Putting It Out There

2011-09-23T11:33:00.003-04:00

WHO ARE WE BECOMING?

Anger only begets more anger. Hatred feeds upon hatred. Self-interest leads to the self-serving.

There is a serious need to put the brakes on, America, and look at who we’re becoming. While the Middle East is full of countries where the people are asking for their voice and their vote—after years of our encouragement—we in the meantime are reverting to a nation of greedy shouters, calling out
“Everything for ME” or “I better grab mine before someone else gets it.” We are entitled to do whatever we please. Through our own self-involvement and self-interest, we are truly becoming a mean nation.

It starts with small things—pushing people out of the way on a subway car or running over someone’s foot with a double-wide baby stroller. But soon it escalates.

A man gets executed on Death Row because the verdict said so—despite the recanting by 7 out of 9 witnesses, the basis of the whole case, not to mention that there is a man who has openly bragged of doing the deed himself. The plea to reconsider from world citizens, ranging from Presidents to Popes, fell on deaf ears. Somehow, “reasonable doubt” seems an inconvenience in the face of ego, pride, and an attitude of “I made a decision, I can’t be wrong.” And so a possibly innocent man is killed by the judgment of other men.

A soldier who has served his country heroically in Iraq is booed by an audience when asking about the change in the DON’T ASK DON’T TELL policy. And that crowd response is cheerfully encouraged by the potential candidates for our next Commander-in-Chief.

Activities like raising the Debt Ceiling are decried by folks who swear that Ronald Reagan and their other past heroes were Gods—despite the fact that Reagan raised the debt ceiling more times in his administration than any other President. But then, these are the same folks who block this administration's attempts and then try to blame the current administration for not fixing the problems created by the previous administration. It’s not about trying to do the right thing. It’s about insisting on being the one who’s right.

And no ideologue seems to be blameless in this self-serving rush. Unfortunately, this egotism is the one thing that is truly bipartisan.

If you deserved equal land rights, rights to the land of your birth, and you had even been told you have equal land rights, then you might be upset if the area was continuing to be settled deliberately by others while the talks and negotiations are still going on—and those arbitrating were doing nothing to stop it. Yet we think it odd when people pursue official recognition of statehood at the UN in order to put the debate on an even keel?

Let’s go ahead and set up hydraulic fracturing around the reservoir while, after years of asking, we STILL don’t know the chemical compounds being used (proprietary, don’t you know, like the special sauce of a Big Mac), and there still is no consistent, effective method for cleanup of the waste products. After all, if there’s money to be made, why not make it now and ask questions about health and the environment later, when it’s irreversible?!

This “my way or the highway” cowboy-ism has recurred over many centuries. (Italy and the Fascists of WWII come most readily to mind.) There is something wrong when the freedom to pursue your dream, your rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, get trampled down into “Gimme mine and don’t let anyone get in my way.” Will it take a gigantic, cataclysmic slap in the face to get us to wake up and re-assess this shameful behavior? The Mayan 2012 predictions suggest not the end of the world but rather the end of life as we know it, the start of a new cycle. Perhaps there's something positive in that.

Anger only begets more anger. Hatred feeds upon hatred. Self-interest leads to the self-serving.

2011-07-02T16:42:00.006-04:00

WAY UP NORTH

Just back from another amazing trip to Alaska, my fourth within two years. How wonderful a place it is--breathtakingly beautiful!

And how sad it is that the first thing everyone asks about back in the lower 48 is the ex-governor (whom the Alaskans are exporting to Arizona soon). It is not that ex-Governor Palin--wait, how long was she Governor for?--it's not that any one single aspect of Gov. Palin's agenda upsets Alaskans to the point of rebellion, it's that along the way she became this ramrod conservative party-liner, spouting rhetoric and jargon along a narrow point of view, all conservative, all the time. (I'm told this wasn't always true of her before she became so spotlight- enamored).

Whereas a key trait I've found in most Alaskans (be they natives or subsequent immigrants) is that they have a VARIETY of opinions on all kinds of subjects, and no person is a one-trick pony: no one sticks to a strict party line like a safety blanket. Most of the folks I've met do many, many different things with their time, their talent, and their passions. They might be a taxidermist who practices Buddhism and dances ballet. The joy of sitting at an Alaskan dinner table discussion is that when discussing multiple issues, you cannot predict where each person will stand on any given subject. A fiscal conservative may end up also being pro right-to-choose or anti the war or pro gay marriage, etc. Alaskans are independent thinkers, deciding topic by topic what they believe, and they are usually articulate, well-read and well-informed, not to mention hugely involved in many cultures and the arts. It is a land of creative thinking and living.

I've just returned from the 19th Annual Last Frontier Theatre Conference in Valdez, one of the truly amazing treasures of the national theater scene. Almost 300 playwrights, actors, designers, and directors assemble for a theater "boot camp." From dawn till dusk (which at this time of year is 2 am!), you have play readings, topical workshops, professional theater productions, and even a wild and crazy fringe festival. We talk, we read, we theorize, we party and we celebrate a like-minded creativity. Plays from the Conference go on to productions all around the world, which is not surprising since participants are sometimes international (like my roommate this year, the gifted Jack Dickson, who came all the way from Glasgow!). And whether you're Marshall W. Mason or, well, er, me (trying to come up with extremes of the deservedly known and the unknown), all share in a splendid camaraderie that celebrates the art of play writing. The Conference also provides attention to a very special aspect of theater. Unlike too many movies made for mass consumption, a play can take a very small idea--about relationships or tribal ancestors or the financial state of the world or mother-daughter conflicts or terrorism or 50s zombie films--and create an event that causes real discussion, real thought, real reaction and real sharing. Now those who go into mass entertainment forms are not to be disparaged. Hopefully, the money they make on those ventures then trickles back down into the creation of smaller, one-of-a-kind art pieces. (Yeah, like trickle-down economics always works!). But think about it--the usual superhero/special effects film lasts about two hours or less, and the thoughts it evokes last an even shorter span of time. Whereas, if you get 50 or 100 people in a room to listen and discuss and share ideas, the effects of that encounter can last months, years, a lifetime.

Of course, I also enjoy the Conference because having bombed out at "summer camp"as a kid, it is the ultimate do-over: for a change, I'm somewhere that I have skills that matter, I'm not the LEAST popular kid chosen last, and no one steals my underwear nor do I almost drown in an overly-chlorinated pool. I am actually able to celebrate being a playwright.

It is not for those who wish to take it slow--as I say, you WILL go from 8 am till midnight or later, constantly engaged in art, but it is extraordinarily rejuvenating. To find out that there are like-minded people who care about humanity, about interconnections with others, about the survival of the planet and survival of its culture . . . well, again, you can see why Sara just HAS to move to Arizona!

Next season will be the 20th year, hosted once again at Prince William Sound Community College (a part of the University of Alaska system), and Conference Coordinator Dawson Moore has already put out the call for scripts for next year, which he no doubt will receive, as usual, by the hundreds. (For those who wish more information, you can visit their quite wonderful web site, http://www.pwscc.edu/conference/, which gets updated with amazing regularity all year round.) You go thinking it will be a once-in-a-lifetime adventure--and it is! But with the stimulation and the friendships and the creation and sheer energy created, you know the siren's song will call you back again.

2011-02-12T15:27:00.003-05:00

CHANGIN’ TIMES

When it comes to the world’s stage, America has long had a bit of an ego complex: we are the paradigm for Democracy. We are the good that can happen when people have a voice. We are the exemplar for how other nations should behave.

Well, inevitably, a still (relatively) young nation is bound to have the ego and the preening pride of a teenager, which is what we are when compared to some of the world’s older sovereign nations. And we’ve had the energy and the bucks to back up our boasts, and, with a teenager’s heart, we’ve often been passionate and sincere in our desire to do good for others.

But in the same way that people who don’t let go of that teenage ego as they mature (or rather don’t) can shift from passionate to disturbingly pedantic, we as a people stand potentially guilty of the same over-weaning behavior, the same naïve assurance curdling into egotistical grand-standing.

If we put our money and our beliefs where our sometimes too big mouths are, then we are cheering for the people of Cairo, not because they’ve got it all figured out (as yet) but because they finally awoke from their apathy and said, no, we don’t like what’s going on and we’re not going to take it anymore. They demanded change. And while there were some skirmishes and mistakes made in the protest process, they were minor compared to the major task they were accomplishing. It is particularly significant that when some rioters started attacking national treasures, the crowd reminded them that these were the people’s treasures, Egypt’s treasures, and promptly created a people’s detail to surround the museum to protect the contents and NOT sacrifice them as part of the demonstration. This spoke both of a national pride and a realization that the art of the past is a vital and necessary part of our culture today. We should salute our brethren in Egypt, regardless of whether we are Catholic, Muslim or Jewish, because we support human rights, human kindness, the desire and the right to raise our families, to celebrate life and to live in peace and earn an honest living.

Many Americans have been strangely speechless this week, especially in certain usually noisy corners of Washington. On one hand, an open display of a fight for Democracy that was not instigated by us was a shocker, and we couldn’t take any credit for it. On the other, since we had supported the Mubarak regime, a regime that apparently had outraged so many that this was the result, we didn’t know what to say, especially as Mubarak had been our ally in the war on Terror, so that till now we didn’t want to ask too many questions about what else was going on. Fears have been expressed that maybe the new regime, still to be determined, may not be as favorable to our friendly “wishes.” They may not leap to our defense each time, and they may not be as generous with passages through the Suez, which could have a financial effect at the gas pumps. The question is: do we, the American people, really believe that any people have a right to their own voice, or do we support them only as long as it serves our interests? If their wants differ from ours, will we still support their right to choose?

Meanwhile, there are folks here in this country striving to eliminate NPR and the NEA and all financial support to our national culture, as if it were some senseless frill to be cut from wasteful spending packages. These are the same folks who refuse to enact legislation against animal cruelty, ignoring the warning signs that if we can be cruel to our defenseless four-legged friends, we are only a literal stone’s throw away from abusing those who walk on two legs who we deem “lesser.” And these are some of the same folks remaining fairly quiet when they see other people’s rising up to claim the rights we always say all human beings are entitled to by birth, the rights our Constitution trumpets.

This continues to be a strange and frightening time in the world and, yes, things are not the same globally, politically or economically. But the changes are not all bad, and often there are scary moments before change finishes yielding its benefits. Perhaps it bruises our egos a bit that WE may not be leading the charge, even though I think the people of the United States have in fact inspired our brethren in other lands to believe that they can have a say in how they live and who rules them. Rather than sulk, it is our time to not only support other people in other countries in their efforts to become independent, but also to re-evaluate ourselves and what we value. Do we value basic human kindness? Do we value decency to animals and others? Do we value art and culture as the epitome of our very humanity? Or is it always to be about money, who has the most, who shows it off the most, and who is more valuable because they have the most? We may not need a revolution—but a little bit of soul-searching and re-evaluation wouldn’t hurt us any, either.

2011-01-27T21:07:00.004-05:00

INSPIRED WORK

While great art stands the test of time, great artists survive not only by how their work is viewed over the years but also how their work influences other artists and audiences, sometimes even beyond their own lifespans. In a sense, they stay living--if you define living as the ability to interact and affect the thoughts, emotions and actions of others, which is the ultimate connection we all strive for in our daily lives. Artists of all stripes manage this neat trick. Just recently, sitting in Starbucks (yes, Starbucks!), upon hearing Ella Fitzgerald singing over the sound system, my mood and rhythm were changed entirely, my brain connected with the lyrics she sang, and, yes, at least for that moment, Ella was still with us. I've often found that upon viewing a Monet, a Van Gogh, a Gauguin--alright, gang, fill in your favorite here!--I am transported to another place. For those who favor the time-continuum theory, it's an example of recognizing a connection that exists in time, going beyond the merely linear. And certainly this is true of great writing, wherein our minds become hospitality suites for the words and imagination of some of the great literary lights, who live as long as we provide them hosting space in our heads. Thus we continue to rally to thoughts and emotions engendered by the works of Ibsen, Chekhov, and Shakespeare.

Certainly, Tennessee Williams manages to affect us in this way and continues to do so as we approach the centenary of his birth this coming March. Works like Streetcar, The Glass Menagerie, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Night of the Iguana, Summer and Smoke, and many more continue to fill theaters across the globe, while some of his lesser-known works continually pop-up like amazing gifts, often receiving more positive responses than they did in their initial productions in his own lifetime. But also of late, he has stimulated more creativity in the theatrical community, inspiring another generation of writers to explores his themes, his characters, and his poetry to create new work that is at once both original and tinged with the poetry, magic and humanity that one finds in each piece of Williams' work.

This weekend, a special opportunity to see and feel this influence will be available to New Yorkers when Blue Roses Productions, that sterling group devoted both to the works of Tennessee Williams and the development of work by new and gifted playwrights, will present a wonderful 90-minute bill at the Abingdon Theatre Arts Complex on West 36th Street. Tom's Children is a splendid collection of work inspired by Williams' poetry, with each playwright creating a new piece from their own imagination (versus adapting the poetry literally into a stage tale). The result is a refreshing, powerful and often humorous assortment of plays that take the audience through many realms while maintaining that wonderful sense of humanity (and sometimes inhumanity) that is the cornerstone of the master's work. Erma Duricko, artistic director of Blue Roses, conceived, curated and directed the bill, assembling work from such gifted playwrights as Kara Lee Corthron, Richard Cottrell, Gary Giovannetti, Dawson Moore, Craig Pospisil, Tom Matthew Wolfe and John Yearley. All have distinct and distinctly different voices, yet their work is of an unusually high quality. (I can say this because I have heard these works read and know just how wonderful and powerful they are!) The company has then provided a splendid cast, featuring Dominic Comperatore, Marissa Danielle Duricko, Michael Graves, Heather Lee Harper, Jim Ireland, Blair Sams and George Sheffey, stunning actors all whose intelligence and talent is most fortunately matched by their devotion to good writing. At present, only three performances are scheduled, so you'll want to make sure you get there this weekend--if not to selfishly enjoy it yourself, then to see it now in order to make room for all those other folks who will hopefully see it when it is brought back by popular demand.

Yes, Blue Roses is a group I like and have worked with--truth in disclaimer--but the reason I do is because of their high standards. I always come away transported, enlightened, and in love with what a good time in the theater can do for the soul.

Here's the information:

Blue Roses Productions presents
Tom's Children
new plays inspired by the poetry of Tennessee Williams
Friday, January 28, 2011 through Sunday, January 30, 2011

Friday, 1/28 @ 8:00 pm
Saturday, 1/29 @ 8:00 pm
Sunday, 1/30 @ 2:00 pm

Conceived, curated and directed by Erma Duricko, SDC

WRITTEN BY
Kara Lee Corthron, Richard Cottrell, Gary Giovannetti, Dawson Moore, Craig Pospisil, Tom Matthew Wolfe and John Yearley

FEATURING
Dominic Comperatore*, Marissa Danielle Duricko*, Michael Graves*, Heather Lee Harper, Jim Ireland*, Blair Sams* and George Sheffey*

Abingdon Theatre Arts Complex
312 West 36th Street, 1st floor (but not the ground floor)
$15 suggested donation
Seating is limited so get your tickets or make your reservations now!
http://bit.ly/TomsChildren or phone 212-252-4915

*members of Actors' Equity

2010-12-11T19:05:00.004-05:00

THE DAY THE INANIMATES REBELLED

Maybe the fairy tales and cartoons have it right. Once the lights are out, all the inanimate objects we assume to be soulless come to life. Maybe all that is made of matter must have its own internal energy that holds it together—and that energy is active and alive when we’re not looking, or else it’s too tiny for us to observe. In any event, it is amazing how little we clumsy, cumbersome humans actually control. (Perhaps our dogs only let us think we control them out of love. Cats, on the other hand, always remind us who is boss.)

There is always garbage that deliberately misses the can and papers that refuse to land where you put them, computers that refuse sleep mode (but then again, we know they have brains), and clothing that gets hooked on doorknobs, railings and even nails in desperate attempts to stay behind. There are pens and keys that roll off desks into shoulder bags and briefcases below who act as their getaway cars. How often have you seen something wrap around another item, say a paper clip or something equally twisted, and you know you couldn't have caused that to happen consciously if you tried in a million years?

But for those of a certain age—those of us requiring pharmaceuticals for daily maintenance—there is “the pill chase.”

Pills, growing more costly by the day. must be taken at regularly prescribed times, providing microscopic effects barely discernible but perhaps vital to our survival. One could argue that these pills have the power to cloud our minds and judgment as easily as they may be designed to clarify it or to thin our blood. If they don’t want to be taken, they have the power to make us forget.

And then sometimes, there is The Great Escape, the day that tablets once carefully counted by pharmacists now decide to make a run for it from the plastic tower that holds them captive. A child-proof cap is (finally) removed by folks who are way past childhood. And once you are momentarily distracted, by a phone, a clock, a remembrance of something you must put on your to-do list once you can find it . . . out the pills leap, as if spring-loaded, rolling in multitudinous directions like cattle escaping their pen. Their intrinsic value, combined with their actual cost and their legally-prescribed dosages, make you, the poor dumb human, scramble, as you try to coax back each little escapee. Fears and anxieties of germs and dirt, not to mention house-keeping guilt, add to the conundrum as these missiles enter into unchartered territories of the kitchen floor. And will you actually swallow this pill that is now tainted by its freedom? Thank god there’s dryness, maybe nothing will stick to it, being as you can’t clean it off after all . . . . oh, please, God, let the five-second rule be true and not something we just made up to salve our neurotic souls . . . And even when retrieved, they may not all go docilely back into their light Lucite corrals. Placed back on the counter as one goes to retrieve more, they resume motion, rolling into heretofore undiscovered puddles on the counter or off the edge to the safety of the cranny between the stove and the cabinet, cracks between counters and appliances that under other circumstances and definitions would be deemed contiguous, side-by-side—damn the uneven kitchen floor! And unlike food, which has already submitted to slaughter and is now defeated, these pills cannot be rinsed off once in contact with other surfaces. So you wistfully, carefully wipe them off with a dry paper towel, hoping against hope that you are not pressing dirt and germs into their surfaces, and that you are in fact wiping off anything microscopic that will introduced cholera or e-coli into your system, attempting pathetically to restore them to their “virginal” status. Pathetically, you then count them, trying to figure out how many are unaccounted for in an important manner, all the while knowing you really aren’t sure, despite the start date on the label, just how many should still be remaining. Then you re-incarcerate the detainees into their plastic chamber, all the while wondering if they’re contaminating each other or else plotting their next daring escape attempt.

Your prison break adventure completed, you attempt to resume your day, operating on the clearly fictitious assumption that you are in charge of your own life.

2010-10-30T20:55:00.003-04:00

GENTLEMEN, BE SEATED!

With the passing of Fred Ebb in 2004, one might have assumed that the canon of Kander and Ebb had come to its logical completion, a remarkable trove of treasures that includes such heavy-hitting masterpieces as CABARET and CHICAGO, as well as ZORBA, WOMAN OF THE YEAR, and KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN among many others. John Kander’s thrilling, pulse-pounding show music was always a seamless match with Ebb’s witty, acerbic, sometimes achingly beautiful lyrics. When combined with the very human and often challenging themes they chose for their musicals, the effect was usually dynamic and even dynamite, surely earning them a secure place in musical theater history. Some of us are particular champions of their scores for THE HAPPY TIME and STEEL PIER, while others no doubt promote the likes of THE RINK or THE ACT or 70, GIRLS, 70. (All fans got a little bit of satisfaction from their hit Off-Broadway sampler, AND THE WORLD GOES ROUND.) Their film, television and special events material has yielded numerous numbers to the pop culture songbook, including “My Coloring Book,” and “How Lucky Can You Get”-- while “New York, New York” seared its way into the public consciousness and became the de facto theme song for one of the world’s best loved cities in 1985. One doesn’t think of Liza Minnelli, Chita Rivera, Joel Grey, or Bob Fosse without the material of Kander and Ebb. Digging a bit deeper, the career of Barbra Streisand has significant chapters involving their creations, and even Sinatra covered their tunes. So there would certainly be no shame if 2004 marked the end of the story.

But it didn’t. In fact, their output for the balance of this decade has been rather astonishing (with most of the projects, of course, in the pipeline prior to Ebb’s death), providing more high profile projects than most writing teams create in a whole career. CURTAINS, a loving tribute to show business tales, backstage legends, and whodunits, was a moderate hit, providing a range of terrific comic specialty numbers and touching torch songs, as well as providing David Hyde Pierce a Tony-winning turn as theater-loving police detective. ALL ABOUT US, their adaptation of Thornton Wilder’s THE SKIN OF OUR TEETH, has had several regional tryouts with the hope that fine tuning will eventually lead to a fully-working production, and their musical version of Durrenmatt’s THE VISIT has seen productions in Chicago and D.C., giving Chita Rivera yet another amazing role. Ebb’s voice has continued both in the lyrics and in the conceptions of these shows. For the work that remained to be done, long-time partner Kander fleshed out the finishing touches as if he were channeling his collaborator of 40-plus years.

THE SCOTTSBORO BOYS shows that their sense of drama--the power of injustice, and how the media and the system feed on hype for their own sake--is still clearly in full force. Based on the true story of nine young black men falsely accused of raping two Alabama white women in 1931, it is a case that ultimately gave root to the American Civil Rights movement. Audaciously staged as a minstrel show, this new musical is a fascinating and absorbing evening of theater, especially in an era when we have our first black President of the United States—and certain politicians can still get away with thinly-veiled racial sneers, referring to the leader of our nation as a “loud tribesman.” As you watch the various politicians maneuver things to their own advantage—in the musical, that is—you are aware of the timeliness of the piece, and just how far we have (and haven’t) come in the intervening years. While the minstrel show is a symbol of all that was racist and patronizing, it is also a uniquely American entertainment form, and an amazing display of music, comedy and dance. Even now, while we cringe, we are still entertained in spite of ourselves, and it is in these chilling moments--when we are both discomfited and delighted--that THE SCOTTSBORO BOYS is at its best.

Susan Stroman, whose shows include THE PRODUCERS and CONTACT, has kept the proceedings brisk and clean, never overly sentimental, and her choreography capitalizes on the energy of the minstrel show format, in the process tapping the electricity of her extraordinary cast. Kander & Ebb’s score certainly ranks with their best, showing great range both in pastiche numbers and in songs that form transcendent statements of longing understood by men and women of all colors. David Thompson’s book is effective, but is also so carefully interwoven with the music that it’s hard to know where his work stops and the musical team’s work begins. The cast (most of who appeared in the Off-Broadway production at the Vineyard and in the revised working of the show at the Guthrie in Minneapolis) is uniformly strong and gifted. Joshua Henry, replacing Off-Broadway’s acclaimed Brandon Victor Dixon, makes a strong anchor for the production with his portrayal of Haywood Patterson, an initially illiterate man who spent over twenty years in jail for a crime he didn’t commit, eventually dying in prison of cancer but not before he writing his own autobiography, Scottsboro Boy. His singing and his dramatic presence are forceful without ever being forced; in Patterson, he creates a soulful being that we track throughout the evening. Most of the cast have numerous roles in the show within a show, with Christian Dante White and James T. Lane turning in particularly memorable performances as the two white women falsely accusing the young men of rape in order to protect their own reputations. But all nine of the black actors playing “the boys” are remarkable, and each has their own shining moment. The one female in the cast, Sharon Washington, provides a special sense of the outside world—and the women who wait for their young men who are never coming come. In keeping with the minstrel show tradition, there is an emcee of sorts, the Interlocutor, who directs the proceedings with the aid of his comic sidekicks, Mr. Bones and Mr. Tambo, played by the amazing Colman Domingo and Forrest McClendon respectively in breath-taking displays of bravura characterization and rapid costume changes. Asked to portray some of the most outrageous and shocking characters of the evening, neither shies away from doing what must be done, earning our admiration while simultaneously offending the hell out of us. And we are so lucky that John Cullum is still with us, the Southern Gentlemen’s Gentlemen, to play the role of the Interlocutor. One of the most dependable and stalwart Broadway actors of the past five decades, his seemingly effortless performance is pitch-perfect, a dubious moral center for both the madness of the minstrel show and the sad case of the railroaded young men. And hats off to Beowulf Boritt, Toni-Leslie James and Ken Billington for the superb selective details applied to the set, costumes and lighting respectively, always facilitating but never weighing down the show’s powerful forward surge.

I don’t expect the Tea Party will be booking theater parties for this one, and when the show eventually gets a national tour, the South may not roll out its best hospitality. This may well be one of those shows that garner awards and critical praise but that audiences avoid in favor of shows they feel will be more “entertaining” or light-hearted. Some folks prefer being amused over being slightly, if intentionally, disturbed. But for those true theatergoers who like their drama with bitters and a twist, THE SCOTTSBORO BOYS proves a most satisfying evening of theater. If this ends up being the last of the Kander and Ebb scores to reach the Great White Way—irony intended!—it truly will mark a valedictory exit.

Opens Sunday, Oct. 31^st at the Lyceum Theatre, 149 W. 45^th Street, btwn B’way & 6^th Ave. For more information, visit scottsboromusical.com

2010-09-25T15:41:00.013-04:00

JUST ANOTHER DAY IN THE U.S.A.

Yes, it's campaign time again. Did it ever leave? It seems like campaigners on both sides of the fence lingered on like hungover party guests, unwilling to leave or cede that the "party's over, it's time to call it a day." (Thanks, Comden and Green.) I suppose if you loiter around from one campaign's finish until the next one's start, the "party" never really ends.

The latest screaming point--surprise! surprise!--is once again health care reform. Democrats are pointing to the accomplishments in health care as the cornerstone of their first two years in power, while Republicans are denying any gains in overall benefits to the public and are pushing for a total rollback/repeal if they are restored to their "rightful places."

Just another day in the U.S.A.

Don't the Republicans promising repeal realize that shouting "rewind" without presenting REALISTIC alternate plans arrogantly reveals the issue as one of power? Or that it reveals them to be favoring big business interests over the interests of those they are sworn to represent? And are they cynically counting on the fact that the voters won't do their own thinking, research, reading? (Are they right?)

Once again, it seems demonizing opposition is the sole objective of both parties--versus truly
presenting and exploring valid alternatives, which most folks would be open to hearing. If the Democrats and the Republicans agree on one thing, it's silencing the moderates within their own parties! Discussion and discourse seems to be the last thing they want, and certainly without any better ideas to provide than their current nebulous policies and planks, they don't want to highlight their own lack of answers. It is laziness, combined with cynicism, hate-speech and the very worst kind of rabble-rousing.

It is funny that some of the very people who, say, favor Creationism over Evolution, nonetheless seem to support might is right and the spoils going to the most powerful. We, as a country, are nothing if not ironic.

One plank of John McCain's campaign two years ago (a classic of the Republican health agenda) would allow insurance purchases across state lines for services not covered in a home state. This is apparently one of the few ideas being revived and touted in the Republican's lovely new 5th Grade-level picture book being used as a marketing tool. (Does a picture of the Statue of Liberty or a bald eagle really solve not having enough money to pay for my prescriptions?)

However, the Republicans continually sweep under the rug the reality--that providing said availability doesn't guarantee a lower price. In fact, when any company becomes one of the sole providers of a particular coverage or service or product, the price goes up! It's a basic law of supply-and-demand economics. A similar ploy was made when the Bush administration changed prescription plans for seniors. It's one thing to open the field of opportunities, but if companies have unfettered, unregulated options as to WHAT they choose to offer (based no doubt on what makes them the most money), they won't offer those products that aren't highly profitable to them, regardless of public need--and therefore the drugs most needed will be sold by a handful of companies at the HIGHEST price possible. Once again, the general public is victimized, especially those on fixed incomes. (Free market economies are wonderful--unless your personal buying power gives you no freedom whatsoever.) And if the Republicans did get their way and re-reform the system, while you might be able to PURCHASE said coverage across state lines, that doesn't mean that the medical institutions and practitioners in your home state would have to accept that coverage (which would cost them more in administrative fees and red tape). So once again, the fat cats would win and John Q. Public is left helpless to protect his family.

Another consideration: the parts of the reform bill that have just gone into effect--protecting the public from discrimination for preexisting conditions (especially for children) and allowing families to protect their children longer in this particular (read jobless) high-cost economy, are at the very core of what ANY civilized government should do for its constituency. (Why come together as a group if there is no overall advantage for everyone?) And now that these changes have been enacted, they can't legally be canceled retroactively (unless fraud is proven). So the promises for a total rollback are rhetoric at best.

It is a classic question of who is being served here--the individual American or Corporate America? Time and time again, it has been shown that there IS no trickle down effect of any significance from big industry and big money. The occasional public relations gift of a Gates or a Facebook mini-mogul, while welcome, is merely a drop in the bucket and does not result in more jobs or economic growth. The relative failures of the stimulus plan thus far, according to all indicators, have happened not because profits weren't up but because the tycoons have decided to hoard those profits versus re-investing them into jobs and increased production, thereby short-circuiting the recovery. It is behavior that is obstructionist and, basically, selfish. (A little regulation might have required them to do this kind of reinvestment in exchange for the bailouts and gifts--but no, no, no, we don't want THAT either.)

Once again, the Republicans are pandering to the big corporate interests, in this case the pharmaceutical and medical insurance industries, who helpfully bankroll candidate campaigns but somehow fail to offer aid to average Americans (who are their customers). But then again, the Tea Party, who wants to "take it back for the people," to "return to the way things were"--take a really GOOD look at at their funding sources! It is not the grass roots organization it professes to be. (Nor is it necessarily the true Republican party.)

This is not to say that the Democrats didn't realize setting this week as the time for some of the new health care reforms to kick into effect was advantageous to their cause. The timing, as the campaigns are heating up, is enormously theatrical and surely a political ploy. And the overall lack of transparency as to what is happening in health care and when policies takes effect is appalling--and even more so when such manipulation is used for political gain.

As always, this is not solely an issue of party line or conservatives or liberals being right. But it feels like "Mom" and "Dad" are fighting, with the "kids" being left out--and ultimately suffering the consequences. People only fear true and open discourse either when they think they may find themselves to be wrong or when they are apathetic and would rather delegate then take a stand themselves, later on joining joining a bandwagon of angry protest without having taken on an iota of personal responsibility. Are we as a people incapable of self-critique? Are we as Americans truly unable to come together for the best interests of all? Does protecting basic American rights only mean protection of the its most powerful citizens? Finally, when did intelligent discourse become such a distasteful, "bad" thing?

(Apologies for technical difficulties with edits on this post--wrong buttons pressed, passions over-flowing in the moment, etc. Hopefully it is now reading "respectably." )

2010-09-16T10:38:00.004-04:00

PAY SOME ATTENTION TO THAT MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN!

They don't want us to notice.

But have you noticed that the folks who are attacking Obama for being disappointing are actually the same exact folks who fought against his getting in in the first place? Responding vehemently to any idea of his, irregardless of what it was, as wrong and worthy of Hitler?

Like they were ever really open or listening? Like they've changed their minds? Like THEY are disappointed?

They like to create the illusion that people are turning against the President--they foment disenchantment--but they are actually the same opponents he always had!

And they are the same people who keep shouting "We must go back to the way we were, the people we are."

But . . . weren't they the folks who got us into this financial mess anyway?

Many Tea Party folks want to go back to "the way they were" circa 2000--not 1776, when the forefathers wanted to take care of ALL Americans, guaranteeing free speech, freedom of religion, and a welcome to all who wanted a better life. Who, indeed, is more the true American?

Worst of all, these are the people who speak "American values" and yet treat the office of the Presidency and the man who holds it with disrespect unprecedented in American politics.

Are we cured of a decade's worth of policies that sent us into wars, gave tax benefits to the wealthiest few, saw health care costs spiral out of control, and gave the oil companies and the pharmaceutical companies carte blanche? No. Are we recovered from years of unregulated bank activities and unsecured mortgages? Educational systems devastated by massive cuts to arts, physical education and culture? No.

And were we promised these would be cured in less than two years by the incoming President? NO. NEVER. In fact, over and over again he told us that these were not quick cure situations. (No "mission accomplished" stunts going on here.)

And were any attempts to resolve these situations welcomed by the party who lost their majority, putting the good the country before party politics? No.

Interestingly, articles in The Times and The New Yorker continually point out that the folks who are funding the Tea Party movement, the Coalition for America, the Glenn Becks and the Sarah Palins are the very same folk who stand to lose from the policies designed to protect the common man versus the tycoon. Their backing comes from the very folks who thrived while the system was brought to its knees. The Tea Party movement claims to be the party of the little people, but check out their demographics--do you see an America of many races, creeds, economic strata? This is America? Well, maybe it's THEIR America, but there's no sense of US.

Most of all, DO YOU HEAR ANY NEW IDEAS? I continually point out that what I really would welcome is discussion, a sincere sharing of possible solutions. I'm not content with how things are at present, nor do I feel all my concerns are addressed by this administration. I would so welcome good ideas from both sides of the fence. THAT would be constructive. But personal invective is used as a smokescreen. Whoever shouts loudly enough wins . . . right?

2010-08-29T13:47:00.007-04:00

ILLEGAL "SKINNING"?

Yes, we live in a lethal, violent age. But have you noticed the exponential increase going on in "skinning"?

Initially, it was done for protection, supposedly for the betterment of the species. But now, it's out of hand!

Everywhere you look, someone is selling "skins"--iPod skins, blackberry skins, laptop skins, cellphone skins! You begin to realize it's as bad as when exotic hunting went wild in the late 19th century (until endangered species laws took hold). Why, I just passed a table on the street with cellphone skins just lying there, so many that they were practically giving them away, they'd created so many! And the skins being traded on the Internet run into the hundreds of thousands--daily! Soon, they'll be just for decoration--like zebra rugs or wall-mounted antlers!

Please, people! These mini electronic devices were born as our friends, for the betterment of society. They mean us no harm. True, if allowed to grow at their current rate, they will overrun the population--people will stop actual live communication as they retreat into an electronic, "virtual" world, obsessed with the latest tweet, text message, or (gulp!) blog. Teens and even fully-grown adults will become so addicted that they cannot put their text devices down for two seconds to give their full attention to those in the room! (Thumb injuries will skyrocket, as will surgeries to repair them--not too mention increased eye damage and "crow's feet" from all the squinting!) But to skin these creatures makes no sense at all and is just plain cruel! The number of silicone particles destroyed alone could feel an entire nation of computer chips!

Have a heart people--stop the thoughtless skinning of defenseless electronic devices! (What, they're not thoughtless? You mean they're using me . . . RIGHT NOW? . . . Quickly, I must alert the

2010-08-28T20:47:00.004-04:00

SCOUNDREL TIME

It always strikes me as ironic that the flag wavers who want to return the country to its "glory days" seem to ignore the very tenets the country was founded upon--freedom of speech, freedom of religion, creating a haven for those fleeing oppression, everyone getting a fair chance. These are the very reasons the forefathers built America. The tea party wants less government, yet complains there's no oversight. They want their own rights protected--but not the rights of others. They talk of Christian values, family values, yet their platform denies help to those less fortunate. They want their stocks, their homes, their jobs and bonuses protected, but see no value in laws or efforts to protect the rights of all--apparently, there is only so much to go around and they want what they deem their share, even if it means that others go without. We are slipping to 12th in the world in terms of college graduation rates, yet this nation cuts back on education constantly: on cultural education, on languages, arts and music--and then they wonder why we're doing so poorly in our test scores! The Tea Party wants to repeal the health care bill when we are the only "civilized" country that does not think it's a government's duty, a society's duty, to take care of all citizens in need. They support the profiling laws of Arizona and are trying to repeal a law fundamental to our founding--that those who are born in America no matter what the circumstances are Americans. Glenn Beck trumpets religious values, yet pushes a selfish and self-centered agenda. Socialism is used as a fear-mongering tactic, while Capitalism is pushed as a God-given right--even though the greed of the past decade that flourished through capitalistic indulgence has brought our economy to wrack and ruin. Any system has its imperfections, to be sure, but somehow, Beck and Palin seem to demonize anything that doesn't give them personal free rein, usually at the expense of others. Co-opting religious and high-road rhetoric is the name of their game. (They even feel entitled to trample on Martin Luther King's historic day for their own political gain.) But in the end, it is scoundrel time.

2010-08-03T23:15:00.004-04:00

MENTAL ANOREXIA

Being boring has never been popular, to be sure. Brevity is the sole of wit.

Lately, however, it seems that the number of words is of more concern than the quality of the words, the richness of thought. There is no patience for a real exchange of ideas. Being short-spoken is valued over accurately or flavorfully getting a point across. No one has time to talk something through, and intelligent, respectful difference of opinion is dismissed as a waste of time. It seems far more important to find out about Heidi’s divorce from Spencer than to discuss education, drilling for natural gas and oil, healthcare, the economy, art. (Why talk in person at all when we can text each other?)

Surely, there has always been a need to streamline. But the tendency to go for the shortest answer can be short-sided, and worse, lacking in imagination. Don’t ask people to explain themselves. Don’t ask people to read. Don’t ask people to be creative, and for God’s sake DON’T challenge them to do something they think they don’t want to do, even if they don’t know what it is. The resistance to stretching one’s imagination has become the American anathema. We have forgotten how to listen.

Celebrity was never intended to be an art form unto itself and is different than pop culture. PEOPLE magazine, though diverting, should never replace great literature in our society. This is not an unfair swipe at PEOPLE—it was never intended as art. It is mental potato chips, pop corn, a snack for the brain—but it is no substitution for a truly great and nutritious “meal.” Right now, our cultural and educational systems are fostering mental anorexia.

The problem is most prominent in our classrooms. Instead of bringing our youth into adult discussions, we seem to be content reducing our concerns to the lowest common denominator. Attempts to get kids to stretch their minds (taking more patience and time) are discouraged, and if kids whine, fearful of not meeting the task and therefore refusing to do it, we capitulate immediately and stop the activity. We calm them down to stop their whining—which I guess makes it easier for the adults. More time is spent on “classroom management,” finding ways to keep students controlled, docile—usually at the expense of igniting their imaginations, creativity and energy. Certainly, disruption and harmful behavior should be nipped in the bud, and rudeness should never be tolerated. But recognizing where the excitement and noise comes from is essential. It is crucial that children develop the ability to articulate their ideas, their emotions, and their dreams. And for educators, recognizing when the fear of being laughed at is causing a kid to manipulate them into expulsion from the classroom is a skill that must be developed. Kids will say “I’m bored” at the drop of a hat, if they think it will get them out of something they are resisting, especially expressing themselves. If we only let kids explore that which they choose to know, we do them a disservice, for they simply don’t know what they don’t know. They will be managed, perhaps, but they will not be creative individuals.

And national test scores will continue to decline. Those boring old teachers, who used to make us read, write in detail, explain and explore our thoughts? How come American education scores were higher and success stories more prevalent in their generation? It seems the more modern curriculum is streamlined by our latest educational gurus, the worse our education crisis deepens and the more vapid our culture grows. It’s time to start listening again, perhaps most importantly, to what is NOT being said.

2010-07-30T10:57:00.006-04:00

A FILM TO WATCH FOR

For the second year in a row, I was lucky enough to attend the New York International Latino Film Festival, sponsored by HBO. (Last year's LOVE SIMPLE, a charming unpretentious romance, is slowly going on to a real life and, I believe, is now available on iTunes.)

This year, one of the real gems is the debut film of twenty-seven year old William David Caballero, a multi-talented gentleman who directed, shot, edited and scored a really wonderful documentary entitled AMERICAN DREAMS DEFERRED. Caballero, a NYU film school grad, decided that the well-stream of his art and soul was his family, with all their trials, tribulations and dysfunctions, and so he chose to make a documentary about them. Risky, that--turning the camera on your family. (My mom won't allow even snapshots and when she does, she makes a face--even did that in family wedding photos!) Not only do you risk potential alienation, but then the process for the artist to pick and choose from so many, many personal details becomes a painful process. Objectivity can go out the window or shut the artist down completely. It turns out, however, that the love and pride that all of them feel for him (the family calls him David) creates a trust and they open up for the camera with astonishing honesty and feeling.

The film never sugar coats, and there are moments in the lives portrayed that are harrowing, dark, and painfully sad. Problems of chronic illness, drug abuse, violence, sex abuse and aging are revealed, but they are infused (as they are in life) by the joys and complications of true caring that comes from family ties. The sense that no one will ever be abandoned, no matter how difficult the trials, is truly awe-inspiring and a testament to the strength of family. And as with any family, humor is the survival key and a moment can flip from dark to light--and then possibly dark again--in an instant. But what makes the film so rich and astonishing is the sense of love that continues through truly difficult circumstances. The director's parents share a devotion through the father's many years of devastating illness, and this is revealed so movingly, both in actions and in certain moments of stillness, that the audience was audibly moved to tears. And a scene where his hospitalized father sobs that he doesn't want his son to go back to New York shows a directness and depth of emotion rarely seen on screen. That we were moved to such a depth of emotion not by editorial or artistic manipulation but by simple, direct honesty--the sign of a wise film maker. His grandparents, his aunt and her children, his cousins, are all intimately a part of Caballero's life--and of his documentary, and by concentrating on nuances only a close intimate would know, he creates an enormously revealing portrait.

It is not the generalities of each of our lives that makes a work universal. Ironically, it is those unique details specific to our experience that make us connect, as we recognize the truth about our lives and the depths of our feelings. With its use of incredibly intimate candid detail, AMERICAN DREAMS DEFERRED is an absolutely remarkable portrait of love and family, an ultimately uplifting and moving experience that anyone who's ever been a family member will find riveting.

There is one more showing in the New York International Latino Film Festival--Saturday at 1:30pm at the Chelsea Cinema, West 23rd between 7th and 8th Avenues. But hopefully, this will just be the beginning of the distribution of this wonderful documentary, one to keep on your list of things to see.

2010-07-23T13:21:00.004-04:00

WHAT'S HIDDEN, WHAT'S REVEALED

With an able assist from the MAD MEN design team, first-time director and fashion designer Tom Ford ably evokes the early 60s, with all of its awakenings and phobias, in a stunningly moving and simple tale, A SINGLE MAN, now available on DVD (and no doubt various cable outlets). Based on a Christopher Isherwood novel, the film received largely critical acclaim both here and England, yet inevitably missed many viewers to its "art house" scope. In fact, it no doubt would have escaped most viewers note, were it not for the splendid, Oscar-nominated performance of Colin Firth, playing the sad and understated college professor George Falconer, a mostly-closeted gay man (this is 1962) who has lost his lover of sixteen years in a car accident and has been forbidden by the lover's family to attend the funeral. The film spends a day in the life of this forlorn man--a particular one, where from the start it is clear he plans to end his life--and follows him through his path of trying to put his life in order. If this sounds painful, it is--so many times you want to scream out to him to stop and look at all the possibilities. But the film is so engrossing and so easy to identify with that you'll find yourself fully drawn into Falconer's experiences. As you would expect from this production team, the visuals are continually breath-taking: sensual and spot-on. Yet they never pull you out of the emotional tug provided by Firth's marvelous performance, duly deserving of the accolades it received. You so much want to reach out and help this man--and show him that life is worth living. The screenplay by Ford and David Scearce is never overly maudlin, and each time Falconer starts to move towards self-pity, a twist occurs that provides both a fresh look at life's opportunities and also some truthful comic relief. While small cameos are provided by the likes of Lee Pace (PUSHING DAISIES) and Mad Men's Jon Hamm (as a phone voice), strong support is provided by Nicholas Hoult (all grown up from ABOUT A BOY, where he was the kid befriended by Hugh Grant) as a persistent student, Matthew Goode (as the departed lover), and by Julianne Moore (in another amazing, Golden Globe-nominated performance) as the professor's long-time, somewhat boozy friend. To tell you too much more story-wise would be to give too much away, although admittedly the film is more character study than plot-twister. But you will be moved, teased, torn and in many ways healed by the lovely, direct storytelling. If you missed it in the theater as I did, you will be very happy to catch up with it in the comfort of your own space (which may ultimately be the ideal way to view this film.) Released by The Weinstein Company.

2010-07-16T19:33:00.006-04:00

BACKWARDS RECIPROCITY
(or letting the old folks in!)

It is clear that most new theater companies, at least in New York, are created by and for young(er) artists. That makes sense. After all, it is hard, HARD work, requiring energy and determination--often requiring every waking hour of life when you're not at work at a "rent job" to make enough money to pay for the damned thing! (Breathe.) It is not LIKE having a second job, it IS a second job. (I know--I was there once. Kinda still am, but that's another discussion.)

It also makes sense that artists spending all this time and energy on forming a company would deal primarily with issues, concerns and aesthetics that please them and their target age group. After all, to put in THAT much hard work and make that many sacrifices, you surely are going to want the messages and the work to be something you care about artistically. Makes total sense.

But oddly, while plays used to feature a range of characters of different ages, there now seems to be an overabundance of plays with "twenty-somethings" as the only characters--and as the sole target audience. (Even "thirty-something characters" are having a harder time.) And when festivals of one-acts, etc., come along, any plays with "mature" characters get swept under the rug, and if these plays do appear, they get buried while plays about "coming of age" and "getting laid" seem to sweep. (Or as a fellow middle-aged theater artist said to me recently, "If I have to watch one more f%&-ing coming of age play, I'm gonna yell 'fire" in the theater!") Again, I guess understandable--but a little sad. (Which? The old fogey reaction or the youth bias? Um, I'm not quite sure!)

Understand, I KNOW that I'm getting older. There is definitely a new generation in charge. And no one wants to spend their 20s in their parents' basements--it is time to get out there and explore! It is your right, as it has been EVERY generation's right. This is finally a time when your opinion matters MORE than the heavy-handed authority figure who's been ruining you life for . . . okay, see, I do understand and if you don't deal with it NOW, you never will!

But when you don't include a mix in your mix, you lose out in several ways. You lose out because middle-aged audiences still DO like to see theater, and not just conservative "Broadway" fare. Older audiences have needs to see their lives and interactions explored, too--and they will pay cold hard cash to see it! And just as we are reminded about youth as we watch the stories you crave, so might you learn a few things in preparation for your middle years--not to mention that it might help you connect with a whole other generation that you will be entering sooner than you think! By doing plays with older artists also involved (yes, we write, direct, act, design and even sweep floors!), you set up connections that may serve you when other projects, sometimes decently funded, come along. Doing plays with mixed age groups really does reflect life--and might do something for yours. And finally, though not guaranteed, older audiences may have some disposable income that can be sent your way--but they want to feel that at least sometimes they get to see themselves in those plays, and not just as the rotten parent!

To put it another way: you know how much you hate it when older software can't read documents created in the newest version? Like a document created in Word 2007 or higher can't be read in earlier versions of Word? UNLESS YOU SAVE IT AS A WORD 97-2003 VERSION?! You'd like there to be backward reciprocity, right? A document is a document is a document and you don't want your creations excluded!

I am trying (humorously, I hope) to make a point: Real artists are ultimately ageless, and the sharing of ideas, passions and dreams are what make us all related, all part of this really odd and neurotic species called human beings. No one ever said older people are necessarily smarter--they just have more experiences to share. By interweaving generations, stories get passed along. Lore is shared. Rituals are handed down, developed and embellished, each generation adding their own embroidery to the tapestry. And, yes, understanding each other paves the way in BOTH directions for the future.

So . . . let's open up the doors a little, people? (Pretty please . . . !)

Paid for by FART (Fostering Artist Relations in Theater)!

2010-07-12T11:43:00.003-04:00

NORTH CAROLINA ADVENTURE

I’m not a big traveller—I like being places but I hate the “getting there.” Nonetheless, I took a JetBlue flight this weekend (thanks for great service!) to Carrboro, NC, where The ArtsCenter, a really wonderful place where art, music, theater and dance combine, presented the 9th Annual 10 By 10 Festival, an evening of ten ten-minute plays performed by ten actors, with a ticket price of only $10. My play, CLOSET CASE, opened the evening and was enormously well-received, under Chris Chiron’s concise and clever direction. Kenneth De Abrew and Lori Mahl (who along with Chris appeared in the other nine plays), were wonderful as a man who finds a strange woman living in his closet—and the woman in question! It’s an odd, absurd comedy, based on a “true” news story out of Japan. The whole evening was beautifully directed and acted—and FUNNY and thought-provoking. On my evening, I was part of an audience talkback with four other playwrights, having a panel discussion with those who stayed after the show (for discussion and a wine-and-food reception). It was a really terrific evening, largely due to the quality of the work and the wonderful people I met on the journey. People who still wish to see the show, by the way, still can—as it plays Thursday-Sundays thru July 25th (Th-Sat eves at 8, Sun Mat at 3). The ArtsCenter at the Triangle, Ste G, 300 East Main Street, Carrboro, NC (919) 929-2787

2010-07-04T17:57:00.006-04:00

LET IT GO

Though it pains me to think of the whole nation being as flummoxed as I am on this July 4th--I've never found misery to love company, frankly--I think the only way to get through all our current trials and woes is to return to my hard-to-learn mantra, "Let it go!"

Let it go.

You've had an argument with your loved one over a momentary comment intended one way, interpreted as another. But you love each other. Let it go.

You thought you were going to end up with more cash and more self-esteem as a result of hard work, determination, craftiness and plain dumb luck. You wanted to be a great experimenter BUT you also wanted to end up with some modicum of security. Let it go.

People you care about offer suggestions helpfully that just plain don't help. Let it go.

You're afraid of making a choice or a decision, fearful that things COULD always get worse, and the unknown ahead is far more fearsome than "the demons you know." Let it go.

You feel that your best efforts don't suffice--and even you start to question whether or not you know what's best, or whether your contributions will matter to the world in the long run. Let it go.

Let it go.

All we have is the moment. We've had the past. We need to clear the way to embrace the future. But that can only happen if you . . .

LET IT GO!!!

Wishing all a good day of cool drinks, warm memories, and a new and refreshed sense of purpose. Forget about worrying that it won't be perfect. Just put it out there. Let it be. Let it fly! And as for those worries that stop you from flying . . . let it go!

2010-06-29T13:34:00.002-04:00

WHY CAN'T WE TALK THINGS OUT?

A rather conservative Republican friend (yes, I'd like to believe such a thing is possible!) recently responded to me that maybe they couldn't love me anymore, if I insisted on giving any props to Obama -- he who apparently can do ABSOLUTELY nothing right (according to the conservatives). Perhaps it was because I had just pasted a video of Rachel Maddow's rather intelligent listing of statistics on Facebook. Ms. Maddow listed both many of the legislative achievements of Ronald Reagan (a lot of which would be frowned on today by many of the same conservative pundits who praise Reagan as their god), as well as a listing of legislation passed (imperfect or not) during the time Obama has been in office so far. No matter if you agreed with the bills or not, just in terms of scope and activity it was actually an impressive list--countering many of those who feel our President has been inactive so far.

[My crime, in case you don't know, is not being one who dismisses his accomplishments. Either that or it was my response to the "fracking" activities of the natural gas companies in this country, as explored in the excellent (and literally incendiary) documentary, GASLAND by Josh Fox, currently on HBO this month.]

But this post is not about natural gas or about Obama or even a specific ideology. It's about what's happened to us as a people--a people who feel we can't talk to each other anymore if we have opposing viewpoints. It seems that rather than come together to find mutual ground to solve really crushing problems--health care, the economy, the environment, energy, disasters (both man-made and natural)--we are suppose to stomp off to our corners and pout, convinced that ONLY we are right, only WE know the answers, and we are to brook no further discussion. My way or the highway, as they used to say.

The place where we are, as a people, is a sad and lonely one. We appear to be so bruised that we are unwilling to touch one another, lest we hit a sore spot. Any ideology is just an idea--one that can be abused. Yet to discuss pros and cons on either capitalism or socialism is anathema---rational thought is disdained, no look allowed at what positives can be drawn from either, and god forbid we admit that any theory or theology can be spoiled not by its pure practice but by the greed and corruption of those running the ideology. It's like those who must have blind faith--you either accept it whole cloth or you reject it, and no intelligent compromise can be reached. It's as if we've jumped back to the 1950s, and just a word, like "communism" invokes such fear and hatred that people become irrational, versus being able to discuss it as merely an ideology, an approach to a problem. Like the mere mention of a word, an "ism," will corrupt your body like a social disease. The contradiction--that we wish to preserve our cherished rights, like freedom of speech and thought and yet we wish to quell all voices and opinions other than our own--is depressing and even scary.

Can't we come to some consensus? Or does that mean that WE don't win? It is my personal belief that if we have any function on this planet at all, we are supposed to leave the place better than when we found it--and lately, we seem to be failing that mission miserably.

Especially strange to me is the idea that nobody should have ideas that fall somewhere in between the polar extremes, even though surveys of the American people show that we are nowhere near as polarized as the pundits and politicians wish us to believe. We all want to be able to afford our homes, take care of our families, be able to work and be compensated, be prepared in case of a medical emergency or natural disaster. The "how" is as variable as people are varied, but does that mean we can't discuss things in an effort to come to consensus?

I never expect everyone will agree with everything I say or think, I never have--but when I bring an idea with an open heart and, further, open ears and the door just gets slammed in my face? I'm stunned. I am a spiritual but not specifically-religious person, yet I believe only he who is without sin should cast the first stone (which means all gravel pits are safe for the time being).

All ideologies, democratic or socialistic, conservative or liberal, are only as successful as their inability to be abused. It is greed that destroys ANY system. My conservative friend fears that what she's worked so hard for will be taken away and re-distributed, apparently to those whom she's been told don't deserve it. And further, it is assumed that I, as a relative liberal, wish to distribute and give away everything willy-nilly.

I believe that people should get to keep what they've worked hard for and deserve some security, as part of the guarantee of life, liberty and the pursuits . . . as John Locke wrote many years before we were even a nation. But the limits should be that OUR pursuit should not destroy the pursuits of others, that our endeavors should not destroy what others are equally entitled to partake in and enjoy. That those who stockpile rather than let anyone else have their share ARE wrong and greedy, and that those who damage our systems and our environments for their own gain at the expense of others ARE doing harm.

We form a social contract as a society to protect and enhance our lives and to equitably protect our rights. It is then our job to do the best we can within that social contract. The annihilation of others' rights is wrong, no matter what religion or ethical code you follow. All should have equal rights, not some more than others (as was written on the barn wall in Orwell's ANIMAL HOUSE). How we individually do within those parameters is up to the individual--and those who make no effort to contribute should indeed pay a price. But those who are incapable of participation in the dream, either through frailty or through the deliberate actions of others, should not suffer the consequences. That is not part of the ethic we supposedly believe in as a people. Survival of the fittest was an idea Darwin explored in nature, but he was not suggesting that we consciously go out and crush those we don't want to win.

And my friend was right--blame should not be the order of the day. But we are ALL accountable for letting abuses go by, and the mess we are in did not just begin in the past two years but were many, many years in the making.

So yes, I hope my conservative friend will still "love" me, even as we agree to disagree. Because if we can't, the isolation may just be unbearable--and the ultimate destiny, unthinkable.

2010-06-16T01:11:00.000-04:00

ART AT A GRASS ROOTS LEVEL

As New York State budget knives fall once again, those artistic entities still afloat have an even greater responsibility than ever to reach out to their community, to enrich their lives with culture at a time when the arts have been deemed a luxury. This is a time when our country needs the arts most--even if most people don't know it yet.

The problem is not a new one—for years, the US has been one of the only civilized countries that chooses to downgrade the role of the arts in the health of its people, its communities, its national character—which may explain why our health care system, educational system and, indeed, our very national character are in decline.

For too many years, advocates were encouraged to contact political leaders to stress how the arts develop learning and social skills, foster respect and community, improve education and enrich neighborhoods with beauty and culture. The arts actually increase commerce with these activities, bringing business to restaurants, stores, parking facilities and, yes, cultural facilities themselves. All of this remains true, of course. The problem is, the politicians already KNOW the power of the arts and are conscious of its threat: if art encourages individualistic thought, comparative judgment and passionate commitment . . . well, that’s a dangerous brew to most politicos, who would rather lead sheep than individualized, informed constituents. It merely forces them to re-double their efforts to squelch funding.

There is a need to go more grass roots, to let people themselves know what art can do for them NOT as a luxury, but as an essential building block in their quality of life, their mental and emotional health, the improvement of the environment they live in, and for edification of future generations. People need to experience the arts for themselves, individually and as groups, to see and feel what it brings into their lives. In order to do that, more galleries must open their doors to their neighborhoods. More parks and recreation facilities must provide free theater. More projects must lure communities in to see how a good artistic experience enriches their lives.

In every previous era, art is what has opened people's eyes as to what they need to value as their comfort zones dissolve due to economic or environmental disaster (natural or man-made). Art needn't be an "escape" from calamity (although it can be a comfort), but sometimes it just provides the lens we need to figure out how to cope with our problems.

It is not my intent to be generic about the arts here--surely I can go on about the virtues of any form you choose. But the slicing and dicing of funding is being approached in this way--and so the outreach must encompass all in order to stem the blood-letting. A creative solution is needed for the economy. An imaginative solution is needed to stem the oil spill. Gifted problem-solving with a unique perspective is the only thing that will get us out of Iraq and Afghanistan. Artists provide the frame through which we can perceive our world, decide what we value, and rouse ourselves to action.

2010-04-24T16:57:00.000-04:00

ME-ISM

Arizona's reactionary immigration law is not only disgusting in and of itself--legalizing racial profiling as a way to discriminate against those who aren't "us"--but is symptomatic of the dangerous mode we have moved into in recent months as a nation.

We have become so self-centered as a people that we are fighting each other over table scraps. So-called democratic principles have become bald excuses for grabbing as much as one can grab for oneself. People will knock you down on the street if they think they can get where they are going faster.

It's as if a vocal warm-up exercise has transformed into the new battlecry: "Me Me Me Me ME!"

The Tea Party Movement claims to be interested in the rights of Americans--but they wish to say who IS and who ISN'T a good American in their eyes, to make sure that they, the select few, receive all the spoils. Check you dictionary, folks--that's not democracy, that's a form of fascism.

Capitalism was supposed to be a system that gave everyone an equal chance, but as in Orwell's ANIMAL FARM, it appears that some little piggies have been deemed "more equal" than others. And perhaps most alarmingly, the very Judaio-Christian teachings of giving to others and caring for the less fortunate appears to be a revolting concept to the very people who claim themselves the backbone of America. They scoff at "community organizers" because they have absolutely no sense of community. The very Bible they like to thump so much points to their lack of humanity as a sign of total hypocrisy. And perhaps even worse than their lack of generosity--the total lack of respect for open discourse and the inability to engage in civilized discussion to solve the issues of a country perilously in need. Rarely has name calling been as bold, ugly and divisive.

This country was founded as a place for all who feel oppressed to come and be an equal, regardless of race, creed or religion. Freedom of speech was to be guaranteed in a land of equal opportunity. People have died for this cause and continue to do so. Our troops overseas are fighting for these principles every day. And searching the ethnic and religious backgrounds (not to mention the sexual preferences) of these fighting troops will no doubt reveal heavy concentrations of the very groups these so-called arbiters of American values wish to curtail.

The co-opting by the callous right abuses democratic principles and the capitalist system just as a handful took the Utopian notions of socialism and turned them into self-serving rules. Any system suffers from repeated abuse. The actions of these people not only defeats the basic principles of our country but spits in the face of those who work and have worked so hard to defend them.

We are a nation of immigrants, a nation that was always prized for its diversity. Arizona's sanction to profile at will anyone deemed "suspicious" is a way for a privileged ruling class to fight back what they fear most--the loss of their supremacy in a demographically changing country. Responsibly protecting our citizenry is one thing. Giving carte blanche to racism is another thing altogether--and is distinctly un-American.

Then again, I suppose there is an upside to all this: we can bring back Il Duce and at least the trains will run on time.

2010-04-09T01:05:00.000-04:00

RARE OPPORTUNITY AT ENCORES!

ANYONE CAN WHISTLE at City Center's Encores! is a highly entertaining presentation of one of Broadway's quirkier footnotes. The brilliant Sondheim score shimmers, as always. The story is odd and at times interesting, even whimsical--but is really more ideas on display than a book that works. Still the staging is engaging and the choreography is a delight. And of course, when you put Donna Murphy, Sutton Foster and Raul Esparza on that stage with those songs . . . it's musical theater heaven! Everyone who's seen a Sondheim revue knows the title tune, and also the achingly lovely "With So Little to Be Sure Of," here done to perfection by Foster and Esparza. But "A Parade in Town," "Everybody Says Don't," and "There Won't Be Trumpets" (among others) show that even an early Sondheim stumble is treasure chest of gems. From start to finish, Donna Murphy rules with an iron fist and giddy humor--and an incredible set of pipes. The always dependable Edward Hibbert does well with what at times is a thankless role. And the gifted ensemble of dancer-singers do amazing work, especially in the 2nd Act ballet. (Kudos especially to Cora's "Boys" who are indeed on their toes--literally! If you've ever been curious about ANYONE CAN WHISTLE, go see it--it is doubtful that you'll ever see a better production of it, and it really is an enjoyable and at times thought-provoking evening. Now thru April 11th at City Center, West 55th btwn 6th & 7th Avenues, 212-581-1212.

2010-03-25T12:58:00.000-04:00

AN OPEN LETTER TO INTELLIGENT CONSERVATIVES

Beyond any opinions over the state of American healthcare—some of us believe that the availability of good, affordable healthcare is the responsibility of a successful society, others of us . . . don’t—there is a principal tenant of any democracy: that after all are polled and a choice is made, we pull together with a sense of civility and a recognition that due process went into the decision. We expect our elected officials to behave responsibly, with respect for colleagues regardless of differences of opinion. We exhort many countries to model themselves on American principles of democracy and supposedly are willing to fight for a system that allows for different opinions, beliefs, and religions. Common sense and decency is supposed to be our guiding light.

It is appalling the degree of poor behavior that has occurred in the wake of the healthcare debate. Visible conservative pundits, such as Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck and Sarah Palin, have come out encouraging violent attacks against anyone who thinks differently than they do. Active targeting for violence has occurred and even encouraged. And their critique of the plan, as passed, is not a clear, point-by-point attack of the dangers of the bill but rather a personal attack on those who passed it—treating them as dreaded enemies versus colleagues who worked as hard as they did to arrive at SOME kind of improvement.

What is squandered here is opportunity—and valuable currency of opinion. While I am admittedly of a liberal leaning, I am devoted to the idea of intelligent discussion and wanted very much to learn what was in the bill and what it would mean to me, pro and con. There were lists posted citing the so-called merits of the bill, and in President Obama’s speech, he listed features (such as not being denied insurance for pre-existing conditions) that sounded merely rational. I would have greatly welcomed learning about opposing points of view, the downsides of the bill, and the ramifications of certain points—especially those that were not being highlighted (liberals and democrats not having any particular stranglehold on the high road). I wanted some real discourse, presented responsibility and intelligently.

What we got was personal name calling, brick throwing and exhortations for personal attack. Much of the rhetoric was “We will defeat HIM” and "THEY should be run out of town". Even the few items thrown out as parts of the bill were parts long-removed, keeping people misinformed with incendiary topics that were no longer at issue. (“Public option” and “abortion funding” were items absent weeks ago, yet certain pundits kept waving the flag to keep folks riled up. And claims that Medicaid and Medicare were bankrupt from poor government management were simply false and untrue—and not part of the bill being passed.) All comments seemed about personally winning over an opponent, a grab and demonstration of power over service of the constituency. Ego, bruised and out for vengeance.

In the old days, it was known as being a poor loser.

What supposedly sets democracy apart as a better form of government than that old demon socialism is our civility and good sportsmanship. Instead, the behavior of the Republican Conservatives has descended into a "mob-rule" mentality. And the fact that few leading conservatives (or Republicans) have condemned or called a halt to this immature behavior is enormously disappointing.

Leadership should be about leading with intelligence and decorum, setting an example for the constituency. If brick-throwing, death threats, false accusations and name-calling are to be the paradigm of their leadership, then clearly we as a society have to be very cautious giving any more power to those who would so clearly abuse it. Yes, perhaps the citizens will respond negatively to the bill itself, which will be reflected in upcoming elections. But so too will the quality and behavior of our representatives be reflected in said election. It is time to choose those who do not let self-interest overtake sound judgment and behavior lead--and to banish those whose antics bring shame not only to themselves but to the system of democracy and a country they supposedly love. When opponents of the legislation scream "Throw out the scoundrels!", they should be aware that they just may get what they wished for--but not in the way they meant it.

2010-03-13T16:38:00.001-05:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, TENNESSEE WILLIAMS
Thomas Lanier Williams, better known as one of our greatest American playwrights, Tennessee Williams, would be 99 if he were with us this coming March 26th. Like most great talents, he was a man of enormous appetites and passions and lived life to extremes. His wild and crazy journey found expression in some of the most remarkable plays and poetry of the 20th Century.

Interesting that the "outsider as artist" should be such an American icon--in an age where the conservative right would have you believe that we must all be the same with the same values, the love of Williams work speaks more directly to the American spirit of individualism, free speech, and yes, God forbid, self-criticism. Williams wrote of those who survived the tide of moral and mental mediocrity, and his characters always chose passion over convention. Convention was to be mistrusted and questioned thoroughly, for underneath lay hidden violations more cruel than any foibles exhibited by those on the margins of our society. He championed survivors, those who fought for their belief in life and love even in the face of evidence that proved the world was often a cruel and inhumane place.

Having said THAT mouthful, it is my pleasure to tell you that I will be taking part in a celebration on March 21st in advance of Mr.Williams' upcoming birthday. (Though not here to celebrate himself, certainly we can do a splendid job for him--it's the least we can do!)

In celebration of his 99th birthday, Blue Roses Productions will present readings of The Lady of Larkspur Lotion, a jewel of a short play by Williams, in addition to four contemporary short pieces by Richard Cottrell, Craig Pospisil, Gary Giovannetti and yours truly – all inspired by Mr. Williams. Conceived and directed by the company’s Artistic Director, Erma Duricko, Blue Roses has been celebrating the birthday of Mr. Williams in New York City for the past ten years. A benefit for Blue Roses, the evening will feature stars Tandy Cronyn, Brandon Victor Dixon, Jeremy Lawrence, Joel Vig and other very special guests. The evening will also feature Tennessee Williams Scholar Annette Saddik along with Blue Roses company members Timothy Brown, Kara Corthron, Marissa Danielle Duricko, Karen Eterovich, Gary Giovannetti, Jennifer Graves, Michael Graves, Heather Lee Harper, Jim Ireland, Sarah Ireland, Donna LaStella, David Ojala, Blair Sams, George Sheffey, Megan Smith, Tom Matthew Wolfe and John Yearley. Birthday cake and cocktails will be enjoyed at a party to follow the reading.

The benefit is scheduled to take place Sunday, March 21st at 7:30 pm at the St. Clements Parrish Hall, 423 W 46th St, NYC. Tickets for the Blue Roses benefit are available for a suggested donation of $15.00, available at the door or by calling 212-252-4915 for reservations.

(Blue Roses Productions is a national production company dedicated to presenting the works of Tennessee Williams, as well as nurturing and producing works by new American playwrights that champion the human spirit. Blue Roses Productions strives to create an artistic haven where established and emerging artists can challenge themselves while developing their craft.)

Here's hoping you can come and do your part to celebrate the birthday of a most remarkable artist--and do a bit of celebration of yourself as well!

2010-02-13T21:20:00.006-05:00

COPING WITH THE ANGER ALL AROUND US---A MANIFESTO!

Have you felt it? The anger that throbs as an undercurrent in our daily lives? It seems we have reached a new state of ugliness, all one hair's-breadth away from the flashpoint of rage.

It is a road rage of the most pernicious kind: it is the result of celebrity hype, the constant attention to the media darlings whose personal lives and power-mongering have overshadowed the real problems facing the every day American.

The economy's improvements seem slight to those still out of work or only able to work part-time at a rate below what they were earning a few years ago. Middle-aged workers are particularly hard-hit, as most incentives are to protect young families, which is understandable, but also a bit unfair. Those who've put in the years and were downsized out of the workplace are feeling gypped by a system where they put in their time, hard work and faith, only to find few returns for all their efforts. Meanwhile, health insurance companies are posting record profits, up 56% over last year, due to increased premiums, and more increases are in sight. (Sure, sure, there's nothing wrong with the U.S. healthcare system!) And politicians on both sides of the aisle seem to be name-calling and blame-throwing with no regard for their constituents' wants or needs. (Sure, they'll come back to us in a few months, tails between their legs, and contritely blame the other guys, but right now, they're just having fun in their own pseudo-olympic power struggle.) And the media has spent so much time and attention on the foibles and exploits of Tiger Woods and John Edwards and Mark Sanford that it all sounds like one big sordid tryst.

But who should we be more angry with--the cheaters who made their own mistakes and hurt the people they care about, or the media scavengers who are determined to make US feel betrayed as well, even when these misjudgments are personal matters and hardly an affront to the average American? I mean, would I rather attention was placed on my financial and employment plight and finding solutions to my health insurance woes or would I rather they talked about just how many playmates Tiger accumulated? Let's face it, whatever Tiger's morals are, THAT is not what has placed me and my fellows in the financial, employment and health care hell that we currently find ourselves.

Maybe instead of sitting on our rage--or acting out, only to get ourselves in deeper personal and financial trouble--we need to express it to those who need to hear it. Maybe we need to send verbal slaps to our representatives in DC to CUT IT OUT--keep a civil head and do the work you're getting paid to do or else get out! We're not interested in how bad you make the OTHER guys look--we want YOU to come up with answers and solutions. And if you don't have any, then just shut up and make room for those who DO want to make things better!

We don't want idle threats made to the executives who run their companies into the ground, get bailouts from us and then pay themselves obscene bonuses for their ineptitude! State and federal attorney generals need to probe the misuse of funds. And legislators need to stop protecting their campaign contributors and start protecting OUR funds.

Health Insurance? Whoopi Goldberg has simply and elegantly put it out there: the Congress should stop fighting their dirty, petty little battles and showing off--we don't care. WE WANT WHAT YOU'VE GOT--you apparently have the best health plan in the Nation, but you seem determined to avoid giving us the same consideration.

And finally, to the Media, who seem to delight in deepening our depression mentally and financially: can we please have some positive stories about people trying to make a difference? While everyone screams about transparency in government, the fact is that the media covers the dirty pool and the mud-slinging and celebrity misbehavior but has been sorely lacking in providing any kind of uplift, choosing to make their money through exposing dirt and cynically choosing for us the focus of our attention.

Finally, to the American public--we must reject the level of behavior and disservice shown us. Our continued apathy and our willingness to let others dictate our benefits, our entertainment, and our policies, our willingness to turn a blind eye versus speaking up and demanding what we want is what got us here in the first place. What's the good of fighting for a country of freedom of expression, free enterprise, and freedom to be an individual IF we don't exercise those same rights, allowing others to strip them away little by little. The so-called greatest country now has one of the worst health systems, pathetically low educational test scores, a huge unemployment rate, high divorce rates, high drug and alcohol rates, increased teen pregnancy, increasing infant mortality rates--shall I go on? We have to let the politicians and the media know that we're sick of what they're feeding us. Accountability starts with us--to hold them accountable for what they do with our funds, our rights, our quality of life.

This is not a matter of Democrats versus Republicans, Liberals versus Conservatives, Fox News versus MSNBC. This is a matter of personal accountability and it starts with each and every one of us.

And finally, to the hate mongers--the Lindbaughs and the Becks and the Palins, those who love to spread snarky fear and contempt but provide absolutely NO real ideas or improvements of their own? Hit the road! You capitalize and rabble rouse for your own gain. You are perhaps the most repulsive of all.

If you pay careful attention, all of the media moguls and politicians have been careful to shut down anything that smacks of cultural or artistic endeavor. Why? Because art and culture increase personal aesthetics, creative problem solving and the deepening and strengthening of the individual's voice. Who is easier to lead? Individuals or sheep?

Don't be led, people. Yes, it takes more effort to take a stand, but it's like everything else in life: if you don't use it, you lose it!

Mister Blobfish Speaks

2010-01-30T21:42:00.001-05:00

Desiring to set the record straight regarding certain misconceptions.

2009-12-29T01:14:00.000-05:00

RUN TO "RAGTIME"

I thought I had plenty of time to write and rave about the glorious new production of the great musical, RAGTIME, now playing at the Neil Simon Theater: one of the best scores of the late 20th century, beautifully performed; a superb ensemble, crisply staged and choreographed by Marcia Milgrim Dodge; a simple but handsome and effective visual design that focused on the story versus the trappings. Timely when it opened in 1998, it is even more timely now in the age of Obama, reality TV, instant celebrity and people behaving badly in the face of financial struggle. It won mostly excellent reviews in D.C. at the Kennedy Center, and had won similar praise here in New York. Rumors had swirled that it was having a hard time catching fire at the box office, but those rumors were denied just this weekend in the Times.

My family took me tonight to see it, and while standing ovations are far too gratuitous these days, this was an amazing ovation of love by a deeply moved audience. (I had seen the original, twice, and admit it is one of my favorites and, I believe, destined to be a classic. The original ran for 800 performances and won several Tonys including Best Book and Best Score, only being eclipsed for the big prize that year by THE LION KING.)

I came home to read IT'S CLOSING THIS SUNDAY.

So run, don't walk! Don't miss stunning performances by a strong cast led by Christiane Noll, Robert Petkoff and Quentin Earl Darrington, superb direction, terrific design, and a story that really means something to today's audiences. Most of all, don't miss this amazing score, which due to this frightfully short run of 57 performances, will be a long time in coming back. (There had been talk of New York City Opera doing it two seasons ago, but a schedule conflict caused its withdrawal.) If you've never seen it before, you owe it to yourself. If you know the show, you won't be disappointed by this lovely and lovingly-appointed productions.

Sigh . . . too many good shows suffering from the economy--and too many theater lovers are missing out.

2009-12-26T21:21:00.004-05:00

A GIFT FOR THE HOLIDAYS

Well, the holidays are zipping along and we're almost at the end of a highly-tumultuous 2009. (Tumultuous is a neat-sounding word, ain't it, even if if isn't always a fun way to go!)

Jobs and finances were at their absolute worst for me and most of the folk I know. Very few people had a good financial 2009--maybe Dick Cheney, but then again, he probably had most of his funds stuffed safely away somewhere in Dubai. (That Dick knows a good deal when he sees one.)

And at times, the frustration REEEEALLY wore me down. Not sure what was trickier--being unemployed for months on end, or then working part-time but not having an easy time on the job AND still not making enough $ to pay bills. And little-to-no supplemental work in sight.

BUT . . . life is full of contradictions. I had a very productive year as a playwright (which may mean at least my tin cup will have a neat inscription when I'm out on the corner). Lots of thrilling experiences, the best of which was the Last Frontier Theater Conference in Valdez, Alaska. Terrific people, terrific work, and a great sense of things that are still right with life. And as a result, I'm heading off to Anchorage in a week to see the world premiere of HEART, which was read at LFTC. It's been a long birthing process for HEART, but I'm so pleased that it finally will get to reach an audience in a fully-staged production under the loving care of ACT in Anchorage. (And who knows, maybe there will be a life beyond that, too!)

And I have spent a year where I've felt great love and support from friends new and old. Yes, Facebook can be the bane of one's existence, but it also brought me back in touch with more friends than I ever knew I had and it has led to warm conversations, revived friendships and the development of new, long-term relationships.

Speaking of relationships, I'm now working towards 25 years with my significant other. That I'm still in love after 24 years is wonderful, but that my partner, Barry, still puts up with me after 24 years--that is TRULY miraculous, and I am extremely grateful.

And I'm still grateful for the love of a dog. Above you see Chloe, the Steely's shih tzu who is five and is one of the sweetest, funniest, most complicated little dogs I've ever known. When she plays, she doesn't just play, she plays WITH YOU. And when given a new toy, she not only is the epitome of joy, but she is also visibly and demonstrably grateful--she let's you know just how much she appreciates your getting her something, even as her delight is palpable thanks enough. There is something so magical about letting go of human hubhub and just communing with a dog--pure, direct, and trusting, a lovely thing.

And despite a continually crumbling wreck of a body, I am grateful that time teaches patience and reminds us that everything comes in cycles. For every downturn, eventually an upturn will come. That is a lesson that only comes with time, and I genuinely ache for my teenage students who don't know that riding out the pain will eventually lead somewhere--they just don't know it yet.

Accepting oneself takes a lot of work over a lifetime. I'm closer than I've ever been to accepting this nutcase/fruitcake I am or have grown into, although I know I still have a long, long way to go. I do know that acceptance of ourselves and of others, warts and all, is one of life's great challenges and also the source of its greatest rewards. And for that realization, I am truly blessed and grateful, even as I struggle to make peace with myself and others, as we all do.

So . . . this seems the perfect time to say thanks to family and friends, to wish everyone peace and (hopefully) prosperity in the New Year and a third "P"--patience. Life is not predictable and perhaps that is for the best. But one has to believe that putting one's best into the world will ultimately bring, if not peace, dignity.

Happy 2010.

2009-11-26T17:07:00.009-05:00

REFLECTIONS

Regardless of whether or not you are religious, the better aspect of holidays is that they drag you (sometimes kicking and screaming) into a reflective mode.

The Jewish High Holidays, for example, are frequently about atonement (with a bit of self-flagellation for added zest!).

Thanksgiving, when not about the stresses of travel, family expectations, digestive concerns and a bunch of eagerly begun but ultimately incomplete conversations, actively encourages reflection. Its origins, no matter how distorted by time and history, are rooted in something rather simple and smart, which is to give thanks for our blessings and to realize how much we have for which we should be grateful.

It is not easy in these very difficult times to do and the encouragement to do so, no matter how seemingly external, is welcome. Indeed, it is all so scary right now that we often take refuge in our misery, more comfortable with the demons we live with than the angels we don't recognize. After all, so many are out of work or have taken jobs that don't cover the bills and bring about endless frustration. Rent is dear and hard to come by, and the growth of living costs is in no way matched by growth in our income.

And so, sadly, people seem to have switched into an "every-man-for-himself" mode. You see this on the streets and public transportation, as people push past and knock into you without a word of apology. Employees, fearfully following the scripts of their employers' increasingly absurd and usurious policies, lose their humanity when dealing with customers in need. And clearly we're following an example laid out by the blatant bad behavior on Capitol Hill these days. It seems that winning or taking power is all that matters, to the extent that the real function of society--to care for ALL of us, especially those less well off--has fallen by the wayside. The social contract we all subscribe to is rendered meaningless when the milk of human kindness (let alone civility) has run dry.

So while Thanksgiving may appear to some as "outmoded" in its quaint gauntlet for appreciation, such thoughts are needed now more than ever. We need to be thankful for a safe place to live, which is not afforded to all. We need to be grateful for our health, which can change at any moment and, unless things are fixed soon, can lead us to physical and financial ruin in the blink of an eye. We need to appreciate our loved ones, the folks who love us NOT for our official role in their lives but for who we are, what we share of ourselves and what we give to each other. We should be thankful for mirth and music, for creativity and imagination, for loyalty and the ability to disagree with someone without a loss of respect. Depressions, both financial and emotional, threaten to bring us down individually and as a nation--we should be grateful to those who rally us, actively trying to find a solution, picking us up when we are at our lowest. I'm all for separation of Church and State, but the value of true humanity, that runs through all religious doctrine, should indeed be part and parcel of how we function as a nation and as a people. Those who trumpet values should examine real human costs first, before price tags.

Supporting one another costs little. A smile to someone across a commerce counter costs next to nothing, but gives so much. Civility takes extra effort, as does respect, but it is perhaps our most valuable commodity. On this holiday and all days, maybe we should be most grateful we have these gifts to give--and we should give of them freely. Nothing else shows the better aspect of humanity.

2009-10-10T20:20:00.000-04:00

POWERFULLY BEAUTIFUL

It is funny how the world of art has viewed the human body--and men and women as objects of art. While men have for centuries dominated as the maestros--frequently choosing the female nude as their object of choice--women artists were kept under wraps and the male form was more often than not kept discreetly cloaked or clothed. (Not always, granted--but why, if I were to ask you to name a famous male nude, would almost everyone gravitate to Michelangelo's David? Isn't it because after that they get harder to recall and name?) And while classical artists would at times revel in the architecture of the human body (mostly female), modern artists have seemed almost prurient when it comes to the male form. All too often, the male nude has been relegated to the category of homo-eroticism. (This is not to negate gay art patrons, mind you, who've always recognized beauty regardless of gender.)

Commendably, in the past two decades female artists of many stripes, generations and ages have been revealed. (Yes, there are more than just Georgia O'Keeffe and Frida Kahlo, wonderful though they are!) A whole new generation of fans have finally begun to realize that posing was NOT the only contribution women have made to art over the centuries.

But with changing times, modern artists have also begun to be willing to look at the beauty of the male form, not merely as part of the gay subculture, but as part of our willingness to accept our bodies as a source of pride. (What religious guilt has done will take centuries to repair!) Finally, both male and female artists have been willing to view and portray the male form in all its glory and come up with as many interpretations as they previously have for the female nude.

Firehouse Studio has come up with a stunning publication of contemporary male classical forms, entitled POWERFULLY BEAUTIFUL: Classically Inspired Living Painters of the Male Figure. It is a stunning and beautifully produced collection of paintings by a talented coterie of 29 male and female artists--sensual, colorful and often provocative, ranging in style from the photo realistic to post-impressionistic. With a foreword by Grady Harp and an afterword by David Jarrett, it is a magnificent new publication and a valuable addition to the modern library of 21st Century art and ideas--and well worth your exploration. Currently available in a surprisingly sumptuous paperback format, the book is distributed through Amazon.com and CreativeSpace (an Amazon subsidiary) and is a great addition to any personal or public art library. It is not only a celebration of classical painting of the male form but a celebration of active artists displaying enormous gifts in the service of the beauty around us.

In the interest of full disclosure--no pun intended!--I do indeed know one of the artists quite well, but then again, this IS a blog and I'm NOT a journalist here! But rather than take my advice on this, check it out for yourself at https://www.createspace.com/3382894 or on the "Powerfully Beautiful" Facebook page ( which is http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Powerfully-Beautiful/129778600457?v=info&ref=ts). And believe it or not, since this IS a blog, I can pass on a secret 10% discount code: BYJG6B5F.

2009-10-10T18:51:00.007-04:00

POETRY FOR PETS

Over the past five years, as a founding member (and frequent writing and directing participant), I have regaled you with invitations to events presented by the sterling Playwrights for Pets, the organization that raises funds for animal shelters in New York City through staging theatrical readings, drawing on some of the best and brightest writers, actors and other artists.

And I am again. But this time is a bit different.

Oh, yes, there's certain to be wonderful writing. And the performers scheduled (Brian Fuqua, Laura Gillis, Jonna McElrath and John Moss) are superbly gifted performers who are veterans of numerous PFP benefits. There will even be wine & soft drinks, plus 45-minutes of entertainment. And all the money will go to benefit Animal Haven, who will also be hosting the event in their lovely Soho adoption, training and boutique space.

The difference this time: POETRY. Poetry, versus short plays, will be the literary format of the evening. (Not being a poet myself, I'll be sipping and enjoying like the rest of you!) Sue Yocum, Executive Director of PFP, has rounded up works from talented poets old and new to create what should be a most enjoyable evening. So if you are a pet person and want to spend a lovely early evening with a glass of wine and good company, you could either sit in your corner chair with a Cabernet and your cat OR you could come and help others who hope for a home where they can keep their master/mistress company. (C'mon, your pet can spare you for one night!)

Poetry for Pets will take place on Tuesday, October 27th at 7:30 at Animal Haven, 251 Centre Street (between Broome & Grand). Donations are $10. Reservations can be made by calling 718 -768-4213 or e-mailing to Sue@playwrightsforpets.com.

2009-08-23T14:23:00.002-04:00

HAPPY AS A CLAM

This morning, eating my breakfast at Two Boots (my favorite haunt in Park Slope), I thought that at least for the moment I was "happy as a clam."

As I should be. Things could be better (on the employment front) but things could also be much, MUCH worse . . . !

And then, of course, it started . . . the brain, which hadn't dared to start prior to the first sip of iced coffee, lest it strain itself unnecessarily . . .

Just how happy is a clam?

Why are clams purported to be so damned gleeful?

Is it "low expectations"? Does a clam not expect that much--and therefore it doesn't take much to make one of them happy?

Do they keep life simple? Free from too much stress? Even before they end up on ice, are they staying cool?

And if they are successful at doing this--as most of us homo sapiens are NOT . . . are we then not even as smart as clams? Let alone, infrequently as happy . . . ?

Perhaps we should take a lesson from our mollusk friends and just keep our big fat bivalves shut . . .

Ah, to be as happy as a clam . . . discuss amongst yourselves . . . !

2009-08-21T19:54:00.003-04:00

MANY FACES OF MERYL

I admittedly have not been dwelling in the camp who feel Meryl Streep can do no wrong. (I've frequently felt that she can . . . and does!)

Having followed her career studiously for many years (she is only a few years older than myself), I have fully understood her allure--after all, she is tall, attractive, smart as a whip, has a good ear, a great voice and, let's face it, quite a presence. She is understandably a major talent and it is not surprising that she is one of our most honored actresses. But there are times that I have found her self-conscious, mannered and, at times, overly self-congratulatory. There were certain films that I could feel her patting her own back, saying "good job, Meryl." Her prodigious technique may have been on display, but I also felt that her technique was showing. I won't bore you all with the roles I disliked--well, okay, I personally found her stilted, wilted and "in quotes" in SOPHIE'S CHOICE and SILKWOOD, among many others. (I can feel the angry hate mail being composed already, so hang in there a few more moments, if you will . . . )

Then there was a period where I felt she stopped taking everything (and herself) too seriously and just left herself alone, so to speak--instead of "working" it, she became the character just by trusting her own, perfectly wonderful instrument. She was remarkable as Karen Blixen (aka Isak Dinesen) in 1985's OUT OF AFRICA--although I think it's hard to be less than terrific in any film by Sydney Pollak. (And it was obviously a good year for her, as she gave an appropriately brittle and believable performance in the film version of David Hare's PLENTY. ) Somewhere around that time, a dingo ate her baby--but we'll just leave that be. In 1990, she was wonderfully real in the screen adaptation of POSTCARDS FROM THE EDGE, playing a roman a clef version of Carrie Fisher. She was actually enchanting as Albert Brooks' inamorata in DEFENDING YOUR LIFE, a shamefully neglected and highly enjoyable film that ranks as one of her best (and his, too--he wrote and directed it, after all). And while others may debate its merits, the triumvirate of Meryl, Goldie Hawn and Bruce Willis made DEATH BECOMES HER a black comedy I can still watch again and again. This was a looser, freer, more fluid actress, skilled in comedy and still truthful.

Then she started taking herself too seriously again, beginning to assume the role of "elder stateswoman." Lots of clunkers--and lots of adaptations of famous books and plays that preyed on her vaulted, vaunted status to guarantee some box office gravitas. Many of them sank like a stone. (I remain particularly grumpy about the film version of the wonderful play, MARVIN'S ROOM.) She was serviceable as an action hero in THE RIVER WILD, but a bit overwrought in BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY and fun but slightly self-conscious in ADAPTATION. She was so-so in THE HOURS, giving the least luminous among some wonderful performances, and I would have been perfectly happy if she had retired after trying to outdo Angela Lansbury as the Mother from Hell in the remake of THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE. (Then again, only Liev Schreiber survived that film unscathed--ONLY ONLY ONLY WATCH THE ORIGINAL OF THAT ONE!!!)

As for THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA--okay, but she could have phoned it in (and maybe did). Mannered, perhaps, but at least she was using the mannerisms to her advantage. She was skillful but not especially interesting.

ANGELS IN AMERICA--much deserved acclaim, really nice work under Mike Nichols terrific direction of Tony Kushner's masterpiece.

I am charitably skipping MAMMA MIA--it would just be too easy . . . !

Haven't seen DOUBT yet. Have it ready to watch, but I'm scared--scenes I've seen look overwrought (and I absolutely loved it onstage with Eileen Atkins and Ron Eldard).

So a drum roll, please . . .

JULIE & JULIA . . .

now THIS is the role she should be winning Oscars for, a whole passel of 'em! She is amazingly believable, funny, touching and full of life as the beloved Julia Child, catching the mannerisms, voice and SOUL we all feel we know so well. You cannot take your eyes off her, she is such a treat and a pleasure to watch. It is my hope that THIS ends up being one of the roles she is most remembered for--she is as magnificent here as Julia Child was herself in life.

I must hasten to add that JULIE & JULIA is a sheer delight, even BETTER than most of the reviews might lead you to believe--and they were mostly positive. I was thoroughly entertained from start to finish, even moved to tears a couple of times! The estimable Stanley Tucci makes a terrific partner as Paul Child, and the scenes between Streep and Tucci are sexy, funny, romantic, and irresistible. I found myself wanting to stay at the movie theater all day. (Of course, it also was air-conditioned there on the hottest day of the summer!) But I also think the "Julie" section of the movie has been unfairly under-rated, especially given the splendid performances of the always delightful Amy Adams as blogger Julie Powell and the sexy support of Chris Messina as her husband, Eric Powell. (Julie's decision to cook every single recipe of Julia's MASTERING THE ART OF FRENCH COOKING and blogging about it is the impetus for the whole film--which is told in juxtaposition with how Julia Child became, well, Julia Child, and how her famous career and book were born.) Nora Ephron's direction and screenplay are self-assured and great fun, making this her best film to date (and certainly her best looking film to date as well). There are many, many terrific cameos by some of the best actors on both coasts, with special mention going to Frances Sternhagen and particularly Jane Lynch. (Lynch, playing Julia's sister Dorothy, temporarily hijacks the film in a terrific performance that makes you think Dorothy's life should be another film onto itself! The scenes with the two sisters are hysterical, priceless!) This film is one of the truly adult treats of the summer of 2009.

But yes, ultimately, the film belongs to Julia--and Meryl's wondrous portrayal. If I was ever going to fall in love with her, well . . . okay, to misquote a Tom Cruise film (don't get me started!!!) . . . Meryl, you had me at bon appetit!

2009-08-05T13:45:00.003-04:00

FACEBOOK BUSKERS

As an admitted addict, I am well familiar with the professed desire--to quit or curtail one's Facebook habit, presence, etc. Feeling somewhat whorish, smirk-y, embarrassed, like I've imbibed entirely too much, said a bit more than I meant to, eaves-dropped on one-too-many conversations, I swear to go cold turkey, to clean up my act, to at least set a limit, a curfew . . .

Of course, I am a man of few traditional bad habits--I don't smoke, drink (one glass, cheap date) or gamble.

Ah, but give me an audience . . .

In these tough economic times, being on Facebook is like being a street busker--performing your act to the crowd that passes by, sometimes attracting attention, maybe even winning a crown or two from a generous onlooker, entertaining the masses . . .

And sometimes, with too much time on my hands, I will I.M., add the witty quip, upload my latest twisted animation or my newest antique photos, lovingly hand-tinted, all with the assumption that my "friends" on Facebook can't wait for another of my bon mots, my special treats . . . and sometimes, I get so disgusted with myself, the sheer unmitigated ego of it all! I suddenly want to hide in shame, thinking what a needy cuss I've become!

But then, if I'm truly honest with myself . . . I am born to entertain, it's what I do, or rather, what I love to do. I live for wit and words and visual arts--and sharing those experiences with an audience. Whether this is a good thing or not, for me or for the assumed audience, is irrelevant. It is what I do, as medicine is what a doctor does, rocket science is what a rocket scientist does, etc.

And in an age where it is tough to get produced, tough to get presented, tough to even make a living no matter what the field, Facebook is providing a soap box, a street corner for FREE (at least for now, thank God!), and the passersby can either watch or not, throw a coin in your cup . . . or not . . . and you can put your wares out there: your wit, your opinions, your visuals, your projects, your connections, your dreams . . . it may not shake up the world but at least you are putting it out there INTO the world, and who knows . . .

The street performer is slightly sad. We'd always wish him/her a better venue to make performance dreams come true. And like Bert in MARY POPPINS, we know that those chalk drawings, no matter how beautiful and inviting, will disappear with this afternoon's sudden rain burst . . . but for the moment, it is lovely and the fact that it is there for us, however fleetingly, makes life a bit more lovely for the moment . . .

2009-07-31T20:45:00.003-04:00

NOT ALWAYS SO SIMPLE

One of life's paradoxes--the things that should be so simple, like love, are in fact the things we complicate most for ourselves. Is it our love of puzzles? Our need for self-torment? Or does fear simply make us so irrational that we can't get out of our own way?

No blogger has yet found the answer to this--but then again, the poets have been working on the issue for far longer! And thank God they have! And likewise, let's be happy that Mark Von Sternberg has written and directed a charming new film called LOVE SIMPLE, currently showing as part of the HBO Latino Film Festival.

On a shoestring budget, Von Sternberg has created a quirky valentine, lovingly shot in Park Slope (with even more love than Noah Baumbach's THE SQUID AND THE WHALE). In a story alternately humorous and tender, love appears to two battle-scarred romance seekers in a neighborhood laundromat, and it should be a match made in heaven--except that, ashamed of their personal baggage, both start off with simple lies that turn into elaborate ruses that ultimately become difficult for them to unravel. People lying when pursuing the object of desire is nothing new, of course--Shakespeare has earned a pretty penny with such a premise time and time again. We all fear we won't be received by our beloved if we are not shown in the most favorable light. But in LOVE SIMPLE, even as we understand the young lovers' fears, we find ourselves wanting to call out, "No! Just say the truth, or you'll regret it!" That Von Sternberg's directorial/screenwriting debut awakens such urgency in even slightly-jaded hearts (such as this viewer) is a lovely accomplishment indeed.

The young technical staff belies whatever inexperience they may or may not have with an amazingly good-looking film on a tiny budget, and it is lovingly scored as well. The cast, to a man, is perfection. As Adam and Seta, the young couple navigating love's bumpy course, Francisco Solorzano and Patrizia Hernandez are funny, prickly and lovely, and they receive able support from their almost Shakespearean comedic counterparts (and best friends), played by John Harlacher and Caitlin Fitzgerald. A surprising supporting performance comes from famed playwright and screenwriter Israel Horovitz, playing Adam's ailing father with a touching blend of warmth and despair, and the scenes between father and son are quite moving. An assortment of fine supporting players lend to the Brooklyn ambiance, but this is not just another New York story--trusting the truth in love will always be tricky, but it is something that ultimately must be done if love is to survive.

LOVE SIMPLE will be shown again on Sunday, August 2nd, in NYC, 3:30 PM @ Clearview Cinemas Chelsea Screen 7 (260 W 23rd St, between 8th & 7th Ave). It will also be screened in Los Angeles August 7-9th at the Feel Good Film Festival.

And yes, I do know these folks--but the beauty of a blog is that you don't have to recuse yourself for journalistic ethics. (And if I didn't like it, I just wouldn't bother to write about it!)

2009-07-23T13:10:00.004-04:00

"Stupid" Word Usage

I unashamedly adore Ms. Whoopi Goldberg and further admit to being hooked on The View. I find her admirably sensible, funny, practical, and warmly honest. So I begin this "dispute" with love.

Whoopi has an aversion to use of the word, "stupid," and I both appreciate and understand that aversion. In a strange but perhaps unsurprising development in our culture, the f-word is commonplace, but to call someone "stupid" actually stings. ("Fool," another four-letter f-word, is also a conversation-stopper.)

The good news, I guess, is that words still have their meaning-- and the power to make people sit up and take notice. While cuss words come and go, they are meant to be disposable, ultimately. But real words have power. Real words are binding. Real words can sting.

Now, President Obama is coming under his usual daily dose of attack for his use of the word, "stupid", in condemning the behavior of Cambridge police in arresting Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr., an esteemed Harvard professor who was arrested and cuffed for breaking into his own house, even when he presented his I.D. (Apparently, the "absent-minded professor" had misplaced his keys during an overseas trip to China and needed to find a way into his own abode. Having had to search for my keys on a daily basis, I sincerely feel Prof. Gates' pain, as those things truly DO have a life of their own.) That the police responded rapidly to the burglary call from a neighbor is laudable, but that the police arrested Prof. Gates despite the evidence that this wasn't a crime, arrested him for disorderly conduct in his own home, did not read him his Miranda rights, and then refused to apologize for their mistake--WHAT WOULD YOU CALL THIS?

That Professor Gates is a highly-recognized and respected member of numerous communities shouldn't matter IF he had behaved badly--and only those at the scene would know what really went down. No member of ANY community should abuse those doing their civic duty, and lord knows the police need support in their actions and appreciation for the bravery they display on a regular basis. On the other hand, President Obama is absolutely right in pointing out that the degree of racial profiling informing the activities of law enforcement has statistically reached frightening proportions and politely ignoring this fact will not make it all go away. (As Whoopi sagely pointed out, it is also sad that neighbors don't get to know each other better--perhaps, had Professor Gates' neighbors taken the time to get to know him, they wouldn't have called to report a black man breaking into the house across the street.)

But to the word itself.

Asked a direct question, the President responded honestly, openly and directly with his opinion (which is in keeping with his style). He said the police had "acted stupidly" in arresting Professor Gates, given the evidence that there was no crime committed.

In looking at the definitions of the word, "stupid," one finds "lacking ordinary quickness and keenness of mind," and also "in a state of stupor, stupefied; stupid from fatigue." (see below for reference.) In short, acting stupidly is the action of one temporarily not at their best. It does not imply they are permanently or at all times deficient, but it does infer that they are not using their best judgment in the given circumstances. How much more correct can the President's usage be?

Also, just as parents have a right to bring a child up short when they've misbehaved, it is totally appropriate for the top law enforcement official in the country to reprimand his subordinates when those who serve in our name misbehave in the execution of their duty. (Especially when this behavior has been going on unchecked for far too long, to a degree that is practically an epidemic.)

Finally, it speaks to President Obama's character. I respect him for going to a friend's defense rather than taking the political high-ground, especially when this situation is not rooted in political gain. Reverend Jeremiah Wright was deliberately using his position and was keenly aware of the political consequences. Professor Gates was trying to get in his own front door. Barrack Obama, clearly, is a true friend, and as an African-American and as a friend, answered the reporter's question honestly, without "politico speak" and I, for one, appreciate that. (He further prefaced the remark, saying he did not know all the facts involved and was speaking from a personal response.)

Stupidity is the use of poor judgment.

For example, when the Republican Representative (whose name escapes me, sorry) was attacking Obama's health plan yesterday NOT by discussing its weaknesses but by saying how this would break Obama's power, further attacking the President himself and not the plan . . . I would say this was stupid, revealing an attack that was totally based in partisan politics and not on what is best for the health care of his constituency (a subject for another blog, another time).

Stupidity is today, when Sgt. Crowley, the officer in question, criticizied HIS boss (the President of the United States) for butting in. Stupid is Sgt. Crowley saying he will never apologize. He is 100% right for not apologizing for doing his job--but he is 100% wrong not to acknowledge that mistakes were made and that he could have handled things better in his position.

Reading the police account, it sounds like tempers and egos flared. When one has been travelling for hours and hours (back from China), one might be very fatigued and irritable. (I know I would be.) I suspect no one behaved in a sterling, clear-headed fashion that night. When President Obama refers to the behavior as "stupid," he is not casting aspersions. He has hit the nail squarely on the head in an attempt to insist that we all do better.

So Whoopi, my love--I still respect you, but I think one should use strong words when strong words are appropriately used.

---
References:

Modern Language Association (MLA):
"stupid." Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Random House, Inc. 23 Jul. 2009. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/stupid>.

American Psychological Association (APA):
stupid. (n.d.). Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Retrieved July 23, 2009, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/stupid

2009-07-08T00:40:00.004-04:00

THE ROAD SHOW NOT TAKEN?

ROAD SHOW took many years to write, and like so many artists' pet projects, it may not end up being the most popular "child" no matter how much it is beloved by its creators. And if this is the "final" version, then WISE GUYS and BOUNCE are only of minor interest in the development process--it is the finished piece that counts. The reaction off-Broadway to ROAD SHOW was strangely cool, perhaps due to all the expectations. And no matter how "advanced" New York audiences and critics may claim to be, traditionalists still love central tracking "characters," a person who represents the audience. But Sondheim and Weidman have done musical "essays" before--a musing meditation on a historic event that changed the course of history. In PACIFIC OVERTURES, the central character wasn't a person at all--it was Japan, dragged kicking and screaming into the modern world. Great visuals, breath-taking music, a thought-provoking experience that questions our own responsibility in Japan's subsequent actions and development. (In ASSASSINS, it was the contorted dream of fame, of making a difference, of getting noticed--America's all-preoccupying past time.) Are you going to say two of our greatest current theater artists can't explore something of interest to them, something a bit more challenging? ROAD SHOW, especially now, is timely in its exploration of hucksterism, of bogus land deals and bilking the public trust. Some folks took what they took with deliberation, while others let circumstances usurp and corrupt their ambitions and dreams. How timely is that? If Japan was the central character of PACIFIC OVERTURES, America and its dream is the central character of ROAD SHOW. It is small, mean, efficient, essay-like--and pungent. And in its own way, quite subversive, asking the questions that we choose not to ask of ourselves. It points the finger at us, the bilked public, the Madoff victims, and asks us, "Aren't you complicit?" And the production at the Public was most admirable, small in scale and design (if somewhat overpopulated) but ably directed and paced by John Doyle, with an incredibly dedicated cast. Alma Cuervo, William Parry, and Claybourne Elder led a strong supporting ensemble, and Michael Cerveris was as brave as ever, portraying the self-serving Wilson Mizner. But it was Alexander Gemignani, a large imposing presence with a heart of gold and guilt (spelling intentional) who came closest to being if not the tracking character, then at least the guilty conscience of ROAD SHOW, in a beautifully sung and played performance (as Addison Mizner). The show was intellectually interesting in the theater and you had to listen to each detail as it hurried by. The recording gives more time to absorb--and like all Sondheim, it grows richer and richer with each replay.

Serious musical theater fans rejoice--a valuable cast album has arrived. As for Sondheim fans--recognize that the master hasn't softened one iota: he still wants you to sit up, listen and think.

2009-07-04T11:29:00.005-04:00

INDEPENDENCE DAY

My recurring memory of the 4th of July is (as it is for most of my family) of getting together the entire family at my Aunt Doris' house in New London, CT. She and Uncle Morris had a house on Pequot Avenue across the street from a small strip of private beach, and we would spend the holiday there, living only a few blocks away on Glenwood Place. Sometimes Aunt Shirley and Uncle Nat would come in from Jericho, Long Island with my cousins. And usually, Aunt Joan and Uncle Roger would come in from New York--and Uncle Roger would sit all of us kids down, good attorney that he was, and read us the Declaration of Independence on Aunt Doris' patio. Then after a hot dog/hamburger cookout, we'd go across and down the street to watch a fireworks display--modest but, to a youngster, magical. (My favorite part was the sparkling, moving animals--it took me a long time to realize that someone had merely made large, animal-shaped frames, lit sparklers along the frames, and then walked the frames along the darkened beach, somehow creating the magic illusion of moving animals of flame!)

Today, aside from one Alaska governor's career going down in flames, most of the pyrotechnics will be limited to the skies. (Macy's is doing it on the Hudson versus the East River for a change--should be quite a show along the West Side.)

But I guess more than anything else, I find myself pondering what Independence Day means. Not in the historical sense, although it may be impossible to divorce history from this discussion. Indeed, the whole notion this nation was supposedly founded on was that we were a place where freedom of ideas--and expression of those ideas--was not only permitted but celebrated. Wars continue to be fought (supposedly) to protect that concept, a concept which, in turn, we hope to spread to other lands (sometimes even if it kills 'em). As a nation, we get obnoxious overseas, telling others that our democracy is the way, perhaps the ONLY way. (We're being slightly better with that behavior of late, thanks to a President with a modicum of taste and tact.)

I guess what I'm exploring is: for all the fighting to protect those rights--and God bless our soldiers and all who defend and protect those rights on our behalf--are we in fact cherishing them?

To me, this country is supposed to be where Independence of thought is sacred. You can worship as you please--which means organized or disorganized religion, mass worship or a congregation of one. Or none.

Independence means you can love whomever you choose to love, wherever you choose to love them. Love for another human being should be a fundamental right--regardless of gender, race or creed. Relationships are so hard and complicated--if two people want to commit to each other, no matter who they are, bless 'em for making a go of it! (To get hung up on who or what they are and what defines "marriage" is antithetical to the very basis of holy union, whose roots are pure and start with love and commitment.)

Independence means freedom of opinion--and while not always agreeing, respecting others' opinions or, at the very least, their right to their opinion. The venom spewed by extremists on both sides of the aisle (no parties immune) continues to erode like acid the very fabric of the flag. (In Albany, currently, ego and power trips won't even allow people to sit in the same room with each other to do the very duties they are sworn to uphold as public Representatives.)

Being an American means being able to take care of yourself and your family. Contributing to and taking from a system that allows you autonomy. And when you are unable to take care of yourself--or when the system has somehow failed you or even sadly screwed you over--there are still fail safes from our society that will help you till you get back on your feet again. As nearly one in ten citizens is now unemployed, it is depressing to think how hard it may be to claim your Independence when you can't afford your basic necessities.

Freedom should mean being able to fly, unfettered. And being a U.S. citizen should mean supporting each other in that pursuit. Do we?

Wishing you all an independent spirit--the most important freedom of all.

2009-07-01T19:58:00.003-04:00

TWO SEEMINGLY UNRELATED NEWS ITEMS

Well, we seem to be losing major icons by the boatload. Rest in peace, Farrah, Billy Mays, Ed McMahon, Karl Malden--all of whom contributed to our culture, our pleasures, our art, our commerce.

I will not turn hypocritical and sing a song of Michael Jackson's praises, for while talented and certainly a major cultural icon, he wasn't my favorite for various reasons. But I do send condolences for his loss to all of his many fans.

No, I bring Michael up because of all the reports of various medications that he took or abused or (at least) was given prescriptions for which may have contributed to his death.

And I am fascinated by the latest reports on the dangers of acetaminophen, best known as Tylenol and used in Excedrin and NyQuil. The FDA is warning that America is doing major liver damage to itself through overdosing on this popular and normally safe drug. As reported today by The Philadelphia Inquirer, "The FDA cited research showing that acetaminophen overdoses led to 56,000 emergency-room visits, 26,000 hospitalizations, and 458 deaths from 1990 through 1998." New maximum dosage guidelines are about to come out, so that people don't overdose by unwittingly taking multiple meds containing acetaminophen. The new maximum daily recommended dose may be 2,600 milligrams, down from 4,000. Also, certain prescription drugs may be pulled entirely because of the problems they cause when people take other over the counter meds in combination with them--not to mention the dangers they pose in and of themselves at their higher prescription dosages. (These include Percocet and Vicodin, Gregory House's pain reliever of choice.)

Acetaminophen has been around for almost 50 years and in proper dosages is a wonderful drug.

We all have pain, but we need to realize that our bodies are chemistry sets, with finely tuned balances.

But American always want more. If two pills help but the result isn't enough, pop a few more. (It's amazing how many folks even O.D. on vitamins, not recognizing that they are regulatory supplements, not wonder elixirs.)

Here's where Michael Jackson comes in. We seem to think that the more we add to our bodies, the better off we'll be. (Or sometimes with Michael, the more we remove . . . !) But as with everything in life, balance and moderation are key!

While the pharmaceutical industry is hardly a group of angels, they DO actually test drugs and their dosages to find effective, safe levels. (They may be forced to do so, granted, but still, they do test.) Just as we should watch our intake of salts, fats, carbs, etc.-- all of which ARE good for us in moderation-- we should consider what is effective and what is safe and follow those guidelines. (Not to mention that some of us are more drug sensitive, so that level of safety might be variable.)

If Michael Jackson had only played with a toy chemistry set versus using his own body as a lab . . . If only he'd had real friends who knew how to say "no" to him . . .

So at the risk of sounding preachy, the following bears stating and repeating:

Consult a physician before you take ANYTHING on a regular basis, be it a prescription or a cure-all from the health food store, and any time you add to your regimen, make sure it will not have a bad interaction with that which you are already taking. (If you can't reach your primary physician, ask your local pharmacist--provided the prescription and mail-order drug services haven't run them out of business.) Take all prescriptions and supplements AT THE RECOMMENDED DOSAGE and contact your physician if you have any signs of an unusual reaction.

We're not here forever, any of us. But let's try not to leave prematurely.

2009-06-26T12:11:00.004-04:00

WEEK OF A LIFETIME

I am just emerging from jet lag, kicking and screaming. Not that I like being lagged, mind you, but it means I will have to face reality. I am back from one of the best weeks of my life.

For those of you not bombarded with my news nonstop for the last several months, I have been to Alaska! I attended the 17th Annual Last Frontier Theatre Conference in Valdez, Alaska, where for a solid week I was involved in non-stop playwriting, directing and acting. My play, HEART, received a lovely public reading (with Frank Collison playing Bert and an amazingly dedicated and talented cast), as well as a terrific presentation of ANCESTORS OF TELEMARKETING and an enjoyable reading of DEATH BY MISADVENTURE in the Fringe. Additionally, I was a reader in the wonderful works and words of Damon Chua (THE GHOST BUILDING), Alex Pollock (UNTITLED), and the wonderful wizard of Oz himself, Dawson Moore (BURNING). It was a week of wonderful readings, terrific performances, breath-taking landscapes and amazing people.

The week worked its magic on me in several ways.

First (and I suppose foremost), it gave me not only an opportunity to hear my work and receive valuable critique (a special thanks to Marshall W. Mason, Lee Brock, Tim Daly and the audience!), but also a much needed shot in the arm for my artistic ego. There were also some amazing workshops, with two (one led by John Yearley, the other by Richard Dresser) standing out as particularly enjoyable and helpful.

Secondly, the Conference was jammed packed with activities--more than any one mortal could hope to do!--that gave me no time to whine or worry. Just keeping up with it all was a challenge, and it required me to fly versus holding on for dear life, as is my wont. It was stimulating to say the very least, and I was required to try things I might not have let myself try under my "normal" circumstances. For example, as an actor I was cast in roles that I never would have thought of myself for--yet with nothing to lose, I threw myself into them and was able to work in ways I never had before and to (at least) satisfactory results.

Thirdly--and this is the kicker--after so many years of feeling odd-man out, the geeky asthmatic kid who dropped out midway through two-week day camp, I was actually feeling welcomed and "one of the gang." This has NEVER been my experience in 51 plus years! I met so many wonderful people, who were accepting of my, er, "quirkiness", and I had the most relaxed and wonderful discussions not only about art but about life. I'm amazed how well virtually everyone got along. I even was in a dorm with roommates and had a splendid time "roughing it." (Don't get me started about collapsing cots and corndogs!) To feel like one has repaired a failure in life--to be one of the guys--is a MAJOR gift and one that I truly appreciate. With help from the Internet and Facebook, there are folks with whom I will hopefully continue lifelong friendships. Talk about mining Alaska for Gold.

And finally, the change of scenery. As you'll note from the video above, the landscape was breath-taking. I've never seen mountains like that, mountains on steroids. With mists, fogs, snows, wild animals and, yes, green foliage of a different stripe than the New England and New York scenery I was raised on . . . if Edinburgh was Brigadoon for me, this was Shangi-La!

Needless to say, this is a trip I would recommend to anyone of a theatrical stripe and it will remain one of my cherished experiences.

2009-05-17T00:43:00.005-04:00

A CAT'S EYE VIEW

In the interest of equal representation, a spokescat presents her point of mew about the upcoming Animal Haven event, BETWEEN MAN & BEAST.

Playwrights for Pets presents BETWEEN MAN & BEAST, Tuesday evening, May 19th at 7:30 pm at Animal Haven, 251 Centre Street (between Grand and Broome Streets). Suggested donation is $10, and all proceeds go to Animal Haven, the animal shelter/adoption center that cares for dogs and cats. Reservations for the evening can be made by calling 718-768-4213 or emailing sue@playwrightsforpets.com. Running time for the evening will be approximately one hour. Hope you can join us for what will be a fun evening--and it's all for an excellent cause!

2009-05-09T20:20:00.003-04:00

QUESTIONING THE QUESTIONERS

Slow as I am, I finally just got to Michael Moore's 2007 documentary, SICKO, on disc. It was what I expected--intelligent if somewhat biased, entertaining if somewhat manipulative, and ABOVE ALL, thought-provoking. Moore's critics will seem to find his gift for "thought-provoking" to be his greatest sin.

What we should ask these critics is: What is the harm in provoking thoughts? In starting discussions? In looking at things that need improvement in our IMPERFECT system--yes, sorry, folks but there are indeed flies in the ointment! What is the harm in looking at where we need to improve? Isn't freedom of speech, freedom of opinion what we've been fighting for all these years?

Michael Moore is larger than life. He is a gifted film maker and an essayist--but not necessarily a journalist. He is not reporting, he is rabble-rousing, getting people hot and bothered and making them THINK. (I guess one can say the same thing about Rush Limbaugh--two bears on opposite sides of the ring!) If you are a liberal, then no doubt you will nod in agreement with many of Michael Moore's points, and if you are a conservative, you may well accuse him of being one-sided. But are we so insecure as a people that we can't take a hard look at ourselves and find ourselves wanting, in need of change? We champion our capitalist way of life but seem terrified to look beneath the shrink-wrapping to see what's really inside the package.

While SICKO may play fast and loose by presenting only selected facts, one cannot deny that the American health system is broken. Anyone who has been through the mill with a serious illness--or even just attempted to prevent a devastating problem through testing, check-ups and doctor visits--will tell you that the health system itself is more terrifying than the illness. Can anyone (other than bonus-grabbing pharmaceutical and HMO executives) honestly say they feel safer for their coverage? That their financial survival is not troubled by the health care coverage in this country? Unless you are independently wealthy, does ANYONE have smooth sailing when visiting doctors, hospitals, dentists, emergency rooms? And while certain politicians have defensively decried the ills of nationalized health care in other countries, virtually everyone I know from those other countries has backed up Moore's claims--that public health care systems work and make for a more secure way of life. Health care should be government subsidized from tax dollars, as are police, firemen, schools, etc., and should be one of the things government does to aid and protect its citizens. (Of course, it also works in other countries because the drug manufacturers have not been allowed to drive up costs to ridiculous heights, placing coverage exclusions on the most needed drugs, and HMO's have not been dictating who gets treated and what treatments work versus being merely experimental in the name of reducing their payouts.) The American people are not happy, the doctors are not happy, the pharmacists are not happy. So who IS happy with the status quo? The same people who contribute vast sums to election campaigns, perhaps?

But this is all, I suppose, up for debate. My REAL point here is: why can't we look at ourselves and try to improve on our shortcomings? Self-critique is a sign of strength. Just as there are those who opposed the stimulus package and yet offered only criticism but no alternative solutions, it seems that there are folks who just slam the door when health care reform is even mentioned. There are those presently in Washington who are saying Obama is foolish to deal with health care now in the middle of everything. But health care IS in the middle of everything--employment, finances, household incomes, economic problems and basic day-to-day survival of the average American. To say it is not is being worse than ignorant--it is deliberately turning a blind eye to something that should be the right of every citizen. Sometimes it feels as though those who insist on less government are in fact only looking for less oversight of their own activities. Those who squelch the health care discussion are those who have the most to lose by allowing reform to happen.

The very basis of our country's democracy is supposed to be the ability to talk, to argue and, through consensus, arrive at systemic improvements. (Interestingly, in many of the countries that have nationalized health care, they view it as a product of a democratic society, NOT a socialist regime.) If people can't get health care for their children, if people put off major therapies and procedures because they can't afford them or their insurance won't cover them, if people have to choose between medications that will help them and putting food on their table in this, one of the wealthiest countries in the world, SOMETHING IS WRONG.

I have no expertise and can not tell you one plan is better than another or one side is right and one is wrong. I do know enough, however, to be suspicious: if there is no discussion, if we remain in this quagmire, then SOMEONE is responsible for the shutdown. (And it needs to be looked at WHY they won't let the talks take place!)

2009-05-02T14:07:00.003-04:00

A BENEFIT FOR OUR FURRY FRIENDS!

Playwrights for Pets, a terrific organization dedicated to “making theater to benefit animals in need,” will present an evening of five staged readings under the title, BETWEEN MAN & BEAST, on Tuesday evening, May 19th at 7:30 pm at Animal Haven, 251 Centre Street (between Grand and Broome Streets). The event, which will benefit Animal Haven, will feature staged readings of five new plays by playwrights Bill Dudley, Evan Guilford-Blake, V.E. Kimberlin, Ed Vela, and yours truly ( who is also director for the evening). The work will be read by an estimable ensemble of actors: James Arden, Kaseem Bristow, Erin Cronican, Eric Hunt, Jonna McElrath and Annie Pesch.

Suggested donation is $10, and all proceeds go to Animal Haven, the animal shelter/adoption center that cares for dogs and cats. Reservations for the evening can be made by calling 718-768-4213 or emailing sue@playwrightsforpets.com. Running time for the evening will be approximately one hour.

Hope you can join us for what will be a fun evening--and it's all for an excellent cause!

2009-05-01T17:36:00.006-04:00

PEARLS BEFORE . . .
(Not to hog up too much airspace, but thought this would be fun--and maybe one day bring home the bacon!)

When we panic, we try to protect ourselves and may inadvertently harm others less fortunate. There always has and always will be flu--let's put it in perspective, shall we? Or as Piggy says, "People, people, people . . ."

"Hello. I'm here to address an overwhelming concern that is sweeping the world. It's proper name, of course is the H1N1 virus. But far too often, it is being represented as the so-called swine flu. As a member of the maligned swine community, I wish to inform you all that we as a species do not pose imminent danger.

But someone got the idea that swine are easy targets.

I ask you--we already have to deal with prejudice in the entertainment industry, where pearls are ALWAYS cast before we are. But now to be blamed for some pandemic. Pandemonium is more like it!

People, people, people! We don't blame everything on you!

When people belly futures crashed and the farmers' market tumbled and so many of us lost our life savings, we didn't say "damn those humans"! And as glaciers melt and rain forests disappear and many gifted creatures disappear, did you EVER see one of us point a finger?

We are peaceful, loving creatures. We mean you no harm. So calm down! Have a glass of juice. Drink chicken soup. Point your snout away from others if you think you are going to sneeze and put a sock in it if you're gonna cough on someone. If feverish, stay home and watch a video--an excellent flick, for example, would be BABE. Great film, always good for a laugh.

And masks, in my experience, are colorful and attractive and stare at you from the walls, but they will not help you avoid the illness.

And please, please, please. Remember that every time you call it the swine flu, you insult me and my fellows. Every time you call it the swine flu, you hurt a piggy.

Thank you."

2009-04-22T13:11:00.002-04:00

A TORTURED AND TORTUROUS DISCUSSION

Displaying the egotistical hallmark that has distinguished the American persona for the last 8-10 years, the conversation about torture and the Obama administration's anti-torture position would be laughable, if it weren't so sad. Let me be clear--NOT the the position, the conversation ABOUT it.

Torture IS a moral issue. You either have a certain code of behavior you find acceptable or you don't. Any form of torture is acceptable or it is not. It doesn't matter--or at least, shouldn't matter--what the rest of the world thinks or what you fear the rest of the world will (or won't) do to you when the shoe is on the other foot. If torture is wrong, then it is wrong in any degree.

If you believe it is wrong to torture other human beings to get the information that you want, then it is wrong to do it. If you believe the ends justify the means, no matter how evil, then the sky is the limit. It is one of the few all-or-nothing issues.

The idea that it is wrong for others to torture but that WE can do it because hey, look at all the other lives we saved and the rights we've protected . . . is hypocritical. You either have certain values or you don't. Period.

It is ironic how many so-called conservatives preach certain "Christian" values (and again I refer to their USE of the label, not what those values really mean), yet are saying well, the torture we performed on suspected terrorists got us information that made us safe so, in this case, it's okay. In short, better the other guy--THAT'S a good Christian value? An honestly moral person doesn't drop their beliefs just to protect their own skin.

Torture tactics we deemed unacceptable are in our case acceptable because they were monitored? Really? And did anyone step in during these monitored sessions and say, "Stop--now you're going over the line?" Would we ever know?

(It should be added that over the centuries, it has been proven that torture victims will say anything that ends the torture, what they think their captors wanted to hear. If it happened to be good information, good for the torturers, but if not, the results were no doubt catastrophic for someone.)

It is the flagrant "me first, screw everyone else" attitude that brought us to the time, place and financial disaster we find ourselves in at present. Flagrant greed, hidden under the cloak that we are the "land of opportunity." It is consistent with the values of Dick Cheney and the Bush administration, therefore, that torture is acceptable because we got what we wanted and WE are safe. (This is the same man who, once on his way out of power in the U.S., summarily moved his company to Dubai! The same man who, when questioned about the current financial plight, and all the lives lost in the war, said "So?")

To some, making Dick Cheney the poster child may seem unfair. But while Bush is quietly resting in Texas under the reasonable assumption that it's someone else's ballgame now, Cheney has been showing no respect for the Office or the folks who hold it, even as he continually invoked privilege during his days in office. If he's putting himself in the spotlight, then he's opened himself to critique.

I can fully understand why former Bush administration big shots are now saying publicly that Obama is risking U.S. security by admitting that torture was done and then refusing to continue it. It worked for them, they believed in it. They are not hypocrites, at least, in this regard. Lacking in moral fiber, perhaps, but not hypocritical in this regard.

The Obama administration is stating its life values. If we abandon those values when it suits us to get what we want, then what the hell are we fighting to protect? Standards are standards because they are unchanging, bedrock. (You would think Conservatives would understand THAT!)

So we are no longing endorsing torture and will not accept those who continue to advocate for it. Those who are proud to be Americans should not place their flag-waving pride over the values we supposedly hold dear, the ideals we supposedly live by.

2009-04-02T16:52:00.004-04:00

BEING UNDER THE RIGHT IMPRESSION

Those who love impressionism, color, dynamic use of lights and darks, interesting perspectives. and generally great art should get themselves out to Brooklyn to see the fabulous exhibit of french painter Gustave Caillebotte (pronounced Ky-a-bott)(1848-1894). Entitled “Gustave Caillebotte: Impressionist Paintings From Paris to the Sea,” it is an amazing exhibition of paintings, sketches and yes, boat half models, for this vibrant gentleman was a rabid boat enthusiast and designer, as well as a painter, engineer, lawyer, and art collector. He was a major member, financial supporter and frequent organizer for the French Impressionists, a well-to-do gentleman who used his wealth and connections to further new thought in art, often putting his money where his mouth was (dying too young at age 46). But he was no dilettante himself, as this exhibit shows. He had great skill as a painter, and loved putting his various passions into his paintings. From the start, his sense of structure made him explore extreme and unusual perspectives in his work. (LOVE the round-topped painting, where two boats through the trees being watched by two boys and a dog, changes perspective radically depending on where you stand in the gallery!) It is amazing to watch as he transforms from a traditionalist to an impressionist, yet all the while keeping the dynamism and understanding of contrasting space from his formal training. His personality practically vibrates off the walls.

And really, folks, The Brooklyn Museum is one of the country's finest--a very short trip over the bridge. Try to see this wonderful show (through July 5th). If you're like me, you'll discover an artist you didn't know before--and what an exciting discovery he is! (See the New York Times review, http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/27/arts/design/27cail.html?scp=2&sq=Caillebotte&st=cse .)

2009-03-18T17:46:00.003-04:00

OFF THE WALL

Okay, I've been good--well, relatively good--lately, writing versus animating everything. But I thought I would share this one, the most recent. No(h) Japanese prints were harmed in the making of this film, PRISONERS OF A BROOKLYN BATH(ROOM).

COMING UN-INGED

I don't care who or what is in vogue or popular. I've always loved William Inge because he deals with what I feel is a natural theatrical topic, as well as a difficult subject to explore--human longing. While Arthur Miller examines our moral sense and its collisions with justice, and Williams examines our survival in a brutal world, and Albee our, well, our defense mechanisms in a hostile society, Inge (who at one time was mentioned with equal reverence) was the prosaic poet of our dreams, desires and disappointments. In plays like PICNIC and COME BACK, LITTLE SHEBA, his characters want to follow their hearts but are perhaps too frightened of their own feelings to act upon their passions--rather like the majority of us. If current audiences are too "hip" to find such ordinary frustrations and inaction off-putting, I would counter that perhaps Inge's emotionalism cuts embarrassingly close to the bone. His work straddles a fine line of comedy and pathos, but is rarely slick, sardonic or biting--which is what many more audiences seem to trust today. (Tracy Letts seems to combine both successfully in AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY.) But to really find what motivates us or what holds us back, those small private fears that loom large in our own inner lives, Inge achieves achingly lovely and painful theatrical moments. In some aspects, he is our American Chekhov. And like Chekhov, he is hard to do well.

That said, you may wish to check out BUS STOP, one of his classics, now being performed by Brooklyn's Gallery Players through March 29th. If not the ultimate production, it nonetheless is a loving exploration of ordinary folks, road travellers stuck at a diner until a blizzard lets up and they can move on to their ultimate destination. (Like Chekhov, you have arrivals and departures and the folks that stay behind as the stuff of all drama.) It is not a searing, dark night of the soul--rather, it is regular people trying their damnedest to get through a long and somewhat awkward night together. The piece is probably best known as the film vehicle for Marilyn Monroe in the 50s, but while that film narrowed the focus to only one of the principal threads (and probably couldn't spend too much time on the alcoholic professor interested in underage girls, given the Eisenhower era), the play has many more layers, subtextures and currents. New York City only gets views of Inge once in a blue moon, given what's popular, so you may wish to take advantage of this opportunity to see some authentic American theater literature done with warmth and affection.

BUS STOP by William Inge, directed by Heather Siobhan Curran, now playing at The Gallery Players, 199 14th Street, Brooklyn, btwn. 4th & 5th Avenue (R train to 9th Street; F train to 4th Avenue), Thursdays-Sundays through March 29th. Tickets $18. Thurs, Fri & Sat Eves at 8 pm, Sat at 2, Sun at 3. www.galleryplayers.com for more information and ticket reservations. (Above: Pictured (l to r): Brad Lewandowski, Shawn Parsons, and Alisha Spielmann in The Gallery Players’ production of Bus Stop by William Inge. Photo by Bella Muccari.)

2009-03-05T11:09:00.005-05:00

CONVERSATIONS ON RUSSIAN LITERATURE

As I've written before, being a blogger does not come with the same responsibilities as being a reviewer--one doesn't have to cover everything, and one is entitled to promote one's own or one's friends' projects. (Although I think it's important to disclose the context of your "review," just to let the reader know what they're reading.) Of course, you don't get free tickets as part of the job when you do it for your own blog. And if you don't like a production, you can simply keep your mouth shut.

That said, I am writing today about the final weekend of CONVERSATIONS ON RUSSIAN LITERATURE AND THREE OTHER PLAYS, an evening by my friend, David Johnston. Blue Coyote has been his home for a few years now, always giving solid and often gifted support. This production is no exception, an evening that ranges from entertaining to breathtaking. Johnston's writing ranges from wittily sophisticated to disturbingly thought-provoking. PLAY RUSSIA is a giddy poke at Chekhov, sending up almost all of the major works while enjoying the discomfiture of pronouncing long, tongue-herniating names and surnames. FOR THOSE OF US WHO HAVE LIVED IN FRANCE is comprised of three intertwining monologues by three unlikely stagemates: Mary Queen of Scots, Henry Kissinger and a Virginia housewife, all of whom are letter writing, to be able to visit France. MOTHRA IS WAITING is the backstage tale of a sister act that appears to be heading for a breakup. All three display sharp, witty lines and afterimages that will grab you, along with some splendid performances (David Lapkin makes a particularly amusing Kissinger, and Tracy Gilbert is quite touching as she waits to be rescued by her giant hero).

But the second act is the play, CONVERSATIONS ON RUSSIAN LITERATURE, which is not only more than worth the price of admission but is one of the most satisfying plays to be seen in New York at this time. The setting, a vodka-soaked summer evening in a Russian park, plays host to what appears at first to be a discussion about beloved books between an American woman and an older Russian gentlemen. The fact that we are actually watching a very delicate negotiation between representatives of two powerful nations is only gradually revealed as the intellectual dance progresses through a minefield of personal, political and artistic beliefs. Director Gary Shrader has given a stunning production to Johnston's brilliant words, and the performances of Jonna McElrath as the American and Frank Anderson as the Russian are full-bodied and superbly shaded. This is a totally absorbing forty minutes of theater that will make you question governments and how much the personal competes with the professional, with "we the people" the beneficiaries (or victims) of the results. This is a production that deserves a much longer run.

“Conversations on Russian Literature Plus Three More Plays” continues through March 7 at Access Theater, 380 Broadway, at White Street, TriBeCa; (212) 868-4444.

2009-03-03T13:57:00.005-05:00

SEARCHING FOR INTELLIGENT CONSERVATIVES

I miss William F. Buckley. George Will can't carry the mantle alone, although he does so admirably.

I am a liberal or a moderate-to-liberal. But I enjoy a well-expressed point of view and feel we all learn from and grow from good, considered discussion.

I am so tired of Rush Limbaugh stomping his feet and whining like the big fat idiot baby that he is, throwing tantrums and tirades. To oppose socialism and to fear we're going in the wrong direction is one thing. But to say he hopes the stimulus plan fails and encouraging others to cause its failure is to encourage the failure of the country. He was the first to say we must support our leaders no matter what when HIS candidates are in office, but clearly, he just wants to be right, to have his own way. Well, where's YOUR patriotism now? And how disappointing that the leader of the Republican party, Michael Steele, who wisely chastised bad and self-serving behavior, recanted because he's afraid of a bully. Rush is entitled to his opinion, naturally, but that doesn't make his behavior off-limits for criticism.

And as for the lovely Ann Coulter . . . what a shame such a steel-trap of a mind is so mired in hate-mongering. She has a great brain for facts and figures, but so twists and distorts things to feed her own ego. She mistakes negative attention for positive reinforcement.

These are people who would rather be right than have things better. Or rather, THEY are doing well, so the hell with anything that would make life better for the rest of us--we got ours, so therefore something is wrong with all of you. In a most brutish way, they've gone extreme Darwin on us (and even Darwin wasn't recommending survival of the fittest as an excuse for selfish extremism.)

There are liberals as well who favor less government--but who also favor fair chances for all, who favor a generosity that the religious right gives lip service to but does not support with their actions.

On the other hand, the late great Buckley, and those who follow in his wake, would propose alternatives and would enter into the discussion with respect and intelligence, recognizing a need to solve problems over a need to be right.

In this day and age, pundits need to get over their egos--something else that grew overinflated over the past 8-10 years!

GARGOYLES

As if you thought there'd be no animations today . . . !

At the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, MA, you can see the original paintings which, in the flesh, reveal a far greater skill and artistry than the magazine cover reproductions that graced the many Saturday Evening Post covers over the years. His fame is well-deserved.

But on our visit one summer, we saw the wonderful, whimsical work of his son out in the gardens and walkways of the museum, terrific gargoyle creations that seemed like they could talk to you.

And now, one of them is . . . enjoy!

2009-02-20T16:12:00.002-05:00

VIRGINIA

Moving into a more complex phase (I fear . . . )

Once public television and cable have ransacked all unknown, misunderstood artists and geniuses for their in depth documentaries, what will be left?

2009-02-12T13:03:00.005-05:00

GETTING ANIMATED

Yes, yes, I know. It must be a phase I'm going through. I'm obsessed with my experiments in short animations. They're quick "doodles," if you will, inspired by some of my favorite things--antique photos, toby mugs, drawings and illustrations. I seem to be driven to explore new ways of story telling--new for me, at any rate.

Below are two more new ones. And then I will TRY to stop for a while--and maybe work on a longer work of more overall heft.

Enjoy.

Family Portrait

The Competition

2009-02-04T15:20:00.013-05:00

Some commerical promotions . . . and a rant! Hope you're not sorry you visited!

TALKING DOGS

Chloe wants her chance in the spotlight--especially for a good cause.

AN ENDORSEMENT FROM MY PUBLISHER

Okay, okay, he has a vested interest, but Ernest Silliman has decided to help promote EDDIE HAS ALLERGIES. Here's HIS commercial.

SOMEONES GOT TO KNOW HOW TO PAY TAXES

Many thanks to President Obama for being a straight shooter and saying, hey, yeah, I screwed up on some of these appointments. It continues to show that he's "real people," one of us, and it helps earn our trust.

But WHY are all these appointees needing to apologize for tax evasion? (Or "mistakes," as they so sheepishly put it?) They're up for posts as the country's experts. They are not just average Joes. (Or Joe the Plumber, for that matter.) It is true that few of us can know, comprehend and negotiate all the complicated tax codes. But surely Tom Daschle, former Senate Majority Leader, should know--or has a staff that knows the ins-and-outs? (And maybe he does!) Don't they have access to some of the best tax minds? And our new Secretary of Treasury, Timothy Geitner, former head of the New York Federal Reserve, should certainly have a handle on it! Once again, this is a sign of just how long power has provided loopholes. It's a symptom of the exact same malaise afflicting the executives who continue to want all the perks of their position while their company is begging for bailouts. Accountability, people! The word "bonus" was supposed to mean something extra, a special one-time gift for a job well done--not a guaranteed part of a salary regardless of whether or not you've run your company into the ground.

2009-01-30T14:56:00.004-05:00

FRIENDSHIP

Sometimes, to reflect on the nature of friendship and how we connect, we have to go back a ways . . .

2009-01-24T13:38:00.011-05:00

JOBS AREN'T EASY FOR OLD MUGS

With things the way they are in the present economy, it's not easy for ANY of us to find work--but the older you are, the more problematic it is, particularly in the arts. Witness this somewhat comedic attempt . . .

Striving to Stay on Top of It All

2009-01-20T14:23:00.001-05:00

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

2009-01-19T12:21:00.005-05:00

RANDOM THINKING

Tomorrow will indeed be an amazing day. A start of what will hopefully be a new age.

There are no guarantees for the future, of course--no one person could meet the expectations being placed at the President-elect's doorstep. But the difference, the change in not only personnel but character, is clearly a step in the right direction. The need for a different way of thinking--one that reflects ALL of the American people--is long overdue.

The greatest support for this optimism lay in Obama's cabinet choices, in his careful and precise planning for the economy even prior to taking office, AND for his ability to remain an active dad and husband while dealing with a Herculean amount of pressure. All bodes well.

No matter what faith you hold, say a prayer for our future leader--that a practical, 21st century approach can perhaps dig us out of the mire and into the light.

VICTORIA CLARK

Those who know the work of Victoria Clark--or think they do from her Tony-winning turn as Margaret Johnson the southern mother abroad in LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA, or one of her other wonderful acting turns on Broadway--will still be amazed and startled by the fresh breeze on her album, FIFTEEN SECONDS OF GRACE, a splendid mix of songs familiar and less so. The voice is lovely, of course, but the interpretations are so inviting. For one who lately has played matrons and strong-willed ladies, it is a delight to find this is a voice of quick-silver, intelligence and delicacy. Under the superb musical direction of Ted Sperling, this album is one luminous discovery after another, with a wonderful sense of intimacy. Each number is a work of art, but to single one out, take a listen to BEFORE THE PARADE PASSES BY, that stalwart anthem to life from HELLO, DOLLY! Deftly defying expectations (in part thanks to a really splendid arrangement), a steamroller anthem to survive has been reborn as the tale of someone who is genuinely thrilled to re-discover life's adventure. By concentrating not on overcoming the past (as in usual interpretations) but rather on the promise of the future, the song takes on a glistening beauty previously overlooked. It is that delightfully inventive perspective that Clark brings to every note on the album. This is not a show-singer disc--it is an artist giving you a truly one-person exhibit, with something special around every corner. (PS Classics)

2008-12-25T15:16:00.009-05:00

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

After a month-long siege of sinus problems, colds, holidays, deadlines & whatnot, I'm finally feeling (semi) normal enough to post!

Many random thoughts and topics . . . here are both philosophical moments and more earth-bound reflections . . .

ROAD SHOW
From the realm of the more concrete . . . it has taken years for WISE GUYS to become BOUNCE and finally ROAD SHOW, the new Stephen Sondheim-John Weidman musical currently playing at NYC's Public Theatre. It has been through numerous casts (Victor Garber-Nathan Lane, Howard McGillin-Richard Kind) and numerous directors (Sam Mendes, Hal Prince) before arriving in its current 105-minute off-Broadway version, featuring splendid performances from Michael Cerveris and Alexander Gemignani under the direction and design of the ubiquitous John Doyle (SWEENEY TODD, COMPANY, A CATERED AFFAIR). While some have expressed disappointment at this first new NY Sondheim since PASSION being, well, small . . . I can only counter--why is one of our greatest musical theater artists not allowed to sketch, to meditate, to do smaller, ideological pieces? ROAD SHOW ultimately is about how hype has overtaken the American dream--if you APPEAR to work hard and do the biggest and the best, then the world is your oyster (until reality crashes in). Certainly in the time of Bernard Madoff and bailouts and gold parachutes gone horribly awry, it is a timely piece (even though its creation started almost 20 years ago). Wilson and Addison Mizner (pronounced M'eye-z-ner) were con men-cum-entrepreneurs who, in the early 20th century, made and lost fortunes, most notably in the Florida real estate boom and bust (the first time round of a seemingly unending cycle). Addison, the sensitive gay younger brother, became a talented and creative architect who designed some of the homes still extant in Miami Beach but who also, under his huckster brother's influence, wasted his talents, with the ultimate initial plan for Boca Raton becoming just an over-hyped memory. (Obviously, Boca Raton DID become, well, Boca Raton, despite its name literally translating to "mouth of the rat.") Wilson, was more into spinning and promoting, everything from boxers to Broadway, along the way becoming a coke-snorting wastrel while charming a wide-swath of marks out of millions. Actually, Wilson's behavior is not all that different from many of the financiers begging Congress for blank checks today. And certainly the American Dream has always represented a hard work ethic, but remember that at least half of it was still "the Dream." Yes, America has always championed hard workers publicly but secretly idolized the get-rich-quick adventurers. (in ROAD SHOW, Mama Mizner on her deathbed rhapsodizes about her rapscallion adventurer son, while the good boy stays behind to hold her hand.) This is not a highly-plotted, conflicted drama--rather, it is a meditation on how America buys and sells and the human cost that grinds up everyone in the machine. Just as Japan was really the central character in their PACIFIC OVERTURES, it is American society and its economy that is the central character here. Not the stuff of most people's musical comedies, and this one IS more dark comedy than drama.

But why can't one of the most revered talents do an essay piece, as it were? And why not off-Broadway, a perfect setting for this piece? John Doyle's "box set" is appropriate--actually, they're crates and file cabinets that look rustic and become many locations effectively against the brick backdrop of the theater. (It still can't be cheap--how many desk drawers do you know that can withstand the standing and sitting weights of large men?) Ann Hould-Ward, a veteran of other Sondheim musicals, does wonderfully evocative costumes with her signature patterning that gradually etches its way into your cognition, and trusty orchestrator Jonathan Tunick has done his signature job of providing an evocative sound for a small ensemble under the direction of Mary-Mitchell Campbell ( Doyle's frequent collaborator in musical crime). It is not the most soaring of Sondheim's scores, but when your range and talent is that vast, any exploration is miles ahead of everyone else's. ROAD SHOW ultimately is more compelling as a story and think piece than it is for its musicality. Michael Cerveris, of course, has become the leading Sondheim interpreter, able to catch the brilliant and chiling dark edge in everything from PASSION to SWEENEY TODD to ASSASSINS, and he does not disappoint as the charming bad-penny Wilson. But Alexander Gemignani is extraordinary as Addison, the Mama's boy who, in turns, tries to become his own man while succumbing to the insistent Wilson's nefarious ways. His gay love affair with his patron. wealthy would-be artist Hollis Bessemer (an appealing Claybourne Elder), is all the more tragic for its duality of deception and genuine tenderness. Fine support is provided by a talented top-drawer ensemble, and one must mention the strong contributions of Alma Cuervo as Mama (playing a role Jane Powell played in the previous BOUNCE incarnation) and frequent Sondheim vet William Parry as the ghost of Papa. There is wit and wisdom in this tale, but rather than transport us, ROAD SHOW peels back a chapter in history that shows just where we were heading-- and just what it is in the American nature that we are sadly harvesting right now. ROAD SHOW is scheduled to close December 28th--but it is my hope that this show (with a lot to say) has a future around the country.

MAMET MAYHEM
How strange that in attempting to celebrate the talent and staying power of David Mamet, his gifts have also been rather punishing. (Ah, well, that's what we do to our talents--see Sondheim above). AMERICAN BUFFALO with the combined gifts of Robert Falls, John Leguizamo, Cedric the Entertainer and Haley Joel Osment didn't last a week in this financial climate. And now the acclaimed revival of SPEED-THE-PLOW will have to survive the departure of the mercurial Jeremy Piven. Piven's reputation is prickly to begin with (and his last NY stage adventure, Neil LaBute's FAT PIG, was also rife with rumors despite excellent reviews), so in some ways it is not surprising that he would depart ten weeks early--and as he is a talented and soulful gent, we do hope his health is restored and that he is not as gravely ill as was reported. The news that first gifted Norbert Leo Butz and then William Macy will succeed him for the rest of the run was indeed a sign of creative casting and loyalty from friends. One can only hope that the production will last to regain its footing and recoup at the box office.

THOUGHTS FROM THE FIELD
Well, 2008 will indeed be remembered as a rough one, historically and personally. Lows will of course include unemployment (especially my own), illnesses, a family member passing, fluctuating health, and periods of depression and frustration. Highs will include some artistic joys, love of friends and, well, loved ones, and at least a ray of hope in the form of a new regime finally coming in, perhaps a bit too late, in 2009.

I will not be sorry to see 2008 go, even as I try to learn whatever lessons I can. Sometimes, when a bubble bursts, all that's left is escaped air and some wet soap.

But in the spirit of the Great White (House) Hope, one has to pick oneself up and say we can do this. Things will get better. I have to believe that creative, determined, imaginative people will survive and grow stronger. Life isn't about a constant level of joy--it is about the striving for those moments that make it all worth while, and the lows come along with the highs. Sometimes, these extended spells make it seem like the abyss is right around the corner and, hell, maybe it is. We choose, not to be noble, but to survive, hopefully discovering our inner strengths and growing as we go.

May this holiday season find you healthy and whole. May the new year bring you peace--and a new honesty, a new admiration, a new strength and a reaffirmation of purpose.

2008-11-20T20:51:00.002-05:00

PUSHING DAISIES IS . . . PUSHING DAISIES?

ABC has to do something about its split personality. Their development department often rises above the usual mundane, feed-em-a-fish banality to create fresh programming ideas. MEN IN TREES, for example, was somewhat literate and extremely well-acted and produced. Gone, gone, gone--after ABC's scheduling and promotion department deflated the show into oblivion. (Even if you were a fan and looking for scheduled episodes, it was always a hard show to find.)

And now ABC is making the exact same blunder. Twice. ELI STONE, one of the smarter, kinder and more intelligent pieces of television will be gone--no order past this season's 13 episodes. But worst of all, PUSHING DAISIES, the Emmy-lauded, inventive series will be no more. (I choose not to put DIRTY SEXY MONEY in the same category--despite Peter Krause, Jill Clayburgh, Lucy Liu, Blair Underwood AND the great Donald Sutherland, it is a soap opera so vapid you can jump in and second-guess what you haven't seen. Few will lose sleep over its departure.)

PUSHING DAISIES, on the other hand, is a spectacular if strange little world, with a cast of endearing characters that made it a televison classic. Original, funny, fast-paced, beautifully acted and amazingly filmed and designed, it was something unique and special. It's absence will be truly felt among its dedicated followers.

(I might add that it has more people watching it than MAD MEN, which is the most celebrated show of the year and no one is cancelling THAT!)

As the networks lose more and more yearly to cable channels, streaming video and the DVD market, they sadly seem to learn less and less about the viewing public. Almost anyone in America could have told them that it was a mistake not to bring the show back last season for SOME kind of wrap-up episodes after the Writers' Strike. Waiting all that time without so much as a re-cap was a huge mistake. What about running the already shown episodes in summer to build new fans, show folks what they missed, and ramp up excitement for the season to come? Where was any kind of real fanfare or promotion to herald PD's return? Any kind of decent marketing buzz would've made sense. And then to continually break up the showing schedule--okay, they actually ran PD against Obama's infomercial, but then left it off the air for two weeks in a row. So the gains it made were soon squandered. They never tried it on another night, nor did they promote it on other major shows.

ABC's marketing department may not be as corrupt or obtuse as the heads of AIG or the Big 3 Automakers who still party hearty and fly private jets to beg Congress for bailouts. But clearly their heads are not atop their shoulders where they should be--and once again, we the viewers suffer for it. And again, they blame the viewers to justify their actions. We're going into a deep recession, people--can't we at least have the shows that lift our spirits with some positive and imaginative storylines?

One can only hope that one of the cable networks will be smart enough to pick PUSHING DAISIES up in some form so it can spread its magic unencumbered. (And then ABC can kick itself, as HBO undoubtedly is over passing on MAD MEN.)

Make your voice heard, viewers. Let ABC know just how ticked off you really are! And while you're at it, drop a line to USA, SciFi, FX, AMC--they're looking for viewers, you know, they just might take the hint. Maybe we should all just boycott Disney and see what the mother ship does . . .

2008-11-05T13:23:00.002-05:00

A NEW PRESIDENT, A NEW DIRECTION

It is with enormous pride (and relief!) that we have reached the end of the election season (that lasted over two years).

President-elect Barack Obama. Our soon to be 44th President of the United States.

The fact that the issues led the day, not race, is a source of enormous pride for all of us.

The fact that there really is an undeniable change coming is heartening and uplifting at a time when despair threatened to overwhelm. This doesn't mean that happy days are here again or that all is solved--we are in tough, tough times, and amidst the joy and congratulations, you can't help but think, "That poor man! Why on EARTH would he want this job?!"

But there is something pretty remarkable about him, determined, unflappable, that one has to admire. He is smart and attentive. Thoughtful. Open. And while it may have been one of the most expensive campaigns ever waged, one feels that it was beautifully managed and that every penny spent was spent well and wisely. He handled the ups and downs of the campaign, the triumphs and the tragedies, with strength, dignity and grace, displaying all the leadership qualities we look for in a President. He got through this campaign with his soul in tact. This speaks well for our future.

And I know I'm not the first to remark on this, having been glued to the TV, but it seems Campaigner McCain was exorcised and the decent, if conservative, John McCain returned last night with a truly gracious, thoughtful concession speech. THAT was the man who should have run for President, not the "maverick".

Our President-elect is right--apparently, one can still hold onto their dreams and hope for the best. With hard work, they clearly can come true.

2008-11-03T15:20:00.002-05:00

VOTE VOTE VOTE

Can I make it any clearer? VOTE!

Do not assume others will do your duty for you--you've maybe done that before and look where it got us!

Do not assume your voice doesn't matter--sometimes it's come down to a relative handful of votes!

Most importantly, you owe yourself a voice. No matter who wins, you need to reconcile yourself with your own needs, your own doubt, your own choices, your own voice. How you will proceed starts from that moment of definition. No one else need know how you voted, true--but YOU WILL KNOW FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE! So what you are doing is making a choice, a decision, defining yourself. Do it for you!

DO NOT TRUST POLLS! They've been wrong before, they'll be wrong again.

VOTE VOTE VOTE!

(And may the best candidate win!)

2008-10-17T10:24:00.004-04:00

MONSTERS UNDER THE BED AND ELSEWHERE

That sterling organization, Playwrights for Pets, will be presenting an evening of short new works as a fund-raiser for Animal Haven on Tuesday, October 28th at 7:30 pm. Three one-acts under the heading, MONSTERS, will hopefully scare up some funds for all the deserving dogs and cats who need a home and bring folks over to check out Animal Haven SoHo at 251 Centre Street, a beautiful facility not only for pet adoption but for training classes, pet supplies and products, etc. Plays for the evening are by Bill Dudley, Stacey Lane and Zeus Moran, which will be read by Erin Cronican, Dena Douglass, Laura Gillis, David Lapkin, Jonna McElrath and John Moss. The requested donation is only $10, with wine or soft drink included, so what more could you ask for? To get there, take the 6 Train to Spring Street stop, N,Q,R,W to Prince Street stop, or B,D,F,V to Broadway/Lafayette stop. Animal Haven is located on Centre Street between Broome and Grand Streets, two blocks South of Spring Street. Reservations should be made by calling 718-768-4213 or e-mailing sue@playwrightsforpets.com. (Click here for a pdf flyer!)

MONSTERS ON NOV. 4TH

One week later, the REAL monsters come out from under the bed.

PLEASE VOTE!

While McCain was more, shall we say, "aggressive" at the final debate, he was also once again misleading. Joe the Plumber, as a small business owner would NOT be fined if he didn't use Obama's health plan, as he is a small business, and with a $3000 tax incentive for each new job he created, it is likely that any additional taxes Joe incurred would be offset. (Of course, it turns out that Joe wasn't a licensed plumber after all, so once again, the McCain team did not properly vet a person before using their name.) But the biggest error of the debate came when Obama said let's talk about issues, not hurt feelings--McCain didn't join him, change course and simply present his own plans. Rather, he went back to associations, name-calling and mudslinging. If McCain is such an agent of change, why didn't he welcome an opportunity to change and deal with what was important? Perhaps this is why, after so many years of being a "maverick" in DC he has not changed it from within--what makes anyone think he'll change it as President?

Finally, I would like to address the whole issue of "spreading the wealth." McCain said Obama's plans would be giving away people's hard-earned dollars when they should choose who to give it to, when and where. This, of course, is the Republican bottom line--keep the money with those who've garnered it versus giving government distribution rights. Senator McCain, the events of just the last few weeks have shown that things DON'T trickle down, that the approach you promote allows the greedy to hog it all for themselves, leading us ultimately to the pickle we're currently in. I'm not saying that people don't deserve to keep what they've honestly earned. But by setting up fair and even distribution, oversight is put into place and people (not just the wealthiest) are protected. It is the "every man for himself" attitude nurtured over the last eight years that has precipitated this crisis--more of the same will not get us out.

2008-10-08T11:30:00.004-04:00

DEBATABLE?

I've shied away from the political scene for the last several weeks--after all, there have been so many willing to jump in to fill whatever possible void my opinion might have left!

But watching last night's debate, a summary of my thoughts crept in.

When asked by moderator Tom Brokaw who might make a good Secretary of the Treasury to replace Paulson, John McCain mentioned Warren Buffett, whom he also identified as an Obama supporter. If one of the smartest investment and finance men in America, John, supports Obama, what does that say about you?

When McCain tries to lump Obama in with the excesses of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, while his own campaign is staffed by former lobbyists from those institutions, it tends to backfire.

When John McCain repeatedly talks about his skill in "reaching across the aisle" while constantly failing to engage or look his rival in the eye, one tends to feel he is merely talking the talk.

John McCain continually talks about Obama planning to increase taxes, when in point of fact his main thrust is providing tax cuts to the middle class, shows McCain does not have a firm grasp on his opponents' campaign. (Of course, with a humongous looming deficit, one has to wonder how McCain would pay for all those inferior mortgage buybacks he so valiantly put forth?)

The only person I ever want to hear describe themselves as a Maverick again is James Garner.

This is not to say that Sen. Obama is flawless--I have been waiting for months and months to know more about his plans. While I know I DON'T like Sen. McCain's healthcare plane (which would tax you on any health insurance benefits given by your employer, along with sending you to another state and costing you more by limiting availability of specific services), I at least feel I really know what it is. Yet Obama is clearly concerned about education and the future of our young people, something McCain never seems to mention. And you can't have it both ways--either you have years and years of experience--which DOES make you an insider, John--or your an outsider reformer, which comes from a detachment that you really don't have, having voted your party's line on most crucial issues.

Finally, let's separate McCain from the Bush administration for a moment. While I agree that it is as foolish to bring up the Keating Five as it is to bring up Obama's association (at age 8?) with the Weatherman, one does have to look at McCain as someone who, all on his own, has screamed for deregulation repeatedly for generations. Now he's saying there needs to be accountability, even when he took away the watchdogs. If you take away the blame game from the Oval Office, the removal of proper oversight falls squarely on shoulders like those of Sen. McCain, making him directly culpable for the excesses that have brought about the current financial mess. (When he and Sarah Palin go on and on about cleaning up the town, I keep wanting to ask, "You and who else?" Is Sarah Palin going to have her little girl staying up all night going over corporate travel and expense accounts for homework? No one would argue that smaller government would be nice, but it doesn't happen by magic, and oversight requires people to do their jobs, preferably with some seriousness.)

John McCain does NOT mark a change, but more of the same--and we see where that's gotten us, don't we?

2008-09-29T00:37:00.005-04:00

DARK COMEDY FOR DARK TIMES

For those who like their theater bracingly dark and with a little kick, I am happy to invite you to come see the latest collaboration between myself (as a director) and one of my favorite playwrights, Edward Musto. (In the past year, Edward and I have done MASS. MURDER, COMMENCEMENT and a staged reading of his play, GENEVIEVE--after having known each other's work for over 25 years!) The show runs about an hour and should be a good piece of theater, so please check it out. The information is as follows:

4-D Productions presents
EVILUTION

Three Dark Comedies by

Edward Musto

directed by

Judd Silverman

From stories by Richard Matheson, Michael Knight and Frederick Waterman

with

James Arden, Alison Crane, William Franke*, Emily Edwards, Chelsea Holland, D. H. Johnson, David Lapkin*

*member AEA, An Equity Approved Showcase

costumes by Catherine Fisher

stage managed by Nate Brauner

FIVE PERFORMANCES ONLY!

Oct. 2-5, 2008, Thurs-Sat Eves 8 pm, Sat & Sun Mats 2 pm

All Tickets $18 - Reservations through

TheaterMania at http://www.blogger.com/www.theatermania.com or by calling (212) 352-3101

78th Street Theatre Lab, 236 West 78th St., top floor theater, 78th & Broadway

EVILUTION:

Three dark comedies from the author of An Evening of Murder and the Like, an Edgar Allan Poe Award nominee as Best Play. An upper-class couple watches as the rest of humanity drowns itself in Lemmings. Criminality makes strange bedfellows in Smash and Grab when a burglar is caught in the act by a pretty college coed. And in Best Man Wins a chef cooks up something special for a close friend who's become too close to his wife. Based on stories by Richard Matheson, Michael Knight and Frederick Waterman.

Click here for a pdf flyer you can’t print at home!

Hope you can join us!

2008-09-20T21:50:00.002-04:00

FREE READING IN NYC AT URBAN STAGES

As part of my continuing artistic partnership with my good friend and fellow writer, Edward Musto, I am happy to let you all know about two upcoming events. One, an evening of three dark-and-humorous plays under the title, EVILUTION, is opening October 2nd (and playing, in a full production, through the 5th at the 78th Street Theatre Lab). More on that to come shortly.

But THIS Monday, September 22nd, you are cordially invited to a FREE READING at Urban Stages at 6pm of Ed's full-length play, GENEVIEVE. Based on the events of a true story during the student revolts of Paris in 1968, it is the story of a radical teacher accused of seducing and bedding one of her young students. A wonderful cast has been assembled, and there will be free wine and a discussion post-show. This is definitely an evening worth checking out. Below are the details:

GENEVIEVE

by Edward Musto

Directed by Judd Silverman

Monday, September 22, 2008, 6 pm, Urban Stages at

259 West 30^th Street (btwn 7^th & 8^th Avenues)

No Reservations Required

featuring

James Arden, Alden Ford, Brian Fuqua*, Elizabeth Gee, Nell Gwynn*, John Moss*,
Barry Steely, and Annie Pesch

*AEA member

From the Urban Stages website:

GENEVIEVE is inspired by a true story, the Gabrielle Russier ordeal, which shook France in the late 1960’s. At the time of the student riots in Paris, a 30 year-old schoolteacher, here named Genevieve Duvall, stands trial for “corrupting a minor”. As Genevieve gives testimony, the action in the court room freezes and she relives the moments in which law and justice are at odds with one another. The play was a finalist in two national playwriting competitions.

“Urban Stages is proud to celebrate its 25th Anniversary – And we want YOU to join the party! Join us for a celebration of our continued commitment to new work at our FREE New Play Reading Series on Monday nights in September. Wine and refreshments will be provided.”

For more information, go to www.urbanstages.org/new/merc.asp

2008-08-29T20:53:00.003-04:00

RUSH LIMBAUGH REALLY IS A BIG FAT IDIOT

Al Franken was right--but it feels so good to say it again!

Today's reaffirmation comes on the heels of Mr. Limbaugh's trumpeting how the Republicans got it so right with their "maverick" choice of Alaska's Governor, Sarah Palin, as the Vice Presidential nominee for the Republican Party. "We've got the babe!" was Mr. Limbaugh's astute judgment . . .

Okay, before I go any further, I know next to nothing about Gov. Palin, so congrats to you, Governor, on making a national ticket, and good luck in the challenges that face you. And watch out for stupid men like Rush Limbaugh.

He STILL doesn't get it. One didn't root for Hillary because she was a woman but because she was a good candidate and a talented and brave leader who happened to be a woman and had to fight the prejudices for acceptance from guys like Limbaugh and sexists even within her own party. One rooted for her, in part, because she was a woman, but not BECAUSE she was a woman.

And now, the incredibly cynical Republicans appear to have picked Gov. Palin BECAUSE she is a woman first, not because of her qualifications. Barely two years as a first-term Governor do not qualify her for leader of the free world. And despite being a mom of five, with a Down's Syndrome baby--and hopefully she is a remarkable mother, as she may well be to have five kids and be able to run a State!--this is not whom you pick as back-up for a 72-year old man who's fought cancer four times. Yes, she's a gun-lover. Yes, she's anti-women's right to choose. That makes her maybe qualified to be a delegate to the Republican convention but hardly to be its leading lady!

You don't NOT pick a candidate because she's a woman. You also don't PICK a candidate because she's a woman. So far, Sarah Palin has a lot to prove to put her in the same class as Hillary Clinton.

And yet both women are preferable to Rush Limbaugh, who still needs to be smacked for dancing a premature victory dance because they have "a babe" on the ticket and that will suffice!

In the meantime, Happy 72nd birthday, Sen. McCain.

And congratulations on your nominations, Sens. Obama and Biden. Thanks to you and the Clintons, the Democratic Convention provided a very educational and moving week.

2008-07-29T22:10:00.003-04:00

FINAL WEEKEND

In a shameless self-promoting plug, I am encouraging you to stop in to the Secret Theatre in Long Island City for the final weekend of COMEDY IN QUEENS, two alternating bills of comedic one-acts lovingly produced and performed with brio. I myself have two one-acts, one each program, that I'm happy with, but there's some really fun writing, directing and acting throughout. And if you're ready to laugh yourself silly, Saturday there will be a marathon starting at 5:30, with Program 1 AND Program 2 back-to-back (with snacks!) all for a bargain price of $20. (The usual price per program is $15.) Here's the info--c'mon, you know you could use a good laugh!

COMEDY IN QUEENS

The Comedic One Act Festival

presented by

The Queens Players

at the Secret Theatre, July 16-8/2
44-02 23rd, Long Island City, NYC 11101
phone: 718 392 0304 FOR INFO
Online reservations: www.theatermania.com

featuring

Two One Acts by Judd Lear Silverman:

CONQUERING THE FEAR

directed by Chris Jobin

with Adia Tucker and Ben Dziuba

and

ALL THE COMFORTS OF HOME

directed by Ken Hailey

with Brian Rush and Madeline Reed

Remaining Schedule:

Program 1 – 8/1 at 8 pm, 8/2 at 5:30 pm
Recurring

Conquering the Fear
Hamster Trance
One Night Stand
If You Are My Soulmate, Why Are You Such an Asshole?
Jump

Program 2 – 7/30, 7/31, 8/2 at 8pm

AquaSaga
Smash & Grab
All The Comforts Of Home
It's A Wonderful Play
Leaving
Death & Motor Vehicles

(Both plays perform the final day, 8/2, beginning at 5:30!)

Lots of great plays, lots of talented actors & directors, lots of fun!

The Secret Theatre and The Queens Players present a festival of original comedy one acts from emerging NYC writers, VE Kimberlain, Ira Sargent, Jack Karp, Edward Musto, Judd Silverman, Steven Wojtas, Susan Gross, Isaac Rathbone, J Snodgrass & Stefanie Zadravec.

The plays vary in subject from sex [which is always funny!] to meeting the Grim Reaper at the DMV to Rodent problems and relationships. Directed by an assortment of both Queens Players’ company directors to some honored outside guest Directors this show is a chance to come and see some great original comedy performed by over 32 different actors. On the final night on August 2^nd you have a chance to see all the plays back to back when we present both programs with program 1 starting at 5.30 and then program 2 at 8.30. A double ticket is only $20 and of course the closing night party will feature our famous and FREE! BBQ!!

Tickets $15 for one program or $20 for both.

Box office and info 718 392 0304.

Credit card and online tickets: www.secrettheatre.com or www.thequeensplayers.com

Tickets also available at: www.theatermania.com

info@secrettheatre.com

Directions:. Take the 7 to 45th/Courthouse or the E, V or G to 23rd/Ely.

The Secret Theatre is located between PS1 and Silvercup Studios and is two blocks from the Citibank Tower. Enter via green gates to the left of main entrance. Parking available.

2008-07-28T21:30:00.004-04:00

GIVE ME A BREAK INDEED!

John Stossel, ABC News reporter and erstwhile host of 20/20, has made a career out of rubbing people the wrong way and saying the unpopular thing--and a successful career it has been, too. I wonder what he would say if his bosses said to him, "John, we don't want the myths debunked anymore. Be more politically correct." Would he say his famous by-line, "Give me a break?" And would he perfectly OK if they fired him for doing what he does best?

I ask because last Friday, on what was a rather good episode of 20/20--I don't blame those elephants for going crazy at all!--he ended the show on a sourest of sour notes--defending companies that fire people above a certain age just because they can--not because of poor job performance or because their age matters to the work, but because they want someone younger, someone they can pay less and boss around more. Clearly, as long as John has a following, ABC will hold onto him, but it would be perfectly alright if they did fire him--or so he says. He believes that companies should be able to do whatever they want in terms of hiring and firing and if they want younger or prettier men and women, then they should have the right to terminate anyone who doesn't fit the bill. Thus DJs above a certain age--who are known for voice alone and were still doing pop music--were able to be fired, and Stossel ridiculed the lawyer who argued it was unfair and inappropriate. An advertising executive who turned 50--out, so they could hire a younger edition. Stossel felt that laws against age discrimination unfairly tie the hands of employers and hamper creative business practice.

Well, John, I guess you've learned nothing with age and maturity. I guess you're no more subtle or sophisticated or patient. You have exactly as much energy as you did in your 20s and you don't have any fear of losing your income and insurance--probably because you've been overpaid for so many years that by now you're set for life. I'm sure you'd be perfectly happy to be robbed of your retirement and your pension, thrown out just before you're vested, and that you'd be happy to have to work for lower pay, perhaps not even in your chosen and proven profession. If you have college-aged kids, it wouldn't bother you at all to explain why their plans for the education you promised them are shot. As long as businessmen get to do what they want, who has any moral obligation to take care of people who've lived up to their end of the bargain? Why should anyone have an expectation to reap the hard-won rewards they've depended on for later years when they maybe really aren't able to work?

John Stossel may be good at playing Devil's Advocate, and his rants are certainly good fodder for discussion. But only when one is in a secure position can one afford such smugness. When you've been in the shoes of the discarded, the underpaid and under appreciated, then such comments do rankle and seem to condone the rather poor behavior our society has displayed in recent years. This country has long undervalued its senior citizens, but now it's starting to discard its middle-aged workers as well. Jobs that folks spent years training for, requiring expensive advanced degrees, are now being offered to kids with little experience or training, just to save the bucks. This means not only that more qualified and experienced folks are out of work--and with little chance of obtaining equal positions--but that the quality of the product or service is bound to be reduced merely by the basic lack of experience that comes with time. It is a fact--with age comes experience and experience does help. Granted, it is not the be-all-and-end-all, and I'm not implying that there's no talent among the youth. And I would love to have the energy I had 30 years ago, when I felt indestructible. But there is no worse feeling than spending years to train, hone and develop your craft, only to have it taken away from you, not for anything you've done wrong, but because someone younger and cheaper is available.

So good luck, John, at staying at the top. Maybe you should keep an eye peeled over your shoulder, just in case.

Give me a break, indeed!

2008-07-13T14:55:00.002-04:00

OPENING THIS WEEK!

Two of my own one acts, ALL THE COMFORTS OF HOME and CONQUERING THE FEAR, will be presented in the one-act festival, COMEDY IN QUEENS, presented by the Queens Players at the Secret Theatre beginning Wednesday, July 16th. It should be a fun bill (or rather, two fun bills), playing at the highly pleasant Secret Theatre, easily accessible from Manhattan (first stop on the V or E, last stop on the G in Queens, diagonally across from Silvercup Studios). They did a terrific job with A REASON FOR ALL THINGS in January, and these comedic one acts (which also include one by the estimable Edward Musto!) should be great fun.

Here's the information:

Two One Acts

by Judd Lear Silverman:

CONQUERING THE FEAR

directed by Chris Jobin

with Adia Tucker and Ben Dziuba

and

ALL THE COMFORTS OF HOME

directed by Ken Hailey

with Brian Rush and Madeline Reed
as part of

COMEDY IN QUEENS

The Comedic One Act Festival

presented by

The Queens Players

at the Secret Theatre, July 16-8/2
44-02 23rd, Long Island City, NYC 11101
phone: 718 392 0304 FOR INFO
Online reservations: www.theatermania.com

Schedule:

CONQUERING part of Program 1 – 7/16, 7/17, 7/19, 7/23, 7/25, 8/1 at 8pm

also 7/26 at 3pm and 8/2 at 5:30pm
COMFORTS part of Program 2 – 7/18, 7/20, 7/24, 7/26, 7/27, 7/30, 7/31, 8/2 at 8pm
(Both plays perform the final day, 8/2 beginning at 5:30!)

Lots of great plays, lots of talented actors & directors, lots of fun!

And here's more about the Comedy in Queens from the Secret Theatre:

‘COMEDY IN QUEENS’

The Secret Theatre and The Queens Players present a festival of original comedy one acts from emerging NYC writers, VE Kimberlain, Ira Sargent, Jack Karp, Edward Musto, Judd Silverman, Steven Wojtas, Susan Gross, Isaac Rathbone, J Snodgrass & Stefanie Zadravec.

Tickets $15 for one program or $20 for both.

Box office and info 718 392 0304.

Credit card and online tickets: www.secrettheatre.com or www.thequeensplayers.com

Tickets also available at: www.theatermania.com

info@secrettheatre.com

Directions:. Take the 7 to 45th/Courthouse or the E, V or G to 23rd/Ely.

The Secret Theatre is located between PS1 and Silvercup Studios and is two blocks from the Citibank Tower. Enter via green gates to the left of main entrance. Parking available.

Program 1
7/16, 7/17, 7/19, 7/23, 7/25 @8pm, 7/26@3pm, 8/1
@8pm, 8/2 @5:30pm

Hamster Trance
One Night Stand
Jump
Recurring
If You Are My Soulmate, Why Are You Such an Asshole?
Conquering the Fear

Program 2
7/18, 7/20, 7/24, 7/26, 7/27, 7/30, 7/31, @ 8pm
8/2 @8.30pm

Smash & Grab
Leaving
All The Comforts Of Home
AquaSaga
It's A Wonderful Play
Death & Motor Vehicles

2008-07-01T15:18:00.003-04:00

REACHING OUT EVEN FURTHER

Now I also have a blog in the MySpace universe: www.myspace.com/juddls

I will have postings and videos and personal notes there as well, although this blog will continue to be a source for opinions and reviews.

Also, EDDIE HAS ALLERGIES is now available as a Kindle Book at Amazon.com. If you own one of their electronic book devices, which are hot and quite watchable, then you can download and read about Eddie and his imagination within minutes and for even less than the purchase of the in-print version. (Apologies for any format problems: downloading and uploading files and keeping their shape in "foreign" terrain is a tricky prospect at best, but I swear all the text and the images are there!)

2008-07-01T15:01:00.002-04:00

OTHER BUSINESS

IN PLAIN SIGHT, USA Network, 10 pm, Sundays

Catch IN PLAIN SIGHT on USA Network. Mary McCormack plays a slightly testy and frequently exhausted US Marshall who coordinates new identities and locations for people in the witness protection program. (The amazingly versatile and engaging Frederic Weller plays her friend and fellow marshall named Marshall, while Paul Ben-Victor is their avuncular boss and DA NCING WITH THE STARS hearthrob Cristian de la Fuente plays Mary's baseball-playing love interest. And Lesley Ann Warren has a recurring role as her Mom, Jinx, a mother who never quite grew up and is more the child than the parent.) The scripts are witty and the story lines engaging, but it is the natural and authentic-feeling performances that carry the day. And Mary McCormack delivers handily. McCormack has been wasted too often as window-dressing (as on THE WEST WING) -- clearly this talented lady is FUNNY and deserving of our attention. (She recently was Tony-nominated as a Teutonic stewardess in the hit revival of BOEING-BOEING.) Once again, Sunday nights at 10 are best spent home in front of the tube!

2008-07-01T14:58:00.009-04:00

Back from a family wedding on Old Cape Cod. Very lavish, very pretty. A bit hot but it didn't rain, despite all the predictions. Interesting. Exhausting. Fun.

The Cape is a strange and mysterious place, quite beautiful at any one location. But if you're driving around it when you're not familiar with it, the landmarks seem to appear, disappear, re-appear. You're in one town, then you leave and move into another town, then suddenly you're back in the first town again, as if only three towns existed, leap-frogging over one another. Dark streets at night with few readable road signs and no lighting. Disorienting. But very pretty by day. And breath-taking vistas can appear suddenly around hidden corners. I suppose the logic of the Cape grows on you when you spend a full summer there--it's hard to take in on a quick weekend jaunt.

I am all in favor weddings, whatever your orientation, gender or sexual preference. Preparing for one may cause more stress and nervousness than one would normally want, but ultimately they do end up providing a memorable celebration of a personal milestone. Anyone who really wants to commit their time, attention and love to one person in these difficult times--God bless 'em! Everyone who can give beyond themselves to someone else deserves all the support we can give them!

Weddings are strange events where you catch up with people related to you. You check in, you see and hear the latest news--but you probably know your friends and co-workers better than you know your own family. You are connected to these people by blood or by marriage. And while folks profess their love and how much they miss you, you can't help but wonder--would they even want to be friends if they weren't relatives? I'm happy to see my kin, of course, but ultimately I want people to "love" me because they find me interesting and genuinely like me--not because I'm their uncle or nephew or cousin. (And those who say "we must get together when we're back in the city" should put their money where their mouths are, so to speak . . . )

Still, a good time was had by all . . .

Putting It Out There

Mister Blobfish Speaks

Modern Language Association (MLA):"stupid." Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Random House, Inc. 23 Jul. 2009. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/stupid>.

American Psychological Association (APA):stupid. (n.d.). Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Retrieved July 23, 2009, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/stupid

Striving to Stay on Top of It All

Modern Language Association (MLA):
"stupid." Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Random House, Inc. 23 Jul. 2009. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/stupid>.

American Psychological Association (APA):
stupid. (n.d.). Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Retrieved July 23, 2009, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/stupid