LINKAPALOOZA

Peter Aspden on the problem defining cool + if Miles Davis is the solution.

Fashion Bloggers in the front row…Nicola Copping on how bloggers (example @bryanboy) are gaining influence with designers. Fashion Blogs I follow, well @meandmarisa found me on Twitter and I’ve been enjoying their photos and fashion thoughts.

Sarah Hemming talks to set designers about…set design.

Mexican left-wing printmakers took on church, politics + culture. Review of exhibit at British Museum.

Christine Lagarde, French Finance Minster, ranks #1.

Vanessa Friedman on how dressing for the EU President job will be almost as difficult as landing it.

And to end w/ a dinner tomorrow thought: a pumpkin risotto recipe. Also must make single serving apple crisps in these deep, white ramekins we have — feeling inspired by the season and the big nubbly apples sitting in our fruit bowl.

ROBOTS + SHAKESPEARE

Because that’s what you’re here for, right?

Robots: my friend @kristynburtt, the creator and host half of my friends @TheWebFiles (@SPWrite the director + producer half) is in Texas at the Texas State Fair running across robot + bird sculptures. So, of course, someone helped her solve the mystery + we have a link to The Traveling Man.

Shakespeare + Sarah Hemming, because those two names seem to go together, here and in The Financial Times. This past weekend she interviewed Mark Rylance, director, actor and theatre extraordinaire type. The interview made me nostalgic for The Tempest, which I swore I would never direct again (just read Act I, scene ii and you’ll know why — Shakespeare should have just written a prequel titled The Duke of Milan instead of that scene.) The actress playing Biondello this summer told Gayle she wanted us to do it + now I’m getting the urge again. We far exceeded our reach for the second year of a program + I got to put magic tricks in — remind me to tell you sometime about a half ton trunk, small children dressed as dogs and why they should never be combined in the same scene. Or about the 15′ tall mast that was magnetically attracted to swimming pools or the producer who had to hold down half our set by clinging to a rope thrown down from the stage…The Tempest seems conducive to epic stories, as the Rylance article reminded me. Hmmmm……

This afternoon’s alternate office discovery (thanks to Wired magazine): How about The Elements — yes, of the Table of Perodic fame. Theodore Gray has written a book about them and it looks great.

And @flyingmonkeyair linked to the site he did for Mizna, the Arab American arts journal/events promoter, where I found a book I must track down, The Night Counter.

What else…Great Vanessa Friedman article about fashion, Rio, Paris runways, no more one liner designs and everything else.

That should keep you busy for a bit. Bon soir.

A TOUCH OF VIRTUE, A BITE OF POLITICS, THEN A WAREHOUSE OF FUN

Some fun sites + serious thoughts I’ve run across in my internet ramblings recently.

Benjamin Franklin’s 13 Virtues in a wordle. I like to limit my political controversy + ranting exposure to election periods, but it looks like we’re in for a full four years. So perhaps it’s time to pay attention to some of what the Founding Fathers have left us. I suggest a strong dose of tranquility for everyone. And throw in some tolerance, darn it, even though it’s not listed.

Jimmy Carter is a courageous man and a former president setting a great example for everyone. His suggestion that racism may be part of the irrational healthcare debate is a point to consider. I am very tired of people thinking politics and government is a place to pick sides and behave like ill mannered sports fans.

Fun stuff, as promised: Warehouse 13 — watch, darn it. Here’s a spoiler free review of the last two episodes from the folks at io9. SyFy’s having an all day marathon next Tuesday, September 22nd, starting w/ the pilot at 9 a.m. At least watch Duped at 5 p.m. Incredible directing, solid writing, excellent performances, real suspense and just a touch of disco fun. Claudia is becoming one of my favorite TV characters ever so I’m really hoping she isn’t the quisling. Warehouse 13 has already been picked up for a second season + it would be GREAT if they don’t fall into the Eureka trap and have a complete tonal change for the second go round. I can take some more suspense, but PLEASE leave in the quirk and the fun. And if Claudia actually is developing a minor Myka crush, bonus points.

Here’s a fun commuter trains of thought graphic my friend Denise linked to on Facebook.

And a lovely piece of music for a slightly overcast day that bestows mellow happiness and memories of Fred Astaire.

And because, it’s fun + wacky…introducing a potential new celebrity: The Spork, who may or not get his/her/its own shirt this weekend.

Oh, and I have a bunch of FT links in my head + scattered across my desk that need to be cleared out, but for right now, props to Sarah Hemming for an excellent review of Judgement Day and an interesting interview with Rupert Goold.

Hope to catch up some more on the weekend (+ watch Adventureland, which is sitting in its red NetFlix envelope on top of the TV). The Informant looks funny — Matt Damon earned a spot on my favorite funny movie cameo list with Eurotrip , but I’m saving up for SPX next weekend.

MONDAY READING

Yes, with no show + nothing scheduled, I zinged through my FT Weekend yesterday. Here’s some fun links for you.

Vanessa Friedman on Twitter as a communication accessory — I like the analogy, Twitter goes with everything I own.

From the House and Home section, an article on 12th century design and redecorating the medieval stone keep at Dover Castle.

Sarah Hemming (yes, at it again) profiles Brian Friel…oddly enough, I recently had a Friel conversation with a friend looking for a play to direct. I would love to see a good production of Translations; I’ve always been fascinated by how the language issues would play out on stage.

Harry Eyres ponders Galileo, his telescopes and the reach of science.

And today, an update on robots assisting with care of the elderly in Japan.

QUICK HITS REDUX

My new favorite thing about the internet: Kingdom of Loathing.

Fun photos I’ve been posting on Twitter.

Great column on poetry by Harry Eyres.

Sarah Hemming (we can add a thing to 10 Things I Hate About Sarah Hemming) reviews Arcadia.

New iCarly/new True Jackson…fun. Max is always fun; Gayle apparently loves when True tells Dad stories; and I want Max’s car. Now, what was the iCarly episode about — oh, DIngo Studios — great fun to see Sam whapping people with a sweat sock; Gibby always fun, little bit too taking a dig at a Disney/Fox mutant hybrid, but a fair to midrange episode.

Eureka — watched second half of Season 3 first two episodes. First one, airing on July 10th and dealing with Carter’s replacement as sheriff, was rocking with whimsical Eureka goodness. Second one totally tanked, although if you like Jo in a sexy red dress you won’t care that every science fiction show in this and every alternate universe has done that storyline (and many have done it better). So need a tie breaking episode.

And so good night. That should tide you over for awhile. I have an agenda full of sleep, showering and Shakespeare. I like it.

HEMMINGSPHERE

No, that’s not a misspelling; I’m just amusing myself.

Sarah Hemming interview this past weekend with Thea Sharrock, who is directing As You Like It at the Globe…we start off with a discussion of weather — The Globe being an open air theatre — and go from there.

Hemming has recently been reviewing shows I’ve always considered too dull, grim and beloved of academics for me. Her reviews of Ibsen’s “A Doll’s House” and Becket’s “Waiting For Godot” (can’t find a link, but fairly sure it was hers or else an interesting hallucination) actually might have had me in the house for a performance but I am hobbled by the width and depth of the Atlantic — and a strong aversion to “idea” plays. But I pay more attention to reviews than lectures.

Vanessa Friedman has been in politics + fashion + thinking mode; last week, she delved into the “gender based clothing double standard” and a discussion of why Barack Obama’s tailor is filing for bankruptcy and this week, how just because you’re pretty, stacked and the Prime Minster of Italy likes you, doesn’t mean we can assume you are a bimbo.

Interview with Iranian film director Abbas Kiarostami. He discusses censorship, the Mozart opera he’s directing and develops a metaphor along lines that I’ve been mulling over myself recently, himself as a tree.

And another article on the play I most want to direct, Tom Stoppard’s “Arcadia” that reminds vividly of the humor and beauty contained therein.

And Jan Dalley’s guest culture column(so far a happy thought) on previously unseen Jodphur art from India in the Garden and Cosmos exhibit at the British Museum reminds me that Sita Sings The Blues is still on my list of movies to watch; I’ve got my Tweetdeck set to topic search for it; a new glowing comment pops up with notable frequency.

ABSENCE OF ALTUCHER, PRESENCE OF PET SHOP BOYS

No James Altucher in the FT since mid-February and when I went in search of an on line Altucher outlet, bad things tried to download themselves into my computer…not happy about that at all. I assume it’s because he is, of course, popular among the finance crowd and they have financial information(and possibly actual finances) to abscond with. That’s why I preferred reading him on pink paper.

Pet Shop Boys interview cool, including this portion which I will read to my cast on Monday. I always like to share heartening glimpses of why comedy is important:

“It was Lowe, in his younger days, explaining that he believed music should be about “making people happy and having a good time”… “It’s a lot easier to make miserable music,” the keyboardist says, sitting on the sofa, Twittering gadget returned to his pocket. “To make uplifting pop or dance I think is one of the hardest things to do. To be in your bedroom and put some minor chords together and whinge – I think that’s the easy option. To write something like a great Motown record, which has built-in euphoria and changes your mood for the better – that’s really quite an achievement.”

The Pet Shop Boys tweet; I’m going to have to look them up. Speaking of Twittering bands, had a lot of fun last weekend chatting up @gomeztheband with @blinkkittylove. They’re on tour and it was great to have a bit of fun with TK, their big fan, unable to go to a concert. I’m going to have work Gomez into an animated episode. I did get to see them on Jimmy Fallon, which I may go downstairs and watch in a few minutes as Lauren Graham is on tonight and I do like Lauren Graham.

Fallon’s show wasn’t bad, although he seemed very uncomfortable with his suit. Loved The Roots — great band. Gomez did a tight version of Airstream Driver. Some day I hope to catch them in concert — me or the Blink Kitty Love crew. We’ve offered to meet them in a Scooby Doo cartoon.

Speaking of new talk shows, caught Chris Isaacs a couple of times…enjoyable; nice to see more music than just one number and I think the singers (Trisha Yearwood is the one I remember) responded to someone who knows the tour/concert life and the language.

Sarah Hemming profile of Rufus Norris is another of her perceptive looks into someone else’s life of the theatre that makes me feel not so alone — “often drawn to plays that shred his nerves” — this sort of comment is a reminder that the best sort of projects are the ones that give you the edge of a cliff poised to fall or fly feeling.

Hemming’s Dido, Queen of Carthage review puts that Marlowe play on my list to read (once I’m done with the Moliere and the Shakespeare.) Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus is one of the most intense reading experiences I’ve ever had, second to my reread of 1984 — at 20 so much more scary and possible than 12 — and even more now in this interactive and technological age.

Cool article today(yesterday) about Taiwanese Pili puppets, updated for television and science fiction action. Might have to track them down — youTube search maybe?

And now, please excuse me because I think I really must go see what Lauren Graham is up too, although if I had Lauren Graham and a production of Guys and Dolls to do, I would have cast her as Sky Masterson (it’s the kind of thing I do). She’d probably look great in the hat and smirk usually associated with the role.

I’D BUY A DRINK FOR…

Jan Dalley, whatever she wants, up to the limit of the $20 currently in my wallet. Peter Aspden’s back on the culture beat and I will enjoy his insights, but I must admit to having had a pleasant month without him. Ms. Dalley, pick your topic and your drink, if you’re ever in the lonelypond environs. Thoughtful insights on e-altruism, opportunity and the internet business model. Loved her Kate Winslet wit and taking her Darwin/Picasso tangent transit. Thanks for the ride.

Harry Eyres also has an open invitation. Here’s his column listing Crow Chief Plenty Coups third way between despair and glory. I think this is the sort of thing that would make me a better Taoist (I’m bad at the invisible part — yes, yes, I know, major paraphrase; I’m good at the distracted by 10,000 things part).

There’s been a lot of fashion coverage in the FT recently, good tight writing, mostly tight pants, lots of Vanessa Friedman, tons of pictures, but nothing that will help me come up with a clothing theme/direction for directing Moliere. It always helps to have a style in mind (well, minor riffing on the classic me, but rehearsal indoors instead of out, with parents who aren’t used to me so slightly more formal (no shorts)). I think this situation requires a new hat.

Interesting interview with French artist Annette Messager concerning her puppet/Pinocchio pieces.

Book reviews and profile of maverick scientist and Gaia theory originator James Lovelock. Fascinating stuff.

And that’s probably enough for now, although I was glad several weeks ago when Luke Johnson admitted that perhaps he had erred in ignoring age and guile.

And I would, of course, buy Mr. Altucher or Ms. Hemming the drink of their choice any time they choose to call in my marker.

And now to sleep and dream of robots and bands and kittens and misers and jazz and if any of it is in French, I may be back. Bon nuit.

10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT SARAH HEMMING

With apologies to Sarah Hemming (and a suggestion that you, loyal reader watch 10 Things I Hate About You, an excellent adaptation of the play we’re about to discuss. It handled the final speech problem very well and retained one of my favorite lines (“I burn, I pine, I perish”).

1. You frequent London.
2. You see interesting plays there.
3. You write about these experiences for my favorite newspaper.
4. Your Taming of The Shrew review has kickstarted my dealing with “The Speech” process.
5. Your Taming of The Shrew review has kickstarted my dealing with “The Speech” process.
6.Your Taming of The Shrew review has kickstarted my dealing with “The Speech” process.
7. Actually, that about covers it as I’m not really a hater — and come to think of it, 1-3 equal good things as I always enjoy the Hemming London Theatre Tour.

So there we are at my alternate office, me with my Taming of The Shrew plan of making the speech Kate’s response to Petruchio’s multiple personality pranking, an alteration of my turn it into a punk rock song plan. This alteration was prompted by the opening of Hemming’s review: “How best to deliver Kate’s submissive speech at the end of Shakespeare’s difficult play? Some directors play it with irony, so that when she says a wife should place her hand beneath her husband’s foot, we know she is saying this only to keep Petruchio quiet. Others suggest there is a sort of conspiracy between the two.”

Which made me think and what I thought was that surely Shakespeare would have had a sense of humor about the whole thing. Kate and Petruchio and everyone else in the play, especially if you include the Sly parts (which I did last time and will not again), slip and slide out of moods and disguises constantly.

My first Taming a mother rushed her two small boys out of the theatre before Kate’s speech, which saddened me. I had told the actress to read it with confidence, which I think was the extent of my advice, which was late in coming because mostly I was thinking “can’t throttle Petruchio” (long story, hi Shane) and “why oh why has this speech been visited upon us”.

So there I was at the alternate office with tea, half a snickerdoodle and my sparkling new humor/irony/wink conspiracy plan but Shakespeare purist that I am, I actually also had a copy of the play and read the speech. And darn that William Shakespeare, it’s amazing and can’t be cut because it’s personal and pointed and specific and so very Kate in a way I really have to figure out before opening night (or better yet, tech). I was with it up to the “I am ashamed that women are so simple/To offer war where they should beg for peace.” I had a flash of Kate the pacifist arguing against strife for strife’s sake. But then it gets personal and she starts empahsizing the weakness of women while DOMINATING the stage and commanding them what to think. The Folger commentary I skip read through points out the fascinating contradiction between how Kate acts and what she says. I believe in Shakespeare. And I think Kate’s stance might have something to do with being the water that wears away the hardest stone, which is actually a position of power but the water never mentions it. Or it might be a severe, very severe case of do as I say and not as I do.

So “Kate of Kate Hall” is a Taoist, a Quaker, a Meglomaniac, a mess of contradictions and fascinating. And there’s an entire play to make that speech work, which is a good thing. And I do have faith in Shakespeare, although his comedy Act V’s require the jamming of too many actors on stage (no wonder there’s so many deaths in the tragedies; it’s therapeutic for the director) and Act I, Scene ii of The Tempest should actually be a prequel play called the Duke Of Milan.

And did I mention, Ms. Hemming, that the play I’m actually directing next is “The Miser” so this is a bit early to be so riled up and have Kate in my head…but it is a fascinating conversation to start so I can almost forgive you.

BEHIND THE TIMES(FINANCIAL)

Well, the Post Office has seemingly picked up some touch of my paper reading lag(or a holiday slowing germ) and now at least twice a week, no pink paper gets half shoved into the mail slot (so much fun to get the occasionally shredded FT Weekend front page). Which puts me even further behind in my reading. So now, here’s some of the things that stood out and/or annoyed me recently.

Cher — well, it’s the fault of the 11/29 11/30 Life and Arts article on the Auto-Tune (or how singers utilize technology invented by Andy Hildebrand a geophysicist (so why don’t the Big Bang nerds tweak Penny’s voice for her?) to fool you into thinking they can sing better than you do in the car) — that the default song in my head is now “Believe.” As one of the primal Loreleis – and like Cher, a born queen of the universe — would say breathlessly, “Thank you ever so.”

Vanessa Friedman, although she never mentions any product I can afford, has been doing interesting writing on price, luxury and value these past two weekends.

Good interview from the Wealth Page’s philanthropy window with David Rockefeller, Jr. It’s nice to see money matched with a sense of responsibility — or even just good common sense. Made me bump up return to Acadia and bike on the carriage trails on the potential vacation list — after Quebec, Seattle and New York City (Isamu Noguchi Museum).

The FT’s seasonal charitable appeal this year supports WaterAid, a very good cause addressing the roots of disease. One of the first articles was a profile of “The Professor” who transformed life in his village in Bangladesh.

The Slow Lane again scores with Harry Eyres’ support of leaving a little mystery in art and not requiring an artist to break down every detail, becoming his or her own critic. Great quote from Edward Hopper (used in a show curated by Gerald Matt). Hopper states: “Most of all the important qualities [of every art] are put there unconsciously and little of importance by the conscious intellect.” Eyres continues thinking through that concept to close his column. I think I now have a FT writing triumvirate + 1. Excellent review also by Eyres of an intriguing book about writers and illustrators.

Horrid Henry, yes or no..Ian Shuttleworth profiled Hull Truck Artistic Director John Godber and the description of Godber’s adaptation of Horrid Henry made me think I should perhaps e-mail the article to the powers that be at DreamWrights; Sarah Hemming’s accompanying review made me reconsider that. Have decided I should just read the original book and see what it’s all about. The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me sounds like fun though, both as a play and a book. But Roald Dahl rarely goes wrong.

Haven’t had a chance to sit down and enjoy the Best Books of 2008. Looking forward to sitting down with that and comparing to the Economist’s list.

Going to have to read the darn French horn book. I first heard about in an Economist review, but Hemming’s review of the stage adaptation has pushed me into the “read the book” camp. Isn’t that what winter’s for?