Archive: Arts & Entertainment

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Two years ago, at the Kitchen Theatre, Eric Gilde played an American soldier on his way to WWII, in Last Train to Nibroc. Now he is playing a Canadian soldier who leaves the prairies to join a cavalry regiment in the Great War.

Mary's Wedding, by Stephen Massicotte, shifts back and forth in time as Charlie (Gilde) and Mary (Ellen Adair) meet, fall in love, and undergo the water-filled trenches and poison gas of the First World War. At first, the play's jumps in time and poetic dialogue are slightly off-putting, but ultimately they make this romance into something larger. The spare staging and interlocking images of Mary's Wedding show a war of the imagination, both more and less awful than the gritty realism of war movies.

Alice in Wonderland is a family-friendly story that follows a little girl named Alice as she leaves the outfield of her baseball game and follows a White Rabbit through his hole into a magical world of adventure. As Alice's curiosity brings her deeper and deeper into this wonderland, homesickness sets in and she must begin to find her way back to the Baseball Diamond from the land of the Queen of Hearts.

Although Alice faces much adversity, she begins to develop a better understanding of herself, while also learning about growing up, the importance of manners and the beauty of imagination.

SMART TALK
by Dr. Weiss N. Heimer  


MAY I ASK A QUESTION? Some of us at the Institute for the Linguistically Impaired have fantasies of publicly embarrassing Prof. Pompous Fatuous Failem, chairman of the Tautology Dept. down at Bedspring Tech, in Los Libidos, Texas.  At one of his news conferences, I want to say, "May I ask two questions?"  After Prof. Failem says yes, I'll reply, "Thank you.  And my second question is, how can you defend a redundancy like prerequisites?"  His confused reaction might be fun to watch.

I just love it when a new patient here at the institute raises a hand and oh-so-earnestly says, "May I ask a question?"

With a warm smile, I reply, "You just did.  Welcome to the Institute for the Linguistically Impaired."

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The Hangar Theatre hits one out of the park with the opening of its first show of the season, Richard Dresser’s baseball comedy Rounding Third.  Performances begin on June 2, 2011.

In the tradition of The Odd Couple, Rounding Third is a smart comedy that hits the laughs out of the park as the coaching styles of two fathers collide on the Little League field.   Don is baseball obsessed; Michael is new to coaching with limited sporting experience.

SMART TALK
by Dr. Dot Pilcrow



ANXIOUS/EAGER: I called Dr. Lawrence Blithermore the other day.  We were to set up a joint project using his students to gather field data on language impairments in EFL (English as a First Language) speakers.  I called to say I had another errand in Los Libidos, so I'd meet him in his office on the Bedspring Tech campus.

"I'm anxious to see you," he said.  Oh dear, I thought.  Why am I causing him anxiety?

Then I realized that Larry didn't mean to use a negative word; he meant eager.  Well, at least his students wouldn't have to search far for impaired language.

At the Institute for the Linguistically Impaired, we've noticed that many, if not most, people say they're anxious about seeing each other  I wonder why.  Is this a sign of the times?

Folks seem eager to post personal information on Facebook.  That makes me anxious for them.

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SMART TALK
by Dr. Thorn Schwa



PREREQUISITE: This precious bit of academese is so well entrenched that Bedspring Tech in Los Libidos, Texas, would fight for it to the death. 

"But we've always done it this way!" is a frequently used argument in educational, religious, and other circles where ossified thinking can lead to defense of long-dead turf.  Remember when the science establishment hooted Velikovsky?  Now we accept his theory that falling asteroids caused massive die-offs on this planet.  Surely we can update our thinking regarding a single word.

The Institute for the Linguistically Impaired urges the use of requisite.  Prerequisite is as redundant as copartner and safe haven.

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This month's forgotten classic is the self-titled debut album "Armageddon." To say this is a "forgotten" release is a misnomer as it is, and has long been, regarded as a masterpiece. In fact, it was hailed as a masterpiece when released (even by critics), it is considered timeless and often deemed to be a view into the future of rock music (which, in many ways, it indeed was). Because the band largely refused to tour (mainly, being fed up with that lifestyle and only having played two live shows), the album never achieved popular acclaim.

Founded in later part of ‘74 Armageddon was Britain's answer to heavy rock and the rise of the so-called stadium rock bands in America (i.e., Led Zeppelin, Humble Pie, Bad Company, etc.). This band may have been only a footnote in music history had not Peter Frampton recommended the band to his management as well as A&M records, which issued this one and only release. A jam session at the Charlie Chaplin studio was seen and heard by Dee Anthony, manager for Emerson, Lake & Palmer, J. Geils & the J. Geils Band, and Peter Frampton. Armageddon was shortly thereafter signed with Anthony as manager and A&M as their label. It literally happened almost overnight.

The Second Annual East Shore Festival Of The Arts (ESFOTA) opening was a success last Friday evening.  The opening attracted over 400 people spanning the Lansing Town Hall, Lansing Community Library, and the Field School House.  The exhibit will continue to be displayed through July 18.

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