AMERICA'S DIRTY LITTLE SECRET

Whether or not we're already tired of the skirmishes MONTHS ahead of time, this IS the most exciting political race to come along in years. It's no wonder that the Clinton and Obama camps have to hit below the belt--it's SUCH a difficult choice that hair-splitting becomes a desperately needed aid.

But as I listened the other night in a restaurant as someone described an unattributable claim of the KKK backing Obama just to avoid having Hillary in the White House, I realized how deep the national fear is of . . . a woman. It is absurd, of course, that it has taken this long for this country to treat a black man as a man of equal stature, and there is something positive in the fact that there are those who will finally overcome their bigotry to vote color-blind. (And he is, of course, an estimable candidate.) But if they are overcoming their bigotry just so they won't have to overcome basic misogyny . . .

Every intelligent, modern nation but the U.S. has had a woman leader at one point. It many cases, it has been the most stable and productive tenure these countries have had. Why are the men of this country so scared? Why are so many women willing to bash a leader from amongst their ranks?

You want to try killing ALL conversation somewhere? You won't believe me, but if you casually ask a group of women to name a woman they most admire, they will be stymied! And if all they can come up with is Eleanor Roosevelt or Mother Theresa . . . we're in trouble.

Polls everywhere are showing that Hillary Clinton is considered more experienced and better equipped, and yet the same polls show people PREFER Obama, who so far is just claiming he's going to change things. DON'T WE EVER LEARN? George W. was deemed a more pleasant Sunday dinner guest than Kerry, and so we got another four years that have sent us down the toilet. We still, after all this press coverage, really don't know much about where Obama stands, other than that he wants to make changes. And when things don't go his way, he tenses up and gets rather whiny. With the mess that needs to be cleaned up, don't we need someone who just doesn't care anymore about what someone says about them? It's a dirty business, people, politics. Let's choose someone who can survive it. LET'S VOTE FOR COMPETENCE, FOLKS!

And this fear that a woman can't lead us effectively--GET OVER IT!

photo credit: Hillary Clinton: © Jose Gil | Dreamstime.com ; Barack Obama: © Misty Pfeil | Dreamstime.com"

SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH COMPANY

How ironic it is that two of the potentially richest Sondheim events happened in the same week, with unexpected twists (at least for this viewer)!

On Tuesday evening, I viewed Roundabout's revival of SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE at Studio 54. Having just seen THE JAZZ AGE (see previous blog entry), the sufferings of the artist and the price paid for one's art were already in my head. SUNDAY, of course, won the 1985 Pulitzer for Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine (who also staged the original). Inspired by Georges Seurat's famed painting, "A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte", it supposes the torment of the ill-fated man who created a series of shimmering, pointillist canvases and then died in his early 30s. (The second act depicts his possible grandson, generations later, struggling to find his own sense of artistry in a world where art is just another commodity to be bought and sold versus serving as a window to the human soul.) While I've always found the piece imperfect, with extraordinary parts (the score) being greater than the sum of the whole, it is a score of wonderful passion, pain and love: "Finishing the Hat" remains one of the great explanations of the pain and pleasure of the artistic process; "Children and Art," a meaningful rumination on the true things of value we leave behind; and "Move On," an exhortation to forgiveness and acceptance of one's mission in life. The original production, brilliantly designed, truly shimmered with possibility, as did the mesmerizing, career-defining performances of Mandy Patinkin and Bernadette Peters. Whatever didn't work, you nonetheless came away moved. (A video version, created for PBS, captures beautifully this once-in-a-lifetime production, and it is still available on DVD.)

Ironically--and contrary to the rave reviews that came out this past Friday--the current production directed by Sam Buntrock solves many problems with technological aplomb and is well thought out--and yet for me remained strangely unmoving. Jenna Russell gives a smart, intelligent reading as Dot, but she doesn't shimmer or catch the light as Bernadette did--Ms. Russell is life-sized, not larger than life, and so the passion to capture her on canvas, the rapture of her spirit that Georges loves to the detriment of her all-too-human flesh, is missing. Not that this Georges would notice--this almost feels like SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITHOUT GEORGE. Daniel Evans is talented, intense and detailed . . . but keeps his needs in check, private. We do not sense an inner war, but rather a tantrum contained successfully. For those who have found Mandy Patinkin the model for unrestrained indulgence, it needs to be pointed out that the sacrifices to artistic discipline Georges makes are only more painful when you realize the personal longing, the personal passion he sacrifices for his art. Patinkin's longing (thick enough to cut with a knife) nonetheless paid off, because you knew he was suffering for his art--and the art was great. And when the second act George felt he had lost his way, you knew the greatness of that loss--which is why he needed to go back to the Island to rediscover what great art does for the senses, the soul, and why it is worth sacrifices to keep that lovely, shimmering passion alive. Daniel Evans' 20th century George is bored and whiny, and the encounter with Dot (in his imagination) makes him get back on the horse, but it is not the re-ignition of love and artistic inspiration. It further doesn't help that there is a lack of chemistry between Evans and Ms. Russell--at least in comparison with the red-hot desire that seemed to flow between Patinkin and Peters. And while the production is visually clever, it's requires no imagination on OUR part. It remains projected onto rather grand, corniced studio walls and small canvases versus being abstract and floating--this Georges never convincingly reaches outside his own studio, and with all the animated sketches that come before in varying shades of charcoal and color, the ultimate recreation of the painting in real life loses it magic. (Likewise, cardboard cutouts during "Putting It Together" in the original production captured a trapped, constrained 2-D George losing his battle for integrity, while the current version presents clever, animated versions of George that seem to have no problems fooling anyone that they are the real thing.)

It remains a remarkable piece . . . but strangely astringent, emotionally.

Having been disappointed by this revival, I then waited with trepidation to watch PBS' recording of the COMPANY revival last season, directed by John Doyle (who did a similar reinvention of SWEENEY TODD, with actors doing double-duty as musicians as well as their characters). I had missed the live production, unable to get tickets during that last week, and it was ultimately not a box office success as SWEENEY had been. Raul Esparza had been acclaimed to the high heavens for his Bobby (but lost the Tony to David Hyde Pierce in CURTAINS), and the supporting ensemble was praised but not necessarily singled out. COMPANY had spawned its own share of hits ("Being Alive," "Another Hundred People,""You Could Drive a Person Crazy," and "The Ladies Who Lunch" among others.) And COMPANY had always been thought of as a time capsule with its slick, somewhat cynical view of modern marriage, wherein individual longing for something more could all too easily be lost. It had been daring on many levels in its day but now was presumed dated in its tale of the swinging bachelor and the loneliness that could be his ultimate reward.

To cut to the chase, the TV production (directed for the camera by Lonny Price) is a masterpiece, unveiling levels and layers of meaning in the piece hitherto undersold. Raul Esparza (who coincidentally did an acclaimed George in a recent Washington revival of SUNDAY) gives an extraordinary performance as Bobby, a life-long bachelor wondering where he missed the turn and fearing that he will never find the connection. (Again, not unlike the character of Georges/George.) Doyle's staging is beautifully captured by the camera, and his pacing and tonality of the piece allow for much darker matters to bubble to the surface without any loss of comedy. The supporting cast is terrific, with particularly exciting performances from Elizabeth Stanley (as April), Barbara Walsh (as Joanne) and Heather Laws as Amy. And damn, even after years of familiarity, the score sounds better than ever! A show that had glibly entertained me before was suddenly moving me in unexpected ways. (This in contrast to being disappointed and unaffected days earlier by a piece that had for years brought me to tears.)

The Roundabout's production of SUNDAY IN THE PARK will no doubt sell out the rest of its run--and if you've never seen the show, then it's worth seeing (although Mandy, Bernadette and company still await you on the well-done video). But this COMPANY, lovingly-preserved, is a must-see. In any event, the legacy of the Sondheim musical is alive and well.

SCOTT & ZELDA DANCE--BUT ERNEST KEEPS CUTTING IN

"The Lost Generation," as Gertrude Stein dubbed them, continue to speak to us, even as their art (novels, paintings, poetry) recedes with memory. Their hopes reflect all our of our fondest, flashiest dreams--to live fast and full, leaving behind a beautiful corpse (although hopefully, if improbably, at a ripe old age--hence the advances of plastic surgery!). We all wish to change the world, but doing it in high profile surely has its costs (as Brittany and others will tell you). But all the current wannabes can certainly take a lesson--and a warning--from Zelda and F. Scott Fitzgerald and their pal, Ernest Hemingway: it may be a glorious life for a while, but you don't get the glory AND to live happily ever after (which these three, despite their disparagement of the concept, so long to achieve).

THE JAZZ AGE, currently on display through March 2nd at 59E59th Theatres, is Allan Knee's evocation of life and dissipation: the celebration of the joy of creation and the sadness of the squandering of talent. Most people know the muse doesn't always perform on cue and inspiration can be fleeting. Still, you have to wonder--if these folks didn't party so hard, hate themselves so much, and drink so DAMNED much, would they have had clearer heads, better discipline and maybe the ability to work (at more reasonable hours)? We celebrate, somewhat morbidly, the time-honored notion that drinking, whoring and promiscous sex lead to greater creativity in the artist. It is one of American society's cherished fantasies, certainly more appealing than achieving one's goals through determination and hard work. But Knee's play isn't arguing that--it's more about those who buy into the lifestyle, the dream, and the price they pay. The waste and the pain they cause themselves because they turn themselves over to their dreams without a lifeline is truly the tragedy here. Knee has been an Off-Broadway fixture for years (MODIGLIANI, among other plays) and the screenwriter of FINDING NEVERLAND, specializing in the intimate private pain of the artist and its effect on his/her output--how the very factors that allow for genius may also set the stage for the ultimate decline and downfall. It is the price Icarus pays for flying too close to the sun with waxen wings.

Chris McElroen, c0-artistic director of Classical Theatre of Harlem, confidently directs a razor-sharp cast of Dana Watkins, Amy Rutberg, and P.J. Sosko (as Scott, Zelda & Hemingway respectively). Beautifully designed and produced on a tight budget, the era is lovingly re-created to help understand the seduction that brings these three down, a Paris created in the mind if not in reality. A tight little combo of live musicians creates an ambiance that canned music would never achieve and scores the evening quite effectively. It's quite an involving evening and, for those who are devotees of this era and these folk, perhaps even a must-see. If it doesn't shed new light on old friends, it at least acts as a cautionary tale for those who live too fast and ultimately die too young.

(Through March 2nd -- www.59e59.org or call (212) 279-4200)

(Disclaimer--again, blog rules: I know many of the artists involved in this, so it's not necessarily an objective opinion--but since it IS my blog, it doesn't have to be! But if it weren't worth your time, I just would have left well enough alone!)

E-MAIL ADDRESS ALERT

Due to powers beyond our control--and aren't there just too many of those?!--the e-mail address for reservations for this Saturday's PLAYWRIGHTS FOR PETS event has changed. Any e-mail reservations should be sent to:

sueyocum2008@gmail.com

The phone reservation number -- 718-768-4213 -- remains the same. (I've already changed the address below, just so that no one sends to gracomal@pipeline.com . . . wait, you didn't even see that link, it doesn't exist . . .!

But we do hope you can come--should be a truly fun afternoon! And as Paul Simon sings, "The animals will love it if you do . . . "

GIVING BACK

Being terribly allergic to cats, I cannot speak with great experience about bonding with them. (There have been a few in my life who didn't get my allergies going too badly--and they happened to be amazingly friendly and affectionate and open. In my vernacular, they behaved like a dog.) But I have never been able to build a real and deep friendship with one due to my asthma problem, so cat lovers please forgive me if I concentrate on dogs for a moment.

In a truly sad weekend just past, the family dog showed what she was made of and proved once again what a stellar creature she truly is. Chloe, due to the death of my much-loved mother-in-law, had to contend with long periods of being left alone, then swarms of friends and relatives, and then three of us, sad and trying to cope, dragging about the house. She was more than intuitive--she was solicitous, caring and sensitve. She would lie by your side and both nuzzle or receive--but never longer than what her companion wanted and never with a gluttonous hunger for affection. She would listen very carefully during serious discussions, not as a sleepy, tolerant, somewhat bored hanger-on but as a committed participant. You saw her actively trying to give comfort to each individual as best she could--and clearly she tailored her behavior to each recipient. She probably didn't sleep much, keeping a watch out for all in the family. She herself was sad at the loss of her beloved mistress, and sometimes you could see a deeply sad expression on her face, but she seemed to instinctually know that she would feel better by making others feel better. As I say, it was a busy and sad weekend--but it was also one of Chloe's finer weekends, and I feel grateful to her for helping us get through it.

The pure love, kindness and attention that a pet can give is a very special and unique gift. Thus, when one can give back by helping those dogs and cats in need of a home and/or special care, one must do what one can. The animals truly appreciate it, and the gift is returned sevenfold.

On Feburary 9th, Playwrights for Pets will once again do a benefit reading for Animal Haven, this time an afternoon event on site at Animal Haven SoHo. At 3:30 pm, FABLES & FAIRY TALES FOR CHILDREN OF ALL AGES, an hour-long program, will entertain kids of all ages at the pet adoption center, featuring the stories SNAPDRAGON, UNCORKED, and ANDROCLES AND THE LION, performed by a talented cast of six. Your donation ($10 for adults, $5 for kids) will help Animal Haven continue their splendid work as one of the city's leading "no kill" adoption centers. You and your "child" will have a splendid time and you'll be giving back to creatures who give us so much. Here's the full information:

Playwrights for Pets presents

FABLES & FAIRY TALES
for Children of All Ages

Saturday, February 9, 2008 at 3:30 pm
at Animal Haven SoHo
251 Centre Street
(between Broome and Grand Streets in Manhattan)
an afternoon of readings to benefit
ANIMAL HAVEN

The Plays:
SNAPDRAGON by EVAN GUILFORD-BLAKE
UNCORKED by BILL DUDLEY
ANDROCLES & THE LION by JUDD LEAR SILVERMAN

The Players:
KASEEM BRISTOW
ELIZABETH GEE
NELL GWYNN*
CHARLES NAVARRETTE
ANNIE PESCH
BARRY STEELY
*MEMBER, AEA

Reservations: call 718-768-4213
or e-mail sueyocum2008@gmail.com

Donation requested: $10 Adults, $5 Children age 12 or under

Running time: approx. 1 hour

Donation requested: $10 Adults, $5 Children age 12 or under
Running time: approx. 1 hour

Playwrights for Pets
SUE YOCUM, Executive Director
making theater to benefit animals in need

www.playwrightsforpets.com
www.animalhavenshelter.org
click here for a pdf flyer you can print out!

Hope you'll be able to attend.

REMINDER

Though NOT a charity event, this weekend is the final weekend of ACT THREE: ONE ACT, presented by the Queens Players in L.I.C. Friday night at 8 is program one (which includes my play, A REASON FOR ALL THINGS). On Saturday, Februrary 2nd, BOTH programs 1 and 2 will be presented, program 1 beginning at 6 pm. Here is THAT information:

A Reason For All Things
by Judd Lear Silverman
directed by Gregory Cicchino
with
Joe Cummings, Peter Ciuffa, Ross Pivec, Dan Rice, and Faith Wu
part of
Act Three: One Act
The 2008 Long Island City One Act Festival, January 16 - February 2, 2008
Program 1 (including A REASON FOR ALL THINGS):
Fri, Feb. 1 at 8 pm
Sat, Feb. 2 at 6 pm (Progs 1& 2, ceremony/party)
Presented by
The Secret Theatre and The Queens Players
THE SECRET THEATRE
44-02 23rd, Long Island City, NYC 11101
phone: 718 392 0304 FOR INFO
or visit their web site: http://www.thequeensplayers.com/
to purchase tickets through OvationTix

JUNO, JU LOOK MAHVELOUS!

Okay, okay, I don't get out much. Well, clearly not as often as I should. Not nearly enough.

I'm a little out of touch.

But I finally went to a movie today--JUNO, the delightful indie comedy released by Fox Searchlight that was made on a shoestring and made its investment back in the blink of an eye. But why not? It's smart, funny, and just plain fun. A young geeky teenage girl has a thing for her equally geeky lab partner who, until now, has been more active on the track team than in pursuing an active sex life. But the two best friends try the deed one night and, wham-bam-thank you, ma'am, the seed is accidentally planted. Juno's journey through this pregnancy is the core of the film, which should have folks laughing for years to come. Jason Reitman ("Thank You for Smoking") directs Diablo Cody's delightfully screwy screenplay with aplomb, and Ellen Page gives a smashing breakthrough performance as the pregnant teen, Juno. There is able support from her father and stepmother (played by the always wonderful J.K. Simmons and Allison Janney), and Michael Cera (who scored as the teen on the TV comedy, "Arrested Development" and in the summer's hit, "Superbad") is absolutely delightful as Juno's nerdy suitor. Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman give spot-on performances as the couple who aspire to adopt Juno's baby. Olivia Thirlby is also wonderful as Juno's best friend/confidante, and even Rainn Wilson ("The Office") turns in a humorous cameo. Clearly made to the filmmakers' particular taste versus mass market assumptions, the resulting film is clear-headed, original, touching and fun. With a lot of award-nominated films fighting for your attention (and your dollars), it's hard to know which to pick, but JUNO is an original that will standout as a genuine charmer.

A BIT OF SELF-PROMOTION

Well, the candidates are selling themselves, so why shouldn't the artists?

Opening this Wednesday in Long Island City is my play, A REASON FOR ALL THINGS. Based on several "true news" stories from the Internet and the newswires, REASON is a modern Cambodian folk tale of sorts, narrated by a American abroad, and explores the cultural differences between East and West, particularly in the ways we process our grief. (It is one play in an evening of one-acts in a festival of alternating programs, presented by an exciting young company, The Queens Players at the Secret Theatre.)

Here's all the info, plus links for more information and directions:

A Reason For All Things
by Judd Lear Silverman
directed by Gregory Cicchino
with
Joe Cummings, Peter Ciuffa, Ross Pivec,
Dan Rice, and Faith Wu
part of
Act Three: One Act
The 2008 Long Island City One Act Festival
January 16 - February 2, 2008
Program 1
(including A REASON FOR ALL THINGS):
Wed, Jan. 16, Fri, Jan. 18, Thurs, Jan. 24, Sun, Jan 27, Wed, Jan. 30, Fri, Feb. 1 at 8 pm
SPECIAL PERFS: Sat, Jan. 26 at 2 pm; Sat, Feb. 2 at 6 pm (Progs 1& 2, ceremony/party)
Presented by
The Secret Theatre and The Queens Players
THE SECRET THEATRE
44-02 23rd, Long Island City, NYC 11101
phone: 718 392 0304 FOR INFO
Online reservations: http://www.theatermania.com/

VISIT THE QUEENS PLAYERS WEB SITE AT http://www.thequeensplayers.com/
for more information and directions.

RANDOM, SCATTERED THOUGHTS

Some days, there are no ideas.

Other days, there are too many, you don't know which ones to develop. So . . . in no particular order . . . but in my need to exorcise some demons . . .

IF DR. PHIL SAYS SO . . .

"LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Television's 'Dr. Phil' McGraw said Britney Spears was released from a hospital Saturday but still needs psychological help, the syndicated programs 'Entertainment Tonight' and 'The Insider' reported in a press release . . . 'My meeting with Britney and some family members this morning in her room at Cedars leaves me convinced more than ever that she is in dire need of both medical and psychological intervention,' McGraw told the programs."

Okay. Sadness over a young woman's alarming decline aside, WHAT ELSE IS ABSURD ABOUT THIS ARTICLE? Is it that the esteemed AP Newswire and every local news program has covered every hiccup of this story (even as hundreds of men and women have been giving their lives in Iraq, as too many Americans can't afford healthcare, as divorce rates spiral and more and more children of non-celebrity parents suffer the consequences of their parents' squabbles)? Is it that "Entertainment Tonight" and "The Insider," both bastions of "journalistic excellence," are making this a major news item to boost their ratings? Or is it that "Dr. Phil," who is NOT EVEN A REAL DOCTOR(!!!) is making a proclamation to the world that in HIS opinion this girl's in trouble? (Nice call, McGraw--only someone of your high intellect and sensitivity could see that.) People, please. If you all REALLY cared about Brittany Spears and hoped for her to sort out her problems, you would let her be OUT of the spotlight for a while, quietly, while she sought help and got her life back together. This fishbowl will ultimately lead her down the same path others have descended (including Anna Nicole). It's like watching a televised train wreck. Shame on you all, feeding on her descent . . .

BECAUSE SHE'S A WOMAN
I've planted a mole in the back rooms of the campaign trail. I've put shot glasses up to the wall to hear what's going on inside. I've planted electronic listening devices in vases of obviously fake floral arrangements. And here's the dish that's come back:

"Let's attack Hillary and see if we can get her riled up. Then if she does, we can say, see, she's a girl and not tough enough. And if she doesn't crack, we can go the opposite route and say she's unfeeling, unnatural, not enough of a woman."

For Hillary's detractors, it's a win-win.

For what it's worth, the events of this week have pushed this writer to make a still-premature endorsement of Hillary Clinton. Not because she needs my endorsement, granted. She IS the best candidate, as far as I can tell--and her opponents have pushed me there before I can really determine it for myself!

Her detractors say she's not the candidate for "change." (What, like she's trying to keep George Bush in office? Like she hasn't fought for education and healthcare reform for years?) Would Edwards and Obama be campaigning on a platform of "change" if they truly had real experience to ride on in its place? In this fast-food society, in the same way that somehow "liberal" has become dirty word, now "experience" is being lumped in with being "anti-change." People who fight the good fight should be supported, not discarded with every new poseur who comes along. We all learn from our battles and our accumulated scars, but our society rejects people with experience, allowing ego to supersede hard-won knowledge. Right now, having been a punching bag extraordinaire for years for speaking her mind and having a "liberal" agenda, Hillary Clinton is the most ready to rise above the mire and take on the mess in the Mid-East and the disaster left behind by this administration at home. Barack Obama is not without his idealist good points, but he's so in love with his own idealism that he's not ready to get his hands dirty. The umbrage with which he takes any criticism tells us he's not experienced enough. Though the front runner coming out of Iowa, the Senator from Illinois seemed more like a pouty little boy who resented having to fend off any attacks or criticisms. "Sticks and stones" on the campaign trail are nothing compared to what a President these days will endure. Hillary can't be any more vilified than she already has been--and she STILL wants to do the job! Give her credit, guys!

Even my in-laws, reading certain publications, say they think Hillary lied about Whitewater and Vince Foster, yadayadayada, and so they don't like her. Name me any MALE politician who hasn't lied about something. Admit it, gang, while every other advanced country in the world has at least considered or been led at some point by a woman, the political good ole boys of this country remain sexist pigs. Even sadder, I suspect many of the WOMEN of this country don't support Hillary because she's a woman and they feel her "toughness" is inappropriate or wrong. In a recent New Hampshire poll, she was voted more experienced and capable than Obama or Edwards, but those polled didn't LIKE her as much. (If you'll recall, Americans found Bush more amiable than Kerry or Al Gore--see where that good ole boy behavior has led us?!) SHAME ON YOU, AMERICA--are we so in love with hype that the basic ability to lead, with ability and good organization skill, is less important than a person's sex? Hillary's candidacy should not have to be about being a woman--but her opponents are MAKING it so. Shame on them. And shame on you, if you don't judge her merits on their own.

AND WHILE WAXING POLITICAL
Watching the debates last night, one thing became crystal clear--NONE of the candidates, Democratic or Republican, are walking in the shoes of the common American. This became most clear when it came to the topics of healthcare and illegal immigrants. A discussion of healthcare packages kept leading to mandates (and Fred Thompson has forever lost my respect by turning the word into a cheap joke to detract from an opponent's attempt to make a clear answer). Everyone kept saying that individuals should buy healthcare on the open market, yet they discussed financial penalties for those who didn't take advantage of the programs offered. Don't they know that people who don't have insurance 9 times out of 10 simply can't afford it on the incomes they receive?! Who WOULDN'T opt for affordable healthcare? The inflated costs, created by the HMOs and drug manufacturers of this country, are out of control, but rather than address that, the candidates (on both sides) seemed content to praise our system over the public health systems in virtually every other advanced, civilized nation on this planet! Are they really that blind?! We may not be able to give financial equality to all (and probably shouldn't), but being a citizen of this country SHOULD mean that you are not turned away from the very developments and improvements in healthcare that OUR TAX DOLLARS paid for!

As for immigration, again, they pretended that it wasn't an economic issue. People become illegal immigrants not because they choose to scoff at the laws of the land, but because there is no other way to financially crack through and find a better life. And some of the candidates went on and on about amnesty, yet felt that plans where financial penalties were given along with being sent to the back of the line were TOO EASY on these same poor people. National security and the prevention of terrorist threat is being used (and manipulated) by the candidates to pervert the attention of the nation on real problems, which are sadly economic in nature.

Frankly, despite all the screaming by the candidates for change, their behavior shows that they are cynically dishing out more of the same.

**************

I was going to ruminate on the Writers' Strike, self-promote my upcoming shows a bit, and talk about some personal griefs. But this is certainly enough rant for one afternoon!

THE THROB

While there are many popular recording artists both male and female who successfully cross genres, it is those who have mastered the throaty "throb" -- that emotional cry of the heart -- who top the charts. That's not to denigrate their gifts--it is their ability to cut to the emotional core of a song and, with a god-given gift, share that emotional catharsis with us, the ordinary listener (who, chances are, lacks that gift of . . . the throb) that makes them the stars they are. Certainly Barbra Streisand has it. Michael Bolton. Liza Minelli. Luciano Pavrotti. Rufus Wainwright. Celine Dion. (Okay, now I'm starting to cringe. The throb is admirable but when it gets overused, the performer becomes known for excess and thereby undercuts their own effectiveness.)

And then, there's Reba McEntire.

Everything about this lady is honey-colored: her voice, her looks. And this is meant as a compliment. For while there is always that honest "throb" in the voice, along with an amazing sincerity, there is also intelligence, skill and honesty. She's the real deal, and her talents shine both in her native country singing as well as her work on TV, on film, and even Broadway, where she discovered new heights (and depths) in ANNIE GET YOUR GUN then anyone ever suspected, giving a truly remarkable, classic Broadway performance. (Her performance as Nellie Forbush opposite Brian Stokes Mitchell in the concert version of SOUTH PACIFIC for PBS is also worth cherishing.)

All of this is by way of saying that her new album, DUETS, is understandably a hit, not only on the country but the pop charts as well. Reba brings honest soul to the often soap opera-ish material country deals with, such that you understand why it speaks to so many Americans. Divorces, alcoholism, lost loves, miscommunications--all are part and parcel of our lives, but while most country singers dutifully wail them out, Reba really discovers the character underneath and makes them live. And on this collection, each number is worth the time. "Because of You," her duet with Kelly Clarkson, is enormously effective and is receiving the majority of radio air time, but her work with LeAnne Rimes on "When You Love Someone Like That" is equally deserving. An incredible one-act play occurs in "Every Other Weekend," wherein Reba and Kenny Chesney rendezvous regularly at a parking lot to trade off custody of the kids in their divorce settlement, despite the feelings they may still have for each other, now assumed to be lost in the other. (For those like myself who are not natural country fans, this number alone makes me want to learn more about Mr. Chesney.) Justin Timberlake shows his abilities beyond "boy toy" with the lovely song he contributed, "The Only Promise That Remains," proof that a very long, gifted career is ahead. "Everyday People," a collaboration with the venerable Carole King, champions those folks who rise beyond their humble circumstances to do honestly noble deeds that help and enrich the lives of others. Vince Gill and Faith Hill do more than rhyme on this album, and Trisha Yearwood, Rascal Flats, Don Henley and especially Ronnie Dunn contribute mightily. If you're into country, of course you'll love this album, but even those "too good" to be taken in will be swept away by Hurricane Reba. A splendid album to end the year on.

EXCEPT . . .

James Taylor is back with yet another revisit of his classic material in ONE MAN BAND, this time with just an admirable piano accompaniment (by Larry Goldings) and his own fine guitar work. Recorded in concert in Pittsfield, MA (his hometown in the Berkshires), Taylor reveals the methods behind his madness for an accompanying DVD that captures all the joy, silliness and emotion of his live concert performances. You almost want to slap him for laziness, for not bringing new work to the table--and yet the honesty and freshness that he brings to each "classic" makes the new album just as valuable as the original recordings. An hour with James Taylor is just bound to make you feel good.

And finally . . . if you are a latecomer to the gifted Marc Cohn. join the club. Or better yet, JOIN THE PARADE -- a wonderful new album that reflects on New Orleans and Hurrican Katrna, first encounters, old cars and reflections of one's infinite past. Cohn seems like the love child of Randy Newman and Bruce Springstein, if you can imagine(!), yet he also manages more intimacy and awider range of growl and humor. This album made me rapidly turn to discover his initial, self-titled Grammy winner of almost 20 years ago, MARC COHN, on which he introduced the hit, "Walking in Memphis." A listen to either (or both albums) and you'll be wondering where your ears have been hiding for the last two decades!

SEASONAL GREETINGS!

Wouldn't it be lovely if these festive holidays when you're supposed to celebrate with family and friends didn't happen to be the exact same time of the year as bad weather, bad road conditions, and nasty colds and flus? Having been in irreparably behind, it is no surprise that I just now can sit down to this column!

The Writers Guild strike continues on--let's face it, a lot of innocent people (not necessarily writers or producers, mind you!) are suffering because of this protracted squabble. The writers are fairly well paid. The producers are nervous about any precedents they set, since negotiations with the actors and the directors are also just around the bend. But if there's money to be made, then ALL should share in the pie (and God knows in show business, at that level, there's plenty to go around). The irony is that make-up artists, set painters, crafts services folks--folks who live paycheck to paycheck in service to these folks--these are the one's who are suffering--and they won't get a piece of the pie, even when everyone is busy congratulating each other for outfoxing their opponents.

And of course, a promising TV season has been drying up and withering on the vine. Who knows when a favorite show is on, whether or not its a new episode, when it will return . . . oi! If TV is intended as an escape, it hadn't fail in its mission just now--especially as Internet and other home media have threatened its very success rate. And fewer folks are going OUT for a movie than ever, even as the prices steadily rise. So the writers and the producers are definitely risking the patience of the American public, who can be fickle when their devotion is abused.

Okay, so what's still giving me entertainment these days (when not busy at work or on future artistic endeavors)?

PUSHING DAISIES, Wednesdays, 8 pm, ABC - Visual appeal is always nice. Creative casting is invigorating. This show has both, and its gifted ensemble just gets more interesting by the episode. (The stunningly beautiful Anna Friel and the equally gorgeous Lee Pace just picked up Golden Globe nominations for their leadership--and its rare for a new show to win nominations before the first season is even up!) But Bryan Fuller, the creator of this innovative comedy/fantasy continues to find new twists in this fairy tale of pie-maker with the gift of life-and-death in his little finger. Just when you think you know where they're going or whether they're taking a shortcut, they come up with something unexpected. You get the feeling that they've decided to welcome the challenge of coming up with new variations on their "deadly" central conceit, doing so with brio! As wonderful as Friel and Pace are, this is an ensemble of scene-stealers--Chi McBride has never been better, and Kristin Chenoweth is a goddess. And then, when you think it can't get any better, Ellen Greene and Swoosie Kurtz waltz in to pull out the ground from under you! The murder mysteries are getting increasingly witty and humorous, with spectacular guest shots from the likes of Barbara Barrie, Christopher Sieber and Grant Shaud. But audiences have already fallen in love with Raul Esparza's travelling homeopathic salesman and eagerly await his return, and anyone who's wondered about the future of Paul Reubens have had their doubts erased by his mesmeric turns as Oscar, a scent-obsessive living in the sewers who is onto the secrets of the pie-man. I really look forward to my Wednesday night fix! (For those who've missed it, go to ABC.com, where you can sample full episodes online!)

CHUCK, Mondays at 8pm, NBC--Another show that operates from a high concept (which means it could fall flat as a souffle once the inspiration is gone), CHUCK trusts the charm of its characters (and its delightful cast) to keep audiences tuning in. And they're right--we don't watch for real spy thrills but for the excitement that happens on a daily basis in the electronics outlook where Chuck and his buddies work! (I'm not kidding! The Nerd Herd is hilarious and disarming.) Zachary Levi is charming--and like Jack Benny, smart enough to know when to play straight man to the bunch of loonies surrounding him. It's a great strategy, which makes the viewer readily return its attention to the beleaguered young man in danger due to the computer information implanted in his brain. Yvonne Strahovski and Adam Baldwin are the most interested government agents to come along in a generation, and Joshua Gomez makes the annoying sidekick role a surprising treat. Until MEDIUM returns, CHUCK is the jewel in NBC's crown this season.

Next time: end-of-the-year musical treats!

GIVING THANKS

There are things to be thankful for this holiday season. Maybe they require thinking about, some searching for--but if we don't count our blessings every so often, they threaten to disappear when we're not looking.

Be thankful you are employed. Regardless of the supposedly improving unemployment figures (like you BELIEVE any of the numbers they're putting out in D.C. these days!), I am finding more and more people in my, er, age range with a lifetime's experience no longer employed in the jobs they trained their whole lives for and for which they are eminently qualified. I am happy to be back for a long-term assignment at a certain leading financial journal where, if the data is not up my alley, the professionalism and friendliness of co-workers is delightful.

Be thankful you are healthy. After nearly a MONTH of the flu and respiratory distress, I am finally on an even keel. This flu starts as a cold and then zaps you--chills, aches, fever, stomach distress. You don't want it--just avoid the x-million fellow New Yorkers who already have it and are willing to share.

Be thankful for friends and family. Yes, no man is an island, misery loves company, yadayadayada. But in truth, we ARE all in this thing together. Sometimes lending an ear to a friend is actually more of a "cure all" for you then whining about your own situation--there's something positive to be gained in being positive for someone else!

Be thankful for your imagination. Yes, that very creature that makes you neurotic and self-absorbed with fantasies of doom is also your salvation. Why not imagine something positive? It's just as easy as the opposite. And for those who are creative, the imagination engaged through art (writing, painting, performing) is a wonderful therapy, a way to work out all the frustrations that a currently out-of-whack world can provide. Creativity is not only the key to sanity, it is perhaps the only way to keep it.

Be thankful for dogs, cats, avocados, and chocolate. (Because really, how can you not be?!)

Be thankful that being a pampered neurotic is your worst problem! It could be much, much worse.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone!

FOOTLOOSE AND FANCY-FREE

Queen Latifah has created a pleasant follow-up to her "Dana Owens" album, another collection of pop, jazz & blue standards entitled TRAV'LIN' LIGHT. The Queen is somewhat omnipresent these days on screens big and small (not to mention her appearances on the concert stage, presuably promoting the album). Her warm, smart presence and honey-toned vocals are inspiring without the smug, self-righteousness displayed by some of the other major "icons" of the day. Sometimes, the parts are greater than the sum of the whole--not all facets of her talent easily fit together. While a sucessful rapper, a talented actress AND a easy, glossy singer, she is not always the most protean of performers. (For example, "I Know Where I've Been," an added bonus from the HAIRSPRAY soundtrack, shows that she is not a lead gospel singer likely to raise the room off the church. Her casting as Motormouth Maybelle in the film is great fun, and she has the commanding stature and presence for the role as an actress; yet her vocalization is not stirring and spine-tingling, and her voice doesn't rise above the chorus, remaining comfortably with the pack.) Yet on a cover of "Poetry Man," she shows great skill with an intimate Phoebe Snow classic, a silky wistfulness and a lightness of touch. "I Love Being Here with You" is a jazzy club number and shows her skills as a bouncy chanteuse, and "I'm Not in Love" shows her R&B influences. You could picture a really delightful evening in a jazz club: you and the Queen and 50-100 nicely dressed, smart and classy folks sipping drinks in sophisticated stemware. This may be just a pose, but vocally its a convincing one. (You want your guts ripped out, play Jennifer Hudson.) TRAV'LIN' LIGHT is an easy, enjoyable listen--but perhaps not a life-altering experience (not that it needs to be). It's the Queen having fun and inviting you along for the ride.

BLOODY GOOD TIME

About nine years ago, there was a little TV show on cable about a Jersey mob boss who killed with brutality but who also had a wife and kids, anxiety attacks and bills to pay. THE SOPRANOS caught our attention because it attempted to balance the mythology of the mob with the reality of daily life and how real people could balance their everyday activities and emotions with an almost Grand Guignol mode of operation. How to survive in a life of almost operatic proportions and yet keep your footing as a human being on a day-to-day basis captivated us for almost ten years, up until the very---

(Sorry, couldn't resist.)

Of course, there really are such things as mobsters, and THE SOPRANOS was (we're told) the closest thing to real life as has ever been done on television. (Marty Scorsese, we hardly knew ye.)

Now that's mobsters, not monsters.

But what if monsters, particularly vampires, really existed among us? They have a lot of bad press and a nasty rep to overcome, not to mention zillions of books, movies, legends. They are "the undead" who feed on blood, usually human blood, sleep in coffins by day and roam by night, and basically suck parasitically off the human race. Of course, they have perks like speed, heightened senses, superhuman strength and, oh, yes, they never age. And in recent years, thanks to Anne Rice, they more resemble Calvin Klein models than Bela Lugosi.

And what if you did a similarly landmark series about the real vampires among us in modern L.A.? What you might come up with--possibly--is the strangely appealing MOONLIGHT (on CBS, Fridays at 9 pm).

Okay, it's not a David Chase production and it lacks the gravitas of James Gandolfini et la famiglia. But following the increasingly stupid GHOST WHISPERER (and preceding the ever- shrivelling NUMBERS), MOONLIGHT is a charming little divertisement/romance that explores a growing friendship between a handsome private eye, Mitch St. John (Alex O'Loughlin) and a plucky female Internet reporter, Beth Turner (Sophia Myles). Beth actually gets Mitch to share details of his life with her--how he was unexpectedly "turned" at age 30 by his new bride on their wedding night, and how new vampires must be mentored to peacefully co-exist with humans right away or else they can become feral terrorists who threaten the human population while embarrassing and endangering the secret existence of their fellow undead colleagues. (There's even a covert "clean up squad" of vampires, the fixers who make sure the messes made by renegade vampires is neatly covered up.) Not all vampires fall in line--just as there are humans who behave badly--and Mitch, a rather good private investigator in any event, is particularly sensitive to vampires behaving badly and has very particular aims in re-claiming them to the fold. You see, Mitch still really rather likes human beings, due to a surprising episode with a child some years ago, and now Beth has arrived in his life without judgment or disapproval (but already spoken-for by a rather nice human boyfriend) . . . His vampire friends, who also operate effectively undercover in the human social whirl, tease him for his prissy proclivities but seemingly side with him and pride themselves in their abilities "to pass" without detection. To expose their primal instinct and behavior to mortals would be gauche, an embarrassment. But for Mitch, to find trust in a human like Beth, is surest sign that his life's work is not in vein . . . so to speak.

O'Loughlin and Myles are appealing to watch and are capable actors with a palpable chemistry. (But speak of underground cults and vampires, what IS it with all these non-American actors playing Americans on American TV? O'Loughlin's Australian, Myles is British. Nothing wrong with that, mind you, but on BROTHERS & SISTERS, the remarkable Rachel Griffiths plays American Sarah Walker without being detected as an Aussie (as she did on SIX FEET UNDER) and Brit Matthew Rhys plays gay brother Kevin. THE BIONIC WOMAN, an all-American archetype is being played by young British actress Michelle Ryan. On Chuck, all-American CIA agent/love interest Sarah Walker (yes, another Sarah Walker) is played by another Australian, Yvonne Strahovski. Christ, Hugh Laurie is a limey-bastard as the pain-in-the-ass American curmudgeon, Dr. Gregory House! These actors are just wonderful, mind you, but this is becoming an epidemic!)

But back to MOONLIGHT. It has a great after-midnight look and feel, edgy editing, good underscoring and fast-paced direction. Ron Koslow, one of its creators, has mined this dual-mythology landscape before with BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, and knows how to give us a romance with just the right undercut to keep it fun and just short of sappy. It may not be the stuff of cutting-edge TV drama--I believe no one else will be comparing MOONLIGHT with THE SOPRANOS this season--but as escapist entertainment, one could do far worse.

ANYONE YOU LOVE ON FOUR LEGS?

A recent edition of ABC's Nightline concentrated on the relationship Americans have with their pets, spending billions of dollars on food, pet care products, toys and now surgeries and medical procedures. Those who think from their wallets may say it's just a pet, why spend the money for treatment? What a waste. Obviously, these are people who have never bonded with a pet.

Dogs, cats, birds and other animals may not be as convoluted or complex as we are--at least, as far as we know (or as far as they have revealed themselves to us). But for relatively little, they give back so much--affection, companionship, loyalty, love. It is not all that rare to hear the tail, er, tale of a housepet who alerted a family to a house fire or did what they could to protect the baby from an attacking wild animal. When a family member is ill, the family pet will frequently stay bedside, patiently providing any support or comfort they can without complaint. (Dogs trained as assistants for the physically disabled seem to not only do their jobs but enjoy them as well.) And who is a better, more patient listener, understanding instinctively that when you love someone, being there is more important than passing judgment or forcing a conclusion. Animals can provide the type of love we frequently fail to bring to the table as humans. But just as importantly, the honesty of communion with a pet is an elevating experience, a connection in its purest, most uncomplicated form.

In New York City, the animal shelters deserve support for the food, leashes, grooming and housing facilities they provide to take care of these creatures who, for one reason or another, have found themselves abandoned or in trouble. Yet city fiscal budgets being what they are, many of these shelters are woefully under-funded. Playwrights for Pets, founded by Sue Yocum, is an organization that raises money for shelters that, in turn, serve animals in need. As written up in the national publication, Animal Companion, PFP gives theater artists a chance to use their skills while raising money that will be used to help an animal (who in turn helps many a human). Recent benefits for Animal Haven, for example, have raised funds that helped rescue abandoned pets in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and have gone towards the new Animal Haven SoHo, a combination shelter/adoption agency/training space, where pets are not only matched up with owners but where the appropriate care, training and education is provided to ensure a positive, long-lasting relationship between pets and their humans.

On Monday, October 22nd, Playwrights for Pets will present another wonderful evening of original, humorous plays performed by a crackerjack cast--IN TRANSIT: Six Plays that take place in Motion! Those of you who've come to our other evenings know that the plays are usually delightful, the actors delicious, the setting (Baruch's Performing Arts Center in the Recital Hall) highly comfortable and attractive and the post-show wine-shmuzathon reception divine! For those of you who haven't attended, it's a delightful evening (an hour for the reading and what-you-will for the reception), with all of the $10 proceeds going to Animal Haven, the wonderful no-kill shelter that provides food, care and adoption opportunities for dogs and cats in need.

So . . . Here's the info! Hope to see you there.

Playwrights for Pets

presents

IN TRANSIT
A reading of short plays that take place in motion
to benefit
Animal Haven

Plays by
Jim Dalglish, Bill Dudley, Ron Frankel, Griffin Miller,
Susan Shafer, Judd Lear Silverman & Sue Yocum

Read by
Kaseem Bristow, Erin Cronican*, Elizabeth Gee, Laura Gillis*,
Jonna McElrath*, John Moss* & Dana Watkins*
*AEA member

Monday, October 22, 2007 at 7:30 pm

BPAC - Baruch Performing Arts Center
"an incubator for the arts"
55 Lexington Ave @ 25th Street (btwn Lex & 3rd Aves)
Reservations: call 718-768-4213 or email gracomal@pipeline.com
Donation Requested: $10 • Baruch ID: no donation required
Running time approximately 1 hour • www.playwrightsforpets.com • www.animalhavenshelter.org

THE SEASON UNFOLDS . . . and unfolds . . .

Well, it takes a while to let all those shows return and debut, even as we continue to drool over the twists and turns of such summer nail-biters as DAMAGES (Tuesdays, 10 pm, FX). Glenn Close signed a multi-year contract, gang--so clearly they're not gonna kill her or send her to the Big House. Anyone else, on the other hand, would seem to be fair game--but who will it be?!

Three weeks in, CHUCK (Mondays, 8 pm, NBC) remains inventive, fast & funny, a joyful exercise with Zachary Levi making a sympathetic and rather charming nerd.

DANCING WITH THE STARS (Mondays, 8 pm, ABC; results shows, Tuesdays, 9 pm) is still enormously entertaining--and the level of performance has been unusually high from the start. Hard to predict who will take home the trophy at this point . . .

ABC seems to be taking the lead with a wide range of offerings, from the ridiculous to the sublime. (Have you noticed there have been no commercials or promos for MEN IN TREES, which starts on Friday? Not a single picture or commercial--what's that about? Are they sorry they committed to bringing it back? Will they burn it off right away? They've stuck it at Friday at 10 pm, one of the most notoriously difficult time slots.)

CAVEMEN (Tuesdays, 8 pm, ABC) is, sadly, just dull. Afraid of being too allegorical, the pilot show was re-shot to take out an overload of prejudice jokes. But why do a show about heavily made-up cavemen if you're NOT going to look humorously at being out of sync with the rest of America? (That was, after all, the thrust of the Geico campaign that spawned the show.) The unrecognizable actors have appeared on everything from THE VIEW to DANCING WITH THE STARS in character, responding to real-life stimuli, and were quite quick-witted and funny (especially Nick Kroll), but the actual first show was tentative, stiff and bland. Give these guys something to work with stronger than basic male dating problems, folks--the joke that all men are basically no better than cavemen is kinda tired.

DIRTY SEXY MONEY (Wednesdays, 10 pm, ABC) is neither especially dirty or sexy, but clearly this cast (Peter Krause, Donald Sutherland, Jill Clayburgh, William Baldwin) costs a lot of money. An idealist lawyer follows in his father's footsteps to become the attorney for a family of very questionable morals and behavior. Spoiled people behaving badly--c'mon, folks, unless there's something new or honest to say, do we need another program telling us that rich people are unhappy, too?

PUSHING DAISIES (Wednesdays, 8 pm, ABC) At last, something new!!! The power of life-and-death (and all the ethical questions that ensue) gets whimsical and humorous treatment with this visually-splendid, fast-paced comedy. Scripts are sharp and imaginative, with bite and panache. Ned, the hapless hero who also bakes pies for a living, has the power to bring people (and pets) back to life and then has one minute to decide whether or not to send them back to Death Valley, all with a mere touch. If he touches them again, they return to death forever. If he doesn't touch them within the minute, someone else in proximity dies in their place. It's a quirky concept, but it's pulled off with great, gleeful abandon. And the cast is priceless: Kristin Chenoweth, Chi McBride, Swoosie Kurtz, Ellen Greene, top off-beat professionals all, performing with enormous precision and detail. But none of this would work if it weren't for the superb anchoring performance of stage veterans Lee Pace and Anna Friel as star-crossed lovers who are re-united but simply can't touch! They are genuinely warm, attractive presences, cute but not never cloying or cutesy. Kudos to creator Bryan Fuller for risking an unsavory topic in order to create such a unique treat--sweet-and-sour rarely tastes this good! For once, a show that lives up to its hype!

A NEW SEASON BEGINS

Well, after weeks of well-placed hype, a new year has begun--and I'm not referring to the Jewish New Year! Nope. It's the start of a new TV season, and the networks are spitting out their golden moldies and their retreads. So if you're not watching re-runs of MY FAVORITE MARTIAN on Saturday nights on American Lifetime Network, chances are you are exploring the menu of delicacies served up by the broadcast networks.

DANCING WITH THE STARS kicked off their season with a three-night premiere that was, for the most part, rather entertaining. Tom Bergeron and the judges (Carrie Ann, Len and Bruno) are back, along with a slightly stiff Drew Lachey (subbing for new mom, Samantha Harris). This is a show that really works because ballroom dancing is in fact a discernible skill--and contestants with some degree of street creds in other areas must check their superiority at the door in order to find out what they can do on the floor. There is no guarantee of crossover success. Along the way, the poetry of human motion and human emotion combine to create a genuine portrait of people trying to learn an art form and execute the work at a reasonably high quality in front of millions of viewers. It's daunting and brave. (Wayne Newton doesn't really have to prove himself anymore, and yet there he is!) Early prediction--watch for the infectiously-charming Helio Castronoves to remain a leader throughout. And Jane Seymour, the oldest of the female competitors, is a lesson in class and deportment, undercut with just the right amount of giddy pleasure. Even the results show this week, with an effervescent Dolly Parton and the amazing Savion Glover performing, was delightful. Welcome back! (ABC, Monday and Tuesday nights)

PRIVATE PRACTICE, the spin-off series from Grey's Anatomy, picked up where it left off in its sample episode from last season. Addison Montgomery (Shepherd), played by an angular Kate Walsh, moves to California to join the alternative-lifestyle practice of her old college chums. Marin Duguy from the pilot has been replaced by Broadway's Audra McDonald, and it's lovely to have her on TV again. (She actually seems to awaken and challenge the often somnambulent Taye Diggs.) Tim Daly is back as a laid-back holistic healer but so far has nothing real to do. In fact, the only truly engaging storyline of the opening episode belonged to Amy Brenneman, whose psychiatrist had to quickly figure out and intervene during a patient's psychic break in a department store. Grey's Anatomy initially charmed with its detailed human portraits amidst standard medical show plotlines, but by the end of last year it had become just another primetime soap. Will Private Practice similarly devolve? Will it waste the talents of a gifted (and high-priced) ensemble? Time will tell. (ABC, Wednesdays, 9 pm).

BIG SHOTS, promoted as the male Sex in the City/Desperate Housewives counterpart, also features a pricey and attractive cast (Dylan McDermott, Christopher Titus, Michael Vartan and Joshua Malina) who say things like "men are the new women." But they're not, are they? As portrayed here, they are mostly inept oafs. Anyone looking for an honest look at men today is likely to be disappointed--no crime for a glossy TV comedy, I guess, but are we being entertained enough? THAT is the question. So far, aside from a couple of quotable quips, the inventiveness level here is fairly flat. (ABC, Thursdays, 10 pm)

On the other hand, what seemed like a potentially vacuous premise--a department store nerd who ends up a reluctant spy when subliminally-defined encoded government secrets are downloaded to his brain (perhaps by accident)--turns out to be a witty and suspenseful brew, due to a charming cast and honestly felt details that surprise and enlighten. CHUCK had me alternately on the edge of my seat AND giggling. Zachary Levi as Chuck is fun to watch and amazingly available--you feel you know him, and while his circumstances are extraordinary, his responses are believably real. His annoying best friend, Morgan, is played humorously by Joshua Gomez with just the right calibration--bothersome but loyal, he stops just short of being too much. And the stunning Yvonne Strzechowski makes the improbable CIA agent Sarah Walker the most attractive and strangely likable spy since Barbara Feldon's warm presence graced Get Smart. Add to that some genuinely funny writing, some spectacular special effects, and some truly first-rate suspense action superbly directed and edited and you've got a surprise winner. CHUCK may not be high-brow entertainment, but there's a really lovely aesthetic at work here and it's genuinely FUN! (NBC, Mondays, 8pm)

RELIGION GUILT-FREE

Impossible? Perhaps.

On this holiest of days, Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement), I wish my fellow Jews a good fast, a day of peace, and that they may be inscribed in the Book of Life for another year. (Minus the fasting, I wish the same for all my non-Jewish friends as well.)

I still am trying to find my way to a spirituality I can live with on a permanent daily basis. I DO in fact believe in a power greater than ourselves, and that there is some sort of purpose out there, even if it only seems random to us because we are not capable (speak for yourself, Judd) of fathoming the larger picture. I am proud of my Jewish heritage and rituals but not in love with organized religion (as I've written before). So on a day like today--a unexpectedly rainy one--I'm at a loss, torn between a desire to spiritually reflect and a sense of guilt that I am not being "traditional," even though I'm not a traditional person in almost any sense of the word.

Religion, in my opinion, is a wedding of morality/ethics and faith. The morals and ethics of a religion (those tenants that make us good human beings) are a set of guidelines that we try to subscribe to and hopefully succeed in following. (Of course, all practicing religions would be out of business if we even had a 20 percent success rate--the idea that we are all "sinners" seems to be the key selling point.) And then there's faith--a belief that beyond clear and apparent evidence, the things we hope and pray for will ultimately come true--peace, love, prosperity, health, etc.

But doesn't the only hope for this combination (which I suspect most people really do need) lie in our defining for ourselves what is ethical, what is moral, and what is likely? Should we let others define these for us? Ultimately, since we are personally responsible for our actions and behavior, should we not first make sure we agree with what we practice? I feel we SHOULD believe in something--it is part of human nature. But why do we feel the need to have others define that belief? This is not to knock any organized system, but they are theologies with track records, certainly to be considered but never likely to be as perfectly tailored as a system that we personally adopt as our code of belief and behavior. Like any man-made structure, religions suffer from human failings. And history has shown repeatedly that blind adherence to any one belief system, particularly to a fundamentalist degree, has led to atrocities of the worst kind--all perpetrated when we knew that God "was on our side."

By all means, celebrate holidays and rituals. The fact that a Day is set aside for atonement and reflection is laudatory. ANYTHING that makes us take pause, to think about our lives and how we treat our fellows, is valuable to the quality of life for sentient beings. And guilt is certainly a good motivator in exploring how we treat our brothers and sisters. But the guilt should remain where it belongs, in the strange behaviors we have perpetrated--not in the process of how and why we explore our spiritual side. Any belief draws credibility when we take personal responsibility and act accordingly, so it perhaps it is best that it comes directly from our own design.

But as I say, who am I to tell anyone else what to believe? I'm still figuring it out for myself.

ART VS. RELIGION

For centuries, there has been a strange dichotomy between the arts and religion, particularly in the United States. In religious circles, art devoted to religious topics is considered good,while art that depicts human desire and autonomy is not so good. The purer the religious devotion of a given sect, the plainer (to non-existent) the art seems to become. Fundamentalists are usually not passionate art lovers, choosing to channel their energies to the deity. Thus while one of the indisputably greatest art patrons of all time is the Roman Catholic Church, there are fundamentalist movements (in all religions) that have branded art heretical and artists blasphemous. The arty and the artistic have always been morally suspect in our culture. Our American founding fathers, mostly good protestants, shied away from artistic endeavors and flashy decorations, and artists to this day are still viewed in this country as strange, lewd and slightly sinful, even as the culture thrives on their images and creations and the society spends millions to enjoy the work.

I mention all this because of the odd experience I am currently having with a show I'm directing, MASS. MURDER, which is opening this Thursday at 8 pm. (See the article below from September 1st--maybe you'll even buy a ticket!) It so happens that September 13th is RoshHashanah. Of course, Jewish holidays run from sundown to sundown, so that technically speaking the holiday WILL be over by the 8 pm curtain . . . that is, if you're reform. (Orthodox Judaism celebrates the holiday for two days, such that Jews all over the world will have experienced the holiday together.) Being the director but not the producer, I really didn't schedule this, nor did I even think about it when told the dates, which I guess one could say is my "fault." And, as I say, we do open after sundown, such that those attending opening night are safe from bolt lightning, even if I will be punished for attending the dress rehearsal. (But then again, dress rehearsals are frequently punishing anyway.)

The funny thing is, I feel really elated that the show is playing on the Holiday, and I'm trying to figure out why. Normally, for the High Holidays (Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur making the equation complete), I stay home, meditate and write in my journal (often some extra pages), and reflect upon my life. This is my version of religious practice, in my own words, a one-on-one. I love my Jewish heritage and the rituals and mores of the religion, but I'm less enamored of "organized religion," and the seeming self-righteousness it can engender. I cannot afford a year-long membership in a temple, and certainly will not spend a ridiculous sum for tickets to attend two days a year when I can "pray" at home in ways that mean more to me spiritually. I do feel connected and reflective with a higher power on those days, as well as to my fellow Jewish brethren. But being surrounded by strangers who are judging each other or pledging to be more active in the synagogue with their monetary and time promises--this does not work for me. And yet because I was raised a good, middle-class conservative Jew--and because, I suspect, my core Jewishness incorporates an ingrained neuroticism--I always feel guilty as I observe but not publicly. Like it's good that I do it, but I'm not really doing it right. (On the other hand, for many years I felt enormously disconnected and uncomfortable in the temple while simultaneously doing "the right thing.")

Now why--if I'm "praying" in my own words and thoughts by writing meditations in my journal and speaking from my heart, reviewing my deeds and evaluating my actions of the past year-- am I doing it wrong? Is not using my brain, the words, the very artistic impulses that I have been gifted with the greatest way to express my thanks for what I have been given?

Strangely enough, this show seems to be giving me an answer. Three darkly comic one-acts dealing with rudeness, injustice, avarice, bullying, and vengeance, they look very powerfully (if humorously) at the sense of entitlement we feel and the actions we excuse in the name of self-defense and self-preservation. And for a change, I feel I'm doing something highly religious on the High Holidays--I'm using my art and my abilities to get people examining their own morals and morality. I certainly didn't set out to do so, and whatever conclusions the audiences draw for themselves are fine with me. But my neurotic guilt didn't come crashing in as usual when friends pointed out my scheduling flub. In fact, I felt strangely on target. If the theater is my form of religion, then certainly it can't be ill to welcome a new year and explore issues by using the work to do so? I'm even tapping into a sense of belonging, of community, as I spend the evening with my fellow artists and audience members. I'm home.

I suddenly don't feel so on the fence about Rosh Hashanah. Of course, I will STILL write and meditate that day, but I will also celebrate the art I was born to pursue, and that's very pleasing to my sense of spirituality.

Now if only I had a project for Yom Kippur--we'll be closed long before the 21st . . . !

DARK, FUNNY & MURDEROUS

For those who like their comedies twisted, Edward Musto's work is like a box of good dark chocolate. Unlike Forrest Gump's drugstore candy box, you know what you're getting inside and you savor it with anticipation. Musto, who's previously been an Edgar Award nominee for mystery writing, knows how to create a great twist--and then twist it around a bit further for good measure! (His play, The Ninth Circle, is included in Martin Denton's collection, Plays and Playwrights 2003, published by The New York Theatre Experience, Inc.)

Having been a fan (and friend) for many years, I am delighted that I am getting to direct a delicious bill of three of his one-acts, under the umbrella title, MASS. MURDER (all of which feature murder and mayhem in Massachusetts). SHUTE BRANCH takes place in a quiet library extension, where the Librarian has advice for a young reader. BURNT SUGAR CAKE shows that you can't have your cake and eat it too, even in the world of soccer moms and well-kept yards. And in MANNERZ, we see how one young man chooses to leave a legacy. The wonderful cast includes Elizabeth Gee, Nell Gwynn, Eric Hunt, Bellavia Mauro, Annie Pesch, Robbie Rescigno and Abigail Ziaja, with costumes by the redoubtable Catherine Fisher. The show is being produced under the banner of La Muse Venale, M. Stefan Strozier's acting company, and will be performed for five performances only at the Blackbird Studio Theatre, 347 West 36th Street, 13th Floor, September 13-16. Sure, I'm biased, but this has been a truly fun project to work on and should be a blast to watch. The performance schedule is Thursday, Friday & Saturday nights at 8pm, with matinees on the Saturday and Sunday at 2 pm. SEATING IS LIMITED, so contact Theater Mania at 212-352-3101 or www.theatermania.com, to purchase tickets ($18). Click here for more information.

And Now on Home Video . . .

Without a doubt, Peter Morgan had a banner year, penning both of the Oscar-winning lead film roles: Idi Amin, which won the award for Forrest Whitaker (THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND) and Queen Elizabeth II (for Helen Mirren) in THE QUEEN. Morgan also brought us the stage hit, FROST/NIXON, wherein the classic David Frost interviews with the disgraced President created an indelible portrait (and Frank Langella in turn received the role of a lifetime). Indeed, Morgan seems to be the "go-to" guy for great translations of real life figures into art. He himself didn't collect the Oscar or the Tony this season--but I'm sure there was plenty of comfort for him on the way to the bank.

Of course, it doesn't hurt if your leading lady is as gifted as Helen Mirren. Mirren is a great screen goddess, capable of a roar or a whisper that speaks volumes of truth, as anyone who's seen her work on PRIME SUSPECT can attest. Her previous Oscar nods (GOSFORD PARK, MADNESS OF GEORGE III) were entertaining and skilled, as were her various stage forays (she played last in New York City in DANCE OF DEATH opposite Ian McKellan), but her portrayal of the living monarch so perfectly captures England's figurehead as to completely blur the line between drama and documentary. (It also doesn't hurt to have the brilliant Stephen Frears as your director.)

In any event, THE QUEEN is available on DVD and cable, and while James Cromwell and Michael Sheen give admirable support, it is Mirren's show. (Although the real Princess Di, in memory alone, manages to be a remarkable antagonist.) It is well worth watching to understand some very real changes in the monarchy due to a particularly touchy period in Britain's modern history. Well worth watching.

OVERLOOKED AND WORTH SEEING

Right around the time that Forrest Whitaker was completing a clean sweep of the spring acting awards, it became apparent that another sentimental favorite was being ignored: Peter O'Toole. Granted, his small film had come out at the very tail end of the year with very little promotion. The actor, the most-nominated (without a win) in Oscar history, had received a Lifetime Achievement award the year before, but had accepted it warily, saying he still wanted to win one outright and that he still had more performances in him.

Well, he was right. He does, even well into his 70s. And while VENUS got some attention for his nomination--and then disappeared almost immediately after the award season ended--it is a film that should be seen in its own right.

O'Toole plays Maurice Russell, an aged wreck of a matinee idol who now mostly gets work as film corpses or occasionally roles as an old Pantaloon--in short, he is now a day player. But while there's snow on the roof, there's still fire in the furnace, and what one person may consider open-minded and adventurous behavior another might consider to be the exploits of a dirty old man. When one of his best friends (Leslie Phillips) takes in his teen-aged great niece as a supposed caretaker, Maurice is besotted. Jessie (Jodie Whittaker) is not the most proper young lady, but her very slovenliness is like catnip for the old sod, and he begins a campaign to woo her, the one thing she has no defenses for, and one of the more unusual May-December romances (if one can call it such) ensues.

Hanif Kureishi's screenplay, inspired by the Junichiro Tanizaki's novella, "Diary of a Mad Old Man," is biting, sharp-tongued and pulls few punches. Under Roger Michell's direction, the film is appropriately claustrophobic and cramped, like Maurice's world, and the chiaroscuro lighting often catches just a brow or a famously blue eye now set in a creased and aging road map of a face. But O'Toole's performance is as brave as any he's ever given, touching and yet even loathsome and very human. Whittaker takes equal chances, risking total unlikeability to create a realistic object for Maurice's affections. And Vanessa Redgrave turns in a marvellous cameo as Maurice's wife (or ex-wife--we're kept guessing, and for good reason). This is not a sunny film, nor a film that will leave you uplifted. Like NOTES ON A SCANDAL, it is yet another sad tale of the shrinking world of the elderly, and it is performed with an equally unsentimental sharpness. And one hopes that O'Toole has MANY more performances in him. But as long as there's a master working, one should catch this film.

Now available on demand, on cable, and in video rental stores.