November 30, 2009

Odyssey Storytelling- Next presentations: KITCHEN CONFIDENTIAL & MONEY CLIPS: the economy and you

       ODYSSEY STORYTELLING      Thursday, December 3, 7 p.m.
      Club Congress, 311 E. Congress St., $7 
 
get your reserved seats on our website www.odysseystorytelling.com 

      Kitchen Confidential What really goes on in the hub of the house or in the rear of the restaurant?  Stories about food, cooking and eating.    ** see recipe for amazing Mardi Gras cake below ** 

      Storytellers: Author and PCC teacher, Patricia Fagan; social justice activist, Bruce Cole; baker, Buck Bannister; linguist, Erin Cizina; Food Network fan, Diane Lopes; and Tucson Farmers’ Market manager, Roxanne Garcia.

       Bring a friend and have dinner at the Cup Cafe (reservations recommended: 798-1618) in the historic Hotel Congress OR at the new Maynard’s Market and Kitchen on Toole Ave in the Historic Train Depot (reservations recommended: 545-0577), let them know you’re going to Odyssey, and they will reserve a seat for you at the show.     

 

      Doors open at 6:30. Free parking on the street after 5 p.m.

      January 7 the theme is Money Clips:  the economy and you.    Do you have a tale of woe a story about what good things have come out of the economic slow down or a tale of woe?  Contact Penelope@odysseystorytelling.com, 520-730-4112.

      **Thanks to Buck Bannister for this recipe. Hear the story behind it on December 3!

 collected at the Omni New Orleans August 1988 by Frances O. Bannister

3/4 Cup Nestle Butterscotch Morsels
1/4 Cup water
2 1/4 All Purpose Flour (sifted)
1 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1/2 tsp. Baking Powder
1 1/4 cup Sugar
1/2 cup shortening (may use 1/4 cup butter and 1/4 cup shortening)
3 eggs (unbeaten)
1 cup Buttermilk

      Directions: 

      Melt butterscotch morsels in water in saucepan and let cool slightly. Sift together flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda and set aside. Combine sugar and shortening. Blend in eggs one at a time beating well after each addition.   Blend in butterscotch.   Mix well. Add dry ingredients alternating with buttermilk and beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Mix well on low speed. Pour batter into two 9-inch greased and floured cake pans. Bake at 375 degrees F for 25-30 minutes. Let cool and spread filling (see below) between layers and on top to within 1 inch of edges. Frost with Sea Foam icing (see below).

      Butterscotch Filling

Ingredients: 

1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. Cornstarch
1/2 cup Evaporated Milk
1 Beaten Egg Yolk
2 Tbsp. Butter
1 Cup Shredded Coconut
1 Tbsp. Chopped Pecans
1/2 Cup Water
1/3 Cup Nestle’s Butterscotch Morsels

Directions: 

Combine sugar and cornstarch in 2 qt. saucepan. Stir in evaporated milk and water along with butterscotch morsels and beaten egg yolk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until thickened. Remove from heat. Add butter, coconut, chopped pecans and stir until blended. Set aside and let cool.

      Sea Foam Icing

Ingredients: 

1/3 cup Sugar
1/3 cup packed Brown Sugar
1/3 cup water
1 Tbsp. Corn Syrup
1 Egg White
1/4 tsp. Cream of Tartar

Directions: 

Combine sugar, brown sugar, water and corn syrup in saucepan. Cook on medium heat until mixture forms a soft ball. Beat egg white with cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Add syrup mixture to egg mixture in slow steady stream, beating constantly until thick enough to spread on cake. Remove from heat and allow to cool until just warm and spread on cake.

Note: You can enhance the vibrancy of the colors by using a touch of green food coloring for the Sea Foam Icing and a touch of yellow or blue and red (to make purple) for the filling.**

Penelope Starr
520-730-4112
www.odysseystorytelling.com
www.tucsoncitizen.com/stories

Odyssey Storytelling creating connections ~ one story at a time

 

Mardi Gras Cake

November 29, 2009

Randy Ford Author- I’M NOT DEAD YET, a new novel, 147th installment

      Between towns on the leg of our trip between Cotabato and now Pagadian, riding near the back of the bus, whenever Susan and I looked at each other, we continued to quietly question why we had been spared.   We wondered when the nightmare would begin all over again and why the bus driver and the conductor acted as if nothing had happened.   They were with us throughout the ordeal and had stood around and allowed the Ilaga gang to do their dirty work.   They seemed more determined now than ever to complete the three-hour journey.   ”What do you suppose their role in all of this was?” I asked Susan, as if she had a better sense of it than I did.   The conductor eventually checked on us with genuine concern.   Formal, as always, he addressed us as Mister and Mrs..

      When we got off the bus at Pagadian, the police immediately took the driver and the conductor into custody.   They told us that they were looking for the people who were responsible for “holding up” the bus but said nothing about any kidnapping or killing.   It was all very suspicious that the police were there at the station waiting for the bus.   “Who knows?” Susan said.   ”Maybe they just happened to be here and heard about it through the grapevine.”

      “What do we have do now?” I asked the police officer.   ”We just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time.”

      “This is the Philippines. As witnesses, you’ll need to give a statement.   We’re just after the people who are responsibility.   In fact, the more we hurry the sooner you may go.   We were the best police force of the year.”

      “Why, when we planned our vacation, my wife and I didn’t know what the situation was.   She has been teaching in Makati for a little over a year; and we’ve been so busy that we haven’t had the chance to get out of Manila much.”

      “My oldest daughter, Qiu, and my third child, Bia, are now living in Manila.   It’s not unusual for children to move away from here to go to school.   And surely you’re well aware of the trouble we’re having at our universities up there, and with what is going on around here, it only shows that none of us are immune.”

      “But you say this won’t take very long and that you won’t hold us up.   Then why don’t we get it over with?”

      “It’s true that I said this won’t take very long, but I don’t know how long that will be…no telling given the seriousness of this incident.   Even as it is, we won’t be able to complete our investigation without your full cooperation.   This is not America, where I am sure things move along quicker.   It may surprise you that many of our systems are the same as yours.   But you don’t need to worry because you’re both considered victims.”

      “Well, then I’m relieved; we both are.   Why I’m sure most of the other passengers can give you more information than we can.”

      “We don’t speak the language.   That made it very hard for us to know what was going on.   And before then soldiers stopped us and dragged people off the bus.   As foreigners, it was so confusing.”

      He listened to us, politely.   Despite our repeated explanation, he couldn’t be made to see that we couldn’t contribute much to the investigation.   At that point we knew very little about Christian vigilante groups such as The Magnificent Seven or the Ilaga gang (otherwise known as Christian rats).   And I certainly didn’t want them to know that I was a journalist and had anything to do with the unrest in Manila.   Susan would later say to Nick, “Can you imagine how much trouble we would’ve been in had they found that out.”

      It took them some time to get back to us, and meanwhile while they interviewed all the other surviving passengers we worried that they would somehow found out about our immigration problems.   “That’s the last thing we should be worried about,” I said.   “For that they would only deport us.”

      “Do you even know how many there were?” Susan asked abruptly.

      “No, there were more than ten and less than fifteen, but I can’t be sure.   That’s another problem we have.   We can’t be sure of anything.”

     “Do you think they all were killed?   I would like to think that they weren’t and think that Christians are more civilized than that…and that Christians and Muslims can live together in harmony.”   Under the pressure, she started crying.

      The police officer arranged for us to come over to his house for the evening, where his wife fixed us a wonderful Chinese meal: Hunan we were told.

       At dinner, it became quite clear that he wanted us to spend the night at his house…something we weren’t in a position to turn down.   That meant getting involved in an awkward situation.   It seemed to us as if he were creating for himself a conflict of interest, which seemed strange to us.   What was he looking to get from us, as an investigator of the case and our host the whole time we were in Pagadian?

      Although custom may have dictated this show of hospitality, I’m sure there was more to it than that, and to even have them share their home for a night, not to mention the week that they did, was more than we had a right to expect.   All this time we wondered if we should consult a lawyer, but you don’t want to jump into a fire before you have to.   The problem was that we just didn’t know what we should do.

      We tried to keep from talking about the case, but our host, abetted by my natural curiosity, couldn’t avoid it.   He didn’t see why he should risk his career by allowing us to get away before they finished their investigation, he said, and after he said that all of his hospitality began to make sense.

      We got to discussing the conflict, and our host of Chinese decent said that he preferred not to be in the middle of it, and that from what he’d seen no one could win.

      Every morning, of course after breakfast, he escorted us down to the police station.   “Are you and the Mrs. Christians?” he asked one day.

      “I don’t know about her,” I said, “but I’m an Adventist, if I’m pressed.”

      By the time Saturday came around, we were still discussing the conflict.

      “All hell has broke loose all over Mindanao and up to now you can blame it mostly on the Christians,” our host was saying.   “You won’t see me taking sides. I can’t afford to.”

      Susan tried to stay out of it as much as possible and, measuring her response, said, “With its climate, its history, and its attractions…the bay, the islands, the beach, the hot and cold springs, the waterfalls and the caves…Pagadian has a lot to offer tourist.”   It seemed the more we concentrated on the conflict, the more she talked about the good time she was having.

      She also quietly helped around the home, helped in every suitable way with the shopping and the cleaning.   She was right in there with all of her energy and enjoyed herself when we were shown the sights.

      “There’s no use waiting for something that isn’t going to happen,” she said.   “They’ll never finish the investigation.”

      But I did find the Adventist church, for our host followed up on it for me.   Susan wouldn’t go.   I didn’t try to make her, because inwardly my own convictions weren’t that strong. Given the circumstances, I worried about being a Christian and felt it was easier for our Chinese host who certainly made it clear from the start that he was a Buddhist.   He wasn’t, however, very consoled by his faith, as he saw more and more death and destruction: it was all part of his job to become increasing involved.

      Randy Ford

November 29, 2009

Kris Neri Author- HIGH CRIMES ON THE MAGICAL PLANE, Fiction- Mystery/Fantasy

      HIGH CRIMES ON THE MAGICAL PLANE

      by Kris Neri  Fiction- Mystery/Fantasy  ISBN: 978-0-9766733-5-4  $16.95

      Imagine the surprise of scam psychic Samantha Brennan- when she encounters the real thing- that’s right: an honest-to heavens Celtic goddess, hidden beneath the steely exterior of FBI Special agent Annabelle Haggerty.  Yet Annabelle’s magical powers might not be enough when America’s sweet and sexy movie star, Molly Claire, is made the centerpiece of a gangland siege that brings the city of Angels to its knees.  And if Annabelle and her family of deities are no match of the Demon of Darkness that she believes is masterminding LA’s own Armageddon- what chance does a poor little fake like Samantha have? 

      Praise for HIGH CRIMES ON THE MAGICAL PLANE:  

      “…delicious; a funny, pell-mell romp of an adventure rife with psychics, FBI agents and clowns.”- Diana Gabaldon, NYT Bestselling author of the OUTLANDER series

      “…a lighhearted but perceptive story of what happens when a fake psychic and panache meets a genuine goddess with no flair whatsoever.  You’ll enjoy the unlikely twists and turns…and both charactgers are delightful.”- Charlaine Harris, NYT Bestselling author of SOOKIE STOCKHOUSE series (basis for the HBO series, TRUE BLOOD).

      “More fun than an overstuffed clown car!  Kris Neri turns the paranormal on its head with a phony psychic, Celtic goddess, a missing movies star, oh yeah…and clowns!”- Casey Daniels, author of DEAD MAN TALKING

      “Mystery and magic!  Plus a little romance!  What more can one want?  HIGH CRIMES ON THE MAGICAL PLANE not only delivers that and more, but is a fresh, new take on the paranormal.” – Shirley Damsgaard, author of THE WITCH’S GROVE

      Kris Neri is the author of the Agatha, Anthony and Macavity Award- nominated Tracy Eaton mysteries, REVENGE OF THE GYPSY QUEEN, DEM BONES’ REVENGE and the forthcoming REVENGE FOR OLD TIMES’ SAKE.  Her other books include NEVER SAY DIE and THE ROSE IN THE SNOW.  She has published sixty short stories and is a two-time Derringer Award-winner and a two-time Pushcart Prize-nominee for her short mystery fiction.  With her husgband, Kris owns The Well Red Coyote bookstore in Sedona, arizona.  Iris is a hard at work on the next title in this, MAGICAL ALIENATION.  Readers can reach her through her website, www.krisneri.com 

      Red Coyote Press

      P.O. Box 60582

      Phoenix, Arizona 85082

      www.redcoyotepress.com

       For more information, contact the publisher at 602-454-7815 or info@redcoyotepress.com

 

November 29, 2009

Kore Press- NO GIRLS ALLOWED IN PW’S TREEHOUSE

No Girls Allowed in PW’s Treehouse
Publishers Weekly Announces “Best” of 2009
       As the year comes to a close, the publishing world is besieged by the season of “Best Of” lists.   At Kore, we’re particularly fascinated by Publisher’s Weekly Top 10 of 2009 and its conspicuous absence of female writers.   On November 2nd, the editorial staff of PW released their ideal top ten, stating, “We ignored gender and genre and who had the buzz…  It disturbed us when we were done that our list was all male.”   We can’t decide what’s more disturbing – that PW felt there wasn’t a single female author in all of 2009 worthy of their top ten, or that their editorial staff is calling their list an unbiased reflection of the “best of the best.”   One needs only a glance at the Talkback section below the article to see some of the controversy brewing over PW’s list.

      Amy King – poet, editor, teacher, and woman-extraordinaire – writes about PW’s questionable judgement in her blog:

      “…Quoted in The Huffington Post, PW confidently admitted that they’re “not the most politically correct” choices.   This statement comes in a year in which new books appeared by writers such as Lorrie Moore, Margaret Atwood, Alice Munro, Mavis Gallant, Rita Dove, Heather McHugh and Alicia Ostriker.   ”The absence made me nearly speechless.” said writer Cate Marvin, cofounder of the newly launched national literary organization WILLA (Women In Letters And Literary Arts)…  “It continues to surprise me that literary editors are so comfortable with their bias toward male writing, despite the great and obvious contributions that women authors make to our contemporary literary culture…”

      PW reminds us why we do the work that we do.   Send us your thoughts: Kore@korepress.org.

November 29, 2009

Kore Press- Deadline for 2010 Writing Contests extended

 

Extended Deadlines for Kore Submission Contests

To ensure a competitive environment for our contests, we’re giving all you perfectionists out there the gift of time.

The Short Fiction Award deadline is now December 21 & The Poetry in Translation Award deadline is now December 31.

You can find our contest guidelines at http://www.korepress.org/Submissions2006.htm and submit your manuscript.

Make those final edits and give us your submissions today!

November 29, 2009

Beowulf Alley Theatre Company- 2009-2010 Season Continues & Theater Classes

December 2009
It takes a community to build a theatre and just look at what we’re creating together! We would like to thank all of our many supporters for the contributions that you make to our theatre.

Thank you to our business sponsors, the media, patrons, donors, volunteers, actors, technicians, designers and production teams who give us hours of service, help us promote our many activities, participate as audiences and help us through donations to manage our daily operations. Enjoy the holidays with your family and invite them to enjoy the holidays with us!

We’re just $5,300 away from a new facade but time is growing short. January 31st, 2010 is our deadline! Please help us. Without your help, we cannot receive the matching funds from the City of Tucson to revitalize our storefront theatre.

Main Stage: Rabbit Hole Run Was Terrific! Thanks!

Mainstage: Fool for Love to be Presented in January 2010
Special Event: She Loves Me to Take Stage December 11 & 12

LNT@the Alley (Late Night Theater) Is Burning the Midnight Oil!

December 8th Readers Theatre presents Jean Sidden’s Passing By
Old Time Radio Theatre Offers Family Fun (ages 6 and older) in December and January
IndeFliks@the Alley Offers Short Films and a Full Feature Film In December
ActingLab@the Alley Presents an Evening of Scenes, December 19

Don’t Miss the 15th Annual Downtown Parade of Lights!
It’s Almost Time for First Night 2010 and Beowulf is participating in this family-friendly New Year’s Eve Event!
We’re Getting Healthier at Concessions!
Flex passes make a terrific stocking stuffer! A 4-admission Flex Pass is just $64 and can be used any way you like (2 admissions, 2 plays; 4 admissions, one play; your choice!) What a great treat for someone you love who loves theatre. Click here to purchase online.

Please check our online website calendar for dates, times and ticket pricing. Subscribers can use our online form to request their dates for main stage plays or call the box office at (520) 882-0555. Single tickets for main stage productions may be reserved when purchased in advance with a VISA, Mastercard, Discover Card and now – American Express – by phone. Online, our discounted ticket reservations are processed through PayPal or Google (your choice) and we can accept any payment method they accept. Seating is on a first come, first served basis. All other programs are cash at the door. We cannot accept currency larger than a $20 bill. All sales are final. There are no refunds. Exchanges may be made within the same main stage performances with 24-hour advance notice.

Main Stage: Rabbit Hole Run Was Terrific! Thanks!

L-R: Martie van der Voort, Kristina Sloan, Ian Mortensen, Nell Summers, Gabe Nagy. Directed by Sara Falconer.
L-R: Martie van der Voort, Kristina Sloan, Ian Mortensen, Nell Summers, Gabe Nagy. Directed by Sara Falconer.

Closing weekend of Rabbit Hole was bittersweet. We are always a little tearful to end a wonderful project and say farewell for awhile to those who have worked so hard but there are new plays to mount and another story to tell. Thanks to the many who worked their magic on this amazing production from front of house to back, from the scene shop to the props and costume shoppers. You all deserve a little R & R and a standing ovation for a job well done! Thanks to all of our patrons who attended and supported this critically acclaimed production!

Mainstage: Fool for Love to be Presented in January 2010

Fool for Love, Sam Shepard’s postmodern western, a Pulitzer Prize nominee and winner of the 1984 Obie award, sets its characters in a misty world of dreams and memories. May (Jessica Risco) lives in a run-down motel room on the edge of the Mojave Desert. Eddie (Daved Wilkins), May’s horse-wrangling lover of 15 years suddenly reappears after a prolonged absence, igniting old rage. Like caged animals, the two must battle to turn away from each other or return to their reckless and combative relationship. The Old Man (Dan Higgins) who stalks their world may or may not be related; he may or may not exist in reality but his presence keeps pulling May and Eddie into their past. Martin (Eric Smith), May’s current beau, is a simple, undemanding character caught in the crossfire between May and Eddie. Performances run from January 15-31, 2010. Click here to purchase your tickets now!

Special Event: She Loves Me to Take Stage December 11 & 12

Arizona Youth Chamber Ensemble and Beowulf Alley Theatre present the romantic musical comedy, She Loves Me. This production is appropriate for ages 6 years and over.

Performance locations, dates, and times are:

Beowulf Alley Theatre, 11 South 6th Avenue
(downtown between Broadway and Congress)

Friday, December 11, 7:30 p.m.;
Saturday, December 12, 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.; and

ArtFare, 55 North 6th Avenue
(downtown between Congress and Pennington)

Friday, December 18 at 7:30 p.m.

Ticket Prices and Purchase Outlets:

$12 General Admission, $10 Seniors & Students

Purchase through Arizona Youth Chamber Ensemble members, by cash or check made payable to Beowulf Alley Theatre Company; by phone at (520) 882-0555 using VISA, MasterCard, Discover or American Express; online with debit/credit cards via PayPal or Google at http://www.beowulfalley.org/html/tickets.html.

The plot revolves around Budapest shop employees Georg Nowack (played by Hunter Hnat) and Amalia Balash (played by Julie Sandfort). The two, despite being strongly at odds with each other at work, are unaware that each is the other’s secret pen pal, having met through lonely-hearts ads. The story ends on Christmas Eve with the endearing and uplifting sense of possibility often felt during the holiday season.

Directed by Steve Anderson; Music Director, Stephanie Fox; Accompanist, David Craig. Script/Music/Lyrics: Joe Masteroff (script), Jerry Bock (music) and Sheldon Harnick (lyrics). Produced by special arrangements with Music Theatre International (MTI).

 

LNT@the Alley (Late Night Theater) Is Burning the Midnight Oil!

Just look at what our Night Owl’s are planning for us between now and the New Year… Oh, Yeah – Not appropriate for anyone under the age of 16.

Saturday, November 28, 2009 at 8:00 p.m. and January 2, 2010 at 9:00 p.m. – $8 Cash at the Door

Not Burnt Out Just Unscrewed
Improvisational Comedy in the style of ‘Who’s Line is it Anyway’ Watch as they create fast paced games and scenes (based on audience participation and suggestion) right off the top of their heads! Every show is different! Enjoy one of the most unique forms of theater in Tucson!

Fridays & Saturdays, December 4, 5 & 11, 12 at 10:00 p.m. – $8 Cash at the door

Phyro-Giants! by Michael Bleiden
Phyro-Giants! takes on marriage, fidelity, ghosts, God, and long-distance phone services during a dizzying dinner between four friends and strangers who reveal more than they bargained for. Michael Blieden’s Phyro-Giants! explores the phenomenon of restaurant intimacy – that strange sense of comfort and honesty experienced at a dinner with acquaintances who, for one night, become a person’s closest confidants. Wine flows, desserts are shared and four loosely connected individuals share their hopes, dreams, fears, fantasies and secrets in this modern day fable told in real time.

 

Thursday, Friday, Saturday, December 17, 18, 19 and the Disappointed Saturday, December 26th show, 9:30 PM

Ho Ho Ho: Another Grand Mall

Inappropriate humor for Christmas

Includes sketches “The Travels of Joseph and Mary,” “How the Klingons Stole Christmas” and “Tourette’s Syndrome Santa.”

 

Bring a toy for Toys for Tots and get in half price.

A good toy, okay? It’s Christmas.

 

 

Check out the antics of LNT at First Night 2010!

December 8th Readers Theatre presents Jean Sidden’s Passing By

Readers Theatre will present Passing By, a collection of short adaptations by Jean Siddens, liberally based on three of Anton Chekhov’s short stories. In a spirit of irony reminiscent of Chekhov’s early writing the plays explore themes of love, change and moving on. Of Poetic Nature, Will ‘O The Wisp and Natural Order answer the question Chekhov left to the reader’s imagination: “What happened next?”

 

Readers Theatre is about the words. The program is designed for the public to hear the words and respond with comments and questions to help the playwright refine the script. Readers Theatre is held on the 2nd Tuesday of each month, as scripts are available. Admission is pay-what-you-will.

Old Time Radio Theatre Offers Family Fun (ages 6 and older) in December and January

Many of us missed the days before television when families gathered around the radio, listening to stories – soap operas, westerns, comedies and suspenseful dramas. Closing your eyes and drifting into a fantasy world, with the kids on the floor, dad in his favorite chair and mother on the sofa with her knitting, families listened to the sounds of doors opening and closing, wind blowing, stairs creaking and other sounds crafted from Foley equipment.

In December and January at Beowulf Alley, our team of actors will present live presentations of some of the finest radio shows of the 30s, 40s and 50s.

Sunday, December 13 from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m, join us for Little Women and Vic and Sade’s Christmas Show. General tickets are $8 for ages 12 and older. The first two children in each family, ages 6-12 are $5 each, additional children in a family are free. To grandparents: leave your kids at home and bring your grandkids. Or bring your kids and make them buy your ticket. This is a fun holiday treat for the family!

At First Night 2010, OTRT will present Pinocchio for the younger set, and the young at heart, and later that night, the suspensful Three Skeleton Key. (Requires a First Night Button for admission.)

Wednesday, January 6 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. “The Bickersons-John’s Operation” and “The Hitchhiker” (suspense) General tickets are $8 for ages 12 and older. The first two children in each family, ages 6-12 are $5 each, additional children in a family are free.

 

 

Tuesday, January 19 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. “Vic and Sade: Mr. Dempsey and Mr. Tenney Meet in a Cigar Store” and “Sgt. Preston of the Yukon: The Break-up”.

IndeFliks@the Alley Offers Short Films and a Full Feature Film In December

IndeFliks for December will be a collection of interesting and different activities. IFASA provides the content for our viewers and patrons to enjoy. Here’s a listing of activities:

November 30, 7:00 p.m.: IFP Cinema Lounge, Open to the public, $5 Cash at the Door.

An hour-long collection of entertaining short films by Arizona filmmakers, compiled bi-monthly by IFP/Phoenix. This month’s selection is comprised of nine films, including The Blacksmith and the Carpenter, starring then-Tucsonan Clint James opposite Star Trek: Voyager’s Robert Picardo.

 

December 1, 2 and 3 at 12:15 p.m.: IndeFliks Shorts at Lunchtime, $3 Cash at the Door

 

30 minutes of Independent short films, family friendly for 8 years and above, and a great escape at lunchtime. Order a $6 bag lunch the day before you plan to see the films and we’ll have it ready for you when you arrive. Or pick up a lunch and bring it with you! The same short films will be shown each of the three days.

 

December 13 and 20 at 7:00 p.m.: Romance at Frisky’s Bar (81 minutes),

Mature audiences, though unrated.

Shot in Tucson, with local cast and crew. Everybody comes to Frisky’s Bar looking for love — or at least a warm body — but since patrons rely on smooth moves, cagey schemes and outright lies, it can be tough to know if real romance ever stands a chance. But as the bartender spouts his impenetrable philosophies and frat boys encounter cougars on the prowl, one couple discovers the spark of something that may be the real deal.

http://romanceatfriskysmovie.com/

ActingLab@the Alley Presents an Evening of Scenes, December 19

Phil Bennett’s acting students are hard at work this term studying their craft and, on December 19 from 7:30 to 9:30, they’ll share their scenes with you along with a reception of light snacks and beverages. Admission for this culmination of the fall class term is pay-what-you-will. You’ll have the opportunity to see a collection of the students’ improvisational scenes and learn a bit about the method of teaching that is offered by Philip G. Bennett in his ActingLab@the Alley classes.

New classes are forming for the winter term in January 2010!

Don’t Miss the 15th Annual Downtown Parade of Lights!

On Saturday, December 12th at 6 p.m., don’t forget to join everyone downtown to watch the 15th Annual Parade of Lights. Last year’s parade was a lot of fun. Take a look at the link here to learn more and to view a map of the parade route. There will be street closures downtown and the map details parking locations. Come celebrate with us!

It’s Almost Time for First Night 2010 and Beowulf is participating in this family-friendly New Year’s Eve Event!

Order your First Night buttons for the family before December 4th for a discount and make them stocking stuffers and holiday gifts for the entire family. The regular button price is $12 for adjults, $6 for children 6-12 and under 6 are free. By acting now, you can buy those buttons for $10 and $5 respectively for an entire evening of entertainment and fun.

Why First Night? It’s cheaper than a babysitter, more entertaining than watching Times Square on your television and you have an opportunity to enjoy some of the best talent in Tucson for less than you’d ever pay for a ticket to most events. And if you have the stamina to stay up for the fireworks, you can tell all of your friends that you stayed up to see in the First Night of 2010 and did it without a hangover.

Beowulf Alley will present magic, face painting, balloons, Old Time Radio Theatre, sketch comedy from Not Burnt Out Just Unscrewed, LNT@the Alley, card reading and Angel Diamond and the Blues Disciples. For more information about the evening’s events, click here.

We’re Getting Healthier at Concessions!

We are proud to be partnering with Delectables Restaurant & Catering for healthier concessions snack packs and treats. How about fresh fruit, brie and bread, chips with guacamole or a freshly baked brownie? Prices vary but none are higher than $4. And remember – you can enjoy your snacks and drinks during the performances! Give it a try and tell us what you think.

Beowulf Alley Theatre Company, a 501 (c)(3) organization, is committed to enriching the community and enhancing appreciation of the arts through the production of innovative, invigorating theatre and theatrical education with the highest standards for acting and production. Equal and fair treatment will be provided to all participants regardless of race, color, national origin, ancestry, religion, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, familial status and/or marital status. Founded on the basis of dialogues with local theatre artists who wanted a permanent home to practice their craft, its intimate 95-seat theatre provides a facility that meets professional standards where performing artists, educators, and technicians can present their skills. Because Beowulf Alley engages a talent and volunteer pool that calls Tucson “home” for its productions, the Theatre is committed to helping grow a new generation of Tucson talent with its programs including education for adults and youth, late night theatre to experiment with and gain experience, readers theatre for playwrights’ unpublished works, lunchtime theatre to bring art to the workday and screenings of independent film artists. And true to its roots, the Theatre maintains ongoing dialogues with the community, including Dialogues with theatergoers after the first Sunday matinee performance of each of its main stage plays, at Readers’ Theatre nights, and other presentations, providing an opportunity for theatergoers to discuss the plays with the director and artists. Writers who cover the Tucson arts scene say the Theatre provides its audiences with “the best total package”—plays, performances and productions that are high in artistic and technical quality. Beowulf Alley has received critical acclaim, including two Mac Awards and seven MAC nominations. The company has presented over 325 performances to Tucson audiences since 2002 and has served hundreds of theatre artists. The theater also provides performance and rehearsal space for other Tucson theater companies. For more information, log on to www.beowulfalley.org. Funded in part by the National Endowment for the Arts, the Arizona Commission on the Arts, the Tucson Pima Arts Council, the Janet S. Brunel Residuary Trust, and our business sponsors.

November 28, 2009

Randy Ford Author- I’M NOT DEAD YET, a new novel, 146th installment

      Along the route from Cotabato to Zamboanga, we see evidence of violence, but we don’t see any of the violence itself.   Much propaganda is devoted to winning converts and strengthening the positions of each side; matching violence with violence, outdoing each other atrocities, for which they receive ample press, such stories as the one about illiterate Christian vigilantes eating the mutilated innards of captured Moros.   It gets where at some point we become numb.   We don’t know the truth or who to believe.   Some stories clearly seem exaggerated.   Then we see houses burned to the ground, rows of houses still smoldering.   This we decide is hard evidence.   By then we have not only heard about the massacre of Muslims in the village of Alamanda but also of more looting, more destruction, and more killing.   That too needs to be confirmed before we accept it as gospel.   More massacres take place in other locations such as Carmen and Manili, both near Cotabato and happen around when we are there.   (And, whichever side you may be on, there is always the call for justice, and if not justice, revenge.)   Throughout Cotabato Province del Norte, we observe and comment on the atrocities and what we see along the way.

      From what I can recall, our bus stops at several checkpoints or is stopped several times by soldiers along this stretch of our trip.   Each time, a couple of soldiers go through the bus, looking for something or someone.   They ask for everyone’s papers, in our case, our passports.   A few times they drag someone off of the bus, but we try to pretend that we aren’t paying attention…that seems to work.   We obviously aren’t Filipinos.   They seem to single out Moros, when I would think they’d be looking for Christians.   They enjoy looking big and strong.   We hardly look at them directly…looking out the window helps us to stay calm.   It’s hard for us to know what’s going on because they speak only in the local dialect…very rarely do they say anything in English.   Papers and passports are exchange with very few words, limited to who the person is and where he or she is going; and as often as not the soldiers or policemen don’t look at the paperwork very thoroughly.   They are looking for potential “trouble makers” and more than likely people they know or know about.   Each time we are scared shitless and have discussed the fact, like I’ve said that I always look guilty even when I’m not.   We’re always careful not to say too much.

      At one stop, they tell everyone to get off the bus, an order everyone obeys without debate.   We’re afraid of getting kidnapped.

      “How can we afford to leave our belongings on the bus?” Susan asks.   I admit that it isn’t wise, but when I start to grab our backpacks, I’m told to leave them behind.   We aren’t given a chance to explain that we might need our backpacks while we’re outside and that anyway we’re taught that on a trip we should never become separated from our belongings even for a minute.

      We then notice that they’re all masked and heavily armed with machine guns.

      “Oh, my!” she exclaims.   “This ain’t good.”

      “No, shit!   Here we’re in Mindanao in what looks like a war zone, and people who care about us don’t know where we are…and we can’t do a damn thing about it,” I say.   For a man like me to swear, it has to have been for something dire.   “But they’re not after us.”

      I can’t get Susan to see that, however hard I try, she thinks we’re being kidnapped or that something worse is about to happen to us.

      “Oh God!” she says.   ”They’re going to kill us.”

      I recall that because of their masks identifying them will be impossible, which I think will help us stay out of the legal game.   Having to be part of a long drawn out investigation and trial is the last thing we want…to be mired down in something like that.   I feel discouraged and know we better get off the bus, before and if it ever reaches Zamboanga.

      Later, I realize that they never touch us, while they are very rough with the Filipinos they have singled out.   I don’t think we fully understand the situation and try to remain aloof…that we are more in a survival mode than a sympathetic one is true.   We survive, aren’t dead yet, but can’t breathe easily until it’s all over.   Until then, we feel scared and fear the worse.

      Throughout the ordeal, I’m careful to speak very slowly (who knows how much English any of them speak?) slowly, in simple sentences, and try to be as respectful as possible.   At one point, one of the members of the gang admires my shirt and seems to want me to give it to him.   My first instinct is to resist, but then Susan takes my hand as if she means to keep me in line.   Nevertheless, it’s hard to explain why we aren’t killed.   When a couple of them come up to us, and ask us if we’re Americans, they don’t ask us for our passports.   Every time we see them march some poor fellow off into the forest, we feel sure we’ll be next.   Susan and I, for our part, on the whole, find them almost hospitable.   Except for their machine guns, and the hoods that hide their faces, there isn’t anything about them that tells us that they mean to harm anyone.   As Americans, we aren’t supposed to be on that bus, but we are, and since we are I believe they alter their plans, and what is good is that indirectly we save lives.   Not knowing if we’re going to be next, we have every reason worry, but they don’t seem to be in a hurry to do anything to us.   Then while some of the men relieve themselves around the tires of the bus, women are given their privacy, as they squat and pee beside the road.   They talk to Susan and me as they march off the Moros that are left …as if we are in front of a church before Mass…and we talk and talk before we are ushered back onto the now less-crowded bus.   (It should be noted no one touches our backpacks.)

      When Susan and I are later asked by Nick and his Bangsamoro friends, I try to explain to them that Americans in the Philippines tend to receive good treatment regardless of their political bent and the circumstances, and that you can’t attach any meaning to why we survived the massacre when Moros on the bus didn’t.   So we have to acknowledge that when it comes down to how the Constabulary treats us… or the dreaded Ilaga…we can’t complain about it.

      Randy Ford