Another play

What do you do when your world is forever changed in an instant?  If you are an ordinary person you struggle through the grief.  If you are a writer you may try to write your way out the despair.  If you are Joan Didion, you write a book and then that book becomes a play in which she tells us all that we will go through that “Year of Magical Thinking” when you cannot give away your husband’s shoes because he may need them when he comes back.  Of course, you know he will not come back because he is dead.  Talking one moment and dead the next.  

The Studio 620 in collaboration with The Dali Museum presented this play, The Year of Magical Thinking, at both venues, directed by Bob Devin Jones and starring, in a one woman performance, Roxanne Fay.  Everything about the production is simple, a single wooden chair on stage, a haunting melody, an understated costume of gray skirt, top and jacket, the no-nonsense haircut reminiscent of Joan Didion and the mostly matter of fact style with which she tells us, the audience, that we will go through what she has gone through.  We may grieve differently but we will grieve.  

Didion’s husband, the writer John Gregory Dunne died on December 30, 2003 of a massive heart attack as the couple were getting ready for dinner having just returned from the hospital where their daughter Quintana was in a coma battling pneumonia and septic shock.  Didion recounts her struggle through the year after husband’s death and her attempts to deal with her daughter’s illness and eventual death.  A year in which she cannot bring her husband back or keep her daughter safe.  Fay’s performance is like controlled chaos, teetering on the edge of a breakdown.  A breakdown that does not happen in public but which you are certain happened on lonely nights as the world she knew changed forever in an instant.  

The show is over now but if you get the chance to read the book or see a production, do it.  It will happen to you someday, too.

Theatre, Race and a conversation begins

As my graduation from Eckerd College began to loom nearer and nearer I knew I would have to decide what to do with myself when this exquisite experience was over.  I knew I wanted to take my education to the next level--a Master’s program--but where and what type was eluding me until I attended at grad school info session at USF-SP a few months ago.  I had decided prior to the meeting that I was going to apply there but it was not until the Director of the MLA program, Lisa Starks-Estes talked about passion that I had an epiphany.  What was my passion and how could I apply that to the interdisciplinarity of an American Studies program?  It hit me later that evening.  The theatre is my passion.  Not the “I want to be an actor” type but attending, experiencing...the engagement of audience part of theatre.  Wouldn’t it be awesome to study American playwrights, the history of American Theatre, their impact on and reflection of American culture, and the importance of literature and arts (including the performing and fine arts) in a well rounded education?  Wouldn’t it be awesome to take kids (teens, I’m thinking) who wouldn’t otherwise go -- for economic, cultural and other reasons -- to experience the theatre?  There it was!  My plan, my passion!

It was this course of thinking that brought me to the Jobsite Theatre’s production of Race yesterday.  The reason I chose this particular performance was for the talkback scheduled after the show. Incidentally, I bought the last ticket, my hopes of the student rush ticket dashed.  It was well worth the extra cost.  

The performance was fantastic.  Jobsite never fails to deliver thought-provoking, intense entertainment.  The tension developed as the usually unspoken but ever prevalent issue of race was brought to the forefront and the intentionally ambiguous ending provided the perfect forum for a post show discussion.  

Everyone brings their own life experiences and prejudices to the table:  the actors, playwright and director, and the audience and so everyone's experience is different, as is every show.  That is the beauty of live theatre.  The conversation between panel and audience was thoughtful and respectful, rather like preaching to the choir, but it did illustrate that theatre can in fact, start a dialog, can build community and quite possibly affect change.  As for the title...it's NOT just about race....it can be read on so many levels as suggested by both the panelists and audience.

So I am correct in thinking that my plan, to bring others to experience theatre, is not far-fetched.  Now I just have to figure out how I’m going to do it!

As for the show--go see it--you will not be disappointed.   Then let me know what you think.  

Biking to work

A few months ago I bought a nice new bike for myself for my birthday.  The price of gas was through the roof at that point and I had been reading lots about  carless lifestyles.  I haven't been riding much, just the occasional trip around the neighborhood and rides with friends.  Well, sometimes random things happen to your plans...Thursday night, as I was driving over to a friend's house after work my car died.  Just died.  In the middle of a turn, in the middle of the street.  After three lovely ladies (no men stopped) helped me push it into the grass I made some frantic calls to get things figured out.  Fortunately, I have a great mechanic and he arranged for it to be towed to his shop.  My son came to pick me up and all was well for the evening.

The next day, however, was going to be a challenge.  Sure I could have called a friend or my mechanic to pick me up and take me to work but I decided to ride my bike.  It is only 6 miles and I had just done a 9 mile ride the week before.  And fortunately there is no one else in the office on Friday afternoons so my sweatiness would not be an issue.  What almost was an issue was not bringing the keys to the office.  They are normally with my car keys and when you hop on a bike that's not something you usually take with you.  Thank goodness, Patti was still there.  I was pretty hot when I got there but at least when you work for a chiropractor there are plenty of ice packs.  I used one to cool off so I could get to work.

Pinellas county is not the safest place to bike or walk but I had mapped out a couple routes that would keep me off the busy streets and even through a park and a rec center.  Sometimes  on a bike you can go where cars cannot.

The trip was uneventful as far as traffic was concerned until I was almost to the office.  Seems there was a little SNAFU with the railroad crossing, the arm was down but there was no train in sight.  It was backing up traffic like crazy but when you're on a bike you can avoid things like that.  I snuck under the arm and continued on my way while other motorists were honking at each other and trying to maneuver through the crossing when they realized there was no train.  I did have a minor flashback to the movie we had to watch in Driver's Ed about car/train collisions.

It took about 45 minutes to go 6 miles and I figure I burned about 265 calories.  It takes about 20 minutes in the car and very few calories when you just sit there.  It was good to find out that I can do it and I will do it again.  Maybe when it cools off a little, or do a combo bus in (to avoid getting so sweaty) and bike home, or bus/bike both ways.  Things to think about.  As I found out when I tried my bus experiment awhile back, we need some work on our infrastructure.  I wonder who I could talk to about that?

My mechanic came to pick up so I could get my car and so my bike remains at the office for now.  Hmmm, wonder how to get it home.

And another thing I learned, running your car close to empty all the time is not good for the fuel pump.  Guess I'll have to change that strategy, too.

What keeps you from finding alternatives to driving your car to work?

Three Shows

I really need to start seeing a theatre production closer to the beginning of its run just in case someone actually takes my recommendations to heart.  I also, in a weird way, want to see a bad production to make sure I can still tell the difference.  We are lucky to have such amazing talent in the area:  I am rarely disappointed.
So...a few weeks ago I saw a twitter message about a free ticket giveaway for the May 25th matinee performance of A Midsummer Night's Dream at the freeFall Theatre.  What the heck! After I was notified that I won a pair I had to find someone willing to go with me in the middle of the day, in the middle of the week.  Luckily, my friend Loren was available.
I hadn't been to the freeFall before but I must say I was quite impressed.  The production was wonderful.  It had only been about a year since I saw Dream last (at FSU) so it made for a good comparison.  The set was sparse, the costumes were a mix of modern, vintage and fantastic.  The "choreography" was delicious.  The confrontation between Hermia (Jackie Rivera) and Helena (Jennifer Christa Palmer) in Act 3 was nearly like ballet.  But it was Giles Davies' Puck who stole the show.  He leapt about the stage, naked to the waist, clad in a gorgeous pair of bottoms made up of numerous pieces of elegant fabrics.  The physicality of his performance could tire out the fittest of the fit.
And of course, the play within the play was ridiculously inept as it is supposed to be.
One side note, 3/4 of the cast of reasons to be pretty were in the audience.
Next up was The Studio 620 production of American Duet written by theatre critic Mark Leib.  I  had the pleasure of having Mark for a professor last year at Eckerd College for a class called Film and Literature.  I had to attend this show solo, and nearly solo in the audience.  It was a Sunday evening performance, the only one I had time for in my busy schedule.
The 2 character play follows a 30 year relationship between liberal Jessica and conservative Charlie.  They connect with each other over key political moments in American history and it is like a history lesson wrapped up in a play.  The acting was superb and the only problem I had was with Jessica's character.  Her period of victimization and subsequent rescuing by Charlie did not feel authentic with her otherwise unrelenting liberal/feminist viewpoints.  The final scene where the couple live through the uncertainty of 9/11 was deeply moving and brought back the feelings of that fateful day.
Last night I saw Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune at American Stage.  This show runs through July 3, (Pay what you can on June 21) so if you have a chance I recommend you go see it.  This story takes place in one night immediately following Frankie and Johnny having sex for the first time.  Johnny (Tom Nowicki) tries to convince Frankie (Tonia M Jackson) that their little rendez-vous could actually turn into something long-lasting and wonderful.  We follow them through their ups and downs (pun intended) as they reveal their secrets and faults to each other.  The dialogue is frank and authentic and not suitable for kids.  Once you get past Nowicki's accent (reminded me of Christopher Lloyd) it is an irresistible look at the determination of love.
Even though this is the slow season for theatre there are still lots of shows on the horizon and I intend to see as many as I can.