Big Tea Party - P.A.W. Print - Philadelphia Arts Writers

Elizabeth Fiend photo, Jeff Duckworth

A mere block or two from that south Philly culinary mecca, Pat's Steaks, grows a backyard oasis to thrill even the most hardcore carnivore. Fragrant with summer vegetables and herbs, and coils of incense to keep mosquitoes at bay, this is the garden of Big Tea Party's Elizabeth Fiend.

"Basically, [Big Tea Party] is a snapshot of my lifestyle," Fiend ventures. The jeweled bees on her cat's eye glasses seem to nod in agreement.

Broadcast on Drexel University's DUTV, and created by Fiend (writer), Valerie Keller (editor) and Gretjen Clausing (camera) this show, featuring "cooking, crafts, and anarchy," has a distinctly Philadelphia flavor.

It's a flavor unique as the Philly cheese steak itself.

In brief, three-minute segments, the unorthodox lifestyle program takes the viewer to Love Park, or to the local supermarket, or to a bike shop off of South Street, to demonstrate how to craft something new out of the old and familiar. The "Philly Cheese Fake," for example, offers a vegetarian alternative to a Philadelphia tradition.

The Big Tea Party tradition began in 1998. It was Clausing, whose credits include work with the Neighborhood Film /Video Project and the Philadelphia Festival of World Cinema, who suggested the idea in the first place.

"She just casually said to me one day, I think it would be good to get together to shoot a video, because we have so many projects. Drawing, cooking, all those topics," Fiend recalls. The two shot the first five videos in one day, on location at Fiend's house, before enlisting the talents of Keller. An acquaintance of theirs, Keller had already proven her prowess in editing films such as the PBS series "The Dinosaurs" and the Emmy-nominated "Fever."

Big Tea Party's trademark quick editing, colorful cartoon graphics, and down- to-earth, DIY-style craft demonstrations have earned it a large fan base among the teen set. An appearance on The Food Network's Roker on the Road helped present BTP to a wider audience. Fiend does not take the growing admiration for their work lightly. Sipping from a glass of tomato juice, she cites a fan letter from memory.

"I got a really nice e-mail from someone who lives in a rural area in the middle of the country, and was 15. . . and she said that after her father saw me on TV, he said, 'I have more respect for your ideas now'. And she said it made her cry. It made a huge difference to her."

Big Tea Party's newest project, Green Tea Party-- It's Elemental reflects the group's commitment to inspiring young people to think critically, eat healthier, and adopt a more ecologically friendly lifestyle. The 30-minute feature is geared toward teens in an urban, specifically Philadelphia, setting. But like Big Tea Party's shorter segments it has a universal appeal.

Green Tea Party challenges the viewer to live a "green lifestyle," no matter what his/her surroundings-urban, suburban, or rural. Included are demonstrations on how to conserve water (place a water bottle in your toilet tank) energy (ride a bike or take public transportation) and even the local economy (purchase locally-grown produce/support locally-owned agribusiness). "This lifestyle is all about choice and empowering the individual," Fiend maintains in the companion booklet to the film, A Study Guide to Green Tea Party.

It's also about the use of humor to educate as well as entertain. "That's one of my philosophies, to enjoy life," says Fiend. To this end, she dons a leopard-print cowboy hat and interviews the person-on-the-street about supermarket produce. Or, she eclipses her profile in a pink, fluffy wig, or rides around in a shopping cart. The unusual approach surprises the viewer and elicits his/her curiosity to learn more, but the message is anything but fluffy.

Take, for example, the integrity of bottled water. "Believe me, acid rain is falling in the French Alps and the beautiful mountain springs of Maine," she quips, deadpan, from her garden in Green Tea Party.

The next few months will prove busy for Fiend, Keller and Clausing as they search for a national and international distributor. They envision Green Tea Party as part of a series of educational videos for traditional and non-traditional (such as home-school) settings. A grant has already enabled inner-city schools to receive Green Tea Party for free.

"A lot of them are desperate for a high-quality educational video that will really entertain the kids," Fiend muses.

This summer will also hail the re-broadcast of Big Tea Party's award-winning Unconventional Coverage, The Message and the Means, a documentary of the 2000 Republican Convention in Philadelphia. In anticipation of the upcoming presidential election, the video is gaining popularity nationwide. Featured are former Police Commissioner John Timmoney and former Sex Pistol Johnny Rotten. In June, a jeans-and-sandal-clad Timmoney was spotted at the Rosenbach Museum performing segments from James Joyce's Ulysses for the annual Bloomsday event.

And what's Johnny Rotten up to these days?

"He's working on a new album, he has a wife for, 25 years, he lives in L.A. And he's just trying to make music. He's really nice," confirms Fiend, adding, "He's still an anarchist."

Join the Big Tea Party on DUTV, cable channel 54 (check listings), or on video. For a synopsis of episodes, the Philly Cheese Fake recipe, and to order videos, please visit www.bigteaparty.com.

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