Saturday, June 30, 2007

The Nurses Speak



M*A*S*H Cast:

The Nurses

The Evansville Community Theatre summer production of M*A*S*H opened last night to a receptive crowd. Those in attendance were treated to a night of comedy and drama at the PAC. Will you be there tonight?

The nurses in the play sat down before a recent rehearsal to talk with the play’s publicity coordinator and give their behind-the-scenes thoughts on pulling it all together. There was much talk about juggling jobs, kids, and rehearsals, but agreement that it’s all worth it.

Are you having a good time putting on this play?
Melissa Schnepper/Margaret Houlihan: I’m having fun because I didn’t know anyone
here, so I’m meeting a bunch of new people. I haven’t been in the theatre in over ten years so it’s good to get back to it. There are lots of lovely people here, very friendly. A very nice group to work with.
Michelle Allen/Louise Kimball: This is my first time doing anything like this. Lori
Soderberg’s the one who asked me. This is way out of my box. I’ve never done anything like this, not even in high school. I work at the pharmacy, I’m used to playing sports, volleyball, basketball, soccer, I’m a welder, I do auto body work, and this is totally different.
Denise Sobeski/Janice Fury: I’m having fun because I have done this before. I like
escaping from reality for a little while and turning into my character. It’s always fun to watch my character evolve.
Michelle Allen/Louise Kimball: And you keep me on my toes!
Denise Sobeski/Janice Fury: As long as I don’t goof up and we both miss our cue!
Lori Soderberg/Bridget McCarthy: I love it because – look at the new friends I make.
How can you not want to be a part of that?
Hazel Cybart-Fuson/Nancy Phillips: It’s fun because there are lots of fun people
involved and because a friend of mine, Chelsea Lezotte, is in the play. I encouraged her to try out and I’m glad she got her first part in a play. She plays the Korean woman Sohng.
Lori Soderberg/Bridget McCarthy: I’m just glad you guys are all here!
Michelle Allen/Louise Kimball: I’m just glad you twisted my arm and dragged me in here!

What do you like about your own character?
Denise Sobeski/Janice Fury
: For me, I never really watched the show. When I accepted
the part, I had no idea who Janice Fury was.
Melissa Schnepper/Margaret Houlihan: My character is somewhat like myself in real
life, some days. You can ask my family about that. You can ask my co-workers about that. I’m somewhat regimented like I think she would be. In other ways I wish that I were. It’s a little bit extreme and I like to play that kind of character. It’s a lot of fun. Though some of it parallels my life in how I react to different things, in many ways it’s very much over the top, very serious. It’s fun to get out of your everyday life and get into something that’s over the top. It kind of lets a little steam off, too.
Michelle Allen/Louise Kimball: I like that mine is a small part just to get my feet wet a
little bit. I keep asking Lori questions about my lines like, “how should I say this?” I say it five different ways and they all sound good…so how do you know?
Lori Soderberg/Bridget McCarthy: Whatever feels right.
Denise Sobeski/Janice Fury: Or whatever the director tells you to do.

How do your characters get along with each other?
Lori Soderberg/Bridget McCarthy
: To me, I feel like the tomboy of the nurses.
Denise Sobeski/Janice Fury: It’s a pretty tight knit group, even though there’s a school-
type separation of the boys and the girls. I feel everyone is very well inter-connected and we all really stand together when the going gets tough.
Hazel Cybart-Fuson/Nancy Phillips: We all work together in everything -- in the operating room and in the day-to-day life of the MASH unit making sneaky plans with each either to get our way or have some fun.
Denise Sobeski/Janice Fury: I get the feeling we’re in the military, but we’re not Major
Houlihan. When there’s incoming wounded we get a bit more serious, but across the board we’re a little more about making the best of the situation while we’re here. We’re a little intimidated by her, but not so much that it’s going to stop us from being ourselves.

Aside from the outright comedy, what might the audience take away from play?
Lori Soderberg/Bridget McCarthy: The compassion they have for the Koreans in the play.
Denise Sobeski/Janice Fury: The compassion comes through in a strange way. We have to convince one of the characters to realize that life is worth it. It’s a little twisted in the way it’s done, because it’s done with humor, but these people really care.
Hazel Cybart-Fuson/Nancy Phillips: I think high school kids will like it because it’s not super-serious. We learn about the wars in school so you understand the concept – I just got done learning about the Korean War in tenth grade history, so it kind of ties in.

Why do you think people will enjoy this play?
Lori Soderberg/Bridget McCarthy: Because it’s hometown talent and I think that’s
very important to Evansville people.
Hazel Cybart-Fuson/Nancy Phillips: There are a lot of lines that will just really make you laugh. It’s humor that deals with serious circumstances. They use humor to lighten up the mood because it takes their mind off what’s really going on.
Melissa Schnepper/Margaret Houlihan: There’s great talent here, really. I’ve worked with a lot of different levels of professionalism in theatre…I’ve worked with community theatre before that wasn’t nearly as talented or wrapped up in it or organized or serious about the craft as here, and that makes it so much more enjoyable. We’re all having a great time and that reads from the stage, so everybody’s just going to naturally want to be a part of that and enjoy it.

M*A*S*H will be presented in the state-of-the-art Evansville Performing Arts Center at Evansville High School, 640 S. Fifth St. in Evansville. Performances are June 30, and July 5, 6, and 7 at 7:30 p.m.; with a matinee on July 1 at 2 p.m. Tickets are all general admission and are $8 in advance and $10 at the door. Tickets are available in advance in Evansville at the Union Bank and Trust, Piggly Wiggly, Evansville Pharmacy, and Bank of Evansville.

For information, contact producer Jennie Nehls at 608-882-4926 or by
e-mail at nenni68@charter.net.

sc-6-14-07

Just Wondering II

I wonder what those proponents of "getting government out of our lives" and "small government is best," feel about the ways that Dick Cheney has expanded the role and reach of the Vice President's Office.

Friday, June 29, 2007

Overture, Curtain, Lights




Tonight is Opening Night!

Don’t Miss M*A*S*H !
Presented by the Evansville Community Theatre
June 29 & 30, and July 5, 6, & 7 at 7:30 p.m.
Matinee on July 1 at 2 p.m.

What could be so funny about an army hospital on the front lines during the Korean War? Anyone who’s ever seen the television show MASH knows the answer to that…and anyone who hasn’t, will find out when they come to see the Evansville Community Theatre’s summer production of the comedy MASH.

There’s family-friendly fun all-around with this play. You’ll find the wisecracking doctors, Hawkeye and Duke; the humor of the straight-laced Major Houlihan and Frank Burns; the young clairvoyant Radar; and the nurses ready to pull a few pranks for a little revenge. When it’s not a laugh a minute, it’s three laughs a minute!

The play is presented in the state-of-the-art Evansville Performing Arts Center at Evansville High School, 640 S. Fifth St. Performances are June 29 and 30, and July 5, 6, and 7 at 7:30 p.m.; with a matinee on July 1 at 2 p.m. Tickets are all general admission and are $8 in advance and $10 at the door. Tickets are available in advance in Evansville at the Union Bank and Trust, Piggly Wiggly, Evansville Pharmacy, and Bank of Evansville.

Almost thirty Evansville community members are cast in the play, with a couple dozen more working behind the scenes. The cast features an assortment of people you see every day in Evansville. You might talk to Michelle Allen behind the counter at the Evansville Pharmacy – she plays nurse Louise Kimble. Of course you’ve bought stamps from Dave Persons at the Evansville Post Office – he’s Father Mulcahy. Let’s hope you haven’t had to see Tom Beaver, the cook Sergeant Devine, in his official capacity as an Evansville EMT. Ever asked for a special tip on which cuts of meat are best at the Piggly Wiggly? Frank Burns is played by Lee Dammen, the meat department manager. Or you might have had a haircut from PJ Spears – she plays the Korean woman, Nyng -- or a facial treatment from skin care expert Denise Sobeski , Nurse Janice Fury – both at All About You hair salon. Come see how these familiar faces become the humorous characters of MASH!

The production will also feature a home grown, USO-type show at intermission, with local talent and actors from the play. Enjoy some time travel back to the musical times of the early 1950’s.

The play, adapted by Tim Kelly, is based on the original book by Richard Hooker written in 1968. The name Richard Hooker was a penname for the author, Richard Hornberger. Hornberger based the book MASH on his own experiences as a surgeon at the 8055 Mobile Army Surgical Hospital during the Korean War. The character of Hawkeye is based on himself.
In addition to the play, the movie and the popular television series are also both based on the book. MASH, the movie, directed by Robert Altman, was released in 1970. It was nominated for five Academy Awards, and won an Oscar for its screenplay.

Of course, the television show MASH is most familiar to people. It ran from 1972 to 1983, with a total of 251 episodes, and won 14 Emmy Awards. The finale of the series was the most-watched show in television history. Even today, the series runs on television almost daily. The program is still so popular due to its quirky comedy mixed with drama, and the endearing combination of characters.

Action in the play takes place in a simpler time, during the Korean War. The hostilities of the Korean War occurred from 1950 to 1953, though Congress extended the official war period to 1955. During those five years, 6.8 million American men and women served in the military. The fact that women served alongside men in the MASH units brings a different element to the story. In real life, more than 120,000 women were on active duty in Korea as nurses and at support units nearby in Japan and other far eastern countries.

Don’t miss the chance to include a MASH performance in your 4th of July week celebrations. For more information about the play, contact producer Jennie Nehls at 608-882-4926 or by e-mail at nenni68@charter.net. Or check the Evansville Community Theatre website at www.ectstagelights.org.

####
sc-6-22-07

Tuesday, June 26, 2007

Get Your Tickets Now


M*A*S*H Cast:
The Doctors

The week before opening opening night, the MASH doctors sat down with the play’s publicity coordinator to give readers an inside look at their roles.

Are you having a good time putting on this play?
Darrell Hammond/Trapper John: It’s so much different than anything I’ve ever been
in, with the three different scenes on the stage the whole time. It takes a lot more coordination between the whole cast as opposed to closing the curtain to change scenes.
Lyman Fuson/Duke: Timing is everything on this one. Like one scene with Hawkeye,
Henry Blake, and Duke in the mess tent -- they have to fire off the lines really fast. As Tom [Tom McKittrick, the director] said at the beginning, “With last summer’s Beverly Hillbillies, hillbillies strike oil and go to Beverly Hills. That’s just inherently funny. With this play, the humor depends more on how it’s delivered.”

What do you like about your own character?
Paul Cargill/Walt: When he’s happy, he’s happy. He’s happy in the army, he’d be
happy back home. He’s interested in keeping the other people happy, he’s sort of the informal “recreation officer.” He’s trying to help lighten the load by supplying the bingo and the gambling.
Dave Sobeski/Hawkeye: Hawkeye’s very passionate about his job. He’s very serious
about doing the best job he can, but it’s on his terms. He can’t stand regulations for regulations’ sake. He despises the camp Army clowns of Burns and Houlihan. But he’s very close to not only the doctors, but also to the enlisted men, the nurses, everybody who saves lives. That’s what he’s all about.
Lyman Fuson/Duke: Duke’s pretty much the same way. They’re both schemers, but
they don’t scheme to do bad things. They want to help the camp. And they’re not afraid of Henry Blake.
Darrell Hammond/Trapper John: Trapper’s the old reliable. He’s there the whole
time. He’s the backbone of the unit.
Rick Larson/Ugly: The reason I like Ugly is that he doesn’t have a big part in the book,
the TV show, or the movie. He’s in there, but he’s just sort of a bystander. That gave open range to make the part whatever we want it to be, which makes it pretty cool.
Lyman Fuson/Duke: To some extent that’s what Duke has, too. He’s in the movie, but
he’s never in the television show.
Paul Cargill/Walt: Walt isn’t in the television show either. But we’re not doing the
television show. This is closer to the book than anything.

How do your characters get along with each other?
Paul Cargill/Walt: I think everybody likes Walt, the dentist. They’re concerned about
him.
Dave Sobeski/Hawkeye: Walt is the center of the social scene and we need you. You’re
essential.
Paul Cargill/Walt: Yes, it’s pretty much a show about an army dentist and all the other
people that come and go in his life!
Dave Sobeski/Hawkeye: Duke and Hawkeye are very close. There’s a bond there. You
presume they didn’t know each other before they hit Korea. They’re very similar spirits, so they connect and they stay connected. They’re kind of connected at the hip throughout the play.
Lyman Fuson/Duke: Hawkeye and Duke are the ones who always have a plot.
Rick Larson/Ugly: I really like Hawkeye and Duke. They’re the ringleaders. When
they come in, they just kind of organize everything. And even though they’re full of wise cracks, they do show their true colors at times. They’ve got heart.
Lyman Fuson/Duke: These are the guys that are all in the operating room trying to save
lives together and they all rely on each other.

Aside from the outright comedy, what might the audience take away from play?
Paul Cargill/Walt: I want people to remember this war. I really hadn’t thought about it
in a long time. I always liked to read about World War II and this was just sort of finishing up some of the things after World War II.
Dave Sobeski/Hawkeye: Isn’t that one of the labels, “the forgotten war?” They called it
a police action at one time.
Paul Cargill/Walt: Yes, you can look it up as the “Korean conflict.”
Darrell Hammond/Trapper: One thing people will get out of it is the idea that war is
long periods of incredible activity followed by periods of complete boredom. For the doctors, there’d be weeks and weeks where they might just set a broken leg or pull out a big sliver, then for three weeks they might not sleep except on a pile of garbage out back.

Why do you think people will enjoy this play?
Paul Cargill/Walt: It’s only 8 bucks!
Rick Larson/Ugly: If you buy early!
Lyman Fuson/Duke: What can you get for 8 bucks?
Paul Cargill/Walt: A lot of the people from The Beverly Hillbillies are in this. The
director and producer are the same, so it should be the same type of quality performance. We’re right here in the Performing Arts Center with a better sound system. We’re going to have helicopters and howitzers – right here in the PAC. You don’t want to miss it -- it’s only 8 bucks!
Darrell Hamond/Trapper: I think it will be really funny. When I first read the script, I thought there weren’t that many funny parts that Trapper was in. But when you see it on stage, and as we get a little better each night we do it, there’s really a lot of humor in there.
Dave Sobeski/Hawkeye: The play is a comedy, even though the movie was more of a
dark comedy.
Paul Cargill/Walt: A “dramedy” or a “com-a.”
Dave Sobeski/Hawkeye: This play doesn’t have any of the darkness of the movie. It’s
just more comedy.
Lyman Fuson/Duke: The more we work on it, we start to see lines that are really funny
when we deliver them just the right way.
Rick Larson/Ugly: That’s the key thing, too. Like Tom said, with the Beverly Hillbillies
last year, we could have sat up there and just read the script and had people laughing. With this one, we actually have to work at it. And that makes it more fun for us, too.
Lyman Fuson/Duke: Jethro [played by Rick Larson in the Beverly Hillbillies] isn’t
going to carry in a telephone pole for laughs this time!
Paul Cargill/Walt: He was stupid then and now he’s ugly.
Rick Larson/Ugly: Where does one go from here?!
Paul Cargill/Walt: Nowhere to go but up!

####

sc – 6/19/07

Monday, June 25, 2007

The Republicans' Turn (via McSweeney's)

McSweeney's is going through kind of a tough time right now trying to make back $130,000 lost when a distributor went bankrupt. They're having an auction and sale to make back some of that money. Follow the links above if you want to see what's up for sale and then enjoy their analysis of the:


PROS AND CONS OF THE TOP 20

REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES.
BY JOHN MOE


1. RUDY GIULIANI
Pro: Unifying force after 9/11; articulate speaker.
Con: The whole "pro-choice, pro-gun-control, New Yorker, used to live with gay dudes, adultery" thing might hurt him with conservatives. A bit.


2. JOHN MCCAIN
Pro: Comforting resemblance to character actor Gavin MacLeod.
Con: Murray from The Mary Tyler Moore Show lacked leadership qualities and Captain Stubing from Love Boat got a little goofy whenever Charo was a guest star, leaving executive branch vulnerable to Charo impersonators who are actually Al Qaeda operatives.


3. MITT ROMNEY
Pro: Named after Mittens, the family cat, later shortening name to "Mitt." People love cats.
Con: Religious beliefs could create problems, as many Americans may not be ready to accept worshiper of ancient Egyptian god Ra.


4. ZOMBIE RONALD REAGAN
Pro: Probably the most Reaganesque candidate available; if stoked with the brains of the living, should operate in an acceptable fashion.
Con: Long-dead eyes lack that magic twinkle; inhuman groans negatively impact "Great Communicator" status.


5. FRED "TOMMY" THOMPSON
Pro: Diverse résumé includes stints as governor of Wisconsin, senator from Tennessee, cabinet secretary, and several TV acting gigs.
Con: Contractually bound to appear in all 319 Law & Order programs currently in production.


6. MIKE HUCKABEE
Pro: Lost 110 pounds due to health concerns, potentially allowing him to serve as healthy example for overweight Americans.
Con: Those 110 pounds have reconstituted into a diminutive all-fat Democratic consultant who knows Huckabee's every move. I Heart Huckabees was pretty uneven.


7. SAM BROWNBACK
Pro: Serves as a positive role model for ethnic brownbacks all over the country.
Con: Such an ethnicity does not technically exist; lacks the pen-gripping power of Kansas Senate predecessor Bob Dole.


8. NEWT GINGRICH
Pro: Well known.
Con: See above.


9. EDDIE VAN HALEN
Pro: I tell you what, he would bring the nations of the world together through ROCK! He'd be all deedly-deedly-deedly-DEE-DEE-DEE! on his guitar and the bosses of the other countries would be all, "Whoa! Let's stop fighting and start rocking!"
Con: Drunken wretched mess.


10. DUNCAN HUNTER
Pro: Appears to be some sort of politician who wants to be president, I guess. That's all anyone in the entire nation knows about him, including himself and his family.
Con: Born with two last names, though this liability could be mitigated by teaming with Texas Representative Ron Paul, who is also running.


11. ROBOTIC SUPER BEES
Pro: Programmed mandate to destroy enemies with unrelenting deadly force could be an advantage in contentious general-election fight and when facing down hostile nations or other bees.
Con: Murderous instinct less advantageous in delicate diplomatic negotiations and the parsing of complex tariff issues.


12. BIGFOOT
Pro: Available; independent; tall.
Con: Elusive; smelly; once elected he could disappear into the woods around Camp David and we'd never see him again.


13. YOUR MAMA
Pro: Strong personality; nurturer; kind; strict when she has to be; always shows up at soccer games or school plays; skilled at managing a busy family.
Con: Upon her election, nation would be instantly vulnerable to any number of verbal attacks about president being so fat, so ugly, so stupid, etc.


14. OHIO STATE CENTER GREG ODEN
Pro: Size; soft hands; positive attitude; high basketball IQ; given America's recent losses abroad, nation is automatically eligible for first pick in upcoming draft, so he will be available.
Con: Once his rookie contract is up, Oden would be free to sign with any other nation on the planet for bigger money.


15. KENNY LOGGINS
Pro: Is all right; therefore, no one needs to worry about him.
Con: Gonna take you right into the danger zone.


16. CHUCK HAGEL
Pro: Could potentially deliver his home state of Nebraska to the Republicans.
Con: Risks losing votes of near-sighted supporters of Kierkegaard, Schopenhauer, Heidegger, and Nietzsche who think the ballot says "Hegel."


17. A HUGE BARREL OF OIL
Pro: Coveted; influential; beloved by business community; understood by allies and enemies alike.
Con: Unlikely to support biodiesel-fuel development in the Midwest, potentially hurting chances in Iowa primary; slick.


18. A WOMAN OF SOME SORT
Pro: Could win support of other women.
Con: Women are not allowed to join the Republican Party.


19. CHEERS
Pro: Pretty funny show to watch when there's nothing else on.
Con: Frustrated voters may want to be able to pick and choose which part of the show to vote for, preferring the Shelley Long years over the Kirstie Alley years or stocking up on mostly Lilith episodes, but it doesn't work like that. You have to vote for the whole show.


20. OHIO
Pro: Could deliver crucial votes in Ohio.
Con: President would spend way too much time agonizing over the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame; sleeping arrangements in new White House, which would span hundreds of square miles, could get contentious.

Better Yet. Take 15 More Seconds To Proofread

Apparently they're not real big on checking your work.

Come And See The Show

It takes a whole village…well not quite, but it does take a lot of community members to put on a play like the Evansville Community Theatre’s summer production of M*A*S*H! Chances are, you’ll find many of your friends and neighbors in the production crew list, as well as in the updated cast list.





M*A*S*H cast:
General Hammond: Bill Reed
Private Boone: Andrew Lust
Lt. Colonel Henry Blake: Jim Brooks
Nurse Bridget McCarthy: Lori Soderberg
Nurse Janice Fury: Denise Sobeski
Sergeant Devine: Tom Beaver
Frank Burns: Lee Dammen
Father Mulcahy: Dave Persons
Captain Walt Waldowski: Paul Cargill
Trapper John: Darrell Hamilton
Captain John Black “Ugly:” Rick Larson
Radar O'Reilly: Erik Worthington
Hawkeye Pierce: Dave Sobeski
Duke Forrest: Lyman Fuson
Ho-Jon: Carl Soderberg
Private Lopez: Tyler Franklin
Nyng: PJ Spears
Sohng: Chelsea Lezotte
Nurse Nancy Phillips: Hazel Cybart-Fuson
Major Margaret Houlihan: Melissa Schnepper
Congresswoman Goldfarb: Linda Draeving-Hammack
Dean Mercy Lodge: Jennie Nehls
Miss Randazzle: Mary Whitney-Hartje
Mitzi: Carly Kimberly
Fritzi: Chelsea Schmit
Agnes: Gwen Manion
Connie Liebowitz: Mary Whitney-Hartje
Crazylegs: Cody Marenas
Major Ruth Haskell: Nancy Krohn


M*A*S*H production crew:


Master Carpenter/Set Design
Greg Marshall, Tom Beaver, Rick Larson, Lyman Fuson, Dave Persons, Darrell Hamilton, Bill Reed, Andrew Lust, Lee Dammen, Erik Worthington


Props
Tom McKittrick, Nancy Krohn, Linda Draeving-Hammack, Jim Brooks, Tom Beaver, Jennie Nehls


Costumes
Tom McKittrick, Melissa Schnepper, Mary Whitney-Hartje, Nancy Krohn,
Jennie Nehls, Lori Soderberg, Melissa Whitmore, Sandy Franklin


Hair & Makeup
Denise Sobeski, PJ Spears, Carly Kimberly, Gwen Manion, Chelsea Schmit


Lights
Cody Marenas, Carl Soderberg, Tim McKittrick, Kathryn Hamilton


Sound
Paul Cargill, Clark Cybart-Fuson, Hazel Cybart-Fuson, Chelsea Lezotte, Garrett Carlson


Publicity
Sharon Cybart, Mark Spatafore, Dave Sobeski, Jim Brooks, Jennie Nehls, Tyler Franklin

M*A*S*H will be presented in the state-of-the-art Evansville Performing Arts Center at Evansville High School, 640 S. Fifth St. in Evansville. Performances are June 29 and 30, and July 5, 6, and 7 at 7:30 p.m.; with a matinee on July 1 at 2 p.m. Tickets are all general admission and are $8 in advance and $10 at the door. Tickets will be available in advance in Evansville at the Union Bank and Trust, Piggly Wiggly, Evansville Pharmacy, and Bank of Evansville.



####
sc-6/1 /07

Note From The Parade

The Oregon Summerfest Parade was as good as usual this year. I humbly offer these few observations.

Brett Davis was the only State politician in attendance. It's been a long time since I was at a parade with more firetrucks than pols. Where were you Senator Erps?

Marching band participation is way down, continuing a sad trend. Sun Prairie and Oregon were smaller than I remembered but the band from Sandwich IL was decimated and the once-mighty Dakota IL band couldn't even muster a horn line. Thankfully, Lakeside and the Lutheran Vanguard were on hand to blow the dump down.

The Road to Hell may or may not be paved with good intentions and the Streets of El Dorado may or may not be paved with gold but the road past Kwik Trip is positively paved with Tootsie Rolls and Dum Dums. Seriously, it's time to rethink throwing candy to dwindling crowds.

Being the third group handing out freeze pops has to be as demoralizing as being the first is expensive.

Handing out crayons to the toddlers is a wonderful alternative to candy. Winging crayons out onto hot asphalt to be run over by antique John Deeres is a little less wonderful.

Sunday, June 24, 2007

Images From Korea




Sharon Cybart has put together some images from Korea and real-life M*A*S*H units. Go take a look at the rest.




M*A*S*H will be presented in the state-of-the-art Evansville Performing Arts Center at Evansville High School, 640 S. Fifth St. in Evansville. Performances are June 29 and 30, and July 5, 6, and 7 at 7:30 p.m.; with a matinee on July 1 at 2 p.m. Tickets are all general admission and are $8 in advance and $10 at the door. Tickets are available in advance in Evansville at the Union Bank and Trust, Piggly Wiggly, Evansville Pharmacy, and Bank of Evansville.
For information, contact producer Jennie Nehls at 608-882-4926 or by
e-mail at nenni68@charter.net.


A Look At The Dems (via McSweeney's)

McSweeney's is going through kind of a tough time right now trying to make back $130,000 lost when a distributor went bankrupt. They're having an auction and sale to make back some of that money. Follow the links above if you want to see what's up for sale and then enjoy their analysis of the:
PROS AND CONS
OF THE TOP 20
DEMOCRATIC
PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES.
1. HILLARY CLINTON
Pro: Known commodity; strong fundraiser.
Con: Polarizing; unlikely to woo those already opposed to her.

2. BARACK OBAMA
Pro: Articulate; resembles foxy actor Blair Underwood.
Con: L.A. Law was kind of overrated now that you think about it.

3. JOHN EDWARDS
Pro: Has strong appeal to working-class voters.
Con: As a resident of two Americas, he must raise twice as much money and spend twice as much time campaigning.

4. BILL RICHARDSON
Pro: Appeals to all Latino voters with the last name "Richardson."
Con: New Mexico is legally part of Mexico; therefore, he's constitutionally ineligible.

5. JOE BIDEN
Pro: Technically still running for president.
Con: Dude. Come on.

6. DICK CHENEY IN AN ELABORATE LATEX DISGUISE THAT TAKES FIVE HOURS TO APPLY
Pro: Trojan horse, my friend. Trojan f*&^ing horse.
Con: Ruse would be so exciting that he would surely drop dead of a massive stroke about a month before Iowa.

7. OPTIMUS PRIME
Pro: Size; power; ability to emit short-range optic blasts.
Con: Potential attack ad: "Sometimes Optimus Prime is a robot, other times a truck. Which is it, Mr. Prime? America deserves a leader that doesn't transform whenever it's convenient."

8. ROSS PEROT
Pro: Hilarity.
Con: None.

9. DENNIS KUCINICH
Pro: Solid anti-war stance; adorable; strong to the finich.
Con: Election laws limit magical pixies to only one term in office.

10. JIMMY CARTER
Pro: Nobel Prize winner; available; just as good at not knowing what the hell to do about Iran as anyone else.
Con: Judging by photos, approximately 415 years old.

11. ALLEN IVERSON
Pro: Instant offense.
Con: Selfish with the ball; may have lost a step.

12. IRA GLASS
Pro: Thoughtful; self-effacing; like many Americans, enjoys cable television.
Con: At present, no budget line item exists for moody introspective music to underscore every statement president makes in order to make it sound more poignant.

13. BONO
Pro: Knowledgeable about global health issues; everyone seems to like him; Joshua Tree album.
Con: Too busy hugging everyone to actually execute the duties of office; no one likes the sound of "Vice President the Edge" or "Secretary of Health and Human Services Larry Mullen Jr."; the whole "Zoo TV" thing.

14. AL GORE
Pro: Knows how to get to the White House, where to park, location of restrooms.
Con: Wants to accomplish something meaningful.

15. WALTER MONDALE
Pro: Has spent last 22 years going over tape, reviewing mistakes, plotting, scheming, waiting, watching, preparing to pounce like a 79-year-old Minnesotan panther.
Con: None.
16. JESUS CHRIST
Pro: Could draw some initial interest from the Christian right until they research his actual positions in a deeper way; likable; strong leadership qualities.
Con: Unkempt; pretty far left; messianic complex.

17. THAT ONE GUY WHO SEEMED REALLY COOL
Pro: Remember? He was a senator or congressman or something? It was a while ago. He seemed super-smart but also normal. I saw him this one time.
Con: Crap, what was his name? Or was it a lady? Do you know who I'm talking about? Crap.

18. ZOMBIE LYNDON JOHNSON
Pro: Could sway red-state voters as well as Fangoria crowd; '60s-era campus unrest has died down.
Con: Tendency to groan instead of talk could hurt chances in live debates; constant need to feed on fresh brains could limit campaigning.

19. OPRAH WINFREY
Pro: Popular; influential; could rally the silent masses already violently opposed to Jonathan Franzen.
Con: May only exacerbate nationwide Maya Angelou plague that has decimated much of the nation.

20. YOU
Pro: Gained valuable exposure as Time magazine's Person of the Year; seems to be Internet-savvy.
Con: Ever since the Time thing, you've been awfully smug.

Saturday, June 23, 2007

M*A*S*H Interview- The Military Men

Ticket information is at the bottom of this post. Enjoy the interview.


M*A*S*H Cast:
The Military Men

The cast of the Evansville Community Theatre’s summer performance of M*A*S*H is rehearsing in the high school for hours almost every evening. Memorizing all those lines is the big task right now. After rehearsal last week, some of the military men of the show sat down with the play’s publicity coordinator to give you an inside look at putting on the play. There were lots of laughs along the way!

What do you like about your own character?
Tom Beaver/Sergeant Divine: He’s quite different, he’s a wheeler-dealer. He’ll
sell you anything that isn’t tied down…like the Bandaid Concession Stand at Yankee stadium.
Lee Dammen/Frank Burns: That’s what he tries to sell me!
Dave Persons/Father Mulcahy: But he knows he’s already sold it!
Jim Brooks/Colonel Blake: I like playing Henry because I get to pretend I’m in
charge. And even though it’s probably the captains and the enlisted men who are really running the place, I get to act like a commanding officer anyway.
Lee Dammen/Frank Burns: That’s one of the things I like about Burns. I can act like a jerk…completely out of character for me!
Erik Worthington/Radar: I really wanted to be Radar because he’s my favorite
character in Mash. He’s young, I’m young. But it kind of stinks having your ear right on the ground to listen for helicopters all the time!
Lee Dammen/Frank Burns: You’re probably the only one that could do it! The
rest of us couldn’t get back up again!

How do your characters get along with each other?
Lee Dammen/Frank Burns: Everybody hates me!
Tom Beaver/Sergeant Divine: And understandably so!
Jim Brooks/Colonel Blake: I think there’s respect for good doctors, more than
for good soldiers, and Frank is trying to be a good soldier without being a good doctor.
Dave Persons/Father Mulcahy: The Father was one of my favorite characters.
You thought he was naive, but you aren’t really sure that he’s naive. You’re never sure what he might do.

Aside from the outright comedy, what might the audience take away from play?
Jim Brooks/Colonel Blake: No matter how bad it looks, if you respect one
another and pull together as a group, you’re going to get through, when you wouldn’t necessarily as individuals.
Tom Beaver/Sergeant Divine: There’s a part regarding depression. The doctors basically said it the best…there’s always tomorrow.
Bill Reed/General Hammond: I’m one of the few in the cast that lived through
the conflict. I was not in Korea, but I lived through that era. Having a hospital on the front lines -- this was new. It was tried at the end of World War II, but they didn’t have the mobile hospital until Korea, such as what we’re portraying here. It’s a humane thing that has a lot of meaning.
Dave Persons/Father Mulcahy: It was the advent of the helicopter that made a
lot of that possible. A lot of innovations took place at that time with the mobile hospital, to be able to bring the soldiers to get treatment, not a hundred miles, but just a few miles away from where they got injured.

How is this experience going for you?
Jim Brooks/Colonel Blake: What’s so much fun for me being here is that this is
my first time being on stage in 30 years and I know there are at least two people who have never been on stage. Yet there are some who have been regulars in Evansville theatre and in the area. It’s just that blend of people who volunteer to come here and are working together to make a good evening -- and having a good time doing it. Like searching for costumes -- there is no olive drab in a thrift store within 45 miles of Evansville!
Lee Dammen/Frank Burns: I’m just thankful for all the people who have helped
me. I’m one who has never been in a play before. Everybody’s been pitching in and telling me how to practice and how to do this and that. Some of the people don’t know me from Adam and it seems like I’ve known them forever already. It’s going to be an honor to work with everyone.
Tom Beaver/Sergeant Divine: This is just one of many performances with the ECT.
Bill Reed/General Hammond: Last summer’s Beverly Hillbillies was my third
Play. There was a 30 to 40 year span since I was in Showboat and Oklahoma. A big span, and now two years in a row!
Dave Persons/Father Mulcahy: I’ve been in a lot of ECT plays. After I retired in 1992, my first play was the Odd Couple. Before that I’d been in high school musicals.
Erik Worthington/Radar: Mostly I’ve been in musicals before. This will be my
fourth play – the Evansville High School musicals, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying and Beauty and the Beast, and a Stoughton play.

Why do you think people will enjoy this play?
Dave Persons/Father Mulcahy: As with last summer’s play, The Beverly Hillbillies, M*A*S*H is something the greatest majority of people have seen on television. You can see a lot of your own life or people you know in it.
Bill Reed/General Hammond: I just discovered that M*A*S*H is still on!
Lee Dammen/Frank Burns: I know a gentleman who was in a M*A*S*H unit, I
believe in Vietnam. He claims he’s going to come and see this every night because he knows what it was like and he commented on my character. He says, “There was one of you in there. I can’t wait to see it – not that you’re that kind of a guy! It’s going to be fun to watch.” He’s excited to see it because he’s lived it.
Erik Worthington/Radar: I have high school friends that have seen M*A*S*H and they really like it. I’ve only seen a couple episodes of Mash and I really liked it.
Jim Brooks/Colonel Blake: With TV-Land and with cable, the high school kids have never lived in a time without the show. It’s been around continuously for 30 years.
Tom Beaver/Sergeant Divine: All I have to say is bring your family to the show and see our new family.
Jim Brooks/Colonel Blake: Get your tickets early, you don’t want to hear, “You should have been there last night.”

M*A*S*H will be presented in the state-of-the-art Evansville Performing Arts Center at Evansville High School, 640 S. Fifth St. in Evansville. Performances are June 29 and 30, and July 5, 6, and 7 at 7:30 p.m.; with a matinee on July 1 at 2 p.m. Tickets are all general admission and are $8 in advance and $10 at the door. Tickets are available in advance in Evansville at the Union Bank and Trust, Piggly Wiggly, Evansville Pharmacy, and Bank of Evansville.
For information, contact producer Jennie Nehls at 608-882-4926 or by
e-mail at nenni68@charter.net.

sc-6-6-07

Friday, June 22, 2007

Because Guns Defuse Violence

Permit to carry? check

Training? presumably

Position of responsibility? certainly

10 shots fired on a busy street? Just another day outside Walter Reed.

Thursday, June 21, 2007

Directly To Your Door

The Mayor of Commonsenseville has a picture of the truck bringing Owen's No-Tax Increase Pledges to the Capitol.

Wednesday, June 20, 2007

Why Can't They Learn the Local Language?

From ABC News:
Of the 1,000 U.S. employees at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, only 10 have a
working knowledge of Arabic, according to the State Department.
That is still a slight improvement from last year when, according to the Iraq Study Group, six people in the embassy spoke Arabic.

Owen Plants Trees: Can't See Forest

The erstwhile Mr Robinson makes a case somehow in his column for the West Bend paper that his no-taxes pledge has not led to the Republicans in the Lege to be obstructionists.

Owen even drags poor Wendy into his bad example of how his household would handle a similar situation. Owen wants to spend $25,000 on a new car while his spouse in the example would hold him to spending $15,000 on a new car. Owen says that since they can't agree that neither is obstructing the process. It's just an unfortunate disagreement. Owen never says how he and Wendy would come to a solution, if they'd just never spend any money because he couldn't have what he wanted so he drove the current car into the ground and wound up walking to work or if he and Wendy acted like actual grown-ups who decided on the relative benefits of buying a different car and working to compromise on an affordable alternative.

That's the difference here. Democrats are saying, "We need to talk. Rising costs have led to the need for rising sources of revenue. We have a level of benefit we need to provide. How can we best fund that program." The Republicans who have signed the pledge are saying, "Nah-nah-nah. I can't hear you. Neener neener neener."

Somewhere between funding all of the Governor's taxation request and sticking fingers in ears and saying, "No!" is a place called governance. If one side has a range of possible actions and the other side has nothing to bring to the table but a single negative response then the are being obstructionist.

They should be honest with themselves and with their constituents. Owen's Op-Ed is a stab at justifying the underlying dishonesty of governing by pledge rather than by statesmanship. I hope he realizes that the public can see childishness for what it is.

Let's take a look at Mike Huebsch and his Budgeteers courtesy of Monty Python.

Monday, June 18, 2007

Who Said That?

Who made the following statements about the immigration reform bill currently in Congress?
Talk radio is running America. We have to deal with that
problem.


I'm sure senators on both sides of the aisle are being pounded by these
talk-radio people who don't even know what's in the bill.


It was that well-known liberal, pansy, blowhard Trent Lott of Mississippi. You remember? The one who got his porch rebuilt after Katrina.

Sunday, June 17, 2007

Oh, My!

The beautiful Mrs. Circumstance and I went to APT at Spring Green last night for the opening night of Much Ado About Nothing. There were just the tiniest few first night fits and starts in what was an overwhemingly funny evening.

The play was wonderfully acted by the company and masterfully staged by the director. This is Shakespeare as it was meant to be, accesible to all. The company works together to take the foreigness from the language and action. This was a comedy that has earned a place on the modern stage.

Go. Buying a ticket isn't just supporting one of Wisconsin's fine arts organizations. It is giving yourself a break from routine and spending a lovely evening in one of the state's most beautifull areas.

Our Man On The Front Lines

What the President said was:
I can only tell you what people on the ground, whose judgment — it’s hard
for me, living in this beautiful White House, to give you an assessment,
firsthand assessment. I haven’t been there; you have, I haven’t.


But Tony Snow says that the President is on the front lines every day, sweating and facing death for America.

Q: Are there any members of the Bush family or this administration in this
war?
SNOW: Yeah, the President. The President is in the war every day.


Q: Come
on, that isn’t my question –
SNOW: Well, no, if you ask any president who is
a commander in chief –


Q: On the frontlines, where ever…
SNOW: The
President.



So is it this?






Or this?

Sunday, June 10, 2007

There's A Motion On The Floor

A response from the right (as opposed to the Right.)


Actively Not Getting It

I have tried to be good. I realize that blogging about the stupid things that Jess Bucher writes can seem just a little nasty and petty but the woman sets herself on such a all pedestal that it only seems fitting to honor the ghosts of Mencken and Clemens by chunking a few clods at her now and again.

McBride's Media Natters

1) There is no difference between traffic enforcement and warrantless wiretapping.

2) Because a group called Al Qaida in Iraq formed after the US invaded Iraq then the US must stay to fight them.

3) They're COPS. What could go wrong? The woman who builds one post a week on ineptitude or corruption in the MPD has no problems with giving up her SSN to anyone who asks.

4) It's not that politicians are wealthy. It's HOW politicians got wealthy that matters. Sometimes she appears to have journalistic instincts whatsoever.

I refuse to take a swing at the glamor shot Jess had up. Even she realized after one day that it wasn't the way she wanted to sell herself.

Jess McBride occasionally hits the nail on the head. She obviously cares about some people. It's just that, given her self-reverential Non-sequitir generating style she just doesn't deserve a spot as an opinion maker in the blogosphere.

Now, with a red rubber nose she'd be a fine match as a conservative foil to The Onion.

Friday, June 08, 2007

Coming Soon To A Stage Near You

M*A*S*H





Mark your calendars now. June 29th and 30th at 7:30. Matinee on July 1st. 7:30 again on July 5,6 and 7 at the Evansville Performing Arts Center at the High School.

Tickets are now available at 4 ticket outlets: Piggly Wiggly, UB&T, Bank of Evansville, and the Evansville Pharmacy. $8 in advance. $10 Day of show. Remind your friends, family and neighbors to buy in advance and save $2 per ticket. Tickets are general admission and are good for any of the 6 shows. Buy enough so that you can see the show twice.


Maybe I'm Just Too Judgemental

But this is kinda creepy.

John Ramsey and Beth Holloway Twitty Are Dating

In a match seemingly made in tabloid heaven, the father of murdered child beauty queen JonBenet Ramsey and the mother of missing-in-Aruba teen Natalee Holloway are dating, FOX News has confirmed.
John Ramsey, 63, and Beth Holloway Twitty, 46, have been romantically involved since January 2007, though the two met at a fundraiser last year.
The couple has been spotted openly holding hands and kissing in Mountain Brook, Ala. — where Twitty lives — and at an art show at a nearby art museum. They've also been seen at various restaurants.

Tuesday, June 05, 2007

Sunday, June 03, 2007