Excerpt from the Alley Series Sneak Preview Part 1: {We can’t take enough pictures and we know some amazingly interesting people! So in order for us to gain a particular focus in our work, we are creating several 10-shot series of photographs that each have a particular theme, in which we can also showcase some of the wonderful people of Memphis. This is the first of our series and it’s been incredibly gratifying so far. We wanted to offer a sneak preview. Memphis has some incredible alleyways and we have thusfar shot 8 gorgeous actors for this 10-part series.}
As we continue to comb through our photos of actors in different Memphis alleyways, we have a few more to share!
Memphis native Eric Tate is no stranger to a camera. In 1997, at age 17, he began filming The Poor and Hungry with Craig Brewer and has not since been without a camera. He is currently an actor/director with Piano Man Pictures – a collective of filmmakers, writers, artists, and musicians from Memphis, who work together to bring what they love to life. Eric’s PMP credits include feature films and shorts such as Lights, Camera, Bullshit; Clerical Error; Default Settings; and Am I. Like many natives of Memphis, Eric doesn’t mind getting his hands dirty in the metaphorical Mississippi mud that pulses through our streets. He’s smart, quiet, intense, profound, thoughtful, and – to the small handful of select chosen – also quite silly. But you gotta watch him closely to get into those layers. Like Memphis, he’s got some stories to tell. On Sundays and Mondays you can see Eric behind the bar of Beale Street’s best kept secret, the Absinthe Room – located on the top floor of King’s Palace Cafe. These photos were taken in one of our favorite alleys, off of Nettleton.
New Orleans native Jarrad Baker has been calling Memphis home for the past 4 years, after performing as Coalhouse Walker in Playhouse on the Square’s 2011 production of Ragtime. Since moving to Memphis he has appeared in numerous productions including Reefer Madness; Annie; and Mrs. Bob Cratchit’s Wild Christmas Binge. Jarrad has also performed with Bigfork Summer Playhouse in Montana and Six Flags Great Escape in New York, after graduating from Northwestern University in Louisiana with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theatre performance. He also studied Cosmetology at Paul Mitchell here in Memphis. When not performing, Jarrad can be seen “doing the hairs” at Dabbles Salon in Overton Square. Jarrad is ball of energy bursting with color. Kinda like this alley. He has a contagious laugh, a communicable sass, an infectious spirit – in other words he pours vivacity into his every interaction. Also… He has a tiny hedgehog. Her name is Huff and she has a purse house when she goes out with Jarrad. She likes leafy things, brightly-colored scarves, and belly rubs. She dislikes unnecessarily loud noises, boys who don’t love their grandmother, and rude people. They are a good pair. These photos were taken in a vibrant alley off of Marshall behind Spectrum.
Please keep an eye out for the last 2 photo shoots from our alleyway series! After all previews are out we’ll release the top 10 Alley Shots for this 10-part series. Thank you for supporting us as we continue to Find Memphis.
All photos were taken by Carla McDonald. These words were written by Courtney Oliver. For suggestions on upcoming series, please email us here.