A review I wrote of a show at the new Broad Theater:

A SOLIDER’S TALE
Broad Theater, Santa Monica, CA May 4, 2009

"An enchanting evening modern works and Stravinsky's "A Soldier's Tale" was presented at the new Broad (pronounced Brode) Theater under the meticulous baton of Kent Nagano and a 7-piece ensemble from The Montreal Symphony.

The program opened with solo pieces by Marianne Dugal (violin) and Mathieu Harel (bassoon), played sweetly and expressively, followed by an exotic journey through Canadian throat singing featuring Evie Mark and Taqralik Partridge, set to modern music and non-traditional percussive instruments.

The second half, “A Soldier's Tale,” was a moving blend of poetic narration, dance and Stravinsky’s delightful score. It relays the story of a soldier who makes a pact with the devil, sacrificing his beloved passion in exchange for material wealth.

Anchored by the rock-solid narration of James Cromwell, the tale came to life with Jordan Belfi as the soldier, (somewhat confined in the role as a last minute replacement). But it was Hattie Winston who stole the show as the devil, imbuing the role with plenty of grit, spit and comic relief.

Choreography by Kate Hutter and David Bridel was a seamless fit to music and narration, beautifully rendered by dancers Devin Fulton and Michael Crotty. Of note was the lover’s dance and Ms. Fulton’s transition as the ill princess coming to life, shifting from heavy and disjointed movement to fluid and feathery-light with skill and ease.

The two-hour plus program made for a lengthy but rewarding jaunt. Upstaging all however, is the new Broad Theater, with its intimate ambiance, excellent acoustics, great sightlines and ample parking. Expect great things from this mid-size theater with the big heart and broad vision!"

— Dave Bass

The Mystical Path
February 5, 2009

I recently ran across a quote so powerful, it literally jolted me upright off my seat. I feel it describes my life. I re-quote it here, without edit or comment. It was taken from this website.

"Stage One is what we are calling the Lawless stage. Folks at this stage have never submitted their being to anything other than their own will. They have never truly embraced religion at any level and generally pursue their own aims with no regard for how that might affect others.

Stage Two then we call the Faithful stage. This group includes most people who are traditionally religious. These are people who have chosen to accept the rules and explanations offered in a pre-set way by an organized religion. They tend toward a literal interpretation of everything their church teaches and most likely insist that their religion is somehow more true than all the others. Though they may believe very fervently, they are ones who have never really questioned their faith and thus there is something superficial - or less mature - about their faith.

At Stage Three or the Rational level the person has allowed some questioning into his faith system. Either he has realized that some things his religion teaches cannot be literally true, or he at least begins to take some level of personal responsibility for owning his beliefs in a personal, individual way. He may either wind up rejecting religion altogether for a time, or he may find a new way to incorporate his faith with the questions he has run into.

If this person who has survived the questioning stage then returns to his religion or perhaps instead chooses some more universal way of living out his faith, understands elements of faith in a more metaphorical way and maybe allows some creative elements into it, then he has probably moved on to Stage Four or the Mystic level. Some say there may be many stages above the Mystic level but there are not enough people at those stages to study them."

'To the People, Yes'
by Carl Sandburg (1878-1967)
December 7, 2007

Carl Sandburg wrote this great poem, which I won't quote in its entirety, but here's a little:

"A father sees a son nearing manhood.
What shall he tell that son?
'Life is hard; be steel; be a rock.'
And this might stand him for the storms
and serve him for humdrum and monotony
and guide him amid sudden betrayals
and tighten him for slack moments.
'Life is a soft loam; be gentle; go easy.'
And this too might serve him.
Brutes have been gentled where lashes failed.
The growth of a frail flower in a path up
has sometimes shattered and split a rock.
A tough will counts. So does desire.
So does a rich soft wanting.
Without rich wanting nothing arrives.
Tell him too much money has killed men
And left them dead years before burial:
The quest of lucre beyond a few easy needs
Has twisted good enough men
Sometimes into dry thwarted worms.
Tell him time as a stuff can be wasted.
Tell him to be a fool every so often
and to have no shame over having been a fool
yet learning something out of every folly
hoping to repeat none of the cheap follies
thus arriving at intimate understanding
of a world numbering many fools.

Tell him to be alone often and get at himself
and above all tell himself no lies about himself
whatever the white lies and protective fronts
he may use amongst other people.
Tell him solitude is creative if he is strong
and the final decisions are made in silent rooms.
Tell him to be different from other people
if it comes natural and easy being different.
Let him have lazy days seeking his deeper motives.
Let him seek deep for where he is a born natural.
Then he may understand Shakespeare
and the Wright brothers, Pasteur, Pavlov,
Michael Faraday and free imaginations
Bringing changes into a world resenting change.
He will be lonely enough
to have time for the work
he knows as his own."