Letters to the Editor

Don't send the same letter to this site that you've sent elsewhere, it's no fun to read the same thing in more than one place. I won't be able to print them all and will probably edit them if necessary.

Note: these letters are displayed with (roughly) the newest one on top, so if you want to read them in order you'll need to start at the bottom.

email: bruce@brattononline.com,

or write: Bratton Online
82 Blackburn St Suite 216,
Santa Cruz, California 95060

Current Letters:

SHAKESPEARE SANTA CRUZ'S THE WINTERS TALE. SIMON KELLY'S REVIEW.

" The Winters Tale" , last of the triad of Shakespeare Santa Cruz' offerings this season opened in UCSC's Festival Glen last Thursday eve and, in some ways, is the weakest of the three in performance. The same cast in repertory here, as in Twelfth Night is, for the most part, capable and in some cases excellent in filling out this strange play, not a comedy, not a tragedy, a little of both with a bit of pastoral woven in. It has been designated a "Romance "by various Scholars. I would call it "an experiment" by W. S.

The first section which takes place at the palace of Leontes, King of Sicilia, on the eve of the departure of his childhood friend Polyxenes, King of Bohemia, (played by Cameron Fulmar, who after a weak start effectively grows, all jittery, flailing, into the part of the mad King), begins full with loving regret at the parting of two old friends. Leontes convinces Hermione( Blaire Chandler, who was quite passable as Olivia in Twelfth Night, but here is bland as the noble, pregnant Queen) to persuade Polyxenes to stay a while. Evidently her methods of persuasion triggers some deep insecurity in Leontes and he is overcome with an obsessive jealousy, suspecting that his friend and his wife are lovers and the child she is carrying is Polyxenes.

Nothing can shake him from his irrational conviction. His obsession escalates to where he secretly plots to assassinate his friend and condemn, even imprison, Hermione.

It just gets worse, and by the end of the first section he has, in his madness, destroyed everything he loves. Realization of what he has done comes too late and deep remorse follows inevitably.

" Whom the Gods would destroy they first make Mad! "

All well and good 'till now :The old story of a powerful man's conviction of his rightness, despite all warning and his need to be right, causing his downfall. Classic tragedy (Hope the old law still works with todays' powerful.) Now starts the bipolar turn to the second section in the drama, with the most famous stage direction in all of Shakespeare: "Exit pursued by a Bear" A real live- fake bear chases Antigonus, the reluctant official offstage after he has completed his task of abandoning Hermione" s newborn daughter in the wilds of Bohemia. Horrible sounds of devouring follows his exit as if raw nature itself must punish such an heinous act. (The Bear was the totem of Dianna, Goddess of the wildwood.)

What a way to shock the audience out of the oppressive paranoia of Sicillia, and bring us to the pastoral landscape of Bohemia! . ( Shakespeare was geographically remiss if he thought you could get by ship from Sicily to Bohemia, now in present day land locked Czechoslovakia). What ensues is the light and comic part of The Winters Tale, the part of the tale that reminds all the audience that Spring has followed Winter before, and will come again. The character of Time, (Mike Ryan in tandem with his role of Camillo)who left Sicillia in his rescue of Polyxenes, tells us that sixteen years has passed and that the abandoned babe left to Fate has been taken up by a shepherd and his son, is named Perdita (meaning Lost) and has become the love of Prince Florien, son of Polyxenes.

Perdita is mistress of the festival of Spring, a delightful romp, complete with Swains and Maids, Bluegrass flavored tunes, Country dancing, All nicely done. And what is a play without a clown? Enter Autolychus, thief and con man, the archetypical trickster living off the bumpkins gullibility . If this had been a Native American Winters Tale he would have been Coyote, . James R Winker (Malvolio in Twelfth Night, does a very nice comic turn indeed with this character.

Florizel, after defying his father in the matter of marrying Perdita flees with her to Sicillia. where he is greeted warmly by a now chastised and repentful Leontes. Polyxenes follows with all the rest of the principals of Bohemia leading to the climactic scene that has confounded scholars, cast doubt on Shakespeare's hold on his Art and driven directors to distraction.

The resurrection and reanimation of Hermione's Statue.

What can one say? A cheap theatrical trick to manipulate the audiences sensibilities? Or a bold dramatic turn that expresses the magic and mystery of redemption in a way that no "reasonable" solution could bring to the resolution of this play. As I witnessed the scene I was filled with wonder at the sublime genius of the playwright that could call up such feelings within me.

The miracle of Spring after a long Winters Night. Grace, the always unexpected.

It has been said that a great poet is trying to free himself from the tyranny of words, those slippery constructs that imprison as well as express feeling! Think of Lear entering with the dead Cordelia, no eloquence expresses his grief, just Howl, Howl, Howl!

The impossible act of reanimating Hermione accomplishes what words can't: The act penetrates the open heart to deposit a Truth that no words can. The locked up love of the Earth, thawed and thriving. I was left with the feeling of having witnessed a Mystery Play comparable to Persephone's release from the underworld so her Mother Ceres can bring life again to the dead land.

Critical niggling about this or that actor's performance is picayune, and nothing, compared to the renewing, redemptive affect of this most mysterious, problematical late work of England's greatest playwright. The Winters Tale has the quality of true myth : Deeply meaningful, inexplicable. Somehow the World is set right again.

If you go, try not to make too much sense of the play. Suspend disbelief, and allow your feelings to be moved. You'll be the better for it. I was. I still am.

Hi
Bruce, I want to inform your readers of another one man operation that I really want to support. His name is Al (don't know last name), and he fixes sewing machines and sharpens knives M-F until 3 pm, when he goes to another place for his second job. He is really a great guy. I have been going to him for years. His prices are great. He has that rare small town attitude too. He is at Morrissey and Soquel and Water in the little area where the video store "Video Video" is .

Thanks, Catharine Gunderson

SIMON KELLY REVIEWS SHAKESPEARE SANTA CRUZ'S ENGAGED.

Shakespeare Santa Cruz did it again with the opening last Saturday night of W.S.Gilbert's "Engaged", an engaging a work that ever graced the stage of UCSC's Mainstage Theatre. Yes, the playwright is the same William Schwenk Gilbert that collaborated so delightfully with Sir Arthur Sullivan on numerous witty, tuneful operettas.

Being freed from his partner doesn't in any way hinder Gilbert's ability to create hilarious scenes, characters and dialogue. The opening scene; set in the border country between Scotland and England near Gretna Green, features a clutch of poor Scottish crofters speaking in a Robert Burns dialect almost un-understandable, The nearest comparison to the American experience would be hillbillies of the Li' 'Abner type, with a similar comic take. The braw young laddy Angus (Richard Thierot) is a big crybaby ever subject "to water in his eye" when his sensitive nature is overwhelmed by sentiment, except when wrecking the train to Edinburgh in order to profit by helping the "puir" passengers. Elise Yousef, as Maggie; Angus' "bonnie lass" is so innocent in her devout appreciation of her own charms that it would be hard to judge her as simply vain.

The upper class characters that enter after Angus' induced train wreck are almost without exception selfish, venal, and hypocritical. All is concealed, not so effectively, behind a facade of romantic gentility, where high flown declarations of eternal love and fidelity are followed by very direct inquiries about the adored one's financial status. "Business is business" is often quoted by a most delicate and pure maid. This theme of unadulterated material and self-interest powers, motivates most of farcical situations. Cheviot Hills (Eric Siegel) scatters offers of marriage like confetti on any woman in sight and with about as much substance. He's wealthy and stingy, and if his friend Belvawney doesn't stop him from following through with any of these proposals then Belvawney, forfeits the fee paid him by Cheviot's father and is ruined!

The character of Belvawney is played to perfection by J. Todd Adams. Adams not only delivers his lines in the high articulate style so demanded of this comedy, but also plays a passable Debussy on the piano, does magic tricks, and exits with a full back flip! The Minnie character, Cheviot's original betrothed, is played by the fine comedienne Jenni Kirk. Her little ballet with the music of Belvawney is priceless. Scattered throughout are British music hall songs of Victorian times which Katherine Zdan delivers in this respect as Parker, Minnie's maid. Paul Whitworth's direction keeps things moving right along; getting the most out of this most well made Comedy. Gilbert, like Shakespeare knew Funny! Myself, I need all the laughs I can get to keep me in good health, and if you feel you are not getting your quota, go, take a friend, get "Engaged"! laugh, forget your and the world's troubles, as a bonus you need not prepare for weather conditions, all is comfy with stadium seating inside U.C.'s MainstageTheater.

A Winter's Tale opens in the Festival Glen this Thurs. (Aug.4) let's hope the company can keep this winning streak!!

Simon Kelly

The book on their first time in films makes so little mention of Scudda Hoo, Scudda Hey or Marilyn Monroe as to be worthless! It is a cut and paste book that makes about a one sentence mention of the movie at all. Perhaps the answer is in that new Monroe book.

Barbara Tyger

SHAKESPEARE SANTA CRUZ'S OPENING PERFORMANCE OF TWELFTH NIGHT

Last Sunday afternoon (July 24) I saw the opening matinee performance of W. Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night" in the Festival Glen. It inaugurated the 24th season of Shakespeare Santa Cruz. And a grand Inauguration it was. There is a belief in the theatrical world that companies lose their vitality after 7 or so years, the quality of this production belies that belief. The set: A Shipwreck, the direction by P.J. Paparelli, and the acting ensemble were all top notch. Except for a few caveats which I will delve into later, I spent a wonderful afternoon with one of W.S's best comedies. It is many layered and full of the richness of a most prescient observer of human nature. Shakespeare also writes from the point of view of an experienced actor/manager who knows just how comedy works.

Twelfth night is, first of all, a comedy that engages us with humor from the most subtle to the broad physical comedy of the Marx Bros and Laurel and Hardy variety. Thank you Tommy A. Gomez, for a marvelous Sir Toby Belch, a sort of prototype of the more renowned Falstaff and an ancestor of W.C. Fields. Another character just as well fleshed out (pun intended) and his posse of sidekicks was Sir Andrew Aguecheek played by Cameron Folmar who is the very embodiment of a besotted country squire oaf. Sir Toby's hanger on Fabian (Daniel Kent) and Maria, Ah, Maria! (Margaret Schenck), Olivia's handmaiden..smart! Only she can come up with a scheme to foil Malvolio. Malvolio, Olivia's steward, threatens to report the boys and their roistering ways to Olivia, The Lady of the House. Olivia supports Sir Toby, a shirt tail relative, in his idleness. Thusly threatening an end to Toby's easy life.

Malvolio played to perfection and appearance by James Winker is a representative of England's then-increasing Puritan class: self important, self regarding, , self righteous, and arrogant, behind his seeming humility. Ambitious of courting Olivia and thus raising himself to self imagined greatness "Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them!" he later pontificates when Maria's plot begins to work. The conflict of Sir Toby and Malvolio is the conflict of a passing Merrie Olde Englande, tolerant, good natured, loving the good time of drinking and singing, and the Devil take the hindmost... with the new rising middle class Protestants of the serious and earnest approach to life. "Dost thou think because thou art virtuous there shall be no more Cakes and Ale?" in Sir Toby's deathless rejoinder after being berated by the Steward you love to hiss! Malvolio's comeuppance is inevitable, but was it a little too harsh? Even Sir Toby voices misgivings. Shakespeare lets you decide.

All this and cross dressing! Sexual ambivalence! After all, the complete title is "Twelfth Night or What You Will" Are you going to tell me that something in Duke Orsino and Olivia didn't sense some gender displacement in the objects of their affection? All that pining by Orsino over a hopeless love seems a way of being perfectly safe from being accepted. And Olivia with Sebastian/Viola?? Here lies one of my criticisms. Leith Burke's portrayal of Duke Orsino lacked the deep melancholy, which was such a fashionable pose of the privileged and educated of W.S.' time. Played with the right fantastic touch, his melancholy reveals itself for what it is: absurd and not a little funny. He opens the play with "If music be the food of love..." which should reflect his melancholic fantastic mind and was particularly disappointing to me in lacking that regard.

Feste, (Michael Milligan) One of Willy the Shakes Great Clowns (they called him Willy the Shake cause he shook everybody!!) with laughing and tears!. Like most of the Fools in the Masters' works Feste is, behind all his jesting, the voice of sanity, warning his clients of exceeding the limits of what is proper and good to the human condition., He's not above revenge when Malvolio includes him in his harsh judgment of the drunken crew and twists his comic jab with a repeat of Malvolio's "some have greatness etc." at the much humiliated Puritan. Julia Coffee as Viola/Cesario hits the right note as Cesario as he /she inadvertently seduces the cloistered Olivia out of her sulk.

I found myself laughing again at some new angle; sometimes moments after a joke had hit me the first time. And further on, reflecting about what was really happening having an "Aha!" moment There is no other playwright that I know ( maybe Beckett) that demands your attention to the text as W.S. Believe me, you will be rewarded by much enjoyment and a good bit of insight in to the Human Condition.

I can't say the conceit of opening and closing the play with the child Olivia and her stuffed toy sleeping during a storm, intimating that all that follows is her Dream ("This little life rounded by a sleep") worked for me. It did give some solution to the always awkward asides that are meant to convey necessary information to the audience but not to the other characters onstage. When Viola, or whomever, makes this little Fairy Dust Sprinkling gesture, all other action on stage freezes while she delivers the inside scoop to the audience. This is always accompanied by little tinkling bells. Umm?

The ending was a little weak, not leaving me with that satisfied feeling that all wrongs are righted and the "shes" and "hes" are rightly matched. But maybe that's the way it is. Did I mention there are humorous and heartrending musical interludes? The poetry of Festes' final song "The rain it raineth every day" gets me every time, and this Feste has a voice that can really deliver this 16th century version of the Blues.

I saw the daytime show, soaking up the sun and beauty of the Festival Glen thus missing the magic of the lighting that, from all reliable reports, makes this production of Twelfth Night or What you Will a magical experience. I'll go again at night.

"Friends, what land is this? This is Illyria Lady". And so it was for some 3 hours. This production is fit and suitable for all levels of experience with Shakespear from beginners (be not afraid, fear no art!!) to the fans of WS. Go and enjoy!!, and talk among yourselves...

Simon Kelly.

I'd just emphasize that seeing Twelfth Night at night time would be a lot more visual and comfortable than the matinees. Call 831 459-2159 for tickets or go to www.shakespearesanta cruz.org. -Bruce

Pat Levy, July 25, 2005

"I remember watching this parade from Pacific Ave. in front of the Hip Pocket. Were the cars really going towards the ocean? How memory fails. That was also the event where one of the parade princesses or whatever they were called, went off the road up near the west entrance at the new U.C.S.C. Is this all a dream?"

MIXED BAG ON COASTAL COMMISSION APPOINTMENTS.

THANKS FOR TAKING THE TIME TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Dear Coastal Advocates:
I first want to thank everyone for all the meetings, the many hours, and the thousands and thousands of letters that you sent to encourage Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez to consider a fair and open public process for appointments to the California Coastal Commission.

It is, however, with great disappointment that I inform you that on Thursday, Speaker Nunez declined our invitation and instead simply reappointed Monterey County Supervisor Dave Potter. Mr. Potter, as you know, enjoys a very poor conservation voting record on the Commission and consistently exhibits a very aggressive pro-development perspective. Mr. Potter's 7-year tenure on the Commission will now be extended to 11 years and our coastal development woes will likely continue to worsen.

This will obviously create a very difficult situation regarding all coastal development, and in particular the proposal by the Pebble Beach Company to chop down 17, 000 native Monterey Pine trees for yet another golf course in Monterey. As you know, Mr. Potter has already endorsed this project and has publicly encouraged people to ignore (and allow the Commission to overturn) coastal staff's many years of analysis and recommendations that the project is patently inconsistent with the Coastal Act.

The Coastal Commission appointments are the most important appointments an Assembly Speaker will ever make, and they will determine the Speaker's coastal legacy. While we will continue to urge Speaker Nunez to embrace coastal protection, he will inevitably be judged by Dave Potter's destructive voting record.

On the bright side, this was not the only Coastal Commission appointment made in the last few weeks. Great Coastal Places is very proud of Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata! He not only reappointed coastal champion Mary Shallenberger, but Senator Perata also responded to environmentalists and decided against reappointing Orange County Coastal Commissioner Toni Iseman. In her place Senator Perata has appointed Manhattan Beach City Council Member Jim Aldinger.

Lastly, Chula Vista Mayor Steve Padilla has been appointed to replace outgoing Commissioner Scott Peters, who resigned after three years on the job. We have high hopes and are determined to work closely with both Mr. Aldinger and Mr. Padilla over the next four years to assist them in standing up to special interests and development pressures and protect our coast.

All in all, the Coastal Commission is in far better shape than it was just a few months ago. While it is disappointing that Speaker Nunez chose to ignore the unprecedented outpouring of support for coastal protection, at the end of the day, Great Coastal Places was able to highlight coastal protection in three of four of the Commission appointments at stake. Scott Peters and Toni Iseman are no longer on the Commission and Mary Shallenberger is here to stay. And you, the dedicated activists with Great Coastal Places, played a large role in making that happen.

Until next time,
Mark Massara, Director, Sierra Club Coastal Programs

From: "Pat Levy"
To:
Sent: Monday, July 18, 2005 12:31 AM
Subject: photo 6/64

I remember watching this parade from Pacific Ave. in front of the Hip Pocket. Were the cars really going towards the ocean? How memory fails. That was also the event where one of the parade princesses or whatever they were called went off the road up near the west entrance at the new U.C.S.C. Is this all a dream?

Bruce -regarding the film Brothers that you praised so highly....
Why do you think I married a Dane and chose to live in Copenhagen? Right, to see more Danish films. With writers and directors like Thomas Vinterberg, Nicolas Winding Refn, Soren Kragh-Jacobsen, Lars von Trier, Bille August, Gabriel Axel, and of course the master himself, Carl Theodor Dreyer, who could ask for anything more?!

Denmark is a clean country. Beautiful Copenhagen was home to a lot of American jazz musicians during the '60s. They also have great cartoon/comic book ilustrators like Teddy Kristiansen.

Denmark subsidizes artists. Denmark saved its Jews from the Nazis. Isak Dinesen, wasn't she Danish? Carl Dreyer was. So were Hamlet, Hans Christian Andersen, and Sψren Kierkegaard.

Ron

Dear Bruce,

I just read your June 14th and June 21st newsletters on line. Being "retired", and therefore supposedly having nothing else to do with my time (ha!), I offer the following comments:

YOUR JUNE 14TH NEWSLETTER

Another "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" movie

• The first was made in 1941 and starred Robert Montgomery and Carole Lombard. See the following website: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0780626699/102-2041358-7188962?v=glance

Quotations

• "The illegal we do immediately. The unconstitutional takes a little longer." - Henry Kissinger
• Would it not be prudent to cite the sources of quotes like Mr. Kissinger's? I'll bet he wishes he had erased that part of the tape in his office!

Santa Barbara gridlock.

• Thanks for pointing me to the "Letters to the Editor" section of your newsletter.
• Ms. Brocklebank's must have had mental telepathy when she wrote you on June 13th: On June 9th, I was on my way to Ojai for that town's annual one-weekend music festival and, being late, passed through Santa Barbara at the evening rush hour. The stop-and-go traffic added 25 minutes to my trip.

• Forty-five years ago I was taken to the Ojai festival by Henri Temianka, famed violinist (Paganini Quartet) and music director of the California Chamber Symphony. Mr. Temianka was the music director of the Ojai weekend, and scheduled all new music (Lukas Foss, John Cage, Robert Kraft).
• Of course it was like so much noise to my untrained ear. But I decided to get back on the horse, so I continued attending every year since then (in fact, we long-time attendees were asked for oral histories this year, and next year will be honored at the Ojai festival's 60th anniversary).
• Thus, when my husband (since deceased) and I started visiting our daughter Luisa (you know her -- she broadcasts on KZSC) up here in Santa Cruz, and I discovered the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music, it was like meeting old friends. My first time was when John Adams did his last stint as artistic director (1992?).
• One of the musicians I met is cellist Virginia Kron, who lives in Ojai. She solos around Southern California.
• I attended one of her concerts -- in Santa Barbara -- and to my surprise, two of the three composers mentioned above were in attendance! I had a fine long chat with them.

Cuba film series