It sounds like one of the first campaign promises that President-elect Barack Obama will be fulfilling is (perhaps rightly) one made to his two young daughters Malia and Sasha. That promise, of course, being a new puppy.
It is my hope that the Obama family will choose to rescue a pup, though I'm sure there are many breeders who would be more than happy to give a furry bundle of joy to the next First Family.
With a Presidential pet adoption on the horizon and with the approach of the holiday season, I just wanted to take a moment to speak out on behalf of my non-speaking cousins.
If you're thinking about getting a dog (or cat), please really think about it. Do you have the time for a dog? This includes playing. Not just walking and brushing. Do you have the space for a dog? Do you have the patience for a dog? Answer these questions honestly, please, before you bring a new life into your household.
If you feel that you meet the criteria to be a new pet owner, then, please, please consider rescuing a puppy from a shelter like the Dumb Friends League here in Denver. There are a lot of animals who would be very grateful for your love and your home.
However, if you absolutely must have a that purebred Scottish Terrier, then just make sure you do it right. Do not, I repeat, do not buy the little guy from a pet store and do not buy a puppy online or from a classified ad. You can find a breeder online or through an ad, but make sure that you visit in person.
Here is a little info about puppy mills from our friends at The Humane Society and StopPuppyMills.org. (The video is upsetting but not particularly graphic.)
Just as a personal preference, I am partial to mutts anyway. Being one myself, I find that mutts are more unique and generally much heartier than purebreds -- even those that are not horribly inbred like those from the puppy mills.
(Which reminds me, let's add another criterion for pet ownership: Can you financially handle a dog who becomes ill or injured?)
Whether you go through a shelter or through a legitimate breeder, there are just two things to remember:
1. Have the little darling spayed or neutered. It's better for them. It's better for you. It's better for the world. But don't just take my word for it, here's what the Humane Society has to say on the matter.
2. Be grateful. The unconditional love that one gets from a pet (even a cat) cannot be measured and it cannot be matched. An animal companion is a blessing. Treat him or her as such.
Here's one more argument against puppy mills. (But not the last one by far. This makes my blood boil. You will hear more from me on this matter.)
Meet Baby:
Friday, November 7, 2008
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Johnny One Vote
I'm going to get a little political today, but maybe not in quite the way that you think.
I voted this last week. Exercised my right as a free citizen. Let my voice be heard. Stood up and was counted. Pick your cliche. I've seen many people on MySpace and on Facebook who proclaimed loudly and proudly in their status bars (by "loudly" I mean either with all-caps or exclamation points) that they had cast their vote. I envy their enthusiasm and joy. I was more saddened by the whole experience. The confusing ballot measures, the "lesser of two evils" choices between the candidates -- these things left me feeling more disheartened than anything. Also, knowing that, just because I had voted early didn't mean I wouldn't still be subjected to the barrage of negative and/or misleading campaign advertising and automatically-dialed recorded messages in my voicemail between now and Super Tuesday.
My penultimate disappointment of the last week has been the news of the $4-million (or more) 30-minute campaign ad for Barack Obama. The price tag just seems staggering to me.
Now, this is not an indictment of Obama at all. Given the way this year's (fifteen months'?) campaigning has gone, it was a natural progression.
As Benjamin Franklin said, "Don't hate the playa, hate the game." (Or something like that.)
I guess that is what troubles me the most. This country has mobilized in terms of both volunteer hours and funding to support one candidate or another to "rescue" the country from its dark days. To hear people speak about their politician of choice, you would think we were electing a new Messiah rather than a public servant.
I hate to burst anyone's bubble, but neither of the choices presented to us can truly "rescue" us from anything. In fact, there isn't any one person out there who can.
I see all of these people out pounding the pavement to get the population registered to vote -- I get asked more for my voting status on the 16th Street Mall now than for spare change!
I receive about five calls a day from one political camp or the other. Once a day, someone knocks on my apartment door holding a clipboard.
I can't help but think that, if we paced ourselves, if we spread this energy and activism out over four years, we wouldn't need to be rescued. If we as citizens were 1/4 as much involved and informed every year as we are for just this one year, we would truly be the nation that we set out to be 200+ years ago.
Our vote is important, there is no denying that, but we are more than our vote. The prevailing attitude seems to be that, once the ballots are counted, we can all just sit back and let the newly-elected miracle worker make everything groovy again.
History should have taught us by now that it doesn't work that way.
We are a nation "of the people" not of ballots. The government can only do so much, or, as we have unfortunately allowed it to become so mired in bureaucracy, so little.
Obama's ad is only a fraction of the total cost of the campaigns this year -- on both sides. Obviously, Obama didn't go into his own pockets for that money -- it came in the form of contributions. Now, just imagine what would happen if, instead of raising $4-million in one year for a 30 minute television ad, the individuals who so readily handed over that money decided instead to raise $1-million every year and put it toward solving a problem or supporting a cause they believe in?
Could they make as much impact as a President who is himself only one part of the government? I happen to think so, and remember, that's only a small chunk of the total funds spent on this election.
And, again, I'm not slamming Obama. McCain has raised and spent a lot of money, too. The size of the price tag is not on them, it's on us. We let it get this way. We are the ones who have become so complacent in our self-governance that we need to have hundreds of millions of dollars spent on us just to get us caught up on what's going on every four years.
The young man who knocked on my door today probably spends at least ten hours per week walking around and telling strangers why they should vote for Obama.
Now, I don't imagine that Obama is this young man's uncle, so I suspect that he is advocating for this man he does not know because Barack Obama's philosophy is somewhat aligned with his own.
Now, what if this young man simply spent two hours every week talking to strangers about the events and issues nearest and dearest to his heart. Could he not still make an impact? Perhaps even more of an impact?
The two young me who came to my door last year from the LDS church fervently, strongly believed in what they had to share, and, while they didn't get a convert out of the deal, they did get their message heard. The older woman who handed me a copy of The Watchtower the other day isn't going to find me sitting in the next pew anytime soon, but it only took her a second or two to do it, and the next guy might be more receptive. The point is, it's something she believed in strongly enough that she was willing to risk being told to "F*** off." (I didn't, but if she'd caught me on another day . . .)
I know I probably sound like an idealist, but I think I'm really more of a pragmatist.
I don't wish to be cynical, but can we really believe that either McCain or Obama will be able to enact their respective plans for change when they are finally put behind the big desk? Will not the day-to-day business of running the government curtail or even de-rail some of their plans, no matter how well-intentioned?
So much emphasis is placed on the power of a person's vote, and I don't want to diminish that. A vote is a powerful thing.
It's just that, if we believe that our power begins and ends with our ability to cast a ballot, we've put all our eggs in one basket.
So, whoever ends up taking the big chair after Tuesday, let's remember one thing:
The real seat of power in this country -- or at least what should be -- is the one under our own tuckus.
We can choose to get up off of it and truly become -- as we were intended to be -- a nation of leaders, or we can stay on the couch and be a nation of followers.
Capitalism and socialism both have a utopia at the end of the rainbow in which no one wants for anything and everyone lives in peaceful harmony. Whichever camp you fall into (and this country was founded on elements of both philosophies), I would just like to point out that, well, we ain't there yet. We've got a ways to go.
There is still work to be done, and it's going to take all of us.
I voted this last week. Exercised my right as a free citizen. Let my voice be heard. Stood up and was counted. Pick your cliche. I've seen many people on MySpace and on Facebook who proclaimed loudly and proudly in their status bars (by "loudly" I mean either with all-caps or exclamation points) that they had cast their vote. I envy their enthusiasm and joy. I was more saddened by the whole experience. The confusing ballot measures, the "lesser of two evils" choices between the candidates -- these things left me feeling more disheartened than anything. Also, knowing that, just because I had voted early didn't mean I wouldn't still be subjected to the barrage of negative and/or misleading campaign advertising and automatically-dialed recorded messages in my voicemail between now and Super Tuesday.
My penultimate disappointment of the last week has been the news of the $4-million (or more) 30-minute campaign ad for Barack Obama. The price tag just seems staggering to me.
Now, this is not an indictment of Obama at all. Given the way this year's (fifteen months'?) campaigning has gone, it was a natural progression.
As Benjamin Franklin said, "Don't hate the playa, hate the game." (Or something like that.)
I guess that is what troubles me the most. This country has mobilized in terms of both volunteer hours and funding to support one candidate or another to "rescue" the country from its dark days. To hear people speak about their politician of choice, you would think we were electing a new Messiah rather than a public servant.
I hate to burst anyone's bubble, but neither of the choices presented to us can truly "rescue" us from anything. In fact, there isn't any one person out there who can.
I see all of these people out pounding the pavement to get the population registered to vote -- I get asked more for my voting status on the 16th Street Mall now than for spare change!
I receive about five calls a day from one political camp or the other. Once a day, someone knocks on my apartment door holding a clipboard.
I can't help but think that, if we paced ourselves, if we spread this energy and activism out over four years, we wouldn't need to be rescued. If we as citizens were 1/4 as much involved and informed every year as we are for just this one year, we would truly be the nation that we set out to be 200+ years ago.
Our vote is important, there is no denying that, but we are more than our vote. The prevailing attitude seems to be that, once the ballots are counted, we can all just sit back and let the newly-elected miracle worker make everything groovy again.
History should have taught us by now that it doesn't work that way.
We are a nation "of the people" not of ballots. The government can only do so much, or, as we have unfortunately allowed it to become so mired in bureaucracy, so little.
Obama's ad is only a fraction of the total cost of the campaigns this year -- on both sides. Obviously, Obama didn't go into his own pockets for that money -- it came in the form of contributions. Now, just imagine what would happen if, instead of raising $4-million in one year for a 30 minute television ad, the individuals who so readily handed over that money decided instead to raise $1-million every year and put it toward solving a problem or supporting a cause they believe in?
Could they make as much impact as a President who is himself only one part of the government? I happen to think so, and remember, that's only a small chunk of the total funds spent on this election.
And, again, I'm not slamming Obama. McCain has raised and spent a lot of money, too. The size of the price tag is not on them, it's on us. We let it get this way. We are the ones who have become so complacent in our self-governance that we need to have hundreds of millions of dollars spent on us just to get us caught up on what's going on every four years.
The young man who knocked on my door today probably spends at least ten hours per week walking around and telling strangers why they should vote for Obama.
Now, I don't imagine that Obama is this young man's uncle, so I suspect that he is advocating for this man he does not know because Barack Obama's philosophy is somewhat aligned with his own.
Now, what if this young man simply spent two hours every week talking to strangers about the events and issues nearest and dearest to his heart. Could he not still make an impact? Perhaps even more of an impact?
The two young me who came to my door last year from the LDS church fervently, strongly believed in what they had to share, and, while they didn't get a convert out of the deal, they did get their message heard. The older woman who handed me a copy of The Watchtower the other day isn't going to find me sitting in the next pew anytime soon, but it only took her a second or two to do it, and the next guy might be more receptive. The point is, it's something she believed in strongly enough that she was willing to risk being told to "F*** off." (I didn't, but if she'd caught me on another day . . .)
I know I probably sound like an idealist, but I think I'm really more of a pragmatist.
I don't wish to be cynical, but can we really believe that either McCain or Obama will be able to enact their respective plans for change when they are finally put behind the big desk? Will not the day-to-day business of running the government curtail or even de-rail some of their plans, no matter how well-intentioned?
So much emphasis is placed on the power of a person's vote, and I don't want to diminish that. A vote is a powerful thing.
It's just that, if we believe that our power begins and ends with our ability to cast a ballot, we've put all our eggs in one basket.
So, whoever ends up taking the big chair after Tuesday, let's remember one thing:
The real seat of power in this country -- or at least what should be -- is the one under our own tuckus.
We can choose to get up off of it and truly become -- as we were intended to be -- a nation of leaders, or we can stay on the couch and be a nation of followers.
Capitalism and socialism both have a utopia at the end of the rainbow in which no one wants for anything and everyone lives in peaceful harmony. Whichever camp you fall into (and this country was founded on elements of both philosophies), I would just like to point out that, well, we ain't there yet. We've got a ways to go.
There is still work to be done, and it's going to take all of us.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Scary Monsters, Good Deeds
There is a long-standing tradition of young people using Halloween night to collect donations for the United Nations Children's Fund or UNICEF.
If you have little ones with big hearts, this is a great way to help raise their consciousness. It can be done as an alternative to candy collecting for kids with food allergies or special dietary needs or in conjunction with sweets-gathering for kids who have a true appreciation of the wonder of candy corn.
Not making the trick-or-treat rounds this year? Consider putting out a collection box at your Halloween party.
Everyone keeps talking about how the economy's bad and times are tight. Personally, I think it's an exaggeration for effect. Bad economy makes for good copy, etc. However, even if it's as bad as they would have us believe, we're still in much better shape than lots of other places in the world.
So as we temporarily abandon diets and good eating habits to dip our fingers in the candy bowl during the Eve of All Hallows, let's try to remember that there are children in the world for whom good nutrition isn't even an option on a regular basis. Okay?
Here's a link to the Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF webpage.
My dad used to tell me when I was little that the best way to keep monsters away was to let them see you aren't afraid of them.
Let's show the "bad economy monsters" that we ain't scared by doomsayers and such. We still have plenty to share.
If you have little ones with big hearts, this is a great way to help raise their consciousness. It can be done as an alternative to candy collecting for kids with food allergies or special dietary needs or in conjunction with sweets-gathering for kids who have a true appreciation of the wonder of candy corn.
Not making the trick-or-treat rounds this year? Consider putting out a collection box at your Halloween party.
Everyone keeps talking about how the economy's bad and times are tight. Personally, I think it's an exaggeration for effect. Bad economy makes for good copy, etc. However, even if it's as bad as they would have us believe, we're still in much better shape than lots of other places in the world.
So as we temporarily abandon diets and good eating habits to dip our fingers in the candy bowl during the Eve of All Hallows, let's try to remember that there are children in the world for whom good nutrition isn't even an option on a regular basis. Okay?
Here's a link to the Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF webpage.
My dad used to tell me when I was little that the best way to keep monsters away was to let them see you aren't afraid of them.
Let's show the "bad economy monsters" that we ain't scared by doomsayers and such. We still have plenty to share.
Same Old Song and Yuma X Two
Once again, here I am lamenting the lack of theatre updates here for a while. Again, most of what I write about here in terms of plays will be shows that:
1) I have seen
2) I enjoyed
3) you still have time to see yourself
If any of those three criteria aren't met, I don't feel it's worth writing about. Lately, though, the difficulty has been in meeting the first criteria.
It continues to astound me that, as of today, I have seen 44 plays and/or musicals in 2008, and I still find myself having to say, "Sorry I missed . . ." or "Hey, I really meant to see you in . . ." to most of the theatre folk I encounter on the web or out in the real world.
There's a lot to see here in the Denver-area theatre-wise. There really, really is.
I am still working on some solutions that will result in more frequent postings from the Big Bad Wolf here, and those will be forthcoming.
In the meantime, I'd like to share with you the most recent results of one of my little movie proclivities.
Sometimes I like to try to watch both the original and re-make of a film in the same week (or in the case of Gaslight, the same day.) In order, if possible.
In the case of 3:10 to Yuma, I actually watched the films in reverse order, starting with 2007's "how-is-it-an-English-guy-and-an-Australian-guy-can-play-American-cowboys-better-than-we-can"
oater starring Christian Bale and Russell Crowe.
This newer version is action-packed, with compelling performances from the leads and a particularly notable performance from Ben Foster (an American! Yee-ha!) as the chilling Charlie Prince. This is a Western for people who don't like (or think they don't like) Westerns. Interesting bit of trivia: when the clock strikes three in the film it is exactly ten minutes until we see the arrival of the 3:10 train bound for Yuma. Timing is everything. (RTD? Hello? This is not a science-fiction concept!)
Now the 1957 version is shorter and focuses just a little more on the psychological aspects of the story and less on the blazing pistols, but it is no less fun to watch. I would describe it as "cowboy noir" because so much care is given to lighting, camera angles, and gritty storytelling.
I would be hard-pressed to pick a superior between the two films. Both stand on their own as great Westerns that stand apart from the genre.
Do what I did. See them both. (Though seeing them in the same week may be a bit much for the less movie-nerdy among you.)
1) I have seen
2) I enjoyed
3) you still have time to see yourself
If any of those three criteria aren't met, I don't feel it's worth writing about. Lately, though, the difficulty has been in meeting the first criteria.
It continues to astound me that, as of today, I have seen 44 plays and/or musicals in 2008, and I still find myself having to say, "Sorry I missed . . ." or "Hey, I really meant to see you in . . ." to most of the theatre folk I encounter on the web or out in the real world.
There's a lot to see here in the Denver-area theatre-wise. There really, really is.
I am still working on some solutions that will result in more frequent postings from the Big Bad Wolf here, and those will be forthcoming.
In the meantime, I'd like to share with you the most recent results of one of my little movie proclivities.
Sometimes I like to try to watch both the original and re-make of a film in the same week (or in the case of Gaslight, the same day.) In order, if possible.
In the case of 3:10 to Yuma, I actually watched the films in reverse order, starting with 2007's "how-is-it-an-English-guy-and-an-Australian-guy-can-play-American-cowboys-better-than-we-can"
oater starring Christian Bale and Russell Crowe.
This newer version is action-packed, with compelling performances from the leads and a particularly notable performance from Ben Foster (an American! Yee-ha!) as the chilling Charlie Prince. This is a Western for people who don't like (or think they don't like) Westerns. Interesting bit of trivia: when the clock strikes three in the film it is exactly ten minutes until we see the arrival of the 3:10 train bound for Yuma. Timing is everything. (RTD? Hello? This is not a science-fiction concept!)
Now the 1957 version is shorter and focuses just a little more on the psychological aspects of the story and less on the blazing pistols, but it is no less fun to watch. I would describe it as "cowboy noir" because so much care is given to lighting, camera angles, and gritty storytelling.
I would be hard-pressed to pick a superior between the two films. Both stand on their own as great Westerns that stand apart from the genre.
Do what I did. See them both. (Though seeing them in the same week may be a bit much for the less movie-nerdy among you.)
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
All I Really Need to Know I Learned From Mr. Miyagi
"Walk on road, hm? Walk left side, safe. Walk right side, safe. Walk middle, sooner or later get squish just like grape. Here, karate, same thing. Either you karate do "yes" or karate do "no." You karate do "guess so," just like grape. Understand?"
"No such thing as bad student, only bad teacher."
"In Okinawa, belt mean no need rope to hold up pants."
"First learn stand, then learn fly. Nature rule, Daniel-san, not mine."
"Don't forget to breathe, very important."
"Just remember, license never replace eye, ear, and brain."
"Lesson not just karate only. Lesson for whole life. Whole life have a balance. Everything be better. Understand?"
"For man with no forgiveness in heart, life worse punishment than death."
"Never put passion before principle. Even if win, you lose."
"Aha... here are the Two Rules of Miyagi-Ryu Karate. Rule Number One: 'Karate for defense only.' Rule Number Two: 'First learn Rule Number One.'"
"No such thing as bad student, only bad teacher."
"In Okinawa, belt mean no need rope to hold up pants."
"First learn stand, then learn fly. Nature rule, Daniel-san, not mine."
"Don't forget to breathe, very important."
"Just remember, license never replace eye, ear, and brain."
"Lesson not just karate only. Lesson for whole life. Whole life have a balance. Everything be better. Understand?"
"For man with no forgiveness in heart, life worse punishment than death."
"Never put passion before principle. Even if win, you lose."
"Aha... here are the Two Rules of Miyagi-Ryu Karate. Rule Number One: 'Karate for defense only.' Rule Number Two: 'First learn Rule Number One.'"
Monday, October 13, 2008
Philly Edition: Gee's Bend
I am back in Denver now, but I spent the weekend in the City of Brotherly Love, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and I thought I'd lay out a little theatre blogging specifically for my Philly-area readers. I know there are at least a few of you who have let me know you check out my blog, and there may be even more of you out there, so here goes.
Saturday night I had the distinct pleasure of enjoying a terrific production of Gee's Bend at the Arden Theatre.
Gee's Bend was part of the Denver Center Theatre Company's previous season and regrettably I missed that production. Fortunate then that I should be in Philadelphia not only to see Gee's Bend produced but also to have been at the Philadelphia Museum of Art (yes, the one with the steps that Rocky scaled, Denverites) to see the accompanying exhibit of the quilts that are the basis of the play.
The story covers 61 years in the life of a young African-American woman in Gee's Bend, Alabama who has learned the art of quilting from her mother. We follow her through motherhood, marriage, segregation, the Civil Rights Movement, widowhood, and ultimately the fame received for her quilts.
Having taken a walking tour of historic Philadelphia that morning and seen the places where this nation and its ideals were founded added an interesting context to the production for me.
As a kid who grew up on a reservation in Southwest Colorado, the notions of "freedom" and "equality" presented in our country's founding story have always held a certain irony for me. I suspect that the African-American community and others regard the words with a similar antiphrasis.
On this day that we celebrate the "discovery" of the land we now call America, I think it best that we not forget that, since that discovery, we have loaded our historical closets with an awful lot of skeletons.
I am not suggesting that we revile Columbus, by any means. he was a man of great vision. He took a big chance on sailing where no one of his race had gone before. These are admirable traits. The full ramifications of his voyage were far beyond anything he could have predicted, I'm sure.
Yet before we wear out our voices lauding Columbus, let us take a moment to reflect upon some those of those ramifications: the subjugation of people, the denial of human rights.
As I watched the story of the quilts of Gee's Bend, I became acutely aware of the fact that "liberty" has not existed for the full 232 years for everyone in this country. Some acquired it much later in the story. There are those who might argue that some have yet to acquire it fully.
I remember thinking at that moment of how important it is for theatre and other storytelling media to ensure that these stories continue to be told.
For that reason, I will say that the Arden Theatre Company's Gee's Bend goes beyond merely being entertaining and beyond even thought-provoking directly into the realm of inspiring.
Both of the candidates are now touting their platforms of change, and that is good. Change is good.
However, one lesson that can be learned from Gee's Bend is that change, real change, goes far beyond any ballot box. Real change comes from within each of us.
It was Gandhi who said, "You must be the change you want to see in the world."
If you're in the Philadelphia area before December 1st, get over to the Arden Theatre and get inspired by Gee's Bend.
And for everyone: Yes, vote for change, but more importantly, be change.
Saturday night I had the distinct pleasure of enjoying a terrific production of Gee's Bend at the Arden Theatre.
Gee's Bend was part of the Denver Center Theatre Company's previous season and regrettably I missed that production. Fortunate then that I should be in Philadelphia not only to see Gee's Bend produced but also to have been at the Philadelphia Museum of Art (yes, the one with the steps that Rocky scaled, Denverites) to see the accompanying exhibit of the quilts that are the basis of the play.
The story covers 61 years in the life of a young African-American woman in Gee's Bend, Alabama who has learned the art of quilting from her mother. We follow her through motherhood, marriage, segregation, the Civil Rights Movement, widowhood, and ultimately the fame received for her quilts.
Having taken a walking tour of historic Philadelphia that morning and seen the places where this nation and its ideals were founded added an interesting context to the production for me.
As a kid who grew up on a reservation in Southwest Colorado, the notions of "freedom" and "equality" presented in our country's founding story have always held a certain irony for me. I suspect that the African-American community and others regard the words with a similar antiphrasis.
On this day that we celebrate the "discovery" of the land we now call America, I think it best that we not forget that, since that discovery, we have loaded our historical closets with an awful lot of skeletons.
I am not suggesting that we revile Columbus, by any means. he was a man of great vision. He took a big chance on sailing where no one of his race had gone before. These are admirable traits. The full ramifications of his voyage were far beyond anything he could have predicted, I'm sure.
Yet before we wear out our voices lauding Columbus, let us take a moment to reflect upon some those of those ramifications: the subjugation of people, the denial of human rights.
As I watched the story of the quilts of Gee's Bend, I became acutely aware of the fact that "liberty" has not existed for the full 232 years for everyone in this country. Some acquired it much later in the story. There are those who might argue that some have yet to acquire it fully.
I remember thinking at that moment of how important it is for theatre and other storytelling media to ensure that these stories continue to be told.
For that reason, I will say that the Arden Theatre Company's Gee's Bend goes beyond merely being entertaining and beyond even thought-provoking directly into the realm of inspiring.
Both of the candidates are now touting their platforms of change, and that is good. Change is good.
However, one lesson that can be learned from Gee's Bend is that change, real change, goes far beyond any ballot box. Real change comes from within each of us.
It was Gandhi who said, "You must be the change you want to see in the world."
If you're in the Philadelphia area before December 1st, get over to the Arden Theatre and get inspired by Gee's Bend.
And for everyone: Yes, vote for change, but more importantly, be change.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
A New Voice
I would like to take this opportunity to welcome a new voice to the Denver Theatre Community. Angela Clemmons joins the Denver Post as a new part-time theatre critic with her review of The Denver Civic's Magdalene: Woman of Light.
I am glad to have another set of critical eyes join the dialogue that exists in Denver. I believe that criticism -- good criticism, thoughtful criticism, brave criticism -- is of vital importance to the growth of any theatre community. There are those around who tout themselves as critics but do little more than slobber favourably over every production they see. This may get them "copied and pasted" into lots of MySpace blogs and Community Theatre webpages, but it lacks any critical perspective and, I believe, does more harm than good.
Now, I make my recommendations of shows that I see, but I am not a critic myself. I don't claim to be, either. I think that is best left to John and others more removed from the inner workings of Denver Theatre. In addition to occasionally blogging, I still direct, act, and keep my hands in a few things around town behind the scenes. It feels inappropriate for me to be critical of someone else's work when I am constantly striving to improve upon my own. Though I suppose my criticism does come in some ways through my omission, but, since you all can't know all the shows I have or have not seen, I still have a little "wiggle room."
Besides, compared to me, John Moore and Lisa Bornstein are pussycats. I would be far less forgiving.
Still, the more voices, the more perspectives, the better for us all, so welcome Angela. I look forward to more from you in the near future.
Now this clip has nothing to do with anything above, but I wanted to share another favorite memory of the late Paul Newman. Incidentally, this was scene was shot (mostly) just north of Durango, CO, near where I grew up. (The camera angles make it look higher than it is.)
I am glad to have another set of critical eyes join the dialogue that exists in Denver. I believe that criticism -- good criticism, thoughtful criticism, brave criticism -- is of vital importance to the growth of any theatre community. There are those around who tout themselves as critics but do little more than slobber favourably over every production they see. This may get them "copied and pasted" into lots of MySpace blogs and Community Theatre webpages, but it lacks any critical perspective and, I believe, does more harm than good.
Now, I make my recommendations of shows that I see, but I am not a critic myself. I don't claim to be, either. I think that is best left to John and others more removed from the inner workings of Denver Theatre. In addition to occasionally blogging, I still direct, act, and keep my hands in a few things around town behind the scenes. It feels inappropriate for me to be critical of someone else's work when I am constantly striving to improve upon my own. Though I suppose my criticism does come in some ways through my omission, but, since you all can't know all the shows I have or have not seen, I still have a little "wiggle room."
Besides, compared to me, John Moore and Lisa Bornstein are pussycats. I would be far less forgiving.
Still, the more voices, the more perspectives, the better for us all, so welcome Angela. I look forward to more from you in the near future.
Now this clip has nothing to do with anything above, but I wanted to share another favorite memory of the late Paul Newman. Incidentally, this was scene was shot (mostly) just north of Durango, CO, near where I grew up. (The camera angles make it look higher than it is.)
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