Showing posts with label discussion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label discussion. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 6, 2007
March 8 "A Land Out of Time" @ American Mountaineering Center
On March 8 at 7:00, the Colorado Mountain Club will present the film "A Land Out of Time" as part of their Conservation Film Series. The showing will be in the American Mountaineering Center's Foss Auditorium. An informal discussion will take place after the screening.
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Feb. 24 New Generation of Race Plays @ DPL
From the Denver Public Library website:
Saturday, February 24, 1-2:30 p.m.
Central Library, Level B2 Conference Center
Discuss three new plays by three young writers exploring race relations in the United States. Written as companion pieces to Curious Theatre Company's mainstage production, A House With No Walls, each writer examines the themes of color and culture from the fresh perspective of the next generation. These three short plays speak directly to the issue of how history, gender and geography color our world. Readings and discussion hosted by the playwrights. For more info on Curious Theatre Company, go to curioustheatre.org
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
recap of Feb. 10: New Play Summit
This recap of the New Play Summit and 365 Days/365 Plays at the DCPA on Feb. 10 is long overdue.
True to what the DCPA customer service rep had said when I called, I was able to snag a ticket to the 10:00 a.m. reading of A Visitor's Guide to Arivaca (Map Not to Scale) by showing up a few minutes beforehand. Because I then had to move my car into the pay lot (why pay $8 if there was no guarantee of a ticket?), I entered the packed theater a few minutes after the reading had begun. I recognized a few actors I'd seen in 1001 and King Lear, including Jeanine Serralles and Markus Potter, and wondered how many rehearsals for this they'd been able to squeeze in amid their busy performance schedule.
I left the reading with mixed feelings about the play, which has already been workshopped in Tucson (American Theatre magazine's Dec. 2006 cover article covers it here). Having just finished The Tortilla Curtain by T.C. Boyle, the territory felt familiar yet more distant. Whereas Boyle's novel focuses sharply on the personal experiences of four people to illustrate the issues/problems of illegal immigration, Evangeline Ordaz's play seemed more didactic. She has placed at the center of her story one Mexican couple attempting to cross the border south of Tucson, with the supporting characters all receiving plenty of stage time as well. On the one hand, Ordaz gives voice to the many sides of the debate, and is generally even-handed about it, but on the other I came away from the reading feeling like I'd heard from archetypes more than from individual characters.
Regardless, it's always a pleasure to see and hear good actors at work. Despite what had to have been limited time to prepare, the performances were superb across the board. Special recognition should go to William Hahn, whose first entrance as Eddie the stoned ranch hand had his castmates laughing and enjoying his performance as much as the official audience did.
At noon, a group of DCTC actors performed one of the 365 Days/365 Plays in the Bonfils lobby. These plays are more like play-lets, or tiny versions of plays that may someday grow and develop. This noon offering seemed to be part of the recurring Father Comes Home from the War theme that Parks has described in some article I read somewhere. (By the way, I added a link to the More Sites I Like section of this blog that will take you to 'today's play' on the TCG website.) It was short, spare, and left me with more questions than I had before it started -- who was the man posing for the portrait with what seemed to be the Father's family? Why does the injured Father end the scene by dancing? Ah well, such is cutting edge work.
After my side trip to the library, I returned to the Bonfils lobby briefly, wondering if I wanted to stick around until 3:00 to see another of the 365 Plays. When I realized that the New Play Summit panel discussion already in progress was also free, my decision was made for me. I had thought the panel would feature playwrights whose plays were being read over the course of the weekend, but Evangeline Ordaz and Jason Grote were the only playwrights whose works were being performed. The rest of the panel was made up of Octavio Solis, Thomas Gibbons, and Julie Myatt. As moderated by Kent Thompson, the discussion was already well underway, and the prevailing theme seemed to be views on writing characters from a background different than one's own. Again, it's always interesting and edifying to hear more about process and motivation from those who've been doing it for a while.
The next two 365 Plays followed the end of the panel discussion in fairly quick succession, even catching a few patrons unaware as they tried to make their way down the steps and past the performers. The real excitement of the inclusion of 365 Plays into the New Play Summit, for me at least, was watching art being presented in a space not designed for that specific purpose. I like the idea that theater can happen any time, anywhere, with the audience standing around the sides and even behind the action. There is value in that, I think, and I'm looking forward to seeing more of the 365 performances through the year to see how they handle the challenges.
True to what the DCPA customer service rep had said when I called, I was able to snag a ticket to the 10:00 a.m. reading of A Visitor's Guide to Arivaca (Map Not to Scale) by showing up a few minutes beforehand. Because I then had to move my car into the pay lot (why pay $8 if there was no guarantee of a ticket?), I entered the packed theater a few minutes after the reading had begun. I recognized a few actors I'd seen in 1001 and King Lear, including Jeanine Serralles and Markus Potter, and wondered how many rehearsals for this they'd been able to squeeze in amid their busy performance schedule.
I left the reading with mixed feelings about the play, which has already been workshopped in Tucson (American Theatre magazine's Dec. 2006 cover article covers it here). Having just finished The Tortilla Curtain by T.C. Boyle, the territory felt familiar yet more distant. Whereas Boyle's novel focuses sharply on the personal experiences of four people to illustrate the issues/problems of illegal immigration, Evangeline Ordaz's play seemed more didactic. She has placed at the center of her story one Mexican couple attempting to cross the border south of Tucson, with the supporting characters all receiving plenty of stage time as well. On the one hand, Ordaz gives voice to the many sides of the debate, and is generally even-handed about it, but on the other I came away from the reading feeling like I'd heard from archetypes more than from individual characters.
Regardless, it's always a pleasure to see and hear good actors at work. Despite what had to have been limited time to prepare, the performances were superb across the board. Special recognition should go to William Hahn, whose first entrance as Eddie the stoned ranch hand had his castmates laughing and enjoying his performance as much as the official audience did.
At noon, a group of DCTC actors performed one of the 365 Days/365 Plays in the Bonfils lobby. These plays are more like play-lets, or tiny versions of plays that may someday grow and develop. This noon offering seemed to be part of the recurring Father Comes Home from the War theme that Parks has described in some article I read somewhere. (By the way, I added a link to the More Sites I Like section of this blog that will take you to 'today's play' on the TCG website.) It was short, spare, and left me with more questions than I had before it started -- who was the man posing for the portrait with what seemed to be the Father's family? Why does the injured Father end the scene by dancing? Ah well, such is cutting edge work.
After my side trip to the library, I returned to the Bonfils lobby briefly, wondering if I wanted to stick around until 3:00 to see another of the 365 Plays. When I realized that the New Play Summit panel discussion already in progress was also free, my decision was made for me. I had thought the panel would feature playwrights whose plays were being read over the course of the weekend, but Evangeline Ordaz and Jason Grote were the only playwrights whose works were being performed. The rest of the panel was made up of Octavio Solis, Thomas Gibbons, and Julie Myatt. As moderated by Kent Thompson, the discussion was already well underway, and the prevailing theme seemed to be views on writing characters from a background different than one's own. Again, it's always interesting and edifying to hear more about process and motivation from those who've been doing it for a while.
The next two 365 Plays followed the end of the panel discussion in fairly quick succession, even catching a few patrons unaware as they tried to make their way down the steps and past the performers. The real excitement of the inclusion of 365 Plays into the New Play Summit, for me at least, was watching art being presented in a space not designed for that specific purpose. I like the idea that theater can happen any time, anywhere, with the audience standing around the sides and even behind the action. There is value in that, I think, and I'm looking forward to seeing more of the 365 performances through the year to see how they handle the challenges.
March 1 Pure Confidence Director's Notes @ DCPA
I'm posting this event earlier than I might normally because registration is required and there's already a waiting list. The director of the DCTC's upcoming production of Pure Confidence, Kent Gash, will lead a Director's Notes session at 6:00 on March 1, featuring a discussion of the play and a tour of the theater.
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Feb. 18 Jake Adam York, poet @ DPL
From the Denver Public Library website:
Jake Adam York – Murder Ballads – Author Talk and Book Signing
Sunday, February 18, 2 - 3 p.m.
Central Library, Level 5 Gates Conference RoomJake Adam York's first book of poems, Murder Ballads, opened a long project, the creation of a poetic memorial for the martyrs of America's Civil Rights Movement, a project York has continued in his newly completed sequel, A Murmuration of Starlings. Join York for a reading of poems from the memorial sequence. A question-and-answer session will follow, for those interested in discussing the memorial poems or the contexts of American and Southern literature out of which these poems emerge. Book signing to follow.
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Feb. 17-18 Panel Discussions @ Boulder Film Festival
The Boulder International Film Festival is happening Feb. 15-18, 2007, and there are a couple of free events associated with it. The first, a Filmmakers' Panel, is on Saturday the 17th, and the Confessions of a Film Critic panel on Sunday the 18th will feature pretty much every local critic you can think of.
Friday, February 9, 2007
Feb. 13 Active Minds Lecture: Afghanistan @ TC
The Active Minds Lecture series will focus on the current state of Afghanistan on Tuesday, February 13 at 5:30 p.m. at the Tattered Cover on Colfax. Everyone is welcome*, and reservations are recommended; call 303-436-9291 ext. 2728 to RSVP.
* In checking out the Active Minds website, it would appear that these lectures are geared toward the senior citizen community, but they do specify that everyone is welcome.
* In checking out the Active Minds website, it would appear that these lectures are geared toward the senior citizen community, but they do specify that everyone is welcome.
Tuesday, February 6, 2007
Feb. 9-10 New Play Summit @ DCTC
I just called the DCPA box office to inquire about the individual play readings that are described as being free on the Colorado New Play Summit webpage. They are free, but there are no tickets currently available. The box office associate I spoke with recommended that I either call back later in the week to see if there have been cancellations, or that I can try to get an unclaimed ticket 10 minutes before curtain.
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
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.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
