Life in a Northern Virginia suburb of Washington, D.C. B.M.A.T.C., and Etruscan typewriter erasers. Blogged by David Gorsline.
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The fine art of the pre-show announcement:
It was a simple thing at first: just a reminder to turn off all cellphones and beepers before the lights went down. It gave self-important people an opportunity to whip out their smart little devices and make a great show of shutting them down or setting them on vibrate, the latter a compromise of sorts because at just the right moment we can hear that distinctive horsefly buzz from 50 feet.
(Thanks to ArtsJournal.) posted: 8:40:34 PM |
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Tabletop, by Rob Ackerman, directed by Jane Beard, Round House Theatre Company, Silver Spring, Maryland
Rob Ackerman's bitter comedy tracks six professionals for 100 minutes as they scramble to complete photography on a TV commercial for fruit smoothies. The cast dispels the threat of being upstaged by so much impressive lighting and camera equipment—a circuit breaker box the size of a steamer trunk, a swivel-seated camera dolly—and turns in six strong performances. Jerry Whiddon is the dyspeptic martinet director of the proceedings; he barks that commercials are why people watch television, why it exists: "Commercials are the meat; the shows are just the mayonnaise." David Marks stands out as Jeffrey, a weary veteran of shoots, muttering out of the side of his mouth. They are countered by young and idealistic Ron (Aubrey Deeker), who says that there is art on what they do, not just the exercise of technical skill. Alas for him, Ron's search for art leads him to technically alter the truth (remember the marbles in the bowl of soup)? Ackerman's script lays some pitfalls for director Jane Beard, as he shifts focus quickly between pairs of characters; at times the transitions feel unnatural. The sexy monologue he writes for Dave, the assistant cameraman with a thinly veiled secret, is just too forthcoming. But he has a confident way with the words his people speak: at times his dialogue is a blur of frame counts and f-stops. When Jeffrey needs Ron to rotate a fresh-food prop so that it presents a more appealing aspect to the camera, he tells him to "clock it." posted: 11:28:22 AM |
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Tony Brown reviews Broadway: The American Musical. (Thanks to "leta".) posted: 10:51:53 AM |
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Sarah Boxer surveys photography in the subways of New York, from Walker Evans to photoblogging.
This is one kind of art that has always thrived on sneakiness.
posted: 10:10:17 AM |
 D. Gorsline, Proprietor
   
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