School Work #3

Second graders write about what they love about snow!  The work of our 7-year-olds.

School Work #2

Kindergarteners write about Penguins!  The work of our 5-year-olds.

School Work #1

From our Pre-k students: Snowpeople!

4-year-olds create great art!

What I'm Reading #98

Had the opportunity to read this wonderfully retold and illustrated story to a class of 4th graders today.  I don't know who enjoyed it more: me or them!

And did you know that today was national read aloud day?

Lemon-Curry Tilapia

Winter Flowers

The Importance of Being Ernest

This afternoon was my visit to the University of Maryland's Clarice Smith Center for the performing arts. It's both the home of the University's Drama/Dance/Choral/Instrumental and Fine Arts schools and a host to all manner of traveling performances. I have seen the students perform "Our Town," I have seen Yo Yo Ma and the SIlkroad Ensemble perform in the first tour, and I have seen the great actor Denis O'Hare perform the one-man show "An Iliad" there. It's 5 minutes from my home and I don't take nearly as much of an advantage of it as I should.

Today it was the Drama Department's turn with a production of "The Importance of Being Ernest". This is one of those plays that is perfect for College students to do. It's so well conceived that it requires only a minimum of talent to be entertaining. Which isn't to say that the young actors didn't have talent...but perhaps what they had more of is potential. And this is exactly what you expect from a University Drama Department.

In keeping with the current fad of cross gender casting, the role of the male lead, John "Jack" Worthington was plays by a girl, and the role of the dowager Lady Bracknell was played by a boy. Both with great aplume! And so once you enter into the silly-world this creates, over-the-top farsicle melodramic and dandyish presentations of the characters becomes the world in which you are now invited. Indeed, it captures a certain time-honored, time period sensitive recreation of the original essence of the play. And bottomlining it--it was fun! The students had fun, and I had fun, too!

The sets were very interesting and well conceived. I was able to the get a snapshot of the open act. For Act II, the curtains fell away to reveal a lush garden with a swing, and then Act III, lost all of the greenery and flowers for books and a library in the mansion. The transitions were very impressive.

A Souped Up Scrambled Eggs

Cooked some bacon in bits and then added the baby portobello mushrooms.  Next made some Hollandaise sauce and then scramble a couple of eggs and assembled the parts thusly.  A great way to start the day!

Smothered Chicken

 Made smothered chicken last night.

Sauteed thin sliced chicken in olive oil in an iron skillet. Removed the chicken and layed in a layer of onion, or baby portobello mushrooms, the chicken again and then minced garlic, salt and black pepper and covered and baked at 325 for 30 minutes. Removed and added spinach that I had tossed with some additional minced garlic, salt and lemon zest. And then thinish (1/4 inch) slices of good whole milk Mozzerella Cheese. Baked for 10 minutes and broiled for 5.

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Today's theater experience was "Sweeney Todd: Demon Barber of Fleet Street" at the Olney Theatre Center. And not having much of idea of what to expect--it was very.....interesting. I knew that the barber dispatched his customers and that his landlady made of them pies. But that was all I knew--and so was pleasantly enjoined to see the fuller tale unravel. The cast was delightful from top to bottom, with a wonderful performance by E. Faye Butler as Mrs. Lovett (having just recently seen her in Arena Stage's "Carousel" as Mrs. Mullin). She has a wonderful stage presence and voice to match. And while David Benoit's title role of Sweeney Todd was compelling and powerful enough--the roles of Anthony (Jobari Parker-Namdar) and Tobias (Michael J. Mainwaring) were the other stand-outs by far. Both men brought an energy and authenticity to their performances that kept me on the edge of my seat. And in this instance there is another essential member of the cast that was so well coordinated and choreographed that it must also be given a good word--the ensemble. Their presence and power made them greater in whole than the sum of their many parts...each of which is clearly a talent in his/her own right. This is, of course, as Sondheim envisioned it, and they rose most admirably to the occasion. Add to this a wonderful pit orchestra and gorgeous sets and you really do have a production worth seeing and then some.

Sweeney Todd (Devid Benoit) and Mrs. Lovett (E. Faye Butler) contemplating the possibilities of their dastardly union.

Tobias (Michael J. Mainwaring) and Mrs. Lovett celebrating their success!

And amazing ensemble top to bottom!

"No One's Gonna Harm You...Not While I'm around"

As fate would have it, this was one of their "chat with the cast" after the matinee shows, and 9 actors came back to the stage to answer questions. 5 held principle roles, but neither Sweeney nor Mrs. Lovett were among them; however both the actors who played Tobias and Anthony along with those who played Judge Turpin (Thomas Adrian Simpson), Beadle Bamford (Rachel Zampelli) and Johanna (Gracie Jones) were present. Four members of the ensemble also returned to participate (Jade Jones, Alan Naylor, Adam Strube and Joseph Torello). One obvious question was to ask Rachel Zampelli about her selection to play the male role of Beadle Bamford (given that she was Evita in last seasons production of the same!) Other questions centered around the difficulties inherent in a Sondheim score and libretto, and the technical aparatus behind the very effective spurting blood! A few questions in and elderly white women asked Jade Jones (an African American member of the ensemble) to recount what was wrong with her pies... AWKWARD! Mildly RACISTS!!! The women had confused Jade with E. Faye Butler. And even after she was graciously corrected, the poor old thing did not understand she'd made a mistake in identity. First chance I got, I shot my hand into the air and asked Joseph Torello what it was like to play the understudy for Sweeney Todd, and like a drowned person's life affirming gasp for air everyone jumped at the chance to move on into new territory. The question also gave other members of the ensemble to share their thoughts about their understudy roles, as well.    

Easy Peasy Broccoli Pie

There are two parts (and I'm gonna tell you how with my adjustments.

Part one: Blanch a head of Broccoli until just tender--but not falling apart at all. Let it cool and chop it up. Add 2 Jalapeño Peppers (cores and seeds removed) chopped, half an onion chopped and 8 oz of sharp cheddar cheese grated. I mixed all of these in a bowl before filling a buttered pie shell with them.

Part two: combine 1 cup of milk, 2 eggs, half a cup of bisquick, half a teaspoon of kosher salt and a quarter teaspoon of freshly grated black pepper. Pour this on the other ingredients in the pie pan evenly and then bake at 400˚ for 45 minutes.

"Hooded: Or Being Black for Dummies"

Theatrical adventure #21 was "Hooded: Or Being Black for Dummies" at the Atlas Center for the Performing Arts under the production of the Mosaic Theater Company. 

Getting there was a bit of an adventure and I learned a shortcut or two for the next time I attend an event there. The Atlas Center houses a descent sized theater space, 2 smaller Lab theaters and dance rehearsal facilities that host a wide range of performances from acrobats to puppets, to jazz ensembles to the Gay Men's Chorus. 

"Hooded" is a new play and this was it's world premiere. The cast was made up of 8 actors, some of whom played multiple roles. The male leads Keith L. Royal Smith (Marquis) and Jeremy Keith Hunter (Tru) were wonderful and formed the main relationship of the story. Marquis adopted by a white family and living in a upper middle-class white suburban neighborhood and Tru who grew up in the inner city. Tru assumes the task of transforming Marquis into the nigga he's failed to become. The story is written with humor and at times great candor. The author toys with some really interesting plot constructs, dances around a comparison of Friedrich Nietzsche and Tupac Shakur, but in the end fails to say anything of real importance, spins us down a subplot that goes no where logical people live to make a rather banal point--and in doing so looses both momentum and focus until all he's left with at the end is a cliché. I so wanted this to work out well after the first hour, but was left crushed by the simplicity of the "conclusion".  The sets and lighting were curious but adequate. Some of the best text projection for the deaf and hard of hearing I've seen used thus far.

Opening scene with Officer Borzoi (Frederick Strother), and Tru (Jeremy Keith Hunter) and Marquis (Keith L. Royal Smith) in jail where they meet for the first time.

The Ascension Heights Prep School gang: Fielder (Josh Adams) and Hunter (Dylan Morris Myers) horsing around.

Marquis and his "girlfriend" Clementine (Madeline Burrows)--she was another bright spot the acting regime that was all very well done.

The Prep School gang joined by Tru

Tru and Marquis in Marquis' bedroom hanging out.

Marquis and Clementine's first date.

Marquis is visited in his dreams by Apollo (Frederick Strother) and Dionysis (Josh Adams). 

In Tru's crib.

The end...

A Few Photos from Union Station, Washington, DC

Tuscan Shrimp & Beans

 From the latest issue of Cook's Illustrated magazine and it was one fine recipe!  I learned a lot and made something exceedingly delicious in the process.