David's European Adventure '09

Final Bow, For Now

2009-04-05T14:46:00.000-07:00

We arrived in Grafenwoehr after a beautiful ride through the countryside of Franconia, this particularly picturesque section of the country. We went back into the Tower Inn on base. (This tank in the photo at right is one of the few I saw on the bases. I'm sure I wasn't supposed to photograph it.) Tonight's show starts early so we will eat dinner afterward. (If you are keeping track, this is the same theatre where we saw Agnes of God a few weeks ago.) Tonight's selection is called Miss Nelson is Missing, a comedy. It is again directed by Joline Powell.

The play for children tells the story of a too-nice elementary school teacher who lets her class get away with murder because of her lack of discipline. One day she doesn't show up for class and the substitute is a harsh disciplinarian who makes the students actually work. The students are so upset by this turn of events that they go out to find Miss Nelson to get her to come back. Meanwhile, they are studying for the "big test" and doing better than ever. After the test, Miss Nelson returns to a grateful class. Only one of the students has figured out that the substitute was Miss Nelson in a bad wig and fake nose...

Okay, so it's not Shakespeare. The kids like it.

After the show, Joline took us for Thai food with a small group from the cast and crew. She is doing wonderful work in her new position as Entertainment Director of this base. She may do Avenue Q next season. That would be controversial here (it has strong gay content and hilarious 'puppet sex,') but she is a determined woman who is eager to build a significant theatre here with a sizable following. My bet is that she will succeed.

The next morning we pressed on to Stuttgart, another place we had been before. Last time it was for the drama, The Mousetrap; this time a comedy: A Midsummer Night's Dream. It is Shakespeare! The first one we've seen by this author. Actually, we heard that this is the first Shakespeare that has ever played this theatre in Stuttgart (which is over 30 years old.)

The Entertainment Director (and director of both productions) here in Stuttgart is Richard Roberts, also new at his job, like Joline, but much more experienced having worked at theatres on other bases for many years and directed a lot. These two places could not be more different. It's a good example of the diverse conditions at the different bases. In Stuttgart you a state-of-the-art theater that seats about 190 people, with all the latest lighting and sound equipment, two lobbies - one with a bar, the other for coffee and desserts, and a strong following in the community. They also have access to actors who work in a town which has two major and several smaller professional theatres in it.

By contrast, Graf (as we in the business call it :)), has not had an operating theatre for several years. Their "theatre" is a gymnasium in which they have constructed a stage. They have 8 lighting instruments, one of which isn't working properly. The community is not yet accustomed to attending plays, so the audiences are small. They use folding chairs (or cushions for the kids) and the heating/cooling is controlled by someone who has nothing to do with the theatre, so it can go on and off without any notice. At the performance we attended exhaust fans were on, creating a loud hum that made it difficult to hear the actors. They had no clue how to turn them off.

Still, Joline has big plans for the place. She has an opportunity to build a theatre in the shell of this building, which could work because it has a very high ceiling and no columns (it was a basketball court - the markings are still on the floor.) She is in the midst of creating more programming, encouraging involvement of community members, gathering support from the MWR folks who oversee the Program.

Throughout this experience, we found that each of the locations has its advantages and challenges. What is inspiring, is that wherever we went the participants in the programs work exceedingly hard to provide the best experience for their audiences and for the all of the volunteers working on the shows. Community theater doesn't have the "success/fail" element of professional theatre and that's an advantage. While they strive for quality, they are doing what they do just for the love of it. The "community" of Community theater is a large one. Jim told me that the US Army division is the largest section of the American Association of Community Theaters.

As I board the plane for my flight home, I am reflecting back on this experience. There has been a lot of driving, and driving and eating, and driving and eating and sleeping. Oh, and then we saw the plays and met the people. And had some fascinating conversations. And saw some awesome sites. And felt welcomed wherever we went.

I’m not sure whether I would do this again, but I am glad I did it this time. I couldn’t shake the feeling I was missing something at home (aside from the obvious, that is.) During the summer when I spend a longer period of time in Italy with the Symposium and Retreat, it doesn’t feel quite the same.

As long as I can remember I have had wanderlust. I want to go everywhere and see everything that’s out there. Mostly, I want to engage different people, learn about their lives, share ideas and art and creativity and a certain kind of warmth that comes from mutual understanding and engagement in a common goal.

I’ll keep looking. Stay tuned.

Separated by a Common Language

2009-04-04T08:49:00.000-07:00

I'm sure I am already forgetting many of the great expressions that Eva and Annette have been teaching me from their homeland (Canada.) So many evocative turns of phrase. Here are a couple I want to be certain to remember (and use!) One evening when we were at dinner with a particularly loquacious individual, Eva told me later that "her mouth was going like a whipporwill's arsehole." Ha! Today, she said that something was "as black as a the inside of a cow." Of course their accents are distinct. "Owoot" is the pronunciation of "out," for example.

These are useful: anybody who gave us trouble was called "buddy." "Buddy didn't have our hotel reservation.." and the like. Eva and Annette also referred to each other as "Mrs." constantly. As in: "How you doin' there Mrs.?" "Okay, Mrs., how are you?"

I have been teaching them a few Yiddish expressions, but they somehow don't have the same resonance in this crowd. ("Mishegas" and "shpilkes" were two they liked.) We were joking that a Jewish Newfoundlander would probably be saying: "She must have had shpilkes; her mouth was going like a whipporwill's arsehole!" We laughed at that one.

Our bus driver, Armin, who is German, had a unique way of telling a joke -- they go on for four days! He would start and after about ten minutes, we would all go about reading or doing other things waiting for the punch line. Usually, I had to pay close attention, so I could translate for the others into a more concise version. It took me about a minute to tell the same joke. But Armin is a pleasant, jovial fellow with a quick (sometimes!) wit and a calm demeanor. He's an excellent driver and we always got where we were going on time, and often, early. His van has 2 GPS systems - one a male voice and one a female voice. At times they sounded like they were arguing with each other.

Dutch Treat

2009-04-03T15:02:00.000-07:00

Armin, our driver, picked me up at 9 a.m. It was my last moment at Jim's in Heidelberg. It felt like a second home - so comfortable, a great place to take breaks from our travels around Europe. I had spent the day before (when I came back from Wiesbaden) reorganizing and getting caught up on work stuff. Now we were off on the last leg of our adventure. We will come back to Heidelberg only the very last evening to discuss the nominations and awards -- the night before we go home.

We were heading for Brunssum in The Netherlands (not Holland - it was explained to me that Holland is only a province of The Netherlands, but because it's the most famous province, which provides tulips...and wooden shoes, everyone calls the whole country Holland. Wrong!) Brunssum is right on the border of Germany and The Netherlands, with parts of the base in both countries. This only adds to the confusion. Luckily, we have finally been blessed with good weather, no, not just good weather, spectacular! It's mid-60s and sunny this day, as we drive north (a five hour or so drive.)

The surprise was our accommodation. It's called Overste Hof, and though it wasn't easy to find, it was worth the search. This place, unlike every other place we've stayed, is far off base. It's in the countryside; they have horses! and goats! and sheep! It's next to a place called Snow Mountain - a huge indoor skiing and sledding resort-type place. The Overste Hof must have been a former stable; the buildings are built in a big square with a courtyard in the center. The rooms are small, quaint, but modern, clean and comfortable (especially the bed.) Since it was such a beautiful day, we just wanted to sit in the courtyard in the sun and soak it in.

I wanted to see the town and do some errands, so Armin and I took an excursion, leaving Eva and Annette to enjoy the hotel's amenities. Unlike most places we visited, this place is modern -- everything built after the war. Not because it was all destroyed, though some major battles were fought near here, but because this had been mostly brown coal mines, which eventually ran out of coal. Nature reserves, lakes, ponds, forests and new towns have taken their place. So the architecture is nothing special. It was like being in a small suburban town -- it was just Dutch. The shops, the bakeries, everything was in Dutch and they did NOT want to be confused with the Germans, though most people speak both languages.

The Brunssum theatre group gave us each baskets filled with (mostly) edible gifts. Very nice. We were taken to a Chinese restaurant for dinner. No menu here. The owner just came by and asked us what we wanted: duck? fish? chicken? beef? pork? (no!), rice? We didn't know what to expect, but were pleasantly surprised by the variety and quality of every dish.

After dinner, it was on to the theatre to see their production of The Foreigner by Larry Shue. The play tells the story of a shy man who comes to a guest house to get away from his boring life and in an effort not to have conversations with anyone pretends to be a foreigner who can't understand English. As a result, everyone tells him their secrets and he discovers his personality in the process (while overcoming the KKK, by the way.) It's a very funny script which was a hit in New York about 25 years ago.

The next morning, we set off for Kaiserslautern. Back south again, another 4 hour trip. But we broke it up by stopping in Trier for lunch. What a surprise that was! I have been nearby before, but never went to the center of the town. Trier is the oldest town in Germany; the main church, the Dom, dates from the 600's. The one City gate, that still exists, the Porta Nigra, "black gate" as it is called is the symbol of the City; it's an ancient Roman structure that calls to mind The Colleseum in Rome, with its rows of arches. Here's a photo.

The center Center of town is the Hauptmarkt, where everyone gathers in outdoor cafes and restaurants. There is a flower market with spectacular tulips, as you would expect, and also gorgeous gerber daisies, roses and orchids. From here, where we had some soup at one of the lovely outdoor spots, it was short walk to the Dom. Another church, I thought, what could this one be like that is different from the others. Well, aside from its age -- it's the oldest standing church outside of Rome -- it's the artwork inside that makes it special. Unlike Italian churches, frescoes are not present; what they have are intricate, sculpted friezes that are remarkable in their detail and vibrancy. There's one on the apse as you enter, all in white, that is beautiful and evocative. Here's a picture of that.

Further down the street is the house where Karl Marx was born. Nice house; no hint of who would emerge from it.

Trier has an added interest for me, since my high school was called New Trier (West), and we never really knew anything about Trier when we were growing up. So I now have photos to show my former classmates the real Trier. We had to indulge in ice cream and it was among the best we've had in Europe this trip. I couldn't get myself to leave the sunny streets to do any shopping or anything (after leaving the church.) A picture perfect day!

But we had to leave eventually to get to Kaiserslautern in time for our dinner and show. The dinner was at a local German pub/restaurant. The food in this area is slightly different; we are in Franconia now, not Bavaria. They have a specialty that looks like a very thin pizza, which my colleagues liked a lot. I opted for spaetzle and steak. Not a great choice, as it turned out. I was also disappointed in the apple streudel, which I had high hopes for.

The play we saw here was The Night of January 16th by Ayn Rand. It was written in the 30s. It's a courtroom drama about the murder of millionaire (Madoff-like) swindler. The gimmick is that audience members are selected to be members of the jury and they ultimately decide whether the defendant (his mistress) is guilty or not. Different endings are written depending upon what result comes from the jury.

Today we are off to Grafenvoehr again.

Ladies and Ghents!

2009-04-01T13:18:00.000-07:00

I'm back in Heidelberg after my Belgian adventure. What beautiful weather we had in Belgium! Dan picked me up on Monday morning and we caught the train for Brussels. I had been here once before, the weekend of Dan's big birthday party a couple of years ago. He had recently purchased a house in the countryside near Mons, the closest town of any size and SHAPE, the NATO command center where he runs the Entertainment Program. It was only half an hour by train to Brussels.

We visited some key sites before settling on a place to have lunch. (Why is a key symbol of Brussels a sculpture of a boy peeing?????) Our main objective was to eat outside, in the sun. We found a few places in St. Catherine's Platz. We settled on an Italian, since it had a mid-range menu and was perfectly situated for direct exposure to the rays. We weren't disappointed. This place was very good. We started with a mixed antipasto of all vegetarian samples, all freshly prepared and delicious. I followed with a beef dish, a roast in a red wine sauce that was incredible. Dan had Tagliatelle (the fettucine-like flat noodles) with mushrooms. We indulged in a full carafe of red wine. Very decadent of us! We finished with a tiramasu served in a coffee cream. Let's just say that lunch went on for quite a while. Sitting in the sun, drinking good wine, eating delicious food and sharing stories with a good friend -- that is just what I needed at this point. During coffee, Dan's friend Sean -- an Irish guy living in Brussels, joined us. Very nice.

Soon after lunch, we were back on the train headed for Gent (or Ghent). It depends upon whether you are French-Belgian or Flemish-Belgian. Everything in Gent is translated into both languages. Believe me, the two cultures don't mix easily - and they are not so kind when they talk about each other. ("The Flemish are more organized and precise. The Flemish aren't lazy like the other Belgians..." -- I heard stuff like that a lot.) At least they aren't fighting each other about the differences. They live together peacefully enough, notwithstanding the catty remarks.

We walked from the train station to one of the schools where Dan's partner, Daniel works. He is principal of four different schools! It's a lot of work. But he was full of energy this day, in spite of problems he was having with his superiors. He took us on a full tour of Gent. It's actually the 3rd largest city in Belgium after Brussels and Antwerp. It also has its share of historic sites -- of which I think I saw almost all. The tour was thorough. He has an incredible memory, so he recalls all of the history. I couldn't quite take it all in, but I got most of the stories. I liked the one about the daughter who saved her father's life by feeding him milk from her breast. He was a Roman sentenced to death by starvation and they couldn't understand why he stayed alive so long. There's a sculpture of it on the prison that dates from 1741 (photo above.)

I was determined to have two things while in Belgium: Belgian waffles and Moules Frites (that's mussels with fries). Only fifty percent accomplished. The waffles you could find at stands on the streets; that's the best place to get them; they are crispy, warm and sweet. Try as we might, however, not a "moule" to be found anywhere in Gent that evening. Half of the restaurants were closed because it was a Monday and the rest were not serving mussels. So, we settled for a French place in the oldest part of town. Evidently, much of the town was under water when the settlers filled in pockets of land and built on them. That's why there are canals that run through the town -- not exactly like Venice, but you get the idea.

After dinner, Dan and I took a train back to Jerbais, and drove to Dan's house in the country. His backyard is literally someone's farm. He took great care to fix the place up; my room was most comfortable. It was cool, crisp, clear night -- the crescent moon shone through my window. Sleeping weather. And I did.

Next morning, Dan drove me to Mons where I caught my train for Wiesbaden, where I would do my third and final workshop. Actually, I should say trains - I had to change twice. I must say that the German rail system is on time, very clean and reliable. As you might expect!

In Wiesbaden, Charlie Fontana, who we had seen just a few days ago, when we came here to see the production of Fools, picked me up and took me to the American Arms Hotel. I spent the afternoon walking outside in the (blessed!) sun and getting a massage at a nearby spa. He came back a couple of hours later take me to the theater where we had seen Fools, the Amelia Earhart Playhouse. This time, it looked different. Since the show had closed, the whole "southern environment" he had created in the lobby was history. We used this space for the workshop. This time, instead of Improv, I was doing a workshop with the unlikely title of "Channeling Theatre for a Fulfilling Life". I'm not even sure what I meant by that!

Surprisingly, 24 people showed up. I began with some warm-up, group concentration exercises and then moved into a discussion of values, missions and goals. We did a guided imagery exercise and almost everyone contributed along the way. It was diverse group in terms of age, ethnicity and experience, but they all seemed so "into it" that it was a pleasure to facilitate. Some folks were actors or wanted to be; others had simple jobs on the Army base and others were retired. I discovered that the exercises I used were useful on many levels. The response afterward was extremely positive. I had several people asking me when I would return. (Hmmm....)

Afterward, Charlie took me out for dinner at a Greek place. Nothing extraordinary, but fine. It was interesting to talk with him about his experience running an Army theater. I was up early to head back to Heidelberg for my one last day off. Armin came to pick me up in a van, so I didn't even have to take a train. He's a charming German guy, who has been driving these vans contracted by the Army for years. Quick with a quip, he made me laugh as we fought the rush-hour traffic out of Wiesbaden.

Cabaret on This Island

2009-03-29T15:17:00.000-07:00

We got to Bamberg in early afternoon - - another rainy day. We never seem to get a break with the weather. Bamberg is the same City where I did an improv workshop a couple of weeks ago. I was pleased to find out that folks who took it were still talking about how much they liked it. Our hotel here is the Ibis, a chain of mid-range hotels, which are fine -- clean, small rooms. This one is located in the Center of town, a short walk to major attractions.

After settling in, we took a walk into the oldest part of town. I took some photos of the main church and other buildings, but I couldn't really concentrate on "touring" or "learning." I just wanted to take a nap. I was exhausted. I returned to the hotel and rested until it was time for us to go to dinner at this nearby Greek restaurant. The food was average, but the young men who were work there are all stunning. We must have had three waiters, one more attractive than the next. I know it's not what we were there for, but we all commented on this fortunate perk.

Dinner was short, so we could get to the theater in Bamberg for their production of Once on This Island, the Ahrens/Flaherty musical about a poor orphan, Ti-moun, who falls in love with one of the rich boys who co-occupy this Caribbean island locale. The play is told through a kind of story theater format, with all of the cast as the storytellers who take on different roles as the tale unfolds. Ultimately, Ti-moun sacrifices herself so her lover will be happy with another woman of his own class, but she sets the stage for a future generation where everyone gets along regardless of social status.

It was early to bed because the next morning we had one of our longest rides: to SHAPE in Belgium (it's near Mons and Brussels) to see Cabaret, the musical. Since it was a matinee, we had to leave at the crack of dawn in order to make the curtain. We made great time. We arrived at the entrance to SHAPE (the same NATO base where we saw Red Ryder on our first night) only to discover that they had no record of us and they would not let us on the base. We tried not to panic -- there was only a few minutes until showtime -- as we tried to reach Dan La Morte, our host, who could sign us on to the base.

Eventually, someone on his staff came to help us and we got in. It is beyond us why this continues to happen. They had been given information about all of us prior to our arrival (twice!) and still, everytime we arrive, there is a problem. Ah, the military! (This can't be blamed on the US Army, since this is a NATO base; a different thing altogether.) We finally got to the Kit Kat Club. The entire lobby was decorated as the famous Berlin club from the play, with photos from the show on the walls...and always here, the smell of freshly baked cookies attacks your senses as you enter.

Cabaret tells a story that has been adapted many times since Christopher Isherwood first wrote his Berlin Stories in the 1930's. It was a play, I Am A Camera, then a film of that name, then a Broadway musical with Jill Hawort and Joel Grey, then a film with Liza Minnelli, Michael York and Joel Grey, then a revised stage version, then another revised stage version directed by Sam Mendes, starring Natasha Richardson (may she rest in peace) and Alan Cumming. This version seems to be an amalgamation of the musical stage and film versions.

After the show, we set out to the countryside for our much-anticipated Chinese dinner. Just as we started to make some progress down the road, the car decided to go bonkers. Our little "Prudence" decided that she would not accelerate beyond 38 kilometers/hour. We were pooched! We couldn't figure out what was wrong, so we turned around and went back to the hotel instead of chancing getting stuck in the country somewhere. Dan came to pick us up a bit later and we squeezed into his car for the ride to the restaurant. It was worth it. Nice to have a good Chinese meal after all this time. I opted for the corn soup with crab and prawns with black bean sauce. During the meal we got a call from the car rental company. They were sending someone to our hotel to look at the car. We finished our meal and rode back to meet him.

Of course, as often happens, when you arrive at the doctor's office, suddenly the pain is gone. When Annette and the car repair guy took Pru out for a spin, she worked perfectly. No problem. The guy left and we kept wondering whether the symptoms would reemerge the next day when Eva, Annette and Jim would be traveling back to Heidelberg. Stay tuned.

The four of us spent the evening reviewing all the musicals we had seen over the previous five weeks. One part of our job is to nominate the participants in a variety of categories and then select a winner in each; awards are given out at the Toppers Gala in Heidelberg in April (after we are gone.) We consider each show in each catergory and come up with our decisions after some discussion. Sometimes the discussions are more heated than others. Mostly, we are in agreement. We will discuss the entries in the Drama and Comedy categories next Sunday, after we have seen all of those plays. Having the discussion about musicals now, will help make next week less complicated.

Today, I spend the day with Dan. I believe we will be going to Brussels and other places. It's finally sunny (which is right, since we are not in Germany...)

Let it snow, Let it rain, Let it STOP!

2009-03-27T06:48:00.001-07:00

Another rainy morning, grey German day. Seems we've had mostly those since I arrived over a month ago. I like the Mueller Hotel. It's very well located, quiet, clean and comfortable. We arose to explore the City before driving on in the afternoon. Unfortunately, Annette was not feeling well, so she rested while Eva and I strode the streets of Munich. In a couple of minutes we were smack in the middle of the historic center. The architecture is extraordinary. We walked the long pedestrian shopping street (it was fun to shop; Annette hates shopping, so we don't do much when we're together.) Eva was this close to buying a pair of rhinestone-covered sneakers, which were on sale for 59Euro -- but she chickened out. We found a lovely cafe (Brot und Butter) where we enjoyed a coffee and biscuit.

It was blustery and very cold so after a couple of hours we headed back to the Hotel for our departure from Munich. The ride to Ansbach was supposed to be 2 hours, according to Penny, our Ford chariot. She was exactly right. I had just enough time to get ready to speak to a couple of my clients via Skype (which I am feeling is the greatest invention, since the computer...)

We didn't have a show this night, so we enjoyed a leisurely meal at The Windmill (same place we stayed the last time we were in Ansbach a couple of weeks ago.) The grandmother who had always served us, was not there that night. We got worried about her. We learned that she had been in hospital, but was now released and doing fine. I was able to order the Apfel Streudel that I loved so much the last time I was here. It didn't disappoint!

Next morning I was able to get over to the Base at Ansbach to work out at the Fitness Center. It had been a few days and I needed it! Each base has a fitness center, but they are all different. I especially like the one in Heidelberg, which has the best equipment. And it's huge. Ansbach was pretty good. Dinner was again at our wonderful hotel restaurant. But this time, when it came time for the streudel we had to rush out to get to the theatre, so I had to forgo it.

The play, High School Musical (a condensed, thank God, one-act version) was being done in the base high school. Lots of kids were involved in the production. For the two people who have never seen or heard about it, the play is an excuse for singing some annoyingly memorable tunes. The "plot" such as it is, concerns two high school students who fall in love and want to audition for the school's musical show. But, alas, he is a jock and has to practice for the basketball championships and she, alas, has to participate in the Science Club competition. Somehow, they win both and still get to star in the musical. It's Disney, what do you want?

After the play, we retired to Eva's room for drinks. This is becoming a routine. It's a chance to discuss the productions, and other things and kick back a bit. We are developing our "in" jokes and it's fun to share a laugh at the end of the day.

Next morning, we had a different car. Instead of "Penny" we now have "Pru." She's a Mercedes and rides like a dream. I got a chance to drive since Pru is an automatic shift car and that's the only kind I can drive. It was fun zipping down the autobahn at 180 (that's km/hr) with no effort. We arrived in Wiesbaden, our next stop, just in time for a quick bite before an afternoon of client phone calls.

Our play in Wiesbaden was Fools, by Neil Simon. This was directed by Charlie Fontana, the Entertainment Director on the Wiesbaden base. (He is brother to TV writer Tom Fontana, who gave us Oz on HBO, one of my favorite series.) They perform in the Amelia Earhart Theater, a former hotel restaurant that was renovated into a theater and bar. It's small but effective as a playing space.

Next, we are on to Bamberg for Once on This Island. But I'll be back in Wiesbaden on Tuesday to do a workshop with the theater folks here.

We're Not in Kansas Anymore!

2009-03-24T16:00:00.000-07:00

Our Aviano/Venice adventure behind us, we have landed, for a moment, in Munich. Our hotel, which we booked online on the advice of my friend Andreas, is very nice. It's on a quiet street just ten minutes from the Center, in a nice area with lots of restaurants and cafes, etc.

First, let me retrace: from Frankfurt, we drove to Ramstein, an Air Force base, where we were to see a production of The Surprising Story of the Three Little Pigs. (I realize I had posted a photo from that production on my previous blog entry -- instead of one from Seussical. Sorry about that.) Ramstein has a very nice accommodation -- better than the typical Army housing, but still on the base. It's a huge base, with an airfield and thousands of people living here. Their theater company, Razz-a-ma-Tazz, has been doing kids' shows for decades. This show is very clever. It's about the 3 Little Pigs story that goes wrong when one of the pigs decides to change the story; they get their story confused with the Billy Goats' Gruff story and the Three Bears story. Eventually, everyone gets screwed up and ultimately they decide to enter each others' stories. (Stage hands changing the sets are continually frustrated because they are trying to change sets that aren't needed, in light of the changes, which is quite funny.)

The next day, we drove from Ramstein to Aviano -- the same theater where we saw David and Lisa, the first week (seems like months ago.) Frank Lewandowski was our host again. He directed the production of The Wizard of Oz we were to see the next day. He took us out to eat that evening and then again the next day for lunch just prior to the show.

After the show we drove to the town of Salice, a few kilometers from Aviano, and took a train to Venice. We arrived after dark, so we never got that extraordinary view of the Grand Canal that one gets upon arriving by boat to San Marco. We found our hotel easily. It's the Montecarlo, just seconds from San Marco and a few minutes from The Rialto Bridge. A gentleman at the hotel recommended a restaurant - La Scala - which we tried. It was indeed an excellent choice. We had one of our finest meals, so far there.

The next morning our first stop was La Fenice, the famous theatre that has burned down at least twice since it was originally built in the 1700's. We were early, so we left to explore the Rialto Bridge and surrounding market (which were quite small compared to what it's like in summertime.) We took our hotel up on their offer of a free boat ride on the canals and over to Murano, an island where they blow glass and create the famous Venetian Murano crystal. We "took the tour" but didn't buy anything. It was the boat ride that was truly a treat. We were blessed with sunny, warmish (50) weather in Venice during our entire time there. What luck!

Then it was back to La Fenice. What an extraordinary place! We took the taped tour, marveling at the house, with it's opera boxes and Royal Box, exquisite frescoes, painted ceiling, gilt covered designs on the boxes, etc. It was fascinating. (If you haven't read City of Fallen Angels by John Berendt, you should; it's all about La Fenice and what happened when it burned most recently in the 1990's.) After the tour, we visited the church of St. Mark (or San Marco.) I left Annette and Eva on their own to explore the Doge's palace and other sites that I had seen before.

We met up in the evening for dinner. We decided to explore some of the smaller Osteria (wine bar) restaurants, drinking our way through Venice at night. I had a list from Jessica Provenz, my friend who had been their last summer. We found some on her list and some others. At some we just drank (always red wine); at others we drank and ate something. One place had a seafood antipasto that was extraordinary -- about a dozen different things, each one better than the last. It was an indulgent evening, but a great way to explore Venice at night. We had hope to find "the best gelato place in Venice" for our dessert, but were not able to locate it. So we had simply "very good gelato" somewhere else.

The next morning, we took a vaparetto (water bus) to the train station and caught our train to Salice. We just got on as the doors were closing. A close call. The next train didn't leave for an hour. But we made it. An hour later we were back at our car and on the road for Munich. It was a beautiful drive through the Alps this time. The weather stayed clear until we got to Austria and then it changed to snow. Everywhere. We stopped at a ski lodge for lunch. I was feeling sick at this point -- not sure if it was the windy roads, the two espressos I had for breakfast, or residual nausea from my drinking the night before. Anyway, I couldn't truly enjoy the beauty of the ride.

We arrived in Munich around 5:30 p.m., giving us a couple of hours before meeting Andreas for dinner. He took us to his favorite Italian (again!) where he knows the owners. His partner Dasa was already there when we arrived. Then came another incredible meal; this time it was specials prepared just for us by the owner and the chef -- antipasti, 2 pastas, beef filets, vegetables and a dessert sampler plate with five different things on it -- each one more decadent than the last. The wine flowed again; I believe we got through 3 or 4 bottles, plus 2 limoncellos each. Everyone got along extremely well and it was an enjoyable evening all around. Now it's late and I'm off to bed.

Here are some photos from Venice and the ride through the Alps. Also, one of Munich friends Andreas and Dasa. Enjoy!

A Person's A Person No Matter How Small

2009-03-21T15:55:00.000-07:00

Another entry from the sky. This time I’m flying back to Frankfurt from Ankara, Turkey. We arrived day before yesterday – what day would that have been? Wednesday, I guess. Now it’s Friday. I should know this because I read the review of West Side Story in the New York Times on my computer this morning. (I still want to see it!)

I had been to Ankara once before, when I was the mentor director for the One-Act Play Festival for the US Army a couple of years ago. Clay Bridges (he looks just like you’d expect from his name – tall, handsome, square-jaw) was my host and the commander of the base here. Now, he’s retired, but he still lives in Ankara, working for an American company that does business with the Army (natch!), while one of his daughters attends college here. He picked us up at the Airport and we drove to our hotel – The King Hotel, which is located just around the corner from the American Embassy.

We went to a local Turkish restaurant for dinner. For once I don’t have to ask, “Does this have pork in it?” because they don’t eat pork in this country for the most part. It’s actually hard to find (as opposed to Germany, where it is ubiquitous – you know, all those wursts.) I had a chicken dish with rice that was very good, and an excellent bowl of lentil soup. You see that quite a bit here. Lots of peppers, lentils, eggplant and many fresh vegetables. The last time I was here was during the Festival of Ramadan, so the people fast during the day. It was quiet. This time I saw the City in full regalia. It’s a bustling place, with probably the worst drivers I’ve seen outside of Southeast Asia. Pedestrians beware!

The City has over 5 million people and is the capital of Turkey. As you may expect Ataturk is very big here. Statues, a Citadel, museums, the Main Street, etc. all celebrate the great liberator. We got to drive through the main areas the next morning as we traveled to the “old” section, where we had an appointment to look at rugs. Not me, you see, but my colleagues, wanted to at least look. I was looking forward to revisiting that old section of the City, which is picturesque, with rug and copper and jewelry stores and spice market – all just below the Citadel, which is one of Ankara’s main attractions.

The owner of the shop came out to greet us as we descended from our taxi. He offered us Apple Tea, which is surprisingly delicious. I was in one room looking at scarves while my colleagues studied the “carpets” on display (and many more that they willingly unfurled for them to peruse.) After a while I went outside to look around the area. But, it was so cold and windy (though clear and sunny, for a change) that I didn’t stay out long.

When I came back, my eyes fell on a beautiful kilim rug that Annette had considered and rejected. I couldn’t stop from staring at it and finally got the courage to ask the price. A big price. But, of course, it is all handmade and very detailed – an excellent piece, I was told. I had already selected some scarves and figured that would be my contribution to the store’s daily take. But the more I thought about it, the more I wanted that rug. It wasn’t even a question of looking at others; it was the only one that appealed to me. Suffice it to say that after some negotiation, where the price came down quite a bit, I walked out with a new rug and some scarves! (Please note that Jim, Eva and Annette also each bought rugs and scarves as well.) I guess we made his week. Aside from the money, I was a bit worried about whether Frank would like it…and where we would put it.

We walked out to go up to the spice market. They wanted saffron; I was happy with some of the sweetest golden raisins I’ve ever tasted. We looked for a place to have lunch. I spotted this building that looked intriguing. Looking inside, I couldn’t see the restaurant, which was up several steps, but I had a good feeling about the place. The others agreed and we climbed up to the foyer; then climbed even higher to the dining room, which was so much nicer than we expected. In addition to the requisite carpets, there was a wood-burning stove to heat the room, which had no less than 9 doors leading to it (see photo above.) From up there, you got a beautiful view of Ankara below. The menu had only a few choices, so we tried almost everything on offer. I had the lamb skewers, which arrived without skewers, but with potatoes. Very tender and tasty.

Time to rest at the hotel before we went to see our production that evening of Seussical, The Musical at the Turkish American Centre. There is no theatre on a base here, so they use the theatre here and cast a lot of Turkish youngsters in the production. If you’ve never seen it (I hadn’t), Seussical tells the story of Horton, the Elephant who is determined to save a group of tiny people living on a speck of dust on some clover. He hears them calling (they are called Whos), but nobody else does. Around this frame, are interwoven many of the Dr. Seuss characters and stories, including the Cat in the Hat, who serves as narrator. Music is by Ahrens and Flaherty (Ragtime and Once on This Island). There were loads of people on the stage, seeming to have a wonderful time. The house was packed as well.

After the show, Clay and his wife Laurence, the show’s director, Vern and some of the other artists went to dinner with us at the Indian restaurant, Spice. It’s easy to see why this is a favorite. The wine flowed. Appetizers appeared and many dishes which ranged from mild to “I’ll never feel my lips or tongue again.” Our hosts were so wonderful to us. It was a festive meal. A great way to end our time in Ankara. The next morning (today) we were up and out to the airport early.

Cheerio Old Chap!

2009-03-18T01:19:00.000-07:00

Being back in London, I immediately felt a sense of being reunited with an old friend. The weather looked clear as we came in for our landing, only a few high clouds. It was already dark, but the air was definitely warmer. It would prove to be a spectacular couple of days ahead, with sunny skies and temps in the 50s.

From Gatwick, I took a train into town and then had to switch to the tube (read "subway," for you Americans.) Unfortunately, the directions I had didn't work because of track work and other train problems. I ended up having to change several times before finding Mile End, my stop in East London, which is closest to Queen Mary College. When I arrived, Lois Weaver was waiting for me. I checked into my "bedsit" which is like a big hotel room with a full kitchen and bath, big desk, sofa and chairs and a bed. Very clean and comfortable. Lois lives in one just like it, one floor above at France House. She was ready with a glass of wine and a basket of goodies for me to have for my breakfasts. So thoughtful and sweet. I slept well that night.

Monday was a beautiful day, but I was inside for most of it. I had a full day of workshops with Lois' students. In the morning I worked with ten MA's and Post-Grads; in the afternoon I had two classes of about 20 students in each, back-to-back. I have to admit, the older students in the morning were more interesting to me. That were seriously thinking about their careers in the theatre as they were about to embark on them in just a few months. It is a diverse group, from several countries (including one from the U.S.), who were a bit more mature (naturally) than the younger groups in the afternoon. We had a very interesting time before sharing a lunch of sushi and sandwiches which Lois had arranged for us. We ate outside in the fabulous sun! Sorry to be so thrilled about the weather, but after so many days of clouds and rain, this was a pleasant break -- and especially great because it's London, which can be so grey.

I was exhausted after the day, but felt it went very well. The students seemed to enjoy it, even if I challenged them to think about things they were not used to thinking about. It can be a struggle to answer life's bigger questions and those are the ones that I continually ask, in an effort to help them plan for the future with a clear vision.

I took a quick nap before heading to the National Theatre for a performance of Burnt By the Sun at the Lyttleton. My friend Deena Gornick had arranged the tickets for us and her girlfriend Sarah and my friend Marcia Plum. I got off the Tube at Embankment and walked across the Thames to the South Bank. Here's a photo I took while crossing -- a perfect night, the buildings shine proudly as they are reflected in the River. I had love going to the National when I lived in London years ago. The feeling was no different tonight.

Everyone arrived. It lifted my heart to see old friends again and to share this experience with them. The play, starring Ciaran Hinds, was like a Chekhov play -- a Russian family dealing with the new realities of the Soviet Union after the revolution, but still trying to cling to the life they had under the Czar. The key conflict involves the husband (Hinds) who was a general in the Revolutionary Army, who married the daughter of the former nobility. Her previous lover had gone away years earlier under dubious circumstances. He returns and the three of them play a power game. It is unclear who the real hero is in the story until lots of secrets get revealed in the last act. Howard Davies directed the play beautifully, with a grand revolving set of the family's summer house with its various rooms and a huge cast of characters (30 or more) who moved through it comfortably.

At the beginning I could swear I was watching a take on The Seagull or The Cherry Orchard. (There were even trees surrounding the house on all sides reminiscent of the cherry trees.) But as the play progressed, it was clear that this was not written as elegantly as a Chekhov play. It was beautifully rendered, with excellent acting and directing, but the story got a bit muddled in the second act and the resolution was not particularly satisfying. Still, a worthwhile night in the theatre.

Afterward, we walked across the bridge and went to Joe Allen for a post-play repast. Great times, reminiscing and discussing our current endeavors. I called Frank during the meal so he could feel part of the celebration, since he knows all of the friends.

The next day, I had to myself, to reconnect with London and visit more friends. I walked and walked and walked. Another extraordinary day. First, I went to Wilton's Music Hall, where my friend Filippo works as Technical Director. This is one of the oldest theatres in London, a former music hall/opera house. Now it run by two sisters who program a variety of events including concerts, operas, plays and special events. It's a gorgeous space, with original details from the 1850s. The lobby and bar area date back even further -- to the 1700s. They were part of a series of row houses that now serve as a welcoming area for the theatre. Filippo has transformed the technical side of things, organizing and rebuilding the infrastructure, so they will have more flexibilty with the lights, sound, projections, etc. He seems very happy with the job and to be back in London. We had lunch at the Dispensary, which had been a dispensary at one time, but now is a very nice pub/restaurant. I was desperate for a burger and they had one on the menu!

I tubed to the West End and got myself a ticket to Madame de Sade, a new play starring Dame Judi Dench about the women in the life of the infamous Marquis. Then I wandered around, lighting at the National Portrait Gallery and then looking for my old haunts. I found the dorm I had lived in for my year abroad as a junior in college, Ramsey Hall. Here's a photo of me in front of it. The photo was taken by this kid who was doing HIS year abroad in London, from Syracuse University. I looked at him and I saw myself (if only I had been that cute!) That year was so impactful that I still look back on it as one the major passages of my life.

Exhausted in late afternoon, I returned to Lois' bedsit where I was to stay that evening. Peggy Shaw was there! We caught up and Lois prepared a lovely meal for us. A short nap and I was back to the West End for Dame Judi. I had standing room (only 10 pounds), but it was no problem at all. The play is fascinating, very poetic. It's a translation from Yukio Mishima. The themes of devotion, love, revenge, parental protection, plotting and perversion were woven through the intermissionless 2 hours. Costumes befitting the period -- those dresses with huge bustles on both sides and in the rear, high hair and wigs -- were extraordinary. But it was truly the acting that won the day. To a one, these actresses relished their words and while you could understand every syllable, it was never at the expense of believability of character or emotion.

I wandered into Soho after the show, had a cheap pizza and took the tube "home." It was St. Patrick's Day, so the Irish frivolity reigned. I didn't feel much like celebrating alone. I was still full from the play, thinking about the ideas, and the pizza, thinking I ate too much.

Getting Pooched

2009-03-15T17:45:00.000-07:00

I’m writing this entry from the sky. I’m flying from Venice to London. It’s Sunday evening. Since I last wrote, we have seen two productions: The Glass Menagerie at Heidelberg’s Roadside Theater and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at Soldiers Theater in Vicenza. After a couple of days on my own, I was reunited with my fellow adjudicators when we went to dinner on Saturday evening prior to the show in Heidelberg. We went to Taj Mahal, an Indian restaurant that is very popular. The décor takes itself seriously – everything to remind you or India. Again, it was nice to have a break from Italian or German food. We shared some Tandoori salmon, Mango Curry Chicken and Tikka Masala lamb, along with Nan and basmati rice. Excellent. Make a note to return here.

The show, as everyone knows, tells of narrator Tom’s (read Tennessee Williams) family memories -- specifically, his mother, Amanda and his sister Laura, who is crippled and painfully shy. It’s a touching play that doesn’t get done as often as you might think. Tom’s story of frustration at not being understood by his mother, who seems overbearing, but is clearly disappointed herself, by her “fall from grace” as a Southern belle, her husband’s abrupt departure and her children’s lack of ambition. Lyrically written, it can’t help make you think of your own memories and ponder what was really true and what is your own distorted perception looking back.

The next morning we embarked early for our second southward trip across the Alps to Italy. This time the weather was with us; for most of the day it was sunny and getting warmer, flirting with the mid 50’s (or teens, if you only read Celsius, like my colleagues.) I’m fortunate that Eva and Annette are Canadian and, as such, they have a new vernacular for me to learn. It is quite evocative. My favorite expression so far (this is from Eva) is “That’s flat as piss on a plate.” That gave me a huge laugh. Annette talks about getting “pooched” which means either “screwed” or “screwed up” depending upon the context. I’ll try to provide more of the most colorful expressions as we go on.

Penny (that’s our car/GPS system, if you recall) led us valiantly until we got fairly close to Vicenza. Then she got creative and had us leave the main road to take a picturesque smaller road through the mountains, full of hair pin turns where you could easily fall of the edge of a cliff. (Have you ever driven through the Rockies? It’s like that.) After going along for quite a while, we came to a sign that said, loosely translated, “The pass is closed.” We then had to go back the way we came, retracing our steps until we got back to the main highway. From there, it was easy to find Vicenza. The hotel on base, Ederle Inn, was easily the nicest of the ones we have stayed in.

I took the ladies into the old section of Vicenza to go to a special restaurant I had heard about that was supposed to be very special. After some missteps, we found it, but unfortunately, we couldn’t get a table. We ended up at a less spectacular place that was actually quite wonderful. A family place, it had no menus, just the waitress who told you what was on offer this evening. The pasta with duck breast was just great. Then I had a steak and a huge mixed salad. We managed to get through 2 bottles of a local red wine; we had been driving for ten hours; we deserved it! A nice ricotta cheesecake finished me off (or I, it.)

Today, we saw a matinee of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. That’s the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical of the bible story. It’s a slight piece, whose only real attraction is the opportunity to do each of the numbers as a tribute to a certain style of music, from French ballad to Spanish cha-cha to Elvis impersonation. For that, it is lots of fun and with a running time of barely 75 minutes, easy to take.

Annette and Jim drove me to the Venice airport. It was very nice of them; it takes about 45 minutes to get there from Vicenza. I arrived in plenty of time before my flight. Time enough to have a real Italian espresso one last time before I left Italy for England. Mmmmm.

Here are some more photos from the Alps; one with Eva and Annette in front of Penny, our Ford chariot.

Following the Impulse

2009-03-12T06:34:00.001-07:00

I admit I was nervous. I hadn't taught an Improv Class in many, many years. Fortunately, when I put the word out to my colleagues, I got tons of helpful suggestions, exercises, books to read, etc. Those, in addition to my good old Viola Spolin (Improvisation for the Theater) gave me more than I would need to lead ten workshops! I planned it out and then just said, "What the hell. I'll just go in and try to have fun. And if I screw up, I'll just....improvise!"

That's what I did. The first session in Bamberg had just 5 adults, as I mentioned in a previous post. In Schweinfurt there were 9 initial participants, with 3 more joining us after Sports Practice. Here there were mostly kids -- just 5 adults (4 of whom were parents of kids who also participated and Travis.)

I began with some warm-ups, some I had done before; some were new to me. We did a breathing circle, played Red Ball and then did a Mirror Circle with different leaders -- and ultimately no leader. We had a Blind Walk/The Chair is There exercise to engender trust. Then we worked on Transformations - the game where you have to change one activity into another based on the movements and body shape of your fellow actor. After that we worked on Showing Where (using 3 objects and an activity, Showing Who, playing the Age Game, Showing Relationships, using Hi/Bye and then followed with Contentless Scenes. For the last, they had to memorize a simple scene and perform it with different attitudes and emotions. Ultimately, we put them altogether in scenes for which I just provided a provocative opening line of dialog. Each of the workshops lasted about 2-1/2 hours.

It was a completely different type of experience working with the kids and adults together. The littlest ones were the most enthusiastic, but the least attentive to detail, as one would suspect. There were a couple of kids, however, who were pretty amazing at following the instructions and clearly executing their objectives. The adult group "got it" a lot faster, so we were able to move along very quickly from exercise to exercise. With the kids, I didn't trust sticking with one thing for too long for fear they would get bored -- especially concentration exercises. I think I was wrong about this. They would laugh and speak out during inappropriate moments, which threw me for a minute. I just let it transpire; usually I laughed a bit with them.

I would do certain things differently were I to do this again. (I have another workshop to give in a couple of weeks, but it is more of a "life coaching through theater" experience, which will be significantly different.) I learned a couple of things though: I enjoy teaching improv. That's huge. I can do it, at least with this type of group that is not too experienced. A next challenge would be to do longer classes with professional actors. I will look into those possibilities when I return to New York.

Huge thanks to everyone who provided me with ideas, exercises, etc.: Jewell, Justin, Shayna, Annie, Liesl and Andrew (plus anyone I may have forgotten.)

Army ABC's

2009-03-11T07:20:00.000-07:00

Being in Schweinfurt with Garland Travis is like experiencing a crash course in Army lingo. There are lots of acronyms which I'm slowly learning and lots of protocol, about which I'm just scratching the surface. From the outside, it may seem confusing (okay, it definitely IS confusing) but somehow, when you are in it, you learn what you need to know.

Here's a bit of what I've been learning: MWR is the area under which the theatre programs fall. It stands for Morale, Welfare and Recreation, but actually the name is Family, Morale, Welfare and Recreation. Nobody has gotten around to changing all of the signs yet, so most people still call it MWR. In addition to the Entertainment Division, which includes theatre, bands, talent contests, etc., it also includes Fitness (AFRC, which stands for Armed Forces Recreation Centers) and Libraries, among other areas (such as bowling, officers' and other clubs on base, etc.) Evidently, certain areas are line-itemed in the budget and others are discretionary. (Guess where theatre fits in?!?!?) The theatres are supported by funding from the Garrison commanders, money they earn, money they raise, etc. That's why the theatre programs on the different bases are so varied, both with production facilities, but also in quality of the technical elements. In addition, some communities have developed a volunteer base who not only perform in the shows, but also do the backstage and front-of-house jobs. There is an Entertainment Director for each base who is responsible for the budget for the theatre and other programs they are running on the base. (Travis is the Director, here at Schweinfurt; Dan LaMorte at SHAPE in Belgium, etc.)

Over the years, what Jim Sohre has been able to do is to create a division of the American Association of Community Theaters (AACT) for the Army theaters. He has worked hard with each base's Entertainment Director to help them develop their programs, so that at the very least they can participate in the AACT's One-Act Play Competition in the Fall and the Tournament of Plays in the Winter/Spring (where I am now.) Winners of this competition go on to the "Nationals" in the States to compete with the winners of the other AACT Divisions. Some bases provide full seasons of theatrical productions; others do the minimum. Jim has even arranged for a "mentor" director to visit all of the sites prior to the One Act Competition to work with the directors of the individual productions to improve them prior to the competition. (I did that job in 2006.)

By the way, MWR is completely separate from USO (United Service Organization) which still sends performers to the bases and military outposts to entertain the troops. It seems odd, but the two don't seem to work too closely together (except, as I have been led to believe that USO consistently asks MWR for funding for its services.)

A challenge for Schweinfurt and some of the other garrisons is that many of the soldiers are regularly deployed to service in Iraq or Afghanistan. So you tend to see lots of plays with women and children here. (The next production here will be Steel Magnolias.) Other times they get PCS'd. (That means Permanent Change of Station -- basically a transfer.) When some soldiers or other workers finish their tours of duty, they return to the States; others can find jobs and stay in Europe. There are different classes of non-military workers that come with different requirements and limitations. There are NAFs and GSs. Evidently, GSs can't get fired even if one's position is terminated; they have to find you an equivalent job, when one becomes available. NAFs get cut loose. But GSs have a five-year limit, unless they get moved to a different level. NAFs don't have a time-limit. This part got pretty confusing as it was being explained. More acronyms; more protocol. Suffice it to say that some people have figured out how to stay here in good jobs, which provides some consistency to the theatre and other programs.
Above is a postcard of Schweinfurt and a photo of Garland Travis, my host there and his colleague, Lisa, who is head of Marketing for MWR Schweinfurt. We had lunch at that Chinese restaurant that you see in the background. Nice to have Chinese for a change! It was pretty good, too. They don't know from brown rice, but the Duck with Garlic Sauce was delicious.

Bam Bam Bamberg

2009-03-10T15:52:00.000-07:00

After a fairly laid-back Monday -- working out at the gym on the base, prepping for my workshops and talking to clients, I woke up early this morning to experience my first U-Bahn adventure. My trip to Bamberg involved two changes of trains. I needn't have worried about the timing. The schedules are eerily correct. It was a four hour ordeal, but with my book and ipod, I was zooming along. These are pictures from the Frankfurt station -- very modern and impressive; clean, easy to navigate, etc.

I had been to Bamberg before, but I don't remember it very well. The old part of town has several pedestrian only streets of cobblestone and wide, generous platz's (or plazas). It's a great town for walking, with structures that have survived the centuries around every corner. Here's a photo from my hotel window of the rooftops of Bamberg. The Hotel National is not a great 3 star hotel, but it is close to the train station and the breakfast was good.

For my workshop (done on the still-being-built set for Once On This Island, which we will see in a couple of weeks) we had five participants. I don't mind saying that I was nervous, not having done one of these in many years. But they are a wonderful group and it went very well. We had to force ourselves to stop after 2-1/2 hours. It was a diverse group, some who have never acted before and the director of Island, who has more experience.

Today, I move on to Schweinfurt (where I had seen School House Rock Live!) to do another workshop.

From Kids to Nuns

2009-03-08T14:15:00.000-07:00

We arrived in Schweinfurt in plenty of time to rest before our visit to the theatre here to see a production of School House Rock Live! If you have kids, you may be familiar with the School House Rock TV series. This live show, combines a bunch of songs from the series woven through this story about a teacher getting ready for his first day of class. His "alter-egos" come on the scene to boost his confidence, singing him songs about adjectives, adverbs, math, social studies and science. Each song is a "lesson" for the youngsters in the audience.

We were staying in another Army Housing facility on the Schweinfurt base. Our host was Garland Travis, who runs the program here. But he didn't direct the play; his colleague, who I had met a couple of years ago, directed the show. It was her virgin experience directing a musical. The show had lots of kids in it, as expected and only a couple of adults. Because so many of the soldiers stationed at Schweinfurt get deployed, there are rarely adult male actors available for the shows. The adults in this production were all women.

During WWII, Schweinfurt was a center for manufacture of ball bearings. As such, it was a target of 17 Allied bombing raids. In 1945, the US Army marched into Schweinfurt, and turned it over to the American Air Corps. In 1948, it was transferred to the US Army.

After the show, we retired to Annette's lavish suite to discuss the show. We are responsible for recommending nominations in dozens of categories, which ultimately will lead to us selecting winners in all of them. Awards are given out at a special ceremony in April in Heidelberg, called the Toppers. We will be gone by then, but it would be great to see the pride in the community when they win awards for their hard work.

Although the theaters are "amateur," some of them show a great deal of talent. The trick to our adjudication, as I am learning from Annette and Jim, who are masters, is to give encouragement and to teach, not to berate or criticize. It's inspiring to see so many kids in a production like School House Rock Live! who have never done a show before. They were clearly having a ball. (It's unfortunate that the material is not up to the level of the commitment of these kids; it's repetitive and has no particular dramatic structure, beyond providing a setting for the songs, which all sound alike.)

Next morning, on to Grafenwohr. (The "o" should have an umlaut, but I don't know how to type one.) It's less that two hours away and we had no traffic. The weather continues to be cloudy and rainy. We are getting fed up with the lack of sun. But we arrive nice and early, have lunch in a local Italian restaurant and find our way to the base.

"Graf" as they call it, is part of a large garrison which includes Villseck, another base nearby. In between are large fields that are used for manoevers. This is a key area, not only for US soldiers, but also for our NATO allies. What is now a 1,000 soldier garrison is expected to grow into an installation with 10,000 active duty soldiers and 15,000 family members; a billion dollar construction project is now underway.

But the theater program is stuggling. It had been dormant for many years and just re-opened in a new space with new personnel last September. The theater is a converted gymnasium (with basketball court markings still visible on the floor.) They are fortunate to have Joline Powell at the helm. She has tremendous energy and she has that ability to see what can be created in the future, not just the limitations of the present. She not only directed and designed the production, but she was also the stage manager and the key person responsible for creating a usable theater space in this cavernous building she was given.

The play was Agnes of God. It's been a staple of regional and amateur theaters for years. It played on Broadway originally with Geraldine Page and Amanda Plummer. Jane Fonda was in the movie. It calls for three extraordinary actresses to pull off the story of a young nun who is found with a dead baby in the waste basket in her room at the convent and the psychiatrist who tries to unravel the mystery of what happened, much to the chagrin of the Reverend Mother. It can be a compelling play. The set was simple -- black, with two chairs and a white platform upstage with steps and a ramp.

This production only suggests what Joline and her team can accomplish in the future. She has only been here for six months. (She and I had met when I was here adjudicating the one-act festival a year-and-a-half ago; ironically, she had won an acting award for portraying a spoof of Agnes of God in a Christopher Durang play.)

Jim and I drove back to Heidelberg today, while Annette and Eva remained to do a workshop this afternoon. Jim invited me to dinner with a couple of his friends in Mannheim this evening. He took us to a wonderful Greek restaurant, Akropolis, where we enjoyed a wonderful meal, good wine and nice friends.

No Place Like It...

2009-03-06T02:08:00.000-08:00

This is the view from my window.

This is Jim's apartment building - my Heidelberg home.

Today, we move on the Schweinfurt. More news shortly.

Working Out and In

2009-03-03T09:50:00.000-08:00

Being back in Heidelberg does feel a bit like being home. Staying with my boss, Jim Sohre, at his house is very comfortable. I'm beginning to get to know the neighborhood, some of the shopkeepers, restaurants, etc. Jim lives in an area called Ziegelhausen, which is a comfortable residential enclave in some low hills just below the Neckar River, which runs through Heidelberg. The Old Town and the Castle, the main tourist sites, are on the other side of the River. I walk up the road to "my" bakery, "my" meat shop, "my" fruit and vegetable market, and pick up food for the next day. Bakeries are the worst; I am attracted by them and can't seem to stay away. In a short 1/2 mile radius from here, there must be at least four.

Just so you don't think I'm sitting here eating pastries and getting fat, I want you to know that I have been working out (semi-)regularly. Today, I figured out the buses and traveled by myself to Campbell Barracks (one of several Army installations here) where they have a gym I could use for free. Having a Army-base pass does have its privileges. It was about 40 minutes on 2 different bus lines, but I had no trouble. The facility is great, though it is a bit intimidating working out alongside these soldiers, many of whom are huge!

On my way home, I spent time walking through the Old Town of Heidelberg. I didn't go to the Castle yet (I had been there two years ago), but I may tomorrow. The weather finally turned around and it became a sunny, flawless day, temperature near 50. I sat outside at an overpriced cafe because it was so beautiful. Gave me a chance to catch up on some reading.

I also discovered the spot where the old synagogue of Heidelberg had stood. Here's a photo of me there. The white stones on the ground mark the outline of what was the original building. Now it's preserved as an historic site.

Heidelberg is a beautiful city with some great architecture. It hugs both sides of the Neckar River and seems to be content mixing the old and the new in an aesthetically pleasing fashion. Here are some photos I took today.

The Proof of the Streudel

2009-03-01T14:26:00.000-08:00

This morning we were on the road again – this time for Ansbach, a small village near Nuremburg – yes we went back in that direction again. It was a relatively short ride - only 2 hours. In Ansbach we are staying in a quaint old hotel called Hotel-Gasthof Zur Windmuhle (The Windmill.) We arrived just in time for lunch at the hotel restaurant, a family-run establishment with great care taken to make every dish special. I ate the Weiner Schnitzel (made of veal), which was very good and finished with their homemade apple streudel. This was truly the most sublime apple streudel I have ever eaten – a thin flaky crust, warm, cinnamony apples – just perfect! Eva is back with us and she seems to be fine. Her weakness, I found out, is ice cream. She was more than pleased with the sundae she got at The Windmill. The grandmother of the family was our server. She didn't speak a lick of English, but we managed to communicate quite well, anyway. Annette tells us she is there at every meal, every day of the year, working with her family. After lunch, a marching band began playing a series of tunes outside the hotel entrance. A crowd gathered to hear them.

Tonight’s play was Proof, by David Auburn. You know, the one about the math genius and his daughter who proves something extraordinary but noone believes she could have done it. Mary Louis Parker did it on Broadway; Gwyneth Paltrow was in the film. It’s a solid, well-made play and it holds up well. The show was early, 5 p.m., so we ate afterward at a second rate Italian restaurant where the pasta was overcooked (wouldn’t happen in Italy!), but the wine was good.

Tomorrow, back to Heidelberg for a bit of rest, a chance to regroup, talk with my clients, and prepare the Improv Workshop I will be doing the following week.

It's A Mystery

2009-02-28T14:57:00.000-08:00

We just saw our third production, Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap. We are in Stuttgart, after another challenging travel day. We left Salzburg this morning at 10 am for what is supposed to be a 3-hour ride. It took us 6! First there was an accident, then lots and lots of traffic. Evidently, it is a holiday here and the kids are off from school so everyone goes skiing! It is at least, weatherwise, another beautiful day. I have some photos of the Alps from the car -- just spectacular. There are also some snaps from Salzburg, and a picture of the Mousetrap cast.
The theatre at Stuttgart is one of the most modern and best equipped of any we will visit. They have a great facility, so technically they can do a lot more. If the don't know the show, it's the story of a couple who open a guest house in England in the 40's that attracts an odd array of characters, one of whom may be a homocidal maniac. There's a murder, a detective and lots of misdirection before the murder is solved. The play is still on in the West End after almost 50 years. It's not that it's so brilliant, it's just got a reputation built on having a reputation, at this point.
The folks here have been very sweet to us. Eva met us when we arrived and we were taken to a Greek place for dinner that had to have some of the best lamb I've ever had. There's a new Entertainment Director here, who directed the play. I knew him from his previous post in Kaiserslautern, when I was here 2 years ago. He is so happy to be in Stuttgart. Tomorrow it's on to Anspach to see their rendering of Proof by David Auburn.

The Hills Are Alive...

2009-02-28T07:40:00.000-08:00

It’s Friday evening already! I can’t believe it’s been such a long time since my last entry. Sometimes, internet connections are difficult, even on US Army bases. So, where was I?
Ah, yes. After seeing Red Ryder at SHAPE, Eva, one of the other adjudicators became ill. The next morning, we were supposed to leave for Nuremburg, but she could not go (a stomach thing.) We waited until noon, but then decided to go on without her. She stayed with Dan to recuperate. Poor Eva!

So, Annette and I set out on our own, with our trusty GPS (who Annette had named ). We ran into some bad weather along the way and didn’t get into town until late evening – just enough time to have dinner and call it a night. The hotel Annette had selected, The Albrecht Durer Haus, is right in the center and easily walkable to the major attractions, but it was dark already. We ate a lovely restaurant nearby, eating local specialties – mine was a veal stew with noodles.

The next morning I had hoped to have lots of time for sightseeing and work stuff, but we decided, since the weather was still iffy, to get an early start – 10 a.m. The hotel had an amazing breakfast (included) which had many types of smoked fish, cream cheese, eggs (very unusual) and fresh baked breads and cakes. At least we were sated for our long journey.

Of course the journey turned out to be even longer than we thought. Unbeknownst to us, whoever had used our GPS in the past, had set it on NO TOLL ROADS. So, she was taking us on all of these smaller, slower roads instead of the Autobahns and Autostrade. We went through the Alps, through snowstorms and rainstorms on these tiny local roads, past ski resorts, small towns and uninhabited places for hours and hours. Looking at the map, we realized something was wrong, but we figured she was guiding us this way because of bad traffic on the main roads. NOT! When we finally discovered the mistake, we got back on main roads and started to make better time. Until we got a speeding ticket in Austria and stuck behind some slow trucks in Italy.

Finally, we arrived at Aviano, the air base in Northern Italy, where we were to see our second show. We got there, late, just as the show was about to begin. It was opening night. We rushed from the car after an 8 hour drive, to sitting in the theatre watching David and Lisa, a charming play (remember the movie?) about two mentally challenged young people who meet and fall in love at a mental institution run by a compassionate psychiatrist, that was adapted from the film. Our host, Frank Lewandowski, was acting in the show, as was his wife Kathy and his daughter. The director, Pam, was gracious and sweet. She didn’t even blame us for the show starting late.

Annette and I found our rhythm as adjudicators that night. We were practically finishing each other’s sentences. I thought it went very well. Afterward, Pam and Frank took us out for an Italian dinner – to the same place he had taken me two years ago. I ordered a much-needed Prosecco (local to the area), salad and pizza. Delizioso!

The weather was much warmer with cloudless skies in Italy. It was probably around 52 in the early evening. The next morning it was clear as could be, sunny and equally warm. It made us both smile to see the sun – finally! We had a more leisurely morning before beginning our drive to Salzburg, Austria.

This time, driving through the Alps was a completely different experience. First, we were on the main roads and since the weather was clear, the mountains look majestic and beautiful with their stark white peaks contrasting the deep blue sky behind them. It was impossible not to ooh and ahh as we turned to see another extraordinary snow-capped rock formation. After leaving Italy, again the weather changed and we found ourselves in another snow storm. I think we drove through a tunnel – before entering we were under sunny skies, not a cloud to be seen anywhere – and coming out the other side, it was cloudy, dreary and dark. What a change! It wasn’t long before we hit all kinds of weather. We had to slow down and take it carefully.

We arrived in Salzburg, where it is cloudy and raining, just before 5 p.m. Since it was still light out, we decided to walk around the town and see whatever sights we could before it got dark. Our hotel, The Markus Sittkus, is again in the center of the town. It was a short walk to see the important buildings, mostly churches, that have stood proudly for centuries, in the heart of Mozart’s home town. We even stopped by the restaurant (still in existence) where he was supposed to have eaten often. Photos of celebrities – I recognized Bill Clinton – line the walls. (I didn’t see one of Mozart, though…) I took some photos which I’ll add to this site.

We settled in for dinner at a local restaurant recommended by the hotel: Stiftskeller, where I indulged in Beef Goulash, a local specialty. It was very good, but awfully filling. Meals in Germany and Austria have been too big and too heavy, but tasty. We never felt like having dessert. Now I have to read The Mousetrap (yes, the same one that has been playing in London since…when?...WWII?), which we will see tomorrow evening in Stuttgart (another 5 hour drive…)

We hear that Eva is feeling better and will meet us in Stuttgart tomorrow for the performance. We are looking forward to seeing her and sharing out adventures thus far.

When You Comin' Back?

2009-02-25T01:58:00.000-08:00

We arrived at SHAPE, the NATO base just in time for the special performance of When You Comin' Back Red Ryder?, directed by Dan LaMorte. The theatre on the base has been completely renovated with a beautiful new lobby and comfortable new seats in the theater (since I was here two years ago.) They have a lobby exhibit of past productions using four of those electronic frames to show the photographs (NOTE TO SELF: Steal this idea for The Barrow Group!)
The play takes place in a 60's diner in New Mexico, not far from the Mexican border. An assortment of local characters have their lives and relationships tested when a smooth-talking grifter comes into the diner and proceeds to have fun by humiliating everyone. As it happens, he is perceptive and brings to light the real disappointments of the characters in their own lives and in their relationships. The set was a precise recreation of the kind of diner that now lives mostly in romantic memories (the last one of this type in Manhattan recently closed and was moved lock, stock and barrel to Nevada or somewhere.) As the story progresses, and the characters find themselves face-to-face with their own inadequacies, we wonder what we would do were we tested in the same way. Could we fight back? How heroic are we really?
A wonderful production of the play was presented early on at The Barrow Group, when we used to perform at The Corner Loft on 12th Street and University Place. I'll never forget that production and the emotional wallop it engendered. That was about 20 years ago!
Our brief adjudication occurred right after the performance. (It was short because they had to strike the set.) I had been nervous about it (and so was Eva, she confided in me.) But it went smoothly. It's a challenge to say encouraging things while also giving constructive criticism. It's the epitome of being "on the spot" because they are all sitting there looking at you for some words of wisdom. In a way, it's a bit easier than it was when I adjudicated the one-act festival a couple of years ago because in that case, we were not allowed to hear what the other adjudicators had to say and here, we are like a panel, building on each other's comments.
After the performance, Dan took us to dinner at the Officers' Club on base. This being a NATO base, there are soldiers from many European countries. A long table of Italian soldiers were holding court as we entered the restaurant. (Ciao ragazzi!) While the place will win no awards for culinary excellence, it was comfortingly American (nachos, salads, steak, burgers, etc.)
This morning, I was sad to find out that one of our group, Eva, had spent the night feeling ill and it seems that she will not be well enough to travel with us today. Annette and I will likely go to Nuremburg and Aviano and Strabourg without her and meet up with her again in Stuttgart on Saturday.

2009-02-24T08:02:00.000-08:00

This is a photo of Dan LaMorte and me at his home in Mons, Belgium. (Okay, I cheated. This photo was actually taken the last time I was here a year or so ago. But we haven't changed that much! We arrived in Belgium a few minutes ago. Annette did all of the driving, as I guess she will continue to do for the remainder of our travels. Eva sat in front with her, but slept most of the time. Jim and I sat in back. Our chariot is a Ford station wagon, but a kind I have never seen in the States. It's very comfortable.
Dan arranged for us to stay at a hotel near SHAPE which is a NATO base, where he works. The hotel, a Best Western, is very nice. We see our first production in a little over an hour. I'm nervous about doing a critique right afterwards. Will I get a word in edgewise? Annette has adjudicated hundreds of play festivals. She is definitely, "the boss," but very nice. Will I have anything intelligent to say? I'll let you know how it goes.

I'm Here

2009-02-23T05:15:00.000-08:00

I arrived in Frankfurt this morning. A couple of fortuitous things occurred. Since I was very early at the airport, I was able to talk my way into the President's Club Lounge at Continental. That was great because it was free internet, free drinks and snacks. I was able to get some work done there. Then, I was sitting on the plane with an empty seat next to me (the plane was barely half-full.)
Now I'm in my friend (boss) Jim's apartment, where I'll stay in Heidelberg. This is my base of operations. I got my photo ID card on the way here, which will get me onto all of the US Army and Navy bases throughout Europe.
Tonight I'll meet my fellow adjudicators at dinner.
It's cold, cloudy and rainy here, but the City is beautiful with a certain Bavarian charm - lots of white buildings with the signature wooden cross-hatching. There's still snow covering the hillside. With the rain, a lot of it has melted in the City.
I'm tired, but trying hard not to sleep, so I can adjust to the time change: 6 hours ahead of New York. Tomorrow we drive to Mons, Belgium (not too far from Brussels). My friend Dan LaMorte -- the guy who got me this gig in the first place -- runs the Entertainment Division at the base there. He has directed the play When You Comin' Back Red Ryder? which will be the first show see tomorrow evening.

Send off

2009-02-21T20:37:00.000-08:00

This evening several friends came by the apartment to wish me a Bon Voyage and celebrate some birthdays and anniversaries, as well. I told everyone I would create a blog of my adventures as an adjudicator for the US Army Tournament of Plays. So here it is: my virgin effort at blogging. Thanks to everyone who was here for your good wishes! Not much more to say...I still have to pack! I'll be back to you soon.