NEWS

ACT’s ‘The Headlands’ Maps SF Through Fog, Flashbacks and a Cold Case

When Dashiell Hammett wrote his great San Francisco noir The Maltese Falcon, he drew upon his deep knowledge of the City to imbue it with ruthless realism and site-specific detail. Even today you can walk in Hammett’s footsteps from the Tenderloin to downtown, and glimpse traces of the City as it was, a character as integral to the plot of the novel as Sam Spade.

In Christopher Chen’s new play The Headlands — a family drama with a murder mystery at its heart — San Francisco similarly plays a starring role. It is no mere backdrop to the narrative, but an active participant in it.

A born-and-raised San Franciscan, Chen meticulously uncovers parts of the City little referenced in the guidebooks and travelogues. His protagonist Henry (Phil Wong), a self-described “amateur sleuth,” traverses a landscape hauntingly familiar to longtime residents: a childhood spent in a stucco-clad, single-family home in the Outer Sunset, followed by a tech job and condo on the Embarcadero (“I’m part of the problem,” Henry admits sheepishly). In flashbacks, his parents meet-cute on an overgrown overlook in Land’s End and canoodle at the base of Coit Tower. His father George (Johnny M. Wu) attempts to bond with a young Henry by taking him on hikes in the Marin Headlands, where they can look across the water and see the City basking in its own self-referential glow.

But just as San Francisco provides a picturesque container for Henry’s fonder memories, it also delivers the fog which obfuscates their uncomfortable truths. As an adult, Henry is only beginning to discover these truths, secrets contained within the low-voiced half conversations around the kitchen table: the quiet melancholy of his father looking out of the window at night. The abiding mystery of his death by gunshot, a violence that shocked their insular community. A mystery now decades-old — and no closer to being solved than it was on the first day his body was discovered.

Tautly directed by A.C.T.’s artistic director Pam McKinnon, The Headlands reveals itself sedately, bit by tantalizing bit. Alexander V. Nichols’ set is deceptively simple, an almost aggressively blank wall that cleverly morphs into the interiors and exteriors of a series of iconic San Francisco homes, streetscapes and hilltops, thanks to a few choice furnishings and a series of well-executed projections. This is a quintessential Christopher Chen play: an homage to Noir — but with fewer fedoras and more earnest heartache. It’s a labyrinth of unexpected twists and contradictory perspectives that keep you guessing until the very end.

In a satisfying demonstration of restraint, Chen’s characters say as much with their silences as most might with a loquacious monologue. In one scene, Henry and his girlfriend Jess (Sam Jackson) conduct a lengthy disagreement primarily through their nervous tics: a jiggling foot, an avoidance of eye contact, an anxious swallow of beer. In another, George stands silently at the aforementioned window, reduced to a shadow, trapped in what his wife, Leena, later describes as “despair.” He’s an unknowable cipher to his son, then and now.

It’s Leena — played younger by Erin Mei-Ling Stuart and older by Keiko Shimosato Carreiro — who provides the first essential clues for Henry’s quest to learn more about his father’s unexplained death. It may be his watchful, silent father at the window around which Henry builds his first vague hypotheses, but it’s the ellipses between his mother’s often quotidian conversations that conceal the most.

Watching Stuart and Carreiro trade this role back and forth throughout the play is especially enjoyable. They both so skillfully bring complementary facets of Leena to life that she becomes by far the most fully-realized character in the play. It’s a characterization that deepens with every revelation, surfaced behind the mischievous grin of a young woman falling in love, the wounded eyes of a grieving mother, the offhand remark of a widow at dinner.

While Leena frequently wears her heart on her sleeve, Henry struggles to identify his own complicated emotions surrounding his family history and his place within it. As Henry, Wong vacillates between emulating the stillness of Wu’s father figure and Stuart’s ebullience — a delicate balance. As the mysterious Tom, A.C.T. regular Jomar Tagatac imbues his unpredictable role with the most menace. But no character is more menacing than the troubling void at the heart of this whodunit — a void that each character attempts to fill with their own particular spin, never quite landing on a unified version of the narrative.

Theater-goers looking for the full genre experience of a ham-fisted, hard-boiled pulp fiction replete with fast cars, faster romance and impenetrable lingo may find the chilly environs of The Headlands not quite to their taste. But for those of us who revel in our own secret San Franciscos — internal terrains of beloved sandwich shops, local breweries and breathtaking vistas — spending time investigating Christopher Chen’s through his precise playwriting is a pleasure.

INTERNATIONAL

From Adversity to Triumph: The Inspirational Story of Jonathan Matías Pawluczyk, Master Trader

Jonathan Matías Pawluczyk, a 34-year-old master trader, is an inspiration to many in the world of trading. His journey to success was not without challenges, but his resilience and dedication have earned him a place among the top traders in the industry.

Born in the Santos Lugares neighborhood in the Buenos Aires suburbs, Jonathan’s childhood was marked by a disease that tested him from a very young age. At just 1 year and 8 months old, he was diagnosed with insulin-dependent diabetes and was in a coma for several days. However, his parents raised him with love and discipline and helped him cope with his illness at a time when treatments were not as advanced as they are today.

Jonathan grew up during a difficult time in Argentina, during the government of Carlos Menem, and his family experienced the bankruptcy of several businesses, including one that had the famous brand Lecoqsportfit as a client. Despite the challenges, Jonathan persevered and tried to find his way in life.

For a while, he suffered from bad behavior and habits that led to him being kicked out of his parents’ house. But the arrival of his daughter and the opportunity to learn about trading changed his life forever.

In 2017, the mother of his daughter invited him to join a multi-level marketing company that promoted a trading education service. Although he was not interested in doing network marketing, he fell in love with trading and took all the classes he could. He soon formed a team of 120 people but decided to distance himself from the Ponzi scheme and focus solely on trading. Although it was not easy, he persevered and reinvested everything he earned in education.

As for his personal life, Jonathan had to deal with a separation and raising his daughter amid economic uncertainty and his illness. But a friend asked him to teach him how to trade, and that’s how he began to forge his path to success.

Today, Jonathan is a reference in the world of trading and has thousands of followers on Instagram. His story of overcoming obstacles and achieving success is inspiring, and his dedication to trading has led him to take ultra-expensive and advanced mentorship with market giants like Ricardo Gutierrez. His goal is to continue providing free training to show others how trading can change their lives and to continue expanding his knowledge and tools to face the forex market.

Despite the obstacles he has faced, Jonathan lives off what he loves and loves what he lives. His story is a lesson in perseverance, dedication, and success. He has proven that with hard work and determination, anyone can achieve their dreams. Jonathan is an example for those who want to succeed in the world of trading, but also for those who face challenges in their personal lives. His story shows that it is possible to overcome difficulties and achieve success in any field.

NEWS

Full-Floor Penthouse at the Ritz-Carlton Residences in Sunny Isles Beach, Florida, Sells for $21 Million

The four-bedroom apartment has 3,000 square feet of outdoor terraces and panoramic views.

A full-floor penthouse at the Ritz-Carlton Residences in Sunny Isles Beach, Florida, has sold for $21 million, the developers announced Thursday.

Spanning the entire 51st floor at the 52-story condominium tower, the penthouse has 7,760 square feet of interior space, including four bedrooms and staff quarters, six-and-a-half bathrooms, a great room, a living room, a family room, an expansive kitchen with views, a gym, a home theater and a den, according to developers Fortune International Group and Château Group.

“It features 13-foot ceilings and 360-degree views of the entire coastline and downtown Miami,” said Edgardo Defortuna, chief executive officer and president of Fortune International Group.

The apartment also has nearly 3,000 square feet of outdoor terraces with a summer kitchen, a private pool and a private garden.

The penthouse went into contract in November 2015, pre-construction, but didn’t close until the tower was granted a certificate of occupancy this past February, according to Mr. Defortuna.

Construction of the tower, with 250 feet of beach frontage, began in mid-2016.

The buyer is from the U.S., but the developers declined to disclose their identity. The transaction has yet to appear in public records.

About 80% of the tower’s 209 residences have sold, including all four penthouses. In the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, the developers have completed 112 closings, with a great number of them conducted virtually, Mr. Defortuna said.

Late last month, the developers announced that they have paid off a $212 million construction loan from Bank OZK, which they undertook in September 2016.The tower, which has no Ritz-Carlton-branded hotel on the premises, has Ritz-Carlton services and a private club level on the 33rd floor, including eight private suites for resident guests, a restaurant and bar, two pool decks, a kids club, a full-service spa, a fitness center and a wellness center, among other top-line amenities.

INTERNATIONAL

Meet Januthan Logathas: A Visionary Artist Pushing Boundaries in Video and Photography

Januthan Logathas was born and raised in a small town in Switzerland, and he inherited his love of photography from his father, who worked in the same profession. Januthan has since become a well-known and widely respected video and photography professional, with a significant following among European Tamils.

Januthan’s Instagram modeling shoots have been gaining traction and attention, and his Tik Tok videos have further boosted his recognition, thanks to his subtle humor that resonates with his audience.

Januthan has achieved several accolades in his profession, including being the first Tamil photographer to win the renowned Radisson award for the best wedding photography in Europe. His collaboration with dancer Usha Jay on a video garnered numerous views, helping to expand his audience even further.

Januthan recognizes that success in his field requires continuous learning and development of new creative ideas. He aims to increase both the quality of his work and his public profile, with the goal of becoming one of the best in the industry. His website showcases some of his best work, and his social media accounts are filled with content that offers a glimpse into his promising future projects.

For Januthan, the road to success is paved with hard work, persistence, and creativity. He is determined to continue pushing his limits to stand out in the highly competitive video and photography industry.

Check out the stunning work of Januthan Logathas on his Instagram account @jpresidento and Tik Tok handle jpresident. Follow him to witness his incredible talent as a video and photography professional. Also, visit the Wedisson Award website to see his award-winning wedding photography at https://wedisson.com/en/photographer/Gajananmanoharan. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to experience his creative vision and skill firsthand!