Saturday, February 26, 2011

Twelve Angry Men (and one sleepy woman!) at the Asolo Rep Theater

Last week my friend Maggie came down from New Jersey for a visit and to play bridge with me in a regional tournament. Although the Sarasota-Manatee Convention Center is a fine facility, spending all of her visit playing bridge there would have been like going to San Francisco on a business trip and sitting in a conference room the whole time.  (Hmm, I seem to recall that actually happening once!)   Anyway, I wanted to show off some of the things that Southwest Florida has to offer so we decided to mix it up a bit and go see Twelve Angry Men at the Asolo Rep in Sarasota.

Most everyone has seen the 1957 movie Twelve Angry Men with its all-star cast debating the fate of a boy accused of killing his father.  The movie starts with the jury taking a poll to find out where they stand on the verdict.  Henry Fonda plays Juror No. 8, the sole juror with questions as to whether the prosecution has proven the boy's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.  Over the course of the next hour and a half, he slowly persuades the rest of the jurors (with Lee J. Cobb playing Juror No 3, the angriest of the men) that the evidence has some holes and does not warrant a guilty verdict and a death sentence for the defendant.  

Cut to the Asolo Rep's production.  The Asolo had sent an e-mail blast with a glowing review of the play from the Wall Street Journal so my expectations were high.  We settled into our seats and took a look at the program, which was packed with information.  It included an excerpt from the Handbook distributed by the Fully Informed Jury Association that reads:

"It is your responsibility to insist that your vote of not guilty be respected by all other members of the jury.  For you are not there as a fool, merely to agree with the majority, but as a qualified judge in your right to see that justice is done.  Regardless of the pressures or abuse that may be applied to you by any or all members of the jury with whom you may in good conscience disagree, you can await the reading of the verdict in the knowledge you have voted for your conscience and convictions, not those of someone else."

In addition to the jury instruction, the program included a definition of a hung jury and information about prior productions of the play and movie.  (Jack Lemmon and Richard "John Boy" Thomas have also had the distinction of playing Juror No. 8.)   We also had the chance to read an interview with  director Frank Galati (who won two Tony Awards in 1990 for his adaptation and direction of Grapes of Wrath).  Galati was coming off a recent production of Twelve Angry Men at Malz Jupiter Theater last year so he brought recent experience with the play to the Asolo.  We learned that his goal was to remain as faithful as possible to the text of the play and that half of the cast had come over from the production in Jupiter.  We were primed for the next 90 minutes to be an intense theatrical experience. 

After the build up, I experienced what was perhaps the inevitable let down of high expectations.  Both Maggie and I felt that the production was good (although neither of us liked the direction for each actor to stand when he spoke) and that the acting was professional.  Galati directed the play to get more laughs from the audience than I felt the material warranted. (Given the demographics of the audience, it was funny, though, when one juror accused the others of being a bunch of old women.)  I personally had to laugh when, after an hour of deliberation, they wanted to go back to the judge to tell him that they were a hung jury and could they please go home (or, in the case of one juror, to the ball game.)  Overall, though, I came away from the afternoon wondering why the Asolo chose Twelve Angry Men as part of its repertoire.

The world has obviously changed a lot since 1957 and the play seemed a bit innocent or naive to me.  Juror No. 8 is Perry Mason-esque as he punches holes in evidence that the public defender failed to attack during the trial.  What struck me most about the play, though, was how the personalities and prejudices of the jurors impacted the discussions.  If I had been part of the jury, I would have reacted violently against Jurors No 3 and 7 with their vitriolic remarks and small-mindedness and it would have been difficult to align myself with them regardless of what I thought.  Of course, Juror No. 8 is the voice of reason and never gets flustered when a concern that he's raised is not embraced by the group.  The play builds to a crescendo in the last few minutes when, one by one, the jurors fall into place with a not guilty verdict.  In current times, though, having seen hundreds of episodes of Law and Order and read too many novels involving trials and jury deliberations, the play just did not have the dramatic impact it would have had in the 1957 version of the movie.

I have to disclose--and this is where the "sleepy woman" bit comes in--that I had been awake since 4:30 so I didn't come to the production at my perkiest.  I struggled to stay awake at the beginning of the show so perhaps I missed a crucial moment that would have made my experience a bit different.  Overall, though, I give the production a solid "B" and look forward to seeing what the Asolo has to offer in the future.

Monday, February 21, 2011

Meet Me at Myakka River State Park

Once a month, the bikers from the Isles Yacht Club get together for a longer ride than the weekly "bike to breakfast" on Saturday mornings.  This month's ride took us to Myakka River State Park in Sarasota (the park's motto is "Where River and Prairie Meet the Sky"). The park covers 58 square miles and there is something for everyone there.  In addition to the seven miles of paved road, you can bike on 20 miles of dirt roads, hike over 39 miles of trails, go canoeing or kayaking on the River, take a tour on an air boat or tram, go birding or cast your rod and try to catch some dinner. 

Almost as soon as we started pedaling, we stopped at an overpass to look for some alligators.  Disappointingly, there were only a couple of specimens lolling in the sun.  (Later on, I came across an interactive display with questions about alligators that children--like me--could answer by hitting the "true" or "false" button.  For instance, True or False:  Alligators can go for months without eating and often do not eat all winter.  TRUE!  Alligators digest food very slowly in cold weather so they can go without food during the winter months.  Another "fun" fact that wasn't on the interactive quiz:  Alligators can run over land at a rate of 20 mph.  Don't worry, though, their stamina isn't great!)

Our next stop was the Canopy Walkway, which is suspended 25 feet above ground and extends 100 feet across the trees.  Only four people are permitted across the walkway at a time and it does sway when you walk across it.  Once you cross the walkway, you arrive at a 74' tower that you can climb to get a lovely view of the Park.  (One friend asked us what song the tower made us think of.  "Stairway to Heaven", of course!) 

From there we actually did some biking, riding to the end of the Park and back to the Birdwalk.   The ride itself was lovely, with lots of Spanish moss and trees spanning the road to create an arch for us to ride under.  (The shade was quite nice, actually, as the temps were already in the high 70s by 10:00.)    When we arrived at the Birdwalk, a park ranger offered us some homemade brownies (which was a bit strange, but I understand they were tasty!) and directed us to the telescope that he had set up to watch an osprey taking a bath.   From there it was off to lunch at the Park concession stand, where I had a lovely gator stew.  (Maybe that's why there weren't a lot of gators at the bridge where we stopped!)   The stew was surprisingly tasty and the gator tasted like, well, chicken.  We sat outside on a deck and enjoyed the view, all the while being serenaded by some guy with a guitar who wasn't too painful to listen to.  The whole concession experience was a significant notch above the food at a rest stop on the highway (especially in Florida, where your dining experience at a rest stop comes from a vending machine.)

After lunch, I walked down to the River where I saw an incredible wood ibis.   (A quick look at Wikipedia told me that the proper name for this bird now is a "wood stork".)  It was really funky looking--I was glad that I had my binoculars with me to take a closer look.    There was also a white heron wading nearby in the River.  I wasn't sure what it was at first because it had a lot more feathers than the herons do that I'm used to seeing.   I was informed that the plumage is an indication that it's mating season.  You learn something every day!

My day was then complete.  Some fresh air, some nice scenery, some exercise, some chatter with friends and a bit of education thrown in to boot--not a bad way to spend a day in late February!   I'm already looking forward to next month's bike ride, which is part of the Leukemia Cup Regatta being hosted by the Isles Yacht Club.  We'll be participating in a Mystery Bike Ride in the morning (what that means is part of the mystery) and then a pedal through town with the City Manager sharing some info about the history of Punta Gorda.   Join us if you're in the area!

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Black Creativity: Arts Alliance's Homage to Black History Month

When I read in Florida Weekly that the Arts Alliance in Fort Myers was hosting an exhibit in honor of Black History Month, I decided to check it out.   At the entrance to the exhibit, I read that Black History Month celebrates the "African diaspora."  I will admit to having to look up the meaning of the word "diaspora," which Wikipedia defines as the "mass migration away from an ancestral homeland, resulting in ex-patriate communities."    Knowing the meaning of this word does in fact set the context for the exhibit, which showed a variety of perspectives on the lives of African-Americans. 

Ringgold Hate is a Sin
Ringgold Aunt Emmy
 When I went to the Women Call for Peace exhibit last fall at the Center for the Arts in Bonita Springs, I was introduced to the art of Faith Ringgold, and it was Ringgold's presence in this exhibit that brought me to the Arts Alliance.  Ringgold's art is both political and beautiful.   Ringgold is best known for her story quilts but the paintings included in this exhibit also tell stories, using language to literally frame the picture.  Her Hate Is a Sin made me extremely uncomfortable with its use of the infamous "N" word, as she tells the viewers that she was called this word for the first time when she was at a rally at the Whitney Museum of Art in NY protesting the failure to display the works of black artists.   I particularly liked her Aunt Emmy,  whose "frame" says "One day Barn Door was in the fields choppin cotton when he heard Aunt Emmy's voice from deep in the earth.  'Barn Door the time has come to walk to freedom.  Wait till night then go and don't leave nobody behind.  Keep a comin to Jones Road.  Look for an old white farm house with a star quilt on the roof.  We be waiting for you.  God be on your side.  You as good as free.'  "   For some interesting background on this work, go to http://www.scrippscollege.edu/williamson-gallery/faith-ringgold-collection.php

Frazier's The Sit In
Frank Frazier is another artist whose work was included in this exhibit.   Like Ringgold, Frazier uses his art to make a political statement.  It is striking in its simplicity and in the fact that he uses shoe polish as part of his medium.  Perhaps this is a reference to white actors doing "black face"? 

Dorsey The Family Home
Close up from The Family Home

The other artists' works in the exhibit related to non-political aspects of the lives of African-Americans.  I loved the mixed media work of Najee Dorsey, who was also the curator of the exhibit.  His large painting The Family Home is rich in its textures and references to the past.  If you look carefully, you see that he uses actual black and white photographs in the picture frames. I would love to know the history of the people in the photos and how they fit into the work.  I also loved the African mask sitting on a pedestal in the room, both as a cultural reference and because I just love African masks.  (We have our own small collection which I started with the purchase of two hand painted wooden daggers on our honeymoon--but I digress!)   And of course the prominent place of the piano in the work reminds us of the centrality of music in many families' lives.    When reading Dorsey's bio, I learned that he started selling paintings to his mother when he was five years old to buy candy at the local store.  I just love that little tidbit.  What a great parent to instill in her child a sense that what he is doing has value while also teaching him the importance of working for what you want.  

Ellis' Time for Worship
Ted Ellis' Sunday Services and Time for Worship remind viewers of the importance of church in the lives of many African-Americans.  I particularly liked the sense of the church as a gathering place--the creation of a community--in Time for Worship.

I spoke with a woman who was working at the Arts Alliance to find out a bit about the genesis of the exhibit.   The works were all for sale but they did not appear to be created by artists who live in the area.  This led me to wonder if the exhibit was travelling, like Women Call for Peace was. Apparently, somebody in the Fort Myers arts community is friends with Dorsey, who put the exhibit together just for the Arts Alliance.   Pretty amazing given the size of the community, even during "high" season.   The quality of the arts in Southwest Florida continues to be a wonderful surprise to me, and is one of the many reasons I'm so happy with our move here.

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Bridge of Sighs by Richard Russo

I like nothing more than a book whose words grab me on the first page and don't let go.  Richard Russo's Bridge of Sighs is just such a book.  The protagonist in our story is Louis Charles Lynch (sadly nicknamed "Lucy" in kindergarten when the teacher called out "Lou C. Lynch?" in roll call on the first day).  I will call him "Lou" here, though, since that is the name that he preferred.  In our introduction to Lou, he tells us that he and his wife have lived their entire lives in the town of Thomastown, New York.  Lou understands that many people find his contentment with living in one place quaint and, perhaps, a bit pitiful.  He notes, though, that, "I remind such people that until fairly recently the vast majority of humans have been circumscribed in precisely this manner and that lives can also be constrained by a great many other things:  want, illness, ignorance, loneliness and lack of faith, to name just a few."   Well said!

The story flows seamlessly back and forth between the present and the past, with Ikey Lubin's neighborhood market (owned first by Lou's father and now by Lou) playing a central part in the tale.  Given Lou's world view, it is not surprising to learn that the same people who were important to Lou in his youth play a large role in his adult life and that family is always of the utmost importance.  We meet Sarah, Lou's wife, and Bobby Marconi, Lou's best friend from childhood.  We meet Lou's parents, Tessa and Big Lou, and his Uncle Dec.  We meet Sarah's parents:  her father a pot smoking high school English honors teacher who makes his students think and her mother a discontented artist who lives on her good looks.  We meet Bobby's parents as well:  his father an abusive government employee and his mother a cowering woman who repeatedly tries--and fails--to run away from her life.

Lou's reminiscences about growing up evoked memories of my own teenage years.  At one point he talks about Friday night dances at the junior high, saying, "We shared, all of us, a powerful sense that what was at stake...was nothing less than the rest of our lives, that our every move in that gymnasium had an unimaginable significance, that we were being watched, judged, elected or damned."   It reminded me of the first dance I went to at St. John's Catholic School with my friend Karen Koehnemann.  I remember exactly what I wore (too humiliating to write about here!) and how Karen and I told our parents that we wanted to arrive "fashionably late".   It seemed so important at the time, and dancing with your favorite boy to the last song of the evening (usually "Angie" by the Rolling Stones since it was both cool and long)--or sitting sadly in a chair on the side of the room--could make or break your whole life.  

As the book progressed, I had no idea where the story was going, and I was content to let it wind its way along.  I enjoyed getting a deeper understanding of the characters, watching Lou, Sarah and Bobby grow from the children they were to the adults they became.   The story veered off in an unexpected way in the last hundred pages or so, but Russo managed to wrap it all up in a nice package with a bow on top by the end. 

I have to admit that I do not understand the title of this book.    (This is one time I would have liked to have a Kindle so that I could go back to find each time the Bridge of Sighs was referenced in the book.    Maybe then I'd have a clue!)   The Bridge of Sighs connected the old prisons in Venice to Doges Palace.  Convicts caught their last glimpse of Venice--and freedom--as they passed from one world to another.  Perhaps it's a reference to the tug that people (other than Lou) feel to let go of what they know and move on to another world.   Perhaps it's a reference to the ties between your past and your present.  Or perhaps I'm just giving this way too much thought!  In any event, Russo is a wonderful writer, filling his pages with interesting characters and a story that keeps you engaged.  A definite book to add to your "to read" list. 

Sunday, February 13, 2011

Hello, Dali!

Salvador Dali is synonymous with the world of surrealism.  Everyone who's taken a 20th century art history class is familiar with Dali's The Persistence of Memory with its wilting clocks.  I visited the Dali Museum in St. Petersburg this week (http://thedali.org/) and learned that Dali's surrealistic art is only one part of a long and varied career.

The museum more or less displays Dali's works in the order in which they were created.   Typically when you view an artist's early work, you get a glimmer of what's to come.  Not so with Dali.  You can't imagine how surprised I was to see his early impressionistic works, which could have been painted by Monet.  In fact, in most of his works prior to his surrealistic stage, you can readily see the influence of other artists.  In his cubist-like Portrait of My Sister (1923), Picasso's influence is apparent.   His Study of a Nude (1925) is reminiscent of Renoir with its fleshy rose colored woman's back.  And his 1928 painting The Ram  nearly cries out "Matisse" with its cut-out style.  I actually had a hard time reconciling my vision of Dali's work with his actual paintings in front of me. One interesting note relating to this time in Dali's life:  In the early '20s, he was expelled from art school because he refused to be examined by the baccalaureate committee on the basis that he knew more about Raphael (presumably the subject of the examination) than the committee did.  Obviously, Dali's flair for the dramatic was in place at an early age. 

In 1929 Dali read Freud's Interpretation of a Dream and thereafter embraced the idea of surrealism (which is defined, more or less, as a 20th century cultural movement involving unexpected juxtapositions, often of a dreamlike nature). Dali's Average Bureaucrat (1930) was just one of his many surrealistic works on display at the Museum.  A bit disappointingly, The Persistence of Memory was not included in the collection (although his post-surrealism period The Disintegration of the Persistence of Memory (1952-54) was on display)--you have to go to MOMA in New York to see that work.  In 1934, Dali was expelled from the "official" group of surrealistic artists of the period (which included Max Ernst, Rene Magritte and Yves Tanguy) for refusing to embrace their leftist politics.   Dali refused to accept this expulsion, declaring that, "I myself am surrealism."   It's a bit hard to argue with this statement when you learn about some of the bizarre things that Dali did.  Here's one example. In 1936, he appeared at the London International Surrealist Exhibition to give a talk wearing a deep sea diving suit and helmet.  He had arrived carrying a billiard cue and leading a pair of Russian wolfhounds (just in case the diving ensemble wasn't sufficiently jarring), and had to have the helmet unscrewed as he gasped for breath. He commented that he was just trying to show that he was "plunging deeply into the human mind."   OK, then.

Dali's work kept evolving throughout his life, and many of his later works also reminded me of other artists.  His Portrait of My Dead Brother (1963) is evocative of Andy Warhol's work.   And his 1971 series of lithographs entitled "Les Diners de Gala" included works that called to mind the art of Arcimboldo (a Renaissance painter who was the subject of one of my earlier posts).  One of Dali's last works was a hologram of Alice Cooper--it didn't immediately call to mind the work of any other artist, but it certainly was surreal to see a case with the figure of Alice Cooper whirling about! 
                      
A bonus special exhibition contained 10-15 Philip Halsman photos of Dali taken in the 1940s and '50s.   Many of these photos were actually an early form of performance art and are very sophisticated to have been taken in an era long before Photo Shop had been conceived.  One of my favorites is this Mr. Potato Head-like "picture" of Dali (when in doubt, look for the moustache!)   

As you can tell, my outing to the Dali Museum was loads of fun.  Seeing the scope of Dali's work is truly stunning.  Not only is the art itself varied, the medium is as well.  He used oil, pastels, ink and gouche, all to great advantage.  And I haven't even touched upon his film work, which you also get a peek at at the Museum!  Part of the fun of my outing came in going with my friend Louise, who I've known since high school.  As we walked through the galleries, we commented on how lucky we were to be able to see these incredible paintings.  We talked about Mrs. McKelvin, our high school humanities teacher, who, introduced us to great art.  To my recollection, Mrs. McKelvin had never had the chance to view the paintings in person that she taught about in her class with such passion. To get to spend an afternoon with Dali's works was a real treat, and a reminder that we should never take the opportunities that we have for granted.

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Mission Accomplished: The International Spy Museum - Spies in Action

My visit to the International Spy Museum was not only lots of fun, it was also a bit of a history lesson.  In addition to the exhibits mentioned in my earlier posts, there were a number of films that you could watch covering subjects like Aldridge Ames, the CIA analyst who was convicted in 1994 of spying for the Soviets, and Albert Einstein's involvement in the creation of the Manhattan Project.  I wish I'd had more time to take it all in, although after three hours at the museum, I had so much information floating around in my head that I couldn't process it all.    Here are a couple of other tidbits that I found particularly interesting:

--In 1777, George Washington hired Nathan Sackett to search out British sympathizers.  Sackett was paid a whopping $50 a month for his services plus an additional $500 to set up his spy network.  The museum has the original letter from Washington to Sackett requesting his services on display.

Iva Toguri D'Aquino Mug Shot
--"Tokyo Rose" was not a person but a generic name given to female English-speaking broadcasters during WWII who were used to broadcast propaganda to Allied Forces over the air waves.  Iva Toguri D'Aquino is the individual most often identified as "Tokyo Rose" as she was found guilty of treason and imprisoned for her broadcasts of propaganda from Japan, where she was stranded during WWII.  Iva maintained her innocence throughout her imprisonment and beyond, saying that she was compelled to make the broadcasts and that she did what she could to make them sound ridiculous.  She was pardoned by President Gerald Ford in 1977.

--Elizabeth Van Lew, Union spy extraordinaire, is another female operative whose story caught my attention.  (A portion of the museum is dedicated to the "Sisterhood of Spies" and was quite fascinating.)  During the Civil War, Van Lew operated a spy ring out of Richmond, Virginia, passing information concerning Confederate troop levels and movements to Union commanders.   She often passed this information using hollowed out eggs.  (Wouldn't Martha Stewart be proud of this unusual use of a household item???)    

--Academy Award winning director John Ford put his film making skills to use during WWII creating both documentaries of the war and training films.  Two of his Academy Awards were actually for films created during this period: one for the documentary The Battle of Midway (1942) and another for the propaganda film December 7 (1943).

As I headed towards the exit of the museum, I was tested once again as to my cover and asked some security questions to determine if I would be permitted to leave. By this time, my brain was on overload but I was able to answer the questions in a satisfactory manner and leave the premises with the microdot safely hidden away.  Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to take your own tour of the International Spy Museum.  Trust me, you'll be glad that you did.

Sunday, February 6, 2011

Mission Accomplished: International Spy Museum - Tools of the Trade

CIA Issued Lock Pick Set
My morning at the International Spy Museum was going swimmingly.  My cover as Greta Schmidt was intact and the excitement was pulsing through me as I headed into the part of the museum dealing with Tricks of the Trade.  The picture of Maxwell Smart with his infamous shoe phone made me smile--I knew I was in for a good time!   This exhibit detailed not only what the items in the case were but which spy agencies had employed them.  Despite an admonition not to take pictures, I did click a few (with my embarrassingly clumsy camera--the contrast between it and the buttonhole cameras in the exhibit couldn't have been more striking) but my reflection in the pictures shows once again how far I have to go to become an expert spy.   I found the lock pick kit that the CIA had issued in the 1970s particularly fascinating since people in the movies and on TV are always pulling out their handy kits to break into their target's homes.  (At least this happens with great frequency in what I'm watching!)   I was a bit less thrilled to consider the CIA's rectal tool kit that was issued in the 1960s (ouch!)  There was a 1949 German-issued wristwatch camera, a 1978 KGB issued Bulgarian umbrella with a gun and a Stasi cigarette case with a secret camera.

There are many means by which spies can obtain information, including wire taps of all types.  I learned at the museum about the Berlin Tunnel, a joint operation in the 1950s between the CIA and Britain's Secret Intelligence Service.  The idea was to build a tunnel between East and West Germany that would provide access for the Allies to tap into Soviet underground phone cables.  Unfortunately, MI6 agent George Blake, one of the members of the British task force concerning the mission, was a mole working for the Russians and he immediately told the KGB about the plan.  Rather than let Blake's identity be burned, the KGB kept this information to itself and let construction of the Tunnel go forward.  The CIA and British Intelligence tapped into Soviet phone lines for two years before the KGB "inadvertently" found out about the existence of the Tunnel and caused it to be dismantled. 

Communication of the information that a spy obtains is obviously an important part of the game.  The museum has a section dedicated to codes and ciphers that was fascinating.  A code replaces words with substitute words or phrases wherein a cipher replaces letters with other letters or elements.  So for a spy to communicate that "The General is airborne" in code, you might hear "The crow is flying" while in a cipher it might be "zbys...."   Short wave radios (referred to as "pianos") were an important way to communicate information through code.  One of the world's most famous codes was developed by the Navajo Indian Code Talkers during WWII.   The idea to use Navajos as code talkers came from Philip Johnston, the son of a missionary who spoke fluent Navajo.  Realizing how impenetrable the Navajo language was, Johnston came up with the idea of using an encoded version of Navajo as a means of communicating crucial war time information.  In 1942, 29 Navajos were recruited by the Marines and developed a code book of words and phrases.  Their code was never cracked by the Japanese and the Navajo Code Talkers are given a large amount of credit for the capture of Iwo Jima by the Marines.  

Cipher Disk
While coded communications can be sent orally, information in cipher is sent in written form.   (Historically, carrier pigeons were used to deliver messages.  I learned at the museum that these pigeons were often called upon for double duty, carrying cameras as well to provide overhead surveillance of the ground they covered).  The methods of determining how to unlock these codes are varied and include use of a cipher disk.  Leon Batista Alberti is credited with constructing the first cipher disk, which consisted of two concentric circular plates mounted one on top of the other. The larger plate is called the "stationary" and the smaller one the "moveable" since the smaller one could move on top of the "stationary."   To interpret a simple cipher where one letter was substituted for another, the sender and the person receiving the messages would agree on a cipher key setting (e.g., the "G" in the regular alphabet would be positioned next to the "Q" in the cipher alphabet). The entire message would then be encoded according to this key and decoded accordingly.  One example of a cipher being broken with dire consequences for the sender can be found in Mary Queen of Scots.  Mary was jealous of her cousin, Queen Elizabeth, and corresponded with Anthony Babington concerning a plot to assassinate her rival.  The correspondence was intercepted by Elizabeth's spies and cracked by Sir Francis Walsingham, her primary code breaker.  Both Mary and Babington were later found guilty of treason and hanged.

One last bit of spy craft deserves a word here--the role of the disguise.  The CIA (and, presumably, comparable agencies worldwide) has a Chief of Disguises in its employ.  Antonio Mendez was the Chief of Disguise in the 1970s and is credited with getting six American diplomats out of Iran during the hostage crisis by creating disguises for them as a Canadian film crew.  (As an aside, Mendez is married to Jonna Mendez, another former employee of the CIA in the disguise department.  I bet they're never at a loss for a Halloween costume!)   The museum explained the use of "spirit gum" to adhere components of a disguise such as a moustache or a bald pate.  This portion of the museum contained an interactive opportunity to identify a "spy" after donning her or her disguise.  Once again, my skills of observation were lacking--I was one for two, definitely not good enough for the world of espionage! 

Next stop:  Some tidbits about real life spies. 

Saturday, February 5, 2011

Mission Accomplished: The International Spy Museum - The Experience

I've been dying to check out the International Spy Museum (http://www.spymuseum.org/) in Washington, D.C. ever since I heard that it had opened.   I do get to D.C. somewhat frequently to visit my law school friends but, inexplicably, the spy museum isn't high on their list of things to do.   Maybe the fact that there's an $18 admission charge while the Smithsonians and almost all other museums in the city are free has something to do with it.  In any event, when I found myself in D.C. this week with some time on my hands, I had to check it out.

From the moment that I purchased my ticket, I was thrilled.  The first thing they ask is whether you want a regular admission or to go on a covert operation.   What, I asked, is the covert operation?  It's a special one hour tour where you are charged with finding a nuclear trigger and saving the world.  Having watched many episodes of MI-5 recently, I could barely resist, but I decided to stick with the regular tour for my first visit since time was a bit limited.    I then walked through the door to the museum and got another rush.  A guard told me and the other visitors that we had 4 minutes to choose our covers for our visit and intoned that we would be tested.  The stress!   There were 15-20 different cover identities and backgrounds to choose from and I went with Greta Schmidt, 33, astronomer from Bornstedt, Germany who was on business in London for 4 days.    A clock counted down the seconds until it was time for us to move to the briefing room where we watched a short video about the history of spies.  What causes people to choose such a difficult profession?    Greed?  Ego?  Vulnerability to blackmail?  Patriotism?    I was about to learn more about what caused individual spies to pursue their craft and the techniques they employed.

I then moved into the museum proper, which does an incredible job with interactive stations letting its visitors test their own spy capabilities.  The first stop was a test as to whether I remembered the details of the cover I'd chosen.  Whew--I passed and was then given the details of my mission at the Royal Astronomical Society.  Next up was an exhibit called "Observe and Analyze."   There were categories like "signals" and "dead drops" and you were asked to look at a photo and see if you could choose four of each.   You then had the opportunity to press a button to see if you were right.  Notwithstanding all the thriller and espionage books I've read in my lifetime, I was woefully bad at this and skulked away when I didn't recognize that the chalk mark on the mailbox was a sign for a meet.   Other interactive exhibits included a listening post (the museum itself was bugged and you could listen in on others as they went through), a suspicious activities post where you watched a screen and made a choice about what you were seeing (you compete against other visitors in a Jeopardy-like manner), overhead surveillance where you honed in to try and find things like training camps and caves and a duct that you could crawl through that registered red if you made too much noise.   I couldn't resist a single activity and found that "Greta" had an uphill battle if she was going to accomplish her mission. 

Next stop at the Museum:  spy craft in practice.

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Gulf Coast Symphony: The Great Gershwin

In case it hasn't become apparent, I am in sampling mode as I settle into our new home in Southwest Florida.   The motto of the Gulf Coast Symphony--which is comprised of volunteer musicians--is "We Play the Music You Want to Hear" and the Gershwin evening filled the bill.

The music director and conductor of the Symphony is Andrew M. Kurtz (who received his doctorate at  Peabody Conservatory, which is where Scott is studying the trumpet).  Kurtz formed the Symphony 16 years ago to add to the cultural enrichment of Lee County.  The Symphony performs a range of concerts over each season (some classical, some pops) in a variety of venues, including two free Symphony at Sunset pops concerts.    Kurtz is also the General and Artistic Director of the Center City Opera Theater in Philadelphia.  I am learning that, like representatives in state government, the conductors of local orchestras seem to have multiple jobs--Maestro Wada of the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra likewise is conductor of an orchestra in Massachusetts.

The opening number in the concert was Cuban Overture, a piece composed by Gershwin after a trip to Cuba.  The music was very evocative of the Caribbean and was just one example throughout the evening of the way that Gershwin drew from a variety of cultural influences when composing.  The composition required lots of percussion, with my favorite being the wood block.  (If I came back in another life as a musician, I would want to be a percussionist--what fun they must have running from one instrument to the next creating these wonderful sounds!)    It was a composition that most of the audience had not heard before and it was an upbeat way to get into the evening.

The high point of the concert was the performance of Rhapsody in Blue, which premiered in New York in 1924.  Guest pianist David Pasbrig (another Peabody guy) was really terrific and the orchestra supported him wonderfully.

No Gershwin concert would be complete without some of the favorite show tunes being performed.  I have to say that the choice of guest vocalist, Jason Switzer, was one of the disaapointments of the evening.  Switzer is a baritone who has previously performed with the Gulf Coast Symphony (and Kurtz' Central City Opera) and, while he has a beautiful, classically trained voice, I didn't think he was the right choice for Gershwin show tunes like They Can't Take That Away From Me.   Maybe I've spent too much time listening to Ella and Sarah Vaughn sing these numbers to find anyone else particularly satisfying, but Switzer just didn't swing.  His voice was much better suited to the excerpt he did from Porgy and Bess, Gershwin's famous folk opera.  (I can't ever hear a song from Porgy and Bess without remembering the time that Jay more or less forced Scott to watch the PBS telecast of the Lincoln Center performance of the show.   I recall coming into the room and watching the actor who was playing "Porgy" walking around the stage on his knees.  Never having seen the show, this struck me as ludicrous and I fled the room, feeling thankful that I didn't have to stay and watch.  Just a small confession from this music neophyte!) 

Overall, it was an enjoyable evening and a nice introduction to the Gulf Coast Symphony.  While you would never mistake them for the BSO, I applaud this group of amateur musicians for doing something they love and bringing music into the lives of their community.  It would be fun to go to one of the Symphony's outdoor pops concerts--a picnic, some stars, some nice music--it's hard to imagine a nicer way to spend an evening.   Yet one more thing to add to my ever-growing "to do" list!

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