Like a comet, the opportunity to see Silent Sky (written by Lauren Gunderson) has almost passed. You'll not see it again in your lifetime. From tonight (Thursday) to Sunday, you have only five chances, and I highly suggest you take me up on this recommendation and venture to the Hippodrome to see this outstanding production. This is one not to miss.

Silent Sky tells an important story about how contemporary cosmology came to be. Like the extraordinary movie Hidden Figures (2016) which tells of the groundbreaking black woman mathematicians without whom John Glenn would not have made it into orbit, this is the story of women "computers" in the 19th Century. At this time, women did not have the vote, much less be recognized for playing a role in uncovering the mysteries of the universe. Harvard's astronomy department didn't want Henrietta Leavitt's ideas, they wanted her labor, function, and supreme math skills, for low pay and no credit. In the 19th century, this is a man's universe. Or so many men of the time would have liked to believe.

But it doesn't take long for one man to believe; the nerve-wracked awkward Peter Shaw, an astronomy fellow who falls for Henrietta about the moment he realizes he's nowhere near her equal in imagination. Along with her female co-workers, and the inspiration of her musical sister, Margaret, Henrietta uncovers a mystery that will change the way we see and understand the stars forever.

I don't want to spoil the magic. Simply know that this is one of the finest productions you'll see this year at the HIPP or anywhere. The set (design by Julie Ray), lighting (design by Bob Robbins), and sound (design by Amanda Nipper) are absolutely stunning. The acting is top-notch. And this is a play with something for everyone. In this day and age with the world the way it is, do yourself a favor and capture some awe, relativity, empathy, and hope. If this production doesn't move you, seek help.

Elise Hudson shines as Henrietta Leavitt, capturing the full range of emotional content required for such a character; strength, vulnerability, passion, and obsession, all with a forthright no-nonsense determination to follow her dreams. Imagine if you will, a hard-of-hearing woman in a world of music, rewarded with a position at Harvard only to discover her view of the stars will only be on sheets of photo glass and absolutely never through the Great Refractor telescope at the observatory. She's relegated to the basement with the other "computers". It's a heartbreak she won't stand for. She's not that type of woman.

Savannah Simerly as Henrietta's younger sister, Margaret, can break your heart with a glance. Margaret grounds and inspires Henrietta, even as she contends with their father's illness and ultimate demise. She is the play's beating heart and never loses faith in her sister. The universe that surrounds us is nothing without the universe within. Savannah brings this reality to bear in her masterful portrayal of this character.

As Peter Shaw, Tim Dowd centers his character in dazzling nerdishness and resolute duty. A man-child of discomfiture, if he ever got the kiss he longs for, he'd probably go supernova. Yes, that's a space pun. One really discovers Dowd's masterful acting when, in Henrietta's dream sequence, he's suddenly as suave, stately, and assured as a young Brando. Not a word out of place. Then, just as quick as Henrietta awakens, so returns the stuttering shambling stammer of a man, cracking his impotent whip at ladies who could easily best him physically, emotionally, and mentally. How Dowd manages to inject charm into all this is a miracle.

Cynthia Beckert portrays the matriarch of the women in the character of Annie Cannon. Annie is somewhat of a taskmaster at first but has the style and good humor to create the mnemonic, "Oh! Be A Fine Girl — Kiss Me!". Want to know what that stands for? See the play. The thrill of Cynthia's performance is to see how she deftly navigates Annie's through-line from a tough-as-nails administrator to a warm supportive compassionate friend to Henrietta.

And as Williamina Fleming, Laura Shatkus KILLS, damn-near stealing the show. Williamina, with her tough Scottish brogue, is both comic relief and the muscle of the ensemble. She can beat any man's ass with nothing but her words. God forbid she's pushed to bloodshed. She also happens to have discovered the Horsehead Nebula in 1888. Shatkus as Fleming is a discovery of epic proportions; equal parts feisty, passionate, robust, and sympathetic. Fleming's unwavering devotion to friendship conveys to the audience in genuine palpable truth.

Superbly directed by Stephanie Lynge, Silent Sky at the HIPP is Steller. Yes, another space pun. Accuracy can be funny. I've hyperlinked each character for further study so you can geek out and discover the importance of these women and what they managed to accomplish under adversity and oppression. See this play to honor their memory and the significance of their discoveries. Without their accomplishments, Voyager wouldn't be carrying music and imagery of our diversity as the most distant human-made object from Earth. Let's hope that whomever/whatever discovers it is a Chuck Berry fan.

Here's the link to get your tickets because this comet won't return in your lifetime. You'll be enriched, humbled, entertained, inspired, educated, and expanded. That's what theatre is for, after all.

TICKETS: https://ci.ovationtix.com/35327/
ABOUT THE PLAY: https://thehipp.org/silent-sky/

SHAMROCK McSHANE'S IN-DEPTH REVIEW:
https://shamrockmcshane.wordpress.com/2023/04/27/stars-align-in-hipps-silent-sky/

When Covid arrived, theatres closed their doors on or around the time of March 2020. Live storytelling in a dark room with a shared audience came to an end. The best anyone could hope for was to turn on their computers and join a Zoom meeting, so long as the Internet was working well and we had access to a wifi signal. Slowly, the worst of the pandemic subsided and one by one, the doors opened again; first with limited audiences fully masked, and gradually more seating and optional masks. But the audience still had trepidation. After years, people fell out of the practice of theatre and turned to the storytelling of streaming media. Theatres took a hit to be sure, financially, and emotionally, and frankly not all of them survived. Only creativity and the passion of patrons and theatre lovers kept theatre, "always dying", alive.

On March 13th, Aurora Nova - an international theatre booking agency based in Berlin, makes available a remarkable play by Iranian playwright, Nassim Soleimanpour, called White Rabbit Red Rabbit. They offer, only on that day, a free license for theatres to produce the show. This is to mark the time of the pandemic when theatres closed their doors and to celebrate the return of theatre after and beyond. It's called, "Let There Be Theatre!" Aurora Nova licenses the play for free on March 13th, all around the world. 

There are a total of 66 producers taking part, some of them producing the play in multiple cities and some presenters will do multiple performances. There will be around 75 performances on Monday, March 13th showing in 32 countries:

Australia, Aruba, Bermuda, Brasil, Canada, Cambodia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Denmark, El Salvador, Estonia, Germany, Guatemala, Honduras, Hungary, India, Italy, Lithuania, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Romania, Saudi-Arabia, Slovenia, South Africa, Switzerland, Taiwan, UK, Ukraine, USA, Zimbabwe. Wow!

In 2019, I had my first experience with White Rabbit Red Rabbit as an actor. I was invited to encounter the play at Ani Collier's Black C Gallery. They had paid for and secured the rights to produce the play for three performances. Here's what I can tell you about the play: The actor gets some instructions about 48 hours before performing it. Then, the actor is presented the script at showtime. The actor is not to learn anything about the play nor read the script ahead of time. In a way, it's a staged reading, but with no rehearsals and some surprisingly random audience participation. That's really all I can say about the play except to add it involves the power of free speech, and is not--repeat, is not--to be intended as a governmental critique nor as a political piece. Though some may interpret it that way.

I was performing the play as one of three actors - the Black C Art (Produced by Ani Collier & Lauren Warhol Caldwell) presented the play three times, each time with a different actor. Come to think of it, if you have acted in the play, you are expected to never do it again. You honor the rules of the playwright because ... this is the show. The other actors at the Black C Production were the great Sara Morsey, and Ani Collier herself. The Black C was honored to be the first venue to premiere the show in Gainesville, Florida, in 2019.

Now, in 2023, the Hippodrome Theatre is staging the play with its actor and star, Stephanie Lynge. Stephanie's an extraordinary actor, director, producer, teacher, coach and colleague. When I was in my final year at U.F. there was a play called Miss Whitherspoon. There are other actors in that show, but most of the play resides with the central character. It was Stephanie's thesis role, and to put it mildly, she absolutely KILLED. One of the most memorable performances I ever saw at U.F. Flash forward: She is the current artistic director of the Hippodrome Theatre. Only extraordinary people can handle such a role, with Lauren Warhol Caldwell setting an impossibly high bar in her remarkable tenure there. 

On March 13th at 7 P.M., Stephanie Lynge will encounter White Rabbit Red Rabbit as the actor, and more information about the Hippodrome's production is here:
https://thehipp.org/white-rabbit-red-rabbit/

As a fellow Creative for Black C Art, we had a discussion to take advantage of the free production rights offered by Aurora. Although the Hippodrome was first in line to obtain the contract this particular 2023, they graciously extended a courtesy such that we could also license the production to be performed on the same day, even as we are physical neighbors.

Our audiences have some crossover but as a boutique part-time intimate black box theatre, our experience is in no way competitive; rather it's entirely different and complementary. We've scheduled our performances with respect to the Hippodrome's production. Theatres in my estimation pretty much have an obligation to perform this play, especially in light of numerous threats to freedom of speech sweeping Europe and the United States.

At Black C Art, we will be conducting three performances to small gatherings of 25-30 people throughout the day and evening. At 3 p.m., Mayor Harvey Ward will take on the challenge. At 5 p.m., fabulous artist and musician Gosia will appear. Our evening show at 9 p.m. features mercurial actor Shamrock McShane. If you really wanted, you could see them ALL and it would be like spending the day at a fringe festival. One could enjoy the comparisons between all the actors who will be encountering this play for the first time. All the performances are free of charge, although donations are welcome and encouraged.

More about the shows at the Black C Art can be found HERE!

The Black C Gallery is located at 111 S.E. 2nd Place between the tattoo parlor and the Cat Cafe. (How I love saying that.) If you are interested in seeing the show at Black C Art, please drop us an email: blackcproductions.gmail.com and let us know which time or times you'd like to visit and how many in your party. We will hold seats for you.

As for the play itself, (don't read this if you plan to be an actor and ever perform this piece) this link will give you some idea of what you're in for. May all the actors break their legs accordingly, and may these productions honor the author's vision and the artistic ambition of Aurora Nova. May theater be as alive as ever, and "... butts in seats."
LINK: www.nassimsoleimanpour.com/whiterabbitredrabbit

I'll leave you with this thought. I always say, "Storytelling is the root of all culture. Without storytelling, there is no culture. And without culture, human beings cannot exist on the face of the Earth." If that isn't reason enough to see these productions, I don't know what is. We'll do our part. Do yours. It'll be engaging, important, and FUN, you silly rabbit.

#     #     #

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ITEM: American Performance Artist Tom Miller, the artist who has previously created a sculpture made entirely of Nothing, says he's become lazy but still wants to produce art, and will rely on the combination of Nature and A.I. to do his next art exhibit for him. Miller claims to be the first artist to combine the long-term effects of nature with the instant ease of modern A.I. "Eventually, I'll be entirely out of the picture making that sweet cash!" Miller said.

The Exhibit, entitled, "Nature's Canvas" has been named by an A.I. It will be presented at Gainesville Florida's Art Walk on Friday, February 24th at the Black C Art Gallery. Miller's show is a combination show with legendary Painter and Illuminated Sculpture Artist, Celino Dimitroff. The show is entitled inner=outer.

From this point on, Miller is tired of writing this press release and the rest of this will be a product of Chat GPT.

"I just want to drink and be left alone," Miller said.

-----------------------------------------------

TOM MILLER WRITES:
I am a lazy artist. My name is Tom Miller. I have decided to put blank canvasses out in the yard for ten days and let nature do with them what she will. I thought it might be fun to incorporate Chat GPT into my work. Can you write for me a process paper which will explain my artwork based upon what I've told you?

CHAT GPT RESPONDS:
Sure, here is a process paper for your artwork, "Nature's Canvas":

Introduction: Tom Miller, an artist who identifies as lazy, has created an innovative approach to his artistic practice. Miller's artwork, "Nature's Canvas," involves leaving blank canvases outside for ten days, allowing nature to dictate the outcome. The artist has chosen to incorporate the use of Chat GPT, an AI language model developed by OpenAI, to explain his artwork.

Process: Miller set out blank canvasses in his yard and left them there for ten days, exposed to the elements of nature. During this time, the canvasses were subjected to various natural elements such as rain, wind, sun, and dust. These elements caused the canvasses to change, leading to a unique form of art creation.

Result: The final result of "Nature's Canvas" is a set of canvasses that display the effects of nature on the material. The canvasses show evidence of weathering, staining, and discoloration, creating a beautiful and organic representation of the natural world. The artwork reflects the essence of the environment and captures the changing seasons, providing a unique and dynamic visual experience.

Significance: "Nature's Canvas" highlights the importance of embracing the natural world and recognizing the power it holds. The artwork encourages the viewer to appreciate the beauty in the seemingly mundane elements of nature and highlights the impact they have on the world around us. The artwork serves as a reminder that we are part of a larger system, and that the environment has a profound impact on our lives.

Conclusion: "Nature's Canvas" is an innovative and unique approach to art creation. By allowing nature to dictate the outcome of his work, Tom Miller has created a visually stunning representation of the natural world. The artwork is a reminder of the beauty and power of the environment and serves as a call to appreciate and protect the world around us.

For questions, interviews, and features, please contact Tom Miller:
352-222-5401 or [email protected]

inner=outer
An art show featuring Tom Miller & Celino Dimitroff
WHERE: Black C Art
201 SE 2nd Pl #111, Gainesville, FL 32601
WHEN: February 24th, Friday at 7 p.m.
COST: Free to the public

A part of Gainesville Art Walk, February 2023.

ABOUT TOM MILLER:
Tom Miller is a playwright, screenwriter, performance artist, musician, director, sound designer, actor, painter, and the host of the longest running continuous live variety show in America, The Tom Miller Show. Tom recently was recognized internationally as the creator of Nothing, a sculpture made entirely from Nothing. Tom also starred into the mouth of a photo of Ted Cruz for two hours straight, receiving press from the Huffington Post for the event.

LINK: Florida Man To Stare At Ted Cruz's Mouth For Two Hours Straight
"This is the most dangerous thing I've ever done"
www.huffpost.com

Mr. Miller holds a BA in Theatre from the University of Florida and an MFA in Screenwriting in the David Lynch MFA Screenwriter's Program at Maharishi International University. Mr. Miller enjoys lobster, martinis, and hosting The Reverend Angeldust's Tabernacle of Hedonism in Gainesville, Florida - the Known Center of the Universe.

https://millerworks.journoportfolio.com/

Supplemental conversation between Tom Miller and Chat GPT:

TOM MILLER:
If I were to put four canvasses out in the yard to let nature affect them for ten days, and then to do an art show featuring these four pieces, could you give me four titles for these pieces?

CHAT GPT:
Sure! Here are four potential titles for the pieces that have been affected by nature:

1. "Nature's Palette"
2. "The Great Outdoors Unleashed"
3. "Elemental Impressions"
4. "Nature's Canvas: A Ten-Day Transformation"

TOM MILLER:
Can you give me four titles that are more artistically ambitious and evocative?

CHAT GPT: 
Sure! Here are four more evocative and artistic titles for your pieces:

1. "The Breath of the Wild"
2. "Solitude's Symphony"
3. "The Tempest Tossed"
4. "Chaos & Harmony: A Natural Interplay"

TOM MILLER:
That's better. Thank you. I am lazy. I'll use those.

CHAT GPT:
No problem! I'm here to help. Let me know if there's anything else I can assist with.

Finally, in 2022, Michelin came to Florida to award stars for their inaugural Florida guide. Soseki Modern Omakase stands apart from all the others in that it earned its first star just a year after opening. Like their A5 Japanese Wagyu, that's rare. 

For anyone who doesn't know, the Omakase Style is where you put your trust in the Chef. For the most part, you want to come with an open mind and no food allergies. It goes without saying, if you have a shellfish or seafood allergy or you’re a vegetarian, this isn't going to be your place. For others, the affair is fully worth every penny. 

Chef Michael Collantes is a wizard, no doubt. His pedigree is impressive having worked in some top restaurants with some top chefs including Wolfgang Puck, Joel Robuchon, Eric Ripert, Masa Takayama and Jennifer Carroll. He's worked in leadership roles from the MGM Grand to the Ritz Carlton. But beyond sourcing the most exquisite ingredients, his creativity, passion and skill, the real magic is in choosing his team. Everyone he works with functions with focus and purpose to an exacting standard of excellence. Not only that, the team is a heck of a lot of fun. I've been to world class restaurants where the only thing missing was some love and some fun. This place has both in spades. Congrats on the Michelin Star, Chef. Well earned. I've now been twice. For me, it's the perfect meal.

Kim Chalmers invited me. We've known each other for years having played in NDolphin and The Space Masons together. Friends for decades. We've traveled some of the world together, Mexico, Denmark, and Sweden, and eaten in the world's finest restaurants. We're proud "snooters" in the pursuit of culinary adventure. We went in late September in celebration of my birthday on October 5, 2022, at Kim's invitation on the occasion of arriving at 57 revolutions around the Sun. (I had to Google an age calculator to figure that out.)

I should share a funny story. Kim was much more interested in the sake and wine pairings above all others, and she's a modest drinker in comparison to me: an Irish iron belly of legendary renown, Kim says to me, "I might just have a little taste of certain things, and then I'll secretly slide it over to you until we get to the sake." Basically, she didn't want to overdo it on the bubbly. So, when the brilliant beverage director Benjamin Coutts welcomed the full house of ten diners with a generous pour of sparkling 2018 Raventós I Blanc de la Finca, Wine of Penedes, Spain made from Macabeo, Xarel-lo, Parellada, Viura, I couldn't have been happier. I took my time to savour and delight, as did Kim, who took just a couple polite sips off the top. After I polished mine off, we made the covert move and switched our glasses. I finished the rest of hers. We thought we were being so successfully sneaky. This next bit goes to the impeccable service: Mr. Coutts instantly refreshed her empty glass and now Kim had another new round of Raventós before her. Our plan failed beautifully. From there, we just went with the program.

Soon, the first course was presented. Foie Gras - banana, milk bread, beet, sakura, and goma. This dish was a revelation, an unfolding of flavors and textures on the palate, original, creative, and instantly at the top of the best bite courses I've ever had in my life right up there with Per Se's Oysters & Pearls, Noma's Shoots of the Season, and Chef Damon Baehrel's dumpling made from wild daisy cores and cedar flour, encrusted with oven-dried, pine-needle-cured goose breast. Kim and I couldn't stop talking about it all the way home. I haven't stopped thinking about it since, and it's been about three months now. I plan to think about it going into 2023, and probably into 2024. With any luck, it will be the last amuse-gueul I eat before I die.

But this is not the Soseki-Modern-Omakase-Tom-Miller-Birthday-Review. So impressed was Kim that she wanted to take members of her family to share the experience a couple months later and to celebrate her​ birthday. The new seasonal menu was up. One of the guests was regrettably unable to attend. The "tickets" to dinner are transferable, but not refundable. Kim asked if I might like to fill in. "Yes" came out of my mouth before my brain had a chance to participate in the decision. It was an autonomic reflex. "No" wasn't a consideration. Off we went. So, this reflection is that second meal. I'll say reflection, not "review". Here's the review: It's awesome.

You pull up to a sort of little unimpressive strip mall. It's just that there's something different about the design toward the end of the building. It's aesthetically simple, elegant, black w/ white trim, mysterious, and different!

As you enter, a nicely dressed gentleman welcomes each person and they do seat promptly at the chosen time. There are only ten seats so it's a very intimate experience. Not stuffy at all, but obviously business casual is recommended. Once at our seats, Chef Collantes and several other chefs are already at work preparing and prepping tonight's experience. Soon, the lights theatrically dim and Mr. Coutts takes over as narrator. He explains we'll be taking a trip around the world, with the centerpiece, of course, being sushi. Bookending the sushi courses are several creative twists, laser-focused on locally curated, specially imported, and optimally fresh ingredients of the moment. Each dish is carefully explained and presented, to be eaten the moment it's served. A secret compartment reveals a little drawer built into the counter before each guest with the recommend silverware and eating utensils. Worry not, again it's casual. You use what works for you and for most of the dishes, they recommend using your hands.

The service is impeccable, and from one beverage pairing to the next, you drink as you go. If you want to drink more, you'll find a vessel you've emptied is instantly repoured until the meal advances to the next pairing, and you can start on the next beverage in similar fashion. It's well worth the upcharge of $80 to consider the suggested pairing. Of course one can choose some beverage (or beverages) from the expansive beverage menu, and they do offer corking for personal bottles. For my two cents, you'd be an stinking idiot not to let Benjamin Coutts drive the car. His tableside manner is of a profoundly experienced, knowledgeable and passionate sommelier who's put quite a bit of thought in the pairings from dish to dish, and also as a throughline for the entire service. The restaurant is simple and personal, the vibe is casual, never pretentious, and occasionally with a sense of humor. But make no mistake, the craft and skill of each dish is beyond measure and of select top quality. This is not just dinner, this is a game-changer for your mind, body and soul.

Here are the courses in the order they arrived on Saturday, November 5, 2022. I'd like to offer my thanks and appreciation for a very nice lady I met named Ann Richter who took photos of each dish and forwarded them to me by phone for this review. Thanks, Ann!

With the above dish, Mr. Coutts paired a Christophe Lindenlaub, Riesling, 'Tu Bois quoi lá?' - Dorlisheim, Alsace, France.

The above paired with a 2020 Vignai da Duline, Malvasia Istriana, 'Chioma Integrale' - Venezia Guilia, Italy

Sushi Courses paired with a rich and fragrant 2016 Akishika, Yamahai Junmai Nama Genshu, 'Okushika' - Osaka, Japan

The above sushi courses paired with Terada Honke, Junmai Nama, Genshu, 'Katori 90' - Chiba, Japan

Paired with a 2020 Chapuis & Chapuis - Côte de Nuits-Village, Burgundy, France

And on this final note, Mr. Coutts sends us off with a perfect ending - a Cossart Gordon, Bual, '15-Year' - Funchal, Madeira, Portugal - a "Trip Around the World" indeed.

When you return to your vehicle to rethink your life, you can gaze in silence at the pastoral lake just beyond the parking lot. The only thing that can follow such a meal, beyond a conversation about what you've just experienced with your dining companions, is a journey into self reflection. I hope you find a way to give yourself and your friends this gift. 

A Christmas Carol was written by Charles Dickens and first published December 19, 1843 thus making the ghost story roughly 178 years ago if my math is correct, and I'm terrible at math. What I am good at is intuition, and that's exactly what I had in the audience for this current rendition of the play (adapted by Niall McGinty). You know who Scrooge is? Yes, of course he's the protagonist in the story. But think more meta. No, not META, I mean meta. That's it. You got it. He's us! We at the theatre, in our seats during the holidays. We've come from the real world of war, divisive politics, oppressive rhetoric often turned to violence, the news of the worst things ever happening at any given time, a pack of eggs being six bucks, the GRU bill overdue, the traffic infuriating, and where the heck do you park in Downtown Gainesville (The Known Center of the Universe) without getting towed in order to see this thing? It's a holiday tradition. Well, here we go again. Bah, humbug indeed!

Then the play begins, and we join the dream; Scrooge and us, together. We go on his journey but somehow it's our journey. As Scrooge confronts his past, present and future, all heading to his reclamation of the Christmas spirit, we follow along with him so thoroughly that by the time Tiny Tim utters the immortal phrase, "God bless us, everyone," we're wiping away joyful tears and are entirely ready for the previously-dreaded audience participation. We willingly sing "Jingle Bells" and "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" with enthusiasm and aplomb, because the world is still out there and we'll soon have to return to it. This is our one chance to take delight, as a diverse and unified audience, to savor a collective blissful moment of Zen. When we return to our lives, maybe our hearts are a little less dark. Maybe the wars will be brought to an end. Maybe the bitterness will recede. Maybe the money will finally come, enough to share, enough to help others. Maybe the promise of peace and love over fear will manifest, and magic, wonder, and imagination will light up the darkness.

If you've seen A Christmas Carol at the HIPP before, to be sure, you will see obligatory nods to the tradition. The odd Marilyn Wall-designed giant stuffed turkey prop used in most all the previous productions. It will be there. All the familiar characters appear. Ebenezer's tombstone will spin in the graveyard. The audience will roar approval in standing ovation. It always works, and that's why we return again and again. We're Scrooge, we're cold-hearted, angry, yet underneath it all we just want to love and be loved.

Do you ever get the feeling that reality is becoming unbound? That your friends are drifting off to some strange upside-down interpretation of events? That some unseemly force is transforming once ordinary people into primal grunting purveyors of violence and chaos? Of course, I'm speaking of Eugène Ionesco's, Rhinoceros. 

I first encountered Eugène Ionesco and Rhinoceros as a precocious nine-year-old boy. I wasn't really hip to the man in the theatre world, but I found a 1974 American comedy film that was an adaptation of his play. It remains to this day a mercurial moment of discovery in my life. I identified with the boozy Stanley Bérenger. I further identified with absurdism. And, like the protagonist of the film, I wanted to be unique; to retain my sense of original self and purpose no matter the forces set against me. Best of all, I discovered Gene Wilder, Karen Black, and the brilliant Zero Mostel, who played the character of John (Jean in the play). He played this role prior to the film on Broadway as well. Although the film is an adaptation and differs in a number of Hollywood ways from the original play, it retains the point: Don't ever give in to Totalitarianism; I mean, if one wishes to truly be free. Or is that the point? More on this later.

I think you should watch the film. Even though this ultimately is a review of the play which was bravely directed by Lauren Warhol Caldwell at the University of Florida, you should go into it having seen the film. As of today - 11/30/2022, the link works. If it goes down, let me know and I'll do my best to update it. I do want to preface your viewing by quoting the opening title card. Let me remind you, this film came out in 1974. This being 2022 is 48 years later.

"What you are about to see could never take place. Several eminent scientists have assured us of this fact. For, as they are quick to point out ... the world is flat." 

The University of Florida Theatre Department typically has fairly short runs. A few weeks at best. Then, they're on to the next show. Blink, and you miss it. But I felt it important to write up this particular performance for two reasons: 1.) It's timelier than ever and serves as both a warning and a lesson. 2.) Folks forget truly how blessed we are in Gainesville, Florida (the Known Center of the Universe) by how much amazing theatre is available to see. Especially, at Santa Fe, the University of Florida, The HIPP, and the independent theatre throughout the city. Some of the best, riskiest, and most provocative shows I've seen are from our campuses and independent theatres. More than you might imagine, theatre happens in alternative spaces like Black C Art, or the High Dive, in the park, at the Civic Media Center, even in high schools, and around the corner in The High Springs Playhouse. For being a craft said to be "...always dying," I suspect the live theatre experience may outlive even Twitter. If we want it. I only know we need it.

Rhinoceros is nothing to fool with. The play has three acts and runs nearly three hours (about 154 pages of script). It's a beast, no pun intended. Immediately upon entering the Nadine McGuire Black Box at U.F., I am immediately struck with the brilliance of the set design (Laura Swarner). The house rule is that one is not to take photographs. Here's mine:

Caldwell in the liner notes likens the Rhinoceros metaphor to mob mentality. She makes mention of social media exacerbating the condition, "... where anyone can fall prey to the Rhinoceroses' mentality at the drop of a Tweet." It's a fact that something is lost in our online interactions. Normal speech between people is the spoken word (7% of what is communicated), tonality (38%), and visual cues from body language (55%). If we take body language and tonality out of the equation as is often the case, we're left with 7% understanding; or put another way, 93% misunderstanding. Add to that how differently we talk to each other in person vs. how we talk across a digital platform, and the situation is ripe for trouble. Caldwell mentions people determining their worth in "Likes" and "Comments". Finally, she talks about anonymity which has been shown to breed contempt, rudeness and trolling. In the empty void of connection, the people are ripe and easy for any form of propaganda. This is the NOW Rhinoceros. You look around and people's faces are virtually glued to their devices. Mark Zuckerberg's dream of a helmet-wearing public immersed in the Metaverse (a bad cartoon version of the reality we inhabit) selling and buying renderings of property and purchasing with real money imaginary food to META-eat, it's all fairly bonkers on several levels. This is all the long way of saying the play could not be more relevant to what we're experiencing in our society in real life. Flat Earthers think Round Earthers have been living a lie. Round Earthers think Flat Earthers are fucking idiots. Are we each, each other's Rhinoceroses? 

So, the play. In this dystopian oppressive angular set, we see our scenes (restaurant, office, bedroom) as aspects of a prison factory. Just getting in and out of the office requires an emergency worker with a big ladder. Our protagonist, Bérenger (Bryce Hagen), extolls the virtues of drink to his fussy extroverted companion, Jean (Joseph Meisner) in a restaurant. Jean: "You reek of alcohol." Bérenger: "You always look so immaculate." Jean: "Look! A Rhinoceros!" The seats shake, a sad grunting trumpeting sounds in the distance (brilliant sound design by Storm Smith - and that's the greatest of all sound designer names). The lights flicker. The start of transformations-to-come begins. 

As an absurdist piece, Caldwell's directorial choices are all across the play in a signature way, and expertly so. Her stage pictures throughout resonate with emotional content and stunning significance. The scene just before one of the two intermissions finds a circle of former townspeople, adorned in horrifyingly stylized Rhinoceros costumes (designed by Jade Zhang). Absolutely chilling. A sudden break in the dialogue jump-cuts to a retro song; the cast stops what they're doing and breaks out in dance! Daisy (Katie Medved), a modish ingénue in a daisy dress, parasol, and Lana Turner sunglasses commands the stage causing all manner of titillation and discomfort between the two gentlemen. A waiter with great flair (Gianfranco Madonia) enraptures the audience with prodigious physical comedy and wordlessly steals just about every scene he's in. A logician (Conor Matthews, masked for Covid safety) tries to explain to an old gentleman (Nicholas Bennett) what a syllogism is. Strangely, the real-world need for masking only makes the dystopian nature of the circumstances even better. It's hard to get a mask on a Rhinoceros, as we've seen. Great standout dramatic turns from the entire cast, especially Alan Toney in a dual role as Mr. Botard and the Cafe Proprietor. 

The most physically demanding role besides that of the lead is Meisner as Jean. It's awesome to watch this actor embody such a proper oafish dandy coming apart slowly at the seams. We can almost see his body turn to leather as he huffs and puffs, evolving before our eyes into the monster we knew was coming. He almost didn't need the final costume; so effective was his voice and bodywork. 

In the end, though, the demanding role of Bérenger finds Bryce Hagen equal to the task. He plays a man going through the emotional ringer of losing all his companions to the scourge of the mysterious Rhinoceros transformation, and yet his resilience, his absolute refusal to capitulate, his final decision to stay human, a man alone against the tides of oppression is, if not a victory of permanence, a victory of conscience and moral dignity. The actor was all in!

​To stage this play in modern times - Rhinoceros being a long, strange, and challenging piece of theatre, is a triumph for the cast and crew, the program at U.F., and Director Lauren Warhol Caldwell. Further, this is the kind of theatre you won't see everywhere. This is why I return to the other goal of presenting my experience of the play. Theater is there for you, all over the place. As I've said many times before and it bears repeating: Storytelling is the root of culture. Without culture, people cannot survive on the face of the Earth.

With kind regard to all theatre in Gainesville, whether it be the U.F. Blackbox or Constans, the A.R.T., the G.C.P., The Hippodrome, the Performing Arts Center, The Florida Players, Shakespeare in the Park, The Jackson N. Sasser Fine Arts Hall at Santa Fe College, The Star Center Theatre, the Vam York Theatre, The Actor's Warehouse, Buchholz Drama, or wherever one can find or make theatre, get thee there soon and often. 

“Ideologies separate us. Dreams and anguish bring us together.”
― Eugene Ionesco   

For ninety minutes, two extraordinarily talented actors/musicians regale the audience with a who-done-it caper. You see, there's been a murder! Great American Novelist Arthur Whitney won't be writing another book. Luckily, Officer Marcus Moscowicz is on the case. If he solves it, he might advance from small-town constable to full-fledged detective! But there are two catches: 1.) A real detective is on the way, so Moscowicz will have to work fast, and 2.) Any of these wacky party guests could be the killer. Playing every one of the suspects is Brady Wease, whom HIPP fans will remember as the scene-chewing Jerry Lee Lewis from Million Dollar Quartet back in the summer of 2019. In this production, Wease performs a dozen characters, each with their own distinctive quirks, genders, ages, and flavors. As our intrepid protagonist, actor Paul Helm (essentially playing the straight man) crafts his ambitious investigator with equal parts Sherlock Holmes and Naked Gun's Frank Drebin in his quest to identify the murderer. All set at Christmas time of course, hence "Holiday Edition!" And oh, by the way, they both giftedly play piano, sometimes at the same time, finishing each other's phrases. Friends, it's a spectacular riot.

The pace is frenetic, slapdash, looney-tunes. The jokes come fast and furiously from a sharp script by Kellen Blair and Joe Kinosian. The X-factor here is the child-like joy and chemistry between players; they are all in. Somehow, with only two performers and a piano, the show feels like a big Broadway musical backed by an orchestra. Beautifully lit by Robert P. Robbins, and tightly directed by Stephanie Lynge, Murder for Two is a dazzling spectacle that delights on every level. No shame for the dopey grin I had on my face throughout. The audience on opening night rarely stopped laughing. My top compliment for any comedy that successfully works its magic: My cheeks hurt.

What a weekend in store - Homecoming parade, game on Saturday, Art Walk Redux tonight (and I'll be at Black C Gallery at 6 P.M. for an early 2nd round showing of "NYC On Our Minds - Digital Collage by Ani Collier / 201 SE 2nd Pl #111), The Martin Family Band at The Bull (Saturday Night 7-9 P.M. 18 SW 1st Ave.) and again at Soma Arts Market (Sunday afternoon 1-4 P.M. 619 S Main St. Ste 3). Lastly, a terrific free concert at Bo Diddley Plaza TONIGHT (Friday). See the poster below. Hope to see friends at ALL these events. Have a great weekend and stay creative!

So much to unpack, so I’ll expand this post at some point. Also, so many people to thank. Dreams don’t happen all by themselves. But for the time being, I’m going to stick with Le Bernardin and what I ordered, Standouts included the scallops, lobster (duh), and that signature dessert in the egg. Sublime. Thrills included just getting a seat, the appearance of Chef Ripert in person, the mind-boggling steady hand and presence of one of the world’s greatest sommeliers, Aldo Sohm (the man’s last name is Sohm, come on), and the possible appearance of one Larry David who may have been the man dining behind me. I won’t swear to it. Here’s what I chose.