tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-214560232024-03-13T09:57:17.479-07:00VenetianBlondWriter. Musician. Wife. Mom. Activist. Traveler. Educator. Actor. Outdoorsperson. Braggart.Machellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15102615100389341608noreply@blogger.comBlogger486125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21456023.post-25203939976327617312016-10-09T23:46:00.000-07:002016-10-09T23:56:32.286-07:00The Morning After Leaves the Viewer a Little Fuzzy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Sidney Lumet is one of the great American directors. <i>Network, Long Day's Journey into Night, Serpico, Dog Day Afternoon</i>--just a few mentions of his amazing filmography illustrate his place in the directing pantheon. So what could he do with a screenplay from a one-and-done producer turned writer, set in a city 3000 miles from his normal New York City milieu?<br />
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Jane Fonda plays Alex Sternbergen, stage name Viveca Van Loren, who wakes up from an alcohol induced blackout to find she's in bed with a murdered man. It's interesting to revisit this premise because it's a familiar inciting incident. HBO's excellent <i>The Night Of</i> has young Nasir as its did-he-or-didn't he protagonist, and of course for the Corleone family Tommy Hagen gets the crooked congressman under his thumb with a frame for murder. However, just as Alex stumbles through the film in a chemically induced haze, so does the film lack clarity of purpose.<br />
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As a thriller, it never quite gets the tension to take hold until the final showdown. There are too few characters to make an effective whodunit. Alex's attempt to flee plays as farce. It provides the bare bones of a procedural, but there are too few dots to connect. I've seen it described as a neo-noir, and it does have a certain fatalist point of view, but perhaps the label might fit better if Jeff Bridges' washed up cop Turner Kendall were the lead and Alex the femme fatale.<br />
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But he is not. It's Alex's choices that lead the film from point A to point B, and it's in Fonda's performance that the Lumet magic appears. He films her in long, unbroken shots that serve as visual monologues. She goes from confusion to terror, hangover to humor all within the same scene. It's a brilliant partnership.<br />
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Lumet also comes to a compromise with LA as a setting. Lumet's best work is in his home town of New York, and he films LA as if using outsiders' impressions. Everything is lit to the extreme-the sunlight is impossibly bright, interior lights are harsh floodlights, and even Alex's bedroom is a glowing neon pink. At the top of the film Alex awakens to a stripe of bright light clawing its way in through the blinds. There is nowhere to hide in this LA, no shadows to duck into.<br />
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There are elements of Lumet's greater, earlier works inside <i>The Morning After</i>. Alex's addiction and broken psyche reflects Mary Tyrone in <i>Long Day's Journey</i>. The question of whether or not Alex's hispanic ex-husband Joaquin can get a fair trial is straight out of <i>12 Angry Men.</i> Even the motive for the crime, the fear of compromising photos being leaked by a sleazy photographer caught in a media frenzy has a touch of <i>Network</i> about it. If the screenplay had leaned into any one of these ideas further, it might have strengthened the film as a whole.<br />
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It's not terribly unique to state that the joy of this film is in the performances. Jeff Bridges provides the only bit of softness in the harsh, jagged LA setting, and Raul Julia does a masterful job of playing both ends against the middle as Joaquin. It's a performance that gains depth once the murder is solved. Lumet was known for directing actors to award nominations and wins, and his influence is evident here. It's just too bad that there were so many missed opportunities in the writing.
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Machellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15102615100389341608noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21456023.post-62354453357913941932015-12-31T09:14:00.000-08:002015-12-31T09:19:32.216-08:00A Poem for Winter Thinking<table bgcolor="#00b4f0" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" id="ecxHeader-Background" style="border-collapse: collapse; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.3px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top; width: 100%px;"><tbody style="border-collapse: collapse; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 21.3px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: top;">
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #7f7f7f; font-family: Georgia; line-height: normal;"><a class="c_nobdr t_prs" href="http://academyofamericanpoets.cmail1.com/t/y-l-ikhrhik-jthhtuhhdj-o/" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 42px; font-stretch: normal; font-weight: inherit !important; line-height: 48px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">By the Stream</a></span></h1>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #7f7f7f; font-family: Helvetica; line-height: normal;"><b style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://academyofamericanpoets.cmail1.com/t/y-l-ikhrhik-jthhtuhhdj-b/" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-weight: inherit !important; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Paul Laurence Dunbar</a></b></span></h5>
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By the stream I dream in calm delight, and watch as in a glass,<br />
How the clouds like crowds of snowy-hued and white-robed maidens pass,<br />
And the water into ripples breaks and sparkles as it spreads,<br />
Like a host of armored knights with silver helmets on their heads.<br />
And I deem the stream an emblem fit of human life may go,<br />
For I find a mind may sparkle much and yet but shallows show,<br />
And a soul may glow with myriad lights and wondrous mysteries,<br />
When it only lies a dormant thing and mirrors what it sees.</div>
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Although this winter the streams and rivers I've been seeing have had many more armored knights than white robed maidens. </div>
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<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Laurence_Dunbar">Paul Laurence Dunbar is a fascinating writer who died young.</a></div>
Machellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15102615100389341608noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21456023.post-44299397923052296092015-06-20T09:14:00.000-07:002015-06-20T09:14:33.265-07:00Repost: Noir City Seattle 2011I'm so behind on my Daily Doses, I thought I'd repost some observations from Noir City a while ago:<br />
<a href="http://venetianblond.blogspot.com/2011/02/noir-city-seattle-saturday-nights.html">http://venetianblond.blogspot.com/2011/02/noir-city-seattle-saturday-nights.html</a> The two films were "They Won't Believe Me" and "Don't Bother to Knock." The latter should be more widely available-it's amazing.<br />
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It's a drag we didn't have Noir City this past year because there was some venue kerfluffle with SIFF, and they couldn't get the Cinerama up to speed in time. But next February at the Cinerama should be amazing! (One of the times I went there, Adam Arkin was two seats down from us and none of my friends knew who he was. I let them have it!)<br />
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<br />Machellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15102615100389341608noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21456023.post-89509998333847302142015-06-10T19:16:00.000-07:002015-06-10T19:59:12.851-07:00#NoirSummer : Daily Dose of Darkness 3<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QawJZpd93m8" width="420"></iframe><br />
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What an opener! The camera slides along the scene--men asleep in hammocks or lazing around, when blam! In a single shot the view moves to the "big house" where a single gun shot rings out and out the front door stumbles a man. Everyone is startled, including the animals. Out follows Bette Davis, and she keeps shooting, over and over again, until she has emptied the gun into the poor sod. Not only does she shoot him, boy does she ever make sure the job is done!<br />
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Then the full moon is briefly obscured by clouds, and when it reappears, it bathes Bette Davis in light, not unlike a police spotlight mounted on prison walls. She's caught, and she's culpable.<br />
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But the scene goes on for her to send her man to say "there's been an accident." (It reminded me of that old joke, "Your honor, he fell on his knife!" "Twenty-seven times?!") She's cool and collected, thinking 4 chess moves ahead. No histrionics or swooning here, there's one person in charge and it's easy to see who that is.<br />
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This scene gives the same feeling of tension and "what's going on" that the opening scene of M does-there's the facade of normality but something has gone horribly awry. We can only hope as curious viewers that the story will flashback to fill us in on what brought the characters to this point. Playing fast and loose with the timeline is a classic component of noir, and this opener gives us the hint of that.Machellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15102615100389341608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21456023.post-54796282759742214272015-06-04T21:59:00.000-07:002015-06-04T21:59:17.918-07:00#NoirSummer : Daily Dose of Darkness 2<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/C8ui3UiURgo" width="420"></iframe>
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A film takes us on a journey, often from point A to B to C, but not always. This opening scene drops us into the action in progress-no orienting of location or to character. The engineers are mostly wordless, performing their difficult, dirty work by habit and by gesture. No immaculate sound set and perfectly coiffed hair here-this is where the word "gritty" gets applied to noir. The men are sooty, the fire smokes. Just as the train's progress seems inexorable, so too does the sound design. The racket is deafening-the men couldn't have a conversation if they wanted to. And the shriek of the train whistle!<br />
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This film does not whisk us away to some fantasy where every barista is adorable with a giant NYC apartment, but rather sets us firmly in the real world of hard work. (See also Italian neorealism *name drop*)</div>
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The camera attached to the side of the train gives the viewer the feeling of clinging on like a bug. We get no comfy seat inside, but rather we ride in the "danger zone" where we can sense the speed of the train and the danger of being plunged into darkness. I was sorry to be watching the clip on my computer rather than in a dark theater for the shot in the tunnel!</div>
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And then, finally, after having our nerves rattled by the sound, the speed, and the darkness, the train slows and pulls into the station. We finally have a signpost-Le Havre. But where is everybody? The silence is deafening.</div>
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Machellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15102615100389341608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21456023.post-80631373818852466212015-06-04T12:06:00.000-07:002015-06-04T12:06:48.341-07:00#NoirSummer : Daily Dose of Darkness 1<br />
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<strong style="margin-bottom: 0px;">Who's watching the kids? </strong></div>
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Dread is the word. Lang juxtaposes domestic tranquility against danger in such a way that the viewer can sense that something is definitely off-kilter. The children in the ring play happily, but sing a dreadful song. Little Elsie's mother smiles because it's time for her to come home from school, but Elsie nearly gets squashed by a car. The opening elevated shot demonstrates that Mother can see the children, but so can anyone else. The cintog highlights how vulnerable they are out in the open. The most concise image is that of the ball bouncing up against the warning sign on the post--in our minds a child's toy should never occupy the same space as murder, but here it does. The shadow falling across the sign plays with our notions of what we have seen on the screen, because we see M, but not his face. Our minds don't rest well with that ambiguity.</div>
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The sound design keeps us off-kilter, too, with the long silences and proto-jump scares of the car horn and the cuckoo clock. The writing underlines the seriousness of the problem. Mother is clearly quite rattled, otherwise why make such a big deal of a ring-a-round-the-rosy type game? She's frightened, and she takes it out on the kids.</div>
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These notions of the off-kilter feeling and domestic tranquility merely as a sheer overlay diffusing the evil underneath are threads that run through noir as a style. Noir is LA Confidential digging below the glitz of Hollywood for find that "<span style="margin-bottom: 0px;">Everything is suspect...everyone is for sale...and nothing is what it seems." (official tagline) It's that final phrase that captures so much of the essence of noir. </span></div>
Machellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15102615100389341608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21456023.post-7517588737799816902015-05-13T11:47:00.000-07:002015-05-13T11:49:21.531-07:00The FeastI'll confess-I've gone back and forth a number of times on a "way in" to this production that honors its complexity without implying discordance. Ultimately I found best way to approach the script by young playwright Celine Song is the both/and. It's both narrative and experimental, a dining room drama and play about big ideas, both squirmingly morbid and goofily funny.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>A dinner party of four awaits a latecomer in a world where all meat has suddenly become inedible. Sometimes a framing device like this leads to an exploration into addiction, but in this case the inquiry is into the nature of desire.<br />
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<span style="color: #f3f3f3;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.3333px;">When we desire what we can't have, we seek substitutes,” says director Aimée Bruneau. “But we still feel empty; we're not fooled. We feel anger; we blame; and we insist on feeling full. In this land of plenty, hunger and want are simply unacceptable. </span><b style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.3333px;"><i><span class="il">The</span> <span class="il">Feast</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.3333px;"> asks, ‘If our collective first-world desire to be constantly satiated is so strong, how far are we from anarchy?</span></span></span></blockquote>
The components of the production are all there-from the acting, the direction, even the set that comes to life in disturbing ways. The Feast is well suited to MAP's collaborative style, allowing the breathing room for everything from a bondage ballet to increasingly desperate hostess chatter. Each character has at least one extensive monologue which not only serves to develop that character, but also to highlight the isolation that they feel within the strictures of society.<br />
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It's that line between isolation and society that is so fascinating in The Feast-what is taboo and what drives us to cross the line? How controllable are our desires, really? What's the difference between lust and hunger? When do we break away to satisfy our own individual drives? The hostess asks us to consider--not that we'd actually do the unthinkable, but let's just think about it for a second. It makes for an evening of provocative, compelling theater.<br />
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It's strange that a play about emptiness feels so full. At a trim 90 minutes it touches on an idea and then bounces on to the next one, all the while grounding characters in their stories and their descent into their primal natures. Again, it's both/and.<br />
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The Feast closes this weekend, so bring your thinking cap and your sense of adventure. Be ready to laugh, to squirm, and laugh while squirming. A script like this is what independent theater is meant to be, and MAP were just the folks to give it life.<br />
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(Massive props for lady playwright, lady director and very lady-heavy production crew! Snaps!)<br />
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<a href="http://mapfeast.bpt.me/">All tickets are name your own price.</a> At the Schmee.<br />
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Machellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15102615100389341608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21456023.post-79624515330609521642015-04-06T22:02:00.001-07:002015-04-06T22:02:29.903-07:00Times Change<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/05/opinion/sunday/the-real-reason-college-tuition-costs-so-much.html?_r=0">So this NY Times article </a>says that college education is so expensive because of increases in administrative costs, not because of decreasing state support.<br />
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<a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/moneybox/2015/04/06/why_is_college_so_expensive_the_new_york_times_offers_an_awful_explanation.html">Slate rebuts</a>, saying it IS because of declining state support, but still talks about "administrative bloat."<br />
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However, neither take into account the realities of higher education today. Think pieces like these love to tout the anecdotes that our grandparents or even parents could go to college on their savings from their summer jobs, yada yada. <br />
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What is never really outlined is that anything other than instructional functions are labeled administrative. Anything. So when you're referring to administration, it's not just the Assistant to the Associate Vice Provost or whatever is the conventional wisdom, it's the oh, let's say, ENTIRE information technology unit that didn't exist when our grandparents went to college. It's the army of academic advisors that help students figure out what's a VPLA versus a W versus a linked versus a global studies requirement. It's the financial aid offices that help students figure out Pell grants and federal work study and state work study and everything else. Health Centers are non-instructional. Libraries have non-instructional budgets, and you know what, online databases and subscriptions cost money.<br />
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Higher education is orders of magnitude more complex than it was in 1960 (why is that the banner year for comparison?) and complaining about non-instructional budgets just demonstrates a lack of understanding of how college actually works. We could go back to using typewriters and course catalogs of 57 courses total, sure. That would get costs back down. But who would want to?<br />
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<br />Machellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15102615100389341608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21456023.post-84939202084073684202015-04-06T08:26:00.000-07:002015-04-06T08:26:03.418-07:00Happy Opening Day!Go Mariners!<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NdVfHxBjKVs/VSKlaiOJvZI/AAAAAAAACRI/Uu23v-iZRRs/s1600/mariners%2Bmonday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NdVfHxBjKVs/VSKlaiOJvZI/AAAAAAAACRI/Uu23v-iZRRs/s1600/mariners%2Bmonday.jpg" height="152" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Machellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15102615100389341608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21456023.post-82346445820440222082015-03-29T11:15:00.002-07:002015-03-29T11:15:36.041-07:00PoetryWhat does a poet do but<br />
Grasp the dust motes or leviathan<br />
In trembling fingers<br />
And<br />
Pulls out her own heart fibers<br />
To use as wrapping ribbon<br />
While dripping tears of pride<br />
And<br />
Offers it to say<br />
This was mine<br />
But now it's yours.<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo from ihatefog Flickr.</span>Machellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15102615100389341608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21456023.post-67910801927447822092015-03-27T09:53:00.000-07:002015-03-27T09:53:45.271-07:00The Feast-MAP Theatre<div style="font-family: -apple-system-font; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px; text-align: center;">
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I can't wait to see this! I missed Peggy Gannon's performance in Blood Relations, so I'm really looking forward to seeing her on stage in The Feast. Plus, lady playwright w00t w00t!</div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial;">ARE YOU HUNGRY?</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial;">MAP THEATRE PRESENTS</span></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: Arial;">THE FEAST</span></i></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial;">A new play b<span style="color: white;">y Celine Song</span></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial;">Directed by </span></b><b><span style="font-family: Arial;">Aimée Bruneau</span></b></span><b><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial;">WHO:</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial;"> MAP Theatre </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial;">WHAT:</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial;"> <b><i>The Feast, </i></b>a new play by Celine Song<br /><b>WHEN:</b><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span> May 1<sup>st</sup> to May 16<sup>th</sup>, 2015</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Thursdays, Fridays & Saturdays @ 8:00pm<br />Industry Night Monday, May 11<sup>th</sup>, 2015<br /><b>WHY:</b> To give you a little something for your mind to nibble on<br /><b>WHERE:</b><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span> The Schmee, </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">2125 3rd Ave, Seattle, WA 98121</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial;">TICKETS: </span></b><span style="font-family: Arial;">All tickets are Name-Your-Own-Price available at Brown Paper Tickets.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial;">ABOUT <i>THE FEAST</i>– </span></b><b><span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></b><span style="font-family: Arial;">When all meat mysteriously turns to rot, ours becomes a world populated with reluctant vegetarians. Four hungry dinner guests impatiently await a latecomer to the table. As the hour grows late and stomachs begin to howl, the traces of civilization turn to decay. Sensual as it is grotesque, foul as it is funny, <b><i>The Feast</i></b> is a biting satire that serves up a heady repast straight from the kitchens of our darkest desires.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: Arial;">“I wrote <b><i>The Feast</i> </b>after conversations with friends over many meals; and it articulates as best I can what baffles me about hunger and consumption, animals and civilization, intimacy and cruelty, bodies and aging, privilege and love,” says playwright Celine Song. “Initially I wrote this play to explore why I am so unpleasant to be around when I am hungry. I finished it when I realized that smiling distorts people's faces like a snarl.”</span></div>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: Arial;">“When we desire what we can't have, we seek substitutes,” says director, Aimée Bruneau. “But we still feel empty; we're not fooled. We feel anger; we blame; and we insist on feeling full. In this land of plenty, hunger and want are simply unacceptable. <b><i>The Feast</i></b> asks, ‘If our collective first-world desire to be constantly satiated is so strong, how far are we from anarchy?’”</span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Arial;">The Feast </span></i></b><span style="font-family: Arial;">is directed by </span><b><span style="font-family: Arial;">Aimée Bruneau</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial;"> (Radial Theatre Project’s <b><i>Aisle 9</i></b> and Seattle Shakespeare Company’s <b><i>The Taming of the Shrew</i></b>) and features the acting talents of </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">Mark Fullerton (MAP’s <b><i>Soft Click of a Switch</i></b>), Peggy Gannon (Sound Theatre Company’s <b><i>Blood Relations</i></b>), Mia Morris (Open Circle’s <b><i>The Balcony</i></b>) and Brandon Ryan (MAP’s <b><i>Soft Click of a Switch</i></b>).</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Arial;">The Feast</span></i></b><b><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></b><span style="font-family: Arial;">is designed by Maggie Lee (Lights), Shane Regan (Graphic Design), Jodi Sauerbier (Props), KD Schill (Costumes), Joseph Swartz (Sound), Suzi Tucker (Set), and stage managed by Sarah Bixler</span><span style="font-family: Arial;">. </span><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Arial;">THE FEAST </span></i></b><b><span style="font-family: Arial;">PERFORMANCES:</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: Arial;">Thursday, April 30<sup>th</sup>@ <span data-term="goog_1548356056" tabindex="0">8:00pm</span>-PREVIEW</span></div>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: Arial;">Friday, May 1<sup>st</sup> @ <span data-term="goog_1548356058" tabindex="0">8:00pm</span>-OPENING NIGHT</span></div>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: Arial;">Saturday, May 2<sup>nd</sup> @ <span data-term="goog_1548356060" tabindex="0">8:00pm</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: Arial;">Thursday, May 7<sup>th</sup> @ <span data-term="goog_1548356062" tabindex="0">8:00pm</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: Arial;">Friday, May 8<sup>th</sup> @ <span data-term="goog_1548356064" tabindex="0">8:00pm</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: Arial;">Saturday, May 9<sup>th </sup>@ <span data-term="goog_1548356066" tabindex="0">8:00pm</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: Arial;">Monday, May 11<sup>th </sup>@ <span data-term="goog_1548356068" tabindex="0">8:00pm</span>-INDUSTRY NIGHT</span></div>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: Arial;">Thursday, May 14<sup>th</sup> @ <span data-term="goog_1548356070" tabindex="0">8:00pm</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: Arial;">Friday, May 15<sup>th</sup> @ <span data-term="goog_1548356072" tabindex="0">8:00pm</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: Arial;">Saturday, May 16<sup>th</sup> @ <span data-term="goog_1548356074" tabindex="0">8:00pm</span>-CLOSING NIGHT</span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial;">All Performances held at The Schmee, </span></b><b><span style="font-family: Arial;">2125 3rd Ave, Seattle, WA 98121</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial;">ABOUT MAP THEATRE</span></b><b><span style="font-family: Arial;">–</span></b><b><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial;">MAP Theatre</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial;"> is a nomadic, independent, not-for-profit producing company with strong ties and deep roots in the Seattle community. MAP's goal is to relish the creative journey from process to product and continuously push the boundaries of traditional theatre by busting the stereotypes of what theatre is for. With that always in mind, MAP actively strives to reduce the barriers to live theatre. MAP is led by Artistic Director Brandon Ryan and Producing Director Peggy Gannon.</span></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: white; font-family: Arial;">MAP THEATRE SOCIAL MEDIA–</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: Arial;">Website: <a href="http://www.map-theatre.com/" target="_blank">www.map-theatre.com</a></span></div>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: Arial;">Twitter: @MAP_Theatre</span></div>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: Arial;">Facebook: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/MAPtheatre" target="_blank">www.facebook.com/MAPtheatre</a></span></div>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: Arial;">YouTube: <a href="http://bit.ly/1M46bYW" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/1M46bYW</a></span></div>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: Arial;">Attendible: <a href="http://attendible.com/boards/9295-map-theatre" target="_blank">attendible.com/boards/9295-<wbr></wbr>map-theatre</a></span></div>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: Arial;">Storify: <a href="http://storify.com/MAP_Theatre" target="_blank">storify.com/MAP_Theatre</a></span></div>
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Machellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15102615100389341608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21456023.post-45843174041726869972015-02-14T12:38:00.000-08:002015-02-14T12:38:26.454-08:00For Valentine's DayInvitation To Love<br />
by Paul Laurence Dunbar<br />
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Come when the nights are bright with stars<br />
Or come when the moon is mellow;<br />
Come when the sun his golden bars<br />
Drops on the hay-field yellow.<br />
Come in the twilight soft and gray,<br />
Come in the night or come in the day<br />
Come, O love, whene'er you may,<br />
And you are welcome, welcome.<br />
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You are sweet, O Love, dear Love,<br />
You are soft as the nesting dove.<br />
Come to my hears and bring it to rest<br />
As the bird flies home to its welcome nest.<br />
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Come when my heart is full of grief<br />
Or when my heart is merry;<br />
Come with the falling of the leaf<br />
Or with the redd'ning cherry.<br />
Come when the year's first blossom blows<br />
Come when the summer gleams and glows,<br />
Come with the winter's drifting snows,<br />
And you are welcome, welcome.<br />
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Paul Laurence Dunbar was one of the first African American poets to gain national recognition.<br />
From Poem-A-Day.Machellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15102615100389341608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21456023.post-45674194250063618012015-02-13T08:14:00.002-08:002015-02-13T08:14:37.366-08:00So this happened...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KbawjZtJmbg/VN4iyV1PtpI/AAAAAAAACG8/7V11PCI5Szs/s1600/darkbassface.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KbawjZtJmbg/VN4iyV1PtpI/AAAAAAAACG8/7V11PCI5Szs/s1600/darkbassface.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />Machellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15102615100389341608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21456023.post-27581313195031982222015-01-25T21:15:00.002-08:002015-01-25T21:15:31.135-08:00Two good scenes......from very different shows.<br />
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In <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1772379/?ref_=nv_sr_1">The Fades</a>, two best friends combat ghost zombie apocalyptic warriors. No, not all at once, in succession-it makes sense on TV planet. In any case, there's a great scene that I'm not sure came from the writers, the directors, or the actors. Two best friends are sitting on a bench eating ice cream, delivering some fairly mundane exposition. However, what makes the scene cool is that they eat a bite, trade ice cream, and then eat a bite. Then they trade again. It's a wonderful character moment to show that these guys have been friends since they were probably about two years old. It's also a good Pope-in-the-pool moment from <a href="http://www.savethecat.com/">"Save the Cat."</a> Pope-in-the-pool means that if you have to deliver exposition, there better be something fascinating like the Pope swimming in a backyard pool to hold the viewers' interest. These guys trading ice cream sure did the trick.<br />
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Another one is more of a line reading. In <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3228904/?ref_=nv_sr_1">Empire</a>, Terrence Howard as Lucius Lyon is the patriarch of a family of three sons and a hip-hop impresario. When one of his sons begins to date one of the hot young artists, Lucius says to his girlfriend/Girl Friday "Let's keep them together." It's a tossed off line, but the result is chilling because it shows not only the extent of his power but how far he's willing to meddle in the lives of those he's purported to love. Terrence Howard gives it no weight at all in his delivery, which is what makes it land so hard.Machellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15102615100389341608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21456023.post-63415409192241045732015-01-04T09:56:00.001-08:002015-01-04T09:56:19.822-08:00Then and NowI was organizing in the kitchen (I know, don't fall over) and I had put a plastic whisk in the "get rid of box." Kenan came through and pulled it out. "This was Conan's first baseball bat. I'm going to hang it on the wall." I had no recollection, but then Kenan found this:<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LyIEVr2am4Q/VKl8n3RXE0I/AAAAAAAAB9I/spvsSGyQ77M/s1600/ConanBaseball06012004%2B001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LyIEVr2am4Q/VKl8n3RXE0I/AAAAAAAAB9I/spvsSGyQ77M/s1600/ConanBaseball06012004%2B001.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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And here's a photo from a couple of days ago for comparison:<br />
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Love that he still has the same haircut 10 years later. And he started out batting lefty! So proud of this dude. I think Northwest Seattle Little League is going to have a big year this year.Machellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15102615100389341608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21456023.post-81255660956157654532015-01-01T12:27:00.003-08:002015-01-01T12:27:49.071-08:00New Recipe for New Year Good LuckIf I were to have a popular post, it would be my annual one about Black Eyed Peas. Here's the original recipe I shared:<br />
<a href="http://venetianblond.blogspot.com/2012/01/best-new-years-black-eyed-peas.html">http://venetianblond.blogspot.com/2012/01/best-new-years-black-eyed-peas.html </a><br />
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And here's last year's round the world look at why the tradition might have started:<br />
<a href="http://venetianblond.blogspot.com/2014/01/why-eat-black-eyed-peas-on-new-years.html">http://venetianblond.blogspot.com/2014/01/why-eat-black-eyed-peas-on-new-years.html</a><br />
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(Not sure about 2013, not going to do a detailed search. Maybe I was too busy cooking in 2013.)<br />
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Anyway, as I pulled out the Family Cookbook (my sister asked for recipes from all of us and put them in a decorative binder, so it really is a family cookbook) I happened to find a recipe from my mom that looks amazing! I may have to abandon my tried and true and try her Harvest Hoppin' John. Good thing I have 364 days to decide!<br />
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<b>Harvest Hoppin' John</b><br />
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2 T. Olive Oil<br />
1 small red onion, diced<br />
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped<br />
1 jalapeno, seeded and diced<br />
1 1/2 C. long-grain rice<br />
1 tsp coarse salt<br />
2 tsp fresh thyme<br />
Freshly ground black pepper<br />
2 C. chicken or veg broth<br />
2 C. fresh Black Eyed Peas<br />
2 C. chopped collard, mustard, or turnip greens (packed)<br />
8 fresh basil leaves, slivered<br />
2 tomatoes, cored and chopped<br />
2 green onions, minced<br />
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Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, red pepper, and jalapeño pepper and salute 5 minutes. Add rice, salt, and thyme, and stir until the rice is coated. Add broth. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer about 10 minutes. Add peas and greens and continue to cook, covered, another 10 minutes, until all the liquid is absorbed, peas are tender, and rice is fluffy. Remove from heat and stir in basil and black pepper. Serve warm, topped with tomatoes and green onions. Serves 6.<br />
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Calories 212<br />
Fat 4g<br />
Cholesterol 0g<br />
Protein 5g<br />
Carbohydrates 39g<br />
Fiber 4g<br />
Sodium 443mg<br />
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Doesn't that look amazing?!Machellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15102615100389341608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21456023.post-42938035617654714582014-12-13T17:24:00.000-08:002014-12-13T17:24:26.180-08:00Snowglobed at the SchmeeI find it interesting that we've come to expect a certain amount of mayhem in our holiday merriment. Bickering siblings (no matter the age), the arguments over religion, the fight to keep the tradition alive (or to finally, for the love of Pete, not have to have that dish anymore because Grammy's been dead for three years now and she won't know!) are part and parcel of our peace on earth goodwill toward men (sic) as modern Americans.<br />
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Sliding into this liminal space between peace and chaos is Snowglobed, brain child of Rachel Delmar. Full disclosure, I've been a former participant, and I was invited back to see the leaner, meaner company perform 5 short holiday plays. Previous iterations of Snowglobed showcased pieces with outside directors and actors, but this year Rachel herself directed each play, and the company includes Amy Escobar, Anastasia Higham, Pilar O'Connell, Brandon Ryan, Ben Burris, and Trevor Young Marston.<br />
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One benefit of the switching to the company of players was the consistency of commitment. The players threw themselves into the hands of the playwrights (Andrew Lee Creech, Stacy D. Flood, Nick Edwards, Bret Fetzer & Juliet Waller Pruzan, and Maggie Lee) no matter the role. Rotating in and out of short plays gives actors plenty to chew on and they relished every bit.<br />
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The pieces themselves were charmingly different from each other; "holiday play" was the sole prompt, and the writers came up with everything from a piece in verse, to a Santa/Jesus poker game, to space battles and more. The short play is a terrifically difficult medium-it's tough to create a world, introduce the characters and their conflict, and come to some sort of change or conclusion in just a few short pages. My favorite was "The Last Light", because it accomplished all this and more. Bret and Juliet's piece managed to interweave a holiday story from a future earth that hopefully is mythological and not prescient. Your mileage may vary, of course, my seatmate preferred the meta WTF-ness of "For Christmas."<br />
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Snowglobed has two remaining dates: Friday the 19th and Saturday the 20th in the late night spot at Theater Schmeater. Further information and tix <a href="https://www.schmeater.org/season/2014/snowglobed">at this link.</a> Get those last presents wrapped and hit the theater for some truth bombs. Or at least a few F-bombs.<br />
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<br />Machellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15102615100389341608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21456023.post-79294768311168631302014-07-24T08:55:00.000-07:002014-07-24T08:55:14.008-07:00Not With the Band, We Are the Band!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/progressivelenses?ref_type=bookmark">See our Facebook page!</a></div>
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<br />Machellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15102615100389341608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21456023.post-61236542631161513022014-07-07T17:30:00.000-07:002014-07-07T17:30:01.055-07:00We Built a FirepitVery simple actually. Measure spot at least 25 feet from the house (the only regulation we could find). Dig up grass (easy cause it's dried out and dead). Line with bricks that had been stacked up ever since we moved into house. Soak surrounding grass with water. Put in sticks from the yard that haven't been picked up. Light. Enjoy.<br />
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<br />Machellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15102615100389341608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21456023.post-54821539164679275592014-07-06T13:34:00.000-07:002014-07-06T13:34:38.560-07:00No and YesI was not selected for the Amtrak Residency. I was quite disappointed and hope they have an opportunity for next year. I think what I'll do next time is write more about my works in progress in the application. Thinking back on it, I suspect my application was a bit vague. They did offer a discount, so I may plan my own residency on my own time. <br />
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The 'yes' portion of the post is that Mythfest was selected by lottery for the <a href="http://seattlefringefestival.org/">Seattle Fringe Festival</a>! Fringe is much smaller than it was in years past, but it is solvent and continuing to gain attention. We've got a lot of work to do, but it's a huge get for us.<br />
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First we need to update our marketing materials to include the actress last cast, and we're working on a rehearsal schedule now. Finding reasonably priced (or at any price, really) rehearsal space is a big challenge in Seattle for some reason. Getting on the calendars before all the other Fringe acts will be key. We're eagerly awaiting the news of which venue we'll be performing in so that we can spread the news far and wide.<br />
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<br />Machellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15102615100389341608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21456023.post-81240235622760339882014-03-19T11:18:00.001-07:002014-03-19T11:21:09.431-07:00Sigh...<a href="http://www.theatlanticcities.com/arts-and-lifestyle/2014/03/shocker-conservative-republicans-hate-amtrak-writer-residency/8645/">The backlash against the Amtrak Writer's Residency</a><br />
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So even though it took a few weeks, it's no surprise Republicans are starting to come out against the <a href="http://www.thewire.com/culture/2014/02/inside-amtraks-absolutely-awesome-plan-give-free-rides-writers/358332/">delightful new writer residency program</a>
that has the public actually talking about Amtrak in a positive way.
The program, which began with a whimsical tweet and recently <a href="http://blog.amtrak.com/officialterms/">became official</a>,
will send up to 24 writers on overnight journeys to take some
inspiration from the American countryside. More than 9,000 people <a href="http://dailycaller.com/2014/03/13/gop-senators-why-is-amtrak-is-giving-writers-free-rides/">have reportedly applied</a>.</blockquote>
Personally I think having 24 grateful wordslingers spreading the Amtrak word far and wide would be a good thing. How many people will start to consider taking the train because of the word of mouth?<br />
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And <a href="http://dailycaller.com/2014/03/13/gop-senators-why-is-amtrak-is-giving-writers-free-rides/">this confirms</a> that Amtrak will not be displacing paid customers. The residents will occupy unsold rooms that would otherwise go empty. Machellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15102615100389341608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21456023.post-72267021550852448172014-03-11T12:11:00.003-07:002014-03-11T12:11:52.819-07:00The First Mythfest Review!Wow!<br />
<a href="http://www.dramainthehood.net/2014/03/mythfest/">http://www.dramainthehood.net/2014/03/mythfest/</a><br />
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If you like wonderful scripts, playful performance, and the idea of
investigating greater openness in the portrayals of female characters,
this play is for you. Give it a chance. This is <i>really</i> important theater.</blockquote>
Machellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15102615100389341608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21456023.post-89255720763512298902014-02-23T09:54:00.001-08:002014-02-23T09:54:29.988-08:00Mythfest!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">It’s all just a myth, unless it’s your own story! A bloodthirsty warrior leads her people to near
extinction. A woman who has lost everything prepares to execute her final act of</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">
vengeance. The most beautiful woman in the world finally speaks her mind. This mini myth feast
packs a Trojan wallop, exploring the bonds of friendship, the complexity of vengeance, and the
universal nature of the things we do when pushed to our limits. Three new plays based on Greek
myth by local playwrights, woven together in a ritual offering to gods long forgotten. Be careful
what you wish for</span><span style="font-size: 15px;">…</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPSMT'; font-size: 11.000000pt;">March 7, 14, and 21 at <a href="http://www.seattlecreativearts.com/">Seattle Creative Arts Center</a> </span><a href="http://thepocket.org/upcoming-shows/">http://thepocket.org/upcoming-shows/</a><br />
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Machellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15102615100389341608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21456023.post-17214537468947344442014-01-13T14:51:00.003-08:002014-01-13T14:51:50.495-08:00Sea...hawks!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Machellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15102615100389341608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21456023.post-63489013474964791452014-01-06T11:41:00.001-08:002014-01-06T11:41:54.889-08:00Inbox ZeroI've seen a number of folks posting the common question "how do I deal with my email?" It must be a popular New Year's resolution. Here's my solution, which I got somewhere about 4 years ago. I like to cite my sources, but there's no way I'll find it again. 4 years is a geologic era in internet time. <br />
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1) Pull out in some way (tag, create a new folder, etc.) email that you've gotten since January 1 that actually needs to be dealt with. Not adverts about discounts for an online store that you might shop in by the next month, you'll have 4 more adverts by then. These are requests, bills, anything that requires action.<br />
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2) Create another folder or tag titled "2013 Unfiled." Put every other email in there. All 758 of them. <br />
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Now you have a very clean inbox AND a searchable archive if you find that you truly did need something. <br />
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A potential Step 3 is to create more/better folders/tags to dump emails in. If you had 758 emails in your inbox, then the folder system is probably not up to snuff. For example, I need to use my "Little League" folder more often, because baseball emails tend to pile up. I need to keep them to keep track of practice time changes, etc.but then they later become irrelevant.<br />
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Next year, do the same thing. You'll have a "2014 Unfiled." And each year there will be a bright shiny new inbox. Then it's up to you when or if to delete the previous "Unfiled."<br />
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2010, I'm looking at you.Machellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15102615100389341608noreply@blogger.com0