they just might invent an entirely new art form. Like Ann Magnusen and Sandra Bernhard's test-tube twin daughters staging a Strangers With Candy episode as a VH1 Behind the Music rock opera. If they were any more brilliant they'd induce seizures." - Michelle Tea, author, Valencia (Seal Press)

Directors -

In the summer of 1999, while performing at the Michigan Womyn's Music Festival, Beth and Tara began writing what would become the stage version of Fumbling Toward Rock (performed in April of 2000 at Venue 9). After a successful performance at Ladyfest in Olympia, Washington, and at the urging of some filmmaker friends, they hooked up with Steakhaus Productions to create their first short movie.

Tara Jepsen is a writer and actor from San Francisco. She has traveled extensively with all-girl spoken word circus Sister Spit (1997, 1998, 1999) and masterminded explosive punk rock cabaret Dr. Frockrocket's Vivifying
(Re-Animatronic) Menagerie and Medicine Show, which toured in 2001. She is writing a feature spoof on psychic powers with Mark Ewert to be produced by Steakhaus Productions.

Beth Lisick is the author of Monkey Girl and This Too Can Be Yours (Manic D Press). She recently won the prestigious Firecracker Award for her last book. She currently performs with the sketch comedy group White Noise Radio Theatre and writes a weekly column for SFGate.com. Beth and Tara are working on a feature script with Silas Howard and NGB Productions.