1st Stage: The Chosen

 "The Chosen" is an adaptation of Aaron Posner's based on the book of the same name by Chaim Potok (1929-2002).  It is a story of two friends, young men.  It is set in Brooklyn in the 1940's which natural has it playing off of the Holocaust and the founding of the nation of Israel.  I cannot tell you just how profoundly the events of this very day--the declaration of a new war in Israel--were hanging over my thoughts.  I have no doubt they were playing hard against the hearts of the actors.

The essence of the story is how two young men from different sects of Judaism meet, become friends, endure the harsh reality of the intersection between culture and friendship under fathers who might seem vastly different, but who in the end are cut from the same cloth.  It is a powerful, deeply presented and culturally unapologetic presentation of the glory and the warts of both traditions. 

"Avloo ve' Avloo": what I could see from my seat of the captioning for the deaf.  It means "This is the same as that".  Two ideas which can be held in a tense equilibrium as both being good in the eyes of God.  It is the first line spoken by Reuven Malter, the son of the secular (yet, observant) Jewish family.  Just on its own, apart from this little play as amazing as it was; this idea echoed against the hatred and death of today like an impossible dream...

I do not know what the actors were actually thinking.  I can tell you for me, this was the highlight so far of my DMV theatre season.  Zach Brewster-Geisz as David Malter the Zionist father of Reuven was wonderful in his portrayal of a man whose health is frail, but whose heart is passionate.  Sasha Olinick as Reb Saunders gave humanity to a man who sacrificed his relationship with his beloved son in order to just hope to teach him how to be a better man... Avloo ve' avloo!  

Special kudos go to Stephen Russell Murray who, as the understudy, was called into service for this performance.  Whenever an understudy enters the milieu of an ensemble you can see the lack of cohesion that familiarity inevitably creates.  Well, usually, you can.  Stephen's portrayal of the Hasidim heir apparent to a dynasty of immigrants led by his father--a role he does not want to have--was so vulnerable, so innocently desperate.  It left me just wanting to embrace him in his struggle and fear.  That is acting.

But the real star of this production was Ethan Miller.  Damn!  I first saw Ethan play Joshua Muller, the child son in "Watch on the Rhine" at Arena Stage back in March of 2017 where the headliner was the actor Marsha Mason.  It was fine.  I wasn't overly impressed with Mason's performance, and my attention to it distracted from others.  But the role of a child in this family whose presence was of little more significance to the story than the couch upon which he sat?  Well, kids come, and kids go.

Apparently, NOT this kid.  In the interim 6 years, little Ethan has gone off and earned himself a BFA in acting from the University of Minnesota and been in association with the prestigious regional Guthrie Theater up there.  Today, he was the absolute real deal.  Like the star, Baby.  From his first pronouncement of "Avloo ve' avloo" to the last--which ended the play--he was nothing short of amazing. His delivery of the lines never wavered into the realm of recitation.  Every word felt fresh, real, dynamic, dare I say, natural?  At one point a prop fell and every ounce of his reaction was just as natural and consistent with the character that he was embodying.  If he's not nominated for a Helen Hayes award, then I would honestly question the integrity of that process.  

The set was beautiful.  The sound design seamless.  The lighting design?  I have cliff notes...and who's to say if it was poor design or poor execution, but when you are made aware of it in a way that detracts from the experience even just once--it's a failure in my book.  

Of all of the shows I've seen this season, this one was the best so far.  

Ethan Miller as Reuven Malter

Images from a baseball game that was the beginning of Reuven and Daniel's friendship.

Zach Brewster-Geisz as Reuven's father David Malter

Sasha Olnick as Reb Saunders, Daniel's father.

Reuven coming to terms with his life in a moment of darkness in his soul.

Stephen Murray who performed the role of Daniel Saunders as the understudy in the performance I attended.

Smithsonian National Zoo Snapshots #3: Asian Elephant

 A few back now, the Smithsonian National Zoo made the choice to expand and emphasize it's herd of Asian Elephants.  All across the United States, Elephants in "captivity" have become a cause celeb for PETA and their ilk.  Ironically, PETA was founded about 5 miles away from were I live today.  Protests and miss-representation of Animal welfare has cause some zoos to cease their care of elephants.  Within AZA (Association of Zoos and Aquariums) members, standards for the care of elephants have increased greatly in the past 30 years and continue to do so.  As a result of this, and other cultural forces, zoos have had to make the choice to either care for elephants well, or not at all, if they want to maintain their AZA accreditation.  When you see elephants at AZA zoos, wildlife parks and sanctuaries you will not see animals maintained in cramped spaces, or in numbers less than 4.  Elephants are social creatures and need the company of other elephants.

Within the world of Asian Elephant care a couple of zoos that I've visited and been very impressed with are Denver and Smithsonian National here in DC.  Denver specializes in males and DC's main focus in on females, although they have one male named Spike whose presence is an intentional part of the AZA Species Survival Breeding program.  At one point the National Zoo was home to just females.  When that was true, they had 5 older ladies and a younger female who was the daughter of one of the older females.  In a twist of fate, several of the older females had started out life as orphans at the same elephant sanctuary in Sri Lanka.  Coming back together in DC was, therefore, a bit of a reunion.  And it seemed that they recognized each other after decades of living apart.  Elephants, they are the best of creatures!

Two of the older females have since died and so the last time I visited there were just 4 plus Spike.

• Bozie (F) - age 48
• Kamala (F) - age 48
• Swarna (F) - age 48
• Maharani "Rani" (F) - age 33 (Swarma's daughter)
• Spike (M) - age 42

The average life expectancy for an Asian Elephant is around 55.  The data is not deep enough to be statistically solid; however, in captivity, the median age of a female is 47 years.  The conditions of captivity vary widely.  At the National Zoo, the past matriarch of the herd, Ambika (1948-2020), lived to be 72.

I think that I'm keeping up on what's what at the National Zoo, so imagine my surprise when during my recent visit, I encountered two new-to-me Asian Elephants!  How had I missed this news?  How long have they been here?  The answer is just about 11 months.  They arrived in early November of 2022.  They didn't first appear outside in the Asian habitat until late December 2022.  Both are females.  By the National Zoo's standards, both are young.  They are a mother and daughter combo presented to the National Zoo from the Rotterdam Zoo in the Netherlands.  

• Trong Nhi (F) - age 20
• Nhi Linh (F) - age 10

On the day of my visit, the main barn was wide open.  Spike and Rani were hanging out inside.  Swarna and her BFF's, Bozie and Kamala, were in the near yard and the pool yard sort of moving between the two.  Besides these spaces, there is another yard on the opposite side the pool yard off of the near yard.  Then beyond that area through that yard there is access to the much larger open valley with another pool of water.  The water in the pool yard is deep enough for the elephants to enter and submerge themselves when the mood takes them for a swim.  The pool in the valley yard is of the same dimensions, but not nearly as deep.  It's deep enough for belly wash or to drink from.  Trong Nhi and Nhi Linh were together and quite clingy in this larger space.  Even though it's almost been a year, it felt like they don't yet feel comfortable interacting with the others.  The latest new member before them was Spike back in 2018.  However, he had the advantage of already living with Swarna, Rani and Kamala at the Calgary Zoo.  He was a known quantity, and easily socially accepted.  Trong and Nhi have only known Rotterdam.  

However, long it may take, time is not of the essence.  Patience and gentle, affecting care will eventually open their sensibilities to deeper relationship with the others.  It was exciting to see the possibilities for natural social development for all of the elephants that the introduction of Trong and Nhi have initiated.  Without further ado, I give you Trong Nhi and Nhi Linh.

Trong Nhi with her daughter Nhi Linh behind her, nearly hidden from view at this angle.

A small portion of the Valley Yard.

A closer look.  Nhi Linh on the left, Trong Nhi on the right.

A bird's eye view.  In the habitat, containers of straw are located at various places that require the elephants to use their trunks to explore them to obtain their food.  It mimics the natural state of foraging in the wild.

Both at the farthest northern end of the valley yard.

Their tender affection for one another was very obvious and beautiful.

Smithsonian National Zoo Snapshots #2: Hoofstock

Hoofstock is a term that encompasses a white range of grazing animals: Antelopes, Gazelles, Bison, Buffalo, Deer, Cattle and Horses.  I am a fan of these animals.  Most zoos sort of see them as lesser included's in stature of popularity.  Here are some of the ones I encountered at the National Zoo.

PRZEWALSKI'S HORSE

AMERICAN BISON

LESSER KUDU

ADDAX ANTELOPE

Woolly Mammoth Theatre: My Mama and the Full-scale Invasion

 You know what I love about new plays?  When they are well written, they take you to places you didn't expect to go.  What might seem like a straight forward story of an elderly Ukrainian women refusing to leave her Kiev apartment after the full-scale invasion of her country by Russia, is actually the story of relationships.  All good stories are.  It is the relationship between a mother and her sometimes distant daughter.  It is the relationship between that woman and her own mother.  It is the relationship between that woman and her handful of husbands and lovers.  But most importantly, in the end, it is the relationship that woman, Olga Ivanova, has to herself--a relationship that the play carries her through the war and many other world events in her lifetime to an epiphany.  

"My Mama and the Full-Scale Invasion" by Sasha Denisova is about her relationship with her mother.  It is also a world premiere production, and it is worthy of the presentation.  What I feared before going was that it was going to be a pandantic treatise on the righteous victimization-hood of Ukraine by evil mother Russia.  And certainly the lines between the good and bad players are drawn; however, through the lens of Olga's life and present eccentricities, we get the point and we see the nuances, too.

I did not recognize the actor, Suli Holum who plays the Daughter--a blatant representative for the playwright, Sasha.  She is even called Sasha in the play, though listed as the Daughter in the credits.  She opens the play and often acts as the narrator bridging the lapses in time (both moving forward and backward).  Her presence and physicality were seamlessly engaging.  She was unapologeticly the fulcrum that held the balance of the story in a tender equilibrium.  Whenever things appeared to going off script, off kilter, off planet, she took the ball and brought it back on court.

Lindsay Smiling, in the role of "Man" started his tenure on stage as Olga's current husband--and quickly he became a kaleidoscope of other "men" in her life, other men in her fantasy life, (and at a couple of points even Olga's mother).  A fantasy life painted for her by her daughter.  Smiling when from an old lady to a hipster avant guarde film director, to the leaders of Germany, France, and, yes, even Biden--but wait! there's more--an alien overlord from outer space and finally the divinity himself, God.  He was an amazing "Jack of all Roles".

And then there's Holly Twyford.  The moment I opened the leaflet (no program--shit.) and saw that she was the lead my whole body took on a different air.  A sense that whatever was to come, it would be amazing.  And it absolutely was.  Twyford is one of the standout actors in the DMV.  Whatever she chooses to do, it will be done without hesitation and with a degree of authenticity that dissipates whatever she's done before with the wonder of this new thing, this utterly new person.  That she was in an ensemble with such excellent supporting players created a synergy for theatre at its apex.

The sets were complex and as interesting as the story-line, with an attention to detail, a good some of which was only hinted at that it became in a way metaphor for the play writ large.  If only the acting weren't so compelling, I would have had more time to consider all of the connections.

One distinctive aspect of the play was the use of real-time video projections.  While even onstage, the Mother's face was projected large and unpolished presenting monologues in the form of video messages to her Daughter who was living in Poland.  It was very effective, and extended the live performance in a way was equal parts unsettling and intimate.

All around one of the those nights that reminds you just how relevant, engaging, and magical live theatre can be.

Holly Twyford at Olga "The Mother"

Lindsay Smiling in one of his many roles as "The Man"

Holly Twyford and Suli Holum as "The Daughter"

How the use of projected images looked in the production

Olga in conversation with "Biden"

Olga about to assassinate Putin with a Jar of Pickles, a not-so-subtle reference to the downing of a Russian drown by a jar of pickles tossed by a grandmother in Kiev on March 8, 2022

Olga meets the Alien from Outer Space

Olga climbs to the rooftop of her apartment building to confront God.

Smithsonian National Zoo Snapshots #1: Giant Pandas

 I live about 6 miles away from the Smithsonian National Zoo.  Although I choose to drive every other weekend to Baltimore to volunteer at the Maryland Zoo, I have nothing against the National Zoo.  (Well, other than its volunteer program sucks, and they don't really care about it.  Yet, let's not loose focus!)

I have taken advantage of my proximity to visit there once or twice every other year since I've lived here.  I figure it's about 15-18 visits since 1994.  I have watched it survive the 2005 Earthquake, the African American Picnic shooting events, Covid-19 closures; also, the renovation and expansion of the Elephant House Habitat, the renovation and expansion of the Farm and related events space, and the renovation of the Aviary.  None of this is garnering as much attention as the return without reciprocity of the Giant Pandas who call this place home to China.

The simple truth is that just like American Bald Eagles, Giant Pandas cannot be "owned" by anyone.  Like Bald Eagles are by statute the property of the American government and shared under the authority of the Department of the Interior to Zoos, Aviaries, and other institutions, Giant Pandas are the sole property of the Chinese government.  Most Americans don't know this.

China leases its Giant Panda ambassadors to zoos outside of China.  The annual rental fee that has nothing to do with the additional expenses exceeds $1,000,000,000.00.  At one time the fact that these adorable animals were Critically Endangered, and that zoos that invested in them were also invested in their survival (along with ticket sales) made the premise reasonable and affordable.  That is no longer the case.  

In North America there are 5 zoos with leases for Giant Pandas: Smithsonian National Zoo, ZooAtlanta, Memphis Zoo, San Diego Zoo, Toronto Zoo.  The only exception to this is the Mexico City Zoo who is home to Xin Xin, the inbred granddaughter of two pandas that were actually given to Mexico back in 1975.  Of the aforementioned 5: Memphis and San Diego have already returned their Giant Pandas for good.  After December of this year, only Atlanta will still have leased animals. The Giant Pandas Leased to the Toronto Zoo were moved to the Calgary Zoo in 2020 and will be returned to China at the end the year, as well.

There's a lot of hoopla around the Giant Panda's final days in DC.  It's not something I care to engage in, after all, I have seen them many times over the years.  Then a day presented itself.  An off peak visitor day wherein I had the opportunity to go one more time.  I took it.

Sleepy Giant Pandas in the interior rooms.  Usually I catch them all outside in on of their yards, but on this midweek morning, they were still sleepy-babies.  The visit reminded me why they are such magical creatures.

QI Season 21: U Fantasy Panel

 QI is a BBC quiz program developed and hosted by Stephen Fry with each season's topics being based on the next letter of the Alphabet.  Fry hosted for the first 13 seasons from A to M.  Then he relinquished the job to fellow erudite
comedian, Sandi Toksvig who has continued for the past 7 seasons.  Season 21, featuring the letter U is set to broadcast sometime soon--the BBC's scheduling is a mystery to me.

The format is a series of esoteric questions around a letter based theme.  Sandi asks the questions and moderated the responses while providing additional information about the question.  Alan Davies is a regular panelist and has been from the beginning.  The other three panelists change from episode to episode.

With Season 21 pending, and the themes based on ideas starting with the letter "U," this is my fantasy episode.  The theme is the "Underworld," and joining Alan on the Panel are Gyles Brandreth, Susan Calman, and Sara Pascoe.

Dinner: Slow Roasted Country Cut Pork and Veggie Stir Fry