text:
es un videojuego de carreras para la PlayStation de Sony. Gran Turismo 2 fue desarrollado por Polyphony Digital y publicado por Sony Computer Entertainment en 1999. Es la secuela de Gran Turismo. Fue bien recibido de forma pública y crítica, con 1.71 millones de copias en Japón, 20.000 en el sudeste asiático, 3.96 millones en América del Norte y 3.68 millones en Europa por un total de 9.37 millones de copias al 30 de abril de 2008, y, finalmente, convertirse en un juego de Sony Greatest Hits. El título recibió un promedio de 93% en el agregado de Metacritic.

GT2 contiene dos discos en una sola carátula: El disco 1 (Modo Arcade) y el disco 2 (Modo Simulación). También viene incluido como su predecesor dos manuales, de referencia (Contiene informaciones sobre aceleración, frenado, tracción de los vehículos y otros), y de Gran Turismo 2 (Guía de cómo jugar, guardar y salvar partidas con la Tarjeta de Memoria para la PlayStation y otros).

Novedades

 De lo aproximadamente 140 coches que se presentaron en el primer Gran Turismo, en este juego, hubo un incremento de la cantidad de vehículos (aproximadamente 650 en total), lo que representa 5 veces más que el número de automóviles con respecto a Gran Turismo. Hay que tomar en cuenta que casi todos los vehículos que aparecieron provenientes del juego anterior, vuelven a aparecer en esta entrega.
 En GT hubo 10 a 11 fabricantes de coches (en la versión NTSC-U usaban la marca Acura), en GT2, también hubo un incremento de número de marcas de coches: 36 a 37 fabricantes (en la versión PAL usaban tanto la Opel y Vauxhall) que es casi 3 veces la incorporación de nuevas marcas entre los concesionarios en GT2.
 En GT, en total fueron 11 circuitos (incluyendo sus versiones al revés). GT2 trae 27 circuitos (así como en sus versiones invertidas). También hay que tomar en cuenta que todos los trazados aparecidos previamente en el primer Gran Turismo vuelven para esta entrega.
Otra novedad que trae para la segunda entrega de GT es la inclusión de los circuitos de Rally, en total hay 6 pistas, todo nuevo y hecho exclusivamente para este juego.
 En Gran Turismo, eran sólo 3 exámenes de licencia que calificaba al jugador para participar en grandes campeonatos y eventos. Gran Turismo 2, agregan 3 más con respecto al anterior.
 La decisión de separar dos discos (CD-ROM) de este juego fueron como novedad, lo ya mencionado anteriormente: Incrementos de coches, circuitos, exámenes de licencia y también, más espacio para colocar audio.
 Si inserta el disco 2 (Modo Simulación) la pantalla del mapa de este Modo es casi lo mismo que el juego anterior, pero la diferencia que allí ya no está ninguna marca del automóvil ubicado por todo el mapa, sino un método Este/Oeste en donde al seleccionar ciudades, por ejemplo, Oeste, aparece la lista de los fabricantes a elegir, menú de cada concesión y más.
 Los gráficos presentados en esta entrega son muy similares a su predecesor.

Jugabilidad
Gran Turismo 2 se basa fundamentalmente en el género de los juegos de carreras. El jugador debe maniobrar un automóvil para competir contra conductores artificialmente inteligentes en varias pistas de carreras. El juego utiliza dos modos diferentes: Modo Arcade y Modo Simulación (Modo Gran Turismo en PAL y versiones japonesas). En el modo arcade, el jugador puede elegir libremente los vehículos que desea usar y puede habilitar el daño. Sin embargo, el modo de simulación requiere que el jugador gane licencias de conducir, pague vehículos y gane trofeos para desbloquear cursos nuevos y recurrentes. Gran Turismo 2 cuenta con casi 650 automóviles y 27 pistas de carreras, incluidas pistas de rally.

En comparación con Gran Turismo, la jugabilidad, la física y los gráficos son muy similares: la única diferencia real en la dinámica del vehículo fueron los frenos, que se volvieron mucho menos propensos a bloquear y hacer que el vehículo se salte demasiado. Los cambios más importantes son la gran cantidad de autos, pistas y carreras en modo de simulación. Otras diferencias incluyen que el jugador puede competir en eventos por separado, si no quiere participar en todo el torneo. El jugador ya no puede "calificar" para cada carrera inscrita.

Desarrollo

Después del éxito inesperado de Gran Turismo, el desarrollador líder Kazunori Yamauchi planeó hacer de Gran Turismo 2 "un producto aún mejor". La directora de mercadotecnia de SCEA (Ami Blaire) tenía grandes esperanzas, al afirmar que "la abrumadora y continua popularidad de Gran Turismo claramente posiciona a Gran Turismo 2 como uno de los títulos más populares disponibles para las vacaciones y más allá". Jack Tretton (vicepresidente de ventas de SCEA) tenía un entusiasmo similar, y esperaba que Gran Turismo 2 "saliera volando de las estanterías más rápido que el original, continuando el impulso de esta increíble franquicia".

Fallos y Errores

Tras el lanzamiento del juego, los jugadores encontraron en breve varios errores y fallas. SCEA no ignoró la protesta y ofreció un reemplazo si ocurría algún problema. Por ejemplo, el porcentaje máximo de finalización alcanzable fue del 98,2%. Otra falla fue que no importa qué, incluso si un jugador salva el juego, los autos pueden desaparecer de su garaje. Una tercera falla fue que ciertos autos aparecerían en las carreras equivocadas. Esto fue más significativo en la carrera de resistencia Trial Mountain de 30 vueltas, donde puede aparecer una edición Vector M12 LM de 680 bhp a pesar de una restricción de entrada de 295 caballos de fuerza, lo que hace que la carrera sea casi imposible de ganar. La razón por la que el porcentaje de finalización máximo se queda corto se debe a un modo de carrera de drag planificado que nunca se implementó.

Automóviles

En el momento de su lanzamiento, GT2 presentaba una de las listas más grandes de automóviles nuevos e históricos disponibles en un solo juego de computadora, contabilizado en casi 650 automóviles. GT2 contenía 36 fabricantes, desde Acura (solo versión NTSC-U; otras versiones usaban la marca Honda), BMW, Peugeot a Venturi. En comparación, el original Gran Turismo y GT3 A-Spec tenían menos de 200 cada uno. Por primera vez en la serie, se agregaron fabricantes de Francia, Alemania e Italia, lo que a su vez permitió un campeonato mundial de Gran Turismo. Ciertos fabricantes notables, como Ferrari y Porsche, no se presentaron debido a que no se pudieron obtener las licencias requeridas. Ruf se agregó como una alternativa a Porsche: Ruf es un fabricante independiente de Porsche bajo las leyes de EE. UU. y Alemania. Ciertos autos, como el Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR, también fueron eliminados del juego debido a problemas de licencia.

Gran Turismo 2 fue el primer juego de la serie en presentar las marcas Vauxhall/Opel. En las versiones NTSC-U (América) y NTSC-J (Japón), se usó la marca Opel, mientras que la versión PAL (Europa) presentó Vauxhall cuando el juego está configurado para usar el idioma inglés, y Opel está disponible en otros idiomas. Esto llevó a una laguna en la que el jugador podría completar las carreras de una sola marca tanto para Opel como para Vauxhall, dando un puntaje de finalización del 100,91%

Música

La canción de apertura para las versiones de Norteamérica y PAL es "My Favourite Game" de The Cardigans. La versión PAL tiene el remix Faithless de la canción. En algunas introducciones de los lanzamientos norteamericanos, la canción se cortó de manera que se tocó de manera diferente después de un minuto. La canción de apertura de la versión japonesa es "Moon Over the Castle" (el tema de la serie Gran Turismo).

El juego aumentó aún más la cantidad de pistas en el disco al separar el Modo Arcade y el Modo Simulación (Modo Gran Turismo para las versiones PAL y Japonesa) en dos discos. Esto permitió más espacio para colocar audio. La versión PAL tiene una banda sonora diferente y canciones que la versión estadounidense no tiene, como "Illin 'in Heaven" de Fatboy Slim. La versión americana tiene canciones como "I Think I'm Paranoid" de Garbage, y "Now is the Time" de The Crystal Method, mientras que la versión PAL no lo hizo.

Recepción

Gran Turismo 2 recibió el reconocimiento de la crítica. Recibió una puntuación de 92.42% en GameRankings y 93/100 en Metacritic.

GameSpot lo clasificó 8.5 de 10, y lo recomendó a cualquier jugador, entusiasta de los autos o no, mientras que IGN calificó el juego con 9.8/10. En Japón, Famitsu le dio una puntuación de 34 sobre 40. Gran Turismo 2 fue un éxito de ventas durante dos meses en Japón y durante dos meses en el Reino Unido, y ha vendido 9.37 millones de copias en todo el mundo. La Official UK PlayStation Magazine clasificó el juego como el cuarto mejor de todos los tiempos. Recibió un premio de ventas "Double Platinum" de la Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA), que indica ventas de al menos 600,000 copias en el Reino Unido.

Referencias

Véase también
Anexo:Banda sonora de Gran Turismo
Anexo:Circuitos de Gran Turismo
Anexo:Coches de Gran Turismo
R3000

Enlaces externos

 Gran Turismo 2 microsite

Gran Turismo
Videojuegos de 1999
Videojuegos de carreras
Videojuegos de carreras de rally
Videojuegos de carreras todoterreno
Videojuegos de simulación
Videojuegos de simulación de carreras
Videojuegos de Polyphony Digital
Videojuegos de Sony Interactive Entertainment
Videojuegos desarrollados en Japón
Videojuegos de un solo jugador y de multijugador
Videojuegos para PlayStation
Videojuegos exclusivos para PlayStation

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


The Sente Group understands the principles, laws and mechanisms that govern behavior in large test organizations. We know how to size up your situation, tailor implementation methodologies and provoke the behaviors to accelerate the adoption and cadence of change.
Meaningful Change Unleashed. Not Forced.
Change that enables a collaborative environment focuses engineers and technical staff on inventing new products and services, as opposed to non-value added administrative burdens and helps retain your most valued talent.


St Mary's Nursery is run as a not-for-profit charity. Our setting is reliant on fundraising and contributions in order to fund projects that the nursery would not otherwise be able to afford. This could mean new equipment or educational materials, but can also go towards special treats and mementos for the children.
This year, we have set ourselves a fundraising target of £1,500. It would be amazing if we could exceed this!
Did you know that you can support St Mary's Nursery School by shopping online?
Every time you shop online via easyfundraising at one of 3,300 retailers, a donation will be made to St Mary's Nursery School, and it won't cost you a penny extra.
Get shopping – your donations will be collected by easyfundraising and automatically sent to St Mary's Nursery School. It couldn't be easier!


Medical Assistants often work directly with patients, taking vital signs, recording medical histories, applying surgical dressings, collecting specimens and more. It's an in-demand career field growing in New Jersey and around the country. New Jersey also has the added benefit of offering one of the nation's highest pay rates in the field*! Enroll at Lincoln Tech's Iselin campus for Medical Assistant training, and you can be on your way to an exciting, fast-paced career.
Learn more about how Lincoln Tech's Medical Assistant training in Iselin, NJ can help you begin a rewarding, patient-focused career. Call to schedule a tour or request more information today!


This past week was Spring Break where I live. I thought it might be fun if you tried to guess where my family went. Leave your guess in the comments below. One of the teachers with the correct answers will get to choose a packet $6 or less from my store.
Sea lions were there to greet us.
My favorite memory was seeing orcas in the wild.
Although I was at the coast, the temperature was chilly. I bought a sweatshirt to stay warm on the boat tour.
Do you know where I went? Leave your guess in the comment section.
Thank you everyone for your guesses. I went to Monterey, CA. It was beautiful!
To keep with the oceans of fun theme, I am going to put some of my ocean themed packets on sale this weekend (April 19, 20).
I agree with Wendy! It looks beautiful =). leafsgirl@rogers.com.
San Juan? (near Seattle) Wherever it was, you are so lucky!
Were you in San Diego for spring break?


text:
package org.apache.pig.test;

import java.io.File;
import java.io.FileOutputStream;
import java.io.IOException;

import org.apache.hadoop.conf.Configuration;
import org.apache.hadoop.hdfs.MiniDFSCluster;
import org.apache.hadoop.mapred.MiniMRCluster;

public class MiniCluster extends MiniGenericCluster {
    private static final File CONF_DIR = new File("build/classes");
    private static final File CONF_FILE = new File(CONF_DIR, "hadoop-site.xml");

    private MiniMRCluster m_mr = null;
    public MiniCluster() {
        super();
    }

    @Override
    protected void setupMiniDfsAndMrClusters() {
        try {
            System.setProperty("hadoop.log.dir", "build/test/logs");
            final int dataNodes = 4;     // There will be 4 data nodes
            final int taskTrackers = 4;  // There will be 4 task tracker nodes

            // Create the dir that holds hadoop-site.xml file
            // Delete if hadoop-site.xml exists already
            CONF_DIR.mkdirs();
            if(CONF_FILE.exists()) {
                CONF_FILE.delete();
            }

            // Builds and starts the mini dfs and mapreduce clusters
            Configuration config = new Configuration();
            m_dfs = new MiniDFSCluster(config, dataNodes, true, null);
            m_fileSys = m_dfs.getFileSystem();
            m_mr = new MiniMRCluster(taskTrackers, m_fileSys.getUri().toString(), 1);

            // Write the necessary config info to hadoop-site.xml
            m_conf = m_mr.createJobConf();
            m_conf.setInt("mapred.submit.replication", 2);
            m_conf.set("dfs.datanode.address", "0.0.0.0:0");
            m_conf.set("dfs.datanode.http.address", "0.0.0.0:0");
            m_conf.set("mapred.map.max.attempts", "2");
            m_conf.set("mapred.reduce.max.attempts", "2");
            m_conf.set("pig.jobcontrol.sleep", "100");
            m_conf.writeXml(new FileOutputStream(CONF_FILE));

            // Set the system properties needed by Pig
            System.setProperty("cluster", m_conf.get("mapred.job.tracker"));
            System.setProperty("namenode", m_conf.get("fs.default.name"));
            System.setProperty("junit.hadoop.conf", CONF_DIR.getPath());
        } catch (IOException e) {
            throw new RuntimeException(e);
        }
    }

    @Override
    protected void shutdownMiniMrClusters() {
        // Delete hadoop-site.xml on shutDown
        if(CONF_FILE.exists()) {
            CONF_FILE.delete();
        }
        if (m_mr != null) { m_mr.shutdown(); }
            m_mr = null;
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


The major teaching advantage of this Workshop in comparison with videotapes or lectures is that it offers the audience the possibility of watching the experts perform procedures in real time, not only demonstrating the best technique but also, in some instances, having difficulties. Live demonstrations offer the possibility to teach how experts solve these difficulties as well as to comment about the limits of endoscopy.
Experienced nursing staff is also mandatory for succeeding in endoscopy and endotherapy procedures. To encourage the participation of the nurses, we offer them a very low fee as well as a combined fee if they decide to come together with a physician.
Starting in 2019, the format of the meeting has been revised, taking into account the difficulties for many of you to spend 3 full days out of your daily practice. Therefore the meeting will concentrate on 2 days of live demonstrations (on Monday and Tuesday, June 17 and 18, 2019). On Sunday afternoon, we will propose to those interested in hands-on training 2 sessions with 4 stations on ERCP and EUS techniques. Participants will be limited to 8 per station.
We also propose to the Industry to organise a satellite symposium on Sunday, end of the afternoon.
European CME Credits (ECMEC) for participation in the meeting will be requested to EACCME.
37th GEEW is also endorsed by WEO (World Endoscopy Organization). WEO individual members are granted a 15% discount to participate in the GEEW. More information on how to claim for this discount will be posted on the Registration page in due time.
We thank these two prominent scientific organizations for their confidence.


text:
Home Faith Prayer Calendar & Faith Resources
We're Praying for...
The continued healing and recovery of Nathan Linman, son of Pastor Jonathan Linman and Bishop Jennifer Reddall, following major surgery
The Rev. Diane Rainson, a former member of Church of Our Saviour Lutheran, Manhasset, now serving as pastor of Grace Lutheran Church of Naugatuck, CT. Pastor Rainson was diagnosed with a brain aneurysm very recently
Our work toward shaping a more inclusive church that welcomes and affirms all of God's people, specifically our LGBTQIA+ brothers, sisters, and siblings
The well-being of asylum-seeker children in detention centers
Those who have no one to pray for them
The asylum seekers who are waiting to be processed at our southern border
Refugees and immigrants, and those who come to their aid
Those affected by violence in their schools, workplaces, and homes
The unity of this church and its mission
MNYS congregations, partners, and leaders
Peace in our world
Peace in our nation
The care of God's Creation
ELCA Young Adult in Global Mission, Hannah Johnson, serving in Senegal
ELCA missionary, Dr. Mark & Linda Jacobson, serving in Tanzania
Bishop Shelley Wickstrom, the staff, and the people of the Alaska Synod
Do you have a prayer request? Let us know.
We envision a synod where everyone in every congregation is praying for every other congregation, one day at a time…asking that the Holy Spirit enter their hearts so that they may be moved to share the good news of Jesus Christ.
Our prayer calendar serves to encourage our many prayer partners to hold a congregation of the synod in prayer every single day of the year. In this way, each of our congregations will have been prayed for at least once in 365 days. The prayer calendar is widely shared throughout the synod. Many congregations print the prayer calendar in their Sunday bulletins week by week. During the intercessory prayers at worship on Sunday mornings, congregations and pastors are added to the petitions.
Each worshiping community, then, becomes intentional about lifting up all the brothers and sisters in Christ, no matter how far their worship spaces may be from the praying community.
Download the current Prayer Calendar:
Daily and Seasonal Resources
Resources for digging
deeper in the Bible.
Downloadable Bible studies
based on the lectionary.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Perspectives from Venture For Canada & Friends
A New Wave Podcast
S6 Episode 6
A New Wave Podcast HR Employer Resources Leadership TD | DEI Resources The Fellowship VFC News
HR Employer Resources Leadership TD | DEI Resources The Fellowship VFC News
The Creation of New Ventures: Serendipitous Moments, Serendipitous Connections
With Mark Dhillon
Mark Dhillon is a 2016 Fellow Alumni, Co-Founder, Operator, ex-VC, and will be a #skater4life. Can you think of a hobby from your childhood that you've carried throughout your life? To him, that means leaning on communities of creative, radical, and innovative thinkers who don't judge. Acceptance and landing new tricks are essential to his success. From engineering to an MBA to VC in cannabis to tech, with the goal of ending up in international development, Mark walks us through his multifaceted journey of ensuring growth is attainable. His advice - don't be a climber, be a builder. Listen up.
Like + Follow where you listen!
VFC Fellows have the most important success indicator you won't find on a resume: an entrepreneurial mindset.
Four Thoughts On Growth:
Scott: What do you think are some of the unique skill sets required in an executive in that high growth?
Your education It's not only about what you learn, but how you learn, how you apply that knowledge and connect the dots between the opportunities. Mark completed his undergraduate degree and thought that he needed to go a bit more niche. After grad school, he realized designing skateparks was ultimately not what he wanted to do. Coming from a family of engineers, he decided to learn more about business through an MBA. From his, MBA Mark was introduced to the tech world, VFC, and the path he is on.
Learn from other people who've done it, seen it, and experienced it. One thing Mark hears about in Canada is a lack of people who have, in essence, a high-growth skill set. There's a shortage of executives who can lead companies; let's say it's at 100 million dollar revenue, and they want to be a billion-dollar company. We can look internationally at folks who are doing this to learn how to do it, not just try to go at it alone.
A fundamental thing for every company is attracting and hiring really great people that never stop. Ever. Do this while creating a place that signals is safe for others to learn to be growing, to be vulnerable. Mark thinks that's where many companies are bad, setting the three or five-year horizon with a culture of vulnerability and experimentation.
Set up a high-level goal for the year that is audacious. It should be a big hairy audacious goal. And from there, it's like, okay, figure out how you will get there. Think about it cross-functionally, get the votes of the people leading those different charges from marketing to product. From there, see if it is viable. Suppose the goal is viable, cool! Put together and an operational plan and a timeline to see what this makes it looks like.
Four Tips on Community Success
Scott: Can you describe what is the Operators Guild. And yeah, what are some of the things that you've learned from being a part of the community?
Figure out how to always be giving back to your community. The Operators Guild is solving how to IPO a company or how to scale like a COO (Chief Operating Officer). This is an invitation-only space for operations leaders. There are approximately 600 or 700 members now across North America.
When you want to meet like-minded people, put out the ask. If you're looking to meet people who are designers because you're passionate about design, ask to connect and give a reason, "I have no idea what I'm doing, and I'd like to learn from you." Want to meet a venture capitalist because you want to learn how to fundraise? Put out these asks, and people will actually come to you, and at the same time put yourself out there too. If you find someone being curious, reach out to them for a 15-20 minute coffee.
If you don't have a specific ask, have a beer or a coffee. Mark has seen people ask to network, who feel very uncomfortable, and it doesn't make sense. He was introverted, and that's fine, but he figured out that made the most sense to him. And that is, just having genuine conversations.
Don't base your outreach on credentials. You don't know people's stories and how they for there. .Get to know people. Look for friendships. That has been Mark's compass the entire time.
Four Pieces of Advice for an Entrepreneurial Start:
Scott: You're, you're launching a new venture now, and you worked in venture capital in the past. How is your VC experience helping you in your current entrepreneurial experience?
There's like a quick split. It's builders versus climber, so you want to be a builder, don't be a climber. It's also essential to approach relationships to think about what value you can provide the other person. Be genuine and transparent.
Understand the tactical side and the stress side. Understanding what others have to go through daily is critical. For example, Mark thinks that understanding an investor's psychology has been helpful for him because he can speak to them on a different level. In contrast, other startups pitch like, "I'm the most important thing in the world. My company is the best thing ever!" You have to find common ground.
Understand who you're talking to and who is in the room. Particularly for investments and raising capital. If you're talking to an analyst or talking to a principal understand precisely what they want to achieve in their career. Have they hit home runs? if you go on their website, you can see what they invested in, is this you? No need to waste time with the wrong people.
Stary Curious. And try being a generalist. There's so much, and when you think of the matter of knowledge in the world that exists. From odd to inspiring, there's so much to learn. Take Mark's dad's advice: keep learning, keep being curious, and you'll be fine.
Mark Suggests You Read:
Range: A compelling case for actively cultivating inefficiency by David Epstein Trillion Dollar Coach: Management lessons from legendary coach and business executive, Bill Campbell by Eric Schmidt, Jonathan Rosenberg, Alan Eagle When Breath Becomes Air: An unforgettable, life-affirming reflection on the challenge of facing death by Paul Kalanithi
VFC News
The Upside Foundation Board of Directors Appoints Former Venture For Canada Leader Juanita Lee-Garcia, Executive Director
Venture for Canada hosts conference to tackle intergenerational workforce challenges
Venture for Canada receives an additional $23.2 million in funding from The Government of Canada
Mike Wessinger: Building a Human-Centred Organization
With Mike Wessinger
Michael Garrity: The Gift of Feedback
With Michael Garrity
Kirstine Stewart: Cultivating Your Self-awareness
With Kristine Stewart
Connect with the #VFCCommunity
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The "Clarinette" silk skirt is the picture of summer - playful, bright and incredibly comfortable. Made of embroidered silk with a wide elasticized waistband, this skirt may be worn at the waist or hips for a custom fit. One-Size.
Model wears St. Tropez "Ringo" Top - sold separately.


text:
Breaking Creed (A Ryder Creed Novel #1)
List Price: 9.99*
Hardcover, Large Print (2/4/2015)
From the New York Times bestselling author of the Maggie O'Dell novels comes the first novel in a thrilling series featuring an ex-marine turned K9 rescue dog trainer…
Ryder Creed and his dogs have been making national headlines. They've intercepted several major drug stashes smuggled through Atlanta's airport. But their newfound celebrity has also garnered some unwanted attention.
When Creed and one of his dogs are called in to search a commercial fishing vessel off the coast of Pensacola Beach, they discover a secret compartment. But the Colombian cartel's latest shipment isn't drugs. It's human...
Meanwhile, FBI agent Maggie O'Dell is investigating a series of murders she suspects to be the work of a brutal assassin. By the time she uncovers a hit list with Creed's name on it, it might be too late to help him. For someone is already on the way...
Praise For Breaking Creed (A Ryder Creed Novel #1)…
Praise for Breaking Creed
"It simply blew me away...For any lover of nail-biting suspense, it's a book you'll not be able to put down."—James Rollins
"Creed is a very well designed character."—Booklist
More Praise for the novels of Alex Kava
"Kava is a master."—New York Times bestselling author Steve Berry
"Maggie…can give Patricia Cornwell's Kay Scarpetta a run for her money."—Booklist
"O'Dell could be Reacher's long-lost twin."—Lee Child
"Guaranteed to keep you up all night."—Lisa Gardner
G.P. Putnam's Sons, 9780425277942, 368pp.
Alex Kava is the New York Times bestselling author of the critically acclaimed series featuring former Marine Ryder Creed and his K9 dogs, and the international bestselling Maggie O'Dell series. Her novels have been published in more than thirty countries around the world. She is a member of the International Thriller Writers and divides her time between Omaha, Nebraska, and Pensacola, Florida.


Each round you maintain concentration on this spell, the storm produces different effects on your turn.
Round 3. You call six bolts of lightning from the cloud to strike six creatures or objects of your choice beneath the cloud. A given creature or object can't be struck by more than one bolt. A struck creature must make a Dexterity saving throw. The creature takes 10d6 lightning damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
Round 5-10. Gusts and freezing rain assail the area under the cloud. The area becomes difficult terrain and is heavily obscured. Each creature there takes 1d6 cold damage. Ranged weapon attacks in the area are impossible. The wind and rain count as a severe distraction for the purposes of maintaining concentration on spells. Finally, gusts of strong wind (ranging from 20 to 50 miles per hour) automatically disperse fog, mists, and similar phenomena in the area, whether mundane or magical.


Agreement and Plan of Reorganization - The Publishing Co. of North America Inc., John Pedranghelu, Eugene O. Russo and 1800attorneys.com Advertising Inc.
referred to collectively herein as the "Parties."
Stockholders on the terms and conditions contained in this Agreement.
1.       EXCHANGE OF COMMON STOCK.
to consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
which any of its assets are subject.
Stockholders could become liable or obligated.
Stockholders under the Internal Revenue Code.
the same manner as any other stockholder.
Telephone Number shall not be transferred to the Stockholders.
correct and complete as of the date of this Agreement.
conducted no business operations since its formation.
1877attorney.com and 877attorney.com, , is (are) _________________.
inherent in holding the common stock.
as soon as practicable after their filing.
for a period of three years from the date of this Agreement.
approved by PCNA and said consent cannot be unreasonably withheld.
5.       REMEDY FOR BREACHES OF THIS AGREEMENT.
or (ii) the applicable statute of limitations.
breach (or the alleged breach).
(d)      Matters Involving Third Parties.
Indemnifying Party thereof in writing.
consent of the Indemnifying Party.
any way to the subject matter hereof.
execution of this Agreement may be by actual or facsimile signature.
If to PCNA:               The Publishing Company of North America, Inc.
with a copy to:           Michael D. Harris, Esq.
without regard to choice of law considerations.
/s/ Dorothy Germain              The Publishing Company of North America, Inc.


Are you looking for 7 day cruises that leave from Montreal, Canada? As of today - April 25, 2019 - there are 30 such cruise options. These cruise options are offered by just one cruise line - Holland America (total of 30 sailings, 19 on Zaandam, 9 on Amsterdam and 2 on Veendam).
In the following table you can see all 7 day cruises that depart from Montreal sorted by departure date.


Synth is best summed up by the first paragraph of README.md at the maintainer's github site.
upgrades the system with a single command.
It is further described by its own pkg-descr file.
Synth is a custom package repository builder for FreeBSD and DragonFly.
a new jail, which can be a valuable feature for some environments.
Synth is a relatively recent addition to FreeBSD's ports, added on Jan 2016. It supports Flavors and is actively maintained.
FreeBSD uses specific default versions of lang ports. Python 2.7, Perl 5.26, PHP 7.1. If the system is kept up to date with current release versions of these languages then the overrides will be in /etc/make.conf e.g.
If /etc/make.conf exists on the system it should be copied to /usr/local/etc/synth/LiveSystem-make.conf prior to running Synth for the first time to ensure Synth uses the correct versions.
If Synth is being installed on an already established system with many packages and services already installed, then the first-run will be the longest as it compiles all installed packages for it's own repository.
If no config exists for any given port, Synth will not present you with the config dialog, and will assume defaults for all options (the same as make config and accepting all the defaults choices).
If you need to make changes to a given port's config options, then prior to running Synth simply cd to the given port's directory and manually run make config saving the changes. When Synth builds a port it will use any respective saved configuration options if they exist.
obsolete.  Please update or remove the saved options and try again.
The solution is to save a new config or simply remove it using one of the two respective examples provided. This will need to be done for each port identified by Synth. Once all configurations have been resolved Synth should continue on to the build phase.
portsnap auto to update the ports tree.
pkg version -vPL= to determine if any packages require updating.
synth status to do the scan of the updated ports tree and to do a dry run of upgrade-system.
synth upgrade-system to build and install the updates.
Once all the ports have been compiled into packages, Synth then updates its local repository with them.
Lastly Synth compares packages in its local repository to the packages installed on the system, installing, reinstalling, or upgrading them as required.
Synth can also be used to build and install new ports to the system. As opposed to first installing the port directly from the ports tree and then running Synth afterwards to sync it's repository with the system.
Refer to Synth(1) for more information regarding this and other available command options.
NOTE: Synth builds ports for its repository in its own build directories leaving the system's ports tree unmodified.


text:
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text:
Film Interview
Eric Bischoff interview about "83 WEEKS"
When it comes to wrestling on television Eric Bischoff is your man. Starting as a commentator Bischoff ended up becoming President of World Championship Wrestling (WCF) and eventually General Manager of World Wrestling Entertainment's Raw brand.
Today Bischoff hosts the 83 Weeks with Eric Bischoff podcast with Conrad Thompson but he will soon be bringing it to Australia as a live show. HEAVY Mag caught up with Bischoff to find out exactly what will be on offer to wrestling fans.
"Well my good friend Bruce Pritchard did a show and a tour in Australia not long ago," explains Bischoff as we talk about how the tour has come about. "He came back and told me what a blast he had and how much he had had. And I had been some of my own live shows with our 83 Weeks podcast so when I got the call asking if I wanted to come and do three nights in Australia I was chomping at the bit… I am so excited to do it."
"I haven't been back to Australia in almost ten years," says Bischoff as we chat about the popularity of wrestling in Australia these days. "I'm not really at a point to gauge the state of the popularity of wrestling in Australia or the Australian fans, but I do get some comments on social media from fans in Australia so I communicate with them on a fairly regular basis so I get the sense that there is a fairly healthy market for wrestling now in Australia… as there is right around the world."
You can listen to our full interview with Eric Bischoff on Spotify.
All the details for his live shows can be found on this page.
83 WeeksEric BischoffHulk HoganImpact WrestlingMonday Night NitronwoRawTNAVince McMahonWCWWorld Championship WrestlingWorld Wrestling Entertainmentwwe
Written by Dave Griffiths
Dave has worked as a music & film journalist for over 20 years now. Aside from Heavy he does radio and various podcasts as well. He is the proud owner of Metal Cat.
Sarah Anne talks OZ COMIC-CON
CHRIS ROBINSON BROTHERHOOD 'Servants Of The Sun'


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Song of the Day: "My Girl" by Freddie Nelson
Leave a Comment	/ Song of the Day / By ESBM / July 20, 2017 July 20, 2017
Today's song is "My Girl" by Freddie Nelson. The Pittsburgh, PA native is a skilled guitarist, singer, songwriter, and producer. Nelson first came to international attention in 2010 when he collaborated with guitar virtuoso Paul Gilbert (Mr. Big) on their album, United States. Together they wrote, performed, and produced the recording that was released on Mascot Records and toured Japan and Europe shortly after.
This song is off his debut solo release entitled Shake The Cage out now. All of the writing and producing was done by Nelson as well all of the musical & vocal performances, with the exception of drums performed by the legendary Thomas Lang (who has played with Peter Gabriel, Kelly Clarkson, John Wetton and countless others).
When explaining the name of the album, Nelson says, "The record is called Shake The Cage, because I feel that a lot of music has become one dimensional with tools such as pitch correction and formulated songwriting. There is no substitute for hard work and honing your craft, and it's time to challenge mediocrity."
And that he definitely does in this song and on the album. Listening to the record I had a hard time picking a song to feature as each of them were equally great! His polished and well produced sound is only surpassed by his enticing vocals and inviting guitar riffs. This song has a strong rock sound that features elements of punk, pop, and blues for a fierce fusion that will appeal to fans of artists like Queen, Muse, My Chemical Romance, The Killers, and the Beatles.
Listen below and for more information check out his official website, Facebook, and Twitter pages.


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A Distressing Scenario
A DISTRESSING SCENARIO. A Double Bill by post & version 1.0 for B Sharp in the Downstairs Theatre.
A DISTRESSING SCENARIO is in two parts presented by two companies.
Part One: EVERYTHING I KNOW ABOUT THE GLOBAL FINANCIAL CRISIS IN ONE HOUR by post. The Devisers/Performers are Zoe Coombs Marr, Mish Grigor and Natalie Rose. Two of the many conceits of this show is that it was prepared in 4 weeks (meeting when they could), and that they took a deliberate decision not to explore or research the background of the topic at all except from their own sketchy, suburban understanding. "We think it has become a show about us trying to understand something that we can't understand, and communicating what it is we 'reckon' happened".
Deliberately dressed in terrible clothes with exactly matching red high heeled shoes these hapless young Australian women throw together as many cultural references and ignorances as possible to comically reflect what may be a satiric observation of themselves and their family and friends attempting to explain the Global Financial Crisis. It finishes after 50 minutes in a binge drinking spree where the intellectual denseness of these people is further befuddled in an alcoholic fug of stupefying dimensions.
That these artists have got together and spent, obviously, enthusiastic energies on this project, when they could, is undoubted and all power to them, but this comic piss-take needs much more rigour. About 35 minutes of this material could be edited out. The jokes lose their punch and credibility very quickly - we get it five or ten minutes in and patiently wait for progress and enlightenment. Instead we have repetition and increasing banalities and low sketch comic turns that lack the technical skills, and in one case, concentration to pull them off. The best element of this showing is surely the carpentry of, is it Zoe? The blackboard is ingenious compared to all of the other offers of this work. The wit and intricacy of the mechanisms worth recording.
A 15 minute hit, I reckon could be salvaged, with some rigour to this applied theatre exercise.Brevity is the soul of wit.
A 50 minute agony, truly a distressing scenario, for all the wrong reasons - none of them to do with the object of their exploration: the GFC, with "Granny Mae" or "Colonel Sanders".
A case where ignorance did not create enough sustained bliss.
Part Two: "THE MARKET IS NOT FUNCTIONING PROPERLY" by version 1.0. The Devisers/Performers are Jane Phegan and Kym Vercoe. These two artists have created with a dedicated and experienced team: Director, David Williams; Video Artist, Sean Bacon; Sound Artist, Paul Prestipino; Lighting Designer, Frank Mainoo; Movement Consultant, Martin del Amo and others, a clever and instructional response to the Global Financial Crisis. Witty and frightening.
The text developed by this team has everything presented to the audience: spoken language, props, dance and movement, video image and sound track without a single superfluous choice. All of the choices appear to have been explored, refined, edited to such integrated clear precision that the 30 minute length flies by and is truly a distressing scenario of some critical moment.
The physical and vocal commitment and skill of Ms Phegan and Vercoe are devastating in their precise execution. Every gesture is packed with a density of committed intelligence and meaning and the accumulative image of a nation of spenders binging on champagne, spraying the audience with expensive capitalism packs a breathtaking slap in the face. Awesome professionalism of dedicated technical skills.
This is a gem of a work.
The contrast in the intellectual preparation of these two works and the technical skills of the artists in their chosen modes of expression could not be more dramatically demarcated and contrasted. The celebration of the contemporary movement of what I understand is "the aesthetics of failure" as demonstrated by post, near enough is never good enough, and that of excellence by version 1.0 could not be so closely observed.
A mixed evening of depression and exaltation.
Posted by Editor at 11:11 PM 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: B Sharp, David Williams, Downstairs Theatre, Jane Phegan, Kym Vercoe, post, Version 1.0
Griffin Theatre Company presents the World Premiere of ANGELA'S KITCHEN by Paul Capsis and Julian Meyrick at the SBW Stables Theatre, Sydney.
Paul Capsis has written, with dramaturgical shaping by Hilary Bell, a remembering of his maternal grandmother in this play ANGELA'S KITCHEN. It feels to me like a dreaming of memories and the resultant text itself is very simplistic both in its structure and idiom.
In contrast to this relatively naive writing, the work is framed within a very sophisticated conceptual design by Louise McCarthy, coaxed and guided by the director, Julian Meyrick. Lit beautifully and sympathetically by Verity Hampson - an artist of a growing and consistent contributions to the worlds we are seeing on Sydney stages.
Indeed, the visual aesthetics are an enormously seductive force to the contextual understanding of the performance. Using a spare and simple set of furniture objects and properties, and a set of clothing and shoes that are part of our daily unconscious as costume, gentle Brechtian titles projected onto the theatre walls order our responses to the developing narrative and are further wrapped in images of Malta and other environs that urge our imaginings to couch and expand the events more vividly in our experience of the performance.
However, the real reason for the acceptance of ANGELA'S KITCHEN as a transcendingly memorable night in the theatre is the beauty of Mr Capsis' sense of love for his subject, Angela, and need to tell this story. Beginning in an extremely naturalistic, straight-forward mode of simply acting as narrator, and passing through more gradual modes of sophisticated theatrical techniques, he finishes in an emotional place of a deeply cathartic self exposure. The last moments when Mr Capsis stalls his exit and looks back at the folded kitchen table that was the centre of Angela's world, the exemplary craftsmanship of this artist, nakedly reveals for the audience both the objective command of his instrument as a tool for the clear mutual expression of the narrative 'journey' but also the powerful and courageous subjective revelation of his own emotional 'feelings' / life to pierce our senses and give us the great gift of human compassion and grief" (this reminded me of the great gift that Mr Capsis gives to us in the mode he is more famous for, in his "Cabaret" performances- mesmerizing courage and ruthless truth-telling, at great expenditure of his own passionate identification). Here it is again - daring indeed - pure naked artistry).
What was also powerful to observe in the SBW Stables Theatre, where we can see each other across the stage space, was the audience, who clearly also had recent histories of the migrant experience in Australia. The brickbats and bouquets of it. Much memory, much feeling, much pleasure in the gains,and, even in the losses of that journey, were palpable during and overwhelmingly, accumulatively, at the end, in the very warm curtain call of thanks that was given Paul Capsis. Clearly this work had great meaning and impact for the captured audience present the night I attended. Maltese or otherwise.
So, ANGELA'S KITCHEN another confirming power of the theatre as a living and irreplaceable part of a civilised society.The community sensation of a shared experience strengthened all of us present and the harmonizing and homogeneous understanding of those about us was reflected in the eye exchanges and polite courtesies to each other as we clambered down the vertiginous wooden steps of the old stables converted theatre space. The theatre is not dead, even, and especially, in this world of email and mobile phone. The aligned breath of the community sitting in the same darkened space sharing this particular story of Paul Capsis and his grandmother, Angela, was one that was able to be universal and a kind of reflection of our own little journeys/stories.
I believe ANGELA'S KITCHEN is to tour around Australia.
Go for the simple story and you will surely come away with a greater sense of the whole of the human experience of love for each other in a genuinely heightened and humbling manner. A Gift from this modest team of theatre makers, of great value.
Posted by Editor at 2:57 PM 2 comments Links to this post
Labels: Julian Meyrick, Louise McCarthy, Paul Capsis, SBW Stables Theatre, Verity Hampson
Grimm Tales
Queensland Theatre Company presents GRIMM TALES. Adapted by Carol Ann Duffy. Dramatised by Tim Supple. Including stories from both GRIMM TALES and MORE GRIMM TALES, At the Cremorne Theatre,QPAC, Brisbane.
Seven actors and three musicians under the direction of Michael Futcher using the adapted (Carol Ann Duffy) and dramatised (Tim Supple) versions of both GRIMM TALES (1994) and MORE GRIMM TALES (1997) created an enjoyable night in the theatre for all ages.
The original stories collected and published by the Brothers Grimm (3 volumes) from the oral heritage of the peoples in and around Frankfurt and of specifically traditional German legend have along with the 17th century Parisian Charles Perrault and Danish Hans Christian Andersen been the early source of many children's early excursions into literature that served them well as both entertainment and moral fables. The stories have been adopted and adapted by many others over time (Walt Disney, especially) changing to suit the needs and cultures they were being told for and to.
In this version by The Queensland Theatre Company nine stories are acted out for us from familiar stories such as Hansel and Gretel, Ashputtel (we know as Cinderella), and Snow White to the less familiar (to me) stories of The Magic Table, The Gold Donkey and Cudgel in the Sack.
The stories here have all the signature literary marks of the form (so that the experience of so many became a little wearying in the repetitive stylistic formulations) told as mostly spoken narrative, acted out by the company and there is, mostly, only a little empathetic identification for character. Unlike the Disney versions there is little sentimental ownership for the listener. The narrative and the moral being the paramount objective.
The cruelty of some of the stories has not been censored by the adaptors and it is astringently interesting to have the step-sisters in Ashputtel self mutilate themselves and to have, firstly the right eye and then the left eye plucked out by birds, as we see them in beggar sacks with walking sticks blindly clambering off into the gathering twilight. There is something disturbing (in this age of well publicised teenage self harmers) to watch Rumplestilskin, in being tricked by the peasant girl now Princess, from his rightful reward from the bargain drawn between them, tear himself in two - in this production, holding his disengaged bloody left leg in the air. The children at my performance were both aghast at and relishing the horror of it (then, of course, the body count and the malevolent deaths and mutilations in the latest film HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PART 1 along with the home x-box games probably played by this generation are much worse). Nothing much as changed in preparing our children for life.
Michael Futcher moved the stories swiftly, encouraging great facility and efficiency from the actors. Ultimately, as the night wore on I felt the direction was a little heavy handed and conservative (literal), encumbered by design choices in sets and costumes (Greg Clarke) that, though aesthetically pleasing, were over elaborate and explanatory and so lessened the opportunity for the actors and audience to participate in the story telling by self imagining and endowing the narrative text with more individual invention. The Duck in the Hansel and Gretal story, imaginatively created and physically, delicately embodied by Scott Witt was what I longed for more of, from the actors. Just the actor and physical and vocal clues to guide us to participating more actively, imaginatively. Too much was shown or demonstrated for us in this theatre - a fairly filmic solution, done so much more freely and charmingly by Disney, for instance. Although, this did not impede the general reception to the performance.
The lighting by David Walters was an especially inventive and beautiful element in the illusions of the moods and narratives. The Snow White episode especially memorable. The live presence of the three musicians using a wide variety of instruments was also a very enhancing ingredient.
It was fun and pleasurable to watch the children sometimes agog with the wonder of how things were done in front of their eyes, for instance, the return of Grandma and Little Red Cap, from the bowels of the wolf. It was enjoyable to have them clap and/or beat out he rhythms of the music with their heads and bodies, sometimes completely unconsciously. That the theatre held them in such pleasurable awe is another nail to the "theatre is dead" spruikers and they gave me reason alone to relax and enjoy myself along with them.
Labels: Carol Ann Dufy, Greg Clarke, Michael Futcher, Tim Supple
Michael Brenner for BR Promotion GMBH, Howard Panter for Ambassador Theatre Group, The Bartner group, Norman Tulchin, Lunchbox Theatrical Productions & David Atkins Enterprises present WEST SIDE STORY at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre, Brisbane.
LAURENTS, BERNSTEIN, SONDHEIM, ROBBINS, four greats of the American Musical Theatre.
Laurents, Bernstein, Sondheim, Robbins and WEST SIDE STORY. Five reasons for one's heart to skip beats with anticipation on entering not just the auditorium of the theatre but just, even, into the foyer.
And this revival production directed by Joey McKneely; Musical Supervision and Direction by Donald Chan; Choreography reproduced by Joey McKneely; Set Design by Paul Gallis; Costume Design by Renate Schmitzer; Sound Design by Rick Clarke and Lighting Design by Peter Hals delivers in still spine rippling waves of pleasure.
That this company of performers are good rather than great does not diminish the pleasure of this experience but rather baits the appetite to yearn to see it in a stellar casting - if that is ever possible. For all of the elements of the original production are of such a ' fantastic' (meant as "incredibly great"), sublime potency that magic is inevitably possible when all drawn together. The 1961 film is a remarkable case in point - projected onto the big screen with full symphonic volume it has, still, great kick and punch - all of those elements expertly drawn together by another 'genius', the film director, Robert Wise.
This famous musical uses the Shakespeare ROMEO AND JULIET as inspiration but translates it into American contemporary terms (1950's) so that it becomes the story of two star-crossed lovers from ethnically opposed street gangs, The Jets and The Sharks. It replaces the power figures of the Prince and family with that of the police and alters the ending to only the death of Tony (Romeo) and to the heart-breaking monologue of Maria (Juliet), alive, and pleading for civilised understanding and perhaps tribal reconciliation. Wheras," ROMEO AND JULIET is conceived as a Liebestod, WEST SIDE STORY is a social document" (Norris Houghton). This is still its great power as an emotional experience in the theatre, both hauntingly Shakespearean and yet achingly, tragically, of our times, Arthur Laurent.
"WEST SIDE STORY appropriated the substance of a European classic even as it updated and Americanized it, yet changed its meaning utterly by replacing the courtly society of the original with a contemporary society rent by urban anxiety, underclass rivalry, and ethnic hatred". Arthur Laurents "wrote a drama that moved swiftly and not without humour towards its tragic end. It was muscular and unusually lean ... For Shakespeare's characters were inescapably verbal creatures while WEST SIDE STORY's teen-age toughs were hard pressed to put their feelings into words. Laurents gave them a jargon (a slanguage!) of their own, but their instinctive mode of communicating was less verbal than it was geared to the senses and above all physical." (1)
The greatest ingredient of this enterprise, for me, is the score by Leonard Bernstein. From the first great blaring, pulsing notes of the opening ballet to the orchestral exit music blasting, after the curtain call (how can one exit/lleave one's seat while this orchestra under the guidance of Musical Director and Conductor, Vanessa Scammell, plays thrillingly on, with great vigour, now, that it is just the musicians in unleashed spotlight, is beyond me? I was pinioned with awe to my seat by the sheer vivacity of the music sounds and energy of the musicians), one is grabbed and held breathlessly with excitement, anxiety and ultimately grief. The throbbing chords of the finale over the body of Tony as it is carried, jerks the tears out of one, physically, forcibly.
"Bernstein wrote a score that caught the teenagers' alienation and restlessness in a musical language of angular melodies, dissonant harmonies, and cross-rhythms. It was a language new to Broadway and he filtered it through a variety of contemporary styles - from neo-classic Stravinsky ( "A Boy Like That") to Latin ("The Dance at the Gym") to modern jazz ("Cool") - but in ways still accessible to listeners more attuned to the traditional to the sounds of show music." (1). That this score filled with music and lyrics that are part of one's own subliminal vernacular: SOMETHING'S COMING; MARIA; TONIGHT; AMERICA; I FEEL PRETTY; SOMEWHERE; GEE, OFFICER KPUPKE, always awakened when the music indicates, is testament to creativity that is truly great. The combination of music that was dance, music theatre scoring and operatic demands, reflects the ambition and achievement of this score. That Bernstein "…also knew when not to set a lyric to music - even one meant for the dramatic climax of the show where music was expected" as at the lament of Maria over the body of Tony, is further proof of Mr Bernstein's capacity. I tried to set it very bitterly, understated, swift. "I tried giving all the material to the orchestra and having her sing an obbligato throughout. I tried a version that sounded just like a Puccini aria, which we really did not need. I never got past six bars with it. I never had an experience like that. Everything sounded wrong. [And so] I made a difficult, painfully but surgically clean decision not to set it at all'." (1)
That "Bernstein further unified his score by continuing where most Broadway composers normally left off and writing his own dance music. And with five ballets and several smaller choreographed numbers in the show, there was much dance music to write."
And this is where the next genius enters: Jerome Robbins. What struck me powerfully the other night, was the physical storytelling and the huge amount of it that often substituted verbal altercation, to move the story on.
"Robbins had conceived WEST SIDE STORY in the spirit of the ballet - one with a story, dialogue, and songs - a ballet d'action. In addition, Robbins presided over the execution of WEST SIDE STORY as both choreographer of the show and its director... Robbin's double function had far-flung consequences. In hiring performers, for example, he did not cast separately for actors, a singing chorus, and a chorus of dancers, as was customary, but for dancers who could do it all: dance, sing and act. This enabled him to realize a production concept that blurred the boundaries between what was acted and what was danced so that the narrative of the show might proceed by moving freely between musical and non-musical staging. Everything was so fluidly staged and in such a constant state of stylistic motion, in fact, that there were few clearly defined moments in WEST SIDE STORY when physical action could be said to stop and danced movement to begin... 'The opening is musical: half-danced, half-mimed' the script now reads. 'It is primarily a condensation of the growing rivalry between two teen-age gangs'. Thus, before an intelligible sentence has been uttered onstage, or a phrase of music sung, dance conveyed the show's dramatic action with Robbin's choreography stylizing streetwise moves and gestures to show the rivalry develop… And so the show proceeded throughout, in ever shifting balances and combinations of theatricalizing modes: ballet, film, play, musical comedy, opera" (1) "What made Jerry's (Robbins) touch individual and so brilliant were his humour and his use of dance to express emotion. He would not choreograph dance as dance, he had to know what the dancing was about." (2).
This was revolutionary and, of course, makes this musical a taxing chore to cast every time it is re-staged. The demands for all of the performers are hugely difficult and truly demands the almost fabled "creature" of the theatre, the Triple Threat: that is, the actor, singer, dancer, with all three skills equal to the highest of standards. They are truly, in my experience as an audience, extremely RARE. Usually two of the skills, whatever the mix, but hardly ever the three.This is true of most of this company. Two skills and a laggard, sometimes too obvious, third.
So we come to the last of these great collaborators, Stephen Sondheim. Famously Sondheim is very disparaging of most of this work, in this his first Broadway musical. He began with Bernstein as co-lyricist and "immediate causes for disagreement were the lyrics Bernstein had already written". Says Sondheim "He wrote a lyric for a tune,' I Have a Love.' His lyric was - it's hard for me to do with a straight face -' Once in your life, only once in your life/Comes a flash of fire and light.' Wait for it! 'And there stands your love/ The harvest of your years.' That was his idea of poetry."(2). Bernstein's purple passages of language were an embarrassment and always a struggle to overcome.
Arthur Laurents talks of the work method of Sondheim: "Using only the outline, Lenny wrote bits of lyrics as well as sketches of music without waiting for the first scene to be written. Not Steve. I always wrote ahead and he waited because before Stephen Sondheim wrote a lyric, he had to know the characters, their diction, the situation. That known, he wrote lyrics that could be sung only by the characters they were written for at that moment - one of the many reasons he is unsurpassed as a lyricist." (3).
Today, nearly sixty years on, the lyrics of this show are part of one's vernacular and the words of most of the songs spring immediately to the tongue when the music triggers the memory. Both entwined indelibly into the psyche of any musical theatre goer. The wit and passion of the lyrics: AMERICA; GEE OFFICER KRUPKE; MARIA; SOMEWHERE unforgettable.
"The happy result of the collaboration on WEST SIDE STORY owed as much to the nature of the collaboration as to the talents it comprised We enjoyed being together: we liked each other...We admired, we challenged each other, we respected each other's opinion as well as each other's work." (3). A lesson for all aspiring creators. If you read the many and varied accounts of the creation of this work this is the general gist of the working relationships. True, there are many anecdotes of struggle and angst as well! Worth it, if this is the result.
This revival production is encased in new designs. The original scenic art by Oliver Smith has been replaced by Paul Gallis' selection of photographs of period New York, towering majestically over all, on the back cyclorama, framed by two large hinged walls of skeletal tenement walls and fire escapes, that sit on the sides or dominate across the stage to support the scenes. The lighting is dramatic and always persuasively accurate in creating the shifting moods of the narrative. The fluid movement of the story is served well by the ingenuity of the design. The costumes are contemporary and have a freshness about them that may slightly undermine the socio-economic reality of the world of the characters. Slightly too 'pop' to be believable or anchoring in real references for the world of the play- a little too scenic art for my taste.
The performances by the company are energised and fully concentrated. I felt the supporting work in the adult roles were outstanding in their small opportunities. Frank Garfield as Doc anchoring the world of the gang, Jets, remarkably, and drawing a fine line of judgement with the sentimentality of the scenes. Berynn Schwerdt in a brief cameo as Glad Hand also hits the mark with the accuracy and insight to his character. I also was impressed with the singing and acting of Julie Goodwin as Maria and the vivacious attack and energy of Alinta Chidzey as Anita. The duet, A BOY LIKE THAT/I HAVE A LOVE between Maria and Anita outstanding. The AMERICA song and dance especially memorable.
A recent feast of musicals for me. MARY POPPINS and HAIRSPAY, two shows I can and have highly recommended. However, when one meets and experiences WEST SIDE STORY one appreciates the greatness of collaborative genius and are placed in an admiring appreciation of the comparative quality of achievement. WEST SIDE STORY is over sixty years old and will never date in any of its outstanding qualities and will remain a benchmark for all who work in that genre of the theatre to aspire too.
Timeless and great.
Notes from:
1. SHOWTIME by Larry Stempel. W.W. Norton & Company, 2010.
2. STEPHEN SONDHEIM by Meryle Secrest. Alfred A. Knopf,Inc, 1998.
3. ORIGINAL STORY by Arthur Laurents. Alfred A. Knopf, 2000.
4. LEONARD BERNSTEIN by Humphrey Burton. Doubleday, 1994.
5. The theatre program notes.
Labels: Bernstein, Donald Chan, Gavin Robbins, Joey McKneely, Laurents, Peter Hals, Sondheim
Paul Dainty, Dainty Consolidated Entertainment & Joel Pearlman, Roadshow Live present HAIRSPRAY at the Princess Theatre, Melbourne.
Two quotes found in the program:
"Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind". Dr. Seuss.
"The ultimate tragedy is not the oppression and cruelty of the bad people but the silence over that by the good people". Martin Luther King Jnr.
These two men, Dr Seuss and Dr King, and their quotes encapsulate the joy and the serious intent of this absolutely fun show, HAIRSPRAY. Based on the 1988 film by John Waters in the midst of his career mainstream metamorphosis, this adaptation into a Broadway musical form: Book by Mark O'Donnell, Thomas Meehan; Music by Marc Shaiman; Lyrics by Scott Whittman, Marc Shaiman, is a zing zang, two and a half hour romp of mad cap fun with a very timeless and important moral fable to make our lives better.
At the end of this performance all the audience were singing and dancing, - the Princess Theatre stall floor boards were undulating under the expressive explosions - and I was glad to witness and can say to all the boring naysayers of contemporary theatre culture that the theatre is not dead. All ages, all sexes, all, ALL of us were wholeheartedly responding in thanks for a terrific night out in a live venue. WHEEEE!!! The theatre is not dead.
HAIRSPRAY set in a provincial American city called Baltimore tells us "that we are all special, we are all different and we should all embrace and celebrate those differences". And "Underlying Hairspray's music, dance, humour, petticoats and 60's kitsch is a cry for tolerance and a real heart".
Tracy Turnblad (Jaz Flowers) is a burgeoning teenage girl with all of the aspirations of a pop and dance besotted adorer of the local television pop music show: "WZTT's, THE CORNY COLLINS SHOW", who sees only the potential of all people and in her optimistic slipstream leads a whole city into real cultural confrontation and revolution. Motormouth Maybelle's anthem with the company ,"I Know Where I've Been", backed with images of the Civil Rights marches is wonderfully moving in the show's penultimate climax.
Ms Flowers is delightful and carries the show admirably, abetted by a strongly cast set of characters: led by Trevor Ashley (adorable), Grant Piro, Scott Irwin, Marney McQueen (wickedly winning), Jack Chambers (dazzling dancer and not too bad crooner!!), Esther Hannaford and Renee Armstrong, Cle Morgan, Tevin Campbell and the indefatigably witty Gary Scale (each Authority Figure astringently, acidly, joyously drawn). To back these are small, tight musical theatre character creations by all the company that has a dancing energy that is thrilling and infectious to watch (Choreography, Jason Coleman). The musical direction by Stephen Amos driven for thrills.
The best accolades however must be given to the Director, David Atkins who has led an inspired production team to the dizzy heights of theatre cartoon wizardry that leaves one time warped into the past and to the future, both at once. The images blazingly, garishly (positive sense), nostalgically familiar with a contemporary design technique of now and the future.
Set Design is by Eamon D'Arcy; Costumes & Wig Designer, Janet Hine; Lighting by Trudy Dalgleish.
However, it is the Digital artistry conjured by Mr Atkins from his creative team that is marvellously impressive. On several screens across the proscenium space, static and animated images, supporting and developing the many scenes of the play action are bedazzling to behold. Interaction with the images also lift the wizardy even higher. The live action interplay between Mr Ashley and Mr Piro during the "Timeless to Me" segment is kitch and winning in all of it's sentimental gesture and is simply one instance of the cleverness of the technique explored in this production (I find it amusing, that this interaction with live and animated images was made famous in the original MARY POPPINS film and is hardly explored in the Disney stage version of the musical - birds flying out of the St Paul's Cathedral FEED THE BIRDS episode, the only featured image I can recall). Whereas here, just up the street in Melbourne, it is put to great effect on the HAIRSPRAY stage, live.)
Theatre magic of the highest order and wonder. Robert Klaesi (Creative Director Digital Content); Tracey Taylor (Producer Digital Content); Frantz Kantor (Graphic Illustrator) and Digital Pulse (Motion Graphics & Digital Effects).
That this production company and director was granted permission to create HAIRSPRAY as an entirely original entity here in Melbourne, for the Australian audiences, must please the licensing parents in the USA enormously, for it is a fairly amazing and successful result. After the disaster of just such an opportunity granted to the Sydney Theatre Company's production of SPRING AWAKENING, earlier this year, it might be continued in the future of Australian productions. LEGALLY BLONDE - perhaps?
Congratulations to all for a terrifically energising experience. Worth the money, I reckoned. The show is coming to Sydney, in March I believe. Welcome Mr Ashley, Flowers, Atkins and all I say.
Tracy Turnblad forever.
Posted by Editor at 9:21 AM 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: David Atkins, Gary Scale, Jack Chambers, Jason Coleman, Jaz Flowers, John Waters, Marc Shaiman, Mark O'Donnell, Marney McQueeen, Scott Whittman, Stephen Amos, Thomas Meehan, Trevor Ashley
MALTHOUSE THEATRE presents THE TELL-TALE HEART adapted by Barrie Kosky at the Merlyn Theatre, The CUB Malthouse.
"This production of THE TELL-TALE HEART is based on Schauspielhaus Vienna's 2004 production, DAS VERRATERISCHE HERZ, which was conceived and directed by Barrie Kosky and performed by Martin Niedermair in German. This production is performed in English, and was reconceived with the original artists, premiering at The CUB Malthouse for the Melbourne International Arts Theatre 2007. It has since been performed at Edinburgh International Festival 2008 & Sydney Festival 2009" This return season at the Merlyn Theatre has been directed by Michael Kantor with all of the original artists, except for the replacement of Barrie Kosky at the piano by Michael Kieran Harvey.
This is the first time that I have seen this work.
The performance begins with the audience seated in front of a framed oblong space filled with the glow of a red curtain. The lights dim to darkness. There is an absence of sound. Then the drawing of the mechanisms of the curtains intrude, in the darkness, with the intensity of focused purpose. Silence. Extended Silence. More Tension.
Suddenly an old recording of a calypso version of the lyrics of I Could Have Danced All Night from MY FAIR LADY crashes in. A female voice singing joyously the whole of the song. A Barrie Kosky joke. A typical Kosky musical jest: :
" ... I'll never know what made it so exciting;
Why all at once my heart took flight.I only know when he
began to dance with me I could have danced,
danced, danced all night. ..."
"My heart took flight." resounds in my head. Unfortunately my heart kept on at its natural pace. My brain went on flights of fancy. I ruminated on the sophistication of Barrie Kosky. The auteur was front and centre of my consciousness. I had been apprised of the journey's unpredictability?
Silence. Darkness. Gradually, a miracle of images are sculpted with light, as it slowly dances in the stillness, around the head, face, then body of the actor Martin Niedermair, who is caught mid flight on a dizzying, vertiginous staircase, scaled in breathtaking perspective from ground to the upper height of the proscenium arch into the reaches of the theatre's fly tower.
Dressed in a contemporary grey suit jacket and trousers; blue, opened neck, long sleeved, cuffed shirt but bare-footed, Mr Neidermair, equipped with the intrusive appearance of a micro-phone resting down the side of his face, holds breathlessly our attention. At last he begins the famous story in accented English.
With halting phrasing, often breaking up the sense of the English text, to allow the demonstration of flickering nervous twitches across the pallid face and lubricious licking of lips, our story- teller takes us on an account of his obsession with an old man neighbour and his filmed eye, that provokes him to murder, dismemberment and disposal under the floor boards; and foolish showings off to an alerted constabulary. Where his own psyche gradually gives way to the beat, beat of the tell-tale heart thumping from under the floor into the night and cause his revelatory confession to the law.
Interpolated into the story are some selections of music, Bach, Purcell and Wolf , played on a piano, solo, and sometimes accompanying lyrics, sung ecstatically and mesmerizingly by Mr Neidermair.
The Set design is strikingly beautiful (Anna Tregloan) and the light-scape, with, seemingly, an infinite calibration of delicacy, is astonishing in it's mood shifting skill (Paul Jackson). Mr Neidermair shifts about this staircase to create installations of image and with each new picture arrests our attention.
Mark Fisher in the program notes tell us that the inspiration for this production came to Mr Kosky "ever since coming across Steven Berkoff''s version in the mid-1980's. Kosky felt there was room to expand it beyond Berkoff's half an hour. This is a highly concentrated hour of terror: it is 60 minutes of nail-biting tension. Some people find it terrifying, some people find it macabre; and some of it is quite funny, as horror should be."
Unfortunately this was not my experience. I was kept at arm distance from the theatrical intentions of the work. Whether it was the disjointed verbalisation of the text, or the de-humanising mechanism of the micro-phoned speech or the sometimes distracting musical interludes that did not necessarily continue to construct terror, or a sense of the macabre or even humour, I still haven't concluded. Whether it was the beautiful, disembodied precision of the piano by Mr Harvey that rendered the music lifeless and cold, I cannot tell. The usual cabaret brio of Mr Kosky at the piano accompanying his works was missing. Maybe the passionate electric energy of Kosky sweating creatively, seemingly improvisational over the keyboard was the absent element? There was an intellectual precision about this piece of art, this night. Undeniably the aesthetics were, as usual, with Mr Kosky's work admirable.
On ABC Radio National several Sunday morning's ago, I heard Humphrey Bower read this same story and the dramatic impact of the music of the writing of Poe was thrilling. It was simply the accurate reading of the text, just the language impinging on my imagination with the gathering accumulation of my undistracted focus, and together, the reader and I, the listener, experienced the full power of Edward Allen Poe's genius. The deconstruction, abstraction and invention of Mr Kosky in his version of this tale seemed not to ignite my imaginings in the same way.
I know that I may be the only nay sayer about this work, but perhaps the six years of this production's life is too long, or the absence of the originator at the keyboard undermines the intentions. Mr Fisher further quotes Mr Kosky and his belief that a work should only live as long as it gets better and stronger "like wine."
Barrie Kosky has created great theatre. His brilliant POPPEA based around the Monteverdi opera, also displaying the gifts of Martin Niedermair, which I saw in Sydney last year, was a more than an exciting afternoon in the theatre. Perhaps I just have caught this work too late in it's life? Alison Croggon's blog review was what urged me to catch it. Read her response it is quite ecstatic. Such is art. Thank goodness.
Labels: Anna Tregloan, Barrie Kosky, Malthouse, Martin Niedermair, Michael Kantor, Michael Kieran Harvey, Paul Jackson
DISNEY and CAMERON MACKINTOSH present MARY POPPINS, based on the stories of P.L.Travers and the Walt Disney Film at Her Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne.
The Mary Poppins film was made in 1964.It appeared at the cusp of my entering the bigger world of university, when I became a super sophisticate (Oh, yeah- embarrassing to recall! Forgive me, friends?)
The school holidays of my earlier life were filled with, usually, two movie going experiences: the latest Jerry Lewis film (CINDERFELLA, lives excruciatingly in my memory bank) and the Walt Disney latest: OLD YELLER and THE SLEEPING BEAUTY, two of my fondest memories. Although, any starring Hayley Mills: POLLYANNA, THE PARENT TRAP and a personal favourite THE MOON SPINNERS were also gratifyingly embraced. That Julie Andrews was in THE SOUND OF MUSIC, I saw 16 times at the Mayfair Cinema in Castlereagh Street, and the star of MARY POPPINS, was the only reason that I condescended to see, out of my burgeoning sophistication, this Disney film. I went by myself and never ever told any of my fellow students – my embarrassing secret adventure.
The mix of live action and animation was fairly novel and relatively, a marvel, I remember. I remember judging the songs by the Sherman Brothers as OK Not as good as Rogers and Hammerstein, of course. FEED THE BIRDS, the best; CHIM CHIM CHER-EE, catchy; SUPERCALIFRAGILISTICEXPIIALIDOCIOUS, fun but stupid! Julie Andrews was good, but not as good as she was as Maria in THE SOUND OF MUSIC. Dick Van Dyke just way too over the top and jolly - unbelievable.
So, going to the theatre to see the stage version was going to be a test of my pretended lack of enthusiasm for musical theatre. It cost $132.00. I was determined that I would give it a fair go. J row centre, aisle seat. Good. But it was almost the cost of a ticket to THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO down in the Melbourne Arts Centre. And that production is (was) great .A considered toss up.
This show has all the Disney efficiency (Director, Richard Eyre) and whizz-bangery (Scenic and Costume Design - the touring production, adapted from the original, Bob Crowley) that you could desire. And , true to it's roots, it is an old fashioned musical with lots of Book (Julian Fellowes), Songs and Music (Original Music and Lyrics by Robert M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman. New Songs and Additional Music and Lyrics by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe) and best of all, lots and lots of dancing (Choreography by Matthew Bourne).
The cleanliness of the mechanisms of the design and the precision of the dancing, singing and acting delivers a kind of coolness to the presentation. That the character of Mary Poppins (Verity Hunt-Ballard) in this rendition of the P.L. Travers stories leans more to the original conception of a colder and slightly intimidating figure, rather than the strict but 'twinkling' governess of Ms Andrews in the movie, also keeps one at an empathetic distance. (Ms Hunt-Ballard must long to smile - in fact, when she does at last, and I mean almost at last, it is worth the reservation, just). Although I do prefer the Julie Andrews presence of wickedness and sense of fun-(The best thing about the ill fated musical film, STAR, is Ms Andrews sense of play in the great stagings of the musical numbers).
It took me right up to the middle of the second half and the show stopping dancing of the STEP IN TIME interlude to completely surrender and go: "OK, this is good". By the end I thought, "This is well worth the money spent". I was happy and added MARY POPPINS to my pleasant memories of theatre going beside the alternative choice of the night: Opera Australia and Neil Armfield's sublime production of THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO.
I thought that Matt Lee as Bert was terrific, especially when he was dancing - he does a lot of it- marginally less terrific when he was singing and much less so when he was performing as an actor- not very charming or winning except in a kind of calculated way, too much technique, not enough truthful heart- a kind of out of body experience. Dick van Dyke, then, is a star and from memory, despite his cockney approximation, better. I know comparisons are odious but...$132.00 is $132.00.
On the night I saw it Philip Quast as Mr Banks, did not appear to be fully present and a trifle effortful in everything but his usual good singing qualities, it was a bit throw away in action. Also Marina Prior as Mrs Banks appeared to be distracted and not fully happy in her characterisation or performance.
I missed the clever and subtle work that David Tomlinson delivered in the film to Mr Banks- he had a journey of growth as the neglectful but dutiful Edwardian father that Mr Quast never seemed to fully demarcate. Mr Quast began Mr Banks flustered and became only slightly discombobulated - shirt hanging out of his trousers - before finding his 'Disney' way to warm hearted father figure. The story telling by Mr Quast appears,relatively, shallow in explication.
Similarly, I missed the political spikiness of the Edwardian suffragette that Glynis Johns enthusiased for us in the film. Ms Prior's character is a more harassed and incompetent housewife of the old fashioned image of helpless woman kind - a strand of her hair astrew to iconise her state of flusteredness - a kind of political throwback. Not entirely Ms Prior's fault as the new songs and maybe the changes in the writing may have some basis for the disappointment in the performance. I did miss the song SISTER SUFFRAGETTES, mightily.
On the other hand, the work by Sally-Anne Upton (Mrs Brill) and Christopher Rickerby (Robertson Ay), although of a 'classic' musical theatre genre, were energised and fun -they lifted the 'game' of the performance with limited 'stock' character types, with all of their limited opportunities with real imagined invention.
However, the beautiful energy and brio of Judi Connelli as Miss Andrew, the wicked bully governess, a new character to the story, was best of all. Finely drawn characteristics tumble across her face and body almost word by word. It is so detailed and accurate that Ms Connelli's Miss Andrew deserves, perhaps, a musical all of her own - like the good and bad sisters in WICKED finally were given, escaping from under Dorothy and her friends shadow in THE WIZARD OF OZ. Mr Schwartz take note. Here is musical theatre acting that sets a benchmark of commitment to her paying audience.
The children were terrific. I think they were, at my performance, Zoe Gousmett and especially pleasing, Kade Hughes.
So, a good time eventuates by the end of the show. Coolness evaporates into wonder as Mary exits magically across and over the audience. "AWESOME", some young soul gulped beside me, and at almost two and three quarter hours, good value for money, I guarantee. My secret adolescent adventure relived, but live on stage.
SUPERCALCALIFRAGILISTICEXPIALIDOCIOUS!!! CHIM CHIM CHER-EE!!!
Labels: Anthony Drewe, Cameron Mackintosh, Disney, George Stiles, Her Majesties Theatre Melbourne, Judi Connelli, Matthew Bourne, Richard Eyre, Robert B. Sherman, Robert M. Sherman
Life Without Me
Melbourne Theatre Company in association with Melbourne International Arts Festival presents LIFE WITHOUT ME by Daniel Keene in the Sumner Theatre, Melbourne.
Being a Sydney-ite I have had a relatively limited experience of Daniel Keene's work. However, the work, that I have seen, has always attracted my attention, and the reputation talked about in the program notes as 'some sort of poet of the streets' seems to be a good summary of my appreciation. With, the, generally, marginal characters that people his work, the poetry of his vison, expressed in his texts, is always subtle but beguiling. The pain and agonies of a lot of his creations achieve a dignity and focus that in a peculiar way have always had me regard them, similarly, but differently, to the experience of the peopled world of, say, Genet.
"Who are the characters in my plays? They are mostly people without privilege, who have no 'position' no power. Why do I choose to create characters like this? Because I want them to bring nothing with them, to have no biography, to create nothing to begin with. I want to create characters in my plays to live moment to moment in front of our eyes (they can do nothing else) and to reveal what is within them (They have nothing else to reveal)." – Daniel Keene in interview with Stephane Muh and Christine Bouvier.
"Over a thirty-year career, he has won most of Australia's major playwriting awards, some multiple times. Yet he has remained inexplicably marginalised, produced and commissioned by smaller companies and festivals, but, until recently, overlooked by the mainstream." It was somewhat of a surprise to discover that LIFE WITHOUT ME is the first production by the Melbourne Theatre Company, (commissioned almost three years ago) of this quintessential Melbourne writer."In Melbourne, his home town, Keene's reputation is founded on the Keene /Taylor Theatre Project, his acclaimed collaboration beginning in the nineties on a series of small-scale, often site-specific works with director Ariette Taylor and an ensemble of actors".
The Sydney Theatre Company presented Mr Keene's THE SERPENT'S TEETH, a diptych of two one act plays: CITIZENS and SOLDIERS a year or so ago in The Drama Theatre at the Sydney Opera House. This was, in my experience, a marvellous, monumental piece of Australian writing, that was the best of that year. The scope of it's vision and the achingly poignant observations of the universal condition of mankind in contemporary times, pregnant with humbling contemporary relevance.
LIFE WITHOUT ME, then, was a grave disappointment. In the program notes to the play: "... If you don't know who you are and you don't know where you're headed, you might find yourself spiralling in ever-tightening circles until you come to rest in a non-descript part of town in a crummy two-star hotel, where the service is churlish, the lift doesn't work, the toast is burnt and the pot plants set off your allergies. Yet, keep your expectations low, and, who knows? - you might be pleasantly surprised by how everything works out". I was indeed surprised but in a wearying, dispirited way.
In an impeccable design recreation of a two star hotel foyer, teetering on the edge of a fall into decrepitude (Dale Ferguson) given the momentary coming of passing time and disappearing managerial energy, seven beings find themselves in, what the program discusses and discourses endlessly about, a 'salle des pas perdus' or in blunt literal translation: a room of lost steps (the poetic implications ring resoundingly).Why they are there is just the trifling windy accident of fate, we observe in the action of the production. Why they stay or why some of them can't leave, became, over the long length of this work, less and less engaging until I felt, why don't I just get up and scream or leave? Trapped like the characters in this fairly familiar territory of existential angst, with a faintly Australian timbre, I respectfully endured.
No exit for these people and no exit for me. The program notes indicate some sources of inspiration for the writer's creation: Feydeayu (if only), Ionesco, Arrabel, Lewis Carrol, Thoreau, Erving Goffman and Satre. And the play echoes, derivatively, more or less all of the aforementioned –throw Beckett into the mix as well. I did not feel that I needed to see this play. None of my apprehensions of life or my ability to observe through my looking glass at life, were enlightened or expanded. Other than the weight of a wearied exhaustion, I left the theatre less, not more, the same being.
The comedy in the foyer of the hotel that Mr Keene talks about in the program notes, does not really materialise – hardly more than a chuckle of recognition, from most of us, I saw it on a night in the last week of performance - and "underneath (the) serious questions, moments and situations" that were happening mostly, on awkwardly designed black holes of balconies, high in the proscenium spaces, difficult to participate comfortably with, if, like me you were seated in the front section of the theatre, that declined in performance, into almost maudlin sentimentality of familiar middle-aged romantic and youthful angst.
Maybe the play had too much time to gestate, and/or maybe the dramaturgy and the acting had too much respect for the writer to see the emerging work with less than a positive critical eye. Who knows, but the creative team? Certainly the result, on my night in the theatre was a considerable disappointment. Better that the Company had staged THE SERPENT'S TEETH, taking advantage of this marvellous theatre space and stage, I reckoned, on contemplation on my walk back to my hotel.
The company of actors were patient and generous with the material and the directing aid of Peter Evans given to them. I enjoyed especially the work of Robert Menzies (Nigel), tirelessly inventive in an attempt to keep the play and production buoyant; and the clarity and directness of Benedict Hardie (Tom), it had an uncluttered freshness about it that was a respite from the generally effortful work about him. I admired Deidre Rubenstein (Alice Jarvie), valiant until drawn into the sphere of the mannered and sentimental offers of her romantic partner in writing, Brian Lipson (Roy Williams) - an unexpected experience for me, of an actor I have mostly enjoyed.
There is some talk of the growing reputation and production of Mr Keene's work in Europe, particularly France. That he is not unique in this is reflected in the European and American opportunities of other writers, say for example, Timothy Daly (Kafka's Dances), a Sydney writer, as well. The gradual development of the Austarlian writer in the international arena has been happening and in the age of the new media, let us hope, more so. Prophets sometimes require the foreign recognition to be more fully recognised in their own towns.
Labels: Benedict Hardie, Brian Lipson, Daniel Keene, Deidre Rubenstein, Melbourne International Arts frestival, Melbourne Theatre Company, Peter Evans, Robert Menzies


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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Very authentic "New Orleans" earrings with white glass round and etched cone accents, hung on STAINLESS STEEL EAR WIRES.
SEE 2ND PHOTO FOR SIZE OF "NEW ORLEANS".
The earrings (including the ear wire) MEASURE 2 1/8" LONG by 1" WIDE.
See the MATCHING "NEW ORLEANS" NECKLACE below!


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Former model home ready May 2019! 4 bed 2 bath MODEL home is now ready for sale. Open kitchen, dining and living area with room for the entire family at the huge island. Custom landscaping front and back, designer paint, extended garage and much more. This home has an Hacienda Elevation.


Very Sweet Praying Angel Statue to honor a loved one lost. Crafted from cement it is heavy enough for outside in the garden or to be placed at the cemetery.
She makes a very touching Sympathy gift as well.