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Learn how to get scrap happy with compost expert Jennie Rylee.
THURSDAY AND SATURDAY MARCH 31 AND APRIL 2 dirt COMPOSTING WORKSHOPS
She’s one step Closer to the edge and she’s about to break.
WEDNESDAY-THURSDAY MARCH 30-31 theater CLOSER Celebrated novelist Kurt Vonnegut once wrote a letter advising Loree Rackstraw, one of his writing students, that plays were easier to write than novels: “Write a play, lamb. The theaters are empty. You don’t have to describe characters in depth. Simply put words in their mouths. Then a producer hires graceful, enchanting people to speak and move.” Amusing pith from one of America’s boldest literary talents, for sure. But most playwrights and playwriting texts don’t agree. Stuart Spencer, author of the The Playwright’s Guidebook, refers constantly to the central action of a scene—not the words spoken by the characters but the subtext. For characters to seem believable on stage, they must emulate genuine human behavior—and people generally speak around issues rather than communicate them directly. The words a playwright puts in the actor’s mouth are far less important than those deliberately left out: the subconsciously communicated words in the white spaces of the text. One of the modern masters of things left unsaid is Patrick Marber. His play Closer is the story of four characters whose communication with one another is comprised almost entirely of lies. And yet it is a play as honest as VIDEO: An many works of nonfiction. The romantic liaisons, breakups and sexual politics interview with portrayed are the kind any viewer can relate to personally, though few are likely Black Linen Productions to admit it in polite company. The original stage production of the play in London won numerous awards including the Laurence Olivier Award for best new play, and the 2004 film adaptation of the play directed by Mike Nichols received two Academy Award nominations. Boise’s newest theater company, Black Linen Productions, will tackle Closer at The Linen Building this week. The play features partial nudity and adult themes and is not recommended for children. Wednesday, March 30-Thursday, March 31, 7 p.m., $5. The Linen Building, 1402 W. Grove St., 208-385-0111, thelinenbuilding.com.
16 | MARCH 30 – APRIL 5, 2011 | BOISEweekly
Mother Nature makes dirt production look easy. Take some dead things, a little excrement, add sunlight, sprinkle on some rain. Wait a while, then presto! Brown stuff. Anyone who has ever tried the noble pursuit of composting knows it’s not nearly that easy. Who would guess that banana peels and coffee grounds aren’t enough to sustain a thriving compost pile? (Or a balanced diet, for that matter.) According to compost-info-guide.com, the secret to a happy compost pile is the right ratio of brown, carbon-laden material to green, nitrogen-rich material: “The microorganisms in our compost bins need both carbon and nitrogen to thrive; carbon for energy and nitrogen for protein synthesis. For every one unit of nitrogen used by the bacteria they also consume about 30 units of carbon.” According to the handy chart on the website, dry autumn leaves have a ratio of 50:1, kitchen scraps have a ratio of 12:1 and grass clippings have a ratio of about 20:1 to 30:1. Sound like too much math to make a mound of dirt? Let the Foothills Learning Center simplify things for you. Compost expert Jennie Rylee will teach you how “compost happens” (niiiiiiiice) by demonstrating “a simple recipe for foolproof composting options for containing your pile and how to use the finished product.” Two separate composting classes will take place this week, one on Thursday, March 31, at the Library at Hillcrest and the second at the Foothills Learning Center on Saturday, April 2. Thursday March 31, 6:30-8:30 p.m., FREE. Library at Hillcrest, 5246 W. Overland Road. Saturday, April 2, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at Foothills Learning Center, 3188 Sunset Peak Road. For more information, call 208-493-2534 or visit bee.cityofboise.org/foothills.
WEDNESDAYSATURDAY MARCH 30APRIL 2 music BOISE FEST Have you ever wanted to meet an alien? How about three? You may just get that chance this week. PeelanderZ will be in town as part of the four-day-long punk/ metal/hardcore extrava-
ganza Boise Fest. Members of Peelander-Z hail from the Z-area of planet Peelander. The band—whose Earth home is New York—had a brief hiatus when PeelanderBlue left, but they soon welcomed a new band member, Peelander-Green. On their schtick as aliens their website notes: “At their live show, you’ll see the band in colorful costumes reminiscent of Japanese animation, though they describe their outfit as their skin.” But their music harkens back to their punk roots— “Taco Taco Tacos” will have
you toe tapping and craving a tortilla-wrapped treat. Boise Fest will feature 32 other bands including ’80s metal rockers Legend, It Prevails and Lionheart. At noon fans can trade gently loved vinyl and CDs for sweet broken-in band tees or vice versa. At $25 for four nights filled with punk, metal and hardcore, it’ll to be a rocker’s wet dream. Wednesday, March 30-Saturday, April 2, 5 p.m., $25 adv., $40 door. Mardi Gras 615 S. Ninth St., 208-3425553. Tickets at ticketfly.com or Record Exchange. WWW. B O I S E WE E KLY. C O M