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Theater: Theater: Wine:
History's
Mystery The history of war, any war, is full of dark meetings, secret negotiations and world-altering decisions made in back rooms behind closed doors. The results of some of those decisions have such horrendous outcomes, such devastating results, that many of those meetings have acquired an almost mythic quality.
One such meeting took place in 1941 in Copenhagen, Denmark between long-time friends Neils Bohr his student, Werner Heisenberg. What they discussed at that pivotal meeting has intrigued historians ever since. The two had collaborated extensively in the early '20s in Copenhagen. In 1927 Heisenberg, who later won the Nobel Prize in 1932 for establishing the field of quantum physics, returned to Germany to teach. There he conducted experiments that led him to believe it could be possible to create a nuclear weapon. Almost a decade later he was recruited by the Nazis and with WWII in full swing, he secretly made a trip to Copenhagen and met with Bohr. No one knows what they discussed in that meeting. Was Heisenberg seeking guidance from his former teacher in developing the atom bomb? Was he hoping to recruit Bohr to the Nazi camp? The theories abound. Michael Frayn's Copenhagen explores the possibilities behind one of WWII's greatest mysteries in a story of friendship, risk and betrayal. Winner of the 2000 Tony Award for Best Play, Carol Horne directs the Lord Leebrick presentation of this gripping tale. William Campbell (VLT's Death of a Salesman and Lion in Winter) and Diane Johnson (Lord Leebrick's Spinning Into Butter, work with the Brit Theatre Company) play Niels and Margarethe Bohr. Corvallis-based Robert Hirsh, who played Niels Bohr just last fall in a different production, now plays Werner Heisenberg. Riveting and full of suspense, you'll hope the intermission ends quickly.
Class
vs. Cash You Can't Take It With You is one of those rare plays in which the title sums up the principal message without losing any resonance. The play, staged by Willamette Repertory Theatre, is a classic American comedy infused with the simple theme of pursuing personal happiness before financial security. Though You Can't Take It With You was written in 1936, the play's ageless, feel-good humor traverses generational divides.
Much of the action centers on the Sycamores, a batty middle-class family living in a chaotic madhouse where nonconformity is encouraged and everyone, including an IRS agent, is met with equal acceptance regardless of personal idiosyncrasies. Enter John Kirby, the son of wealthy, pompous parents who falls in love with Alice Sycamore, the most sensible member of the clan. When the two families meet, tension caused by class and personality differences results in fast-paced bursts of hilarity. "It's madcap, zany fun, but with a message behind it," said Director Kirk M. Boyd. "In a world where increasingly the classes are being split apart, which is the path to take? Personal happiness or personal wealth? You can tell which side the authors came down on it." Boyd believes casting is key to a show's success and some of Eugene's best actors form this line-up. He also carefully chose visiting artists Philip Davidson and Michelle Morain for the important roles of Grandpa Vanderhof and Penny Sycamore, the "heads" of the Sycamore family. Morain is returning after performing a dramatic role as Josie in Willamette Rep's production of A Moon for the Misbegotten last season. Morain said she and Boyd have a "rare" working relationship and under Boyd's direction, Morain has been developing a character that she finds both demanding and delightful. "I love doing Penny," Morain said. "She's an interesting mind to get to know. She just feels things and reacts." But the lack of thought preceding Penny's actions is what makes her difficult to portray, making Penny one of the more challenging roles Morain has played. But Morain also identifies with Penny. "To choose to be a professional actor as a career means you're not setting yourself for a lucrative retirement situation," she said. "A lot of people in theater live by the Sycamore choice. It's a lot of happy, poor people." And like the Sycamores, she plans to stick with her passion. "I hope I join those that croak on stage."
History
Nags Somehow, I'll bring all this back to wine, to what it means to live a life in pursuit of graceful companionship, simple beauty and social pleasures. Meanwhile, I'm struggling with the sense that our pleasures are being daily drained from our lives by this persistent political nightmare that's transforming America into something even George Orwell could not imagine. Born into a family with a long history of military service to this nation, I grew up intensely patriotic, and still feel deeply stirred when I reflect on the majesty of this great land and the common generosity and decency of its peoples. But I also feel increasingly outraged that this sweet land has been hijacked by cynical scoundrels who hide their criminality behind facades of piety and drape themselves in our flag while committing acts of brutality in our country's name. I want just to go on, live a normal life, do good work, laugh with pals and pretend that none of this is real or at worst is only temporary. But I'm nagged by my own knowledge of history: As World War II was ending and the true scope of the horror that had been the conduct of the Holocaust was being documented as official truth (unofficially known for years) and war criminals were being arrested and brought to trial, many investigators turned their inquiries toward the huge numbers of people who, through the simple and "normal" conduct of their lives and performance of daily duties, not only allowed the genocide to proceed but shuffled all the simple, essential pieces of world that ensured efficient operations of murderous machinery: truck drivers, train engineers, bakers, tailors, folks just "doing business." Their response, their defense of their actions and — perhaps more importantly — their inaction became known as the "Good German" defense: "I was just doing my job. I am a good German." I've just been doing my job, paying bills, and tending our garden. Oh, I've raved a few times in this column, certainly not enough to bother thugs like Tom DeLay and his ilk, but the Bush policy of "rendition" for prisoners of war has shattered my peace. In case you missed the Washington Post and other media who have carried the story, "rendition" is the term used to cover the practice of using a "private" (CIA) Gulfstream turbojet to fly our nation's war prisoners to other countries where they will be tortured by methods Americans might be reluctant to use, perhaps because the methods are so ghastly, or just so plainly illegal. Which raises several questions: First, what methods might those be? Plainly, they can't be those "high-spirited college initiation pranks" revealed by the photos at Abu Ghraib prison: grinning American soldiers posed by piles of naked men. The torture proxies' methods must be worse than those revealed by Army and Navy investigators that detailed Afghan men in American custody "chained to the ceiling ... one of them maimed over a five-day period, dying with his leg muscle tissue destroyed from blows to his knees and lower body" (AP, 3/13). Now, can the proxy torturers in Egypt do a better job? Do we really need to outsource this activity? Is this part of the New America envisioned by the radical Republican "conservatives"? Lastly, is this what is meant by "Christian values"? Maybe we dreamed that other, finer America of our youth; maybe this nightmare is what we find when we wake. Sorrowing Americans and Eugeneans who cherish life can find some solace in sharing good wines among good friends. And perhaps some conversation might be devoted to how we might wrestle America's honor from the brutes who have done it such terrible damage. Oregon is basking in a beautiful spring; Saturday Market has reopened, bringing lovely greens and root veggies; it's time for bright white wines and lively pinot noirs. An amazing bargain in flavorful whites is Domaine de Montmarin 2003 Viognier ($8); it originates in the Cotes de Thongue region of southern France, is crisp and refreshing, with hints of ripe pears and lemon zest, balanced by sufficient acidity to make it a nice match for fresh Dungeness crab or shellfish. When you're out to bag some vino, occasionally check the back label; if you see Zancanella Importing of Portland, chances are good that you've found a solid value. I've got a known jones for Spanish whites from the Rias Baixas region, and the Condes de Albarei 2003 Albariño ($15) made my palate tingle. The flavors remind of melons and pears, a hint of almond, with a stony/mineral quality found in great rieslings from Germany's Moselle Valley. I just love this varietal, with seafood or Asian dishes or as a sipper while cooking. Spring and pinot noir go together like weddings and June, and pinotphiliacs have been whispering praises for Medici Vineyards 2000 Pinot Noir ($20). Turns out it's robust pinot, dark, rich in black cherry fruit backed by toasty oak and medium tannins. The Medici estate vines are fairly young but reaching early maturity, yielding fruit with a strong, distinct center, with hints of developing complexity. You could hide a few bottles of this wine for a couple years, then find it and grin big. I'd rather write much more about fine foods and tasty wines, and maybe I'll get a chance again soon. For now, please forgive me if I lapse from the silence of "just doing my job." America needs every humane voice.
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