Thinking of Bunk.

Jim Bunke was alive today, in my thoughts, as I drove from my home to my work.

While driving along the ridge of bluffs, I watched a small, propeller plane circle over Lake Winona, banking sharply, straightening out, and picking up speed, then doing it again. And as I watched, I recalled the time Jim offered to take me up in a plane he often flew.

"Don't eat too much before we go," he warned me. "Sometimes people get sick."

As if to taunt Bunk, I not only ate, I ate a homemade stew -- something that would look no different coming back up as it did when it went down.

Maybe he took it easy on me, maybe he just didn't want to have to clean out the plane, I'll never know for sure, but Bunk did send the plane into a steep dive and a few sharp turns, as if testing my metal and my stomach, but rather than being nervous or frightened, I laughed and whooped. I just loved the feeling of freedom that riding in a small craft plane provided.

We flew down the Mississippi River, then back up over territory that I might now recognize as my current home, but was then as foreign to me as any territory over-seas might have been.

I don't remember coming back, I don't remember driving home. I remember simply feeling good.

This is my best memory of Jim Bunke. I'll never know why he asked me to go flying with him, it was only that one time, but it was an honor to share with him one of his obvious joys -- flying.

And now I've gotten to enjoy the moment twice -- once, when it happened more than twenty years ago, and again today as I relive it through memory recalled.

Happy Birthday, Rebecca

Ten years ago today, my daughter was born in Southern California.

Amazing how fast ten years can go by.

Happy birthday, daughter!

Two days of sub-par theatre.

This was a weekend full of sub-standard theatre.

First was the Prairie Fire Children's Theatre which came to my children's school. Now in general I would say that PFCT is not exactly theatre of the highest calibre, but the production of Peter Pan that they produced was so dreadful that I couldn't really enjoy watching my own children in it. (And of course I went to all three performances.)

Past PFCT performances have at least been lively or entertaining in some way. But this show was really quite afwul.

I got to wrap up my weekend my seeing a university production of the musical Honk! I'd heard about the show but had never seen it nor heard the score. The singing was pretty good, and the dancing lively and appropriate; the production values were incredibly high and the costumes were really exquisite, but the acting was wooden and the direction lacking, to say the least.

I've heard such good things about the show itself, but based on what I saw, I would find it difficult to say that it's a worthy musical.

I've had a difficult time getting enthused about directing the one act play (not that I don't want to, I'm just overwhelmed with other things going on right now) and these two shows did nothing to build theatrical creativity inside of me.

Spam jerky?

Just what kind of jerk does one need to be to go out and spam blogs with "comments" which link to various websites?

I've resorted to enabling the "word verification" feature of my comments section. Sorry if it's an inconvenience to any of you non-spammers. Hope it's a source of great frustration to you spammers.

For awhile the spammers would leave their "comments" on the most recent blog, which then required very little effort on my part to go in and delete.

Lately, however, I've been getting notification of comments left by spammers, only to discover that I have to search my archives to find the bogus comment. -- I have over 150 posts here, that can be tiresome to search.

If this doesn't stop the phony comments, then I'll have to change the comments section so only logged-in bloggers can leave a message.

Guthrie's ideology.

Having finished Tyrone Guthrie's book, A New Theatre, I am very impressed with his thoughts and reflections on theatre in general.

"Great drama," he writes, "always adds... some philosophical comment or allegorical overtone, not necessarily -- or even frequently -- with a conscious didactic purpose, but always with didactic possibilities."

Twice he defines "drama," both accurate and succinct. "Drama is...the re-creation by actors of a group of persons and a series of events." And, "Drama is the telling of a story in the most vivid possible manner."

And here he seems to put his finger on what is preciselyright...and wrong...with theatre today (the today of forty years ago and still the today of now):

"The theatre exists to entertain. Entertainment can be educative; but it is a regrettable fallacy that a serious theatre must be consciously instructive. The fallacy has been fostered by theatre people, because we have learnt, by bitter experience, that public bodies will give you funds if they can be persuaded that you aim to Educate. But if, more truthfully, you admit that your first aim is to Entertain then you won't get a cent."

This certainly hasn't changed one iota. In fact, as the arts continue to struggle to survive, the "education factor" for each project seems more and more vital. When do we get to play?

Guthrie wraps up his book with this thought:

"The three greatest periods in the history of the theatre -- the Athenian stage of Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides; the Elizabethan stage in England which produced Marlowe, Shakespeare, Ben Jonson and half a dozen lesser but significant poets; the French stage of Racine, Corneille and Moliere -- all these could not have happened if the writers, actors and craftsmen had not been fortunate enough to live in an age and place where a highly intelligent, lively and demanding audience had helped to create a theatre which was far more than a commercial business and far more than a frivolous pastime. Neither the artists and craftsmen nor the audience can do this alone. It is a shared process of creation, a fruitful union."

I'm not sure that this has been recognized or acknowledged any better than the way Guthrie puts it in this book. It is certainly food for thought for those of us who look to produce Art. We can only do so much without a cooperative audience.

Guthrie's theatre.

As you can see by the titles of the books that I am currently reading, tops on that list is Tyrone Guthrie's A New Theatre.

First, I'm enjoying the book immensely. I didn't have to get very far in to the book to realize just how little I knew about how and why the Guthrie theatre got its start.

Second, I've found Guthrie's notes about what is wrong in New York theatre of particular interest.

Guthrie bemoans the lack of imagination in the New York theatre community. He fears the death of theatre due to the over-empowerment of the various unions, and he wonders at the fact that any work can get done at all in the cramped city and with the various departments (scenic, lighting, sound, costume) scattered about island Manhattan.

I, and so many others, have said and written the exact same things.

So what does this mean? That theatre in New York is going to hell in a handbasket?

No. I think that if conditions haven't changed in the forty plus years since Tyrone Guthrie wrote about it, they aren't going to change much in the next forty plus years either. Sadly. If I've ever spoken to you about my experiences in New York, then you know that I can't figure out how anyone can possibly make money producing theatre in the Big Apple. My biggest complaint is with the unions, and I actually laughed as I read Guthrie's first chapter and his wonderment at how the unions got so strong. Hire two men to bring on one chair, in a rehearsal, which not only COULD the actors do, but DESIRED to to do. And of course there is the four hour minimum!

What has changed in the world of theatre in the past forty years is the fact that Broadway is no longer the be-all and end-all of American Theatre. It may still have the glitter and charm and it certainly sells itself as the place to see theatre, but the fact is that it is the theatres around the country which are producing the new and exciting works, along with the classics that we might not otherwise get the chance to see.

And this is due, in large part, because of Tyrone Guthrie's vision and plan. Had Guthrie and his partners not only felt the strong desire to get out of New York and then actually worked on finding a new place to produce live theatre, the theatre community would most certainly be decades behind still.

There is a lot more that can still be done, but The Guthrie Theatre is a great foundation on which to build upon.

Open Book ... closed

This past Saturday I attended (as a guest) a conference sponsored by the Minnesota chapter of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). The conference was held at Open Book, which, near as I can tell, is the physical plant of the group known as The Loft (an interesting mis-type there almost had me refer to the place as "The Lost").

At first, I had a strong liking for the place. There ought to be more places for people to go to write and read and drink coffee, all within a writer-friendly/encouraging atmosphere. And to make it even more friendly, the building was wireless accessible and I could turn on my laptop anywhere in the building and get internet access.

But the longer I was there the less I enjoyed it.

First, their book shop was not exactly shopper-friendly. Only one small section actually sold books, and the selection was dismal. Mostly for sale were over-pried, hand-made items -- books, prints, posters, calendars, and wanna-be-collectibles were the primary focus. I was interested in picking up a copy of speakeasy, The Loft's magazine. The grumpy clerk/manager didn't realize that she not only didn't have any copies, but she hadn't had any all day (I was there when they opened, and back again to inquire about five hours later). She suggested I go up to The Loft's office, which was right outside where I had been speaking.

I rang the bell outside the door, and no one came. The door was unlocked, so I went in and tapped the desk bell for assistance (as instructed by the sign). Still no one came. I briefly considered pulling the push pin out of the one tacked to the bulletin board, but I couldn't resort to theft even as an act of annoyed defiance.

I left, feeling as though the attitude was one of superior arrogance. "You can come here if you think you belong...and if you meet our standards."

I had considered (even up to the point where I entered the The Loft's office) getting a membership, even though I felt the $60 annual fee rather steep for someone who wasn't likely to make many trips to the area. Now, however, I feel that it is image, status, that defines membership in The Loft, and not usefulness.

The year of the Pinter.

Harold Pinter has been in the news quite a bit this past month, primarily because the noted (and noteworthy) playwright turned 75 on October 10. The BBC radio stations that I tune in to had many different features on him, and BBC 3 (or was it 4?) even managed a new radio play written by the master (a play called VOICES).

Now, as if to continue on the Pinter bandwagon, the illustrious Swedes have awarded the Nobel prize for literature to Harold Pinter.

What is most interesting about this is the fact that Pinter has been an out-spoken critic of the American-led war in Iraq. According to a Yahoo news report, Pinter likens the Bush administration to the Nazis.

Interestingly enough, the Nobel peace prize was awarded to Mohamed El Baradei and the I.A.E.A. Mr. Baradei, who, by his very job would be "in the know," was one of the few voices against America's invasion of Iraq on the basis of "weapons of mass destruction." Mr. Baradei reported at that time that he didn't believe Iraq had nuclear capabilities.

Thus, we have two critics of the American war in Iraq being hailed with Nobel prizes. Is the Nobel prize committee trying to send a message?

Congratulations to Harold Pinter. For whatever reason the committee chose him, he is certainly a most deserving honoree.

Scapin and Moliere

I saw Scapin at the local, professional theatre company last night. Some time back I wrote a blog objecting to this play, though I had not yet seen it. I had heard that there was gender reversal of the main roles, and indeed, that was true. It was a bit glaring at times, and over-all I didn't see any reason for it.

Mostly I just thought the play was poorly done.

Commedia dell'arte is not understood much today, and if one is going to attempt it, then they need to do so with full gusto! But they should also research what the period and style mean. It is not slapstick. It is not simply wearing your hair in strange configurations. It is not simply adding a chase scene and a juggling scene, though all of these might indeed be included.

There were gems in the performance. The two fathers were well played and even looked every bit like a masked caricature (though they were not masked).

The costumes were mostly remarkable (though I would expect nothing less from my friend Janis).

And, for me, the highlight was the young lover, Jaycinth. His mere presence was enough to have me chuckle, and when he spoke I was often in stitches. If they could have found a way to have him on stage the entire show, I'm sure I would have left enjoying it much more.

The biggest problem (aside from not really understanding the manner of commedia dell'arte), was the lead character of 'Scapin' himself (or, in this case, HERself).

The play Scapin requires a strong, commanding actor to carry the lead role and to make us mostly forget the trite plot with convenient happenstance. The young lady they had playing the part was not such an actor.

Under the title of the play on the marquee outside the theatre was a sub-title, "or, The Con-Artist." There was absolutely no indication of this characterization in the performance I saw. The young woman played the part as though she were "tough" but not sly or wiley. This had the added negative effect when she was supposed to be afraid of her master. Why was someone "tough" suddenly afraid?

The worst scene of the play was the "beating" sequence, when Scapin tricks her master in to hiding in a bag so she can pummel him with a "stick" (she actually refers to it as a stick, though it certainly resembles a large sausage). In the hands of a proper Scapin, this should be a hilarious routine as we watch a master con artist trick the master in to the bag and assault him as a variety of different characters. Instead, the scene was tedious and boring, and it was obvious that this Scapin was simply performing what she'd been directed to do. Commedia dell'arte is about improvisation! The strong, proper actor should rely on his/her own skills of improvisation and beat the poor, sacked man in a different way each night -- or at the very least, make us believe s/he is doing so.

I was actrually embarassed for this Scapin. She was not funny, and the scene looked cruel and took away any charm that she might have given to the character earlier. (Goose-stepping Germans? Sorry, wrong era. Could have been funny if it came out of the performer naturally, but not as a directed bit.)

And totally miscast was a young actress, Jill Underwood. I have generally felt that she is the best actress they have at this company, but perhaps raucous comedy is not her "thing." There was absolutely no sense of who her character is or was. This is commedia! Stock characters are all the rage! Perhaps this was another instance of the gender reversal not working out as well as hoped.

Obviously I was disappointed in this show. I was thrilled to see a Moliere play on their season list, but I guess if it's Moliere done badly, then better to not do Moliere at all.

(You know, it was Harold Pinter's 75th birthday on Monday [Oct 10] -- why wasn't there one of HIS plays on their season subscription?)

Books, books, and more (used) books.

I admit that I've been known to go out of my way just to stop at a used book store. When I lived in Los Angeles, I knew all of the better used book stores well enough that I could usually tell when new titles had been placed on the shelves.

And yet, while a good deal of my book collection consists of books that were purchased used, I've always maintained that the idea of used books was illegal. I often wondered how a used book store was even allowed to set up in the first place? I mean, how can you justify a business in which your entire inventory consists of items are copyrighted works and neither the copyright holder, author, or publisher are not getting their cut?

Well, most people just shrugged their shoulders and didn't give it another thought.

And while I would hate to see my favorite type of stoe be put out of business, I couldn't help but wonder why the mega-conglomo-coporate publishers didn't exert a little muscle.

Well...maybe they are waking up. And part of the reason they are waking up is the increased visibility and ease of ordering used books on-line. You can read an interesting article by clicking here.

My thoughts... music downloading might not have been aggressively prosecuted if it hadn't been flaunted. So, too, with selling used books. You can do something boder-line illegal if you're not making waves about it, but when you are a major on-line retailer (say, Amazon) and you advertise cheaper, used books on the same page as the new releases, then someone is going to notice.

she's at it again -- revisited

Nearly a month ago I wrote about my sister-in-law, a nurse, who was off to Mississippi to help out in the hurricane-ravaged country.

I've since learned that she (and the other nurse who went with her) has been reprimanded by her boss, had the official reprimand placed in her file, and was told that she could lose her job. It seems that the hospital she works for didn't give her permission to take emergency leave because "it wasn't a personal emergency."

I'm of two minds about this....

If your employer says "no, you may not take off" and you do anyway, then you do so knowing that there may be consequences.

However, while the emergency may not have been personal, it was genuinely an emergency situation and the hospital really should have capitalized on the generosity of their own staff, who used personal time AND money to assist in a much needed situation.

You can read a letter to a small town blog (the letter written by my brother-in-law) here, and a brief article about the situation in the local daily paper here.

Remember to use bugmenot.com if you're asked for a login ID.

University theatre.

I sat through a performance of BRIGHTON BEACH MEMOIRS last night, at an area university.

It wasn't bad, but it wasn't good, either.

The problem, I decided, was that these 18-21 year old students were playing either 14/15 year old or 40+ year olds. In any case, out of their acting range. The two best performances were given by the two who where playing characters closest to their own actual ages.

I realize that our schools can't always put on plays that have characters the same age as the performers, and part of their growing process as artists is stretching themselves, but in this particular case (and perhaps this is the fault of the director [a friend of mine]) the actors were not acting the part, but trying to show us how they thought a character would act.

Hm, that doesn't sound right. Okay, try this...

My biggest problem was with the "dad." Rather than simply delivering the lines as if he believed them, I felt he was trying too hard to deliver the lines the way he thought a 40 year old dad would deliver them. In other words, he wasn't thinking in terms of the character, he was thinking in terms of the audience and how he expected them to look at his character.

Whew. Does any of this make sense?