"Children Will See and Learn..."

I was surprised and disappointed this afternoon when I read an article in Playbill titled "Into the Woods Will Offer First-Act Only Family Matinee Performance Aug. 22," by Adam Hetrick. The point is to offer a 75 minute "family friendly" version of Sondheim and Lapine's musical Into the Woods.

Now, I understand that in this fairytale-themed musical there are many moments which could be deemed "adult-themed." Also, the show runs between 2 1/2-3 hours, and the end of Act II is less than "happily ever after." But... that's the point. Life isn't tied up with happily ever after ribbons at the speed of a sitcom.
As the much-loved song from Act II states, "Careful the things you say, children will listen. Careful the things you do, children will see and learn..." What are we teaching children by only allowing them to see Act I?

United Celebration

Every four years, a night comes along that never fails to make me laugh, cry, feel a bit of pride, perhaps confuses me a bit, and above all, makes me feel included as a global citizen. This magical night happens to fall this evening. It is the night of the Opening Ceremonies of the Olympic Games.

The "Parade of Nations" is still being shown in my time zone as I write. Over 200 nations will be represented during the 2012 Games. As someone involved in the arts, the Opening Ceremonies are more meaningful to me than the weeks of intense athletic competition which will follow. I am not writing this evening to critique the aesthetics, narrative, performances, or direction of the opening ceremonies. I am simply writing to explain why they mean so much to me.

"Community" Theatre

After reading a few interesting posts lately voicing people's strong feelings about community theatre, I'd like to add my two cents to the conversation.

I believe the important word in the phrase “community theatre” is community.

This is twofold.

All I Need to Know About Social Networking... I Learned from My Dog

I'm not sure how many of you are pet owners, but I'm pretty sure after observing my own dog for a considerable amount of time, that dogs can teach us a LOT about social networking. Here's a list of a few things I've noticed...

 

1. "Sniff out" new experiences. Have you ever seen a dog that isn't completely excited about each new item/animal/person/place he or she encounters on a walk? What if we approached social media with that kind of gusto?

The Best Online "You" and "Me"

OK, I'm beginning to understand the difference between being the proverbial "stick in the mud" and just being professional. I can't vouch for anyone else, but I am amazed on a daily basis at what people are willing to post on their Facebook pages. I don't think anyone should feel the need to appear to have no opinions or come across as humorless in their online posts, but I do think we should all consider what our posts say about us.