Meeting Itzhak

Mr. Perlman and me! 

A few weeks back, a friend invited me to go to Sarasota to hear Itzhak Perlman perform.  Needless to say, I said yes!  I had no idea what type of concert it would be or what was on the program.  It turns out that Mr. Perlman was performing with some of the Perlman Music Program alumni at a concert celebrating the 65th anniversary of Israel.  It was a great evening of music, and as a huge bonus I had the chance to meet him at a reception after the show.  (He is a man of very few words, although I did get an eye roll when I commented that he'd probably posed for a few pictures in his time.)   I also had the chance to talk with some of the alumni musicians at the reception, which was really fun.  While they were composed and professional onstage (not to mention incredibly talented), when I talked to them afterwards, I was struck by the fact that they were just kids wearing worn-out loafers who were excited to eat some free desserts.

The experience turned into an article for Florida Weekly that ran on November 21st.   The PMP Program is so interesting (and the opportunity to see incredible music for free is so exciting) that I wanted to share it here as well.   For information about the PMP/Suncoast program and this year's performances, click here.

The Perlman Music Program Celebrates Ten Years in Sarasota

By Nanette Crist

Itzhak Perlman is a legend in the world of classical music.   Since his debut at Carnegie Hall in 1963 (at the  tender  age of 18), Mr. Perlman has delighted and amazed audiences with his virtuoso violin performances.  Without a doubt, if you have the opportunity to hear Mr. Perlman perform live, it is an experience you will not forget. 

Courtesy Photo - Itzhak and Toby Perlmam

Mr. Perlman is, however, about more than just creating his own beautiful music.   In 1994, Mr. Perlman’s wife Toby established The Perlman Music Program.  Mr. Perlman is, of course, integrally involved with the program, the mission of which is to “develop the future leaders of classical music within a nurturing and supportive community.”   Each year, approximately 40 promising young string musicians from around the world spend their summer vacations on Shelter Island in New York honing their craft with Mr. Perlman and PMP’s accomplished faculty.   The students, ages 12 – 18, are referred to as “the littles,” although their talent is anything but. 

Courtesy Photo -- Mr. Perlman conducting PMP students

PMP/Suncoast Winter Residency Program

Ten years ago, The Perlman Music Program added a two week “winter residency” in Sarasota.   The residency gives the students an opportunity to continue their work together before a full year has passed.   (Spending some time in sunny Florida is merely a happy by-product of the residency.) 

During the two week program, the students take master classes and give recitals, all of which are open to the public free of charge.   The public is also invited to attend—again, at no cost-- orchestra and chorus rehearsals for the Celebration Concert that is the culmination of the residency.   Over the course of the two weeks, classical music lovers have the chance to watch –and listen to – what happens behind the scenes leading up to a major performance.    Many of the events are followed by a Q&A session with the audience.  The orchestra rehearsals might be of particular interest, as Mr. Perlman serves as the conductor and wears a microphone during the sessions.   This affords the audience a rare chance to hear this music icon provide his guidance to the young musicians.   In addition, Mr. and Mrs. Perlman join the students and faculty in the chorus rehearsals and performance. 

This year PMP/Suncoast is layering on a new component to its program:  The PMP/Suncoast Super Strings Initiative.  After an audition process, 27 young violinists (ages 8 to 18) from Sarasota and Manatee Counties have been invited to participate in the winter residency.  These students will join the PMP String Orchestra, under the direction of Mr. Perlman, in a rehearsal of a Vivaldi violin concerto on January 2nd. 

Elizabeth Power, Executive Director of PMP/Suncoast, says, “We’re thrilled to offer young area violinists a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to perform under the baton of this renowned concert violinist and conductor.”  She went on to say, “But it’s also very significant that they will have the chance to perform with other gifted young musicians from around the world – in front of an audience under the performance tent on the campus of USF Sarasota-Manatee.”   

Courtesy Photo -- Ariel Quartet

Emerging Artists Performance Series

The Emerging Artist Performance Series is an additional element of The PMP/Suncoast Program.  The focus of this series is community outreach.  This year the series features four PMP-trained musicians who call themselves the Ariel Quartet.   Over the course of the 2013-2014 season, the Ariel Quartet will spend three weeks in Sarasota visiting local schools and performing affordable concerts for Southwest Florida music lovers.  The Quartet’s repertoire is The Beethoven Cycle:  Complete String Quartets.    The first two quartets were performed in October; the balance will be performed in February and May.   

PMP Alumni Chamber Music Concert

In addition to the program with the “littles”, PMP conducts a two week intensive chamber music workshop each summer.  Participants in this program are a bit older – college-aged students and young music professionals.  Recently, Mr. Perlman and PMP chamber music alumni performed a concert at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall in honor of the 65^th anniversary of the founding of Israel.   The caliber of the musicians was exceptional, and the concert offered a preview of sorts of what one might hear if you attend the winter residency’s Celebration Concert or a concert in the 

Emerging Artists Performance Series.

The evening began with Mozart’s Viola Quintet No. 3 in C major, K. 515.   The work was composed for two violins (played by Mr. Perlman and Arnaud Sussman), two violas (played by Andrew Gonzalez and Leah Ferguson), and a cello (played by Michael Katz).   The sold-out house quieted immediately when the musicians filed onto the stage, with Mr. Perlman in the rear on his scooter. 

Without any further ado, the music began, and it was glorious.  But if you listened without watching the performance, you missed half the show.  The joy that these young musicians brought to the stage was palpable.   As they played, their bodies (and Ms. Ferguson’s ponytail) swayed to the music.   Mr. Perlman truly shared the stage with this ensemble, each of whom had the opportunity to display his or her skill to its fullest.  The audience’s enthusiasm could not be contained, and people applauded without compunction after the close of each movement. 

The Four Seasons by Astor Piazzolla, as arranged by Desyatnikov, was the next piece in the program.   This work—inspired by the Argentine tango--was light years from what you would expect to hear at a chamber music concert.   Piazzolla was known as the inventor of the “nuevo tango,” essentially a jazzed up version of the tango with classical music forms.   The Four Seasons was performed by Mr. Sussmann on violin, Mr. Katz on cello, and Michael Bukhman on piano.  The music was soulful and sexy and exciting, and the audience waited with pounding hearts and bated breath for the next measure.  

The concert ended with the more traditional Brahms’ Piano Quartet No. 1 in G minor, Op. 25.  Mr. Perlman returned to the stage for this work, which also featured Ms. Ferguson on viola, Brook Spelt on cello, and Mr. Bukhman on piano.  Again, the level of performance was astonishingly professional notwithstanding the fact that the musicians – other than Mr. Perlman – are in their early 20s.  

Musical Inspiration for All

While PMP/Suncoast is excited about all of its offerings, the winter residency is the cornerstone on which the program has been built.  Ms. Powers said, “The residency is an unparalleled opportunity for musicians, educators, and audiences alike to be inspired.”   Having the chance to get up close and personal with Mr. Perlman is merely icing on the cake.    

Charlotte Symphony Introduces Guest Artists to the Community, Part 2

Maestro Ponti, me and friend Maggie at the party

I was still all aflutter over Robert Bonfiglio's amazing performance on the harmonica at the CSO Gala when my friend Maggie and I had the opportunity to meet Jeffrey Biegel, the soloist at the CSO's opening concert.  (The CSO hosted a party for patrons, and Biegel was on hand to give attendees a preview of his virtuosity on the piano.) I had spoken with Biegel a couple of weeks earlier in connection with an article I was writing about the concert for Florida Weekly, so I already knew his amazing background.

The fact Biegel can play the piano at all, much less at virtuoso levels, is somewhat remarkable.  Until the age of three, he had extremely limited hearing.   While not totally deaf, his eardrums did not vibrate due to an accumulation of fluid.   He says it was like wearing thick ear muffs all the time.   Luckily, the problem was diagnosed and was able to be treated surgically.   Soon after his hearing was restored, Biegel became enamored with the piano.  He piggybacked on his sister's lessons, teaching himself to play by ear.  When he was seven, he started formal piano lessons, and he became a student of Adele Marcus at the Juillard School.  (Ms. Marcus taught numerous other well-known pianists, including Neil Sedaka, with whom Biegel has worked.)  Jeffrey shared that one of his most exciting gigs was performing for Lucille Ball at her home a few months before her death.  Lucy was shocked—and tickled-- that he could recite episodes of “I Love Lucy” to her in their entirety.  

Jeffrey Biegel at play

Jeffrey is a quiet and unassuming guy -- until he gets to the keyboard.   To have the chance to sit three feet away from him while he played was a remarkable experience.  I found myself thinking something ridiculous like, "This guy is a real concert pianist."   The way his hands alternately flew over and caressed the keys was amazing to watch (and made me cringe a bit as I recalled the total lack of emotion with which I played the piano when I took lessons).   He played Chopin and Gershwin and a crazy fast piece called "Rush Hour in Shanghai."    It was a real treat and definitely primed me for hearing him play Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue" at the concert.

During the pre-concert lecture, Biegel shared a bit of the history of "Rhapsody in Blue."  Band leader Paul Whiteman had approached Gershwin with a request to compose a concerto-like piece for an all jazz performance to be given in February 1924.  Gershwin agreed, but it kind of slipped his mind.  His brother Ira read in the New York Post on January 3, 1924 that the upcoming concert would include a piece composed by George.   Gershwin got to work on a train ride from New York to Boston--you can hear the sounds of the train tracks in the piece if you listen for them--and the composition was completed in a mere three weeks.

The version of "Rhapsody in Blue" that Biegel played at the concert was the version written and performed by George himself.  (Gershwin's publishers edited 50 measures from the music to move the piece along a bit more quickly.)  I will admit that I don't know the music well enough to know the difference between the popularized and original versions , but I do know a masterful performance when I hear one.  To say that he received a standing ovation doesn't capture the excitement and enthusiasm with which his performance was received.   If you're interested in hearing Biegel play the piece --on one of the Sing for Hope pianos that was situated outside by the Brooklyn Bridge -- click here.  (I have never heard of Sing for Hope before, but it is an organization whose mission is to make all forms of the arts accessible to the public.  Last summer 88 hand-painted pianos were placed in locations across the five boroughs of Manhattan.  Anyone could play the pianos--from beginners to concert pianists like Biegel.  At the end of the project, the pianos were donated to schools, hospitals and community centers.  Incredibly cool.)  

The CSO's first season with Maestro Ponti at the helm has gotten off to an incredible start.  I can't wait to hear what he has in store for us.   

Charlotte Symphony Introduces Guest Artists to the Community, Part 1

Bonfliglio at IYC - Steve Linberry Photo

The Charlotte Symphony is back in town, and the new era with Maestro Raffaele Ponti at the helm has started with a bang.  The days leading up to the opening concert were filled with fun and exciting musical experiences.

The season kicked off with the CSO Gala, which was a fundraiser for the Symphony's education initiative. (I will write more about the initative in a future post, but suffice it to say that every third grader in Charlotte County will be introduced to symphonic music in an accessible and fun way before the end of the school year.)  That alone would have been enough to persuade me to buy a ticket for the event.  But there was another enticement -- harmonic player Robert Bonfiglio, who will be a guest artist at the CSO's February concert--was performing as well.

Sometimes there's an advantage to not having a "plus one" to bring to these events.  Bonfiglio was also flying solo that night, and we ended up sitting together.  I doubt he was expecting his seat mate to pull out a pencil and start taking notes, but he took it in stride.  Here are a few tidbits from the evening:

--Bonfiglio and wife Clare Hoffman founded the Grand Canyon Music Festival in 1983.  The prior year, Robert and Clare took off for a five day hike in the Grand Canyon with their instruments tucked away in their backpacks.  (She plays the flute.)   A park ranger came across them when Clare was playing some music from her perch in the trunk of a tree and asked if they would put on an ad hoc concert that night.  They did, and the rest is history.  The Festival has grown from a three concert series to a three week event in August and September of each year.

--60 concerti have been composed for the harmonica.  (Who knew???)   If your curiosity is piqued, click here to listen to Bonfiglio perform Debussy's "Reverie" with John Williams and the Boston Pops.

--Bonfiglio was a studio musician who worked on TV commercials and movies.  In Tina Turner's comeback album  in 1984 (which featured "What's Love Got to Do with It?"), the producers used a synthesizer to replicate the harmonica part.  That was the demise of studio work for harmonica players. 

Bonfiglio enthralled the Gala attendees with music ranging from Bach to blues to "Amazing Grace."  (His rendition of "Amazing Grace" was heartbreakingly sweet and brought me close to tears.  You can listen to the version he recorded with Phoebe Snow by clicking here.)  After seeing Bonfiglio perform and listening to these YouTube clips, I understand why the Los Angeles Times calls him the "Paganini of the Harmonica."  I can't wait for the CSO's February concert where he will perform Heitor Villa Lobos' "Concerto for Harmonica."   If you want to hear Bonfiglio perform live, get your tickets now.  The CSO's opening concert sold out for the first time ever, and after the performance that Maestro Ponti and the CSO put on that evening, I wouldn't be surprised to see scalpers outside CPAC at the rest of the season's performances.

Hardship Post by Robert Taylor

It's been ages since I've made it to one of IYC's lecture series events, the topics for which vary from music to history to the work of local non-profits.   This month's talk was given by Robert Taylor about his new book Hardship Post.  You got it -- another book has been added to my ever-growing pile of books to read if there's ever a lull in the goings on in Punta Gorda.

The tag line for the book is "With terrorism on the rise and his marriage on the ropes, an American moves to Pakistan to work for the Aga Khan."   Bob started his talk with a bit of background about Pakistan in the early 1980s.  The Iranian hostage crisis had just ended; the Soviet Union had invaded Afghanistan; and international kidnappings--and skyjackings--were on the rise.  What in the world would prompt Taylor to uproot his family from Minnesota and move them to Karachi?

The Aga Khan Development Network is a group of non-denominational agencies that works to fight poverty, hunger, illiteracy and poor health in developing nations, primarily in Asia and Africa.  In the early 1980s, the Aga Khan University Hospital in Karachi was under development.  Taylor, with a background in hospital administration, was offered the job of Director General of Commissioning at the hospital (essentially putting all of the hospital's management systems in place).  It was an opportunity too good to pass up. 

And so the family was off for a four year adventure in a very unfamiliar land.  Hardship Post tells the story of how these expatriates lived and coped in that environment.   Taylor shared a particularly funny story about meeting an Iraqi man who offered him some figs.  When Taylor accepted, the Iraqi said, "And now I am asking for your [15 year old] daughter's hand in marriage."  What??!!!  All he did was accept some figs!   As I was listening, all I could think of was, "Toto, we're not in Kansas anymore!"

In case you're not familiar with His Highness the Aga Khan, he is the spiritual leader of the Shia Islami Muslims.  The current Aga Khan (no. IV) is the 49th generation of a family that can purportedly trace its roots back to the prophet Muhammad.  He is fabulously wealthy, and Taylor characterizes him as a bon vivant.   In addition to the Aga Khan Development Network, the Aga Khan has many economic interests.  In fact, I have a vague recollection of a hotel deal that my firm worked on for the Aga Khan back when I was a baby lawyer.  What I remember most clearly about the transaction was that it had to comply with Islamic economic laws. This meant that, although it was a financing, no interest could be charged.  (Interest, or "riba", is illegal under Islamic law as it is considered an unjust gain.)  I don't remember how the deal ended up being structured, but I do remember being amazed at the concept.  But I digress.....

Taylor is an interesting and engaging speaker, and if the book reads anything like the way he talks, it will be a great read. If you're in the area, Copperfish Books in Punta Gorda is hosting the book launch this Monday, November 25th, at 6:00.  It will be a fun evening -- and a great opportunity to get an early start on your holiday shopping.  

Laboratory Theater Presents Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune

Somehow I missed both the Broadway show and the movie version of Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune.  I didn't know much about it other than the fact that Michelle Pfeiffer and Al Pacino played the title roles in the movie.  So my curiosity was piqued when I found out that Laboratory Theater in Fort Myers was putting on the show.

Frankie's apartment

My friend Maggie and I arrived at the theater last Saturday night to find a packed house.  The audience was quite different from the typical (read "a bit on the older side") crowd I'm used to seeing these days.  In fact, I felt somewhat old and frumpy compared to the women wearing leather pants and knee high boots.  It made me wonder what the evening had in store.

As the play opened, the audience found itself nearly sharing a bed with Frankie and Johnny. (The theater is an intimate space that is well-suited to this type of production.)  We quickly learned that we were joining the couple on their first date.  After some awkward post-coital conversation, Frankie is quite eager to get Johnny out of her apartment so that she can get back to her solitary life.  Johnny has other ideas.  Maybe they should get married.  How many kids does she want to have?  Oh, she can't have kids?  Well, they can adopt!  His neediness is tangible, and it certainly would have made me run screaming from the room if I were in her place.  (At one point Frankie comments that Johnny's persistence makes Diane Keaton's experience in Looking for Mr. Goodbar look like an attractive alternative, so her reaction isn't so dissimilar.)  Frankie has her own quirks, though, and it soon becomes clear that, while she is working hard to keep her armor intact, it's because she's been deeply wounded rather than due to a lack of interest.

As a single woman in my 50s, watching a play about two 40 somethings trying to connect wasn't the most comfortable way to spend two hours.  Even though I didn't relate to the lives of the characters, the play ultimately makes the point that relationships are hard.  Tell me something I didn't know!  That doesn't mean it wasn't good theater, though.  In fact, I think my level of discomfort is an indication that both Terrence McNally's script and  Loretta Siebert and Tim Gunderman's performances hit their mark.  McNally (whose other plays include Love! Valour! Compassion!, Kiss of the Spider Woman, and Master Class) is known for writing that probes his characters' and his audience's emotions.  Siebert and Gunderman embraced their roles and bared themselves to the audience (literally, in the case of Siebert). There was no self-consciousness in their interaction or any seeming awareness of an audience that they could reach out and touch.   Instead, we were voyeurs into a few moments in their lives when they attempted to set aside the past and move forward together.

Laboratory Theater has once again put together a professional and high quality production.  You can catch Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune through November 24th.  Next up:  the holiday classic A Christmas Carol.  Maybe I'll see you there.     

Paint the Beach--Quick Paint Competition

Sharon Guy from Sarasota

Although I'm in the throes of the Fine Arts Festival at the VAC, I couldn't resist the opportunity to head down to Fort Myers Beach last week-end with my friend (and artist) Susan to check out the Quick Paint competition.  The competition was the final event in the week-long Paint the Beach Plein Air Festival sponsored by the Fort Myers Beach Art Association.  It was great fun.

The concept was simple.  Artists began checking in at Times Square at 8:00 to get their blank canvases stamped.  They had until 9:00 to figure out where they wanted to situate themselves and organize their materials.  Any medium was acceptable; the only "rule" was that no mechanical assistance (such as a ruler) was permitted.  At 9:00 the air horn went off, and the artists got down to work.  For the next two hours, the participants painted feverishly to complete their creations before the deadline.  At 11:00 the horn sounded again, and the artists had one hour to frame their completed work (if desired) and transport it to the tent at Santini Square--approximately four miles away--for the judging. 

Ken Marshall working on his pastel

Susan and I arrived around 9:45 and thoroughly enjoyed walking around and chatting a bit with the artists.  (I had to suppress my tendency to ask too many questions since the artists were under the gun.)   There were 31 artists participating in the event, and we had a chance to watch many of them at work.  For some, it was the first time attempting something like this, and they were both excited and a little bit stressed.  Others, such as Ken Marshall, participate each year.  (Marshall comes down from Ohio for the week to paint and enjoy some Florida sunshine.  This was his third year painting in the Festival.)

Not being an artist, I hadn't really thought about the specific challenges that plein air painting poses.  Susan filled me in on the drive down.  The day was overcast, which was both good and bad.  While conditions were more comfortable for the artists, the colors were on the drab side. There were no rays of sunshine reflecting off the water on this morning.  This didn't, however, prevent the light from changing over the course of the two hours, a factor that the artists had to take into consideration.  Many of the artists had attached small umbrellas to their easels in an attempt to maintain consistent lighting on their canvases.  And one artist shared her secret of placing a second canvas behind the work-in-progress to stop the light behind the easel from shining through.  Speaking of easels, it was amazing to see how compactly many of the artists are able to travel with their fold-up equipment and handy carrying cases.  (Learning how to most easily transport your materials from your vehicle to the painting site is a priority for plein air painters.)

Neil Walling

At 11:00, Susan and I hopped on the trolley (my first public transportation experience in Florida) and made our way to the tent at Santini Square.  We had the chance to view the works that had been created over the course of the week and watch the artists bring in their Quick Paint entries.  Interestingly, some artists had worked in different media for different events during the competition.  Ken Marshall, pictured above working in pastel, had submitted two nice watercolors, one of which was awarded a prize for the work "most representative of the beach."  I was surprised to learn that Plein Air Magazine was a sponsor of the event.   When I spoke with the Festival chairwoman about how she managed that, she said, "We asked."  (Note to self:  Don't be afraid to ask!  The worst that can happen is that potential sponsors will say no.)

All in all, it was another great outing.  My goal for next year is to persuade some of the VAC artists (starting with Susan) to participate in the Quick Paint competition.  With a $10 entry fee, what's there to lose?  As one woman said, "I once heard that Monet had a bonfire every year to burn the works he'd done that didn't make the cut."  Whether that's true or not, I take her point.   Artists aren't always going to be enthralled with what they produce.  Every painting is not going to be the next [insert the name of your favorite work here].   But we all grow with every new experience, and often it isn't even that painful.  Thanks to the Fort Myers Beach Art Association for bringing this great event to the area. 

The School for Lies presented by the FSU/Asolo Conservatory Theater

Last year Dorrit and I were Asolo Repertory Theatre groupies of a sort. After I happened to answer a phone call soliciting a donation for the Theatre's education program, I became an Asolo "angel" (with little tiny baby wings).  Dorrit and I took advantage of the opportunity to participate in cool events like a group tour of the Koski Production Center, a private backstage tour of the theater, and brunch with two costume designers.  We had a chance to chat with lots of Asolo insiders and learned a bit about the FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training. More than 1200 students audition each year for 12 slots in the three year program. Given that the Conservatory has been named one of the top ten acting programs in the country, this doesn't come as a surprise.  We thought it would be fun to get season tickets to the four productions that the second year Conservatory students will put on this year.    We saw the first show of the season this week-end -- The School of Lies by David Ives -- and it was terrific.

I have to admit that I wasn't really looking forward to the performance.  I knew that the play is adapted from Moliere's The Misanthrope, and I had decided that it was going to be dark and somewhat grim.  (Of course, I haven't actually read The Misanthrope--or any Moliere for that matter--so this was a totally uneducated reaction.  A quick look at Wikipedia would have told me that Moliere is known as a comic genius and  altered my expectations. )  And I totally missed the fact that the play was written by David Ives, who also wrote the fabulous Venus in Fur that skyrocketed to the top of my list of favorite plays last year.   Short story long, my preconceived notions couldn't have been farther from the truth.

Olivia Williamson/Celimene and
Matthew Olsen /Frank

The School of Lies is written in rhyming verse, much like a Shakespearean play.   Like any Shakespeare I've ever seen, it took me a few minutes to get into the flow.  Once I did, however, it didn't take long to appreciate the incredibly funny and clever script.  Despite the old style form (and Victorian costumes), the language in the play is entirely modern -- one particularly memorable scene features Celimene doing both rap and a Valley girl imitation.   The actual plot--though amusing--was secondary.   The show was really about the words themselves and, for us, getting a chance to see the young actors, who did a truly incredible job.

Fortuitously, there was a talk back after the show with all of the actors.  It was fascinating to hear a bit about the Conservatory and the process of putting this production together.   We learned that it is actually easier for actors to memorize rhyming verse than prose, although it's hard to believe that there was anything easy about memorizing that script.  Rehearsals began a mere five weeks before opening night, and the actors were "off book" after about a week, which enabled them to work on the flow of the show.  With nine actors and constant comings and going onstage, they said this was a huge help.

Gracie Lee Brown/Arsinoe, Brian Owen/
Philinte and Andrea Adnoff/Eliante

While the actors have auditioned for their parts in the remaining shows of the season, they did not do so for their roles in The School for Lies.  Instead, casting decisions were made over the summer based on the strengths they'd shown during their first year at the Conservatory.  This timing was necessary in order for there to be sufficient time for the costumes to be created.  The students themselves, however, didn't learn which parts they'd been given until the week before rehearsals started.  Interesting.  When asked about the rationale for this approach, they ventured a guess that the powers that be didn't want their auditions to be affected by those decisions.  They collectively expressed the opinion that they were mature enough not to be impacted by the casting for the season opener -- after all, disappointment is a big part of the life of an actor -- but the approach makes some sense to me.

The students talked about how the show required an ensemble effort and how comfortable they've grown working with each other.   One actor made the comparison to a well-oiled machine, and it was quite apt.  (As an aside, I spoke separately with Olivia Williamson after the talk-back.  She looked so familiar to me that I had to figure out if I'd seen her in something else. It turns out that she played the daughter in the show Painting Churches that I saw at Banyan Theater this summer.  She commented that her experiences with the two productions could not have been more different.  In The School for Lies, she felt totally comfortable and confident because of her relationship with her fellow actors.  In Painting Churches, she portrayed the daughter of a couple who are married in real life and felt like she was playing catch up the whole time.)

I am so looking forward to the rest of the season and wish I didn't have to wait until January to see the next production.  The idea was that we would watch the actors grow over the four play series. If the quality of their performances in The School for Lies is the baseline, we are in for some great theater.  And did I mention that tickets are less than $30 per show?  If I were a bit more clever, I would close with a rhyming couplet a la David Ives.  Instead, just consider yourself nudged to check out the Conservatory's performances yourself.

Art History's Top 100 -- American Artists

All good things must come to an end, and my art history class wrapped last week with a session on American artists.  We talked about 22 artists and saw slides of over 250 works.  So, as always, it's hard to decide what to share here.

Gilbert Stuart's Portrait of
George Washington (1796)

We started the class with Gilbert Stuart's Portrait of George Washington (known as the Athenaeum portrait).   We have all seen countless portraits of our nation's first president over the years.  But this image might be particularly familiar since this is the work that is replicated on the dollar bill.  Stuart got a lot of those bills painting portraits of GW to sell to patriotic citizens who wanted a picture of their leader for their homes. Using this work as his template, Stuart created 130 portraits of GW and sold them for $100 each.  We're talking 1796 dollars here, so that is a lot of moolah.  One fun fact:  Gilbert struggled a bit when he painted this work because Washington had a new set of false teeth that distorted his jawline.

Grant Wood's American Gothic (1930)

Who doesn't smile when they see Grant Wood's American Gothic?  As one of the most parodied works of art (along with The Scream, the Mona Lisa, and Whistler's Mother), it's one of those images that has truly become a part of popular culture.  Grant came across this house when he was traveling across Iowa and was captivated by the Gothic revival style window.  He then added the farmer and his daughter (using his dentist and his sister as models) as representations of the type of people he thought would live in such a house.  Some art historians believe that the image of the father and daughter is a reference to the trouble that young women could get into with the traveling salesmen of the time.  (I always thought it was a husband and wife, so that never crossed my mind.)  Others feel that the stoicism of the pair reflects the inner strength that people had to call upon to get through the Depression.   Either way, Wood captured the sense of an era.  (Note the way the silhouette of the pitchfork is repeated on the farmer's shirt and coveralls.  Brilliant!)

Keith Haring's Crack is Wack (1986)

It's a big leap from Gilbert Stuart's Portrait of George Washingon to Keith Haring's Crack is Wack, but we arrived there in the course of 2 1/2 hours.  Haring's early work in New York City was as a true graffiti artist, creating temporary works of chalk art on the walls of the City's subway system.  People soon recognized his distinctive style, and it didn't take long for him to become internationally known.  Haring used his work to promote social causes.  Crack is Wack is a mural painted on the face of a handball court on East 128th Street and Harlem River Drive in New York.  It was a message to the kids of the neighborhood--and people driving by on the FDR--not to get involved with the highly addictive drug.  The phrase might sound familiar not from Haring's work, but from Whitney Houston's 2002 interview with Diane Sawyer when she denied allegations that she was using drugs, saying, "Crack is whack."  Perhaps Houston got the phrase (at least subconsciously) from Haring's painting.

Whether you recognize Haring's name or not, you are likely to have seen his signature "radiant baby."  During the 1970s, Haring was involved with the Jesus Movement (more popularly known as "Jesus Freaks").   This image derives from that period of his life.

Rosalie referred to Haring's work as "graffiti-glyphics," and the thought dovetailed perfectly with the beginning of our class when we talked about ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics.    In six short weeks we saw not only Rosalie's "Top 100" hit parade of artistic creations, but literally  thousands of works.  Each week was a new adventure, and I already miss the class.  Fingers crossed that she will teach a more focused art history class in the future.  In the meantime, the next session of her class starts on Wednesday, November 6th.  There's a seat just waiting for you!