Monday, October 21, 2013

Fall trees; Tree falls

As I sit at my computer, I hear the whine and screech of a large chainsaw and occasional exchanges of loud shouting. My kitties and I have been startled and dealing with this all morning. Armani and Curious can't understand what is going on, but out of my office window I can see the tree surgeon dismantling a very large tree that has stood about 15 feet from my window for these 15 years I have lived here. It has been a friend and neighbor.

The tree is dead, so I guess it is right that it should be removed. Otherwise, if we get another Sandy, it could fall on our building, or our neighbors. Nevertheless it is sad in a way. A few minutes ago, I leaned out the window, and man who was strapped on to the tree trunk and working away at the upper branches waved at me. It is quite amazing how they can take it all down without damage to anyone. Other trees continue to live. Above are some sights from my Sunday jog in the park …

Saturday, March 24, 2012

Bach's Birthday in NYC

Bach's 327th Birthday was on Wednesday. Part of the celebration included the playing of Bach's compositions on the Subway. I got to hear a little of it at the 14th St. station on my way to the Carleton event at the Open center last night.

Sunday, May 30, 2010

Old News


How can it be "news" if it's old?

What if it happened a couple of years ago, but only got assembled into a different medium recently? There are a couple things that could fit in that category.
     First, there is a performance by The American Mime Theatre from 2008. I received still pictures several months later, and after a year or so, I decided to make a "movie" from the stills. Earlier this year a version of this was posted on YouTube. Here is the link:
PeepShow

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Holiday Fun



We had an early winter snow storm! "I'm Dreaming of a White . . ." got to be more than a dream.

My Birthday present from my sister was the funds to go to a Harmony Workshop with Emily and Don. Here they are in their element . . . what is Emily doing? Is it the church, people, steeple thing?




Then my Gift for the Solstice and Holidays was boarding Sambuca (the one in the tuxedo) and Charley!
Their element is where they find themselves . . .







Monday, August 24, 2009

The Bacchae

Last night I joined a group of friends for a performance of Euripides’ rarely produced The Bacchae, directed by JoAnne Akalaitis. It was an impressive feast for eye and ear, we were very glad we saw it. That being said, volumes could be added.

Pentheus being torn apart by Agave and Ino, Attic red-figure vase.

First, thanks to the Public for doing this 2400 year-old "masterpiece" which I think may be impossible for a 21st century audience to grasp in any way near the way Euripides intended. JoAnne Akalaitis made her first brilliant move when she got Philip Glass to compose an original score. The music not only serves as a "sound score" in the contemporary Broadway sense, but also provides beautiful choral music for the chorus and some almost operatic solos for Dionysus.
    There are things that make this tragedy almost undoable today. One is the long speeches by the chorus that are essential for the narrative and thematic lines. The chorus in this production (an ensemble of 12 women) is comprised of the women who have followed Dionysus back from Asia minor. They are called on to sing the words Euripides has given them—in the resonant harmonies Glass has provided—and also to dance/mime the action and themes. This collaboration with Glass's music is one thing that saves this production from boredom and propels it toward a mesmerizing beauty. On the other hand, there are times when the ensemble’s gestures border on the mundane. There is an unevenness in the ensemble. Some are better singers, and some are better movers. And sometimes they don't all equally support the visual image.

Both Dionysus and Pentheus are very young men, prematurely full of themselves. Teiresias and Cadmus are very old men (well-played by veterans André de Shields and George Bartenieff). There is no one in the play that we can truly identify with.
    Dionysus should be that personage. But he is forever proclaiming his god-ness, while impersonating a mortal. Here is where the production might have employed some distancing device, like a giant mask in his early scenes. As played by Jonathan Groff (of Spring Awakening fame) with energy and swagger and an impish disposition, the young and young-in-heart in the crowd can side with Dionysus as a sexy young man who has a sense of humor and makes fun of Pentheus' narrow vision. But in the end, Dionysus shows no mercy and no compassion in precipitating the tragic horror. And the Olympian aspect is seen only as miraculous powers. The divinity of Dionysus represents the flowing life-force itself, whether bubbling out as blood, water, wine or honey. It is a primal, chaotic eruption of nature—uncontrollable and amoral.
    The great horror of the play, Agave's realization of her own brutality, is almost too big for human understanding. Again, I think we need a device to accommodate the emotion. I would have preferred a silent scream, perhaps supported by some of that wonderful Glass music—or percussion. But here the talented Joan Macintosh is made to actually scream and sustain it for what seems like two minutes.

This is a play about wisdom and seeing and understanding. None of the characters have clear understanding and self-awareness, and in the end, none are wise. Teiresias with his fawnskin cloak, ready to dance to Bacchus says, "we are the only men right minded; the rest are perverse." Pentheus in drag says, "Women are not to be subdued by brute force. I will hide among the pinetrees." Even the chorus suffers at the enormity of Dionysus' vengeance.

Akalaitis knew what she was getting into. She is quoted in the program, "maybe there's catharsis in Twelfth Night because at the end, you say, I had a great time. I always feel the kind of theater I'm interested in doing is when the audience leaves feeling disturbed and nauseous."

She got the desired effect.

Monday, July 13, 2009

Midsummer Grandness


I was given the opportunity to benefit my community by serving on the Grand Jury of Kings County, New York from June 26th until July 10th. This service provided me with the chance to earn a small stipend while performing a necessary function in society. The Grand Jury is made up of 23 persons residing in the community. In my case, and I warrant in many cases, it was a wonderfully diverse and inclusive collection of individuals.
Because of security screenings, I was not allowed to bring a camera into the court. But because jurors were allowed certain lenience, I was allowed to bring my phone, which has a camera. I did not violate the principle of this privilege, so I have no record of my fellow jurors, whose names I don't even know. One of the Jurors I knew as E-10. Our Jury was E, and he was E-10. I was E-8. (E-9 was really nice: closest to me in proximity and culturally, and I know her name, but I will not divulge it) HOWEVER, I did get to experience the wonderful tradition (not previously known to me) of "Lunch Hour". It was like a mid-day meditation. I found here the opportunity to take pictures of what I was attending to in my meditation.





This last image was arresting (apropos of jury work). On a sunny day in a metropolitan forest, the sun cast a shadow with gothic resonance. So I took another look. What do you see . . . ?



On the penultimate day of my service we had the luxury of a 2-hour lunch. So I walked to the Promenade and took pictures of New York harbor.


Sunday, July 12, 2009

Jalopy showcase




June 14 was the Jalopy Showcase. Deborah, Elaine and I performed Angel Band. It was rather a fun day! All the groups were good, and the audience was enthusiastically supportive.

Elaine's son Cole took the pictures from the back of the house. Deborah's son Cody took the pictures from down front, and her husband Jim made a video of our performance which can be seen on YouTube.