festival update

Christina is home (well, back at college that is) from a great week in Reno where she participated in the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival. (She is in Region 7 which includes Alaska, Northern California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Northern Nevada, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming.)

We were so excited for her -- She made her way to finalist for the prestigious Irene Ryan Award. Although she didn't win the whole shootin' match, what an accomplishment and honor to get that far (one of 16 chosen out of 230)!

Yep, we're proud!

what I've been up to...

I'm glad we got an extra hour today, because the time has been whizzing by. (Actually I could use a few extra hours -- wonder how I could arrange for that.)

We were in Bellingham to see WWU's production of The Mistakes Madeline Made, described on the Western Theatre site as: a story of love and dirty people. The play follows a girl who toils away in a soul-crushing job as a personal assistant as she begins to battle all things clean after developing ablutophobia – the fear of bathing. Soon her smell starts to overwhelm her co-workers and her many casual lovers. A fantastic story about finding one’s self, the play raises the questions: Is it a political act to live dirty? And is it even feasible to live clean in our current times of unrest?

I knew very little about the play going in, and I was surprised at both how funny and how sad it was. Directed by Rich Brown, the play was simply outstanding. The set, the sound, the costumes, the acting -- all top notch. They could (they should!) take this on the road.

Christina played Beth, the tightly-strung manager of the office whose function is to run errands for a rich family (who are never seen). The character of Beth provides a lot of the comedy in the play (and Christina has a real knack for comedy), yet the character also evokes pathos (and Christina has a real knack for that too).

Here's Christina as Beth: (I *ahem* "borrowed" this picture from her facebook page)



Then last night (back home in Longview) we actually went to a Halloween party -- in costume no less! And (speaking of time whizzing by) today is the 29th anniversary for Mike and me. Here's a weird part -- lots of the anniversary cards are looking familiar since we've given so many to each other over the years!

cheating: in the news and on the stage

Looks like Treasury Secretary Geithner has company in the 'tax trouble club'. Health and Human Services Secretary-designate Tom Daschle is in the news for tax issues of his own -- and also regarding money he earned from interests in the health care industry. Of course, the main question being raised right now with Daschle is: Will this affect his confirmation? (I'd say the answer is probably 'no' -- he will likely be confirmed.) Addendum 2/4/09: Oops! Guess I got THAT wrong! Daschle is toast.

But for me, the more interesting question is: How pervasive is cheating? Maybe all these tax mistakes were 'innocent', but I must say I have my doubts. (And Hubby says that it looks like the best way to get people to pay their taxes is to nominate them for an important post!)

Part of why I'm pondering the pervasiveness of cheating is that on Friday night I attended the play Cheat (in which Offspring #1 was involved) at WWU. The play focused on cheating in relationships, business, and sports, and it was designed to raise questions rather than give answers.

One of the really cool things about this play is that it is a "devised" work. According to the playbill, "Devising is the creation of a new theatrical work where the artists who collaborate to create the piece also perform it." Using David Callahan's book The Cheating Culture: Why More Americans Are Doing Wrong to Get Ahead for inspiration, the students wrote the script, did the stage design, music, costumes, etc. Everything was done 'from scratch' and it was impressive! My mind is still reeling over the amount of work involved! (As an aside, the stage was designed so that the majority of the audience was standing several feet above the actors during the entire production -- which was an interesting perspective!)

Offspring #1 and her boyfriend Doug were excellent in their roles involving the relationship aspect of the topic. Their performances were both rock solid, and their chemistry on stage was (probably not surprisingly!) wonderful.

Here they are:
[photo by Hailey Tucker, which appeared in 'The Western Front' online edition]


This play provided lots of food for thought, and I plan on reading Callahan's book as a follow up.



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re: the other photos:
I googled the top 'tax' photo, and I took the picture of the 'Cheat' poster at Bandito's Burritos!

weekend recap

I am back from my "almost in Mexico to almost in Canada" weekend. The service for my father-in-law in southern California went well. The rabbi really did a wonderful job. Hubby is still down there, but he gets home tomorrow.

We are inheriting lots of old pictures. I stuck this one in my purse and brought it home early because I think Hubby looks so darn cute in his cowboy hat:

On to northern Washington...
I enjoyed seeing Offsprings #1&2 in Bellingham. Offspring #1 was hilarious in an adaptation of Sleepy Hollow. She played "Isabella" who, along with her sister "Rose", could best be described as 'man-hungry'. Offspring #1 has great comedic timing (and I ain't just sayin' that because she's my daughter!)

Tip: Do not try to surreptitiously take pictures in a dark theatre. They really don't turn out.



(Actually this picture is probably a good example of what uncorrected astigmatism looks like!)

it's been a busy few days

Thursday after work I scooted up to Bellingham. It was a quick trip, and I was back by 2:00 today to attend a wedding shower. In addition to enjoying some meals with Offsprings #1&2, I was able to attend a dress rehearsal of A Midsummer Night's Dream. Offspring #1 plays Hermia in an outdoor Shakespeare production. Here she is with Lysander:



I also got to meet the delightful Mr. Tumnus, Offspring #1's new kitty. I fell in love with Mr. Tumnus. In fact, only a Barry White song can capture the essence of my time with Tumnus:

checking in from the road...

Hubby and I are in Bellingham this weekend visiting Offsprings #1&2. Hanging out with Offspring #2 this morning. Last night we saw Offspring #1 in Shakespeare's Macbeth. She was the Third Witch -- and darn spooky/scary I might add. The play was done in an outdoor courtyard, and the setting was "a post apocalyptic Scotland". It was an ambitious undertaking and the cast and crew did a great job. I wish I knew my Macbeth better -- I should have read the "No Fear Shakespeare" version before attending it. Oh well!

I was sneaky and took a (non-flash) picture of Offspring #1:



I could explain why she is positioned there, but gotta dash to brunch now...

m day recap

I always thought Mother's Day was simply about cards and flowers for moms. (Witness the above card I made during elementary school back in the 60's.) This weekend I attended a play with Offspring #1 called Found Peace and learned more about the origins of the day. According to information on the program...

"The first North American Mothers' Day was conceptualized with Julia Ward Howe's Mother's Day Proclamation in 1870. Despite having penned The Battle Hymn of the Republic 12 years earlier, Howe had become so distraught by the death and carnage of the Civil War that she called on mothers to come together and protest what she saw as the futility of their sons killing the sons of other mothers. With the Proclamation she called for an international Mother's Day celebrating peace and motherhood." (Actually you can read Howe's Proclamation over at Processing Counselor's.)

The play was a collection of scenes dealing with the futility of war and the power of words to create healing and peace. My favorite scene was entitled "Letters Home" which was crafted from real letters from an American soldier in Iraq. Giving these letters an actual face and voice "brought the message home" in a powerful way.

Offspring #2 isn't a theatre-going kind of guy, so we bonded later over Really Big Burritos:

Dog Sees God... the review

As mentioned in my last post, this past weekend we saw Offspring #1 in Dog Sees God. (The above photo is from the campus newspaper. Offspring #1 is standing in the foreground.)

The play, by Bert V. Royal, is a dark comedy that focuses on the teen years of the Charlie Brown gang. (Offspring #1 plays Marcy/Marcie.) Going into the play, I knew that the characters would no longer be simple, innocent comic strip kids. And indeed CB (Charlie Brown) is dealing with the death of his beloved beagle (yikes, rabies!), Van (Linus) is a pothead, Tricia (Peppermint Patty) and Marcy (Marcie) have become "mean girls", Matt (Pigpen) has become a jock and germaphobe, and Van's Sis (Lucy) is in a mental health facility because of her pyromania. Whoa! But I was prepared for character changes.

What I was totally unprepared for was the raw, incredible power of the play as the characters dealt with some big freakin' issues. For example... In an unexpected plot turn (spoiler alert!), CB develops feelings for Beethoven (Shroeder), a sensitive pianist who has been victimized by the popular kids. As the plot unfolds (especially in the confrontation scene with homophobic Matt) the audience is shockingly reminded of how easily school tragedies can happen when an environment of bullying and intolerance exists.

Some of the biggest laughs came in response to the high-energy antics of Tricia and Marcy. (e.g. They get buzzed at school by adding booze to their milk cartons in the cafeteria.) Yet these characters are far from one-dimensional caricatures. They are played with great depth and complexity, and their behavior helps underscore the tragedy of the pursuit of mindless popularity.

This production was really well done with a talented ensemble of actors. The set and sound design were both top notch and greatly added to the experience. One cool thing... I loved some of the "winks" to the comic strips and movies. For example, Marcy throws a party when her parents are away, and the characters all dance exactly like the cartoon kids did in the Peanuts tv specials.

Hats off to the director (Dr. Rich Brown) and all those involved in this compelling, thought-provoking play.

highbrow meow

Hamlet, as it was meant to be performed. By cats.

salute to Marcie/Marcy

Woo Hoo! We just learned today that Offspring #1 was cast as "Marcy" in "Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead". The play (which will be in April) is a dark comedy set about 10 years after the events in the famous Peanuts comic strip. It deals with Charlie Brown and friends as they tackle teenage angst. I'll bet Offspring #1 will have fun with this role. (And I'll bet Offspring #2 will enjoy the play since he is a big Peanuts fan.)

I recently stumbled across the quiz, "Which Peanuts Character Are You?" and decided to take it today. Turns out I'm Marcie. What are the odds?!

Weekend Update!

OK, this post really has nothing to do with Saturday Night Live's Weekend Update, although I'm sure it would be more entertaining if Chevy Chase and Jane Curtin delivered it. (Or, to be more current, Amy Poehler and Seth Meyers.)

In any event, here's the update for my weekend:
Friday morning I took my mom to OHSU (Oregon Health & Science University) in Portland -- about 50 miles away -- for a doctor's appointment. The visit went well, and I think we're on the right track with her medical treatment. (Yesss!) On our way out, we stopped at the rest room. Of course that wouldn't normally be a "bloggable" topic, but the sign in the stall was just too weird not to share. It said: "Toilets flush using reclaimed water. Do not drink." Umm.... Do they really need to warn people not to drink toilet water? When was the last time anybody was tempted to refill their water bottle from the stool? (I mean, ewww.)

After that, we headed the opposite direction up to Bellingham (about 220 miles away) so Offspring #2 could participate in the "Summerstart" orientation program for incoming college freshmen. Then on Saturday night, we all went to see Offspring #1 in Twelfth Night (which was the first time Hubby and Offspring #2 had seen it).

They loved the play. It was a hilarious, high energy performance. Offspring #1 was terrific (which was particularly impressive since she had seen a doctor earlier in the day to rule out strep throat)! Adding to the fun was the fact that there were several people in the audience we knew -- some we were expecting to see and some we weren't.

One of those audience members took the time to do an oil painting of Viola (Offspring #1) & her brother Sebastian and frame it!
(OK, so she really took a blurry picture which was converted to a 'painting' by photoshop -- but I like my story better.)


And now ... we're back home again.

twelfth night -- the review!

William Shakespeare penned Twelfth Night circa 1600. Four hundred and seven years later, Shakespeare NorthWest presents a delightful, engaging production of this beloved gender-bending comedy.

The story follows Viola (Offspring #1!) who is separated from her twin brother Sebastian by a tragic shipwreck. She assumes the identity of a man (named Cesario) in order to work in the court of Orsino, a good lookin' duke with whom she falls in love. The duke has set his sights on the fair Olivia, and orders Cesario to be the go-between in his courting of her. Olivia instead falls for Cesario, the "man" Viola is disguised as.

To add to the confusion, several people in the court decide to trick Malvolio, Olivia's pompous steward, into believing that Olivia is in love with him.

Twelfth Night has comedy! romance! pathos! -- all played to good effect by the fine ensemble cast. It is often difficult to single out actors in an ensemble, but of course not for this reviewer! Offspring #1 was outstanding as Viola/Cesario! Her comedic timing was wonderful, and she imbued her character with both innocence and charm.

Twelfth Night runs through August 19th at Edgewater Park in Mt Vernon. If you're in the area, go enjoy some Shakespeare under the stars!

bloggin' from bellingham

Heading to the "thea-tuh" soon. Plan on writing a "review" tomorrow. Stay tuned. :)

barb & the bard...

Offspring #1 (far right) is on the tail end of summer quarter and gearing up for the start of the Skagit River Shakespeare Festival. Twelfth Night opens August 1st. I'm reaaallllly looking forward to seeing her in the role of Viola and enjoying Shakespeare under the stars. Who wants to come along? :)

They had a nice article in the Skagit Valley Herald today. You can read it here.

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Credit: picture by Frank Varga