Grover's Corner is Coming to Our Town

"Our Town" in our town begins at the Rogue Theatre January 7th. Check out their website for the details. Among others in a fine looking cast is Robert Anthony Peters - all around great guy and terrific actor.



Why is it that people like Robert and Cindy Meier (and others in the cast I'm sure) who show themselves simply and beautifully, the ones we ultimately find the most interesting, fascinating and captivating? What is it about their curiosity and joy for the way life functions that gives rise to the enormity of their thoughts and their feelings(?) - creating depth and magnitude, perspective and meaning in their everyday actions. My gosh they embody this play - they are the play!



There is a dictum, attributed to Stanislavsky, regarding acting that says the difficult must become easy, the easy must become habit, and the habit must become beautiful. Its tricky though because in reading it or hearing it at first glance without explanation, it implies a progression from one thing to another, seemingly leaving behind what was, and ending with something that is beautiful in form and content. But that is not the dictums intent. It's intent is to imply an "adding to" rather than "progression from." So when we get to Easy, Difficult is still present. As we get to Habit, Difficult and Easy are present. When we get to Beautiful, Difficult, Easy, and Habit are there as well.

Substitute what words or concepts you will if necessary, apply the dictum to life, and the same holds true. People like Robert and Cindy, simple and beautifully shown, contain all the difficulties and everything else along the way. Nature has all the same forces at work today that were present at "the creation." And in the tranquility of a beautiful garden we can discover all the those complexities that will reveal it to us in a whole new way.

So who knows what we may find in this particular "Grovers Corners."

Train Running

Post Play

How come there aren't any good post players anymore?! O.K. this doesn't really have anything to do with theatre, its basketball, but its a damn good question and therefore worthy here - and in time I may find a connection between the two.

What happened to the days when you could throw the ball down low and get a bucket?! It doesn't really happen anymore, not like it used to. Gone is the great footwork, the jump hooks, sky hooks, up and under, slide move, drop step, head fakes, power moves. All gone. I have grown completely tired of a high post on ball screen followed by a drive down the lane with or without a kick out pass, and the weave to "attack the rim." For goodness sakes that is, or should be, so easy to defend! Of course most team defenses these days cannot but its easier done that said on here - take my word.

Double Check

This past Saturday, I took a trip, along with several other adults and a group of eight young adults, to the Double Check Ranch. This ranch practices what is called in our modern terminology "sustainable agricultural" or "natural" farming. The beef (cows) is all grass fed, throughout its life. There are mobile chicken coops to move chickens from field to field as a means of fertilizing. Grass fields are not plowed before seeding, only mowed in order to keep the underground system of organisms intact.

The day itself was absolutely gorgeous, the weather crisp and clear. You could see forever. The ranch is situated in the San Pedro Valley, just along the San Pedro River. In fact, much of its acreage extends into the river itself. It's beautiful there. I cannot describe our hosts as anything other than lovely, wonderful, spectacular, and inspiring. Put all that together...It was a great time.

Imagine a place where everyone is friendly, kind, easy-going, and affectionate - and I mean everyone, adults, kids, dogs, horses, cows, etc. And all about you is life and beauty in various forms. And the work, though never ending and no doubt long and difficult at times, is all about solving problems in ways that help make everyone happy. That was the Double Check.

They are online at http://www.doublecheckranch.com/

Say It Loud

I will be reading the role of Galileo from Brecht's play by that name tommorow...courtesy of my friend Patrick. It's part of a symposium that he hosts for retired professionals and academics, one of whom is a former Nobel Prize winner. The question is, how does a tall, slender man like myself find his inner "Falstaff" in a couple of days? I'm working on it.

There is a speech, or monologue or whatever you call it, toward the end of the play given by Galileo. Patrick is correct in his assesment of this speech when he says that its rendition carries the meaning and the purpose and the overall understanding of the play. How does/did Galileo feel about his work, his recantation, collectively? With a little more than 24 hours to go I'm working on that as well.

A Dream of Passionlessness

Last night I dreamed I was in some kind of terrible production of Hamlet. At first it was supposed to be this ultra relaxed portrayal, but it turned completely casual and boring. Next there were swings and Bob Marley songs. Then horror of horrors, there was that thing that people refer to as "Brechtian" (which ruins Brecht's ideas but what the heck) where people turn and comment to the spectators on the action of the play. At least I knew my lines though. Very often, well, not that often, when I dream I am in a play, I never know my lines and I haven't been to a single rehearsal! I think that must be a common theme. Anyway, thank goodness I'm wide awake now and have no plans or desires to play in any Hamlet shows right now.

Love's Labor

A few days back, I rode the city bus from my work to an event downtown. Sitting across from me in the back of the bus was a young man who I noticed kept smiling to himself, seemingly thinking of or remembering something funny. Well, turns out he was thinking of something exciting. A few blocks before the final station downtown he reached in his pocket and took out a ring box. He opened it and turned my way to show me. "It's pretty nice huh?" he said. "It's very nice," I replied. He nodded in agreement and stared happily at the ring. "Do you have someone special that is going to get that ring?" I asked him. "Oh yeah!" came his energetic and sure answer. Our conversation went on from there covering his search for a reasonably priced ring, one he could afford. His struggle and attempts to get time off from work in order to get to some of the stores in time. His worry about whether or not his girl would like it. And how he should present it to her, and where would he hide it in the meantime. He was a picture and model of a certain innocence and pure belief. He was young and blue collar. His smile held the happiness of love and dreams for the future. At the final station I wished him well, one man to another, with earnestness and pride in fellowship. The future was now.

A couple of days later I was driving down a major thoroughfare. Stopped in traffic near a crowded intersection I looked over to see one of those human billboards, a guy wearing a sandwich board.
He was waving to the traffic, smile on his face - yes, the same smile he had on the bus going downtown. "Right on," I thought to myself.

Times are tough, and even during the days when they seem easy, people are often just trying to survive, make a living and be with the ones they love. I think we call it life, liberty and pursuit of happiness - and we owe it to ourselves to give it full honor in its various forms.