July 5th, 2010
I don’t consider myself a particularly patriotic fellow. I don’t own an American flag. I haven’t served in the military. And I wasn’t terribly disappointed when the United States lost in the World Cup. But I love playing the Star Spangled Banner.
The feeling was especially strong Sunday when I climbed aboard a flatbed truck and rode down U.S. Highway 101 in the Port Orford Fourth of July parade. Wilbur Jensen, a virtuoso trumpeter, has been inviting family and friends for more than a decade to haul out their horns for the annual event.
I’ve been wanting to go since I joined the Bay Area Community Band, but my work schedule has kept me in the office in previous years. But with The World dark on Sundays, I grabbed my clarinet and headed south.
One of my fellow woodwinds pointed out that small town Fourth of July parades really exemplify the American spirit, and I couldn’t agree more. It’s almost a semi-religious event, with the procession of vehicles and gathering of all classes of citizens.
The apex of the event came as our float approached the speaker’s table. My spin tingled as the snare rolled off an introduction to the national anthem. I’ve played the song hundreds of times, but I still get nervous worried about making a sour note. So it was only after we stopped and heard the roar of the crowd that I got to see the hundreds of people standing up and down the sidewalks.
Applause is always nice, but it’s especially gratifying when it’s for something greater than yourself.
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July 3rd, 2010
Life between shows can be disorienting for community theater thespians. After weeks of late night rehearsals and line cramming, coming home from work and having nothing to do can be a little strange. It’s also hard to go from seeing friends on almost a daily basis to having divergent schedules.
Such were the circumstances surrounding the formation of Man Movie Night, or MMN as it’s known by the brethren. We get together on Wednesday night at one of our houses to have dinner, watch a movie and … talk about men stuff.
Ironically, the idea came from a member’s wife, who was tired of seeing her husband mope around the house after “Damn Yankees” closed in 2008.
We’ve kept up the tradition ever since, going on hiatus only if most of us are in a show together.
Each member is different in his tastes. Jim Kemp likes screening films from the 1970s, especially Robert Altman flicks. Tim Novotny prefers action/adventure movies, while we see a lot of comedies at Byrell Justice’s. Jim Thornton is a real aficionado of early cinema, though showing a bunch of buzzed actors a silent film probably wasn’t the best idea.
This week we watched “Chinatown” at Jim Kemp’s place, after downing pulled pork sandwiches, chips and cole slaw. And like many MMN’s, we wound up waxing nostalgic about shows we’ve done or seen and talking about future performances. That’s what I like best about these nights, because even the best acting on screen is no replacement for taking the stage with friends.
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June 25th, 2010
I have to admit I get a little jealous when I go down to the Sprague Theater. Little Theatre on the Bay has provided me with a lot of great memories, but even its staunchest supporters admit the theater itself has seen better days.
The Bandon Playhouse is just hitting its stride. Nearly 10 years since its first stage play opened, the Sprague has a beautiful lobby, great lighting and well-designed stage.
And this month, it’s got a production worthy of its amenities.
“The Boys Next Door” is a play about people living with mental disabilities and the challenges they and their caretakers face. World comrade Chip Dombrowski is usually quite even-handed when writing about plays in Scene, but he’ll give me an honest critique before the story goes to press. When he only had nice things to say, I knew I had to check it out.
The thing that struck me was how well the director, Mike Dempsey, cast his characters. There are lots of quick scene changes marked by blackouts. It seemed like every time the lights came up I was excited because the actor on stage was one I wanted to see.
Peter Braun’s Jack easily led me through the play as the narrator and care taker of the “Boys.” Neal Davis’ Arnold and Gareth Williams’ Norman had me in stitches all night with their very different styles of humor. And Clyde Showalter was especially powerful when his fun-loving Lucien is transformed in a memorable second-act soliloquy.
What was even more remarkable was that this was the first time Neal and Clyde took the stage locally. It’s encouraging to think there are more great actors just waiting to surprise us.
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