Rimon: Master Classes in Judaic Studies (a project of the Center for Judaic Studies at the University of Denver)
Featuring a public lecture with special visiting scholar: Professor Claire Katz
Monday, February 5, 2007 at 7 p.m.
Lindsay Auditorium, Sturm Hall 2nd Floor
University of Denver, 2000 E. Asbury Ave.
"Educating the Solitary Man: Levinas, Rousseau, and the Return to Jewish Wisdom"
Description of talk:What is the goal of education, and what if any, relationship does education have to the political community? This paper examines Emile, Rousseau's influential treatise on education, and the Jewish writings of Emmanuel Levinas, in order to explore the relationship that primary education has to the development of the political community and the ethical responsibility of all its citizens.
All events are free and open to the public; however, RSVPs are required, as space is limited. Please call 303.871.3660 or email palarsen@du.edu by February 1, 2007.
http://www.du.edu/cjs/suggested_readings_and_guiding_questions.html
Friday, February 2, 2007
Feb. 3 Community Dance @ Mercury Cafe
From the Mercury Cafe's e-newsletter:
Free Community Dance!
Let's Warm Up By Dancing!
This Saturday at 7:30, join us in a free Waltz class, followed by a free community dance.
Hope to see you,
the Mercury Cafe
Feb. 3 Full Moon Sit Meditation @ Yoga Workshop
There is monthly meditation session at Yoga Workshop to coincide with the full moon, and this month's is Saturday, Feb. 3, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.
While officially there is no fee to participate, it is being offered in the spirit of dana, which means generosity or sharing. So share as much as you feel you can.
While officially there is no fee to participate, it is being offered in the spirit of dana, which means generosity or sharing. So share as much as you feel you can.
Feb. 3 "Went the Day Well?" @ Starz FilmCenter
From the Denver Film Society website:
"Went the Day Well?"
Sponsored by the Tattered Cover Bookstore. Join us as we explore the world of classic movies with Colorado Public Radio film critic Howie Movshovitz. Programs begin at 7:00pm at the Starz FilmCenter at the Tivoli. Admission is free, but tickets are required from the box office and are available ONE HOUR prior to screenings.
Saturday, February 3rd - 7:00pm - FREE!
A beautifully understated World War II movie based on a story by Graham Greene about the invasion of a British village by German soldiers. The German pose as British soldiers assigned to secure the town from the coming German counterattack. Oddly, and with touching determination, this 1942 film is narrated as if the war has already ended.
Directed by Alberto Cavalcanti
(UK, 1942, Not Rated, 92min)
Thursday, February 1, 2007
Feb. 3 "The Last Unicorn" @ Starz FilmCenter
This week's Kids First! movie selection at the Denver Film Society is "The Last Unicorn." It's being billed as the 25th Anniversary edition, which I guess is fair if IMDB.com is to be trusted. But I have no recollection of this movie from 1982, which was probably the apex of my cohort's obsession with all things unicorn-, rainbow-, and Pegasus*-related. You'd think at least one of us would have gone to see it in the theaters?
Two showings, at 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
* OK, so maybe I was the only one into Pegasus. I was just trying to find a new angle on an already exhausted trend.
Two showings, at 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
* OK, so maybe I was the only one into Pegasus. I was just trying to find a new angle on an already exhausted trend.
Feb. 3 One Penny Day @ MCA Denver
And as if to prove that the first weekend of the month belongs to the fine arts community, this Saturday, February 3, is an almost-free day at the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver -- admission for non-members is one penny. (On the MCAD website, go to Visitor Information and then Admission.)
Feb. 3 Free First Saturday @ Denver Art Museum
Saturday, February 3 is an SCFD-funded day of free admission to the Denver Art Museum.
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
recap of Jan. 24 King Lear
I consider myself fairly well-versed in Shakespeare's body of work -- more so than the average American, but perhaps less so than a lot of English majors. In school we read the basics: Romeo and Juliet in 9th grade, Macbeth in 10th, and Hamlet in 12th. I know enough to know that Sting took the line "...nothing like the sun" from a Shakespeare sonnet. Because of my family's involvement in theater, I've seen As You Like It and Much Ado About Nothing multiple times, and my Kenneth Branagh phase of the early 90s made me fall in love with Henry V (or "Hank Cinq" as I've heard it referred to).
I've seen mixed-bag productions in small theaters where the actors rush through their lines, I've seen surprisingly effective takes on what had become pedestrian, and I've seen top-knotch performances where every word and intention were crystal clear.
But somehow, with all of this education and exposure to theater, I had never seen nor read King Lear . I had tried once in junior high when our English teacher recommended we watch a made-for-TV version starring Laurence Olivier that was being broadcast. I made it as far as Cordelia's banishment before I bailed -- I may have been a 12-year-old geek, but even I had my limits.
The King Lear currently running at the Denver Center is probably as good as regional Shakespeare gets. As I mentioned above, I've seen some great productions, mostly at A Noise Within in Los Angeles, and I use that company as my benchmark. "Could the ANW crew have done that better?" When it comes to the actor playing Lear, Philip Pleasants, my answer is No. As well as -- perhaps. But better? It's hard to imagine that anyone could inhabit that role more fully than he does. His transformation made perfect sense, tragic and beautiful all at once, and I was surprised by what a witty fellow Lear could be through it all. Lear's death, coming as it does on the heels of his finally becoming fully alive for the first time, was moving without becoming maudlin. Pleasants also has played Scrooge here, and I told the guitarhero that we'll have to make a point of seeing any A Christmas Carol that he is in, if only to see him in a happy ending.
As for the rest of the production, I can say that it was very good overall, but I did feel myself at a loss because of not knowing the play going in. With Shakespeare, you sometimes don't know something is meant as a joke or a quip unless you already know the joke or quip. There were a few times when some of the audience (which filled over 80% of the house) reacted to a line that I completely missed. And I hate not knowing what's going on -- I'm smart and cultured after all, right?
Even so, there were other performances that I particularly liked, such as Mike Hartman as Gloucester, Markus Potter as Edgar (who lists an A Noise Within credit in his bio), John Hutton as Kent, and Remi Sandri as Cornwall. Rodney Hicks as Edmund was sexy and showy, but his musical theater background (ensemble in the original cast of Rent ) seemed a little too evident for this production.
As for the sisters -- those are tough roles, all three of them. I think that poor Cordelia can only pale next to her duplicitous siblings no matter who's playing her. Because most of the intrigue and plot twists depend on Regan and Goneril, I think my lack of familiarity with the play most impacts my view of those two performances. Sharon Washington as Goneril and Kathleen McCall as Regan were evil and scheming as required, but I'm just sorry that I don't know the roles better to have appreciated their performances more.
There were a few National Conservatory students in the cast, and their main duties seemed to consist of holding flaming torches while other cast members spoke. The two or three who did have lines, despite being talented and experienced students, still came off as novices among pros. A few women were cast as (male) soldiers, costumed in capes with their hair pulled back in manly ponytails. Even with their backs to my section of the audience, I was struck by how much the angle of one's head can betray femininity at the same time one is adopting a wide-shouldered, square-hipped stance. And after all is said and done, that's what I've learned from the great Shakespearean performances that I've seen -- don't ignore the details, for they are what transform the Bard's text into stories for a 21st century audience.
I've seen mixed-bag productions in small theaters where the actors rush through their lines, I've seen surprisingly effective takes on what had become pedestrian, and I've seen top-knotch performances where every word and intention were crystal clear.
But somehow, with all of this education and exposure to theater, I had never seen nor read King Lear . I had tried once in junior high when our English teacher recommended we watch a made-for-TV version starring Laurence Olivier that was being broadcast. I made it as far as Cordelia's banishment before I bailed -- I may have been a 12-year-old geek, but even I had my limits.
The King Lear currently running at the Denver Center is probably as good as regional Shakespeare gets. As I mentioned above, I've seen some great productions, mostly at A Noise Within in Los Angeles, and I use that company as my benchmark. "Could the ANW crew have done that better?" When it comes to the actor playing Lear, Philip Pleasants, my answer is No. As well as -- perhaps. But better? It's hard to imagine that anyone could inhabit that role more fully than he does. His transformation made perfect sense, tragic and beautiful all at once, and I was surprised by what a witty fellow Lear could be through it all. Lear's death, coming as it does on the heels of his finally becoming fully alive for the first time, was moving without becoming maudlin. Pleasants also has played Scrooge here, and I told the guitarhero that we'll have to make a point of seeing any A Christmas Carol that he is in, if only to see him in a happy ending.
As for the rest of the production, I can say that it was very good overall, but I did feel myself at a loss because of not knowing the play going in. With Shakespeare, you sometimes don't know something is meant as a joke or a quip unless you already know the joke or quip. There were a few times when some of the audience (which filled over 80% of the house) reacted to a line that I completely missed. And I hate not knowing what's going on -- I'm smart and cultured after all, right?
Even so, there were other performances that I particularly liked, such as Mike Hartman as Gloucester, Markus Potter as Edgar (who lists an A Noise Within credit in his bio), John Hutton as Kent, and Remi Sandri as Cornwall. Rodney Hicks as Edmund was sexy and showy, but his musical theater background (ensemble in the original cast of Rent ) seemed a little too evident for this production.
As for the sisters -- those are tough roles, all three of them. I think that poor Cordelia can only pale next to her duplicitous siblings no matter who's playing her. Because most of the intrigue and plot twists depend on Regan and Goneril, I think my lack of familiarity with the play most impacts my view of those two performances. Sharon Washington as Goneril and Kathleen McCall as Regan were evil and scheming as required, but I'm just sorry that I don't know the roles better to have appreciated their performances more.
There were a few National Conservatory students in the cast, and their main duties seemed to consist of holding flaming torches while other cast members spoke. The two or three who did have lines, despite being talented and experienced students, still came off as novices among pros. A few women were cast as (male) soldiers, costumed in capes with their hair pulled back in manly ponytails. Even with their backs to my section of the audience, I was struck by how much the angle of one's head can betray femininity at the same time one is adopting a wide-shouldered, square-hipped stance. And after all is said and done, that's what I've learned from the great Shakespearean performances that I've seen -- don't ignore the details, for they are what transform the Bard's text into stories for a 21st century audience.
Jan. 31 Highlife African Ensemble @ CU Boulder
There is a concert tonight, Jan. 31, at 7:30 p.m. as part of CU Boulder's Pendulum: New Music series. There's not much detail on the website, but it does look interesting. Will it be a fusion of African percussion with Western classical traditions? Can't really tell what can be expected, which I guess would be part of the fun.
Wednesday, January 31
CU musicians, & audience participation project with African Ensemble
All concerts are Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. at Grusin Music Hall, Imig Music Building unless otherwise noted. Admission is free and a reception follows every performance. For more concert information, call the College of Music Box Office at 303-492-8008.
Feb. 2 First Friday @ RiNo
This Friday, February 2, is also a First Friday 'happening' at select RiNo (River North) galleries starting at 6:00 p.m.
Feb. 2 First Friday Art Walk on Santa Fe
This Friday, Feb. 2, is the monthly 1st Friday Art Walk at the Art District on Santa Fe from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. It'll be cold, but there's a (free) shuttle from the Osage Light Rail station.
Feb. 1 Free Day @ Denver Zoo
Thursday, February 1 is an SCFD-funded day of free admission to the Denver Zoo.
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Jan. 31 "Melting Siberia" @ DU
This Wednesday is the final screening in the DU Center for Judaic Studies 3rd Annual Film Series.
January 31 – Melting Siberia
(Israel, 2004/Hebrew and English with subtitles/72 mins.)
Directed by Ido Haar Marina, a Russian Israeli, was raised by her mother after WWII. Her father, a Red Army soldier, had disappeared in the Siberian steppes, never to know his daughter. What ensues is a family reunion that is full of emotional surprises.
Davis Auditorium in Sturm Hall
University of Denver
2000 E. Asbury Ave.
Free and open to the public, reservations are appreciated – please call 303.871.3660 or email mailto:palarson@du.edu
January 31 – Melting Siberia
(Israel, 2004/Hebrew and English with subtitles/72 mins.)
Directed by Ido Haar Marina, a Russian Israeli, was raised by her mother after WWII. Her father, a Red Army soldier, had disappeared in the Siberian steppes, never to know his daughter. What ensues is a family reunion that is full of emotional surprises.
Davis Auditorium in Sturm Hall
University of Denver
2000 E. Asbury Ave.
Free and open to the public, reservations are appreciated – please call 303.871.3660 or email mailto:palarson@du.edu
Tuesday Yoga Sutras Discussion Group @ Bookends
This falls under the "I can't, I have rehearsal" category when it comes to my availability for this activity, but it looks interesting.
Patanjali's Raja Yoga Sutras Discussion Group
A group of dedicated Yoga Workshop students are starting a weekly discussion group on Patanjali's Raja Yoga Sutras. The plan is to discuss one sutra each week. Everyone is welcome. Bring your own translations.
When: Tuesdays at 6:30 PM
Where: Bookends, 1107 Pearl Street, Boulder
Topics:
Jan 23rd - 1.4. vrtti-sárúpyam-itaratra
Jan 30th - 1.5 vrittayah pañchatayyah klishtaklishtáh
Feb 6th - 1.6 pramána-viparyaya-vikalpa-nidrá-smritayah
Feb 13th - 1.7 pratyakshanumánagamáh pramánáni
Feb 20th - 1.8 viparyayo mithyá-jñánam atad-rupa-pratishtham
Feb 27th - 1.9 shabda-jñánanupáti-vastu-shunyo vikalpah
For more information contact Corrie Detweiler at Corrella.Detweiler@colorado.edu or 303-442-2455 or Beth Reninger at halfmoon108@yahoo.com or 720-596-9926
Contact Corrie to be added to the email-update list. If you are not already on this list, contact Corrie or Beth to double check the schedule, as occasionally we may meet at an alternative location.
Patanjali's Raja Yoga Sutras Discussion Group
A group of dedicated Yoga Workshop students are starting a weekly discussion group on Patanjali's Raja Yoga Sutras. The plan is to discuss one sutra each week. Everyone is welcome. Bring your own translations.
When: Tuesdays at 6:30 PM
Where: Bookends, 1107 Pearl Street, Boulder
Topics:
Jan 23rd - 1.4. vrtti-sárúpyam-itaratra
Jan 30th - 1.5 vrittayah pañchatayyah klishtaklishtáh
Feb 6th - 1.6 pramána-viparyaya-vikalpa-nidrá-smritayah
Feb 13th - 1.7 pratyakshanumánagamáh pramánáni
Feb 20th - 1.8 viparyayo mithyá-jñánam atad-rupa-pratishtham
Feb 27th - 1.9 shabda-jñánanupáti-vastu-shunyo vikalpah
For more information contact Corrie Detweiler at Corrella.Detweiler@colorado.edu or 303-442-2455 or Beth Reninger at halfmoon108@yahoo.com or 720-596-9926
Contact Corrie to be added to the email-update list. If you are not already on this list, contact Corrie or Beth to double check the schedule, as occasionally we may meet at an alternative location.
Monday, January 29, 2007
Jan. 31 "Hip Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes" @ Starz FilmCenter
I'm getting mixed messages from the Denver Film Society website regarding the Community Cinema screening of "Hip Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes." Either it really is on Wed. Jan. 31, or it was shown on Dec. 31. Either it's free, or general admission is $8.75. I prefer to be optimistic that there's a free showing this week.
Jan. 31 Jazz Ensemble Concert @ DU
JAZZ Night. Lamont Ensemble Concert Series
Date: Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Time: 7:30 p.m. - 9 p.m.
Contact:
Victoria Brandys
Complete Description
Featuring three large jazz ensembles: University Jazz Ensemble, Jeff Uban, director; Lamont Jazz Ensemble, Alan Hood, director; Lamont Jazz Orchestra, Malcolm Lynn Baker, director. Gates Concert Hall, Newman Center for the Performing Arts, 2344 E. Iliff Ave., Denver. Free admission. Lamont concert Line (303) 871 6412. Free parking at the Newman Center parking garage
Date: Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Time: 7:30 p.m. - 9 p.m.
Contact:
Victoria Brandys
Complete Description
Featuring three large jazz ensembles: University Jazz Ensemble, Jeff Uban, director; Lamont Jazz Ensemble, Alan Hood, director; Lamont Jazz Orchestra, Malcolm Lynn Baker, director. Gates Concert Hall, Newman Center for the Performing Arts, 2344 E. Iliff Ave., Denver. Free admission. Lamont concert Line (303) 871 6412. Free parking at the Newman Center parking garage
Sunday, January 28, 2007
recap of Jan. 22 1001 & Su Teatro rally
I ended up seeing 1001 at the Denver Center Theatre Company on Monday the 22nd, not Wednesday the 17th as originally planned. When I got to the Bonfils Theatre last week at about 4:45, expecting to find myself at the end of a line of people already getting tickets for 1001, I found that the performance that evening had been canceled, but that they were allowing those who'd turned up the chance to reserve a free ticket for any of the upcoming previews. So I picked Monday the 22nd, thinking that I stood the least chance of having any conflicting events on that day.
Well, I was only partly right about that. A couple of days later El Centro Su Teatro sent around its announcement about the City Council meeting on Monday. It's true, I have become so obsessed with free tickets (I believe one coworker called me a "theater whore") that I viewed this as a potential conflict.
No matter, I decided, I'll make it work. On Monday I left my office a few minutes early, lucked out with easy traffic, and actually ponied up the $8 to park in the DCPA lot. After picking up my 1001 ticket from will call, I immediately set out to hoof it from the DCPA to the Denver City & County building even though it was already 5:30 at that point. And hoof it I did, making up for at least a few days' worth of inactivity. Once I found the correct building, I was directed to go down the hall and up to the 4th floor by a guard who was just like Michael Jeter, except more so. By now it was just about 6:00, and I wondered if it was even really worth it, considering the curtain for the ticket I already held was at 6:30 and I still had to walk back. But what the hell, I was already there, so I followed Michael Jeter's directions.
Once I made it to the chambers, I learned that not only did I miss the vote on Su Teatro's new space, but there hadn't been much to miss. There were a lot of people just sort of hanging around in the hall and chambers, some hobknobbing and some who looked like they were still waiting for something to happen. Not wanting to approach just any Latino to ask "where's my free ticket at?" I lingered until I saw a young woman passing by holding a stack of flyers & vouchers for I Don't Have to Show You No Stinking Badges. She gave me one while she shrugged and said, "Yeah, it was really quick. They just voted and it passed." So there you have it. And I now have a voucher for any Thursday night performance for the production that opens Feb. 15. More to come on that one.
I walked into the Bonfils about about 10 minutes before curtain and immediately felt a sense of being back, similar to returning after a few years to the home of a close relative where you spent good times growing up. That sense of, "Oh yes, I know this place, I know these people. This is one place I can feel I belong." My breath came more easily, I felt my brow unfurrow slightly, and in the mirror lobby I looked more like... me. Cause after all, everyone is beautiful at the ballet...
I thought to myself, Man, it's been way too long since I've been to see a play.
The house was full, mostly with folks in their 50s and 60s -- not a full-on 'blue hair' audience, but more of a traditional subscription-type crowd.
You definitely either 1) trust your supporters, or 2) don't give a rat's ass what people think when you decide to program a world premiere such as 1001 in a city like Denver. It defies easy explanation; I think my attempts to tell people about it have sounded like this: "Well, um, it's based on Scheherazade's One Thousand and One Arabian Nights, and some it kind of takes place in that sort of mythical time. But then there's a modern couple living in New York, and their story kind of parallels it. And the stories kind of interweave and lead into one another. I mean, uh, an article I read kind of compared it to a webpage full of hyperlinks that take you to this story or that one, and they all relate on some level. And it's sort of like, uh, have you heard of magical realism? And it deals with 9/11 in a way but it's not heavy-handed. And an actor playing Osama bin Laden does Vincent Price's rap from 'Thriller,' and I totally laughed at that but I don't think the older people around me knew why. So it's kind of like that -- but you should totally go see it. I think you'd like it."
So now you don't need to ask me what 1001 is about because I just told you. It has some really beautiful moments, some jarring and surprising moments, a fantastic six-person cast, and a bitchin' DJ-as-sound board. You should go see it, especially if you don't see much theater and you're in that 20-45 year old age bracket that communicates a lot via e-mail and can recognize a Clash bassline when you hear it and have maybe even seen "Vertigo." I think you'd like it.
On Tuesday, I dropped a quick e-mail to Bret Saunders at KBCO, thinking that his is the perfect demographic for this production and maybe he'd mention the play at some point. On Wednesday my supervisor said, "Oh, someone on KBCO this morning was raving about that play you saw!" Turns out Bret read my e-mail on the air at about 8:30, so maybe I helped pay for my free ticket by getting a couple more butts in seats.
And the icing on this theatrical cake is that on Wednesday evening I got my own Q&A session with the playwright, Jason Grote. I had made his electronic acquaintance via the BCT Yahoo group for theater. So when the Denver Post published the article about 1001, I posted it to the group, and Jason and I e-mailed each other a couple of times about his plans to be here for the opening. He was completely gracious about offering to meet up for a cup of coffee when I told him of my plans to see King Lear on Wednesday, since he would be at the DCPA, too. So we met for about an hour. I followed my introduction by confessing that I hadn't realized how much he'd done until I read his full bio in the program; I knew wasn't a total neophyte, but I sort of thought of him as that playwright on BCT. Even so, this premiere at DCTC is still a big deal, which is why I was doubly impressed that he'd meet up with a local like me about whom he knew nothing. I got a chance to ask him a few questions about the play and how I thought some of the stories folded in on one another. I said that, especially having seen a very fluid performance, I wondered what the "Fuck you, Jason!" moments were that Ethan McSweeney, the director, had talked about in the Post article. While he didn't know of any specific moments, Jason said that he imagined they had to do with working out the tone and transitions, having had a few "Fuck you, Jason!" moments himself while writing the piece.
So I was a bit of a dork with my questions, and he was cool about it, and I came away from our meeting very appreciative of the opportunity to talk about the process with someone who really knows what he's doing. It made me feel again a little bit more like the me I hope to be.
Well, I was only partly right about that. A couple of days later El Centro Su Teatro sent around its announcement about the City Council meeting on Monday. It's true, I have become so obsessed with free tickets (I believe one coworker called me a "theater whore") that I viewed this as a potential conflict.
No matter, I decided, I'll make it work. On Monday I left my office a few minutes early, lucked out with easy traffic, and actually ponied up the $8 to park in the DCPA lot. After picking up my 1001 ticket from will call, I immediately set out to hoof it from the DCPA to the Denver City & County building even though it was already 5:30 at that point. And hoof it I did, making up for at least a few days' worth of inactivity. Once I found the correct building, I was directed to go down the hall and up to the 4th floor by a guard who was just like Michael Jeter, except more so. By now it was just about 6:00, and I wondered if it was even really worth it, considering the curtain for the ticket I already held was at 6:30 and I still had to walk back. But what the hell, I was already there, so I followed Michael Jeter's directions.
Once I made it to the chambers, I learned that not only did I miss the vote on Su Teatro's new space, but there hadn't been much to miss. There were a lot of people just sort of hanging around in the hall and chambers, some hobknobbing and some who looked like they were still waiting for something to happen. Not wanting to approach just any Latino to ask "where's my free ticket at?" I lingered until I saw a young woman passing by holding a stack of flyers & vouchers for I Don't Have to Show You No Stinking Badges. She gave me one while she shrugged and said, "Yeah, it was really quick. They just voted and it passed." So there you have it. And I now have a voucher for any Thursday night performance for the production that opens Feb. 15. More to come on that one.
I walked into the Bonfils about about 10 minutes before curtain and immediately felt a sense of being back, similar to returning after a few years to the home of a close relative where you spent good times growing up. That sense of, "Oh yes, I know this place, I know these people. This is one place I can feel I belong." My breath came more easily, I felt my brow unfurrow slightly, and in the mirror lobby I looked more like... me. Cause after all, everyone is beautiful at the ballet...
I thought to myself, Man, it's been way too long since I've been to see a play.
The house was full, mostly with folks in their 50s and 60s -- not a full-on 'blue hair' audience, but more of a traditional subscription-type crowd.
You definitely either 1) trust your supporters, or 2) don't give a rat's ass what people think when you decide to program a world premiere such as 1001 in a city like Denver. It defies easy explanation; I think my attempts to tell people about it have sounded like this: "Well, um, it's based on Scheherazade's One Thousand and One Arabian Nights, and some it kind of takes place in that sort of mythical time. But then there's a modern couple living in New York, and their story kind of parallels it. And the stories kind of interweave and lead into one another. I mean, uh, an article I read kind of compared it to a webpage full of hyperlinks that take you to this story or that one, and they all relate on some level. And it's sort of like, uh, have you heard of magical realism? And it deals with 9/11 in a way but it's not heavy-handed. And an actor playing Osama bin Laden does Vincent Price's rap from 'Thriller,' and I totally laughed at that but I don't think the older people around me knew why. So it's kind of like that -- but you should totally go see it. I think you'd like it."
So now you don't need to ask me what 1001 is about because I just told you. It has some really beautiful moments, some jarring and surprising moments, a fantastic six-person cast, and a bitchin' DJ-as-sound board. You should go see it, especially if you don't see much theater and you're in that 20-45 year old age bracket that communicates a lot via e-mail and can recognize a Clash bassline when you hear it and have maybe even seen "Vertigo." I think you'd like it.
On Tuesday, I dropped a quick e-mail to Bret Saunders at KBCO, thinking that his is the perfect demographic for this production and maybe he'd mention the play at some point. On Wednesday my supervisor said, "Oh, someone on KBCO this morning was raving about that play you saw!" Turns out Bret read my e-mail on the air at about 8:30, so maybe I helped pay for my free ticket by getting a couple more butts in seats.
And the icing on this theatrical cake is that on Wednesday evening I got my own Q&A session with the playwright, Jason Grote. I had made his electronic acquaintance via the BCT Yahoo group for theater. So when the Denver Post published the article about 1001, I posted it to the group, and Jason and I e-mailed each other a couple of times about his plans to be here for the opening. He was completely gracious about offering to meet up for a cup of coffee when I told him of my plans to see King Lear on Wednesday, since he would be at the DCPA, too. So we met for about an hour. I followed my introduction by confessing that I hadn't realized how much he'd done until I read his full bio in the program; I knew wasn't a total neophyte, but I sort of thought of him as that playwright on BCT. Even so, this premiere at DCTC is still a big deal, which is why I was doubly impressed that he'd meet up with a local like me about whom he knew nothing. I got a chance to ask him a few questions about the play and how I thought some of the stories folded in on one another. I said that, especially having seen a very fluid performance, I wondered what the "Fuck you, Jason!" moments were that Ethan McSweeney, the director, had talked about in the Post article. While he didn't know of any specific moments, Jason said that he imagined they had to do with working out the tone and transitions, having had a few "Fuck you, Jason!" moments himself while writing the piece.
So I was a bit of a dork with my questions, and he was cool about it, and I came away from our meeting very appreciative of the opportunity to talk about the process with someone who really knows what he's doing. It made me feel again a little bit more like the me I hope to be.
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