From Sawyer to Shakespeare and Back Again

  True confession time - I never read The Adventures of Tom Sawyer until last weekend.  In fact, I never read anything by Twain except for the hysterical Diaries of Adam and Eve.  Hard to believe.  Twain was known for being outspoken and hard living; both threads are evident in this little novel that is more thematically complex than I anticipated.

On the surface there is fun story of a boy who witnesses a murder, attends his own funeral, and announces that he is engaged after a single kiss with his beloved Becky Thatcher.  Beneath all that, Twain subtly comments on societal hypocrisy using characters and events to illustrate frequent discord between society's values and its actions.  Hmmmmm.  No, he doesn't advocate subversion, just puts the word out there for us to consider.

Twain give us plenty to chuckle at. We all know that Tom is not a model citizen, always lingering on the delicate equator between questionably angelic and amusingly sneaky.  In the classic whitewashing scene, Aunt Polly punishes one of Tom's many indiscretions by making him paint their fence.  Instead, Tom convinces he pals that whitewashing is a honor, and they trade him prize possessions in exchange for the opportunity to do his work for him.  

Because I'm all consumed with directing a show right now, I couldn't help thinking that this is a lot like what directors do.  We sell a cast on our show painting a picture of how much fun it will be to create art together. We convince them it is for a good cause, they will make new friends, shine on stage and be the envy of everyone in their paths.  Once on board, we make them work and work and work.  They build our show for us, one line, one movement, one bit at a time. When the curtain opens and the lights go up, they're all polished up on stage, and we sit back and watch as they skip, dip, maneuver and turn in a thespian dance of maybes and hopes.  Maybe it will all work as planned and hopes that they have given the audience a reason to put the day's stress behind and laugh. 

Yup, that's a big old commercial for our HAR/UW-Manitowoc show Barbecuing Hamlet.  September 12 and 13.

Great new kids' book by Caldecott medalists Leo and Diane Dillon.   The title says it all.

Last week, an old friend stopped by all the way from Nebraska.  Slowing down and catching up is  always so very nice.    Steve's (yes the very Steve that occasionally appears as a guest blogger)  first book will be published soon.  I'll keep you all posted.

Thanks for stopping by.

Blue Monday

What a sad Monday.  Lights were dimmer  and laughter softer yesterday as we learned of the passing of two theatre comrades - Rick Klein and Robin Williams.  As the hurt subsides, Rick's lights will brighten again and laughter will rise from deep in our bellies.

I had the opportunity to work with Rick often starting when he was in high school working as a  roadie for Studio 1615.  He hung lights and set up sound for many of my student productions at Valders, and (although I am a little embarrassed to admit this ) he teched a couple Miss Manitowoc  Pageants where I acted as assistant director.  (Stop laughing!  I can hear you.).

Rick was a typical techie.  I say that with the utmost respect for those who add the magical layer of lighting and sound to productions that would be flat without those components.  The routine was always the same.  I would outline for him what I was looking for - mood, color, blends, shifts, intensity....he indulged me for however long it took to me to explain.  Then it was Rick's turn.  He never took notes, but remembered everything - and, in a flash, he told me why most of what I wanted was impossible.  Each time, the conversation ended with me near tears, my exit line being "OK then, just do it".  And he did.  For hours, Rick labored until finally, all was accomplished.  He was proud.  I was happy.  That's the way it always

went.  We both knew it.  The game got easier over the years, but the rules never changed.  Miss you, Rick.

Robin Williams.  Such a tornado of creativity.  How much fun would it have been to spend just one hour in person with this guy?  Unlike so many screen personalities, Williams had great range, using his manic style where appropriate, but when needed he was vulnerable and caring.  He also played sinister in a disturbingly realistic way, partially because that attribute was totally unexpected of our lovable Mork.  It was through this range of possibilities that we got to know him better.  He came into our living rooms as a player in a story, and after a few years of movies, TV shows and honest interviews, he left as a friend.

So, I'm thinking we all need a little happiness and luckily, this documentary is showing on PBS this Wednesday at 8:30

• HAPPY takes us on a journey from the swamps of Louisiana to the slums of Kolkata in search of what really makes people happy. Combining real life stories of people from around the world and powerful interviews with the leading scientists in happiness research, HAPPY explores the secrets behind our most valued emotion.
  - Written by Wadi Rum Films, Inc

And when you're done.....

Grab your coat and get your hat

Leave your worries on the doorstep

Just direct your feet

To the sunny side of the street.

Thanks for stopping by.

"Barbecuing Hamlet" September 12 and 13 at UW-Manitowoc.

A Miss and a Hit

Once again I have been duped by slick marketing and a cacophony of media noise.  Once again, I cannot figure out why I fell for it.  This advance reader copy came bundled with a glossy, 2-pocket folder containing all sorts of goodies. Attractive sell sheets.  Testimonials. bookmarks.  In the outside world, bookish websites from coast to coast have this flagged as a must read.  

After my recent battle with Gone Girl, I am disappointed that I did not recognize this as one of the many knockoffs that are sure to follow. The Good Girl was faster reading however for many reason, beginning with the straightforward plot.  No deception here.  Just characters going about their business in an apparent kidnapping/hostage situation. Gone Girl alternated between two storytellers, this book moves among four, most of them are believable and at times complex. However, by page 70 or so I was already saying to myself  "I bet that .....".  Once I made that assumption, the pieces came together nicely, basically as I thought they would. 

The plot?  A nice middle school teacher from a richer than rich dysfunctional family is kidnapped by a hired gun.  At the midpoint of the abduction, he gets cold feet, changing directions and secreting Chloe in a deserted cabin with no provisions.  Chloe has no idea that her captor is trying to protect both of them from the man who hired him - a man he has never met.  So, Stockholm syndrome kicks in, and when the girl is eventually found, she has amnesia and can't help the authorities in any way.  Can't or won't?  That's the question I began to ask...on page 70!

I turned the pages of this deck read.  Luckily my neighbors are not close enough to have heard the screams when I got to the "Epilogue".  350 pages of plot.  Epilogue begins on page 345 and finally things are revealed and explained just in case we missed all the big clues that clobbered us in the previous 345 pages.   I know. I know, Agatha Christie did this all the time, but who can find fault with the charming Miss Marple?  This was just lame.

The Black House by Peter Max has lots of promise.  Another mystery.  This one is set on the Isle of Lewis in Scotland's Outer Hebrides.  Geography and history combine to add layers to the plot.  I'm struggling with some of the Gaelic words, but the author anticipated that and provided a pronunciation guide for me. A detective who has been detached for a while due to a personal tragedy is dispatched to investigate a crime that bears simillarites to a case he cracked in the past.  The journey back reopens wounds and reveals secrets about his troubled past.  Reminds me of the detective shows on PBS.  This is the first in a trilogy.  I think I will enjoy these.

If you're on the lookout for an out of the ordinary movie with an exceptional cast, try "The Grand Budapest Hotel."  This modern day fantasy piles layer upon layer of silliness and visual excitement.  Keep your eyes and ears open, this moves goes quickly and you if you blink, you'll need to rewind.  Even if you don't care for the story, the look or the characters, watch it for the prison escape scene.  That deserved an award.

Thanks for stopping by.