I just returned from the 5-day American Association of Museums conference in Philadelphia. Good times. My favorite thing about this conference is that the museums of the host city open their doors to attendees, and there are events every night that allow us to explore... so I can now highly recommend the Philadelphia Museum of Art and Independence Hall to anyone who might be heading to the City of Brotherly Love.
This being a conference, of course, I attended a wide variety of educational sessions during the day. Most were about the sorry state of the economy, blah. But one of the best sessions I've ever attended was on the last day - about being a year-round advocate for your museum among elected officials. The panelists shared their personal experiences of visiting the Hill to advocate for their museums with local delegations, and there was a staffer from a Rep's district office sharing the inside story, as well. There was a lot of good practical information about how to weave advocacy into all of an organization's year-round plans, and I think most in the audience thought it was very helpful.
Since I have a very particular point of view on - and a real interest in - this topic, I actually stood up and asked a question for the very first time at a conference. I asked the panelists if they had any advice for those of us who live and work in the great, under-represented District of Columbia. After a few sympathetic sighs and nods, the panelists actually gave some really good advice that I'm going to start using, both to advocate for museums and other causes I support:
1. Don't ignore Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton and her office. She can be a strong internal ally for your cause, since she's paying attention to how other members of Congress are voting on issues and she can lobby from the inside. Get her and her staff involved.
2. Even though DC residents don't have voting representation, we need to think creatively about ways in which we ARE constituents of lawmakers in other areas. For example, if I'm a member of a museum in a different state, I can advocate on behalf of that museum (and the field in general) to the lawmaker representing that district. As an alum of universities in 2 different states, and a contributor to both their giving programs, I can write to those lawmakers on issues of higher education. My family lives in Indiana, so I can rope them in too.
3. Just like in "regular" fundraising, you can never say thank you enough. Thank elected officials who voted the way you liked on key issues - again looking for those constituency ties mentioned above.
My own trick for the last few years has also been to write to the leadership of both parties in both Houses. Sometimes I've even gotten a response... even a form letter means someone read and recorded my opinion in a database somewhere.
Thinking about all of this stuff after the session, I thought the most useful "hook" I might have to use in advocating for my field - arts & culture - is that I am an actual cultural tourist.
For those of you outside the field, trust me - that's a major buzzword. One of the biggest arguments cultural institutions make for both public and private funding as that we are economic generators. People who come to museums or go to theaters, etc., spend money on their tickets and buy in the shops, but they also spend money on parking, at restaurants, at hotels, etc. And the major marketing trend of the last decade has been to promote the arts through cultural tourism - literally, reaching out to people in different markets who like to plan their travel to destinations with strong cultural offerings. So institutions in different cities often band together to promote the city as a whole, attracting visitors to come visit and sample the wide variety of cultural destinations and spending their money in many, many ways. We like cultural tourism, and so do elected officials or anyone who cares about bringing new money into their local markets.
Well, my Mom and I take an annual fall trip, have been for about 8 years. We've been to Boston, San Francisco, Santa Fe, New York, DC, Charleston, and soon Louisville, Chicago, and probably Philadelphia again. And we are textbook cultural tourists. We specifically plan to visit a different city each year, and our main goal is to visit the museums, take the historical tours, see the parks and landmarks, go to the theater, and sample the restaurants. Spending money all the way.
So -- my new strategy for advocacy is to write to those lawmakers that represent the cities I've visited as a cultural tourist, offering real feedback on how a vibrant cultural scene makes an impact in their cities. I like it, I like it a lot.
Showing posts with label culture. Show all posts
Showing posts with label culture. Show all posts
Monday, May 04, 2009
Saturday, February 07, 2009
A Tale of Two Plays
Two Saturdays, two different experiences at area theatres...
Last week, I took in the matinee performance of Conor McPherson's The Seafarer at Studio Theatre. This is the third McPherson play I've seen, so I knew what to expect -- down on their luck Irish characters, elements of the supernatural, looking for the meaning of things in the small ups and downs of daily working class life. Those elements are all there in this new play, as a group of Dubliners drink, nag each other, gossip, and play cards on Christmas Eve. The main characters were all likable, and local faves Floyd King and Ed Gero both exhibited their usual charisma and presence as rascally good-for-nothings who get a big kick out of each other.
McPherson's supernatural element appears in the form of an unexpected guest at the Christmas Eve card game -- Philip Goodwin plays a character we soon learn to be the devil in disguise. Yes, the actual devil, who long ago played a card game and won against one of the characters and is now back to exact his price. There's potential in this storyline, and McPherson's writing on this seems just as strong as usual, but I'm sorry to say that I just *hated* Philip Goodwin's performance. He and the director obviously made choices about how to portray the devil, in this case as inhabiting a strange, limiting, and uncomfortable body. His mannerisms were stiff and a little jumpy, and the complete opposite of what I would want to see in a devil. Lucifer should be sly and seductive, right? He's a tempter, someone who can cast a spell and is irresistible. Unfortunately, in this play, I just couldn't wait until Goodwin was off the stage cuz he was so distracting and frustrating. I've seen him in other shows and never had this reaction before, so I chalk it up just the choices on how to play this role. It's too bad, because it really took away from my enjoyment of the play as a whole.
Fast forward a week, and I was back at the theatre again tonight checking out a preview performance of The Heavens Are Hung in Black, the world premiere that's reopening the renovated Ford's Theatre. The play celebrates Abraham Lincoln and is part of Ford's and the overall city's Lincoln Bicentennial commemoration (his 200th birthday - and my 34th! - is this Thursday, February 12). The action takes place throughout the spring and summer of 1862, as the President and Mrs. Lincoln are mourning the loss of their beloved son Willie and, as President, Lincoln and his Cabinet members are growing increasingly frustrated with the Union's poor fortunes in the War (though the play and I both place a great deal of blame at McClellan's feet).
The play covers a lot -- and I think this is part of what it still needs to work out. It has 3 acts, something I don't think I've ever seen other than in Shakespeare, and the playwright really tries to cram a whole lot of story, debate, and what I'll call "Lincoln's greatest hits" into those 3 acts. If you've ever heard any of Lincoln's famous one-liners, you'll recognize most of them cuz the play works them all in even when it seems a little forced. The "throughline" of the story, I believe, is supposed to be Lincoln's coming to grips with the idea and inevitability of Emancipation. If the play focused more on that, it would be a stronger work. But instead, it comes off a bit as a cross between a history lesson on Emancipation, a "this is your life, Abraham Lincoln" montage, and a mystical "Christmas Carol"-style series of spectral visitors offering Lincoln life lessons to point him in the right direction. I don't think any of these storylines were bad, per se, but I think the play could use some trimming. It could also tone down some of the metaphors that hit us over the head -- that last scene, especially, didn't seem necessary. I've seen world premieres before, and been around as shows have been workshopped, and I've always been impressed to see how much tighter a show is at the end of premiere run than it is in the previews. So, with some time, I think this play will get there.
The production we saw tonight was pretty strong -- the cast was all good, and David Selby is really good playing the 16th President himself. He has the challenge of humanizing the man who has become an icon, and he does a great job of portraying both Lincoln's famous melancholy AND his famous humor. The lighting design is also very interesting and helps add to the haunting effect, and I loved the way they used slight alterations of the set with different lighting to convey the outdoors, the night sky, even a rainstorm.
So -- two shows, both with promise but in need of a little work. I know not every visit to the theatre can be the best experience ever, but I do appreciate the opportunities to learn more about what makes a good show and what choices could help improve others. If I learned anything in my years of working at theater companies, it was about how important all the pieces are -- a good script, strong and clear direction, talented actors, innovative designers, and resourceful craftsmen. When it all works, it's really a joy to watch.
Last week, I took in the matinee performance of Conor McPherson's The Seafarer at Studio Theatre. This is the third McPherson play I've seen, so I knew what to expect -- down on their luck Irish characters, elements of the supernatural, looking for the meaning of things in the small ups and downs of daily working class life. Those elements are all there in this new play, as a group of Dubliners drink, nag each other, gossip, and play cards on Christmas Eve. The main characters were all likable, and local faves Floyd King and Ed Gero both exhibited their usual charisma and presence as rascally good-for-nothings who get a big kick out of each other.
McPherson's supernatural element appears in the form of an unexpected guest at the Christmas Eve card game -- Philip Goodwin plays a character we soon learn to be the devil in disguise. Yes, the actual devil, who long ago played a card game and won against one of the characters and is now back to exact his price. There's potential in this storyline, and McPherson's writing on this seems just as strong as usual, but I'm sorry to say that I just *hated* Philip Goodwin's performance. He and the director obviously made choices about how to portray the devil, in this case as inhabiting a strange, limiting, and uncomfortable body. His mannerisms were stiff and a little jumpy, and the complete opposite of what I would want to see in a devil. Lucifer should be sly and seductive, right? He's a tempter, someone who can cast a spell and is irresistible. Unfortunately, in this play, I just couldn't wait until Goodwin was off the stage cuz he was so distracting and frustrating. I've seen him in other shows and never had this reaction before, so I chalk it up just the choices on how to play this role. It's too bad, because it really took away from my enjoyment of the play as a whole.
Fast forward a week, and I was back at the theatre again tonight checking out a preview performance of The Heavens Are Hung in Black, the world premiere that's reopening the renovated Ford's Theatre. The play celebrates Abraham Lincoln and is part of Ford's and the overall city's Lincoln Bicentennial commemoration (his 200th birthday - and my 34th! - is this Thursday, February 12). The action takes place throughout the spring and summer of 1862, as the President and Mrs. Lincoln are mourning the loss of their beloved son Willie and, as President, Lincoln and his Cabinet members are growing increasingly frustrated with the Union's poor fortunes in the War (though the play and I both place a great deal of blame at McClellan's feet).
The play covers a lot -- and I think this is part of what it still needs to work out. It has 3 acts, something I don't think I've ever seen other than in Shakespeare, and the playwright really tries to cram a whole lot of story, debate, and what I'll call "Lincoln's greatest hits" into those 3 acts. If you've ever heard any of Lincoln's famous one-liners, you'll recognize most of them cuz the play works them all in even when it seems a little forced. The "throughline" of the story, I believe, is supposed to be Lincoln's coming to grips with the idea and inevitability of Emancipation. If the play focused more on that, it would be a stronger work. But instead, it comes off a bit as a cross between a history lesson on Emancipation, a "this is your life, Abraham Lincoln" montage, and a mystical "Christmas Carol"-style series of spectral visitors offering Lincoln life lessons to point him in the right direction. I don't think any of these storylines were bad, per se, but I think the play could use some trimming. It could also tone down some of the metaphors that hit us over the head -- that last scene, especially, didn't seem necessary. I've seen world premieres before, and been around as shows have been workshopped, and I've always been impressed to see how much tighter a show is at the end of premiere run than it is in the previews. So, with some time, I think this play will get there.
The production we saw tonight was pretty strong -- the cast was all good, and David Selby is really good playing the 16th President himself. He has the challenge of humanizing the man who has become an icon, and he does a great job of portraying both Lincoln's famous melancholy AND his famous humor. The lighting design is also very interesting and helps add to the haunting effect, and I loved the way they used slight alterations of the set with different lighting to convey the outdoors, the night sky, even a rainstorm.
So -- two shows, both with promise but in need of a little work. I know not every visit to the theatre can be the best experience ever, but I do appreciate the opportunities to learn more about what makes a good show and what choices could help improve others. If I learned anything in my years of working at theater companies, it was about how important all the pieces are -- a good script, strong and clear direction, talented actors, innovative designers, and resourceful craftsmen. When it all works, it's really a joy to watch.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Culture Roundup
It's been a very busy couple of weeks, so I apologize for being so quiet on the blog. But have no fear, I've still been a cultural consumer! Here's a quick roundup of the last week or so:
I finally made my way to the Corcoran Gallery of Art for the first time (I know, shameful! I've lived here almost 7 years!) to see the Richard Avedon show, Portraits of Power. This is a great exhibit and it's only open until January 25, so I hope folks out there go see it soon! It's a collection of Avedon's photographic portraits of people of power and influence in many different spheres -- everyone from politicians to artists to activists to policymakers to the Dalai Lama -- shot over the course of several decades before Avedon's death in 2004. What I loved about this show was the sense of biography, both of our culture and of many of his individual subjects. There were a handful of people that Avedon photographed several times over the course of their lives, and it was fascinating seeing the way they had changed. And, what I really loved was picking out so many of his well-known subjects that he'd photographed in the 70's or 80's, and were labelled according to their positions then, and remarking upon how their lives changed after the photo was taken. For example, he happened to photograph a young State Senator from Illinois after he gave his keynote speech at the DNC in 2004, shortly before Avedon's death. We all know what has become of that particular rising star!
I enjoyed a long Sunday afternoon of playing Ticket to Ride with these two gamers. I think I'm finally getting the hang of this good beginner-level strategy game, affectionately called TRAINS by everyone I know, where you have to build train routes between stations in a way to earn the most points possible. We started with a round of the US version of the game before moving on to the European version which is so much harder! I'm guessing the European version is harder for us Americans mostly because we do not have the same inherent knowledge of the map of Europe -- and I hope Europeans have a harder time playing the US version for the same reason! -- but the Europe edition does change the rules a bit to make the strategy of the game a lot more challenging. I learned the hard way that tunnels SUCK and lost 3 turns trying to build a short tunnel in Spain. Bah! But I'm still really loving this game and can't wait to play either version again soon!
Then, our book club met on Tuesday night to discuss Brunonia Barry's The Lace Reader. While this was not my favorite book ever, we did have a good discussion and all agreed that Ms. Barry's novel did not deserve the call out as Entertainment Weekly's #2 worst book of 2008! This tells the story of a young woman returning to her home of Salem, Massachusetts to revisit family secrets, and it's a family in which the women have passed town the tradition of both making and "reading" lace. Like reading tea leaves, lace reading gives these women the ability to see or sense the future. I loved the setting, which was very true to what I remembered from visiting the funky, interesting, quaint and mysterious town of Salem about 10 years ago, and the novel has some quirky characters who make the story more compelling. The author's writing style, however, and the narrator's own voice can be off-putting, so I sometimes felt I kept reading the story in spite of not really liking the main character or how she was telling it. But, it's a very fast read and the setting and atmosphere pull you in enough that it's worth picking up a (paperback) copy if you like small-town mystery/psychological thriller stories.
I finally made my way to the Corcoran Gallery of Art for the first time (I know, shameful! I've lived here almost 7 years!) to see the Richard Avedon show, Portraits of Power. This is a great exhibit and it's only open until January 25, so I hope folks out there go see it soon! It's a collection of Avedon's photographic portraits of people of power and influence in many different spheres -- everyone from politicians to artists to activists to policymakers to the Dalai Lama -- shot over the course of several decades before Avedon's death in 2004. What I loved about this show was the sense of biography, both of our culture and of many of his individual subjects. There were a handful of people that Avedon photographed several times over the course of their lives, and it was fascinating seeing the way they had changed. And, what I really loved was picking out so many of his well-known subjects that he'd photographed in the 70's or 80's, and were labelled according to their positions then, and remarking upon how their lives changed after the photo was taken. For example, he happened to photograph a young State Senator from Illinois after he gave his keynote speech at the DNC in 2004, shortly before Avedon's death. We all know what has become of that particular rising star!
I enjoyed a long Sunday afternoon of playing Ticket to Ride with these two gamers. I think I'm finally getting the hang of this good beginner-level strategy game, affectionately called TRAINS by everyone I know, where you have to build train routes between stations in a way to earn the most points possible. We started with a round of the US version of the game before moving on to the European version which is so much harder! I'm guessing the European version is harder for us Americans mostly because we do not have the same inherent knowledge of the map of Europe -- and I hope Europeans have a harder time playing the US version for the same reason! -- but the Europe edition does change the rules a bit to make the strategy of the game a lot more challenging. I learned the hard way that tunnels SUCK and lost 3 turns trying to build a short tunnel in Spain. Bah! But I'm still really loving this game and can't wait to play either version again soon!
Then, our book club met on Tuesday night to discuss Brunonia Barry's The Lace Reader. While this was not my favorite book ever, we did have a good discussion and all agreed that Ms. Barry's novel did not deserve the call out as Entertainment Weekly's #2 worst book of 2008! This tells the story of a young woman returning to her home of Salem, Massachusetts to revisit family secrets, and it's a family in which the women have passed town the tradition of both making and "reading" lace. Like reading tea leaves, lace reading gives these women the ability to see or sense the future. I loved the setting, which was very true to what I remembered from visiting the funky, interesting, quaint and mysterious town of Salem about 10 years ago, and the novel has some quirky characters who make the story more compelling. The author's writing style, however, and the narrator's own voice can be off-putting, so I sometimes felt I kept reading the story in spite of not really liking the main character or how she was telling it. But, it's a very fast read and the setting and atmosphere pull you in enough that it's worth picking up a (paperback) copy if you like small-town mystery/psychological thriller stories.
Monday, December 29, 2008
Now That's Entertainment, 2008 Edition
It’s time for the blog’s annual roundup of my favorite entertainment offerings of the year, with a few regrettable experiences thrown in for fun. I always have a hard time narrowing such subjective lists down to just one, so I’m offering up a few of my most memorable and enjoyable items in each category. I’d love to hear your favorites – and least favorites – too!
***General Spoiler Alert***
Movies
…Sean Penn’s performance and the overall message of Milk
...The "where are they now" updates and continued romantic adventures of our 4 favorite ladies in Sex and the City. This could've been all wrong, an unnecessary coda to a series (see my worst below) but instead really stayed true to the characters and kept their stories alive in ways that felt very authentic. But let's not talk about that bird on Carrie's head.
…The sweet romance and raunchy hilarity – and musical puppets! – of Jason Segel’s Forgetting Sarah Marshall
...The heartwarming, rat-a-tat snarkfest of Juno, even though it has forever tainted my view of the adorable Jason Bateman
…In Bruges, the first movie that finally made me *get* the appeal of Colin Farrell, plus it was just a damn hilarious gangster flick that both kept me guessing and laughing
...Similarly, the shockingly funny latest installment from the Coen Brothers, Burn After Reading, has given me the deliriously enjoyable images of Brad Pitt and Frances McDormand as gym twits and... well, the less said about George Clooney's invention, the better.
Worst: The horrible, almost embarrassing (for all involved) experience that was The X-Files: I Want to Believe. The bigger the expectations, the worse the pain of disappointment.
TV
…LOST’s Season 4, which came roaring back to greatness with the amazing storylines of the Oceanic 6, the mysterious ways of Benjamin Linus, the 4 Island newbies, Penny and Desmond’s epic romance, and – woosh! – the disappearance of the Island!!!!
…Mad Men, the show that has brought back both the glamour and the outrage of the Camelot era, with its highballs, formal dress for dinner, and race and gender politics, plus it’s introduced us to the delectable (and talented) leading man for our generation, Jon Hamm as Don Draper (not to mention Jon Hamm as Dick Whitman).
…my Netflix discovery of the great guilty pleasure series Supernatural, with its monster-of-the-week fun combined with an overarching mythology and 2 hot leads (Dean's my fave), it’s nicely taken its place as the X-Files Light that I’ve needed.
…The pure escapist fun of Chuck, a comedy with more 80’s references than a Gilmore Girls episode and more wacky spy stuff than any hour of Alias
…The Office, still firing on all cylinders with the heartbreakingly sweet Michael and Holly story and the solid PB&J romance, not to mention the awesomeness of Oscar and Andy becoming friends
…HBO’s brilliantly acted, written, directed, and produced miniseries John Adams, which should be required viewing for all history classes and acting schools
Music
I don't buy many albums these days, since I'm now more of a sampler on iTunes. But I did just buy one album that is immediately at the top of my list of favorites -- She & Him's Volume One. Everyone must get it now.
Most of my new music comes in the form of one-off downloads, usually either music I’ve heard in a movie or tv show, or something new by an artist I’ve always liked. My favorite downloads of the year:
…Backseat Nothing by The Del Fuegos (it was in an ep of Rescue Me)
…Sexed Up by the always awesome Robbie Williams
…Skinny Love by Bon Iver (from an ep of Chuck)
…Keeps Gettin’ Better by my favorite bombastic pop tart, Christina Aguilera
Books
…The smart, sassy, guilty pleasure fun of spending 8 books following the adventures, loves and losses of telepath Sookie Stackhouse and all of the very real creatures of the night in Bon Temps, Louisiana in Charlaine Harris’s “Southern Vampire” series (the basis for HBO’s True Blood)
…Neil Gaiman’s American Gods made for not only a great read, but also a great book club discussion. I particularly loved all of the different religions’ gods and symbols that he worked into the book, and it had me consulting my shelf of religion major textbooks from my college years.
…Finally reading the entire C. S. Lewis Chronicles of Narnia saga, and both reliving the adventures I’d loved as a child and seeing the symbolism and the sometimes inspiring and the sometimes questionable race and class references with the eyes of an adult.
Worst: Egad, the mess that was Breaking Dawn. If you ever want to learn how to ruin a series, follow Stephenie Meyer’s wholesome teen vampire romance story. The first three books were enjoyable marshmallow fun, but that final book was so awful it turned me into a Twilight-hater.
Theater
…the exuberant insanity on display in Studio Theatre’s Grey Gardens, which led me to both buy the Broadway cast recording and watch the original 1970’s era documentary upon which it was based. A full-scale cultural experience.
…the colorful, musical, whimsical, accessible, and just damn fun production of Mary Zimmerman’s Argonautika at The Shakespeare Theatre.
…the intense masculine energy of Studio Theatre’s The Brothers Size, practically a black box production with three actors sharing raw, emotional performances.
Museums and Tours and Stuff
…the guided tour of the Washington National Cathedral, which thankfully (for me) focused more on art, architecture, and both local and national history than on capital-R Religion. It’s a great pick for a family visit.
…DC’s many walking tours offer a great, low-cost evening out with friends, and the Embassy Row Walking Tour is another great combination of architecture, local history, diplomatic history, and lifestyles of the DC rich and famous.
Web
…Kudos to Joss Whedon, Felicia Day, Nathan Fillion and the incomparable Neil Patrick Harris for winning the “What I Did While The Writers Were On Strike” contest, Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog. It’s a brand new day, indeed!
…This year, I gained a new addiction and reconnected with many old friends on the way. Oh, Facebook, what would I do without you? Read more????
Podcasts
…The smarty-snarky-pants trio of John Dickerson, Emily Bazelon, and David Plotz provided me with the enhanced ability both to analyze the week’s news and laugh at it on Slate’s Political Gabfest
…The NPR folks at Planet Money are achieving the nearly impossible task of making the incredible economic stories of our age make sense.
…And, the three nerdy-fun academics at BackStory with the American History Guys, including the Prez of my alma mater, help provide a historical backdrop for the issues of our day, making us all feel better knowing that previous generations of Americans have struggled with and triumphed over the same things we’re going through now, and that history really can be more entertaining than fiction.
Sports
Yes, I have a sports category!
…watching my Richmond Spiders win the FCS National Championship by defeating the Montana Grizzlies 24-7!
…enjoying the great new sight lines, concession stands, scoreboard bells and whistles, and – oh yeah – a winning team (that day) at the new Nationals Stadium.
***So there you have it, my complete (exhaustive?) list of faves of 2008. What are yours???
***General Spoiler Alert***
Movies
…Sean Penn’s performance and the overall message of Milk
...The "where are they now" updates and continued romantic adventures of our 4 favorite ladies in Sex and the City. This could've been all wrong, an unnecessary coda to a series (see my worst below) but instead really stayed true to the characters and kept their stories alive in ways that felt very authentic. But let's not talk about that bird on Carrie's head.
…The sweet romance and raunchy hilarity – and musical puppets! – of Jason Segel’s Forgetting Sarah Marshall
...The heartwarming, rat-a-tat snarkfest of Juno, even though it has forever tainted my view of the adorable Jason Bateman
…In Bruges, the first movie that finally made me *get* the appeal of Colin Farrell, plus it was just a damn hilarious gangster flick that both kept me guessing and laughing
...Similarly, the shockingly funny latest installment from the Coen Brothers, Burn After Reading, has given me the deliriously enjoyable images of Brad Pitt and Frances McDormand as gym twits and... well, the less said about George Clooney's invention, the better.
Worst: The horrible, almost embarrassing (for all involved) experience that was The X-Files: I Want to Believe. The bigger the expectations, the worse the pain of disappointment.
TV
…LOST’s Season 4, which came roaring back to greatness with the amazing storylines of the Oceanic 6, the mysterious ways of Benjamin Linus, the 4 Island newbies, Penny and Desmond’s epic romance, and – woosh! – the disappearance of the Island!!!!
…Mad Men, the show that has brought back both the glamour and the outrage of the Camelot era, with its highballs, formal dress for dinner, and race and gender politics, plus it’s introduced us to the delectable (and talented) leading man for our generation, Jon Hamm as Don Draper (not to mention Jon Hamm as Dick Whitman).
…my Netflix discovery of the great guilty pleasure series Supernatural, with its monster-of-the-week fun combined with an overarching mythology and 2 hot leads (Dean's my fave), it’s nicely taken its place as the X-Files Light that I’ve needed.
…The pure escapist fun of Chuck, a comedy with more 80’s references than a Gilmore Girls episode and more wacky spy stuff than any hour of Alias
…The Office, still firing on all cylinders with the heartbreakingly sweet Michael and Holly story and the solid PB&J romance, not to mention the awesomeness of Oscar and Andy becoming friends
…HBO’s brilliantly acted, written, directed, and produced miniseries John Adams, which should be required viewing for all history classes and acting schools
Music
I don't buy many albums these days, since I'm now more of a sampler on iTunes. But I did just buy one album that is immediately at the top of my list of favorites -- She & Him's Volume One. Everyone must get it now.
Most of my new music comes in the form of one-off downloads, usually either music I’ve heard in a movie or tv show, or something new by an artist I’ve always liked. My favorite downloads of the year:
…Backseat Nothing by The Del Fuegos (it was in an ep of Rescue Me)
…Sexed Up by the always awesome Robbie Williams
…Skinny Love by Bon Iver (from an ep of Chuck)
…Keeps Gettin’ Better by my favorite bombastic pop tart, Christina Aguilera
Books
…The smart, sassy, guilty pleasure fun of spending 8 books following the adventures, loves and losses of telepath Sookie Stackhouse and all of the very real creatures of the night in Bon Temps, Louisiana in Charlaine Harris’s “Southern Vampire” series (the basis for HBO’s True Blood)
…Neil Gaiman’s American Gods made for not only a great read, but also a great book club discussion. I particularly loved all of the different religions’ gods and symbols that he worked into the book, and it had me consulting my shelf of religion major textbooks from my college years.
…Finally reading the entire C. S. Lewis Chronicles of Narnia saga, and both reliving the adventures I’d loved as a child and seeing the symbolism and the sometimes inspiring and the sometimes questionable race and class references with the eyes of an adult.
Worst: Egad, the mess that was Breaking Dawn. If you ever want to learn how to ruin a series, follow Stephenie Meyer’s wholesome teen vampire romance story. The first three books were enjoyable marshmallow fun, but that final book was so awful it turned me into a Twilight-hater.
Theater
…the exuberant insanity on display in Studio Theatre’s Grey Gardens, which led me to both buy the Broadway cast recording and watch the original 1970’s era documentary upon which it was based. A full-scale cultural experience.
…the colorful, musical, whimsical, accessible, and just damn fun production of Mary Zimmerman’s Argonautika at The Shakespeare Theatre.
…the intense masculine energy of Studio Theatre’s The Brothers Size, practically a black box production with three actors sharing raw, emotional performances.
Museums and Tours and Stuff
…the guided tour of the Washington National Cathedral, which thankfully (for me) focused more on art, architecture, and both local and national history than on capital-R Religion. It’s a great pick for a family visit.
…DC’s many walking tours offer a great, low-cost evening out with friends, and the Embassy Row Walking Tour is another great combination of architecture, local history, diplomatic history, and lifestyles of the DC rich and famous.
Web
…Kudos to Joss Whedon, Felicia Day, Nathan Fillion and the incomparable Neil Patrick Harris for winning the “What I Did While The Writers Were On Strike” contest, Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog. It’s a brand new day, indeed!
…This year, I gained a new addiction and reconnected with many old friends on the way. Oh, Facebook, what would I do without you? Read more????
Podcasts
…The smarty-snarky-pants trio of John Dickerson, Emily Bazelon, and David Plotz provided me with the enhanced ability both to analyze the week’s news and laugh at it on Slate’s Political Gabfest
…The NPR folks at Planet Money are achieving the nearly impossible task of making the incredible economic stories of our age make sense.
…And, the three nerdy-fun academics at BackStory with the American History Guys, including the Prez of my alma mater, help provide a historical backdrop for the issues of our day, making us all feel better knowing that previous generations of Americans have struggled with and triumphed over the same things we’re going through now, and that history really can be more entertaining than fiction.
Sports
Yes, I have a sports category!
…watching my Richmond Spiders win the FCS National Championship by defeating the Montana Grizzlies 24-7!
…enjoying the great new sight lines, concession stands, scoreboard bells and whistles, and – oh yeah – a winning team (that day) at the new Nationals Stadium.
***So there you have it, my complete (exhaustive?) list of faves of 2008. What are yours???
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Playing Tour Guide
I am happy to report that Mom and Dad have had another successful trip to our nation's capital, and after 4 days I'm very tired but proud of all that we were able to accomplish even in spite of the dang cold Alberta Clipper that hit us in the face. They had a few places they wanted to see, I had a few exhibits on the agenda, and while their goal was to walk all over the city we did have to curb some of our plans cuz we were just plain freezing. Here's the rundown:
Day 1: Wednesday
After treating Mom and Dad to the fun of transferring on Metro with suitcase on the way home from the airport, we took a little while to explore my new NW neighborhood. They were very impressed, and totally agree that it was worth the upgrade from my old 16th St digs.
After wandering for a while, we had lunch at a place I'd been wanting to try - Yanni's Greek Taverna in Cleveland Park. While Mom and Dad both enjoyed it, I have to agree somewhat with those reviews in the Post. I liked the hummus, but I had a terrible overcooked spanakopita. Really, it was burned on the bottom and the filling was so dried out it was hard. Dad insisted I send it back - I NEVER do that - and the second one I got was at least cooked correctly, but was still terribly salty. Service was okay and the location is convenient, but I'm not going to be rushing back for a return trip to a place where I had to send something back. Like I said, though, my parents both thought their meals were delicious.
After lunch and a quick stop into the National Building Museum to show my parents the Great Hall (site of the G20 meetings - Dad's a CNBC addict), we headed down to the Mall for our first cultural item on the agenda: Pompeii and the Roman Villa at the National Gallery of Art. I really enjoyed this show, and while Dad wasn't too interested at the start I think he liked it, too. The exhibit focuses on the lavish lifestyles of the well-off Romans who had seaside villas in that doomed town. This was a great collection of statues, mosaics, frescoes (like the one to the right), sculptures, jewelry, and housewares, all about 2000 years old. The age of the pieces is impressive enough, and while the style of the art looks familiar to anyone who's taken art history or classics, the organization of the exhibit does help tell a story about a culture that had no idea it was about to end. Word to the wise, though, skip the $5 audio tour - but do watch the 10 minute documentary in the gallery.
With a quick dinner at Gordon Biersch - and fried food lover Dad's first order of calamari for the trip - we then called it a day. A successful day!
Day 2: Thursday
We got up early on Thursday and had a very busy day. First up, we made our way to the National Museum of Natural History and its new Sant Ocean Hall. As a Resident Associates member, I scored us entree to a free lecture about the mysterious creatures that live in the deep. Dad, who actually has an undergrad degree in zoology, was tickled pink, which was a nice surprise for me since I wasn't sure if they'd be down with an hour-long lecture. It was both educational and fun, cuz the lecturer had a good dry sense of humor, and made me glad I've rejoined the Resident Associates program this year. I'll be back! The Ocean Hall itself, though, wasn't a favorite stop on our visit -- cuz it's mainly geared towards kids and at about 11 am on a weekday it was just teeming with teenagers on field trips. Eeek!
I had to go to work for a few hours Thursday afternoon, so after a quick lunch at the Sculpture Garden cafe watching the ice skaters, Mom and Dad went off on one of their own adventures. They've never actually seen the Jefferson Memorial, so they headed off toward the Tidal Basin and in about a 3 hour walk covered the Jefferson, FDR, Korean War, and Vietnam War memorials. They were happy and a little tired.
After a coffee break in the Kogod Courtyard at the Reynolds Center, with some live jazz in the background, we took in the special Bicenentennial exhibit One Life: The Mask of Lincoln at the National Portrait Gallery. This is a small one-room exhibit, but it packs in a lot of information. By documenting the changes in Lincoln over the course of his public life, as seen through the new technology of photography, the exhibit tells the story of a nation at war with itself. The photos are striking, of course, but I was really impressed with the comprehensive labels throughout. You can pick up a lot of the history of Lincoln's life and Presidency through this exhibit, and I strongly recommend taking advantage of their cell phone audio tour. This exhibit left me, admittedly a Lincoln fan, wanting more. Though they didn't produce a catalog for this exhibit, I'll be going back soon to see the Lincoln's Inauguration show, also at the Reynolds Center.
We took a quick peek as well at the Georgia O'Keeffe and Ansel Adams show, Natural Affinities, at American Art. This was a good one to walk through quickly - as we were all almost at the cultural saturation point for the day - as both artists offered strong, bold visuals that were great to look at but didn't require much interpretation. Mom and I had actually seen several of the pieces at the O'Keeffe Museum on our Santa Fe trip a few years ago, and it was nice to see them juxtaposed ith Adams's photographs. Another recommendation here.
After a very enjoyable dinner with Scotte and J-Lo, talking politics and travel at Ella's Pizza - during which Dad had his second fried calamari appetizer of the trip - the 'rents and I called it a night. Color us exhausted, 2 nights in a row.
Day 3: Friday
The cold started to take its toll, as Friday was extremely blustery and gave us the first snow flurries of the season. We decided to take things at a more leisurely pace. Cuz really, who needs to freeze while playing tourist?
We spent the morning visiting the Washington National Cathedral, which really is gorgeous. I recommend taking one of the free docent tours, as our volunteer guide spent almost an hour with us pointing out really interesting symbolism in the art and architecture and filling us in on the history of the nation's cathedral. My own personal allergies to any intermingling of church and state aside, it's an amazing landmark. This is another site where we were dodging hordes of unruly teenagers, and I had the very disappointing experience of seeing a few boys stealing money out of a donation plate. Aaargh.
We happened to be there the morning that the volunteers were setting up all of the Thanksgiving decorations, which was cool to watch. I took a lot of pictures, and would've taken more of the outside if it weren't freakin' miserably cold in the wind. Here's one of my faves from inside, where it was warm:
Today we had grand plans, but the cold is seeping into our bones so we took it very easy. We made our way up to Bethesda for a good lunch of soup and sushi (and Dad's third order of friend calamari) at Raku, then scrapped our agenda of spending the afternoon walking around at Hillwood. We all agreed we should save that for a future visit when it's warmer. Nap time again!
Tonight, Dad stayed in and watched football with a pizza. Mom came over to my place, and we were both amazed watching the original 1975 documentary Grey Gardens. The musical I saw last week is based on this film and its incredible story of the destitute relatives of Jackie O. It was an interesting mother-daughter experience, watching this film of a horrible mother-daughter relationship gone wrong. Good times.
Day 5: Sunday
What's left to do? Not much -- brunch in the morning, then heading back to the airport. The timing for this trip worked out well, and while I'll be sad to see them go I'll see them again in just about a month. And then it'll be their turn to entertain me! :-)
Day 1: Wednesday
After treating Mom and Dad to the fun of transferring on Metro with suitcase on the way home from the airport, we took a little while to explore my new NW neighborhood. They were very impressed, and totally agree that it was worth the upgrade from my old 16th St digs.
After wandering for a while, we had lunch at a place I'd been wanting to try - Yanni's Greek Taverna in Cleveland Park. While Mom and Dad both enjoyed it, I have to agree somewhat with those reviews in the Post. I liked the hummus, but I had a terrible overcooked spanakopita. Really, it was burned on the bottom and the filling was so dried out it was hard. Dad insisted I send it back - I NEVER do that - and the second one I got was at least cooked correctly, but was still terribly salty. Service was okay and the location is convenient, but I'm not going to be rushing back for a return trip to a place where I had to send something back. Like I said, though, my parents both thought their meals were delicious.
After lunch and a quick stop into the National Building Museum to show my parents the Great Hall (site of the G20 meetings - Dad's a CNBC addict), we headed down to the Mall for our first cultural item on the agenda: Pompeii and the Roman Villa at the National Gallery of Art. I really enjoyed this show, and while Dad wasn't too interested at the start I think he liked it, too. The exhibit focuses on the lavish lifestyles of the well-off Romans who had seaside villas in that doomed town. This was a great collection of statues, mosaics, frescoes (like the one to the right), sculptures, jewelry, and housewares, all about 2000 years old. The age of the pieces is impressive enough, and while the style of the art looks familiar to anyone who's taken art history or classics, the organization of the exhibit does help tell a story about a culture that had no idea it was about to end. Word to the wise, though, skip the $5 audio tour - but do watch the 10 minute documentary in the gallery.With a quick dinner at Gordon Biersch - and fried food lover Dad's first order of calamari for the trip - we then called it a day. A successful day!
Day 2: Thursday
We got up early on Thursday and had a very busy day. First up, we made our way to the National Museum of Natural History and its new Sant Ocean Hall. As a Resident Associates member, I scored us entree to a free lecture about the mysterious creatures that live in the deep. Dad, who actually has an undergrad degree in zoology, was tickled pink, which was a nice surprise for me since I wasn't sure if they'd be down with an hour-long lecture. It was both educational and fun, cuz the lecturer had a good dry sense of humor, and made me glad I've rejoined the Resident Associates program this year. I'll be back! The Ocean Hall itself, though, wasn't a favorite stop on our visit -- cuz it's mainly geared towards kids and at about 11 am on a weekday it was just teeming with teenagers on field trips. Eeek!
I had to go to work for a few hours Thursday afternoon, so after a quick lunch at the Sculpture Garden cafe watching the ice skaters, Mom and Dad went off on one of their own adventures. They've never actually seen the Jefferson Memorial, so they headed off toward the Tidal Basin and in about a 3 hour walk covered the Jefferson, FDR, Korean War, and Vietnam War memorials. They were happy and a little tired.
After a coffee break in the Kogod Courtyard at the Reynolds Center, with some live jazz in the background, we took in the special Bicenentennial exhibit One Life: The Mask of Lincoln at the National Portrait Gallery. This is a small one-room exhibit, but it packs in a lot of information. By documenting the changes in Lincoln over the course of his public life, as seen through the new technology of photography, the exhibit tells the story of a nation at war with itself. The photos are striking, of course, but I was really impressed with the comprehensive labels throughout. You can pick up a lot of the history of Lincoln's life and Presidency through this exhibit, and I strongly recommend taking advantage of their cell phone audio tour. This exhibit left me, admittedly a Lincoln fan, wanting more. Though they didn't produce a catalog for this exhibit, I'll be going back soon to see the Lincoln's Inauguration show, also at the Reynolds Center.We took a quick peek as well at the Georgia O'Keeffe and Ansel Adams show, Natural Affinities, at American Art. This was a good one to walk through quickly - as we were all almost at the cultural saturation point for the day - as both artists offered strong, bold visuals that were great to look at but didn't require much interpretation. Mom and I had actually seen several of the pieces at the O'Keeffe Museum on our Santa Fe trip a few years ago, and it was nice to see them juxtaposed ith Adams's photographs. Another recommendation here.
After a very enjoyable dinner with Scotte and J-Lo, talking politics and travel at Ella's Pizza - during which Dad had his second fried calamari appetizer of the trip - the 'rents and I called it a night. Color us exhausted, 2 nights in a row.
Day 3: Friday
The cold started to take its toll, as Friday was extremely blustery and gave us the first snow flurries of the season. We decided to take things at a more leisurely pace. Cuz really, who needs to freeze while playing tourist?
We spent the morning visiting the Washington National Cathedral, which really is gorgeous. I recommend taking one of the free docent tours, as our volunteer guide spent almost an hour with us pointing out really interesting symbolism in the art and architecture and filling us in on the history of the nation's cathedral. My own personal allergies to any intermingling of church and state aside, it's an amazing landmark. This is another site where we were dodging hordes of unruly teenagers, and I had the very disappointing experience of seeing a few boys stealing money out of a donation plate. Aaargh.
We happened to be there the morning that the volunteers were setting up all of the Thanksgiving decorations, which was cool to watch. I took a lot of pictures, and would've taken more of the outside if it weren't freakin' miserably cold in the wind. Here's one of my faves from inside, where it was warm:
After lunch at my favorite standby, Cafe Luna in Dupont, Mom and Dad went off in the snow flurries on another of their own adventures to visit the Library of Congress. I took the afternoon to check in with the office on a few things and take a nap. Hey, it's my vacation too, and playing tour guide is a lot of work!
Then, Friday night, I brought Mom and Dad to one of my favorite things in DC -- a photography lecture at the National Geographic. These are always a treat, as I love learning about the photographers' experiences and what they learned about their subjects, and I like that there's always some sort of political, humanitarian or conservation message to the talks. This was another good one.
Day 4: SaturdayToday we had grand plans, but the cold is seeping into our bones so we took it very easy. We made our way up to Bethesda for a good lunch of soup and sushi (and Dad's third order of friend calamari) at Raku, then scrapped our agenda of spending the afternoon walking around at Hillwood. We all agreed we should save that for a future visit when it's warmer. Nap time again!
Tonight, Dad stayed in and watched football with a pizza. Mom came over to my place, and we were both amazed watching the original 1975 documentary Grey Gardens. The musical I saw last week is based on this film and its incredible story of the destitute relatives of Jackie O. It was an interesting mother-daughter experience, watching this film of a horrible mother-daughter relationship gone wrong. Good times.
Day 5: Sunday
What's left to do? Not much -- brunch in the morning, then heading back to the airport. The timing for this trip worked out well, and while I'll be sad to see them go I'll see them again in just about a month. And then it'll be their turn to entertain me! :-)
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Three Cheers for Crazy Ladies!
My theater-loving buddy Selena and I made our way over to Studio Theatre to see their new production of the musical Grey Gardens.
This musical was inspired by a 1975 documentary of the same name, telling the shocking story of Edith Ewing Bouvier and her daughter Edie Bouvier Beale. These former socialites, aunt and cousin to Jackie O and key fixtures of the pre-WWII Hamptons scene, were found to be living in complete squalor at their estate, Grey Gardens. Surrounded by 50+ cats and piles of trash, and under scrutiny by the Board of Health for their inhumane living conditions, "the Edies" spend their days singing, dancing, arguing, and reminiscing on days gone by. Not quite the picture mental health, those two.
The entire play takes place at the titular estate, with the first act showing their 1940's heyday and the second showing the strange world they'd created for themselves by the early 1970's. Since Selena and I are the two friends most likely to find the hidden dark psychological subtext in our book club books (whether others think it's there or not!), give us a play where the dark psychological dysfunction is right there on the surface and we're in heaven! After the show was over, we compared notes and found that while we both thought the play was strong as a whole, it was really the CRAZY stuff in the second act that we just loved. :-)
This is my 2nd year subscribing to Studio, and while I enjoyed the plays overall last year I did have a bit of a beef with the season because I thought women were sorely underrepresented. In the 5-play series, every show had a majority of male leads and there was one show that didn't have any women in it at all. There were some good supporting female roles, but the season was largely dominated by men. Well, I shall complain no more.
Grey Gardens is a fantastic show for actresses, and Barbara Walsh - in the role originated by Tony winner Christine Ebersole - gives an unforgettable performance as both Big (in Act I) and Little Edie (in Act II). I thought she was strong in the first act, playing the domineering diva mother Edith, and she had a grand, operatic voice. By the second act, her transformation into now middle-aged Little Edie was remarkable. Her mannerisms, her look, her posture, and even her *singing voice* changed so completely that there was not even a question that we were watching the same actress play a different character. She was frustrating, funny, ridiculous, and ultimately moving in her portrayal of these two very unhappy women.
This show did exactly what a good production should - it left me wanting more. So, I just ordered the original Broadway cast recording on CD and I've moved the original 1975 documentary to the top of my Netflix queue. I'm not done with those Beale women yet!
This musical was inspired by a 1975 documentary of the same name, telling the shocking story of Edith Ewing Bouvier and her daughter Edie Bouvier Beale. These former socialites, aunt and cousin to Jackie O and key fixtures of the pre-WWII Hamptons scene, were found to be living in complete squalor at their estate, Grey Gardens. Surrounded by 50+ cats and piles of trash, and under scrutiny by the Board of Health for their inhumane living conditions, "the Edies" spend their days singing, dancing, arguing, and reminiscing on days gone by. Not quite the picture mental health, those two.
The entire play takes place at the titular estate, with the first act showing their 1940's heyday and the second showing the strange world they'd created for themselves by the early 1970's. Since Selena and I are the two friends most likely to find the hidden dark psychological subtext in our book club books (whether others think it's there or not!), give us a play where the dark psychological dysfunction is right there on the surface and we're in heaven! After the show was over, we compared notes and found that while we both thought the play was strong as a whole, it was really the CRAZY stuff in the second act that we just loved. :-)
This is my 2nd year subscribing to Studio, and while I enjoyed the plays overall last year I did have a bit of a beef with the season because I thought women were sorely underrepresented. In the 5-play series, every show had a majority of male leads and there was one show that didn't have any women in it at all. There were some good supporting female roles, but the season was largely dominated by men. Well, I shall complain no more.
Grey Gardens is a fantastic show for actresses, and Barbara Walsh - in the role originated by Tony winner Christine Ebersole - gives an unforgettable performance as both Big (in Act I) and Little Edie (in Act II). I thought she was strong in the first act, playing the domineering diva mother Edith, and she had a grand, operatic voice. By the second act, her transformation into now middle-aged Little Edie was remarkable. Her mannerisms, her look, her posture, and even her *singing voice* changed so completely that there was not even a question that we were watching the same actress play a different character. She was frustrating, funny, ridiculous, and ultimately moving in her portrayal of these two very unhappy women.This show did exactly what a good production should - it left me wanting more. So, I just ordered the original Broadway cast recording on CD and I've moved the original 1975 documentary to the top of my Netflix queue. I'm not done with those Beale women yet!
Sunday, November 02, 2008
The Belief-O-Matic
There's this interesting and fun online quiz that friends and I discovered about 10 years ago... on BeliefNet, you can take the 20 question "Belief-O-Matic" to learn how your own views match up with the major world religions. The questions ask your thoughts on things like divinity, the afterlife, salvation, and social and moral issues, and then you'll get a list of how well you align with 27 different faiths or belief systems.
I retake this quiz about once a year, and it's always interesting. For me, my results are very telling -- I almost always end up with the same top 5 answers but their order varies. As I've gotten older, though, Judaism has moved a bit down the list and Buddhism has moved up. Interesting. Seeing these results is always a good little motivator for me to do some reading about the different belief systems.
And, I *always* - for ten years - have had the same answer in the very bottom slot. Roman Catholicism, the religion in which I was brought up, is always the worst match for me. I'm more of a *Scientologist* in my beliefs and social views than I am a traditional Roman Catholic. Seems about right.
Here's my rundown:
1. Unitarian Universalism (100%)
2. Neo-Pagan (99%)
3. Secular Humanism (92%)
4. Liberal Quakers (88%)
5. Theravada Buddhism (87%)
6. New Age (86%)
7. Mahayana Buddhism (75%)
8. Mainline to Liberal Christian Protestants (75%)
9. Nontheist (64%)
10. Reform Judaism (64%)
11. Taoism (63%)
12. Orthodox Quaker (57%)
13. Jainism (51%)
14. Baha'i Faith (48%)
15. Sikhism (44%)
16. Scientology (43%)
17. New Thought (42%)
18. Orthodox Judaism (34%)
19. Christian Science (Church of Christ, Scientist) (33%)
20. Hinduism (32%)
21. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) (29%)
22. Mainline to Conservative Christian/Protestant (29%)
23. Islam (27%)
24. Seventh Day Adventist (27%)
25. Jehovah's Witness (16%)
26. Eastern Orthodox (15%)
27. Roman Catholic (15%)
I retake this quiz about once a year, and it's always interesting. For me, my results are very telling -- I almost always end up with the same top 5 answers but their order varies. As I've gotten older, though, Judaism has moved a bit down the list and Buddhism has moved up. Interesting. Seeing these results is always a good little motivator for me to do some reading about the different belief systems.
And, I *always* - for ten years - have had the same answer in the very bottom slot. Roman Catholicism, the religion in which I was brought up, is always the worst match for me. I'm more of a *Scientologist* in my beliefs and social views than I am a traditional Roman Catholic. Seems about right.
Here's my rundown:
1. Unitarian Universalism (100%)
2. Neo-Pagan (99%)
3. Secular Humanism (92%)
4. Liberal Quakers (88%)
5. Theravada Buddhism (87%)
6. New Age (86%)
7. Mahayana Buddhism (75%)
8. Mainline to Liberal Christian Protestants (75%)
9. Nontheist (64%)
10. Reform Judaism (64%)
11. Taoism (63%)
12. Orthodox Quaker (57%)
13. Jainism (51%)
14. Baha'i Faith (48%)
15. Sikhism (44%)
16. Scientology (43%)
17. New Thought (42%)
18. Orthodox Judaism (34%)
19. Christian Science (Church of Christ, Scientist) (33%)
20. Hinduism (32%)
21. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) (29%)
22. Mainline to Conservative Christian/Protestant (29%)
23. Islam (27%)
24. Seventh Day Adventist (27%)
25. Jehovah's Witness (16%)
26. Eastern Orthodox (15%)
27. Roman Catholic (15%)
Friday, August 08, 2008
Just Enough to Be Dangerous
I have to give another shout out to This American Life, for all of the entertainment and educational value it brings to this particular American life. And I have to share one of my favorite little tidbits I've picked up from it this summer... the concept of "Modern Jackass."
To understand "Modern Jackass," you really should listen to the "A Little Bit of Knowledge" episode - at least 4-minute prologue- and learn the origin of this wonderful little phrase. From the site:
I love this concept. Love it! Why? Because not only is it hilarious, it's also so true... and I do it ALL THE TIME. Ms. Updike calls herself and her friends out for being the type of people who occasionally read an article or see a documentary on something obscure and suddenly think themselves to be well-versed in the topic.
Think about how often you are in conversations where people are referring to things they've heard, or read it somewhere once, or maybe someone told them... and offering it up as Gospel fact, as if they really know a lot about the subject and are speaking as experts. I'm not finger-pointing here, I know I do it too!
How much misinformation are we all sharing with each other just because we know just enough knowledge to be dangerous?
To understand "Modern Jackass," you really should listen to the "A Little Bit of Knowledge" episode - at least 4-minute prologue- and learn the origin of this wonderful little phrase. From the site:
Host Ira Glass describes the thing that we all do at some point: talk
expertly about something we don't actually know anything about. It's so common,
explains This American Life contributing editor Nancy Updike, that some friends
of hers invented an imaginary magazine devoted to such blathering. It's called
"Modern Jackass."
I love this concept. Love it! Why? Because not only is it hilarious, it's also so true... and I do it ALL THE TIME. Ms. Updike calls herself and her friends out for being the type of people who occasionally read an article or see a documentary on something obscure and suddenly think themselves to be well-versed in the topic.
Think about how often you are in conversations where people are referring to things they've heard, or read it somewhere once, or maybe someone told them... and offering it up as Gospel fact, as if they really know a lot about the subject and are speaking as experts. I'm not finger-pointing here, I know I do it too!
How much misinformation are we all sharing with each other just because we know just enough knowledge to be dangerous?
Sunday, June 01, 2008
Not Your Typical Sunday Night
Tonight, having a really good network of friends with cool jobs really paid off, cuz I was offered comp tickets to one of cultural DC's biggest events of the year - the annual Ford's Theatre Presidential Gala performance. So, Scotte and I dressed up and got to go to a big fancy event that we neither had to work or pay for! Wheee!
The performance featured a variety of talents, recording artists, musical theatre performers, and Broadway types. We didn't know the line-up before we got there, so we were really excited to sit down and check out the program, and see that the first celebrity performer listed was.... Clay Aiken. Oh gawd.
I explained to Scotte that this reminded me of how I ended up in France by accident. In my earlier days, I had decided that I didn't really feel the need to ever go to France, especially when there were so many other destinations to plan for in my life. But, lo and behold, Brunette and I got rerouted back from Lisbon once and I ended up in France by accident. In much the same way, I had never intended to see Clay Aiken in concert, but... there you go.
The performance was a "concert version" of the Broadway musical The Civil War. There was a great orchestra onstage and the performers all came out to sing their numbers or speak their lines in black tie, rather than in costume or with any staging. It worked pretty well, but the music itself didn't make me feel the urge to see a full production of the show anytime soon. That being said, some of the performers really stood out:
Trisha Yearwood really has a great voice, and Mrs. Garth elevated two of the semi-sappy ballads with her strong presence.
Clay Aiken, well, he did a decent job performing a ballad... his voice is good, but I just didn't feel it at all. I was too occupied trying to figure out his hair.
Larry Gatlin, yes, of the Gatlin Brothers, was really spirited and seemed to be having a lot of fun. He has a good voice, and while his country style isn't usually my favorite, his heart was in it and that made him more enjoyable.
And throughout the evening, speaking the words of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, Hal Holbrook and Avery Brooks again proved why they're two of the most acclaimed stage performers around.
The real highlight of the evening, no question, was the fantastic showing of Gospel stars and soul. Keith Byron Kirk, Bebe Winans, and the incredible Cheryl Freeman all got the crowd clapping and toe-tapping, backed by the really great Patrick Lundy & The Ministers of Music choir. Ms. Freeman really was the star of the night, as far as I'm concerned, as she poured her heart and soul into the song "Someday," all the while rocking a fantastic slinky black dress. Tonight, she was my hero. This all reminded me how much I really enjoy Gospel, even though I don't usually make a point to seek it out. I think I need to do some downloading on iTunes tonight.
Also as part of the evening, Ford's gave away their annual Lincoln Prize to this year's honorees, Ruby Dee and Maya Angelou. Ms. Dee couldn't make it in person, which was too bad, but her beautiful daughter accepted on her behalf. And Ms. Angelou was there, not only to accept her award but also to perform a moving reading of "And Ain't I a Woman?"
It's too bad the evening had to end with an "aw shucks," "I'm your buddy, so I'll just lean unceremoniously on this podium" speech by the Prez. But, at least we found solidarity in our fellow mezzanine seat-fillers... many of us were cracking jokes about the lame duck throughout the evening. But none of us were prepared for the bizarre sight of George W. Bush and Clay Aiken shaking hands, just 100 yards away. Talk about heebie-jeebies!
Another great thing about tonight? It gave me the chance to achieve the nearly impossible - I actually wore a bridesmaid's dress for a 2nd time! (And it earned me a compliment and the opportunity to have a conversation - finally! - with the cute guy in my building!)
The performance featured a variety of talents, recording artists, musical theatre performers, and Broadway types. We didn't know the line-up before we got there, so we were really excited to sit down and check out the program, and see that the first celebrity performer listed was.... Clay Aiken. Oh gawd.
I explained to Scotte that this reminded me of how I ended up in France by accident. In my earlier days, I had decided that I didn't really feel the need to ever go to France, especially when there were so many other destinations to plan for in my life. But, lo and behold, Brunette and I got rerouted back from Lisbon once and I ended up in France by accident. In much the same way, I had never intended to see Clay Aiken in concert, but... there you go.
The performance was a "concert version" of the Broadway musical The Civil War. There was a great orchestra onstage and the performers all came out to sing their numbers or speak their lines in black tie, rather than in costume or with any staging. It worked pretty well, but the music itself didn't make me feel the urge to see a full production of the show anytime soon. That being said, some of the performers really stood out:
Trisha Yearwood really has a great voice, and Mrs. Garth elevated two of the semi-sappy ballads with her strong presence.
Clay Aiken, well, he did a decent job performing a ballad... his voice is good, but I just didn't feel it at all. I was too occupied trying to figure out his hair.
Larry Gatlin, yes, of the Gatlin Brothers, was really spirited and seemed to be having a lot of fun. He has a good voice, and while his country style isn't usually my favorite, his heart was in it and that made him more enjoyable.
And throughout the evening, speaking the words of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, Hal Holbrook and Avery Brooks again proved why they're two of the most acclaimed stage performers around.
The real highlight of the evening, no question, was the fantastic showing of Gospel stars and soul. Keith Byron Kirk, Bebe Winans, and the incredible Cheryl Freeman all got the crowd clapping and toe-tapping, backed by the really great Patrick Lundy & The Ministers of Music choir. Ms. Freeman really was the star of the night, as far as I'm concerned, as she poured her heart and soul into the song "Someday," all the while rocking a fantastic slinky black dress. Tonight, she was my hero. This all reminded me how much I really enjoy Gospel, even though I don't usually make a point to seek it out. I think I need to do some downloading on iTunes tonight.
Also as part of the evening, Ford's gave away their annual Lincoln Prize to this year's honorees, Ruby Dee and Maya Angelou. Ms. Dee couldn't make it in person, which was too bad, but her beautiful daughter accepted on her behalf. And Ms. Angelou was there, not only to accept her award but also to perform a moving reading of "And Ain't I a Woman?"
It's too bad the evening had to end with an "aw shucks," "I'm your buddy, so I'll just lean unceremoniously on this podium" speech by the Prez. But, at least we found solidarity in our fellow mezzanine seat-fillers... many of us were cracking jokes about the lame duck throughout the evening. But none of us were prepared for the bizarre sight of George W. Bush and Clay Aiken shaking hands, just 100 yards away. Talk about heebie-jeebies!
Another great thing about tonight? It gave me the chance to achieve the nearly impossible - I actually wore a bridesmaid's dress for a 2nd time! (And it earned me a compliment and the opportunity to have a conversation - finally! - with the cute guy in my building!)
Saturday, March 08, 2008
Simple Podcast Pleasures
I have to give a quick shout-out to some folks who have been making me very happy lately..... Ira Glass and the entire crew of This American Life. I always enjoy the show, which I subscribe to on iTunes, but for some reason the episodes recently have just been stellar, particularly in the quirky comedy department:
Episode # 323: The Super included a nearly-fantastical story of a mysteriously colorful NYC building superintendent, and former tenants' reminiscences of his crazy antics and unbelievable (but true?) stories of his past as a military assassin.
Episode #348: Tough Room focused completely on comedy, and what it takes to makes things funny. This broadcast starts with a rare "look" into the inner sanctum of one of the most reliably funny sources around -- the writers' room of The Onion. It was fascinating to hear how the writers come up with their headlines and determine which ideas are funnier than the others, and which are strong enough to hold up a whole "article." Plus, you hear from young Onion staffers who are in the conundrum of now working with those comedy writers who they idolized growing up, but now often have to critique for having outdated or recycled comedic ideas. Very interesting, and funny. Then, in Act 4, hip journalist Malcolm Gladwell (author of two my favorite books, The Tipping Point and Blink) tells an audience about his early days in the business, back when he would *make up* stuff just to get it printed in The Washington Post. This was freakin' hilarious!
And, finally...
Episode #220 : Testosterone both pokes fun at and challenges all of our stereotypes of what it means to be more or less "manly." What happens when someone loses all of their testosterone? What happen when someone has injections of super-doses of the stuff? And, most amusingly, what happens when the staff of a radio show get tested to see who has the most or the least testosterone? (Not recommended for any offices near you.)
So, if you see me walking around town with my earbuds in and a big, silly smile on my face, chances are I'm listening to Ira and the gang and having a ball! If you're not already a fan, I urge you to check it out soon.... I'm sure all you readers will love This American Life, too!
Episode # 323: The Super included a nearly-fantastical story of a mysteriously colorful NYC building superintendent, and former tenants' reminiscences of his crazy antics and unbelievable (but true?) stories of his past as a military assassin.
Episode #348: Tough Room focused completely on comedy, and what it takes to makes things funny. This broadcast starts with a rare "look" into the inner sanctum of one of the most reliably funny sources around -- the writers' room of The Onion. It was fascinating to hear how the writers come up with their headlines and determine which ideas are funnier than the others, and which are strong enough to hold up a whole "article." Plus, you hear from young Onion staffers who are in the conundrum of now working with those comedy writers who they idolized growing up, but now often have to critique for having outdated or recycled comedic ideas. Very interesting, and funny. Then, in Act 4, hip journalist Malcolm Gladwell (author of two my favorite books, The Tipping Point and Blink) tells an audience about his early days in the business, back when he would *make up* stuff just to get it printed in The Washington Post. This was freakin' hilarious!
And, finally...
Episode #220 : Testosterone both pokes fun at and challenges all of our stereotypes of what it means to be more or less "manly." What happens when someone loses all of their testosterone? What happen when someone has injections of super-doses of the stuff? And, most amusingly, what happens when the staff of a radio show get tested to see who has the most or the least testosterone? (Not recommended for any offices near you.)
So, if you see me walking around town with my earbuds in and a big, silly smile on my face, chances are I'm listening to Ira and the gang and having a ball! If you're not already a fan, I urge you to check it out soon.... I'm sure all you readers will love This American Life, too!
Sunday, March 02, 2008
My New Favorite
I have probably seen somewhere between 100 - 150 performances of live theater in my life. And if you had asked me this morning which had been my favorites, I would've easily answered: Ethan McSweeny's Wit starring Lisa Harrow at Pittsburgh Public Theater in 2000 and Gale Edwards's Richard III with Wallace Acton at the Shakespeare Theatre in 2003. Well, after half a decade, there's a new show to add... right at the top!
My new favorite production is Mary Zimmerman's gorgeous Argonautika, closing today at the Shakespeare Theatre. Ms. Zimmerman put together all of the right ingredients to make a nearly perfect example of what theatre can be: she started with one of the most beloved stories in the history of the world, filled with gods and heroes; then added set, costume, and production designs that made the most of both form and function, with lighting and sound that enhance everything you can see on the stage; she assembled a cast that could play tragedy, comedy, and adventure with a physicality that made the whole show sexy as hell; and she injected the whole thing with a very modern sensibility even while staying true to its ancient roots. Voila! There you have it, Argonautika. I spent almost the entire 3 hours with my mouth wide open in a giddy, goofy grin!
At times, it seems like the Shakespeare Theatre and other classical companies almost have to work against themselves in order to attract audiences. For those who don't already love drama, the notion of "classical theatre" can sound pretty boring.... plays written by dead Elizabethans, or based on those ancient myths everyone had to struggle through in high school English class? Snooze, right? But, luckily, sometimes these institutions bring the right combination of visionary people together to breathe new life into the classics and prove that not only are they every bit as exciting today as when they were written, but they can entertain the pants off of a modern audience that's used to summer blockbusters and HBO.
Argonautika's biggest success, in my humble opinion, is that it remembers that, at the heart of of all, the story of Jason and the Argonauts is an epic adventure -- it should be exciting! There should be drama, and humor, and suspense, and music. And I'm guessing that's exactly why today's final matinee performance was completely sold out. I hope that the great buzz for this show was enough to introduce new audiences to the power of live theatre done right. I'm just sorry I didn't see it until today, cuz now I can't go back and see it again!
Side Note: Help me, my fellow DC-area culture vultures.... please reassure me that I'm not the *only* theatregoer in our nation's capital that still giggles when I see a former cast member from Studio's Take Me Out in a new show. Tee hee!
(Photos from Digital Shakespeare.)
My new favorite production is Mary Zimmerman's gorgeous Argonautika, closing today at the Shakespeare Theatre. Ms. Zimmerman put together all of the right ingredients to make a nearly perfect example of what theatre can be: she started with one of the most beloved stories in the history of the world, filled with gods and heroes; then added set, costume, and production designs that made the most of both form and function, with lighting and sound that enhance everything you can see on the stage; she assembled a cast that could play tragedy, comedy, and adventure with a physicality that made the whole show sexy as hell; and she injected the whole thing with a very modern sensibility even while staying true to its ancient roots. Voila! There you have it, Argonautika. I spent almost the entire 3 hours with my mouth wide open in a giddy, goofy grin!At times, it seems like the Shakespeare Theatre and other classical companies almost have to work against themselves in order to attract audiences. For those who don't already love drama, the notion of "classical theatre" can sound pretty boring.... plays written by dead Elizabethans, or based on those ancient myths everyone had to struggle through in high school English class? Snooze, right? But, luckily, sometimes these institutions bring the right combination of visionary people together to breathe new life into the classics and prove that not only are they every bit as exciting today as when they were written, but they can entertain the pants off of a modern audience that's used to summer blockbusters and HBO.
Argonautika's biggest success, in my humble opinion, is that it remembers that, at the heart of of all, the story of Jason and the Argonauts is an epic adventure -- it should be exciting! There should be drama, and humor, and suspense, and music. And I'm guessing that's exactly why today's final matinee performance was completely sold out. I hope that the great buzz for this show was enough to introduce new audiences to the power of live theatre done right. I'm just sorry I didn't see it until today, cuz now I can't go back and see it again!
Side Note: Help me, my fellow DC-area culture vultures.... please reassure me that I'm not the *only* theatregoer in our nation's capital that still giggles when I see a former cast member from Studio's Take Me Out in a new show. Tee hee!
(Photos from Digital Shakespeare.)
Saturday, February 09, 2008
A Lovely Afternoon
The weather was perfect for spending the afternoon at Mount Vernon. Enjoy. I did!
Saturday, January 05, 2008
A Must-See at Studio
I had such a great afternoon at Studio Theatre! Their newest show, The Brothers Size, is excellent - the best I've seen there since Take Me Out. (And not just because of the much-appreciated display of fine male specimens.... this is a very attractive, only half-clothed cast! ;-)
The play tells the story of two brothers, Ogun and Oshoosi, and Oshoosi's friend Elegba. Oshoosi and Elegba have been recently released from prison, and Ogun is the older brother who's always been the more dependable on, solving problems and getting his little brother out of trouble. There is a lot of tension between the three from their histories together, but also real friendship and affection; all of these emotions are on display as the brothers and the friend try to figure out how to interact with each other as they attempt to start a new chapter in life.
The Brothers Size is written by a young, up-and-coming playwright, Tarell Alvin McCraney, and he has done a great job of telling the story with both traditional scenes and "break the fourth wall" moments of spoken stage directions and context setting. The show includes a live percussionist, and the drumming is especially compelling, pulling the audience right in to the story. The 3 men of the cast are fantastic, each giving powerful but affecting performances and meeting the challenges of very physical roles, including some pretty impressive singing, dancing, and stomping.
My theatre buddy, Onyah, and I both walked in to the Theatre knowing very little about what we would be seeing, but we both walked just buzzing with how much we had enjoyed this show. It's definitely worth checking out!
----------------------
ADDENDUM: Turns out I'm not the only one who really likes this show! Peter Marks of the WaPo gave it a really great review. Check it!
The play tells the story of two brothers, Ogun and Oshoosi, and Oshoosi's friend Elegba. Oshoosi and Elegba have been recently released from prison, and Ogun is the older brother who's always been the more dependable on, solving problems and getting his little brother out of trouble. There is a lot of tension between the three from their histories together, but also real friendship and affection; all of these emotions are on display as the brothers and the friend try to figure out how to interact with each other as they attempt to start a new chapter in life.
The Brothers Size is written by a young, up-and-coming playwright, Tarell Alvin McCraney, and he has done a great job of telling the story with both traditional scenes and "break the fourth wall" moments of spoken stage directions and context setting. The show includes a live percussionist, and the drumming is especially compelling, pulling the audience right in to the story. The 3 men of the cast are fantastic, each giving powerful but affecting performances and meeting the challenges of very physical roles, including some pretty impressive singing, dancing, and stomping.
My theatre buddy, Onyah, and I both walked in to the Theatre knowing very little about what we would be seeing, but we both walked just buzzing with how much we had enjoyed this show. It's definitely worth checking out!
----------------------
ADDENDUM: Turns out I'm not the only one who really likes this show! Peter Marks of the WaPo gave it a really great review. Check it!
Sunday, December 09, 2007
Obsession, Treason, and Murder in a Matinee
This afternoon, I was finally able to check out the new Harman Center for the Arts with the matinee performance of Edward II. I was impressed... with the space, a hesitant yes, as I need some repeat visits to better gauge how I feel about the entry lobby (very crowded today) and the performance space itself. But, since the play's the thing, it was an afternoon well spent... Edward II was a real treat, even at almost 3 hours!
I had very high expectations walking into this show, which features the combined talents of director Gale Edwards and lead actor Wallace Acton. I'd seen their collaboration twice before... in a riveting production of Hamlet at Carter Barron in Rock Creek Park, and most importantly in Richard III at the Lansburgh, which still stands as the single most thrilling theatre experience I've had. Ms. Edwards is a great director, who pulls together story and language, performances and design, into really compelling updated-yet-timeless productions of some of the classics of Western theatre. And in Mr. Acton, it appears she has found a muse... his humpbacked Richard and his Prince of Denmark were both stellar performances.
So, yeah, this show had a lot to live up to in my mind. I already knew the story of Edward II, having seen a very modernized version put on by Duquesne University's Red Masquers about 7 years ago, but I was looking forward to seeing STC's approach with obviously a lot more money and established talents.
And I was a little hesitant, knowing that subject matter. Shakespeare's histories are usually my least favorite of his plays. Troops of lords and earls stomping on and off the stage in big sweeping costumes, scheming about deposing the king... that's a big yawn for me. In fact, TSC's productions in repertory of Henry IV Parts 1 and 2 were particularly painful, in my humble opinion. Even though Edward II has its share of lordly machinations (and stomping), the play and this production balance it well with the more personal stories of obsession (E2's love of the banished Gaveston) and ambition (Isabella's marital frustrations turning her eeeeeevil and plotting with Mortimer to take the throne).
Perhaps the difference with this history play is that it's Marlowe's, not Shakespeare's. Or perhaps it's the hand of director Edwards at work. Or perhaps it was the strength of the cast - including Mr. Acton, Andrew Long as Mortimer, and the knockout Deanne Lorette as Queen Isabella - who inhabited their characters and gave them motivation beyond mere words on a page. Or, probably, all of the above.
Whatever the reason, this was a great show. The set was spare but often transformed to bring us to the battlefield, or the monastery, or prison; the lighting and sound enhanced the show throughout; and, typical for a Gale Edwards show, the costumes were phenomenal. Mr. Acton wears a full-length black flared coat in one scene that my friend and I both loved!
You know, it's really a great feeling sometimes to have your high expectations actually be met. :-)
PS - A shout out to this lady: Thanks for scoring me such great seats!
I had very high expectations walking into this show, which features the combined talents of director Gale Edwards and lead actor Wallace Acton. I'd seen their collaboration twice before... in a riveting production of Hamlet at Carter Barron in Rock Creek Park, and most importantly in Richard III at the Lansburgh, which still stands as the single most thrilling theatre experience I've had. Ms. Edwards is a great director, who pulls together story and language, performances and design, into really compelling updated-yet-timeless productions of some of the classics of Western theatre. And in Mr. Acton, it appears she has found a muse... his humpbacked Richard and his Prince of Denmark were both stellar performances.
So, yeah, this show had a lot to live up to in my mind. I already knew the story of Edward II, having seen a very modernized version put on by Duquesne University's Red Masquers about 7 years ago, but I was looking forward to seeing STC's approach with obviously a lot more money and established talents.
And I was a little hesitant, knowing that subject matter. Shakespeare's histories are usually my least favorite of his plays. Troops of lords and earls stomping on and off the stage in big sweeping costumes, scheming about deposing the king... that's a big yawn for me. In fact, TSC's productions in repertory of Henry IV Parts 1 and 2 were particularly painful, in my humble opinion. Even though Edward II has its share of lordly machinations (and stomping), the play and this production balance it well with the more personal stories of obsession (E2's love of the banished Gaveston) and ambition (Isabella's marital frustrations turning her eeeeeevil and plotting with Mortimer to take the throne).
Perhaps the difference with this history play is that it's Marlowe's, not Shakespeare's. Or perhaps it's the hand of director Edwards at work. Or perhaps it was the strength of the cast - including Mr. Acton, Andrew Long as Mortimer, and the knockout Deanne Lorette as Queen Isabella - who inhabited their characters and gave them motivation beyond mere words on a page. Or, probably, all of the above.
Whatever the reason, this was a great show. The set was spare but often transformed to bring us to the battlefield, or the monastery, or prison; the lighting and sound enhanced the show throughout; and, typical for a Gale Edwards show, the costumes were phenomenal. Mr. Acton wears a full-length black flared coat in one scene that my friend and I both loved!
You know, it's really a great feeling sometimes to have your high expectations actually be met. :-)
PS - A shout out to this lady: Thanks for scoring me such great seats!
Saturday, November 24, 2007
He Ain't Heavy
My little brother came to visit! We just had a very enjoyable 3-day Thanksgiving holiday, featuring food, folks, and fun. (But no McDonald's.) Like a few years ago when my parents visited, I got to play tour guide of this city that I love. Since little bro hadn't been to our nation's capital since the Reagan Administration, there was lots to show him.
Wednesday
Little bro got into town in time for lunch, and after grabbing some Potbelly's I gave him a tour of my office and our exhibits at the museum where I work. He was duly impressed (with the exhibits too, not just with the toasty sandwich). Eventually we made our way up to AdMo and then to Dupont, where Onyah and Reporter Boy joined us for a few hours of good greasy bar food and shuffleboard at Buffalo Billiards. Later, we took advantage of the wonderfully unseasonable weather and walked the Mall. I highly recommend visiting the monuments at night, it's when our city looks its best.
Thursday
Turkey Day! Once again, I benefited from the gracious hospitality and wonderful cooking of Mr. Scotte and Mr. J-Lo. Thanks boys, especially for being so welcoming of my little bro! We spent the day laughing, talking, eating, drinking, and watching movies, and my bro got to meet lots of folks from my DC circle, including this newlywed couple and one of these guys, plus Joyous and Jane Austen and the other newlyweds in their matching Hawaii t-shirts. This is why Thanksgiving has become my favorite holiday of the year. :-)
Friday
Friday was our whirlwind tour of DC's cultural offerings... and trust me, getting out and about the day after Thanksgiving is not for the faint-hearted. I can't imagine what the malls were like, but I can tell you that at the museums there were people - and strollers - EVERYWHERE!
We started with a morning visit to the International Spy Museum. This was actually my first time going, since I'd never found a reason to justify that high ticket price (grrr) before. But, we actually had a really good time! It's a very thorough look at espionage, ranging from all the modern gadgetry and disguise tricks to the role of spies throughout world history. The museum is very interactive, with a little something for everybody, and the exhibit is a lot bigger than you might think by looking at the building from outside. Plus, there's a great gift shop... with everything from Jack Bauer gear to Nancy Drew party games to Mao and Che t-shirts. Worth a trip!
After lunch at Austin Grill, we had some time to kill.... and made our way to the National Museum of Natural History. Normally this is one of my favorites of the Smithsonian, but the horrendous crowds were too much to battle. We explored a little bit of the Ice Age and dinosaur exhibits, which were almost dangerously mobbed, and found a newer exhibit on African Voices. This was pretty cool, and since it was sadly not at all crowded, we did get to explore. We fought our way upstairs through the hordes for a 2 second look at the Hope Diamond, and then burst back out onto Constitution Avenue for some air. Word to the wise... do NOT go to the Mall (or the mall) on Black Friday. Not if you value your personal space and comfort and actually want to SEE anything.
Then, at little bro's request, we hit the E Street Cinema to catch a matinee showing of what I'm happy to call the best film I've seen all year - No Country for Old Men. The cast is universally superb - with Tommy Lee Jones, Josh Brolin, and Woody Harrelson all inhabiting their West Texas cowboys perfectly. But the real center of this film - the cold, dark, mysterious center - is Javier Bardem's chillingly evil assassin. See this movie, and hope you never run into Bardem on the side of the highway.
After a dinner of lamb kabobs at Skewers, we finished our tour with the evening show of Keegan Theatre's Mojo Mickybo at the Church Street Theater. This was my first time in the Dupont theater space, and my first time seeing a Keegan show, but I was really impressed and will plan to check out more of both in the future. This play was a really fun, fast-moving two-man show about childhood in Belfast in 1970. As we were leaving, the folks asked us to spread the word and tell people to come see the show before it closes on 12/1, so.... see it!
At this point, we hit about the 12-hour mark of playing tourist, and we were exhausted.... it takes a lot out of you!
Saturday
And now it's Saturday morning, and my poor bro is stuck with at least an hour delay at National. I repeat my own mantra to you all... never fly Northworst. They're in the boring terminal and they are ALWAYS delayed. Ah well, he'll be home soon, and then we'll get to hang again in Bloomington in a few weeks. But I'm glad he's finally gotten a little taste of my world here.
Wednesday
Little bro got into town in time for lunch, and after grabbing some Potbelly's I gave him a tour of my office and our exhibits at the museum where I work. He was duly impressed (with the exhibits too, not just with the toasty sandwich). Eventually we made our way up to AdMo and then to Dupont, where Onyah and Reporter Boy joined us for a few hours of good greasy bar food and shuffleboard at Buffalo Billiards. Later, we took advantage of the wonderfully unseasonable weather and walked the Mall. I highly recommend visiting the monuments at night, it's when our city looks its best.
Thursday
Turkey Day! Once again, I benefited from the gracious hospitality and wonderful cooking of Mr. Scotte and Mr. J-Lo. Thanks boys, especially for being so welcoming of my little bro! We spent the day laughing, talking, eating, drinking, and watching movies, and my bro got to meet lots of folks from my DC circle, including this newlywed couple and one of these guys, plus Joyous and Jane Austen and the other newlyweds in their matching Hawaii t-shirts. This is why Thanksgiving has become my favorite holiday of the year. :-)
Friday
Friday was our whirlwind tour of DC's cultural offerings... and trust me, getting out and about the day after Thanksgiving is not for the faint-hearted. I can't imagine what the malls were like, but I can tell you that at the museums there were people - and strollers - EVERYWHERE!
We started with a morning visit to the International Spy Museum. This was actually my first time going, since I'd never found a reason to justify that high ticket price (grrr) before. But, we actually had a really good time! It's a very thorough look at espionage, ranging from all the modern gadgetry and disguise tricks to the role of spies throughout world history. The museum is very interactive, with a little something for everybody, and the exhibit is a lot bigger than you might think by looking at the building from outside. Plus, there's a great gift shop... with everything from Jack Bauer gear to Nancy Drew party games to Mao and Che t-shirts. Worth a trip!
After lunch at Austin Grill, we had some time to kill.... and made our way to the National Museum of Natural History. Normally this is one of my favorites of the Smithsonian, but the horrendous crowds were too much to battle. We explored a little bit of the Ice Age and dinosaur exhibits, which were almost dangerously mobbed, and found a newer exhibit on African Voices. This was pretty cool, and since it was sadly not at all crowded, we did get to explore. We fought our way upstairs through the hordes for a 2 second look at the Hope Diamond, and then burst back out onto Constitution Avenue for some air. Word to the wise... do NOT go to the Mall (or the mall) on Black Friday. Not if you value your personal space and comfort and actually want to SEE anything.
Then, at little bro's request, we hit the E Street Cinema to catch a matinee showing of what I'm happy to call the best film I've seen all year - No Country for Old Men. The cast is universally superb - with Tommy Lee Jones, Josh Brolin, and Woody Harrelson all inhabiting their West Texas cowboys perfectly. But the real center of this film - the cold, dark, mysterious center - is Javier Bardem's chillingly evil assassin. See this movie, and hope you never run into Bardem on the side of the highway.
After a dinner of lamb kabobs at Skewers, we finished our tour with the evening show of Keegan Theatre's Mojo Mickybo at the Church Street Theater. This was my first time in the Dupont theater space, and my first time seeing a Keegan show, but I was really impressed and will plan to check out more of both in the future. This play was a really fun, fast-moving two-man show about childhood in Belfast in 1970. As we were leaving, the folks asked us to spread the word and tell people to come see the show before it closes on 12/1, so.... see it!
At this point, we hit about the 12-hour mark of playing tourist, and we were exhausted.... it takes a lot out of you!
Saturday
And now it's Saturday morning, and my poor bro is stuck with at least an hour delay at National. I repeat my own mantra to you all... never fly Northworst. They're in the boring terminal and they are ALWAYS delayed. Ah well, he'll be home soon, and then we'll get to hang again in Bloomington in a few weeks. But I'm glad he's finally gotten a little taste of my world here.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Double Booked
Continuing my week of cultural adventures, I actually did two things tonight. Since I so rarely have such a busy night, I thought I'd mark the occasion with a blog post for your enjoyment. :-)
First up, book club at Raku in Dupont. Mmmmm noodles! The setting was appropriate, as we discussed the novel Silk by Alessandro Baricco. This novel, written in Italian, tells the story of a 19th century Frenchman and his travels to Japan in search of priceless silkworm eggs. On his journeys, he meets a beautiful and mysterious woman and he becomes instantly infatuated. Each year, he leaves his wife behind in France and makes the treacherous trip across the world in the hopes of another glimpse or encounter with the mystery woman. The real world interferes, however, with Japan's civil war and disease among the silkworms.
The story questions the meaning of love and fidelity, and features some of the most beautiful, vivid, lyrical language I've seen. In fact, it also includes just about the dirtiest sexual passage I've ever seen in a novel, as well. Our book club seems to have a knack for finding unexpected erotica in popular fiction! But the book was enjoyable, barely a 90 minute read tops, and we had a great discussion. Any book club meeting that can include references to Jabba the Hut AND how "The Notebook" chokes the kitten but still makes us sob is an evening well spent!
Next, I made my way back over to National Geographic for the photo-conservation lecture "From Yellowstone to Yukon: Freedom to Roam." This was a great program, as the German photographer Florian Schwarz gave an impassioned and entertaining talk on the need to preserve North American biodiversity by protecting the connected lands in the Yellowstone to Yukon corridor. Florian (what a great name!) shared some gorgeous photographs of grizzlies, wolves, and the amazing landscapes of the American West, which are all collected in his book (a great holiday gift idea).
In explaining why we should listen to a German guy's pleas to preserve North America's natural resources, Schwarz made an interesting comparison: In Germany, he said, they have a wealth of recorded history - cathedrals, cities, civilizations that are hundreds and even thousands of years old. But what we have in the Americas is a living natural history, ecosystems that have remained largely unchanged since, I dunno, the last Ice Age. Europeans, he said, have lost that natural history and there's no way of getting it back. Well, when he puts it that way, it sure does make sense.
To learn more about this conservation effort, check out the Y2Y site.
Thus ends my week of culture, but have no fear... I'll be exploring again next week when baby bro comes to visit for the first time in about 2 decades. I've got to show him my city!
First up, book club at Raku in Dupont. Mmmmm noodles! The setting was appropriate, as we discussed the novel Silk by Alessandro Baricco. This novel, written in Italian, tells the story of a 19th century Frenchman and his travels to Japan in search of priceless silkworm eggs. On his journeys, he meets a beautiful and mysterious woman and he becomes instantly infatuated. Each year, he leaves his wife behind in France and makes the treacherous trip across the world in the hopes of another glimpse or encounter with the mystery woman. The real world interferes, however, with Japan's civil war and disease among the silkworms.
The story questions the meaning of love and fidelity, and features some of the most beautiful, vivid, lyrical language I've seen. In fact, it also includes just about the dirtiest sexual passage I've ever seen in a novel, as well. Our book club seems to have a knack for finding unexpected erotica in popular fiction! But the book was enjoyable, barely a 90 minute read tops, and we had a great discussion. Any book club meeting that can include references to Jabba the Hut AND how "The Notebook" chokes the kitten but still makes us sob is an evening well spent!
Next, I made my way back over to National Geographic for the photo-conservation lecture "From Yellowstone to Yukon: Freedom to Roam." This was a great program, as the German photographer Florian Schwarz gave an impassioned and entertaining talk on the need to preserve North American biodiversity by protecting the connected lands in the Yellowstone to Yukon corridor. Florian (what a great name!) shared some gorgeous photographs of grizzlies, wolves, and the amazing landscapes of the American West, which are all collected in his book (a great holiday gift idea).In explaining why we should listen to a German guy's pleas to preserve North America's natural resources, Schwarz made an interesting comparison: In Germany, he said, they have a wealth of recorded history - cathedrals, cities, civilizations that are hundreds and even thousands of years old. But what we have in the Americas is a living natural history, ecosystems that have remained largely unchanged since, I dunno, the last Ice Age. Europeans, he said, have lost that natural history and there's no way of getting it back. Well, when he puts it that way, it sure does make sense.
To learn more about this conservation effort, check out the Y2Y site.
Thus ends my week of culture, but have no fear... I'll be exploring again next week when baby bro comes to visit for the first time in about 2 decades. I've got to show him my city!
Sunday, November 11, 2007
My Cultural Capital
I have spent the past week playing "culture vulture," sampling some of the great cultural resources our fine city has to offer. I didn't quite plan to do all of this in just a week, but it's a great lesson in how much there is to do and how fun it can be to just soak up the art and history that are all around us here in our nation's capital. (Buckle up, this is gonna be a long post!)
Tuesday
I started my adventures at National Geographic, with a lecture on Palenque and the Ancient Maya World. The lecture given by the entertaining father-son duo of the Drs. Stuart focused on the discovery and excavation of this ancient city, hidden in the Yucatan jungle for centuries, and the story its art and architecture tell of the line of kings led by Pacal the Great. I found the most interesting part of the evening to be the discussion of what the fields of archaeology and anthropology mean to modern cultures - what does it mean for the current residents of the Yucatan, the living Maya, to learn about these ancient civilizations of their ancestors? How does it help build identity and cohesiveness for the modern people? Thought-provoking stuff.
I love these NG programs (branded under the umbrella of National Geographic Live!) because you can hear fascinating stories about history, culture, photography, and the natural world - like the best lectures you had back in college - but there's no test afterwards! I try to go to several programs each year, and I have tickets for 2 more this fall. Stay tuned!
Wednesday
The next night, some pals and I made it over to Woolly Mammoth to check out their world premiere of Melissa James Gibson's Current Nobody. This show puts a contemporary spin on Homer's The Odyssey, with the story of a war photographer who returns to her family after 20 years of adventures "off the map."
Here's the thing... I didn't really like this show. I could see what the playwright was going for in her modern interpretation - flipping the gender roles so that the woman is the one who leaves and sees the world, and making some subtle references to our current war society - but it didn't really work for me. Even though it's a modern setting, she kept a lot of the language referring to mythical beasts and ancient cities... so a lot of the show seemed neither here nor there, temporally. Gibson could have easily translated the ancient tales of the Cyclops and the Land of the Lotus Eaters to more realistic contemporary dangers, and the show would've been better for it. Unfortunately, mixing the myth in with what was supposed to be a current story was a little a jarring.
I also was a little disappointed in the casting... here's where a year spent at the Shakespeare Theatre Company has made me a bit of a snob, as I've learned how to recognize actors who have had classical training. It really does make such a difference. I hate criticizing stage actors, since I know it's a much more difficult profession than it may look. But in this case, except for the actress who gives a strong performance as the daughter, I was underwhelmed.
That being said, I do think the design of the show was creative. The set was pretty stark but functioned well from bedroom scenes to a press conference and back, and the most inventive part of the whole production was how it incorporated video into the show. The back wall of the set became a giant screen that showed live footage of the play itself, offering the audience a new perspective on both the action onstage and behind the scenes - extending the set itself by hinting at other rooms just off the stage. You can sorta see what I'm talking about in the photos here on Woolly's page for the show. So, kudos to the design team.
Well, even though I didn't love the show, I'm glad I went. I'm sticking with my dramatic resolution of seeing more theatre, and that sometimes includes opportunities to think critically about how a production could be better.
Saturday
I went in for a second helping of drama this week with my subscription to The Studio Theatre and its production of Conor McPherson's The Shining City. My old home, PPT, had done a production of McPherson's Irish ghost story The Weir several years back, so I was looking forward to seeing him give the genre another shot.
After my disappointment on Wednesday, I put some heavy expectations on poor Studio as it had to redeem contemporary theatre for me, at least for the time being. Thankfully, I really enjoyed this one!
The story worked well. Ian, a former priest/new therapist, is adjusting to his new life, finding a bit of inspiration in his first patient. Ed Gero, a DC fave, does a great job as John, the man haunted by his wife's death and struggling with guilt over his own infidelities. In a case of "physician, heal thyself," Ian explores his own path as he counsels John, and the language and performances both convey what feels like a very real story. In my book, that's a great accomplishment. The set design works well, and I liked the way the contemporary music set the mood. All in all, it was a good afternoon at the theatre.
Sunday
Finally, today a few friends and I braved the holiday weekend tourists at the National Gallery to take in the Edward Hopper exhibit. I've been looking forward to this one for a long time. Hopper has always been one of my favorite artists, and his work always brings about a bit of nostalgia in me, as his New England looks a lot like my Upstate NY home.
Tuesday
I started my adventures at National Geographic, with a lecture on Palenque and the Ancient Maya World. The lecture given by the entertaining father-son duo of the Drs. Stuart focused on the discovery and excavation of this ancient city, hidden in the Yucatan jungle for centuries, and the story its art and architecture tell of the line of kings led by Pacal the Great. I found the most interesting part of the evening to be the discussion of what the fields of archaeology and anthropology mean to modern cultures - what does it mean for the current residents of the Yucatan, the living Maya, to learn about these ancient civilizations of their ancestors? How does it help build identity and cohesiveness for the modern people? Thought-provoking stuff.I love these NG programs (branded under the umbrella of National Geographic Live!) because you can hear fascinating stories about history, culture, photography, and the natural world - like the best lectures you had back in college - but there's no test afterwards! I try to go to several programs each year, and I have tickets for 2 more this fall. Stay tuned!
Wednesday
The next night, some pals and I made it over to Woolly Mammoth to check out their world premiere of Melissa James Gibson's Current Nobody. This show puts a contemporary spin on Homer's The Odyssey, with the story of a war photographer who returns to her family after 20 years of adventures "off the map."
Here's the thing... I didn't really like this show. I could see what the playwright was going for in her modern interpretation - flipping the gender roles so that the woman is the one who leaves and sees the world, and making some subtle references to our current war society - but it didn't really work for me. Even though it's a modern setting, she kept a lot of the language referring to mythical beasts and ancient cities... so a lot of the show seemed neither here nor there, temporally. Gibson could have easily translated the ancient tales of the Cyclops and the Land of the Lotus Eaters to more realistic contemporary dangers, and the show would've been better for it. Unfortunately, mixing the myth in with what was supposed to be a current story was a little a jarring.
I also was a little disappointed in the casting... here's where a year spent at the Shakespeare Theatre Company has made me a bit of a snob, as I've learned how to recognize actors who have had classical training. It really does make such a difference. I hate criticizing stage actors, since I know it's a much more difficult profession than it may look. But in this case, except for the actress who gives a strong performance as the daughter, I was underwhelmed.
That being said, I do think the design of the show was creative. The set was pretty stark but functioned well from bedroom scenes to a press conference and back, and the most inventive part of the whole production was how it incorporated video into the show. The back wall of the set became a giant screen that showed live footage of the play itself, offering the audience a new perspective on both the action onstage and behind the scenes - extending the set itself by hinting at other rooms just off the stage. You can sorta see what I'm talking about in the photos here on Woolly's page for the show. So, kudos to the design team.
Well, even though I didn't love the show, I'm glad I went. I'm sticking with my dramatic resolution of seeing more theatre, and that sometimes includes opportunities to think critically about how a production could be better.
Saturday
I went in for a second helping of drama this week with my subscription to The Studio Theatre and its production of Conor McPherson's The Shining City. My old home, PPT, had done a production of McPherson's Irish ghost story The Weir several years back, so I was looking forward to seeing him give the genre another shot.
After my disappointment on Wednesday, I put some heavy expectations on poor Studio as it had to redeem contemporary theatre for me, at least for the time being. Thankfully, I really enjoyed this one!
The story worked well. Ian, a former priest/new therapist, is adjusting to his new life, finding a bit of inspiration in his first patient. Ed Gero, a DC fave, does a great job as John, the man haunted by his wife's death and struggling with guilt over his own infidelities. In a case of "physician, heal thyself," Ian explores his own path as he counsels John, and the language and performances both convey what feels like a very real story. In my book, that's a great accomplishment. The set design works well, and I liked the way the contemporary music set the mood. All in all, it was a good afternoon at the theatre.
Sunday
Finally, today a few friends and I braved the holiday weekend tourists at the National Gallery to take in the Edward Hopper exhibit. I've been looking forward to this one for a long time. Hopper has always been one of my favorite artists, and his work always brings about a bit of nostalgia in me, as his New England looks a lot like my Upstate NY home.
Hopper is probably best known for his oils, like the iconic and often-imitated "Nighthawks," and there were several good examples included in this show. My favorites, however, are his watercolors depicting scenes of Gloucester, Mass, Maine, and Cape Cod. I particularly like his study of the lighthouses in Cape Elizabeth, Maine, as well as one of his early notable works, "The Mansard Roof."
I took a bunch of notes on my gallery guide to help remember what I wanted to say about the exhibit... but since this post is already getting quite long, I'll just treat you to the actual scribbles themselves:
- watercolors as precise as oils
- solo figures in urban landscapes = isolation and loneliness surrounded by humanity
- immortalized the everyday
- abstraction even in representation
This was a great way to spend a Sunday morning... and speaking of spend, I dropped more than 90 bucks on Hopperabilia at the gift shop! Ah, museums love me.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Act V
I just finished listening to this week's This American Life podcast, entitled "Act V," and I am feeling inspired.
This show focused on the Prison Performing Arts program and a production of "Hamlet" performed by an unusual group of actors. This company is comprised solely of performers who are incarcerated for violent crimes. The insights they shared into their roles and Hamlet's decisions, and the ways that they related the play to their own often haunting experiences, were remarkable. These actors offer a fresh perspective on Shakespeare's great tragedy, with all of its violence and moral conflicts, making the centuries-old story seem very real.
These men and their exploration of Shakespeare's words and characters was a perfect example of the transformative power of the arts, and in particular the way that theater can provoke a dialogue that gets to the heart, and the humanity, that we all share.
"Act V" was a great reminder of why I got into this field in the first place. This crazy, maddening, unpredictable, (melo)dramatic, undefinable and yes, at times, frivolous thing we call art? It's about who we are, and who we can be. Thanks for the reminder, Ira Glass!
This show focused on the Prison Performing Arts program and a production of "Hamlet" performed by an unusual group of actors. This company is comprised solely of performers who are incarcerated for violent crimes. The insights they shared into their roles and Hamlet's decisions, and the ways that they related the play to their own often haunting experiences, were remarkable. These actors offer a fresh perspective on Shakespeare's great tragedy, with all of its violence and moral conflicts, making the centuries-old story seem very real.
These men and their exploration of Shakespeare's words and characters was a perfect example of the transformative power of the arts, and in particular the way that theater can provoke a dialogue that gets to the heart, and the humanity, that we all share.
"Act V" was a great reminder of why I got into this field in the first place. This crazy, maddening, unpredictable, (melo)dramatic, undefinable and yes, at times, frivolous thing we call art? It's about who we are, and who we can be. Thanks for the reminder, Ira Glass!
Sunday, September 09, 2007
My Dramatic Resolution
As fall is finally beginning, I'm ready to make good on one of my resolutions for this year: See more theater!
I work in the arts, and the first 4 1/2 years of my professional career were spent working for two different theater companies, one in Pittsburgh and one here in DC. So theater used to be a really regular part of my routine.
But, as I've moved into a different field and life just gets busy, I haven't made a point to see as much as I have wanted to in the last few years. And I've missed it. There's nothing like spending a few hours watching talented people perform, exploring the variety of the human experience, making you laugh or cry or sing, or provoking debate on contemporary or historical issues.
Hence, my resolution. I have become a subscriber to The Studio Theatre's main 2007-08 season, so that has already gotten 5 shows on my schedule.
My subscription started yesterday, in fact. Brunette joined me for a matinee performance of Athol Fugard's My Children! My Africa! This provocative drama is set in the early '80's, apartheid-era South Africa. Two South African teens - a white English girl and a black boy from a township called "The Location" - meet as the stars of their respective debate teams, coached by a very engaged, inspiring black teacher known as Mr. M. These characters get to know each other and test their own beliefs against the backdrop of growing unrest and eventual violence. Fugard's writing includes several strong monologues about each character's perspective and experiences as the world around them explodes. The acting is fantastic all-around. With such a small cast, any weak link would really drag a show down -but all three actors make their characters very real and relatable. This was a really good show, the kind I like best - a story that starts on a lighter note but eventually ends up challenging the audience. Check it out. (Though, beware if you're sitting in the first row - the cast does include 2 big-time spitters!)
In addition to my new Studio sub, I'm also excited to revisit The Shakespeare Theatre Company this year, especially as they are opening the brand-new Harman Center in Penn Quarter. The season is pretty exciting, and there are at least 4 shows that are on my Must List for the year:
I work in the arts, and the first 4 1/2 years of my professional career were spent working for two different theater companies, one in Pittsburgh and one here in DC. So theater used to be a really regular part of my routine.
But, as I've moved into a different field and life just gets busy, I haven't made a point to see as much as I have wanted to in the last few years. And I've missed it. There's nothing like spending a few hours watching talented people perform, exploring the variety of the human experience, making you laugh or cry or sing, or provoking debate on contemporary or historical issues.
Hence, my resolution. I have become a subscriber to The Studio Theatre's main 2007-08 season, so that has already gotten 5 shows on my schedule.
My subscription started yesterday, in fact. Brunette joined me for a matinee performance of Athol Fugard's My Children! My Africa! This provocative drama is set in the early '80's, apartheid-era South Africa. Two South African teens - a white English girl and a black boy from a township called "The Location" - meet as the stars of their respective debate teams, coached by a very engaged, inspiring black teacher known as Mr. M. These characters get to know each other and test their own beliefs against the backdrop of growing unrest and eventual violence. Fugard's writing includes several strong monologues about each character's perspective and experiences as the world around them explodes. The acting is fantastic all-around. With such a small cast, any weak link would really drag a show down -but all three actors make their characters very real and relatable. This was a really good show, the kind I like best - a story that starts on a lighter note but eventually ends up challenging the audience. Check it out. (Though, beware if you're sitting in the first row - the cast does include 2 big-time spitters!)
In addition to my new Studio sub, I'm also excited to revisit The Shakespeare Theatre Company this year, especially as they are opening the brand-new Harman Center in Penn Quarter. The season is pretty exciting, and there are at least 4 shows that are on my Must List for the year:
- Edward II - Christopher Marlowe, directed by Gale Edwards, starring Wally Acton? That's must-see in my book!
- Major Barbara - Shaw directed by Ethan McSweeny. This young director staged a fantastic production of Wit at my old home, PPT, early in his career. I can't wait to see how he's matured over the years.
- Julius Caesar and Antony and Cleopatra - Shakespeare's 2 Roman classics in rep? What a great idea! Fueled by my recent HBO "Rome" obsession, I'm really excited to see these two, as well!
So, my culturally-aware readers, what shows are you excited about this season?
Friday, August 10, 2007
My Path to Enlightenment
Every year, my mom and I take some trip together to somewhere new in the US, where we do all the typical cultural tourist stuff - seeing museums, taking walking or boat tours, trying restaurants, etc. This year, our trip (hiking in Maine) had to be cancelled due to family medical stuff, which has had me pretty bummed out.
But, earlier this week Mom called me with an offer I couldn't refuse... she asked if I wanted to come visit them in Bloomington for an extra week this fall and join her in taking classes.
What are the classes? Three days of spiritual teaching from the Dalai Lama!
His Holiness visits Bloomington each year, as he has family living in the area and there is actually a pretty large Tibetan community.
I'm really looking forward to this. I don't know a lot about Buddhism, but I've always wanted to learn more so this will be a great opportunity. It has been a long time since I've explored the more philosophical side of life - I was a religion major, once upon a time - and it feels like this is a pretty good time to do it. Plus, I'll get an extra added visit in with my parents, which as I'm learning becomes more and more valuable as we all get older.
So now I'm counting down the days to this fall!
But, earlier this week Mom called me with an offer I couldn't refuse... she asked if I wanted to come visit them in Bloomington for an extra week this fall and join her in taking classes.What are the classes? Three days of spiritual teaching from the Dalai Lama!
His Holiness visits Bloomington each year, as he has family living in the area and there is actually a pretty large Tibetan community.
I'm really looking forward to this. I don't know a lot about Buddhism, but I've always wanted to learn more so this will be a great opportunity. It has been a long time since I've explored the more philosophical side of life - I was a religion major, once upon a time - and it feels like this is a pretty good time to do it. Plus, I'll get an extra added visit in with my parents, which as I'm learning becomes more and more valuable as we all get older.
So now I'm counting down the days to this fall!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
