(Community Matters) We actually expected to see a lot more shows while here but 1) many had finished and others not starting until Thursday and 2) we’ve enjoyed chilling more than normal. We’ve both become so comfortable hanging in our regular spots, our same room at the hotel, same coffee shops, bistros, it has been precious decompression time for both of us. It’s kinda telling what creatures of habit we are here – two instance stand out. Yesterday, Steven wanted to take a picture in front of an old English phone booth outside our hotel. I mentioned we already had one from a couple of years ago. Embarrassingly when I pulled it up on my computer, we were wearing the same shirts then as 2 years prior. Second, we walked in for lunch at my favorite bistro, only to have the owner’s daughter greet us fondly and by name, wondering where we’d been.
Nevertheless, we have seen two fantastic shows.
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
Tennessee Williams’ play performed by an oustanding all Black cast, and directed by African American dancer (& obviously now director) Debbie Allen. Leads: James Earl Jones, Phylicia Rashad, Adrian Lester & Sanaa Lathan. Outstanding. Neither of us had ever seen the show performed on stage. Loved it.
David Hare’s The Power of Yes
Extraordinarily timely. David sought to understand the current financial crisis and wrote this story about it, after identifying the threads, assumptions and causes. He articulates the truth as felt by the participants he interviewed. This was extraordinarily timely because I’ve been wrestling with my own thoughts about the crisis – more about this administration’s failure to boldly reconfigure/reregulate the US financial industry as it exists. I don’t think the President is any longer served well by Geithner or Sumners. They should be listening more to Paul Volcker.
Community Matters 