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This amazing antique carousel was one of two set up in plazas in Segovia the day we visited. The golden stone you see behind it is the Roman aqueduct.
Update: James said he didn’t think it was really antique, and he is correct. It’s made to look that way, but the two we saw were created by la MACHINE in Toulousse, France in 1999.
Annie McNamara and Gibson Frazier
Before we left I mentioned the play “God’s Ear” being produced by the wonderful company The New Georges. We saw it last weekend, and I highly recommend it. We were quite jet-lagged, and I was still thrilled with it. The language is experimental, funny, full of clichés (in a good way), and a bit broken. The amazing actors in the cast, along with the director Anne Kauffman and Michael Friedman’s songs, produce what could have been a somewhat formal exercise in language into a moving evening of theater. In an impressive cast, I have to say the performance of Annie McNamara as a tipsy bar fly in an airport lounge was a wonderful discovery.
This is one of the few plays I’ve seen in a while where I thought about going back a second night to watch it again.
The Brooklyn Rail has an article on the play written by the actress and playwright Heidi Schreck (who we saw with Gibson Frazier in Anne Washburn’s The Internationalist). It includes some excerpts:
MEL
And then we’ll kick up our heels. And have it both ways. And take a deep breath. And take it like men.And sit back. Relax.
And ride off into the horse-shit.
For richer, for poorer. In sickness and in health. And the fat lady will sing. With bells on.
Here are some reviews:
It runs through June 2nd. Go here to buy tickets.
[photo supplied by The New Georges]
These links are a good introduction to an article at TomDispatch by Chalmers Johnson, author of Nemesis: The Last Days of the American Republic. Here is an excerpt:
According to an NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll, released on April 26, 2007, some 78% of Americans believe their country to be headed in the wrong direction. Only 22% think the Bush administration’s policies make sense, the lowest number on this question since October 1992, when George H. W. Bush was running for a second term — and lost. What people don’t agree on are the reasons for their doubts and, above all, what the remedy — or remedies — ought to be.
The range of opinions on this is immense. Even though large numbers of voters vaguely suspect that the failings of the political system itself led the country into its current crisis, most evidently expect the system to perform a course correction more or less automatically. As Adam Nagourney of the New York Times reported, by the end of March 2007, at least 280,000 American citizens had already contributed some $113.6 million to the presidential campaigns of Hillary Rodham Clinton, Barack Obama, John Edwards, Mitt Romney, Rudolph Giuliani, or John McCain.
If these people actually believe a presidential election a year-and-a-half from now will significantly alter how the country is run, they have almost surely wasted their money. As Andrew Bacevich, author of The New American Militarism, puts it: “None of the Democrats vying to replace President Bush is doing so with the promise of reviving the system of check and balances…. The aim of the party out of power is not to cut the presidency down to size but to seize it, not to reduce the prerogatives of the executive branch but to regain them.” </blockquote>
Patricia Iglesias (detail of larger painting)
When you visit the 526 West 26th Street building, drop by the smallest gallery (a former utility closet) in Chelsea, started by curator Julia Trotta, to see what’s showing. There is a large painting by Patricia Iglesias up at the moment, and the other shows I’ve seen there have all been good.
Another favorite photo from the ones I’ve uploaded so far to flickr.
Strange Eyes, 2005
mixed media
While we were traveling, ArtCat got its first artist outside of the U.S., David Kefford. The work I’ve seen so far looks quite interesting, so I’m excited about this!
His about page says:
David Kefford is an artist who uses low-tech craft processes to transform “redundant and un-loved” found and ordinary objects into surreal creations imbued with human characteristics and emotions.
Check out the site as he adds more info, or subscribe to the RSS Feed to follow along.
Still getting caught up with email and work stuff. Posting will resume soon.
No, I didn’t post more in Spain. With one computer, we would spend too much time in the hotel room if both James and I were blogging/uploading photos.
If you can get to a TV, watch CNBC’s Power Lunch today at 1:15. I hear Edward Winkleman will be on!
Note: This is probably the only time bloggy will ever link to CNBC’s website.
Update: The video is online now.
We’ll be back on the 16th, and don’t plan to blog much. It’s a vacation!
Here are some recommended events while we’re gone. Remember not to spend so much money that you can’t attend the Nurture Art event on June 4.
Benefits
Theater
