 |
  |
|
 |
||||||||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
||||||||||
|
Theater: Theater: Theater: Dance: Dance: Books: Outdoors:
Two
Worlds, Two Choices Using humor that traverses generations, The Willamette Repertory Theatre's production of You Can't Take It With You challenges the myth of the American dream as two worlds collide. The Sycamore family is a group of loony nonconformists living their lives doing whatever pleases them. Whether it's making fireworks in the basement or putting anarchist slogans into boxes of homemade candies, the Sycamores concern themselves only with having a good time. But when Alice Sycamore, an office employee at the Kirby family business, falls in love with Tony Kirby Jr., the company's vice-president, the Sycamores are faced with the prospect of wealthy, stuffy in-laws who are interested mostly in money and appearances. It's difficult not to be fond of the kooky Sycamores, but the real challenge is making the Kirbys more than simple caricatures of the rich, snooty Wall Street crowd. Scott Barkhurst does an excellent job portraying Mr. Kirby in a three-dimensional light. By the end of the play, the audience identifies with Mr. Kirby, who has left behind many of the same fanciful dreams that most people abandon when entering the "real" world. Philip Davidson shines as Grandpa Martin Vanderhof, a witty, wise old man who decided that he was tired of his business career, left the office and never came back. His insights are the catalysts of the play, and his defiance when faced with the Internal Revenue Service is one of the comedic highlights of the production. Michelle Morain plays an excellent Penny, Alice's spacey mother whose kindness and wide-eyed optimism embody the Sycamore philosophy. Mark Lewis deserves a special mention for his humorous portrayal of Boris Kolenhov, a Russian dance teacher who humors Alice's sister, Essie, in her aspiration to become a dancer. When Kolenhov tells Grandpa Vanderhof, "Confidentially, she stinks," Grandpa Vanderhof's reply embodies the Sycamore philosophy. "As long as she's having fun," he said. Exactly. You Can't Take It With You is playing at the Hult Center's Soreng Theater through April 24.
Retelling
History
Combining physics, philosophy, morality and human relationships, Lord Leebrick's production of Michael Frayn's Copenhagen attempts to deconstruct the events of a single meeting that occurred between two renowned physicists in 1941. Six decades later, mystery and contradiction still surround the brief exchange between German physicist Werner Heisenberg and Danish physicist Niels Bohr. At the time of Heisenberg's visit to Bohr in Copenhagen, the city was under German occupation and Heisenberg himself was working for the Nazis. Despite their history of friendship and camaraderie, Bohr wonders whether Heisenberg is coming as friend or foe. In the play, Bohr, his wife Margarethe, and Heisenberg reunite in the afterlife to redraft several possible versions of the meeting. Was Heisenberg building the bomb for Hitler? Was he withholding crucial calculations to undermine the program? Or did he simply not know the correct calculation? Did Bohr have knowledge of the status of the Allies' nuclear efforts? Was either of them responsible for changing the entire course of history? Set on an oval platform representative of an atom, most of the action occurs within the nucleus or center. Heisenberg, when not interacting in the center with Niels and Margarethe, orbits around the stage much like an electron. The set designers convey another message through an interesting use of props. Two chairs, the only props used in this production, illustrate the emotional coming together and moving apart of the two physicists as they try to understand each other. When the characters are at odds, the chairs are moved and the actors sit apart at the opposite edges of the small stage. When the chairs are stationed at the center, the actors are in consensus. Departing from its typical horseshoe seating, Lord Leebrick has arranged the seating in a circle around the stage for the production. The arrangement implies Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle of quantum mechanics: Reality is what can be measured and the observer is an integral part of that reality. Copenhagen is a challenging play. The actors tackle an enormous amount of complex dialogue laden with historical facts, names, dates and events, not to mention quantum physics. The three-person cast handles the complexity and emotional challenges of the script exceptionally well. William Campbell as Niels Bohr realistically portrays the older mentor torn between fatherly affection and betrayed friendship. Robert Hirsh's Werner Heisenberg masterfully alternates between repentance and arrogance. Diane Johnson, as Margarethe Bohr, is equally solid as the central observer and brutally honest archivist. The play, a deep thought experiment with strong themes set against the ethical dilemmas that defined the 20th century, is also extremely challenging for the audience. It doesn't deliver tidy answers, but it does provide more than enough questions to keep you pondering the meaning of reality, ethics, and friendship long after the play is over. Copenhagen runs April 21-24 and 28-30 at Lord Leebrick Theatre.
From
Rags to Riches Inspired by Charles Dickens' turn of the century novel Oliver Twist, Lionel Harts' musical adaptation opens on a drab London workhouse run by Widow Corney and Mr. Bumble, the parish beadle. A group of ragged, underfed orphans file to the tablesinging "Food, Glorious Food" as they wait in line for their daily ration of gruel. One young orphan, Oliver, has the audacity to ask for more. That raises the ire of Bumble and he sells the boy to an undertaker. Alone and afraid among the coffins, Oliver dreams of a better life. Oliver! is the story of his adventures along that journey. Although she is playing a boy, Kaitlyn Sage is convincing as Oliver. Sage's strong, clear vocals resonate, particularly in her touching rendition of "Where is Love?" Likewise, Holly Laycock, whose authentic cockney accent is first-rate, plays a credible Artful Dodger, a young pick-pocket who befriends Oliver. Mike Tripp is appropriately scruffy, making the role of conniving gang leader Fagin his own. Tripp's comical gestures and dance numbers are especially notable. Harold Turnquist turns in an amusing performance as the pompous, self-important Mr. Bumble. His excellent vocals and formidable presence on stage are delightful. Larry Maltz stands out as the mortician, Mr. Sowerberry. Other solid performances include Caroline Cramer as Nancy, and Davis Smith, who makes a menacing Bill Sykes (a gang member) with his snarling voice and dark, sinister appearance. Although Cottage Theatre has done a fair job with Oliver!, the production is not on par with previous musicals put on by the theater. In a musical, in which songs rather than dialogue drive the story, it's important to hear the lyrics. While musically exceptional, the live orchestra often drowned out the voices onstage. Additionally, while the use of players entering and exiting worked well in some scenes, it seemed to be an overused device in others. Still, the play is entertaining and the high-energy enthusiasm of the ensemble of adults and adorable kids is infectious. Oliver! performances: 8 pm Friday and Saturday, 2:30 pm Sunday.
Brawn
with Brains In 1971, a group of Dartmouth College gymnasts wandered off their tumbling mats and into a modern dance class, and a new dance-theater company was born. Pilobolus, a performance collective named for a spontaneously eruptive spore found around pastures and meadows, makes works that are collaborative in process and accessible in design. And perhaps they can credit their longevity to egghead smarts. Early on, they famously declined an invitation to travel with a smitten Frank Zappa as his band's opener, because they had to study for midterms.
But they're not in school anymore. Four co-artistic directors Robby Barnett, Alison Chase, Michael Tracy and Jonathan Wolken supervise Pilobolus' breakneck touring schedule and the insistently egalitarian (at least in principle) creative process. Universal language is what makes the work appealing to audiences. Pilobolus does not root itself in cultural tropes that might bog down the watching. There's a breezy, fantastical quality to the movement, whether the piece is light or dark, and an evocative moment where we get to sit back and just enjoy a rich hot fudge sundae of imagination. Let them do the experimenting, the play, the lifts, the lugs, and then present it in a package that makes it all look delightfully gooey and fun! The varied line-up for the Eugene performance reflects some departures the artistic company has made in recent years, as well as pieces that stay true to Pilobolus's athletic, funny, "How did they do that?" roots. The evening opens with "Star-cross'd," a swift re-telling of the Romeo and Juliet story, choreographed by Alison Chase. Red-dressed Mermaids twist and flip in 1972's "Pseudopodia," and "Walklyndon" (1971) is pure slapstick physical comedy, with its clever crosses and quirky relationships. "Symbiosis" explores the dynamics of love and not-love. And finally, "Brass Ring" delves into the music and imagery of movement performance throughout recent history. It touches on vaudeville to the big-top and makes a fitting end to an evening that will bring dance to a heightened, yet approachable, place. Pilobolus has legions of worldwide fans and sells out a run in New York every year. Their challenge as one of the country's imminent and inimitable companies is to continually find the "new." Their early work is robust and beloved, the vision of frisky coeds with energy and knee cartilage to burn. Critics have complained that more recent efforts show too much play and not enough art, in other words, the company's more contemporary choreography lacks the distilled form that should coalesce from the discovery process. Pilobolus's work is still well worth a peek. If it helps develop an audience for dance, maybe play is enough. Fans of the company, unsated by the one-night-only performance April 26, may want to look for Mirra Bank's 2003 documentary "Last Dance," which chronicles Pilobolus's work with renowned author and illustrator Maurice Sendak. The film is terrific. It portrays the incredulity, attitudes, egos, frustrations and breakthroughs inherent in making art.
Dance
Alone, Altogether The late Martha Graham held a fervent belief that center stage was wherever she was dancing. Graham had the star-powered élan, whether in solo or group work, to draw focus to wherever she was. When LCC presents its spring student concert "The Works" this weekend, we probably won't see any Grahams on the stage. But we will see unequivocally exuberant movers, a few promising solos and some interesting group work. I enjoy watching student-choreographed concerts because they're inevitably accessible. They're often arranged in a poco de todo line-up that offers an opportunity to take in many creative perspectives. Here, most of the dancers approach "The Solo," the hardest feat to pull off. Exposing every misstep, making plain each dropped choreographic stitch and laying bare moments of over-the-top emotion and pastiche, solos are elusive, operatic, dangerous. The choreographers I saw in rehearsal approached the challenge with gusto. Several pull together tightly bound pieces that break free of the student label. Emily Joyce's "Flutter" explores earthy realms with strong, collected jumps and lightly flicking arms. Jennifer Stone's "Frigid Scales" undulates between the tensely sensual and the floppily resigned. Mandi Barbar's jazzy "Layers" breezes along finely gestured pathways. And Lisa Spence's "Propensities" breathes with oceanic confidence. The Works: Choreography and Dance by LCC Students. 8 pm April 21, 22 and 23, LCC Performance Hall $6 adults; $5 students, seniors. Tickets at the door. Ticket Office: 463-5202
Dog's
Best Friend SIGHT HOUND, fiction by Pam Houston. W.W. Norton, 2005. Hardcover, $23.95. In the handful of glowing blurbs on the back cover of Pam Houston's first novel, Maxine Kumin says, "This is a dangerous book. Don't read it unless you have ever loved a dog up close or admired one from afar."
Kumin's not kidding. I'm a cat person probably 75 percent of the time, but that other 25 percent has made room for a host of canines, from my family's first dog, a squat dachshund-spaniel mix cheerily named Killer, to my mother's new companion, an overgrown toddler of a mutt named Cyrus. Before Cyrus, not long ago, was Buster, a German shepherd who turned up one day and adopted my stepfather. There was no questioning it; Buster had come home. He belonged there. The certainty of dogs, the way they know their humans and their homes, is just one of the things Houston captures beautifully in Sight Hound. But her titular dog, Dante, is no ordinary canine. He is, as the story's younger dog, Rose, refers to him, "the evolved one." Dante, when the narrative is in his voice, quotes Buddha and Lao-tzu and expresses an endless patience for the humans with whom he spends his time. He belongs to Rae Rutherford, a successful playwright living in the country outside Denver. While Dante is Rae's constant companion, the rest of her life is hardly empty: She has a testy, pragmatic house-sitter, Darlene; a therapist, Theo; a fellow writer/friend, Jonathan; a new love interest, the appropriately dramatic but also big-hearted actor, Howard; and two veterinarians, Dr. Evans and Brooklyn Underhill, who treat Dante for the osteosarcoma that's eating away at his bones. Each of these characters — and several others, including a cat and a young girl who corresponds with Dante — has a say, literally, in Rae's story. From chapter to chapter, the voices alternate, each lighting up a different side of Rae and her relationships. Some of the voices give background: Theo, with his gentle therapist's acceptance, is a means to explore Rae's previous failed relationships, while Jonathan, Rae's writing partner, has the voice of an idealist turned jaded, a dry observer who's highly skeptical of Rae's blooming romance with Howard. Howard, on the other hand, takes a brighter road, choosing to believe in Rae more than she believes in herself — but not until he's tested her patience backwards and forwards, making overblown pronouncements and throwing dramatic snits in a misguided attempt to express himself. And then there is Dante, his damp nose nudging all the humans (but especially Rae) into better places. When the book opens, Dante is three-legged but determined, unwilling to let his illness slow down his work with Rae. His own story of diagnosis and treatment comes out slowly, often narrated by his vet, Dr. Evans, whose slow, sympathetic understanding of Dante is key to the story's success. As Sight Hound draws to its heartbreaking, hopeful close, it would have been easy for the story to turn too sentimental, or too lesson-y, especially when Dante (and, later, Rose) are so forthright about their purpose in Rae's life — each is there to teach her something. But, unexpectedly, it works, even through death, marriage and drought. And it doesn't just work for me because I lost a dog to the same disease. It works because Houston draws a careful line between the viewpoints of animals and humans, and while Dante is wiser and calmer than any of the human characters, his Zen is tempered by boisterous Rose, who tells us repeatedly, "I don't always listen." And who does, really? What Houston gives to her readers is a gentle parallel to what Dante gives to Rae: a reminder to listen, to let go when you have to, and to have a certain kind of faith in what might be next. Pam Houston reads at the UO Knight Library at 7 pm, Monday, April 25. BOOK NOTES for April 21 through May 5: Portland's Wordstock Festival continues through 4/24 with panels, speakers, reading rooms, music and more. For information go to www.wordstockfestival.com … Pulitzer Prize winner for fiction Edward P. Jones (The Known World) speaks at 7:30 pm 4/21 at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall in Portland. For ticket information call 503-227-2583 … Author, newspaper writer and magazine journalist Erik Larson presents the 2005 Johnston Lecture, "Breathing Life into the Dead: Making History Come Alive" at 4 pm 4/21 in Alumni Lounge, Gerlinger Hall, UO … Jean Hegland reads from Windfalls at 7 pm 4/21 at Mother Kali's … SASS's 7th Annual Poetry of Survival Reading is at 7 pm 4/21 at Tsunami Books … Ron Takaki, author of A Larger Memory: A History of Our Diversity, With Voices, speaks on "America in a Different Mirror: Re-visioning Our Nation's Past" at 10 am 4/21 at LCC's Performance Hall, Building 6 ... Laurie Notaro reads from We Thought You Would Be Prettier at 7:30 pm 4/21 at Powell's Books on Hawthorne, Portland … Madly funny author David Sedaris speaks at 8 pm 4/22 at the Hult Center ($18.50-$28.50) … Andrea Barrett (Voyage of the Narwhal) speaks at 7:30 pm 4/22 at LaSells Stewart Center, OSU, Corvallis ... Eugene Poetry Slam Playoffs take place at 7 pm 4/23 at Territorial Winery ($5) … Poet John Witte reads from The Hurtling at 5 pm 4/23 at Tsunami Books … Wordstock presents an evening with Norman Mailer at 7 pm 4/23 in Portland's Keller Auditorium … Kent Haruf and legendary editor Gary Fisketjon speak at 11 am and Phil Lesh (Searching for the Sound: My Life in the Grateful Dead) follows at 1 pm 4/23 at Wordstock's Powell's Stage at the Oregon Convention Center, Portland … Wordstock presents an afternoon with Susan Orlean and Alice Sebold at 3 pm and an evening with Russell Banks at 5 pm 4/24 at the Oregon Convention Center, Portland ... A reading from "This American Life" commentator and author Sarah Vowell is at noon 4/24 on the Wordstock Powell's Stage, Portland … Pam Houston (Sight Hound) discusses "Writing, Relationships, Wanderlust" at 7 pm 4/25 in the Knight Library Browsing Room, UO … The Write Off Tour with local headliners Marietta Bonaventure & Kitt Jennings and Write Off performers Tara Hardy, Lane Stroud, Katinka Kraft, Amy Mahoney & SoulChilde arrives in town at 8 pm 4/25 at Sam Bond's. ($4-$8) ... Stephanie Kane (Seeds of Doubt) and Portland author David Farris (Lie Still) read and speak at 7 pm 4/26 at Barnes & Noble … Poet August Kleinzahler speaks at 7:30 pm 4/26 at Portland's Wieden+Kennedy Building Atrium ($18, $12 stu., sr.) … Victor Navasky, renowned editor of The Nation for more than 30 years, speaks on his new book, A Matter of Opinion, at 7:30 pm 4/26 at Powell's Books on Burnside, Portland … William Sullivan gives a slide presentation on New Hikes in the Central Oregon Cascades at 7 pm 4/27 in 177 Lawrence, UO … Charles Wilkinson reads from Blood Struggle at 7 pm 4/27 in the UO Longhouse … The Oregon Book Award Author Tour with Ellen Morris Bishop, David Farris, Henry Hughes and Elinor Langer stops at 7 pm 4/28 at the Douglas County Library, Roseburg … George Estreich & Keith Scribner read at 7 pm 4/29 at the Mountain Writers Center, Portland ($3) ... Jarold Ramsey & George Venn read at 7 pm 4/29 at the Oddfellows Hall in Fossil … A book release for Jane Kirkpatrick's A Land of Sheltered Promise is at 1 pm 4/30 at the Mission Mill Museum in Salem … A book release for Judith K. Berg's The Otter Spirit: A Natural History Story is at 4 pm 4/30 at Tsunami Books … The Young Writers' Association's 4th Annual Glitterary Festival is 10 am-12:30 pm 4/30 at the Science Factory … Dorianne Laux & George Hitchcock read poetry in support of the Oregon State Poetry Association and in celebration of May Day and National Poetry Month at 3 pm 5/1 at Tsunami Books (Donations) … Deborah Digges reads from Poetry at 7:30 pm 5/5 in 183 Lillis, UO … Clemens Stark discusses "Poetry as Spoken Art" at 6:30 pm 5/5 at the Baker Downtown Center ($5-$10 donation) … Ted Cox reads from The Toledo Incident of 1925 at 7 pm 5/5 at Tsunami Books.
North
Fork Smith River Trail
The timber industry likes to tell people that the Oregon Coast Range is the most productive timberland in the world. To prove it, they logged practically all of it, and are growing billions of small, fast-growing Douglas fir trees in short-rotation plantations. Today there are tens of thousands of miles of logging roads that snake up and down the rugged ridges and ravines of the Coast Range, past endless miles of clearcuts. An automobile trip to the few isolated islands of old growth in this ocean of tree farms can feel like an epic journey from classical literature, like Aeneus descending to the underworld in the Aeneid, or Marlow traveling up the Congo River in Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness. The ultimate hero in the canon of epic journeys is the person who can journey through death and destruction and return. The North Fork Smith River trail is flat out one of the finest old-growth hikes in Oregon, but it is not easy to get to. A map and a stout heart are recommended. Directions: Drive Highway 126 west from Eugene for approximately 30 miles. Take a left onto Siuslaw River Road at a sign for "Whittaker Creek Recreation Area." Stay to the left at the intersection in just 20 yards, following signs for Whittaker Creek and Clay Creek. Follow the Siuslaw River upriver for 1.7 miles, and then take a right over a bridge. Go 1.6 miles and turn left as the road climbs steeply uphill. Stay on this road, following signs for Kentucky Falls. In 7.4 miles, take a sweeping left turn; the road will turn to gravel. In 2.9 miles, take a sweeping turn to the right. In 1.6 miles turn left. Go downhill on pavement for 5.9 miles and find the trailhead on your right. A couple hundred yards down the North Fork trail, the trail forks. The left hand turn is a side loop that will take you back to the main trail. Continuing straight ahead, look for a gap in two large trees next to an interpretive sign where the trail bends off to the left. Through this gap is the main trail. In about 2.5 miles, the trail enters a clearcut, which is a pretty good place to turn around. The Forest Service intends for the North Fork Smith River Trail to extend another three miles and connect with the spectacular Kentucky Falls trailhead, but the trail is not maintained and almost impossible to follow another half mile past the clearcut. At any rate, you've outrun the old-growth island, and you're back in the ocean of tree farms. The big attraction of this trail is, of course, the old growth — enormous Douglas fir and western hemlock, lush mosses and luxurious ground cover of oxalis and wild ginger. Many of the shrubs on the forest floor are in bloom this time of year, as are the ghostly white trilliums, crimson wild currant, dogwood, salmonberry and much more. Now all you have to do is find your way back.
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
