Frankie Travis

Again at the Toad - Reunite this Family!

Frankie Travis — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 23:04:05 +0000

Well Folks,
If you missed my birthday and you still need a laugh come down to the Toad in the Hole in Railroad Square in Santa Rosa, CA. (that’s about 3,000miles due east take the the Holland Tunnel if you’re coming from Manhattan).

9pm PST.
I highly recommend the stress relief.
Frankie
Mark your calendars March 20th “REUNITE THIS FAMILY”

ACTING w/ Eric Morris Technique

Frankie Travis — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 23:02:39 +0000

Date: 2010-02-19, 10:33PM
What are you waiting for??? Just Do It!!!

with FRANKIE TRAVIS
and the ERIC MORRIS ACTING TECHNIQUE
Monthly On-Going Workshops Spring-Summer ‘10

WHERE EAGLE DARE STUDIOS 347 West 36th St (btwn 8th & 9th)
9 hours Friday evening and Saturday.

3 Month Tuition = $555.00

FEBRUARY 26 & 27

MARCH 26 & 27

APRIL 23 & 24

MAY 21 & 22

What is more original than the screenplay you haven’t written yet, the one person show or cabaret act you’ve yet to put on it’s feet or the poem you’ve not shared with anyone outside your shower? Well yes, okay then.

Under the expert and passionate direction of Frankie Travis, participants will learn the three part technique including a warm up, craft exploration and instrumentals. Whether you are a seasoned performer, a rusty one, or one that has only done it in your dreams, this class is a hot bed of creativity and sure to get you going.

Don’t wait another day to sharpen your skills and take your career goals to the next level!!!

Call: 917.657.6927 or email to introduce yourself.

Sincerely,

Frankie Travis
frankietravis@yahoo.com
www.frankietravis.org

please keep in mind that updates are currently underway.

Birthday completed with Panache!

Frankie Travis — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 23:00:58 +0000

Well Many of you heard of my 41st celebration which I threw together on a whim. I had many a sabotaging thoughts but refused to surrender. As I fantasized, it was done.

I booked out a local cafe (Coffee Catz) in Sebastopol, CA along with a grand piano. At 7pm when no one had arrived yet I thought,
“YES this is perfect! If no one shows up that will be great and money well spent!” I just want to play the piano, sing like I’m fabulous and be all dressed up to boot.”

Well 15 people showed up, gosh darn it.
The amazing Eliot Fintushel with a bit performance that made me think, “wow I must be an amazing person to have an amazingly talented friend like this guy”. **( worth googling and utubing) “Rachel Dances with a Flea” try it.

back to the rest of the 14 friends. A long time friend of 37 years Russell and his entire family, a brand new friend I had only met 4 hours prior ordering Coffee at the cafe. Bless him……………I think his name is Jim.
And to everyone in between ………..Denise (piano/duet dittys), Ruth (sang with me), Jen (Wine!)- next time a monologue, Kim (research for future paralegal work), Josida (a guitar serenade in the parking lot, Kris (birthday cake yeah), John (bass guitar back up), Sarah, Summer, Hannah and Ella ( marshmellow bouquet and so much more), Mariya and Alanna (more wine! double yeah). Oh shit if I forgot you call me and we’ll do tea.

Basically, It was a fabulous deadline/pressure gauge to do what I’ve been wanting to do for years. I ended the night with the first two segments of my stand-up. I tell you that crowd was worse than a bunch of drunk strangers.

Thank you so much., all of you for receiving my emails, witnessing my journey through this continued “interesting” time.

I had so much fun on my birthday I’ve decided to do it again in March. Why not? At least17 plus birthdays in my adult years have gone by without appropriate festivities that I ought to log in a few more this spring. So keep yourselves posted for the next “SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION”. There will be another. Until then ……………

Mark your calender for MARCH 20th.
I’m hosting an event, REUNITE THIS FAMILY!!, at the Monte Rio Performance Hall, CA which will certainly be a fun night of music, dancing, drumming, more comedy, food and drink and much more.

Because blessings come in strange ways, I keep stepping forward,
Peace,
Frankie

Second Visit with Rachel!

Frankie Travis — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 22:18:04 +0000

Thank you All for keeping Rachel and I in your thoughts, prayers and meditations. Last night was our second visit and I made a scramble to alert, by phone as many as I could and trusted that the rest of you would pick up the vibe. I sent love before me and was much less stressed going in compared to the first one.

The big news is ………………Rachel laughed! We laughed! I was enormously inspired and relieved to see a better glimpse into her true soul. At first is was the same silence and head to the coloring book. This pretty much went on for the first 40 minutes. I kept up my mantra of love, grounded, centered and divinely directed. Some how I got the idea to pass a note on paper and this led to a funny banter via “note passing”. She began to giggle and tease. Then she shifted to flipping through her Animal Encyclopedia and the flood gates opened up. Laughter and giggles about funny animals, gross ones slimy ones, hard to pronounce ones and of course me getting them wrong all together and she correcting me. It was wonderful to connect in that “word” way of tongue twisters and inquisitiveness as to why nature is the way it is.

Rachel was much less stunted and fabricated. We got up and moved around the room in the last 5 minutes wondering where pluto was. (it was missing from the hanging constellation on the ceiling).

So there’s the gist. I left relieved and promptly became exhausted. It takes so much to prepare for these visits and then “stay in the zone” so to speak, of divine guidance and insight during them.

Thank you all for your support. I can’t imagine doing this without each of you.

Frankie

Update on first visit with Rachel

Frankie Travis — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 03:12:42 +0000

Hello All,

I apologize for taking 5 days to thank you all for keeping Rachel and I in your thoughts last Thursday evening during our first visit. I am grateful for your time and consciousness regarding, what proved to be, perhaps the most painful and challenging event of my motherhood.

I have since worked through the event and am in a much better place as to how to proceed along with just how specifically to hold Rachel through this. It is my wish that the following information be used to clarify just how Rachel needs us all: She needs our love, courage and faith that even now, all is well. Thank you for receiving the following with the best intentions for the final outcome and for grace in healing for Rachel.

When I arrived at visitation Rachel refused to make eye contact, keeping her focus and head down in her coloring book. For the first 10 minutes or so we colored in silence. I brought a bin of projects and special things I’ve collected over the past several weeks, things that would comply with the “no touch” guidelines. Rachel shrugged her shoulders and grunted “uh-huhs,” and shook and nodded her head to communicate for most of the 1 hour and 40 minutes that we had together.

I shared with her my vision board for 2010 and invited her to create one like she did to bring her puppy ‘Racko’ into her life last spring. She listened intently as I reminded her that she wanted a puppy so bad and I didn’t know how it could happen or what kind of dog would be best. Also, I reminded her that Racko found us, and we found him within about 1 month from the time she finished her collage of puppies and vision board.

…I think I noticed a tiny twinkle in her eye at that moment. The following things lit her up and she actually smiled or giggled noticeably:

-Video footage of Racko

-photos of Racko from my phone

-drawing an upside down smiley face of Terra on the envelope of the birthday card we never managed to send back in September, complete with a nappy little fro.

She first talked to me when I asked her, “guess what Tracy told me?” Rachel replied with “she’s having another baby?” with eyes wide with amazement. She then proceeded to count on her fingers how many that will be. A little inside joke which I was grateful for because it intrigued Rachel enough to speak.

Rachel didn’t eat anything that I brought, and acted uninterested in almost everything I brought except for a few things. To my great relief, she chose to take the following items with her to Nancy’s:

-the two dollar golden coins from “the Full Moon Fairy and the Blue Moon Fairy,”

-her dear friend Lielani’s little character which she knitted Rachel,

-her chapter book Bayala from her Grandma Sue which her cousin Anya and her each got a copy of this summer,

-the Christmas photo collage from her Uncle Eric, Aunt Megan and cousins Anya and Tess,

-the golden chocolate coins from her Nana Kathy in Germany.

She answered me when I asked about Santa. She shared that Santa came to her in Hawaii and that she went surfing and rode the board the first time all the way into the shore, but that in general surfing was “scary.”

There are other subtle details which I will reserve for one on one conversations.

Overall, I have been doubly reassured from my attorney that the visit actually went incredibly well considering the circumstances, and length of alienation.

I can say that I’m so grateful for what little knowledge of child psychology I’ve gleamed over the years. I used everything I could recall in the moments.

I feel energized and focused with what my next steps are. Thank you for your continued care and concern. And double thanks for the 20 or so of you that responded with a specific commitment to pause during our time and send us both love, light, prayers, breath, meditations. Whatever it all was, THANK YOU! I can’t imagine having to go through that without all your support. I used every ounce of it.

I am entitled to see Rachel again Thursday the 4th of February. However at this time it is not confirmed.

Blessings to you all and please continue to hold the vision of Rachel and I reunited permanently with Love and Joy in 2010.

Frankie

Reunification, Truth, Joy and LOVE!

Frankie Travis — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 00:52:50 +0000

Wed 1.20.10
Hello All,
Well it looks like perhaps I will visit with Rachel tomorrow evening at 6:30pm. I would like to ask that any and all light hearted persons stop for a few minutes and send your thoughts or prayers, meditate, have a big healing belly laugh or eat a bowl of something comforting and yummy and hold Rachel and me in your hearts. I ask that our time together be divinely protected and sweet and true.

My vision for 2010 is Reunification, Truth, Joy and LOVE!!
For us all,
Frankie

PS If you can commit to devoting time at 6:30 tomorrow night Thursday - would you please reply so I can know just how wholly held we truly are during our time.
Thank you.

New year news…

Frankie Travis — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 18:50:25 +0000

January 7, 2010

Hello All,

On January 16th I flew to California in hopes of seeing Rachel for our first visitation since we had been separated September 17th. The Supervisor had called me several times to alert me of the status of continually trying to get the other party’s agreement in confirming the appointment. Of course that never happened. Nancy stated she was too busy and wouldn’t be able to callback to schedule anything until after the 4th of January.

This was no surprise to me of course. Monday night January 4th I received a phone call from the supervisor to reconfirm my availability on Thursday Jan 7 (tonight). She was waiting to hear from Nancy. Again I heard from her last night Wednesday to inform me that that the supervisor failed to book the facility a week in advance but that we could still have the visit “out and about” somewhere. AND that I would not be allowed to touch Rachel or have her sit on my lap per Nancy’s quidelines. But that Nancy did not agree to have the visit “out and about” as the supervisor suggested.

I “let the supervisor have it” so to speak in a very diplomatic and authentic way. I questioned why Nancy’s hearsay was of any validity. That I was outraged by the inability of the system to assess who’s lying to sabotage Rachel’s rights to a loving mother. I urged her to do her job and that I knew it wasn’t easy. Anyways….a friend was with me and heard my conversation and assured me I was firm but not inappropriate.

I haven’t slept, I’m going to therapy to scream, I need to set a calendar date for a fundraiser and I need your prayers for Rachel.

I want to meet tonight from 6:30-8:30 as I had planned. Instead of with Rachel I’d like to have a pow wow session. I need support.

Please call me if you are available to meet. I will decide on a place within by 4pm.

A private home would be preferable if you are able to host.

Peace?

Frankie

917.657.6927

“When do you get to see Rachel?”

Frankie Travis — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 20:12:18 +0000

Hello Everyone,

I don’t know how to continue in this moment. In anticipation of being asked multiple times the most common and difficult question directed toward me, I thought I’d cut and paste my latest bit of writing below. I expect many of you won’t want to read it as it is a great deal of minutia. However some of you want the details. If you choose to take in the following I ask that you do what you can to allow the information to guide your prayers and compassion towards all of those involved. The pending Holidays are challenging to face and I have so many emotions at this time.

Thank you and Peace,

Frankie

—————————————————————————————————————————-

Re; Timeline in reference to failure to commence Visitation.

Sept 17, 2009 Court Ordered Supervised Visitation 2 x Month (2hr ea visit=4hr a month)

Sept 30, 2009 I phoned CPI to initiate visitation. I was told how the program works but that there were no openings for Intake appointments at that time and to call back on 10.6.09.

Oct 6, 2009 I phoned back CPI as instructed and received intake appt with Margaret Flinn for Tues. 10.13.09 @ 10:30am.

Oct 13, 2009 I arrived @ CPI for intake appt with all documents requested for appt including FCS Recommendation, Court Order (not yet filed), intake form and $25 fee required.

*note: “15-20 minute” session last for an hour as Ms Flinn seemed to take extra care in thoroughly hearing my point of view and reviewed discrepancy between Mediator Beth Wannamaker’s recommendation and Judge Wong’s ruling. She reassured me that I need not do anything else but wait for a phone call from CPI re: when the 1st visitation would be scheduled post Ms Malloy’s Intake. I questioned what was to happen if Malloy did not cooperate and schedule her intake in a timely manner or call at all. Flinn brushed it off saying “the custodial parent calls in to schedule and we’ll wait and see”.

Oct 23, 2009 (10 days later) I called and left message on Flinn’s voice mail at CPI inquiring about progress. I also phoned and emailed Bornstein to advise Malloy to contact CPI to initiate visitation and comply with orders.

Oct 28, 2009 I received phone call from Flinn at CPI stating they could not provide services for me and that I was to contact Legal Services. I questioned her as to why 3 times to receive the above statement each time, evading answering my question as to what changed since my intake. She seemed extremely awkward and robotic in her reply eachtime. Finally on the 4th time she said my case was too complicated and that I needed to call Legal Services and proceeded to hang up on me without the appropriate closure to the conversation.

Oct 20, 2009 I phoned Legal Services and spoke with Toni who explained the program and that she would mail out an intake packet and that I was to return it with another $25 fee and the above mentioned documents previously submitted to CPI.

Nov 12, 2009 I hand delivered all required docs and the $25 fee to Legal Services.

Nov 18, 2009 @ 4:55pm PST I received a voice mail from Toni at Legal Services complaining that I failed to explain why the Judge ordered me to Supervised Visitation and that nothing would progress until I called her back and told her why. I communicated this info to Urlik’s office via secretary requesting advice on how to communicate with Legal Services due to prejudice.

Nov 20, 2009 I received phone call from Elissa that she spoke with Toni at Legal Services and tried to explain and that the court failed to check any box or provide reason for order re: supervised visitation and that I was not trying to be elusive. She instructed me to call Toni again on Monday to do my best to explain.

Nov 23, 2009 I called Toni/ Legal Services and did my best to explain why I left that question blank. She was a bit more receptive and assured me that once again I had then done all that was necessary to have the visitation initiated and that I was to then again wait for the next step.

Dec 2, 2009 I left a message with Legal Services voice mail checking on the progress of my intake. ( I, to date have not received a return call)

Dec 11, 2009 I called Legal Services again and left message with secretary marked URGENT. I was told that Toni was out of the office for a bit but that she would be back in later today (12.11). I reiterated that I would like a return call this same day.

*note: it is now 4:15pm PST and I’ve yet to receive a call from Legal Services.

I have done everything to initiate my daughter’s right to see me by abiding by both CPI and Legal Services program guidelines. As of tomorrow it will be 3 MONTHS since my daughter has seen or talked to me. I am outraged!!!

I trust that this time line will be helpful in clarifying this injustice and my actions in complying with the courts.

Frankie Travis

917.657.6927

PS Prior to sending this out I made one last attempt to reach Toni at Legal Services. I got through to her and she informed me that my case was assigned to a Beverly Mannifield on 11/30/09. I questioned Toni thoroughly as to why I hadn’t received any word and when does an assigned supervisor “usually” make contact with parents after being assigned a case and Toni said usually within a “few days.” I diplomatically explained why I was very concerned and that I wanted a phone call of explanation or more information as to the delay. Toni said that Beverly was due in the office today within the next 40 min prior to closing at 5pm.

“re-update” last night at 9:30pm EST I finally got a phone call from the assigned supervisor. She asked about my availability for this Thursday at 6pm. So if there is cooperation on the other side it’s possible Rachel and I may have 2 hours together on the 3 month “anniversary” (Sept 17th-Dec 17th)

Peace,

Frankie

Open House: Free Acting Class!! (36th & 8th Ave)

Frankie Travis — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 18:40:55 +0000

In the Spirit of Thanks and Giving I invite you to come explore a free evening with the Eric Morris Acting Technique.
In this economy you, as an artist, need to keep investing in your creativity and passion. With your participation, your creative goals will be invigorated through this amazing Acting Technique and my teaching and direction. Come check it out.

Reply to introduce yourself and to get on the “Free Class” List.
*first 15 will have opportunity to do solo work.

Location: Where Eagles Dare Studios 347 West 36th St 13th floor(btwn 8th & 9th)
Wednesday December 2nd
7:00-10:00pm

Frankie Travis
917.657.6927
frankietravis@yahoo.com
www.frankietravis.org

Please reply with “remove” in subject if you no longer want to be informed of my workshops and events. Peace & simplicity.

Happy Thanksgiving & updates!

Frankie Travis — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 20:57:48 +0000

Blog Update 11.22.2009

Well I did it again! Friday night I went up at the EastVille Comedy Club here in NYC.

A Gigantic Thank You! to Alicia (Brooklyn), Michelle (Cape Cod), Jade/ 11 months old (Cape Cod) and Adelle (Bronxville) for schlepping themselves to my NYC Debut!!!!!

Can I just say: “Yeah Me!!”

There was a 90 year old man in the audience, Charlie, who went up before me. He started his comedy routine one year ago at 89!

He waved me over afterwards, and in a fabulous NY accent said, “FrAnkie, FrAnkie; more about ‘the delinquent mother.’”

I said, “ChAHrlie, there’s more. Don’t worry ChAHrlie. Gimme a break. I just wrote this last week. See you next time!”

On my way to teach my class, immediately following this, I received a phone call from my attorney Elissa Urlik. We discussed the new Supervised Visitation Programs’ hesitation to offer me services. She made a phone call on my behalf and I need to follow up on Monday in hopes that they will proceed.

At this point, I’m choosing to put all of the absurdity into my act.

In the meantime, I humbly asked Ms Urlik again if she could initiate the legal motions without the full retainer. She agreed against her better judgment to proceed if I can get her an additional $1,500.

Basically this means;

$7,000 total retainer

-1,975 paid

$5,025 still due

$2,500 requested to proceed reduced to $1,500!!!!!

With the $780 that came in last week and the couple of hundred in checks she is holding, I’m very close to this current goal.

I had a minor set back with enrollment in my class here due to the new students having swine flu and unable to attend. I do hope they get better soon!

Please keep your thoughts and prayers coming. I’m getting each and every new breath from knowing that Rachel and I are being held in this process.

I’m holding the vision of bringing in $720 and getting it to Ms Urlik in time for her to file before Thanksgiving: Please hold this vision with me. Thank you.

I’m off to present my Photographic Art Project to a curator now. I can’t wait to share with you this work and social movement that I’ve created through collaboration with Photographer Richie Goodwin. www.dahliastudios.com.

It is my sincere hope that you all have a lovely and safe holiday. Blessings and Many Thanks for your Giving,

Frankie

www.frankietravis.org

917.657.6927

Frankie Travis

Again at the Toad - Reunite this Family!

ACTING w/ Eric Morris Technique

Birthday completed with Panache!

Second Visit with Rachel!

Update on first visit with Rachel

Reunification, Truth, Joy and LOVE!

New year news…

“When do you get to see Rachel?”

Open House: Free Acting Class!! (36th & 8th Ave)

Reply to introduce yourself and to get on the “Free Class” List. *first 15 will have opportunity to do solo work.

Happy Thanksgiving & updates!

Reply to introduce yourself and to get on the “Free Class” List.
*first 15 will have opportunity to do solo work.