Alabama Song.

How does the search for the next whiskey bar factor into Bourbonism, Greg Fischer-style?

Has Fischer resigned yet?

Brecht Was a Revolutionary, by Marc Silberman (Jacobin)

Not only did Bertolt Brecht transform German drama, but his work captured his radical commitment to socialist politics and the emancipation of working people.

... Brecht was no rosy-eyed utopian, but an artist-intellectual who developed his critical faculties through the experience of political reversals and historical ruptures. The collapse of the Soviet Union and the ossified socialism identified with it is a powerful indictment of traditional left utopianism. But Brecht’s project of a more just, egalitarian society never sought to provide answers on how to make the world better. Rather, his writings are scripts for how to ask questions, how to formulate the right questions for a given situation that is untenable and therefore must be changed.

While Brecht believed in the power of reason that enables people to recognize the problems around them and to solve them, he was neither a narrow-minded rationalist nor a naive believer in the inevitability of progress and human emancipation. Thus, his critique of emotions, which is frequently misunderstood or implemented as a dramaturgy of “coldness,” was not directed against feeling or spontaneity as such but rather against the function of emotions in traditional theater. Like interventionist thinking, Brecht’s belief in reason is a functional concept that enables individuals to determine their interest and to act on its behalf, in other words, a principle of reasoned action excluding neither passion nor emotion ...

TheatreWorks of Southern Indiana: "Tickets for Proof by David Auburn are now available."

From TheatreWorks of Southern Indiana comes notice of its new production.

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Proof, by David Auburn

Greetings!

We hope you are doing well since our last production. We are excited to announce that tickets for Proof by David Auburn are now available! After selling out all performances of Rumors and Big River: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, we wanted to contact you as soon as possible so you can claim your seat and join us for this uplifting and compelling play.

What do you need to know about Proof? 

2001 Pulitzer Prize Winner
2001 Tony Award for Best Play

"Proof combines elements of mystery and surprise with old-fashioned storytelling to provide a compelling evening of theatre … [PROOF is a] smart and compassionate play of ideas." - NY Daily News.

"PROOF surprises us with its aliveness … Mr. Auburn takes pleasure in knowledge … At the same time, he is unshowily fresh and humane, and he has written a lovely play." - NY Observer.

"[A] wonderfully funny … ambitiously constructed work… " - Variety.

Synopsis

This uplifting play tells the story of Catherine, a troubled young woman, who has spent years caring for her brilliant but unstable father, a famous mathematician. Now, following his death, she must deal with her own volatile emotions; the arrival of her estranged sister, Claire; and the attentions of Hal, a former student of her father's who hopes to find valuable work in the 103 notebooks that her father left behind. Over the long weekend that follows, a burgeoning romance and the discovery of a mysterious notebook draw Catherine into the most difficult problem of all: How much of her father's madness—or genius—will she inherit?

**This play contains some strong language and is not recommended for children under 13.

Performance Dates

Sept. 20-23, Sept. 27-30 at 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 24 & Oct. 1 at 2:00 p.m.

Ticket information here

What they're saying: Roseberry, Knable, Staten and Rutherford.

As the weeks go past in route to May's primary election, I'm providing periodic candidate statements of substance, mostly unretouched, as lifted from social media and news reports. Familiar gems such as "yard signs win elections, not people" and "donate to my campaign first, and maybe I'll have something of merit to say much, much later" will be omitted. That's because it is my aim to determine whether our declared candidates have anything to say at all, and I'll quote all candidates, from any and all parties, whether or not they're in a contested race. Just promising change and new ideas without divulging them won't cut the mustard, aspirants.

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Hannegan Roseberry (D, at-large council) and Al Knable (R, at-large council) continue to buck the close-lipped traditions of their respective parties by speaking and writing openly about the real world. Hannegan leads off with two postings at her Facebook campaign page.

First, on the topic of standing up for what you believe:

I feel we have a real problem on our hands when our elected officials refuse to give simple yes or no answers to questions. When you are an elected official and you refuse to give your thoughts on a subject, then I politely suggest that you hang up your hat. Whether it be something as obvious as Two-Way Streets in a city like New Albany, or something as colossal (and sinister) as RFRA, you have an obligation to be transparent on your stance. You were elected by the people (granted, a very small amount of the people of Indiana, see my earlier posts about voter apathy in the Hoosier state), and you owe them transparency. This doesn't mean that your opinions can, or even should, please everyone at all times. I think that is another tricky corner that too many elected officials get themselves into, trying to please everyone at all times by committing to nothing and towing every line "just in case." Be bold, be educated, and stand strongly for the things you believe in.

And, on women in local politics.

Wonder Women - Where Are You?

Where are the women candidates? In our upcoming city primary elections, there are a mere five female candidates out of 28, and only two of those women are challengers (myself included). Last time I checked, one out of every two human beings are female - why are we not stepping up to the plate to lead at that same level?

Al enthusiastically riffs on an idea previously discussed by Hannegan.

I won't pretend that encouraging a civic theater in New Albany is my idea. Hannegan Roseberry discussed it on her page a few days ago. Randy Smith proposed the Baptist Tabernacle site as a possible location with me several weeks ago. The thought's been kicked around for years. In fact, I remember Jim Anderson's wife, Mary, advocating this 40 years ago. But heck, I can recognize a great idea!

A civic theater would be yet one more draw to downtown and everyone knows when the show lets out people love to eat or hit their favorite night spot.

The old Tabernacle building might prove multi-functional. When not in use for shows it could easily serve as a site for other public forums.

As NA doesn't have unlimited funds, and as there are numerous pressing needs, I see this as a project facilitated rather than fully funded by the city. Even so, this is definitely a cause I'd support, allowing others (Mrs. R?) to champion.

(OMG -- candidates from opposite parties, agreeing on social media as to the virtues of an idea? I don't know about Al's arbiters, but Hannegan can expect an unannounced visit from Warren "I used to be mayor, pal" Nash's "purity of absolute silence" department)

Over in the 6th district, Democratic council hopeful Dr. Cliff Staten sensibly asks, "What will New Albany do to attract and keep younger generations here?"

Working Today to Build Tomorrow

Elections are about the future. Think about New Albany 5 years from now… now picture it 10 years from now… how about 20? How do you picture New Albany in the future? How would you like to picture New Albany in the future?

To me, the future starts with our young people; it starts with our children and our grandchildren. How do we picture their New Albany?

Meanwhile in the 5th district, Tonye Rutherford is back with a Facebook campaign page. He has an opponent in the Republican primary (Danita Burks), as does the incumbent Diane Benedetti (Dustin Collins).

Tonye Rutherford for New Albany City Council District 5

This is Tonye Rutherford, I am running for City Council in the 5th District. After narrowly losing by 21 votes in 2011, I have been busy ... I have since been appointed to the New Albany Floyd County Library board where I serve as the president, I was appointed to the New Albany Human Rights Commission and serve as the Chairman, I was appointed to the Floyd County Corrections board and elected to the Emmaus board.

Have you spotted substance omitted here? Let me know. The primary's only five weeks away.

What they're saying: Hannegan Roseberry on creativity, streets, SB-101 and demographics.

Damned spell check.

As the weeks go past in route to May's primary election, I'll try to provide periodic unedited candidate statements of approximate substance, as lifted from social media and news reports, and as opposed to familiar gems (although they certainly have their place) like "yard signs win elections, not people" or "donate to my campaign first, and maybe I'll have something of merit to say much, much later."

That's because it is my aim to determine whether our declared candidates have anything to say at all, and I'll quote all candidates, whether or not they're in a contested race. Just promising change and new ideas without divulging them won't cut the mustard, aspirants.

At-large city council candidate Hannegan Beardsley Roseberry (D) is taking the time to write, so let's take a look. These comments are collected from her Fb campaign page.

On what we want to be as a city:

I enjoyed seeing some New Albany natives tonight - the incredible Houndmouth. It is terrific to see a group from New Albany find such huge success; they are a reminder of everything we should strive to be as a city: eclectic, intelligent, innovative, creative and spunky. New Albany, we need to follow suit and claim our place in the region. Who do we want to be and how are we going to get there? As a city council member, these are the questions I will be pursuing.

On Speck's downtown street network proposals:

Matt Nash made some terrific points in his op-Ed piece in yesterday's Trib about the ongoing fiasco surrounding the street grid. If we are wanting to continue to attract people to live in our city, we have to appeal to their needs for a walkable, engaging environment.

Matt observes: "How often do “wide load” trucks need to actually use these roads? Is there enough traffic like this that we should force the entire city to kowtow to its needs? How do trucks manage to get from place to place in other towns who don’t have wide one-way streets?

You need not look any further than the city of Jeffersonville to see a city that’s downtown has thrived even with narrower two-way streets. They also have a couple of large manufacturers downtown that are able to ship goods without the need for a 40-foot-wide, one-way street. How has material arrived for the downtown bridge project without wide one-way streets?"

On the Indiana Religious Freedom Restoration Act:

I have written a lot about this debacle on my personal page today, and will now share this here on my campaign page, as well. One of my goals is to help New Albany to claim its place in the region as a leader in culture, commerce, and community. New Albany needs to be a place where people are going to want to live, work, spend their money, and raise their families. Indiana's legislature just made our job this much harder - I stand for a New Albany that is welcoming to all people, and I disagree wholeheartedly with the notion that this is the way our founding fathers intended our governing bodies to be used. New Albany - we've got our work cut out for us if we are to counteract this sort of damning national publicity. We've got to be forward-thinking and welcoming to all - yes ALL - residents. We don't pick and choose our neighbors, but we do pick our elected officials. Make your voice heard and let our legislators know that this is not the Indiana that we want. In New Albany, we can do better than this.

On theater and why millennials matter:

New Albany Civic Theatre - now doesn't that have a nice ring to it? Millennials (ages 18-36) are currently 77 million strong, or 24% of the population, which is roughly the same size as the baby boomer generation. What does this mean? For cities like New Albany, we have to figure out what we're going to do to hang on to and attract these vibrant, creative young people. Studies show that millennials are flocking to more urban, mixed-use communities that are socially conscious and creative. Right now, New Albany is being outpaced by the surrounding communities as far as cultural offerings. As a city, we need to understand that a thriving cultural center results in economic benefit. New Albany is long overdue for a New Albany Civic Theatre, with additional space for art studios/classes/displays. This sort of creative venture is exactly the type of thing New Albany needs.
"COMMUNITY ARTS ANCHORS SERVE AS PURVEYORS OF CULTURE AND CONTRIBUTORS TO QUALITY OF LIFE.”–TIMOTHY MCCLIMON,AMERICAN EXPRESS FOUNDATION

I'm trying to be dispassionate in these surveys, but Hannegan's doing a great job so far in articulating substance.

The Glass Menagerie at the Stage on Spring.

We joined the Bookseller and his family last evening for Tennessee Williams's play, The Glass Menagerie, at the Stage on Spring. It's a part-time community theater occupying a church sanctuary, and St. Mark's deserves kudos for being quite clever in hosting. The play was delightful, and you still may be able to get seats for tonight's and tomorrow's final performances. Visit the Facebook event page for the details.

The review at Arts-Louisville.com is worth reading in its entirety, so please do. To me, quite possibly the most important point within the review is quoted below.

Tennessee Williams, Straight Up ... a review of The Glass Menagerie, by Tennessee Williams, directed by J. R. Stuart. Review by Keith Waits.

... Mr. Stuart has been transforming this space, a little at a time, into a viable theatrical venue, and I daresay he could do most anything here now. Stage on Spring is a little-known gem of a theatrical enterprise, quietly mounting quality productions a little under the radar in New Albany.

“We’re still fighting the disease.”

From The Economist.

“The Normal Heart”: Thumping, boiling and loving; Larry Kramer’s seminal play about AIDS makes its Broadway debut

WHOEVER thought you could die just from having sex? Surely only the God of the Old Testament would imagine a plague that smites gay men just as they are starting to enjoy themselves. But in New York in the early 1980s a mysterious illness was suddenly ravaging these men. People would literally “cough, go home and then die in two weeks,” says a former employee of the downtown Public Theatre at the time. “It was horrifying.”

It was the Public that first staged “The Normal Heart”, Larry Kramer’s raging, rabble-rousing play about AIDS, in 1985. The HIV virus had just been discovered, but government officials were moving slowly, reluctant even to mention the epidemic by name. “Who cares if a faggot dies?” asks a doctor in the play. A meditation on gay men fighting for their lives, “The Normal Heart” went on to become the longest-running hit in the Public’s history. Now, over a quarter of a century later, the show has arrived on Broadway, with both bark and bite intact.

“This play has an enormous number of ghosts,” says Mr Kramer, who based the story on his own experiences, lovers and friends, many of whom are now dead. At nearly 76, he seems a little surprised to be alive himself, having been infected with HIV for decades. Much has changed since the play was first produced—HIV is no longer a death sentence. But Mr Kramer, a longtime activist, is hardly counting blessings. “Gay people are hated in a huge part of the world, and we refuse to fight back.”

The play centres on Ned Weeks, a nebbishy and combative gay man. Inhabited here by Joe Mantello (pictured with John Benjamin Hickey as Ned’s lover, Felix). Ned is full of fury. He attacks the mayor, Ed Koch, for his negligence, the media for their silence and his fellow gay men for their sexual irresponsibility. His provocative antics get attention, but they also alienate his friends. Men who had finally achieved some kind of sexual freedom don’t want to be bullied about their bodies. Meanwhile, Felix gets sick.

“The Normal Heart” is designed to grab viewers by the lapels and give them a good shake. Full of expository dialogue and dramatic monologues that carry on a few beats too long, the play is more agitprop than art. “I wanted to get the message out fast,” Mr Kramer concedes. But it is also powerful and unfailingly moving, not only as an historic document but also for its unsparing look at physical deterioration and premature death. “We’re still fighting the disease,” says one theatregoer. Another marvels at how fresh the play feels, given the shame and recklessness that still bedevil gay people. “We don’t have gay marriage, so we don’t have role models for lives that aren’t about loneliness, sex and drinking,” he says. He is 28, and three of his friends are HIV-positive.

Elton John and his partner, David Furnish, may take this production to London. A film could also be in the works. Yet Mr Kramer is still angry—about the people who will needlessly die from the disease, about the cure that hasn’t been found. “I don’t want to lose my anger,” he says. “There’s work to do.”

“The Normal Heart” is at the John Golden Theatre in New York until July 10th