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| Once a garage, the remodeled Purple Rose Theater, opened in 1991, sports a simple marque. |
What do you do while agitating your badly clogged rapidograph nibs for hours so you can make decent presentation drawings? This Ms. Gibbs went to the theater.
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| While Ms. Gibbs' nibs agitated for hours, she played hooky--not the first time, or the last. |
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| Jeff Daniels, star of stage and screen, playwrite and staunch supporter of everything Michigan. |
But I have to apologize for my blurry photographs. I really do need a new battery for my very old, but favorite Konica Minolta. While no photographs were allowed while the play was on, I did manage to sneak one of the stage set with my pocket sized honey before the action began. And do watch the talent of Jeff Daniels. His monologue on The New Room is so apropos as our elections approach next month. It really is time, we got off our obese butts and put a guy in charge that has run a large corporation. Do we want a sweet talker, or the silent type who knows more about moving mountains than giving folksy speeches?
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| From third row center, the stage set for Superior Doughnuts, a play by Tracy Litts |
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| The bar at Fleming's where dieting is impossible. Between five and seven, they have a menu where everything is six bucks. Ellis had lamb chops. I had short ribs and a lettuce wedge with enough blue cheese dressing to clog my sinuses as closed off as my pens. Which, by the way, are flowing just fine this morning. |
JEFF DANIELS PERFORMING IN THE NEWS ROOM, AN HBO SPECIAL SERIES:
I think you need to watch that show more carefully. Those "monologues" often discuss the extent to which corporations pose a threat to our democracy not that their top-down, authoritarian, blurring of legislation, executive, and judiciary yields leaders who can realize the principles of liberty, equality, and justice.
ReplyDeleteSorry, but we hold these truths to be self-evident.
What's self evident is: we're in business, albeit the largest corporation in a global community that has been suffering economically since 2008 if not before. The business at hand is unemployment. At 20% unemployment,(I'm including the many partially unemployed people like myself), I want a business guy. Not a guy who was good looking, charming, well spoken, but very wet behind the ears, ran nothing and served his country for a minute. All of our presidents inherit the mistakes of the previous guys in office, get blamed for them and try to fix the various situations with bandaids so they look good. In case you haven't noticed, the major job of our politicians has been to get re-elected by looking good, not necessarily being good. Half their time in office is spent campaigning and saying what they think will win votes. While they are banking their salary checks, we're bleeding. Corporations provide jobs. Mom and Pop design/build businesses provide jobs. Entrepreneurial, innovative folks provide jobs. Jobs make people happy. When people are happy, they will sit down calmly and discuss everything from health care to the educational system to what to do with terrorists in the Middle East. They will buy art.
DeleteCorporations built this country. It's okay to be rich. I'd like to be rich. I work for the rich to get rich myself. Money is a trickle down deal. I'd like more of it to trickle down to secure the middle class, which is shrinking, and to buy art supplies.
Perhaps you didn't recognize the quote from our "Declaration of Indepenence". Not a fan of Mr. Jefferson?
DeleteThe largest corporation in the world has headquarters in Cupertino, but all of its manufacturing is done through employees in China (80% of its corporate work force). That corporation has no interest in employing Americans because it would be bad for the bottom line (since increased wages would lead to price hikes and reduced sales, etc). That same corporation, despite having 117 billion in cash reserves, is not doing much hiring. But their stock price is through the roof. Well, at least until the recent riots at their plant caused it to drop a bit.
We had a president who ran a corporation. He brought the stock market to just above 7000. It's nearly doubled since then.
How about a nice game of chess? :-)
DeleteThere are no words or replies that can fix the above, but I like this offer of chess! smiles your way!
DeleteIf people could punish those who don't do as they preach, then I would believe in elections; for now, I don't believe in anyone who want's the vote of people... I think Europe-and Greece- is more anxious for the result of your elections that Americans themselves...
ReplyDeleteI'm glad to see that you had a good day!!! I would have thrilled to see Jeff Daniels on stage!
Oh, and I really do like your watercolour painting(previous post) :)
Hugs and smiles, my dear Linda!
They can't do what they promise Konstantina. The promises are made to win votes, before they actually sit in the hot seat, look at the extent of the problems and realize there is no easy, simple fix. There's only hard love and bi-partisan cooperation between all the branches of government.
DeleteWe had a great day. And so did my pens. I've got the two most important ones flowing freely.
Unfortunately, though I brought a cold home with me from the theater which was freezing. So I going to drink tea and watch the telly and stay warm.
Such a cool post! I am a big fan of Jeff Daniels, and not just because I was born and raised in Michigan! Because now I'm even more a Minnesota girl- but still my ties there are strong...and Jeff even writes the best of screen plays that we have right here in Minnesota...at the Theater in the Round was the last one I saw of his!
ReplyDeleteThank you. Me too-- and of Minneapolis' fabulous Walker Center. We've seen three of Jeff Daniel's plays and enjoyed every one. I do like theater in the round; it pulls the audience immediately into the action. I had the honor of seeing him on stage with Segourney Weaver a couple years back in Love Letters at a benefit for our museum. Both gave excellent performances and we had another a memorable evening.
DeletePlaying hooky to go to the theater has been something I've been doing since high school. Live theater beats the movies. You're there. The actors are there. It's real.
After just reading your on the couch post I had to come and read unknown's comment...and of course watch the clip from the Newsroom again...it, just invigorates me every time I see it! Hope you have a wonderful weekend!
DeleteSomehow I don't think I knew you lived so close to me. I am about 30 minutes northwest of Chelsea and love that town.
ReplyDeleteI think before the weather takes its inevitable turn for the worse, we should try to meet in Chelsea. I think it would be a great sketching out of doors destination.
Still lovin' your blog,
xoxo
I was wondering if I was the only blogger in Michigan. When I mention blogging around here, my "pals" raise their eyebrows. Obviously, I am hanging with the wrong folks. I'm glad to meet you Vicki.
DeleteI'd say yes to the meet to paint, but I'm not prepared to paint outdoors. I had that on my to do list come Spring. I need gear for that. But next Spring, I'd be willing. Ann Arbor and the Huron river is very picturesque as well.
I think at this time of year it is better to wait for Spring, too. I don't really have painting equipment for out of doors (just a small travel wc palette), but I am trying to get more comfortable with sketching life outdoors.
DeleteA friend and I have made a couple of trips to the museum in Ann Arbor and it was fun and interesting.
Just a thought,
xoxo
You seem to have had a pleasant break from painting and all of the other projects you have going on.
ReplyDeleteNow, get back to work..... just kidding. =)
I did, but I was also working at getting those pens to flow--which I did with my last cup of pen cleaner. What luck was that? --Quit cracking that whip Roger. All work and no theater is all work boring:-). ( Why doesn't the large corporation from Cupertino make a happy face)?
DeleteI've learnt a few things here, Linda. But it also begs a questions: Why do people who lurk in the background, leap in, verbal guns blazing ... but without the conviction to announce themselves beyond 'unknown'?
ReplyDeleteI've learnt that you spell theatre, theater; and that you call TV, Telly ... I thought only the Brits called it that:0)
I like Jeff Daniels ... I like his brother Jack too :0) Oh! Chelsea is a district of London - see you there!
TO 'UNKNOWN', I've written a book about trans-national corporations ... they can't be American (its a contradiction in terms). If they were American then they couldn't be trans-national ... its in the title. Placing manufacturing into third world countries happens in most countries, it isn't unique to the US.
I thought "Unknown" was a cowardly name too for someone who obviously was riled by the monologue that was so well delivered by Jeff Daniels-- and/or its contents that there's room for improvement in our government. Perhaps he was riled too by the fact that I think unemployment is a major issue in this election? He did make it clear that he's really mad that manufacturing jobs have been outsourced. But I don't think he should be mad at Apple. Their devices may be manufactured in China, but the money comes back to the US. With cars that may be a different story? This is heavy stuff. I didn't intend it to be, but it sure is interesting.
DeleteI like the word telly instead of TV; TV sounds so boob-tube. Telly sounds friendly--like a campfire. Let's gather around the telly and sing songs.
Theater is theater, for if it was theatre, it would be French--and I wouldn't know how to pronounce it.
And I do like the name Chelsea. It does remind me of the Chelsea district in London, a lovely place to live if you have a very good position. Chelsea, Michigan is not that high end. It's just a lovely little town with some very interesting Victorian houses I'd love to renovate and you'd like to draw.
With regards to corporations, I suspect downsizing has been more of a global unemployment issue than outsourcing. Large companies getting rid of middle management positions has probably had the biggest impact on the middle class? Just guessing. I really don't know much about it. I do know we have a global economy that's very complex and all of us are feeling our way and it isn't easy. We're really such infants in this new age-- that's been dawning since Aquarius. Too bad I can't burst into song to lighten this discussion up. :-)
Oh how I've enjoyed this post, but I think I'm going to have to refrain from sharing all of the pleasures that it has given me but I should say that I enjoy complex political debate more than most and the temptations lying here have certainly got me salivating.
ReplyDeleteThe first season of Newsroom was fabulous telly, Sorkin is a very skilled writer and Jeff Daniels a fine actor. Also a night at the theatre ( note spelling) can be one of the most stimulating ways to spend time and I wouldn't think of it as playing hooky, anything that stimulates the imagination is grist to the mill of the artist but also humanising for any of us.
My reluctance to take up the political/economic arguments is all down to the fact that I don't vote in your polity, although I find it endlessly fascinating and have strong views about it.
Glad the pens survived their rehabilitation.
Oh jump in Mick. Politics and religion, the two subjects no one should touch if they want to keep the conversation friendly (and attract followers), can be so entertaining as long as you're secure in your ideology. If not, you're going to get riled. I guess I did push someone's buttons. I might have been having a snit over having to work, rather than paint? When I think about it, it's ludicrous that I should firmly believe that employment is a major issue in this election when I was very happy last week working at my hobby and being unemployed. I guess that piece of info puts the percentage of unemployed in this country down to 19%?
DeleteDear Unknown: Please do us all a favor and either stay Unknown, or change your name to Unknowing. You obviously have no knowledge in this area beyond the scope of media brainwashing.
ReplyDeleteI highly distrust the media. The broadcast stations are as stilted as our brainwashed, partisan political figures. You've got to read everything you can get your hands on to get some idea of what's really going on. We don't know where Unknown is getting his info. All we know is he's got tunnel vision.
Deleteso, you did indeed get the pens to work? I'm impressed! I love live theater. I haven't been in a long time. Thanks for the video...entertaining!
ReplyDeleteI did indeed. They are flowing beautifully after just twenty four hours bubbling away in undiluted pen cleaner solution. I really didn't want to have to buy. This surge of business is promising, but can it be counted on? I thought that monologue was very stimulating.
DeleteLinda, it sounds like you had a great day away from the paints and brushes. I saw the clip a few months ago. It is brilliant! I am amazed it was aired.
ReplyDeleteWhy were you amazed? It was an interesting viewpoint. There's always room for improvement.
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