Friday Nicht Fringe Samples

Out late and home exhausted after Friday night's Fringe shows. And I have to get right back out for today's performances. Briefly:

First three - The Buzzer. A mysterious spirit gives a woman the chance to change three events in her life by pressing a buzzer. The only exception is that death cannot be affected. As always, it wins in the end.

Next three - Time For A Change. It is a drama covering decades of the civil rights struggle, full of violence, justified anger and hope.

Last two: Power and Self with young stand-up comic Stryker Spurlock. Raw, hillarious and full of the unexpected.

Lots more to come.   

For Dog Day, our growing dog training promenade

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In honor of National Dog Day (in America, at least) and for Camera Critters meme, here are some fresh photos of our town's dog training promenade.

It is a work in progress, made by volunteers, friends of our local veterinarian Dr. Doron Avishai,  who died before his time.

The builders left their names and messages in the concrete next to the water bowl.
To see how much has been added lately and to check out the various wooden training things, see my post from 2015.
And here you can enjoy pictures of the happy Dog Day that was held there in cooperation with the vet's widow.

The main rule listed here is to keep your dog on a leash.
This is in contrast to the official bare-bones Dog Park built by the Meitar Local Council right across the path; see the difference here.

Another welcome new addition is a patch of bare land where the sign invites you to scatter seeds of wildflowers from our own Negev desert region.
There's also a caveat: Please do not spray here.

Happy Dog Day!
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A Song For Vanya 2

There was a song written in 1930 by George and Ira Gershwin called But Not For Me. You might have heard it. Ella Fitzgerald won a Grammy in 1960 for her performance of it. It's a sad tune. The opening line goes, They're writing songs of love, but not for me. The verse continues:

With love to lead the way
I've found more clouds of gray
Than any Russian play could guarantee.

And hence Chekhov's Uncle Vanya. If you don't know it, read the plot summary. These people are severely bummed out (except, perhaps, during the song in this production in praise of vodka. But we know where that gets you.) The Fringe's A Song For Vanya exquisitely portrays the rural bleakness but you don't leave the theater whistling any of its tunes. 

The Best Teacher Ever

I went through 19 years of formal education plus innumerable classes, programs and seminars in later years. Over all that time, one teacher stands out as the best I've ever had, Bobbi Lane. She is a professional photographer and educator based in Connecticut. Ten years ago, I took her intensive week-long course in portrait photography at the Maine Media Workshops, where  I've received most of my training. She blew me away. I learned more than I can describe. To use a common expression, the program took my photography to a new level and, in some ways, changed my life.

She was in St. Louis last night doing a program on portrait lighting sponsored by Fujifilm cameras. It was such a delight to see her again. If you are serious about photography and ever have a chance to take one of her workshops, you owe it to yourself to go.      

A Song For Vanya 1

Lights are on again. Back to The Fringe.

One of the festival's major works is a new play with music, A Song For Vanya,  based on Anton Chekhov's Uncle Vanya. It was directed by none other than Matthew Kerns, the Fringe's head guy (like he needs something else to do). 

You can read a plot summary by clicking the link. It is bleak, with flashes of humor. The songs, accompanied by a keyboard, cello and woodwinds, add to the ennui. Like Snow White, the show war performed in the newly remodeled Grandel Theater, a 650-seat gem. The lighting is fabulous, perfect for photography. It made my job a lot easier.