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Brainerd Dispatch | Echo Journal
November 26, 2015
Celebrations of the season Brainerd Community Theatre will present ‘The Seafarer’ at 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 10-12 and 17-19, with an additional 2 p.m. matinee on Saturday, Dec. 19. All performances will be in the Dryden Theatre on the Brainerd campus of Central Lakes College. In Colin McPherson’s play “The Seafarer,” one of the characters speaks of the holiday season. “You know, this is the only time of year I really enjoy? A game of cards on Christmas Eve, sure, where would you get it?” And while the characters in the play sit down to play cards, only one of them knows the stakes he’s really playing forhis immortal soul. Set on Christmas Eve in Baldoyle, a coastal suburb north of Dublin, the play centers on James “Sharky” Harkin, an alcoholic who has recently returned to live with his blind, aging brother, Richard Harkin. As Sharky attempts to stay off the bottle during the holidays, he contends with the hard-drinking, irascible Richard. Tension between the brothers is evident from the start and exists mostly in Richard’s constant sniping and excessive demands. A further source of conflict stems from Richard’s inviting Nicky Giblin, Sharky’s love rival, to join the men, along with Ivan, a hapless drunk, for a game of poker. Nicky Giblin unexpected-
ly arrives with the mysterious Mr. Lockhart, whom Sharky soon comes to realize is the man responsible for getting him released from jail some 25 years earlier. What Sharky didn’t know then, but now learns, is that Mr. Lockhart has tracked down Sharky to collect on that debt. The price: Sharky’s soul. Structured as a long night’s journey into day, with truly frightening glimpses of a darkness that stretches into eternity, “The Seafarer” has been dubbed by the New
York Times as ‘the thinkingperson’s alternative to ‘It’s a Wonderful Life.’ As a flagon of Christmas cheer it’s heavier on the stinging sauce than that film, and lighter on the syrup.” The play won multiple awards, first during its London West End run, and later when it moved to Broadway. The Brainerd Community Theatre cast includes Jesse Brutscher as Sharkey, Rande Erickson as Mr. Lockhart, Shane Keran as Nicky, Marc
Oliphant as Ivan, and Michael Sander as Richard. Set design is by Tim Leagjeld. Dawn Marks is costume designer, and Ben Kent is lighting and sound designer. Bri Keran is the production stage manager, and George Marsolek is technical director. Director Patrick Spradlin notes that the play contains strong adult language. “Anyone familiar with Mr. McPherson’s work knows of the nature of his dialogue,” said Spradlin. “Anyone who saw ‘The Weir’ a couple of summers ago will know what to expect: biting dialogue, well-drawn characters, and plenty of surprises in the plot.’ Spradlin further notes that the play, while not seemingly so, deserves the Times’ comparison to the Capra film. “In ‘The Seafarer’ we have a man who’s also standing on the brink of despair and total loss, much like George Bailey. Both stories bring a message of hope and redemption, after taking us on a journey into some dark times.” Tickets for “The Seafarer” are available through the CLC box office at 855-8199, or online at www.clcmn.edu/ arts. All seats are general admission. The sponsor of this production is Widseth, Smith and Nolting.
There are numerous end-of-year holidays. Thanksgiving, Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanzaa, and New Year’s Eve are celebrated this time of year, but there’s another holiday that’s celebrated in December. Each Dec. 23, legions of “Seinfeld” fans and many others who are familiar with the popular series pay hommage to “A Festivus for the Rest of Us.” This contrived, alternative holiday was a plot line developed for the beloved Costanza family on the series and was billed as Frank Costanza’s creation. Festivus debuted on Dec. 18, 1997, on the episode, “The Strike.” Instead of a tree, candles or carols, Festivus celebrations involve a metal pole, the airing of grievances and feats of strength. Many believe Festivus was simply a television creation, but the holiday is loosely rooted in fact. Daniel O’Keefe, a former writer for “Seinfeld,” reluctantly admitted that his father, Dan, actually invented Festivus in 1966. O’Keefe told CNN that his little brother let the Festivus traditions slip out, and other writers for the show, including Jerry Seinfeld, felt it would make for a great episode, particularly because the holiday wasn’t beholden to anything political or religious. That was the reason O’Keefe’s father developed it in the first place. The real Festivus had few similarities to the TV version. While there was an airing of grievances, the pole and feats of strength were absent. In addition, Festivus would be celebrated any time between October and May. O’Keefe has written that his father would also nail a bag containing a clock to the wall each year, but he doesn’t know why his father did this. Since 1997, the holiday has become a worldwide celebration, with people gathering around their own metal poles in late December every year.
Christmas trees What would Christmas gift-giving be without a tree under which to place the presents? Tree shoppers have plenty of variety to choose from when selecting that ideal tree. Approximately 21,000 Christmas tree farms exist in the United States, and these farms sell between 30 and 35 million real trees each year. Those who prefer artificial trees can shop for everything from trees that appear to be natural to pastelhued boughs. The first printed reference to a Christmas tree was made in 1531 in Germany. Since then, Christmas trees have grown in popularity through the centuries.
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