0066.Art Rocks: Beauford Delaney: 1901

Fantasy Master Plan Maryland Zoo: Maryland Wilderness - The Giant Tree Slide/Herpetarium

A staple of zoos has long been an interface with playground areas.  And modern zoos have taken this idea to greater levels, many include adult "psaygrounds," too--zip lines are the new teeter tauter.  Sometimes the lines get so blurred that the children's play options seem to over shadow the primary function of the zoo, e.g. the Elmwood Park Zoo in Norristown, Pennsylvania.  I see the need to attend to the desires of children and to give them areas where they can be unrestrained in their physical play; however, I also thing that these areas shouldn't be intimately intermingled with the animal habitats.  This master plan addresses on of those instances for me at the Maryland Zoo. 

The Giant Tree Slide in the Maryland Wildness is a faux tree with a hollow core.  In its very center is a spiral staircase that leads to the top with two slides for children to ride down to a deck.  This is all grand fun!  And very popular, I might add.  Besides the stairway, there are several habitats for species of reptiles, snakes and turtles.  The addition of the Maryland Herpetarium removes any need for living creatures to be housed here.  It also creates an opportunity to provide a different sort of guest experience.  Ergo the Maryland Sound Bird experience. 

Working with the collections of the National Smithsonian Institution, each of the habitats will be transformed into a diorama complete with life-posed taxidermy examples of some of Maryland's most common songbirds.  An audio feature with recordings from the Cornell University Ornithological archives would complete the renovation and provide guests with the opportunity to experience the common songs of common birds who can be seen across Maryland.  Furthermore, It might be possible to construct the dioramas in such a way that a few of them could be designated as rotating allowing for even more opportunities to experience a wider range of birds and bird songs on a season basis.

Fantasy Master Plan Maryland Zoo: Maryland Wildness - The Marsh Aviary

The Marsh Aviary would remain relatively unchanged in concept, and no additional species would be added.  The main upgrade would be to increase the available space by about about 80% of what it is now.  The means of access would remain the same.  The increase in space would simply be for the benefit of the birds to give them more space within to move and interact.  Their holding areas would be upgraded, too.

The addition of a pond with live cattails would be sufficient in size to include live fish and provide for the heron's a natural source of additional food.  By increasing the space for the birds, you would also increase the value of the guest experience.

Romeo's Holiday

...present from me?  A new rug to sleep on in the office.

0065.Art Rocks: Elizabeth Forbes: 1895

Woolly Mammoth Theatre: "She The People: The Resistance Continues"

After a Winter Break with some wonderful theatre productions, the perfect aperitif?  An afternoon of satirical, feminist comedy and improv from the crew at Chicago's The Second City improvisational comedy troop.  It's an enterprise with a list of alumni that reads like a who's who of Comedy royalty: From Gilda Radner to Dan Aykroyd, Eugene Levy and Catherine O'Hara, on to Mike Myers, Tina Fey, Steve Carrel, Amy Poehler and Stephen Colbert...and WAY TOO MANY others to even name.  With such a host of talent past, you expect to be watching the next generation of super-stars, and this afternoon I was not disappointed.

Of the six women on stage, five were from the company, and one was a local understudying for an absent member to the group from Chicago.  The understudy was fine, but obviously not as in tune with the others.  Either by design or happenstance, the local actor's role was not as large as the others.

The show opens with a musical number where the cast takes turns completing the line "I wish..." with a feminist theme, hilarious and insightful at times.  The show is a serious of rapid-fire skits with a few longer sketches sprinkled in.  Nothing is left of the list of lampoon-able subjects from date rape to anti-vaxxers.  The content was often triumphantly bawdy, but never gratuitous.  The first act ended with the "Game Show" Ovary Reacting about women's excessive emotional responses.  A member of the audience was selected to be one of the contestants and it was great fun for every.

The second act brought more of the same and more audience participation.  It ended with Jo Scott portraying a psychic radio conspiracy theorist from the Jersey Shore (should I give you a minute to contemplate that?) who would name a controversial moment from history and then ask the audience to name an actor.  From here, in character, she would run a tour de force game of "6 degrees of separation" (6, 16, 32...who's counting?) that would tie in individual back to the heart of the crime.  Did you know that Hugh Jackman was responsible for the Kennedy assassination?  Neither did I until this afternoon! She ran the shtick 3 times, each time upping the ante of difficulty, and each time topping the last.

On the walk over to the show, I passed a homeless gentleman at the Navy Memorial.  I've seen him there before.  One the way back I noticed he gone (hopefully to some shelter for the night).  As I looked away from his "spot" and toward the entrance of the Metro station, through the fading light of dusk I saw him walking toward me.

As we neared, he said, "Nice hat, man."

I broke into a spontaneous smile and replied, "Thanks!"

He return a broad smile and; honestly, a giggle...

Shakespeare Theater Company: "Peter Pan and Wendy"

It is quite possible that no other modern children's tale is as visited and revisited as J. M. Barrie's "Peter Pan".  Barrie himself wrote a version for the stage that was notoriously complex and well received not long after the turn of the 20th Century.  Discounting the predictably racist Disney cartoon version, I have only seen two other iterations of this work.  One composed for and preformed by the Washington Ballet by its former director Septime Webre, and the other at Synetic Theatre in Arlington, VA.  Both were wordless and highly stylized.  Both were wonderful.  Neither was as challenging as this one.  Additionally, I have never seen the Broadway version, though I understand that a video of it exists.  However, after experiencing Lynn Gunderson's Feminist, Nativist take on the old tale, I think I would find that production problematic on a whole a new level.

But first, let us step back a bit.

Looking across my matinee audience today, and milling about with them in the lobby before the show, I would say that almost 50% were children and teens.  60-70% of those were girls.  I saw a lot of mom's and more than a few grandmom's.  One thing you should know about the Shakespeare Theater Company of DC, it's not cheap.  And while I had a very nice seat, it was in the cheapest section @ $77!  Looking around me at family groups with between 4 and 8 members, and most of them in the section in front of my seat where the per seat prices were as much as $134! and the under 14 discount $69!--I figured one group of 9 with four adults/kids over 14 and 5 under who where sitting two rows in front of me could have easily paid just under $900 for the opportunity.  And STC does not generally give out discounts.  I mention this because the audience had a certain ambiance commiserate with the cost.  1) I didn't see a single person of color (who wasn't performing on stage).  2) Costumes were a mix of high-preppy to Blue-haired Sunday attire.  And 3) there was a lot of blue hair in the crowd.  I was dressed nicely, but I hadn't bothered to shave...since Sunday last.  I must looked like I wandered in off the street.  The blue-haired woman who sat on my right, literally got up and relocated before the show began! :P  (Left the armrest for me! <3 )

The point of these observations will be become clear presently.

So, what has Lynn Gunderson done to our beloved, over-analyzed, 19th century fairy tale fraught with the stench of racism, imperialism, latent misogyny and something I will simple call the "Michael Jackson syndrome"? In a phrase: "Girl POWER."--which is also a line from the show.  Wendy can't stop talking about Marie Curie and her Nobel Prize, she wants a STEM career and opposes her parents' plans to send her to a proper "finishing" school.  Tiger Lily hates Peter Pan as much as she does Captain Hook, opens the second act with a long diatribe about how her people were on the island first and it's not a haven for recalcitrant boys or adolescent pirates!  A speech that comes as no surprise given her actions in Act One.  Peter Pan is forced to relinquish his delusions and assigned the minor roll of controlling the Mermaid's habit of drowning children, and Hook...well, somethings don't change.  Hook get eaten by Jerome the enormous crocodile with impeccable timing--tic toc tic toc. 

If there were a complaint, it's a bit preachy.  But consider the source, I am a white man.  As to the blue-haired locals...hmmm.   No sooner had the lights come up at intermission than the grown daughter of the aqua-tinted grandmother sitting on my left turned and looking past the two little girls in pink and yellow dresses with white stockings and black patent-leather shoes, said to her, "You don't like it, do you mother?"

The grandmother said, "Mmmmmm...."

"I know," continued the daughter, "it's just not what you thought it was going to be."

"Well..." She started.

"It's not as fun." interrupted the daughter.  "It's beautiful.  It's just lacking something...or maybe it's just too serious."

Oh my, me thinks she doth project too much!  But she was absolutely right about this: IT IS BEAUTIFUL.  The sets are dazzling and the costumes sumptuous.  The acting also delightful.  Dispensing with the fact that the dog stole the moment every time he walked out on stage--c'mon, you've got 125+ little girls in the theater, he was a shoe (paw?) in for audience favorite.

By singling out three performers in particular, I am not throwing any aspersions on any of the others.  Jenni Barber in the duel roles of Mrs. Darling & Tinkerbell was so wonderful, you would have thought that the roles were played by two different people.  In her gorgeous gowns she gave us the quintessential Edwardian aristocrat, and as Tinker Bell, she could have been a member of the Housewives of New Jersey!  Derek Smith as both Mr. Darling & Captain Hook was likewise pitch perfect in both.  And likewise you could not have been faulted if you thought each role was played by a completely different person.  Finally, my heart went out to Justin Mark as Peter Pan.  Gunderson has written this classic protagonist into a space that is both the timeless young rebel with a cause, and a delinquent suddenly thrust into a most unexpected social awakening.  Mr. Mark found the flight path that gave us a Peter Pan completely able to embrace the former while accepting the later and never loosing his adolescent innocence.  He also gave us flight that was so effortless controlled by his unassuming, yet amazing physicality.  I think this aspect of his performance may too easily go unrecognized; however, I've never seen anyone navigate a harness as seamlessly as he did.

This play may have given some in the audience indigestion.  I, however, ended the meal both sated and content.

0064.Art Rocks: Louise Bourgeois: 1911

Merry Christmas

To my Christian friends, Merry Christmas.  I am an Atheist who still loves all the secular joy the season brings--probably a lot like most of the people sitting in the pews next to you!   I hope your day is as filled with decadence and generosity as mine and Romeo's

We start with a sumptuous breaky.  Bacon, Eggs sunny side up, a little French Baguette, and fruit: Pears as sweet as Muscatel and Grapefruit for the contrast.  Hazelnut flavored Coffee and lots of Water!  Always lots of water.

Romeo waits as usual on the threshold of our little sun room.  His hopes won't be dashed this fine morning.  I declare, I do believe he likes the pears as much as the eggs and bacon!

Then on to presents, and Oh MY~ What a haul!  Santa has once again been good to us.  Make no bones about it, Romeo knows the bone is his.  He's been to this particular "rodeo" before, and when I withdrawal crisps made with love from sweet potatoes, his nose for the treat has been confirmed once again!  What wonderful friends we have.

0063.Art Rock: Joseph Cornell: 1903

Fantasy Master Plan Maryland Zoo: Maryland Wilderness - Small Mammal Lodge

The third of the three major additions is also the second completely new structure.  Designed to fit into the hillside just past the Maryland Cave, and landscaped at its entrance to be an extension of the Maryland Cave's naturalistic rock face, this is a new take on an old idea: the Small Mammal House.  In this design, I would call it the Small Mammal Lodge to set up the distinction of both purpose and presentation.

The purpose is to highlight a range of animals that are integral to our diverse ecosystems, but generally go unnoticed.  Guests would receive a wide-ranging education about the amazing number of small mammals that call Maryland home.  They could see and compare the differences between several examples or mice, rats, voles and lemmings, for example.  They would also learn about the sorts of ecological pressures and threats that these animals face as our world and climate swiftly change.

The design will reflect strongly on the Maryland Herpetarium to create a sense of unity within the larger Maryland Wilderness area of the zoo.  Another wide spiraling farm (this time a staircase) will lead guests to a second floor, and an elevator is provided for guests to use for whom stairs are not possible.  A series of glass enclosed silos with cantilevered windows create the sense of openness to the world beyond the building's form.  Windows opened to permit the free flow of air when temperatures permit adds to the blurred lines.  The new Beaver habitat sits adjacent to the Small Mammal Lodge and a guests may choose between a solid stone bridge and the current suspension bridge when crossing the little ravine to continue exploring through the Maryland Wilderness area.

 DESIGN

 FACADES

 SPECIES

0062.Art Rocks: John Marin: 1870

Fantasy Master Plan Maryland Zoo: Maryland Wilderness - Maryland Cave

The largest structure in the current Maryland Wilderness is the Maryland Cave.  It is a man-made subterranean experience with cave features and exhibits of some Reptiles, Amphibians and our Seba Short-tailed Bats.  The upgrade would maintain the current structure for the most part, but would excavate the hillside behind it to create the most extensive collection of bat species in any zoo in North America.  In doing this, the area currently allotted to the Seba Short-tailed Bats would also be more than doubled.

Guests would discover a new passage in the main room of the current cave that would lead them into a veritable cathedral hub with five additional habitats for a total of six species of Maryland Bats.  A radical and unique feature would be a large exterior Chiropterary where rotations of species could be allowed to fly free in the night about their cave habitats.  As a concept, a lot of study would have to go into its feasibility and species management.  In an exciting way, it could completely revolutionize the care of Bats in zoological institutions, making the Maryland Zoo a destination for Bat lovers everywhere.

0061.Art Rocks: Jean-Michel Basquiat: 1960

0060.Art Rocks: James Amos Porter: 1905

Signature Theatre: A Chorus Line

The first time I saw this was its original Broadway Tour in 1978 at the Fisher Theater in Detroit.  It drove a spike in my closeted gay heart.  I've never forgotten it.

This is only the second time seeing it.  And I knew that some of the lines were different, extended or just changed.  Which isn't a bad thing.  It's still a powerful musical.  One of the differences is a clear juxtaposition between the aching desire of the dancers to be chosen and the harsh reality that they are the Broadway equivalent of chattel.

The dancing is front and center and it is stunning.  The choreography a nice mix between the classic number and bright new moves.  In particular the solo danced by Cassie (Emily Tyra) was sharp and emotionally tight.  I remember thinking, of the original version back in 1978--how frantic and pirouette-filled that number was.  Across the line, the cast was strong and compelling.  It would honestly be difficult to imagine a more daunting show to be a part of, given the iconic status of the original actors/dancers.  A few managed to stand out.  Samantha Marisol Gershman (Diana: "Nothing" & "What I Did for Love") was the earnest non-method actor who stopped the show with her rendition of "What I Did for Love."  Maria Rizzo as (Sheila "At the Ballet") the long in tooth--30-ish--sardonic and jilted, but still fighting to dance, to be in the game.  Usually, Maria gets and excels in roles that are over-the-top sort of character/side kick parts.  This was refreshing and she played it with grit and tenderness in turn.  Wonderful.  The key to the production is Zach, a role that was barely present in the original touring company production, but is present on the stage or in the theater throughout this staging.  Signature turned to Broadway veteran, Matthew Risch, to make this version shine, and he certainly did.  As an overall observation, I don't think I've ever attended a musical in the DMV with a cast as deep in Broadway/National Touring Company experiences; 12 of the 26.

The set was a box of light that transformed to great effect as the music and moods changed.  The costumes were fine, and for the iconic finale, the cast reemerged in sequin-festooned tuxes of silver instead of gold.  Amazing production, the very sort I've come to expect from Signature Theatre.

This is NOT CGI!

Everyman Theatre: Murder on the Orient Express

Ah, murder most foul!  Well, in case there is still one more person out there who was unfamiliar with this book, play, movie (s) let me assure you--no spoiler alerts here.  There is a murder, of course, and in keeping with the genius of Agatha Christie, a bevy of suspects to marvel at and more clues than you can know what do with--all of which will fall neatly into place. 

Taking on one of these parts has got to be an actor's dream.  Played larger than life with amply caricature and tongues firmly affixed to the walls of their cheeks--it was a tour de force of fun and frenzy.  Another excellent example of a repertory company's forte--the ensemble.  And yet a few members found a way to rise a little above the others.  A special shout out to Deborah Hazlett as the serial monogamist, Helen Hubbard.  She hands down got the most laughs, and a show with more than its fair share.  Lilian Oben, Countess Andrenyi, was a new face and delivered the most passionate scene after being exposed for a fraud.  (It would not be a spoiler to mention, they're ALL frauds!)  But, of course, the lynch pin of any murder mystery is the detective, and Bruce Randolph Nelson in the role of Hercule Poirot was absolutely pitch perfect.  I've seen him in two other Everyman productions.  Once in a supporting role, the other in the lead, and I confess, even after I was told this was the same actor, I could not believe it.  What better compliment can you give?

The script demonstrates why Ken Ludwig was one of the most prolific and talented writers of contemporary theatre.  The costumes were a designer's dream, gorgeous and evocative of some romanticized exotic moment in European history just prior to World War II.  But of all of the non-human components, the sets!  Oh My Gawd.  Sumptuous.  Open the divider and enter an Istanbul restaurant full of expatriots and the fun begins.  Then it's All Aboard!  For a series of sets that take you to the Dining Car, the First Class Sleeper Car (one moment as seen from the interior of cabins 1, 2, & 3, and then to the exterior corridor outside of these fateful roomettes).  All the while through large exterior windows, the scene outside the train is passing us by!  It was a magnificent use of technology.

Because I generally attend the theater alone, I also make it a point to strike up a conversation with those around me.  This afternoon, I was in great luck.  By the end of the show through our conversations before the show and during intermission I was fast friends with a gentleman of 70 who sitting to my left and who will have his right knee replaced on January 13th!  I mean, do you tell strangers things like that?  Delightful is the word for this one.

0059.Art Rocks: Pieter de Hooch: 1629

Fantasy Master Plan Maryland Zoo: MD Wilderness - Herpetarium

Looking at the individual components, I will start with the Maryland Herpetarium.  A Herpetarium is a building dedicated to the care and display of reptiles and amphibians.  I am a great fan of both the concept and the inhabitants.  The Maryland Zoo one had a  Reptile House, but it was (and is) located far away from the main area of the zoo.  In 2004, it closed permanently at a time when the zoo was forced to contract many of it's exhibits.  The collect was largely dispersed to other zoos, and only a small core of animals was maintained.  Since, these have found habitats scattered across the Maryland Wilderness and within the Ambassador Animals corps.  This Herpetarium would provide the opportunity to reassemble and expand the former simple building into a dynamic, vibrant, expansive home for up to 26 species and include representation for the first time of native frogs, toads, lizards and skinks.  Additionally, many of the Ambassador Animals would have a public presence for the general visitor.

THE DESIGN

My first consideration was a structure that "fit" the plot.  Next, I an fan of geometric simplicity and asymmetrical balance.  Elegance is important to me, too.  I believe this is also achieved when assembled forms that appear to be solid, yet are open creating a sense of the lines between the interior and exterior spaces being permeable.  Something amazing rising and growing organically out of a firm foundation.

The grand silo made of glass in combination with select large panoramas of windows on the second floor create a constant kaleidoscope of shadows moving through the interior spaces.  Turtle habitats with flowing water further add to the sense of nature's presence.  The broad spiral pathway in lieu of stairs allow all visitors access to the second floor of exhibits.  A non-public access ramp gives staff the same ease of movement between floors containing offices, labs and animal holding facilities.

THE EXTERIOR

THE SPECIES