PULSE, The Magazine of Mount Dora, Eustis & Tavares - Fall 2011

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table of Issue 21 | Fall 2011 Copyright © Pulse the Magazine, Inc. PO Box 1896 • Tavares, FL 32778 www.pulsethemagazine.com facebook.com/pulsethemagazine Publisher Calvin Arnold Editor Richard Huss Marketing & Development Mari Henninger Design Director Cristina Miller Far From Ordinary Design Advertising Design Lorri Arnold C&L Graphics Photography Bill Casey Steven Paul Hlavac Marc Vaughn Steve Williams Illustration Jennifer Cahill Harper Contributing Writers Jeanne Fluegge Susan Green Jaillet Mari Henninger Erica McFarland Beth Hughes Ella Paets Visit our website for more information about all of our contributors.

Assistant Editors Nancy Butler-Ross Susan Green Jaillet Advertising Sales Don Thibodeau 352.552.2655 Calvin Arnold 407.421.6686 Pulse the Magazine is published quarterly. We are advertiser–supported and available without charge at participating businesses in the Mount Dora, Eustis and Tavares area. Mail subscription information is available upon request.

All opinions expressed in these pages are those of the writers. Letters to the Editor are welcome, and must be typed or print clearly, carry the writer’s name and city of residence, a signature if sent through hard mail, and at least one type of contact information (E-mail address, phone number, or physical address). Only the writer’s name and city will be published. All letters sent to Pulse the Magazine may be published in print and/or at our website. We reserve the right to edit for accuracy, brevity, clarity, legality, and taste. Letters should be e-mailed to pulsethemagazine@gmail.com or hard mailed to Publisher at Pulse the Magazine, PO Box 1896, Tavares, FL 32778.

contents Publisher's Letter/ About the Cover

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Ramblin’ with Richard How Clean is Clean?

8

Natural Florida Spanish Moss

10

Writers One Flight Up Insanity Road

12

Tri-City Kudos Bob Grenier, Yada Yada Pottery, Yappy Hour

18

The Green Scene Ebooks at the Library

18

Art Tackles Death The Lake Eustis Museum of Art

22

Chef Bob Culinary Ambassador

24

On the Trail The Big Scrub Trail Ride

30

In a Red Kayak The Juniper Springs Run

32

A Transcendent Artist In the Studio with Doug Hays

36

The Play Within the Play An IceHouse Theatre Production

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Whispering Winds

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Souvenirs Pottery Toys & Games Home Decor Seasonal Gifts And MORE

Open Daily 439 N Donnelly Street, Mount Dora

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Relaxed Atmosphere ~ Casual Affordable Menu

Coffees • Teas • Specialty Drinks Wine • Beer Meetings, Luncheons or Special Occasions...

Make it Olivia’s

lable i Free WiFi Access a v A g n i r www.OliviasCoffeeHouse.com Cate 6 | PULSE • FALL 2011

OCTOBER 1st PAUL SMITHSON Folk, Country, Rock 8th LAKE COUNTY FOLK FESTIVAL 10am – 10pm 9th LAKE COUNTY FOLK FESTIVAL www.lakecountyfolkfest.com 15th JOHN FRENCH “CD RELEASE PARTY” Folk,Bluegrass,Country 22nd THE ROY BAKER BAND 60’s/70’s Best 29th RUTH KING!! Upbeat Blues,Rock,R&B NOVEMBER 5th STEVE STERNBERG Piano Ragtime/Blues/Classics 12th HWY 19 Toe -Tappin Americana 19th BLUEGRASS 26th THE ROY BAKER BAND “British Invasion” DECEMBER 3rd GRIMES ALLEY Classic Rock, Folk 10th BARDIC ROSE Celtic, Folk, Shanties 17th HWY 19 Toe-Tappin Americana 24th CLOSED Merry Christmas 31st CLOSED Happy New Year

from the

publisher

Check out online!

Wow ... I think we’ve been discovered!

Thanks to outstanding support by our advertisers we’ve expanded this issue of Pulse the Magazine by eight pages. Thinking back over our past five years, we’re very blessed for the recognition from the folks in the Tri-Cities. We thank all of you, especially those who have been with us for the entire roller coaster ride.

In this issue we’ve expanded our Kudos recognition column to involve three areas: service, retailers and youth. So many individuals and businesses give their time, money and services to make the Tri-Cities a better place to live. We can’t get to all of you, but we’ll do the best we can to recognize you.

If you know someone who deserves Pulse Kudos, let us know. We need your help in recognizing those who deserve it.

Here’s hoping you enjoy Pulse the Magazine as much as we do.

Cordially,

Like Us on Facebook

Calvin Arnold, Publisher calvin@pulsethemagazine.com www.pulsethemagazine.com

about the

www.facebook.com/ pulsethemagazine

cover

Visit our Website

Steve Williams, local photo artist and commercial photographer, is responsible for our cover. Model Nicole Graf (Tavares) posed in a pool with a large black fabric backdrop while Steve, using a Canon PowerShot digital encased in an underwater housing, captured the moment.

www.pulsethemagazine.com

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Born in Mount Dora, Steve spent 15 years as a commercial photographer in LA before returning home. Dozens of Steve’s images can be found on the “Shop for Prints” tab on his Facebook page: www. facebook.com/stevewilliamsphoto or at http://steve-williams.artistwebsites. com/ and are available at All About Images. See page 20 for their ad.

Send Us an E-mail calvin@pulsethemagazine.com richard@pulsethemagazine.com

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ramblin’ withrichard richard ramblin’ with

SPONSORED BY:

by RICHARD HUSS | photo ©MICHELLE PEDONE

How Clean is Clean?

This column is not about our top three cultural obsessions: sex, drugs, and rock ’n’ roll. It’s about our number four cultural obsession: cleanliness and our drive to annihilate and eradicate all germs and bacteria in our personal lives.

Walk down the aisle in any grocery store and check out the options we have for our collective War on Germs.

The amount of money we spend to kill these unseen invaders approaches the Defense Department’s budget for our country’s War on Terror.

As near as I can tell, Mr. Clean started it in the late 1950s.

We all know him, the bald genie-looking guy on the bottle of viscous yellow liquid. When the Stepford housewife opens the bottle Mr. Clean pops out amid a whirl of bubbles. In a steroid-induced cleaning frenzy, he polishes kitchen floors, sanitizes counters and proceeds to wipe down everything in the house. He accomplishes this in a whirr and blur of frenzied energy, muscles bulging from his white torso t-shirt, constantly smiling, and an earring in his left ear. Personally, I always thought the “lonely housewife” was after Mr. Clean for something other than household chores.

Thanks to Mr. Clean, I can scour my toilet with bubbles,

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cakes, liquids or powders. My floors can be scrubbed and mopped with scented liquids guaranteed to kill 99.9 percent of germs and bacteria. I can vacuum with filters that remove the minutest particles of dust that dare infiltrate my home. Hope, my Wonder Dog, drinks from my toilet without fear that she will be infested with E. coli, diarrhea or the infectious amoebae lurking in the water of Third World countries.

I can also make my house smell like cucumbers, lavender, mountain breezes or hundreds of other scents. With antibacterial soap, I can declare war on microscopic organisms that cling to my skin, hide in my hair or, God forbid, between my toes, while simultaneously cloaking my body with the aroma of exotic fruits and herbs.

Thanks to Mr. Clean…

If I break through my skin by means of a thorn, abrasion or paper cut, I can immediately spray, rub, or dab this life-threatening wound with one of several germ fighting ointments, sprays or medicated Band-Aids.

One of my current favorite TV commercials pushes such an antibacterial ointment. Visualize a mom in the park, her child approaching with a barely discernable playground “boo-boo.” If it were my mom, she’d pause and kiss it “to make it all better.” If she wasn’t there, we’d spit on it, rub dirt into it and go back to playing. That worked.

Not today. Today, a mom’s germ laden kiss on a “booboo” is tantamount to child abuse. Today’s micromanaging-overwrought-fully-equipped mom reaches

into her pocket, pulls out an on-the-go mini-atomizer and immediately sprays the near-fatal wound with an ointment that kills any threatening germs or bacteria – instant relief and protection.

microorganisms that will strike me down in my sleep. I gargle and brush my teeth to fight gingivitis which could, over the course of 185 years, cause my gums to rot and my teeth to fall out.

Our obsession suggests that we may be simultaneously creating super microbes and thwarting the development of our natural defenses for fighting infections. Someone looks at a scratch on me and says, “Richard, that’s infected.” I look at the offending spot, notice the redness around the scrape, see no reddish or bluish lines spidering from it and say, “Yes. It’s healing quite nicely. Thank you.”

If an offending dust bunny cowers in a corner of my home, I see it as a roach-infested-plague-carrying nest of danger.

Do I have to wipe my own toilet seat before I sit on it? Oh, yeah ... and if I flush the toilet with the lid up, the infected spray from the toilet could land on my toothbrush – unless I keep it in the holder in the neighbor’s house.

I’ve lived years without a Swiffer or vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter. I’ve cleaned a lot of bathrooms with Comet or Ajax. I don’t recall my house ever smelling like anything other than bleach. I never felt threatened, nor did any of my children, by the invasion of microbes, germs or bacteria. I kissed their boo-boos and sent them back out to play.

But now, I’ve caved. I have grown to fear our unseen world. I fear this new form of Home Invasion – invisible

What’s happened to us? Buck up, my fellow Americans.

We aren’t afraid of germs, microbes and bacteria any more than we’re afraid of terrorists. We have to face the enemy. We must put away our ointments, lotions, rinses and cleaners. I beg you.

And, let’s take a shower once a week ... whether or not we need it.

Hope to see y'all at Saucy Spoon!

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natural florida na tural florida

SPONSORED BY:

by MARY C. MILLER | photo by STEVEN P. HLAVAC

SPANISH MOSS “Mommy, mommy, look at the scary stuff on the trees!”

I smiled as a mother and her little boy walked by. The little boy was pointing to the masses of long, hairy plants hanging on the cypress trees. It’s understandable how a child may find these plants a little scary, but as strange as these plants may look, Spanish moss is harmless.

The tiny spanish moss flower in bloom.

(Photo © Gregory Scott)

Florida moss, long moss and greybeard are all common names for Spanish moss. It was recently introduced to Hawaii, where it is known as “Pele’s Hair.”

Tillandsia usneiodes is its scientific name. Tillandsia is not a moss of any kind; it is in the bromeliad family. Yes, that “scary stuff” is related to the pineapple!

Spanish moss, as it is most commonly called, grows in long, thick fibrous masses. It can hang as long as 20-25 feet in length. The inconspicuous flowers develop into capsules. The capsules split open and release tiny seeds to the breeze.

Seeds easily grab hold and develop in textured bark. Oak and cypress are especially welcoming landing places.

10 | PULSE • FALL 2011

Even small pieces of moss may attach themselves and continue to grow. Fence posts, telephone poles and other odd places with small fissures are also vulnerable.

Spanish moss extends from the southeastern United States through Argentina and Peru. Most scientists agree, Tillandsia usneiodes originated in Peru.

Uses, Then and Now: In the 1700s, when Europeans first arrived in North and North Central Florida, the Timucua Indian women were wearing clothes made from this “moss.”

In the early 20th century it was used to stuff auto upholstery, furniture and even mattresses. It was also a highly desired packing material. Today, Spanish moss is primarily sold for use in craft projects and floral arrangements.

Some claim it is still used to make voodoo dolls.

Humans aren’t the only ones who found a use for the long moss. Some species of birds, including owls and egrets, use it for lining their nests. Other birds nest directly in the large masses.

Misconceptions: When Spanish moss almost completely covers a tree, the moss itself is not hurting the tree. The lack of photosynthesis, caused by so much shade, can damage the tree.

Another potential problem occurs because this Tillandsia can absorb water 10 times its dry weight. During seasons of heavy rains, this added weight may cause branches to break.

Despite these unfortunate instances, this plant is not a parasite and does not actually kill trees. Spanish moss takes its nourishment from the air and water, not from the host.

A Word of Caution: Before you gather wild long moss, keep in mind chiggers are another creature that loves Spanish moss. Chiggers are the larval form of a mite, closely related to ticks. (According to some sources, they are only in moss on the ground.)

was buried at the base of a live oak tree. The grieving brave hung her long black braids on the tree limb to mark her grave. With time the braids turned grey and the wind carried the strands from tree to tree. All the oak trees continue to weep to this day.

Spanish moss myths and stories exist everywhere, especially where the greybeard grows. Some of them seem to overlap, but the outcome is the same. Beards, locks and braids turn into moss.

You can’t see them, but if you have them, you will get red blotches and itch unmercifully. And no, the old myth of putting nail polish on chiggers to kill them, will not work.

Tillandsia usneiodes has become an integral part of the history and romance of our southern states. I doubt you will ever read a novel based in the South without reference to “moss laden oak trees.” Enjoy it for what it is, a lovely plant gracefully garlanding our trees and giving homes to some of our beloved (and not so beloved) creatures.

Folklore: In New Orleans, small packets of long moss are sold with differing versions of the following tale: According to legend, an Indian brave and princess lived on the banks of the bayou. When the princess died, she

More information about Spanish moss is included on our web site: the Henry Ford and Spanish moss story, a mythical poem, a video of Peruvian Indians wearing moss outfits, and more! www.pulsethemagazine.com

Early use of Spanish moss in mattresses is the origin of the saying “Sleep tight and don’t let the bed bugs bite!”

Those “bed bugs” were chiggers.

Some say Spanish Moss was named for the resemblance to early Spanish soldiers' beards.

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Sponsored by One Flight Up

photography by Doug Rehman

JL Rehman’s law enforcement experiences were fertile ground for providing inspiration in her writing career. She founded Partners In Crime Publishers which has published several local authors, and she is the author of three Florida crime fiction novels: No Middle Ground; Death Impressions, JL Rehman, finalist in the 2010 Eric Hoffer Writers One Flight Up award; and Blood of Belladonna.

Her latest novel, Insanity Road, is soon to be released.

She is also a member of Writers One Flight Up.

and dark eyes that seduce you to sin on yourself. She’d sinned on herself three times that she’ll admit. Denial covers the rest.

Her blog, www.livingwitheddie.com, is based on a character from the novel, Blood of Belladonna. It might seem strange. It is.

Ricky, her middle boy, does little more than grunt and shrug. It takes repeated commands to get him focused.

She claims the TV’s to blame and threatens to sling it out the door when they get back to the house. A little too wrapped up in the material world is what that is. Might be better if they don’t catch the evening news when she’s in the room, avoid being quizzed about reports of missing girls in their area that will invite awkward dinner conversation and questions like “…isn’t that the girl we picked up?”

Offered for you in this issue is an excerpt from Insanity Road.

INSANITY ROAD (An Extract)

by JL Rehman

She glances in bitter disappointment into the rearview mirror at her three boys in the backseat—Roy, sixteen, trying to scrub blood from his hand onto his pant leg; Ricky, an insolent fifteen; and little Eddie, ten. Eddie’s not the brightest of the three, but he tries the hardest to please her. That revelation’s not wasted on a night like this. She’s using him more often while on the troll—his face sweeter, eyes large and vulnerable. Any young girl would melt under Eddie’s gaze. He grins in the backseat like he knows a secret no one else does.

Alachua County, North Florida—late 1970s.

Bella Vega believes in the Devil.

Not the winged horny one depicted in William Blake’s The Great Red Dragon and The Woman Clothed in Sun, a devil with a tail that in her mind is more lizard than snake, but a real devil in a man’s soul, with strong hands

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Usually emotional explosions on her part dampen down inquiries like that, but lately Roy gives her knowing looks she tries to ignore.

So far, he stays loyal and keeps his judgments to himself, but one day it’ll end. One day it’ll come

“Kill the devil!” she screams at the radio.

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down to him or her. As for Ricky, TV’s gone. First thing.

Bella turns east and presses the accelerator headed for town in a 1962 rusted-out Ford Falcon Squire station wagon defecating oily smoke from worn piston rings, driven mad by a woman who can’t keep a man in the house long enough to fix it.

The radio blasts a Christ’s Crusade preacher instigating action against Satan and his followers—hysteria shrieking across the airwaves of the scrub palm, sand flats of central Florida; Bella yelling “Jeeeesus!” at each pause while glancing in the rearview to see which one of her boys is participating in tonight’s sermon. Eddie seems to enjoy yelling “Jeeeesus!” out loud with hyperactive vigor.

Roy gazes out the window, he’s not even with the program, hasn’t been for a couple of months now. Bella caught him with prohibited magazines rolled stiff into cylindrical tubes rammed between the mattress and the

box spring, sex catalogs of the devil—pick your position— and now the mattress sits out at the road for the junk man to pick up. Anything left at the road the junk man gets free. He slips up and down the road twice a week, his derelict pickup piled to the top of the cab with the rusted carcasses of battered washers, dryers, bedsprings, anything sellable to the scrap metal dealer. She’d yelled at him one day if he’d pick up wicked boys, too. Junkman just waved and smiled at the woman everyone in the neighborhood says lives in Cuckoo Town—but never to her face.

“Kill the devil!!” she screams at the radio, but not like those Holy Rollers, entranced folks dancing and swaying in church aisles, arms and shoulders draped with lethargic, poisonous snakes, or sprawled between the pews struck with seizure-like fits. She tells her boys they’re doing it for the attention, but Bella, she’s fighting the real war. So she says.

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tri-city tri-city kudoskudos coming to the event, you’re a contributor. You don’t have to be an artist, a potter or a musician. You just have to care about the people in our towns who need our help.”

As a bonus, you can keep your bowl as a souvenir, a reminder of your good deed. If you bring friends, you’ll feel even better!

Pulse the Magazine crowns Juliette Davis and Yada Yada Pottery with “Kudos” for her hard work and service to those in need.

Photo by Steve Williams

Beauty in the bowls: Juliette Davis asks that you come to the Yada Yada Pottery Empty Bowls Charity and choose some of these beauties to take home with you.

YAPPY HOUR | “It’s all about the Dawgs,” says Carla Pereira, the co-sponsor for Mount Dora’s Yappy Hour, Humane Society fundraiser. Her partner in the monthly social event for humans and dogs, Christina Baker adds, Photo by Eric Baker

YADA YADA POTTERY | Where and when can you purchase a piece of art, have a healthy meal, enjoy a musical evening on the lake, and help fight hunger and poverty in our region?

It’s at the Yada Yada Pottery Empty Bowls Charity. This Tri-City event takes place in Wooton Park (Tavares) on Monday, October 17 from 5-7:45 p.m., and YES ... you can eat, attend a music festival, enjoy an early fall evening on the lake and fight hunger – all for a minimum donation of $10. Pick up your tickets at the event or in advance at Yada Yada Pottery, 822 N. Donnelly Street, Mount Dora.

Soups and fresh baked breads are donated by area restaurants and bakeries. All the bowls are hand thrown or shaped and decorated by local residents ... some by artists and potters ... and some by folks like you and me.

Empty Bowls Charities started three years ago in 2009 and raised $3000 selling 300 bowls. In 2010, $7000 was raised with 600 bowls sold. Their goal for 2011 is $10,000 and 1000 bowls. Let’s help them reach that goal.

But surpassing goals is not the real motivator for Juliette Davis, owner of Yada Yada Pottery. According to Juliette, “This is an event that allows anyone to participate. Just by 16 | PULSE • FALL 2011

People and pups at Yappy Hour...but it's really all about "the Dawgs".

“We want the dogs and their human partners to have fun, relax a little, socialize and get to know each other.

When that happens, we’re happy.”

Sponsored by their downtown Mount Dora businesses, The Wine Den and Piglet’s Pantry, Yappy Hour started about three years ago and has raised over $13,000 for their worthy cause. This year’s goal is to reach $5,200. Ten percent of the receipts for the evening and gift basket raffles supplied by local merchants fund most of the contributions. Christina and Carla are all about attracting people and their dogs to downtown Mount Dora for wine and hors d’oeuvres, then off to dinner in town. The Yappy Hour scheduled for Friday, October 21 will include a Halloween Puppy Parade for all dogs in costume.

It’s not just about fundraising and socializing. Yappy Hour also features pet services, grooming tips and an “up for adoption” showing of dogs brought from the Humane Society. Both women assert that this aspect of Yappy Hour has been enormously successful with a high rate of on-the-spot adoptions.

Yappy Hour has grown from a small collection of folks to the point that Carla and Cristina had to secure permission from the City to block off the sidewalk and part of the street to accommodate the group. “We have 40 to 90 or more dogs attending regularly,” Cristina said. That’s the way it should be. After all, “It’s all about the Dawgs.”

Yappy Hour is the third Friday of each month from 6 to 9 p.m.

BOB GRENIER | Bob’s interest in history boomed like a Civil War cannon when he and his father visited the Gettysburg National Battlefield Park, site of the Battle of Gettysburg and inspiration for President Abraham Lincoln’s famed Gettysburg Address. This interest in history eventually led him to become a member of the Lake County Historical Society and the Tavares Historical Society; he has served as President of both organizations.

According to Bob, “My interest in serving in city governance began because it seemed I was frequently asking the Council for funds and support that would enhance the understanding and knowledge of local history.” Eventually he decided to get on the other side of the table and was elected to the decision-making

Photo By Bill Casey

Bob Grenier at the Seaplane Marina in Tavares.

body. He has served the people of Tavares for the past eight years as a member of the City Council and is currently the Vice Mayor.

“My motivation,” Bob says, “is making history real for people so they see it, hear it and become a part of it.” His major contribution was to lead the rebuilding efforts of the historic Woodlea House which now serves as the Prop Shop at Tavares’ Wooton Park. In addition, Bob initiated an annual Black Heritage/Senior Luncheon held to recognize the leadership of local African-Americans and seniors. He has assisted with erecting numerous historical markers throughout Lake County commemorating people, events and places of historical significance. He also led the fight to get the federal government to correct the misspelling from “Haines Creek” to “Haynes Creek,” named after Tavares’ pioneer Captain Melton Haynes.

As a part of his educational service, Bob visits area schools accompanied by a group of re-enactors dressed in Civil War regalia. Together they recreate southern living during the Civil War, and through their dialog, describe significant events, culture and southern lifestyles to student audiences.

Bob’s love of history and his drive to give back to the residents of Tavares and Lake County has earned him “kudos” from Pulse the Magazine.

To nominate an individual or business in the tri-city area for Kudos, email calvin@pulsethemagazine.com.

PULSE • FALL 2011 | 17

the green scene the green scene

by SUSAN GREEN JAILLET | illustration by JENNIFER CAHILL HARPER

The Green "Screen"

Ebooks at the Library – The Next Step in the Digital Revolution If you’re like me, you read every day – newspapers, magazines, or my favorite – books. Hard-cover, softcover, trade or mass paperbacks, I love them all. And according to Judy Buckland of the Lake County Library System, I’m a card-carrying library member, over 25 years at the W.T. Bland Library in Mt. Dora.

If you’re like me and you sometimes wonder how we ever survived before our current technological devices, including eReaders, here’s a short history of some developments that changed our world.

Prior to German goldsmith Johannes Gutenberg inventing moveable type in about 1440, everything had to be copied by hand or printed from handcarved wooden blocks. Pretty timeconsuming. Printing was actually the first means of mass communication.

From there, fast forward 400 years to the successful completion of the Transatlantic Cable in 1868 and the ability to carry instantaneous communications across the ocean for the first time. When Sputnik was launched in 1957, President Dwight D. Eisenhower saw the need to develop Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) which by 1962 formed the basis of ARPNET, the Department of Defense precursor to the Internet.

By 1991, the Internet had 300,000 18 | PULSE • FALL 2011

hosts and 1000 newsgroups; in 1993 the World Wide Web was released by CERN (Centre Européen de Recherche Nucléaire) now the European Particle Physics Laboratory, those folks who bring us the Large Hadron Collider. CERN, along with early Internet developers, made this technology free and usable by everyone.

In 1994, Yahoo was released and communication and information were accessible to anyone who could get their hands on a computer. Jump a mere 20 years and we’re all carrying SmartPhones, tablets, and eReaders as comfortably as we once carried a pencil and notebook.

The Lake County Library System has joined this digital revolution. Access to OverDrive, a digital download service used by over 13,000 libraries, is free to anyone with a Lake County library card. Access their website at mylakelibrary.org; then click on the Virtual Library tab, then click on Downloadable Ebooks and Audio Books. You’ll be shown a number of sites you can use to download to an amazing number of eReaders and other devices you can use, including your computer.

You can create an OverDrive account by entering your library card number.

You’ll have an e-cart, a wish list, a hold list, a checkout list; you’ll set your default lending time, either 14 or 21 days; and you can also rate the titles you read. There’s even a tutorial on how the whole thing works, including how to use the OverDrive Media console which is much like

E-Z…Ecological…

Ebooks…In your library now!

Netflix, simple and easy to use. Just as with Netflix, you’ll never have another late fee.

You’ll be prompted to install and activate free software on your computer or your Android, BlackBerry, iPhone, iPad, Kindle or Nook, and you’re ready to join the estimated 6 million ebook readers who purchased over 22 million ebooks this year. In the last three months of 2010, Amazon announced that ebook sales surpassed sales of paperback books for the first time in the U.S. In addition to the 9000 titles purchased this year by the Lake County Library system, one of the coolest resources available is Project Gutenberg. Back in 1971 a University of Illinois freshman, Michael Hart, decided to spend the night in the University’s computer lab rather than walk home in the summer heat and found himself with access to a huge computer system. From this quiet beginning, Hart launched Project Gutenberg and realized his dream of making books available in electronic form. For years he and his group of volunteers keyed in book after book.

Talk about a labor of love. Today you can download over 33,000 titles from Project Gutenberg, all with your local library card, a little time, and a compatible device.

When I talked with Judy Buckland, Program Coordinator, and Charlene Smith, Assistant Library Services Director, they couldn’t wait for the program to begin. Charlene demonstrated how easy the system was to use and how quickly the books downloaded onto her computer, literally a couple of seconds.

Judy, who coordinates the programs sponsored by our libraries, including the upcoming October Meet the Authors Event at the Leesburg Library, says, “We are absolutely thrilled with the response from our patrons.

Ebooks definitely give a choice to readers who want portability. The electronic format allows patrons to check out and store multiple titles on an eReader, laptop, or mobile device.”

Want proof that this idea is Green? In one year, the U.S. produces 2 billion books. The paper for these books requires 32 million trees. It’s estimated that one tree yields enough paper for 62.5 books. You do the math.

Millions of trees saved, no heavy books to lug around, no gas for trips to the library. Talk about reducing your carbon footprint.

So where could you get more for you money than using your free library card? Where can you have quick and easy access to your favorite books, no matter where you are, without lugging bulky paperbacks and hardbacks in your luggage or handbag? The Lake County Library system has it going on.

And don’t forget to mark your calendar for next year’s Read an E-Book Week, March 4 – 10, 2012, when ebooks turn 40. This is one birthday celebration you won’t want to miss.

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Charlene reports that in just over a month of operation, 2020 downloadable books were checked out, and over 1300 items are available. “This is a very exciting addition to the services we provide through our fifteen libraries.

Our libraries hope to broaden access to their services and reach a different segment of our community.”

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PULSE • FALL 2011 | 21

Art

Tackles

Death

by ELLA PAETS, Ed.D. | photography courtesy of KAREN MAUCH

Breaking artistic ground with an exhibit that showcases and confronts death, war and seduction, The Lake Eustis Museum of Art exhibits the work of two artists and gallery mates, E. Sherman Hayman, known by her nickname, Mur, and Julie Mardin. Mur is located in Philadelphia and Julie in New York City. Their unique show runs from September 30-October 30.

Museum Executive Director Susan Loden has paired the two women in a powerful show titled, “Thanatos and Eros” (Death and Sex). Susan asked Mur to focus her art on death and Julie to explore war and sex. An accomplished artist herself, Susan wants to “expand the expectations of our local community by introducing us to art and artists not normally seen” in our region.

mous. Mur researched the lives of her subjects while she learned the art of woodcarving. She sculpted the coffins from balsa and basswood – both very soft woods. Each “pine box” is carved in the traditional shape of the Bela Lugosi Vampire coffin then hollowed out, sanded, primed, decorated, and painted.

The delicate coffins are carefully painted symbolic portraits. Some of the caskets belong to easily identified owners. Mur has paired humor and artistic skill to create their 4 ½ inches long final resting places.

“Death and Sex” at the Lake Eustis Museum of Art

Mur Hayman is drawn to violence and the macabre like a moth is drawn to light. Her fixation continues to grow and compels her to produce new and distinctive art. Her most recent project is a series of miniature, elegant coffins, part of the exhibit at the Lake Eustis Museum of Art. Mur’s tiny coffins entice us to examine our own mortality. She believes that people fear death so much that many of them have stopped using the “D” word.

Instead you might hear the phrase, “So and So has passed,” the words accompanied by a slight nod of the speaker’s head. According to Mur, “Death is ‘The Final Frontier’ for each of us.”

The Museum of Art will display 27 of Mur’s “perfect as a jewel” caskets. The tiny objects, elegant, and handcrafted, celebrate the lives of the famous and the infa22 | PULSE • FALL 2011

Julia Child’s casket, one of Mur’s favorites, looks very much like an edible cherry tart. Carving the edges of the coffin to resemble a piecrust, she filled Child’s “tart” with small beads creating the illusion of delectable cherries.

Coco Chanel wears her signature cardigan suit with a pair of scissors hanging from her neck. Look closely and you will notice the intertwined “C’s” logo serving as handles on the side of her coffin. The swastika on her belt is an unpleasant reminder of her relationship with a Nazi officer during World War II and the allegations that she was a German spy.

Not all the coffins are designed for readily identifiable people. Whitcomb L. Judson, for example, was a prolific inventor and is credited with giving us the zipper as a replacement for bootlaces. The placement of a prominent zipper on his coffin may serve as a tribute and symbol of the “final zip.”

Clockwise from top left: the Coco Chanel casket, the Julia Child casket, and the Frank Lloyd Wright casket.

Hellcat Maggie achieved her place in history in the early 1840s during the era of New York gangs. It was reported that she filed her teeth to points and collected the ears of her victims to display on a gruesome necklace.

Maggie lies at rest in a Mur casket, displaying her gruesome jewelry.

Mur does not make coffins for living persons, nor for her friends and especially not for herself. In her words, “I don’t want to go there.”

Julie Mardin creates sculptural collages by placing damaged toy soldiers inside the peaceful space of a snow globe. The damaged toy soldiers won’t fit inside the small spheres and must first be dissected then reformed into new positions. The resulting distorted figure reminds us that war damages all who fight in it.

As Executive Director, Sue is fiercely proud of the Lake Eustis Museum and the exhibits that have been shown there. She has arranged shows for talented and innovative artists whose work is on the cutting edge. In addition, she points out the fine art acquisitions at the Museum while she has been the Executive Director and comments on the successful Summer Children’s Art Program recently completed.

Recognizing that they need more space, Sue is backing a search for a permanent new home for the Museum. The new space must be centrally located and in the same general area as the current location. In spite of the financial difficulties involved, Sue is hopeful that the money will be raised, a building will be purchased and the Tri-Cities will continue to enjoy the Lake Eustis Museum of Art.

PULSE • FALL 2011 | 23

CHEF

l l e h c t e Bob G

A Cu linary A mbassador in Our Mids t

by MARI HENNINGER | photography courtesy of WALT DISNEY WORLD 24 | PULSE • FALL 2011

I first met Bob Getchell of Eustis while staring down a gazelle. No, we weren’t in Africa on safari, we were at Sanaa, a restaurant located at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, where Bob is head chef. Sanaa, pronounced “sah-NAH,” is surrounded by floor to ceiling windows overlooking a grass savannah filled with zebras, giraffes, wildebeests, ostriches and yes, even gazelles roaming freely over the surrounding grounds.

But as intriguing as the ever-changing kaleidoscope of African wildlife is, the real show at Sanaa is the food, which Chef Bob describes as “African cooking with Indian flavors.” Though this may sound daunting to some, the seasoning is calibrated to deliver vibrant flavor adventures in a way even the most timid of palates can embrace.

Sanaa encourages “culinary exploration” by offering tasting-size samplers of breads, appetizers, salad, entrees, and desserts. As an added plus, Sanaa’s broad spice palate lends itself perfectly to vegetarian cuisine, raising the humble vegetable to culinary star status.

While every time I visit Sanaa, I discover some new tasty morsel that sets my taste buds dancing, I’m particularly fond of the Indian-inspired naan and onion kulcha breads accompanied by cucumber raita, coriander chutney and garlic pickles; the salad sampler which includes bhel puri, a street food from India which is a blend of tomatoes, cucumbers, herbs and a bhel mix of puffed rice, fried noodles, tamarind and coriander chutney; and the curries which recently have been expanded to include a South African Durban-style curry inspired by the cultural representatives from Africa who work in the resort’s kitchens. For dessert, I particularly enjoy the chai cream and the refreshing frozen dessert sampler. All of this bounty is joined by exotic cocktails, an eclectic wine list, Discovery Wine Flights (small servings of a number of wines) for pairing with various entrees. Talk about culinary adventures!

Chef Bob is a culinary adventurer himself and delights in sharing his new discoveries with others. He has a natural gift for making unfamiliar foods and complex cooking techniques accessible to those of us in the non-chef world. He says things like, “Don’t think of curry as spicy, but as food that’s been slow-cooked in a flavorful gravy.” He describes his high tech tandoor ovens at Sanaa as modern versions of ancient clay

ovens used all over the world, then proceeds to say with child-like enthusiasm when demonstrating how to make naan bread, “Here’s the fun part, you reach right inside the tandoor oven and stick it to the side.”

The essence of Chef Bob’s message is that cooking is fun and anyone can master it. He says cooking is his biggest hobby and passion and he feels lucky to be paid to do it.

Right now he’s “having fun” with homemade pasta. When I commented that making homemade pasta sounded complicated, he said, “Do you have flour and an egg?”

Salads from left to right: Roasted beet; watermelon, radish, and lime; and bhel puri

We promptly moved from my sunroom into my kitchen and within 20 minutes Bob had shown me how to make handmade orecchiette pasta (shaped like little ears) with a fresh tomato sauce. Whether it was showing me how to break the egg into the center of the flour to mix the dough, or demonstrating the use of rolling pin to knead it, or teaching me how to easily remove skins from tomatoes (dip them in boiling water then “shock” them in ice water), Bob helped me navigate my way to making a dish I thought was far beyond my capabilities, giving me the confidence to make it on my own later on. This is all part of Bob’s teaching approach: Learning by doing – the same way he teaches new chefs at Sanaa.

Chef Bob is a culinary adventurer who delights in sharing his new discoveries with others.

While Bob came to the culinary world later than most in the field, he says his “chef’s heart is still young.” After working for a PULSE • FALL 2011 | 25

year as a roadie for a rock band, he “got serious” and joined the Navy, where he served as a nuclear engineer on the U.S.S. Mississippi, a nuclear-powered guided missile cruiser. While this may seem like an unlikely profession for a future chef, it taught him the essentials of teamwork under pressure. He says that the job was 99 percent boredom and 1 percent pure panic. If the team couldn’t work together you were sunk, maybe literally.

The essence of Chef Bob’s message is that cooking is fun and anyone can master it.

Bob’s interest in food began to blossom as he tasted ethnic cuisine at his ship’s various ports of call. Soon he found himself reading Larrouse Gastronomique, the classic reference book for all things culinary, during his off duty hours. To this day, ethnic food is one of Bob’s enduring interests. As he says, there are vast numbers of regional cuisines, so there’s always something else to learn.

chefs are better entrepreneurs than they are kitchen maestros. As head chef at Sanaa, Bob has the ultimate responsibility for his kitchen consistently producing excellent food. He expects his staff to have high integrity, pride in what they do, and a respect for teamwork.

Bob’s hobby took a professional turn when, at the end of his tour of duty, his wife, Laura, encouraged him to attend Johnson & Wales University in Norfolk, Virginia.

Beginning his career working for the Norfolk Waterside Marriot, he found himself challenged to make whatever cuisine fit the event concept the sales staff created. This was a terrific way to expand his experience, and he says he was blessed with a number of chefs who mentored him along the way.

The pairing of his teamwork skills with his love of teaching is a big part of what makes Bob the successful chef he is.

Revealing my Food Network addiction, I asked him if all successful restaurant kitchens are as chaotic as scenes portrayed in Gordon Ramsay’s Hell’s Kitchen (a Fox reality show). He tactfully said it all depends on the chef, some

Because large numbers of guests often come into Sanaa at one time, it’s impossible for one chef to do all of the work at his or her station. The focus of the work shifts like a tidal wave moving through the sea. First it’s at the appetizer station, then at entrees and finally at desserts.

To ensure that the food comes out quickly with consistent quality, culinary staff members must be able work as a team in fluid motion, shifting stations along with the flow of the work To deal with the rush times, Bob says a head chef has to stay centered, holding the team together under pressure.

He says that for a kitchen to function successfully, it must have two speeds: everyday speed and high speed. Without the higher speed, kitchens get in trouble resulting in long waiting times for guests and diminished quality.

What Bob says he does every day is make sure his culinary team has all of the training and support they need and then let them do their jobs.

One of Bob’s friends told me the most amazing thing about him is the combination of incredible culinary skills with a lack of ego. He always puts the team and his guests first.

Bob was drawn to Disney by the quality of the culinary staff, its high standards, its commitment to going above and beyond, good people, and a willingness to hire enough people to do the job right. Equally important to Bob has been the wide variety of experience the diverse Disney restaurants offer. What many don’t know From left: Chocolate cake, chai cream, and tropical fruit kulfi with strawberry sauce.

26 | PULSE • FALL 2011

Sanaa’s main dining room with African wildlife grazing nearby.

is that Disney Resorts offer some of the most highly rated restaurants in the country. Bob says that throughout his past 15 years at Disney, he’s had great mentors and exposure to other chefs that have taught him the wide repertoire of skills and cuisines that he’s honed. He is always looking forward to his next culinary Disney adventure.

The Tri-Cities benefits from Bob’s presence as a frequent judge at local competitions and from his volunteer work with the Mount Dora Bar-B-Que Company supporting local festivals and fundraisers. Those of us who have the good fortune of becoming his friend have been able to take extraordinary food adventures with him — whether

it’s learning to master Spanish paella or rolling Japanese sushi. Whatever the cuisine, when Bob hosts occasional get-togethers he forms his friends into teams and asks us to do things we never thought possible, somehow guiding us through the initial chaos to create magnificent meals.

Chef Bob engenders excitement among all he touches, perhaps because he says, “What makes a chef’s life happy is to provide culinary experiences so special that they’ll be remembered for years to come. And, he adds, “everyone understands food — everyone can communicate with food.” This is what makes Chef Bob not only an exceptional chef, but a gifted “culinary ambassador.”

PULSE • FALL 2011 | 27

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PULSE • FALL 2011 | 29

Trail

ON THE

by BETH HUGHES | illustration by JENNIFER CAHILL HARPER

The pioneers who tamed Central Florida had to be the rough and ready sort. Imagine spending day after day on horseback without bug spray and sleeping under palmetto trees without air conditioning for your night’s shelter. You had only yourself and your trusty mount to rely on while braving the elements, unyielding terrain and confrontations with wildlife.

Historically Florida was more a cattle than a citrus state. Unlike Texas cowboys, Florida cowboys drove their herds using the loud cracking sound of their bullwhips and their herding dogs to control the animals. They became known as “crackers” and “cow hunters” because Florida cattle were not restrained behind fences, but were allowed to roam freely throughout the region now known as the Ocala National Forest. The cows had to be hunted from the scrub and hammocks of the forest to bring them to the herd.

The small horses ridden by the cracker cowboys were bred down from the Spanish horses brought here on ships during their earliest voyages to the New World. The “Florida Cracker Horse” is a nationally registered breed of horse.

To commemorate this pioneer life style, the Florida Cracker Trail Association holds an annual ride across the state beginning east of Bradenton, culminating in Fort Pierce with a grand parade of flag-carrying, whip-cracking cowboys celebrating the end of the long journey.

Held each year the last week of February, the ride lasts seven days and covers approximately 110 miles retracing an old cattle trail. Spectators are invited to watch along 30 | PULSE • FALL 2011

the route, cheering on the participants and supporting their mission statement of “Keeping History Alive.”

In the early 1940s, Altoona rancher Jess Allen began inviting families to his property to play games on horseback, trail ride, camp and enjoy covered dish meals together. These early participants organized the Florida Horseman’s Association and started holding an annual three-day, 100-mile ride in the Ocala National Forest.

Bringing few or no provisions, these early horsemen and women braved weather conditions, bugs, and wildlife along unmarked trails in the deep scrub. Twelve riders set out on the inaugural ride and only six finished. Trails were marked with chalk, so a rain shower could send a rider hopelessly off course. The only reward for winning was an “atta-boy.” Today the ride is well attended and includes

They became known as “Crackers” and “Cow Hunters.” trophies for special recognition such as the “hard luck award” for the rider who overcomes the most obstacles while still managing to finish with a good attitude.

The Sewell family of Umatilla who owned and operated the vast Sewell Ranch, joined together with other local horsemen to start a more family oriented, non-competitive weekend ride now known as the Big Scrub Trail Ride.

Founding members included Lake County Sheriff Willis McCall; Doug and Irene Sewell and their daughter Margaret Ann; Dr. F. P. Hatfield and his three young sons, Tim, Mike and Jerry. Jerry, only six years old at the time, was the youngest rider on the first ride held in March of 1953.

About 40 riders lined up their horses along Highway 42 for a photo with an Orlando Sentinel photographer before heading out for a three-day, 70-mile ride to Farley‘s Prairie and Spring Creek.

“We damn near froze to death,” says Tim Hatfield, who was only fourteen years old at the time. “The weather turned cold and there was lightening all around that Saturday night. No one pitched a tent. You just hunkered down beside the nearest bush or parked truck and waited it out. Everything [all the provisions] filled up with water. So we heated it up and had soup for supper.”

In those days, camping was primitive and luxuries were few. On the initial

Everyone Needs A Little

R&R

rides, your only choice for a bath was to jump in the lake…or go dirty. Robert Craig, now married to Margaret Ann Craig (nee Sewell) says, “Now we’re sophisticated. On the first ride, you slept where sleep caught you. Now we have the ‘Waldorf Astoria.’’’

The chow has gotten better too. The Sewell family started hauling a chuck wagon along in 1956. Margaret Ann, Robert and their kids and grandkids still provide breakfast, lunch and dinner for participants. The Big Scrub Trail Ride now starts and ends at a camping area in the forest, complete with latrines and showers and most riders have RVs or horse trailers with living quarters.

The ride, held twice a year, in the spring and in the fall, attracts about 70 riders and stays on local trails. Campers bed down both nights in the same location at the trailhead in the Ocala National Forest. Participation on the ride is by invitation only, and “membership” is earned when a rider is invited two years in a row.

OUR MISSION: TO MAKE YOU LOOK AND FEEL YOUR BEST

The participants on the first ride were working cowboys enjoying a rare weekend of fun on horseback. Today most riders are local horsemen, women and kids enjoying a family ride in Central Florida’s great outdoors. The Big Scrub Trail Ride honors our Florida heritage and some long-forgotten traditions while providing a welcome respite from our modern world.

PULSE • FALL 2011 | 31

IN A

Red Kayak Seven Miles Down

JUNIPER SPRINGS RUN

by JEANNE FLUEGGE | photography by STEVE WILLIAMS

If alligators are anything like bulls, you want to be in the lime green kayak instead of the red one. Lined up side by side, the skinny boats remind you of coffins – an unwanted image when testing your mettle against seven miles of alligator-infested water.

back, and a guy lost his arm. You don’t have to worry though; they were in the water when the attacks happened.”

You have to haul your kayak across an endless boardwalk.

Angry welts blossom on your palms and your arms stretch like rubber bands dangling bricks. You park your kayak next to a cool leafy input and flop down panting.

“Like the sign says, stay ten feet away from the gators,” he advises. “You’ll be okay.” What kind of advice is this?

“Juniper Springs isn’t for beginners,” announces the park employee as he inspects your gear for stowaway soda cans and potato chip bags that aren’t allowed on the run.

“Kayakers get dunked and canoers get stranded on this run all the time,” he says.

If this news isn’t enough to chill your enthusiasm, his talk turns to alligators.

“A woman got killed by a gator at the springs a few years 32 | PULSE • FALL 2011

“But I’ll be in the water after my kayak flips,” you whine.

You’re not worried about snakes until he says in a cheery voice, “Most of the snakes around here are harmless. They all look like water moccasins but only one out of seven is poisonous.” What a relief this tidbit of information is.

There’s more good news about alligator leftovers. The gnawed remains of a deer and baby bear were recently discovered along the creek bank. You are so ready to be on the water.

But not so fast, getting into the kayak is like stepping onto a floating saucer. All of your weight has to be dead center which is pretty difficult to do when one trembling foot is

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standing on the seat of the kayak and your other foot is glued to the dock.

This, however, is the least of your troubles – because somehow you find yourself sitting in the red kayak, and you know you are about to become gator bait. The kayak has foot pedals that you promptly rip off in an attempt to adjust them to your leg length. Then you’re handed a long pole with what looks like small flat beaver tails on each end, and told to paddle.

…sitting in the red kayak… you are about to become gator bait.

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If you could, you would, but the current propels you backwards and sideways. Your paddle strikes limbs overhanging the water from both sides of the creek.

Leaves and insects rain down on your head. The run looks too narrow to navigate, and every tight turn sends you careening from one bank to the other. You’re drifting at two miles per hour, yet when your kayak plows into a log your body shudders with the impact.

There is a quiet intimacy to kayaking through this wilderness. Your paddle is dipping in and out of the water with a ballad’s rhythm. You begin to anticipate each bend and learn to pivot around your paddle. You and the creek are one. Gentle rapids send you along bouncing and laughing, your paddle held high overhead like a trophy.

Continued on Page 45

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Then something enthralling happens. The beauty of Juniper Springs seeps into your core and steadies you with a comforting touch. You are in the heart of a lush and wild place. Dappled light softens the surrounding air.

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Palmetto palms, live oaks, cypress trees, and patches of fern blanket the damp earth and scent the atmosphere with forest spices. Here nature is queen. You are her guest and try to be worthy of the invitation.

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PULSE • FALL 2011 | 35

a transcendent artist

by ERICA MCFARLAND | photography by STEVE WILLIAMS

A Paisley boy from youth onwards, Doug Hays grew up swimming in the lakes and tromping through the woods, and that shows in his many nature-related works. At first, he turned to art as a hobby, learning how to work with steel because he enjoyed the challenge of bringing life to a normally unyielding, challenging material. Completely self-taught, Doug’s determination to master his material and give voice to his creative vision led to a career that has spanned two decades. He started Doug Hays Art, a combined blacksmithing and sculpture venture, which now has studios in Paisley and Liberty, Tennessee.

Graduating from University of Central Florida in 1992, Doug spent his early years developing high-end furniture commissions and functioning sculptures. The majority of his work is in private collections spanning Orlando to Georgia, but in the last ten years he has centered on large-scale pieces for public areas. Still, his approach remains the same throughout each project.

“My philosophy is that each artist approaches their medium with the idea of mastering the material,” Doug 36 | PULSE • FALL 2011

explains. “Whether it’s glass or wood, the freedom to express one’s self is dependent on the ability to control the medium.” His adroitness with metal is the product of hours of reading instructional books and then experimenting with techniques.

Through his work, Doug hopes that he can reach out to other aspiring artists. “While I was a student at Umatilla High School, there were no other artists or works of art to guide me in Lake County,” he recalls. Now, much of Doug’s work is easily accessible, setting him up as future inspiration not only to artists like him, but to anyone who simply wants to escape from reality for a bit. He designed an abstract yellow bike rack for the Mount Dora Center for the Arts, as whimsical as it is functional. Visitors to

…Doug hopes that he can reach out to other aspiring artists…

South Lake Hospital in Clermont can also see his piece “Red Arc” in the lobby, which combines modern elements with Doug’s characteristic smooth lines. In the future, Doug will have a piece in DeLand’s 2011-2012 sculpture exhibit and another installation in Mount Dora in the fall.

In Eustis, Doug’s fourteen-foot statue of a preening heron in Ferran Park has become a focal point as paramount as its downtown streets. Unlike his smaller works, the heron required intense planning and cooperation. “When I create works for public spaces, I work as a part of a team. Placing the heron sculpture required a collaboration of community, city of Eustis, PAM (Public Arts & Music) engineers and contractors,” Doug says. He enjoys the teamwork because it offers him a chance to a work on projects larger than what he could normally manage, seeing his idea go from inception to ending as the product of many different minds.

With the heron watching over them, children play around the small enclosed pool while couples picnic. “I have always been inspired by the works of art that define the cultural identity of a community, like the metro in Paris or

the St. Louis Arch,” Doug says. Although on a smaller scale, Doug’s Eustis heron definitely contributes to the City’s identity.

The motivations behind an artistic piece are as various as the artists themselves. Some produce art because they feel an intrinsic need to create, while others believe they have a unique take on life that must be shared. But only a few are truly motivated by the desire to beautify their community, giving back to those around them. Doug Hays is one of those few, striving to produce not only fine art but art that is impactful on his community.

When he tells me he hopes his work might “inspire young Floridians to see that there are opportunities to be a part of a cultural movement to create public sculpture here, where we grow up,” I am struck again by the true reach of Doug Hays’ work. He’s a sculptor, but more importantly, he is a community figure who will make a difference in his world.

Doug's heron is on display at Ferran Park in Eustis. To see more of Doug's work, visit www.doughaysart.com

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the play T H E PL AY

[ T H E P L AY W I T H I N T H E P L AY ]

by JEANNE FLUEGGE | photography by FRANK SOPAPUNTA 40 | PULSE • FALL 2011

Behind the scenes in every small town theater across America, there’s a hidden drama the audience never sees.

It remains corralled behind the footlights where amateur actors craft emotion out of talent and sweat, where actors with jobs and families volunteer time and risk egos under the scrutiny of local audiences.

It’s audition night at the IceHouse Theater in Mount Dora.

The play, Later Life by A. R. Gurney, questions whether it’s better to go through life storming our summits and valleys or wiser to settle for a life that’s safe and predictable.

Everything the playwright wants the audience to feel and understand about this question depends on the actors performing the lines he’s written.

Darlin Barry, the play’s director and the IceHouse Managing Artistic Director, needs to find six suitable actors from a small group sprinkled across the first five rows of the darkened theater. Tryout silence is eerie, and like a first date, everyone is on their best behavior.

Cops movie. The stage morphs from industrial grunge to “House and Garden” genteel. Its freshly hand-painted floor is a quarry-tiled terrace with working French doors that the actors traipse in and out of throughout the play.

The cast struggles through hours of rehearsal. Darlin must pull emotional clarity and truth from her actors with patient tugs until they are confident enough to tolerate a firmer hand. Still, actors forget where to stand, miss an entrance, and fall out of character.

Susan and John are on stage most of the time. John hasn’t acted for eight years and wonders if he can still memorize so many lines. Susan needs frequent prompts to remember her dialogue. Tension mounts. Marilyn McGinnis, Scott Hodges, Rick Breese, and Joan Nelson grapple with the challenge of creating ten wildly different characters that pop in and out French doors limping, sauntering, and gliding across the stage.

…the play never stops.

There are no retakes.

If an accent falters, a wig falls off, a line is botched or an entire page is skipped, the play never stops. There are no retakes.

The audience watches real people perform in real time. This is the point where actors wonder why they wanted to be in a play in

Four empty chairs sit at the front of the stage when Darlin calls the first actors to read for the two main characters. John Lampson reads the part of Austin alongside a variety of hopefuls for the part of Ruth. After listening to his Shakespearean voice, I suspect John’s a shoe-in for the lead, even though in jeans and scruffy beard, he looks more like a cowboy than a banker. I mark Susan Mulholland for Ruth. She moves with a dancer’s grace and picks up on Ruth’s flirty nature.

Then suddenly it’s opening night, and the audience infuses the theater with life. Mount Dora’s IceHouse stage is a terrace overlooking Boston Harbor, music wafts from inside, and actors slip into their characters to join the party.

Every hopeful is given equal time to read. Eventually Darlin thanks most of the actors for auditioning. We watch their sagging shoulders drag up the aisle and out the door. They know. So do the six actors left on stage who made the cut.

I’d seen this play many times during rehearsals, but tonight it’s different. It’s as if the audience and I have hold of our own personal joy sticks igniting a special spark in the actors. Our eyes propel their action; our laughter throws exclamation points onto the stage.

The play’s initial read-through feels like the first day of school when confidence mixes with self-doubt to whip up a frothy tension. Darlin only has twenty-five days to make this play work. Fortunately, she has the eyes of a herding dog – calm, intense, and focused.

The actors have left themselves wide open for our ridicule or praise. Pores agape, egos raw – they give us all they have hopeful the play lets us, at least for an evening, experience our humanity in more meaningful ways. It’s what theater people have been doing for thousands of years.

During untold hours of work by the dedicated backstage crew, lighting and sound, walls and furniture, wigs and costumes fly into place with the frenzied energy of a Keystone

the first place.

Continued on Page 45 PULSE • FALL 2011 | 41

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KAYAK, continued from Page 33

On the far bank, silent and knobby as a log, something catches your attention.

Suddenly your red kayak is heading straight for an alligator – ten feet, five feet, and then two feet away. The paddle thwarts your every move to stop the current from pushing you against this waiting creature. Its cold eyes hold you in suspension until a ripple parts the water and the alligator glides away.

Elation and relief take turns trampling up and down your nerve endings. You realize you aren’t queen of the jungle here, and it’s thrilling. As you glide through the animals’ territory, you’re humbled by their tolerance of your intrusion.

Several miles before the takeout spot, the creek changes into a wide flood plain.

You search the marsh grass for an otter swimming by or for a heron hunting fish, but mostly you paddle along in your red kayak hoping for another encounter with an alligator.

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WITHIN THE PLAY, continued from Page 41

Energy that’s been building since tryouts flows out of the actors. After our applause, they look rubbery with its release. It won’t last though. They will have to make us believe in their characters again and again until the final performance.

I wonder if the question Later Life asks IceHouse audiences nags at them on their drive home. How many of us are courageous enough to charge into valleys and storm summits tossing aside our safe predictable lives? I know the actors have that courage because I’ve seen the play within the play.

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To purchase tickets for the IceHouse Theatre's upcoming season, visit www.icehousetheatre.com or call 352.383.4616 PULSE • FALL 2011 | 45

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