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!

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.

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.

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

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!)

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!

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 . . .

PARK SLOPE FLEA MARKET

One of my favorite places to be on the weekends is the Flea Market at P.S. 121 in Park Slope (7th Ave between 1st & 2nd Streets). Over the years, I have not only found everything from rare books and discs to furniture, clothing, and gifts, but also numerous friends and neighbors. For shows I've done, I've often found the most obscure (and most needed) props and costume pieces. Mostly, I've found fun--and a sense of community. (See the short film clip below.)




COMING SOON TO A THEATER NEAR YOU

Two of my own one acts, ALL THE COMFORTS OF HOME and CONQUERING THE FEAR, will be presented in a one-act festival by the Queens Players beginning 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 F 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

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!

ALMOST AMY

(Though not referencing the talented and lovely Amy Blitz, whose new theater company, Stage 4, finishes its evening, CRIMINAL ACTS, at NuYorican Theater at East 3rd Street tonight . . . )

(Nor Amy (Amelia Fowler) whose biking to end AIDS . . . )

ALMOST AMY is the group releasing (or pre-releasing) their new, self-titled album at www.learning2dance.com. The two lead singers/guitarists are better known as dancers, though--Mark Ballas and Derek Hough, who appear on DANCING WITH THE STARS. (Ballas is this year's professional champion with Kristi Yamaguchi, while Hough danced with Shannon Elizabeth. Ballas, still rumored to be dating Sabrina Bryan, used to be professional partners with Hough's sister, Julianne--also a DANCING star, two-time winner and now a country singer with her own album!) The two are young boyhood friends who are still friends and roommates, and happen to make good music together. The sampler of their songs shows promise--not quite rock, not quite pop, not quite folk, they are refreshingly melodic and wistful without ever getting sticky or sappy. The vocals are terrific, as is the rapid guitar work. These are two, hard-working young guys who know how to entertain. The album is only available online at present, but it's well worth checking out.

IF I COULD TALK TO THE ANIMALS

If you stop and think about it, our pets are the most selfless creatures: willing to give us comfort, friendship and affection, listening to our whining, forgiving us when we forget their needs, etc. (How often do WE do that for others?) It only seems right, then, that every so often we do something selfless for them.

This coming Monday, June 9th, Playwrights for Pets will present another fun evening, raising money to benefit Animal Haven, that sterling no-kill animal shelter that serves and protects animals throughout the five boroughs. For those who've not been with us before, it is an evening of staged readings, performed by gifted artists donating their time and talent. For those who are "regulars," this evening promises to be particularly enjoyable. (Plays for the evening include work by Jim Dalglish, Carolyn Gage, David Johnston, Barbara Kahn, Edward Musto, and Kathleen Warnock, as well as yours truly. A talented ensemble of actors & directors has been assembled to perform the new works.)

Past "themes" for PFP evenings have included "Mischief Night," "The Marrying Kind," "In Transit," and "Fables & Fairy Tales (Shaken, Stirred and with a Twist)," as well as special family matinee programs (at Animal Haven SoHo). On June 9th, we will present "In the Rainbow," an evening of plays from the gay and lesbian community, which run a gamut of topics and promise to be both wildly funny and deeply touching. The performance will begin at 7:30 in the beautiful basement recital hall of the Baruch Performing Arts Center, 55 Lexington Avenue (at 25th Street). The requested donation is $10, and every dollar goes directly to benefit Animal Haven. For reservations, please call 718-768-4213 or e-mail sue@playwrightsforpets.com.

SOME QUICK ENTERTAINMENT PICKS


WONDER IN THE WORLD - Kelli O'Hara, Ghostlight Records

Kelli O'Hara, the acclaimed star of the hit revival of SOUTH PACIFIC, has a conveniently-timed new album out, her first, and it's a treasure. Arranged and orchestrated by Harry Connick, Jr. (her co-star in PAJAMA GAME), it is a surprisingly non-theatrical release: relaxed, intimate, thought-provoking and, at times, quite vulnerable. O'Hara is not a belter in the grand show biz tradition. Her honey-toned soprano is sweet but complexly shaded, making the listener feel like they're in a small room, sharing very personal thoughts. The material has only a few Broadway numbers: "Fable" from LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA, in a carefully re-thought swingy arrangement, and a bell-like "I Have Dreamed" from THE KING & I. James Taylor and Bill Joel are represented here, along with standards like "Make Someone Happy" and "All the Way." Other numbers are surprisingly personal and charming, including the title tune, a duet with Mr. Connick. A funky rendition of "Spooky" shows a comedic side, and even the Perry Como classic, "And I Love You So," gets a successful makeover. Throughout the album, there is truthfulness and personal commitment, and the execution is exquisite. If there is a successor to the Barbara Cook throne, it will be Ms. O'Hara, both for the quality of her instrument and her ability to live simply in a song and breathe it into life.


JULIANNE HOUGH - Julianne Hough, Universal Music

The 19-year old, two-time professional winner of DANCING WITH THE STARS is a country singer--who knew? Singing with assurance and confidence, she is a fiery youngster clearly having great fun--and talented enough to pull it off. Her dance work, of course, is supremely confident on TV, and her work here shows equal ebullience and imagination. Performing in the tradition of Dolly Parton and Reba McEntire, Hough displays a lively, twangy lilt. Her energy and vitality sell the songs, which show both a quirky sense of humor and a sweetly-intended sense of empathy. If she is not quite as seasoned as one might wish, one does have to remember that she IS only 19--the colors and shadings may well come later on with life experience. In the meantime, songs like "My Hallelujah Song," "That Song in My Head," and "Hello" are entertaining and ingratiating. This is a promising debut album for a gifted young singer (with room to grow). But then again, those Hough kids are pretty amazing entertainers already--a talented family!

THE VISITOR

Tom McCarthy's THE STATION AGENT, was a charming, off-beat story of folks on the fringe. His latest, THE VISITOR, goes even further to explore those kept out of the mainstream, either by their personal demons or literally by the INS. Richard Jenkins, that sterling character actor best known perhaps as the ghost-dad on SIX FEET UNDER, plays a withdrawn Connecticut college professor merely visiting life until one day, through a series of unplanned circumstances, he arrives at his rarely used New York City apartment to find illegal aliens squatting there. The journey that begins--his opening up to life and to the plight of those forced to wander without a safe haven--is funny, stirring, and powerful. Haaz Sleiman is absolutely irresistible as the young Syrian percussionist Tarek, and Danai Gurira is terrific as his terrified mate. But when an unfortunate twist of fate befalls Tarek, the arrival of his mother brings the film to a whole other level, partly due to the amazing performance of the beautiful Hiam Abbass. This is an intimate journey into a world of the immigrant, filled with intense joy and sorrow that can only perhaps be understood by those trapped between two worlds. A must-see.

CURTAINS - Al Hirschfeld Theatre

If you've been waiting to see this swan-song musical of the estimable team of Kander and Ebb, don't wait any longer--it's closing June 29th after a run of more than a year. The good news is that David Hyde Pierce, Debra Monk, Karen Ziemba and most of the original cast have stayed the whole time, their teamwork is infectious, and the show is a total charmer. In an age when so-called period pieces are either arch or heavily satirized, here's a show that celebrates show biz and all it's various odd legends and styles, yet does so by inviting you in versus placing you (and the artists) above the fray. Finely-crafted, the book by the late Peter Stone and revised by Rupert Holmes is witty and clever but never heavy-handed, and David Hyde Pierce as the detective determined to find out who killed the leading lady in the Boston tryout of a Broadway-bound Western Musical (!) is the consummate ringmaster--warm, ingratiating and very very funny. It may be a crime to use the word, "amiable," but this is like spending a evening with very old, very good friends, and having an evening you'll have warm feelings about for years to come. Don't miss it!

A busy month since last I updated. Apologies. A resulting potpourri of opinions . . .

MUSIC

This Kind of Love – Carly Simon (Hear Music)

Those who feared that Carly Simon’s creativity was in an overly long fallow period can rejoice. Her newest album, “This Kind of Love,” is adventurous, sexy, sensuous and fun, with the kind of playfulness we used to depend on from the sultry Ms. Simon.

(According to some interviews released in conjunction with the album, it was Columbia, her previous label, who kept steering her to more conservative choices.) Here, we have rhythmic surprises, lyrical confessions, emotionally honest confessions and a touch of the sexy playfulness we always expected from the lady of “No Secrets”. With some songs (and accompaniment) from her kids Ben and Sally (both fully grown) and production work from the inestimable Jimmy Webb, Simon sings with mature confidence through a range of material, including the lovely “Hold Out Your Heart,” the intense “People Say a Lot When They Want the Job” (reminiscent of a Queen Latifah rap), and the title song. Carly is back as an artist, not just as an icon doing covers, and the result is as welcome as ever.

A Long and Winding Road – Maureen McGovern (PS Classics)

One of the classiest and most sophisticated voices in the business, Maureen McGovern became a cabaret staple receiving praise for her brilliant work with the songbooks of Gershwin, Bergman, Arlen, and other staple American composers. It was a reputation hard-won, required in some circles to overcome the misperception as the “Disaster Queen,” having introduced such pop movie themes as “The Morning After” from The Poseidon Adventure and “We May Never Love Like This Again” from The Towering Inferno. More than two decades on the club and recording circuit plus many Broadway musical credits (including Nine and Little Women) changed her from pop diva to, well, a rather classy dame. Throughout it all, the sheer purity and bell-like clarity of her instrument made folks sit up and take note. But now in an unexpected move, she has gone back to what were (unbeknownst at least to me) her roots of folk and protest. A Long and Winding Road allows her to let her hair down and to make (for her) some “unpretty” sounds in order to tap some raw emotions and thoughts. (Okay, a slight rasp occasionally on the incredibly wonderful vocal instrument is hardly “unpretty,” but you get the idea.) Songs by James Taylor, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Paul Simon, The Beatles and numerous others provide an unexpected canvas that McGovern approaches with the same freshness and clarity that she’s approached the Gershwins. The effect is arresting, and the album’s appeal grows and grows with repeated listening. Among the many jewels: a terrific cover of Blood, Sweat & Tears’ “And When I Die,” a moving version of Mitchell’s “The Circle Game,” and a Bobby McFerrin-tinged “Feelin’ Groovy.” Jimmy Webb raises his head again here, with the lovely lady recording a track she was destined to cover: “The Moon’s a Harsh Mistress,” one of the lushest and loveliest ballads of the last 30 years. Those who have never jumped on the McGovern bandwagon should start here---it may be in this material that we meet the “real” Maureen McGovern.

FILMS

Okay, I don’t get out enough, I know—but here are two on cable that may have escaped you in their short theatrical runs that should be caught now!

THE NAMESAKE

Kal Penn is more than just the Harold and Kumar movies and his new role on TV’s House. Working with the great director Mira Nair (Monsoon Wedding), he gives a wonderfully believable performance as a young man crossing two cultures and two worlds in The Namesake, based on the novel by Pulitzer Prize-winner Jhumpa Lahiri. The movie tracks a Bengali family now living in New York City in the final quarter of the 20^th Century and its challenges in staying true to one culture while assimilating into another. The film is both entertaining and power, masterfully shot, and imparts a valuable lesson: when navigating terrains of past and future, old world and new, the best tact to navigating the path is being true not to any one culture slavishly but to one’s true self. The close-up shots of the Taj Mahal alone make this film worth viewing, but there’s much more to it than that. Also, watch for a stunning performance by the incredibly beautiful Indian actress/singer, Tabu, as the family matriarch.

WAITRESS

Adrienne Shelly’s untimely murder will forever haunt this lovely little film, her legacy that shows what might have been. Shelly wrote, directed and co-stars in this lovely tail of a trapped young woman who finds herself pregnant by her awful husband. Keri Russell plays the waitress, whose bullying husband (Jeremy Sisto) is thrilled by a pregnancy that the young woman herself doesn’t want. Her journey takes her through an odd friendship (with Andy Griffith, who’s wonderful), an affair with her obstetrician (played with humorous uncertainty by Nathan Fillion), and a quirky obsession with the baking of designer pies (“I Hate My Husband” pie, “Unwanted Baby” pie, “Dirty Cherry” pie, etc.). Along the way, her co-workers (played winningly by the late Shelly and Curb Your Enthusiasm’s Cheryl Hines) dispense dubious wisdom and friendship. It’s a small film, but a charming one, and one can only imagine what would have come next, were Shelly’s life not tragically cut short. Still, we can’t stop time, so curl up some rainy evening and treasure this little gem.

POLITICS

In the next few weeks, one way or the other, we will have a Democratic candidate to challenge John McCain. Can supporters of Clinton or Obama come together? Of course—both candidates have viable policies and either can lead this country to much-needed change. But the real apology owed the American people is from Howard Dean and the bosses of the Democratic Party. I like the candidates, but have never been so ashamed to be a Democrat. One of the most exciting and positive possibilities for change in years has been turned into an embarrassment by politico greed. The manipulation of this campaign by party honchos has been as bald and embarrassing as the manipulation of our country by the current administration. After years of being “the Party of the People,” Dean and his cronies have made it painfully clear that they have no more respect or care for the American people than their Republican counterparts. Fear, lies, and gross distortion have been the order of the day. Back room deals and intimidation tactics have been rampant. In short, a self-centered politician is a self-centered politician, regardless of affiliation. Yes, the candidate will get my vote—but it will be a long, LONG time before the party can approach me (or most of the Democrats I know) for financial support or endorsement. I call on all fellow disgruntled, trodden-upon Democrats to join in rebellion against a party that clearly has taken on a life of its own and feels it neither needs nor respects us. Good luck to Hillary and Barack—but SHAME ON YOU, DEMOCRATIC PARTY.

IT'S MY PARTY (AND I'LL CRY IF I WANT TO)

Today is the Pennsylvania Primary, which is the latest "crucial" primary. Aren't they all? Superdelegates are swearing left and right not to be swayed--so why are they swaying left and right? Everyone is grouchy and dispirited, name-calling, on the attack.

It's called politics. (In other countries, sometimes they kill the opposition. Here, we call each other names and then respond with indignance and horror when the opposing candidate is "just not nice.")

Hillary is called horrible for her low attack ads, using people's words against them, warning that "if you can't stand the heat, don't stay in the kitchen." She's behaving . . . like all the other male candidates in history. (I'm not sure why that makes her more untrustworthy or despicable than all the men who've gone before her, but according to some, it has to.)

Obama, the "front-runner", is busy being a victim--the wunderkind distressed by anything short of unanimous adoration. Further, he resents being known by the company he keeps. (If that applies to you and me, shouldn't it apply to our candidates as well?)

Well, make no mistake. These are politicians, my friends, and as much as they may complain or scream or cry, they LIVE for the drama of the political race. And contrary to the anxiety the Democratic party bigwigs are trying to stir up if we don't resolve this conflict BEFORE the convention (which is rightly where those running resolve their conflicts), just remember that no political split in memory has ever prevented the politicos from re-grouping the day AFTER the convention in solidarity. Oh, they love the pyrotechnics, the outrage. But they want to be on a winning team, and they WILL band together behind whomever wins. It's all about competition and winning (not what happens once you're governing). And if you realize that this, too, is business as usual, then suddenly it all seems a little less dire . . . and perhaps a tad more silly.

Still no voice for the Michigan and Florida delegates. All the power going to the superdelegate vote. (Did we waste our time at the polls?)

Four years ago, the election was the Democrats' to lose. And they did. Will all these back room shenanigans lose it for us again? Grow up people. Have some accountability to the people you serve.

Yes, it's been a while, a month almost--fraught with health, job, art, politics and other issues . . . but hopefully I'm getting back on track.

So I'll tackle a few different issues today, just to get "caught up."

Art, politics . . . and even some health information, coming right up.



JUST WHAT THE DOCTOR ORDERED

The concept of "On Demand" programming on cable seemed silly and potentially dangerous at first--and rightly so. There should be no program that you really can't afford to miss, and if you did, that'd just be a few more hours not lost to you forever, right? Ah . . . but when you REALLY can't miss your favorites, watching them whenever you want . . . and not just on your smaller computer screen . . . not sitting at a desk but on your comfy sofa or even in your cozy bed . . . no wonder we are such a soft nation . . . !

That said, HBO On Demand has given us the liberty to watch IN TREATMENT whenever we want, and it is more than a guilty pleasure. It is an addiction. Based on an Israeli series, "Be 'Tipul," it is an amazing journey into the world of the psychologist and their patients. Series that have therapy sessions at their core are not new--thank you, Bob Newhart, among others--but they are usually sensationalistic, and use the sessions as fast and easy ways to get plot exposition out there. There is no real sense of who the therapist is, what the process is, or what the relationship is--it is just a platform to deliver character news about the patient. But IN TREATMENT is interested in the doctor, the patient, the problem, the relationship, the ethics, the boundaries AND the process. The aim is to re-create the intimate therapeutic bond and see where it leads both patient and doctor. Over 9 weeks, five "sessions" per week, five patients and their doctor work through personal demons. (Since two patients are in couples therapy, that leaves one night per week leftover for the analyst to see HIS analyst.) One could follow one storyline or all five. You could see several episodes on a given night about one patient, or an entire week in one sitting. (This is not only due to the On Demand service--HBO frequently ran several episodes of a given patient's story on a given night to help provide background, and on Sundays, they recapped the whole week.)

All of this sounds ambitious and earnest, and it is. But it is also amazingly well done.

The writing really unfolds like the therapy process does, albeit condensed into 8 or 9 episodes (I won't explain that, lest I give anything away) that run approximately 26 minutes a piece (half the usual time of a real therapy session). Yes, the stories and the events under such compression may be a bit dramatic and theatrical--but were you really planning to tune in for the times when a session is totally mundane, a boring recap of a troubled person's every move all week? There are indeed often parts of a therapy session that are downright boring--that's just the truth. For our consumption, they've tightened it up a bit, and the result is absolutely addictive. The dialogue is superb--corrosive, subtle, biting, seductive, and even loving. And as the weeks progress, the resonances between the different cases--and the resonances between the patients' problems and the therapist Paul's life--become suddenly and heart-breakingly profound.

Then there is the acting. In one of the most superb ensembles ever assembled on TV--yes, hyperbole, but I can't help it!--you are overwhelmed by what turn into absolute master classes of great acting for the camera. Gabriel Byrne does a career-defining turn as Paul, the therapist and emcee of pain, whose crumbling marriage, middle-aged angst and career insecurities play out as he exercises the utmost dedication to his patients, even at a personal cost. A complicated and rather emotional man, we find ourselves riveted to his every facial expression and reaction (or non-reaction, which therapists are so good at executing). He is a good man, a man we care about, even though he, too, may be a troubled as his patients. On Mondays, Laura, an extremely attractive and sexual patient (played unabashedly and with brio by Melissa George) is projecting a strong desire to become Paul's lover, her own sexual issues inextricably intertwined with her need to find a steady influence in her life, even if it's her own therapist. (Did I mention she's a anaesthesiologist?) On Tuesdays, Blair Underwood finally gets the opportunity to show how much more of an actor he is than ever shown on network TV as Alex, a troubled Navy pilot whose relentless following of orders have perhaps caused him to lose his way as a human being. Wednesday's patient is Sophie, a teen gymnast prone to self-destructive behavior, played with alarming realism by newcomer Mia Wasikowska. (This girl can say more with a moment of silence than 90 percent of the actresses twice her age.) Jake and Amy, in marriage counseling, are the bickering odd couple, played with brio and tears by Josh Charles and Embeth Davidtz. And on Friday nights, a master class in brilliant acting is provided at Paul's therapy session, when Gabriel Byrne spars with HIS therapist played by the incomparable Diane Wiest. As if that weren't enough, Michelle Forbes is remarkable as the therapist's wife, and there are even "guest" performances by Glynn Turman (brilliant), Julia Campbell and Peter Horton, chief among others. But there is not a wasted performance in the bunch, and if Emmys could be given every single one of them, it would not be inappropriate. Most episodes are directed by series supervisor Rodrigo Garcia, Paris Barclay and/or Melanie Mayron--superb work from all. This is a top-rate series, executed with the utmost care and love, and giving it your time and attention is sure to be rewarding. Just beware--it's habit-forming. (I may need a session with my own shrink to deal with the withdrawal I'll be suffering once this season's over!)

WE THE PEOPLE

On the political front, several of you wrote in responding to my pieces on Hillary, Barack, and perceived (and misperceived) prejudice. The bottom line is there are some amazing candidates this time around--at LAST! The selection process cannot and should not be hurried--conventions were created as part of a process insuring that proper choices are made. Half the mud-slinging that's occurring seems to be exacerbated by the Democratic National Committee itself, who keeps saying how important it is to decide NOW, before the convention. Why? Why is it wrong for us to see what our candidates are made of? When is taking our time before leaping into something we can't take back ever a bad thing? (Need I bring up the WMDs?) And why should the DNC have more power than the States in setting calendars? Why should the peoples of Florida and Michigan, who must abide the laws of their respective states, be punished with no representation at the convention because the calendars set by their states didn't please the DNC? Who are these SUPER DELEGATES anyway? We know they are politicos over and above the regular voters who are being given MORE power than you and me--if these candidates are to be the choice of "the people," then who says these backroom brawlers deserve more voice than the one vote we each get? What makes them so special that THEY get to determine who gets the nomination?

I have made no bones about my candidate in this blog thus far, and chances are I will support whomever gets the Democratic nomination. They are both ultimately superb candidates--human and flawed at times, perhaps, but dedicated and caring and dedicated to making a change. Whomever wins will really have to be willing to roll up their sleeves and deal with some really dirty business left by the current administration. ("So?" says Dick.) The DNC says it's worried that the bickering will result in a party not coming together once the choice is made--but no time in history has that proven true. It is more likely they wish to start attacking McCain versus keeping the peace in their own house.

But last election, one that was the DNC's to lose, they did. And their asinine Big Brother antics threaten to undermine this election as well. They are so eager to taste victory that they seem unbridled in their efforts to get it, often to chilling effect. We do indeed want change--but at any cost? Return the election to the people, not the parties, and let the system do its work.

BREATHE DEEPLY

I am finally addressing what I've suspected for years--I suffer from sleep apnea. (A sleep study test I took estimated that I stop breathing in my sleep an average of 80 times an hour!) When you don't breathe, your body wakes you up, which is good of course, but it also means you never reach deeper, REM sleep, which is where your body really rests and replenishes. The results of this sleep deprivation can include high blood pressure, weight gain, exhaustion, heart enlargement and numerous other side effects--all of which I seem to have. And if you have apnea, you are almost certainly a scary snorer who keeps your partner awake all hours of the night.

So far, using a passover mask (no, this has nothing to do with being kosher for pesach!) that fits under my nose, my CPAP machine has been providing me with the kind of breathing and sleep that I haven't really had in years. CPAP stands for Continuous Positive Airway Pressure. With this moustached-sized mask strapped lightly to my head and attached to the CPAP, I received a rather large amount of air pressure through my nostrils which in turn forces open the nasal and throat passages, insuring that I get the air I need to breathe and to sleep. This means that I get my deeper REM sleep and overall a better quality of sleep than I ever have received before. An added plus--my CPAP machine comes with a heated humidifier built-in, such that instead of drying me out, my sinuses receive temperature-controlled moisture. Even in this severe spring allergy season, my sinuses are moist, clean and comfortable.

I may not have tackled ALL my problems--I may have enough to leave Paul's patients on IN TREATMENT behind in the dust!!--but with this new sleep-and-breathing therapy, I may finally be on a road to recovery. I'll keep you all posted.

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!