The Power of No

There is a thing people say about how the word no is a complete sentence. As in, no I will not be doing that. Or no, if you do that, I will not be applauding you or supporting you. It of course doesn't mean you always get your way. There are moments when it is useful to be in brainstorm mode. To say, oh great idea but what if we did this instead. If everyone is trying to figure out where to eat dinner, then just saying no is not helpful. (Unless you are saying, no, I'm going home.) No to Chinese but yes to Mexican is helpful.

But there are times when the no itself is important. No, I do not approve that message. No, I am not okay with this. No I will not tell this person about your great idea. No. No. No.

No, of course, does not always mean you get your way. But showing up to say, no it still powerful and important. When we are taught history the focus is often on what the people with the most power did. And that sometimes elides the complicated discussions they were having, and the people outside the room who had thoughts and feelings too.

Even when the powers that be continue on with their choices, joining with others to say no is useful. It reminds them you are watching. It reminds others who though they were the only one who hated it, that they are not alone. And it can help move later decisions in different directions. 

"As You Like It" at the Folger Shakespeare Theater

"As You Like It" is one of Shakespeare's comedies, which basically means everyone doesn't die at the end. It uses two setting the court and the forest of Arden where folks who have been banished from court have gone to hang out. Basically there's a disgraced Duke, the younger son of a deceased Duke, whose brother has refused to look after him, and then we add the daughter of a disgraced Duke, and her cousin who refused to let her lovely cousin be banished without her. There's some disguising oneself as a man, since two women wandering a forest seems a bit unsafe. And by the end there's been love, betrayal, redemption, and a little revenge. 

This particular production, in a theater where one might have to walk by the US Capitol building to enter, used the duality of DC. The Capitol building representing the court, the federal DC, the place where decisions are made. And the more loved in parts of the city, with street murals, and people, Black people in particular, trying to live and support each other with the resources they have. 

Folger has used DC as it's setting before, and I always enjoy seeing how they do it. The cast was wonderful. The costume design was fabulous and there was one pair of boots in particular that I personally want. 

They commissioned some original songs for the show (yes, music, almost like a musical!) that added to the sense of community a merriment. All in all, it was a great time.

Note: I saw a masked performance. They were allowing food and drink in the theater, so masking was not consistent among patrons. 

"Safety Not Guaranteed" at Signature Theater

Content note: discussions of grief

There was a movie version of this first. I have not watched it, though I am now intrigued. I basically read the description of the show, which boiled down to a classified ad seeking a time travelling partner and including the titular line, safety not guaranteed, and I was in. 

The cast is only six, plus the band, and there are a few moments where the cast interacts directly with the band, either using them as extras or demanding musical responses

 All musicals use a little hand waving as far as the other cast members pausing or even participating while one character sings their deep thoughts. 

Here the characters grab microphones, utilize mic stands. They are rocking with the band. 

So, what's it about. Someone forwards an ad seeking a time travelling partner to a magazine in Seattle. One lead reporter and two interns decide to go to the small town mentioned in the ad to interview the guy who placed it. Each of them end of making connections and revisiting the choices that led them all there in this town. 

The songs are powerful at times goofy and earnest at others. There is one song about how the world is full of mostly jagholes. 

The cast was great. The band was great. 

Also, special shout out to the costume designer, in addition to distinct clothes for each character, there is an incredible moment that I don't want to spoil to much, but let's just say the character's jacket lights up. It is delightful. 

It is fun goofy, and emotional show. 

Note: I saw a masked matinee. 

"Inherit the Wind" at Arena Stage

Content note: off stage death. 

We read "Inherit the Wind" in high school and I adored it. I described it to a coworker as a story about a teacher who gets in trouble for teaching Biology, which is both true and taking a side. The program note mentions that the show is talking about bigger issues than who is right and who is wrong. So me taking a side in the court case is sort of beside the point. The case in the play has an obvious real world basis. But of course the play looks at both the case but also the town. How a small town tried to both show up and show off for the reporters and famous people drawn to this case that has garnered national attention.

I had last seen Rebecca Madeira, who plays Rachel, in "A Wrinkle in Time" so I was pleased they incorporated singing into it. The original play has only Rachel as a main canonically female character. The show made use of a non-binary actor, and also some gender bent casting as well as color conscious casting. The ensemble players played children, adults, and folks of multiple genders. "Gilmore Girls" fans will recognize Dakin Matthews, who is playing Harrison. 

The case at the center of the story is about a science teacher who teaches about Darwin's theory of evolution in a state where such teaching is banned. The case garners national attention, and a former presidential candidate, and a well known city defense attorney each come to town to provide prosection and defense.

The play is obviously sadly timely. And of course the themes of outsiders coming to help decide the fate of what happens to one teacher in a small town, and the way the magnified attention makes everyone feel like they can't just work it out is of course a problem that spans generations. 

While I don't agree that there isn't a right and wrong side for this case, I do love and understand a good metaphor. I understand the broader themes and even if my favorite two lines happen to be Mr. Drummond's.

I often talk about conversation plays, though of course all good shows should engender conversation. This one is based on true events. But the play was written in 1950's, a generation or so later. It was in fact written during another time when certain things being said out loud in a classroom were considered a concern. 

The direction allowed for gestures and movement. Some characters walked up into the aisles. If you like watching the actor not speaking, it is fun. And it helps remind the audience, this isn't just about the people yelling. The play starts and ends with two playful kids running around. 

Jersey Rant

Note: Longtime readers know I normally don't discuss hockey on the internet while the season is in progress due to various superstitions. But given recent trades, Capitals management appears to think the season is over. So, here we are.  Now I recognize that hockey jerseys have to accomplish multiple things. They need to look cool on a hanger, or more likely these days, in a thumbnail in the online store. So the color, the design, the logo, the front is very important. The thing is, once the game starts, everyone's leaning over their sticks to play, and I the viewer can only see the back. The back has a prominent number and name, so the referee and linespeople can easily identify offenders. 

But what happens is often the back is white with one contrast color stripe along the sleeve. Or black, with one contrast color stripe across the sleeve. And I do not know who anybody is. Canada and Switzerland played each other and I only know who won because of the box score in the corner. Sure one team was red with white letters and one was white with red letters, but the only reason I now know that Canada had on white is because I later saw Canada's dark jersey and it had black stripes which would have been very useful to me on the light jersey. (They were wearing black shorts, but so was Switzerland.) 

And you might be thinking Tara, this is maybe a once every for years problem, and I will point you to the Carolina Hurricanes and the Montreal Canadians. On a TV that is less than wall sized, even their logos are hard to tell apart on overhead shots because they are both round red things. (Yes they are very distinct when held stationary side by side. Do you know how often hockey players are stationary?)

So, hockey jersey designers, I implore you, think of the backs, or even the sides, when coming up with something the viewer at home can latch on to to tell the teams apart. 

Lucy Darling

I went to see the Lucy Darling show at the Warner Theater on Friday. I'm not going to do a full theater style review, in part because it's a variety show, and it changes a little every night since it's audience driven. I had somewhat jokingly described it to my coworkers as she's a magician and comedian who makes fun of the audience. 

First, Lucy was just coming off 48 hours of vocal rest, so her voice was a little different than normal. Mark was there with her. It was a lot of fun. The audience clearly had a lot of fans who had either been to prior shows, or possibly just watched every possible video on the internet. 

My friend and I sat in the orchestra, but far enough back that we did not hope to become part of the show. It also meant it was fun to people watch who had clearly dressed to be in the show. There were a few interactions I can wait to see how they get edited for the internet. 

I definitely think if you have seen the videos and thought, I want 90 minutes of that, the show will absolutely deliver. I know Lucy/Carisa has been working non-stop for a bit. I hope the vocal thing clears up quickly.