THE SPIRIT COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS • WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2014
Local Lens
play became unrecognizable, a kind of Tower of Babel of changing themes. The play had been so worked to death it lost its focus and soul. One new version of the play asked the question: Was Lincoln a racist? Did he deserve to be written about as if he was a good guy? The slaves who worked for the Speed family, who had heretofore been peripheral characters, now became pivotal to the story. There’s nothing
continued from page 2
then the new voices included secretaries, personal friends, the UPS man, strangers met on elevators, trains or in city restaurants. Some changes made to the play were necessary; and (surprisingly) not everything suggested by the chorus was bad. Parts of the play even showed signs of improvement. But this was true only for a short while because soon the
Driving around the neighborhood has made Itsy and his friends very hungry. They decide to stop at THE FRESH WORKS OF PORT RICHMOND to get something to eat. Their wings, sandwiches, fries and other menu items are delicious. They all especially love the rolls which are baked fresh daily on their premises. The FRESH WORKS also does catering and so Itsy decides to order some party trays for his holiday entertaining.
5 OFF ANY ORDER OF
$ 00 $
35 OR MORE
Please mention coupon when ordering. Cannot be combined with any other coupon. Limit 1 Per Order
2 OFF W/PURCHASE
$ 00
OF $16 OR MORE Please mention coupon when ordering. Cannot be combined with any other coupon. Limit 1 Per Order
HOLIDAY CATERING TRAYS!
SUNDAY & MONDAY
20% OFF ANY CATERING
50 WINGS
Please mention coupon when ordering. Cannot be combined with any other coupon. Limit 1 Per Order
Please mention coupon when ordering. Cannot be combined with any other coupon. Limit 1 Per Order
ORDER
ONLY
$
2500
+ TAX
Among some of the places that Itsy the elf stops at is GRANDMA’S CANDLE CASTLE to buy some candles and at WARREN’S RED TIGER TAEKWONDO TRAINING CENTER to sign up for classes.
5 OFF ANY ORDER OF
$ 00 $
35 OR MORE
Please mention coupon when ordering. Cannot be combined with any other coupon. Limit 1 Per Order
wrong with this if that’s the story you want to tell. The problem was that the story or the theme of the play kept changing depending on who the producer was talking to. The credits under the play’s new title page were now a mile long: The Story of Abe Lincoln, a play by Marge Dilworth, Frank Coffee, Jim Cohen, David Buster, Donald Barnhouse, Jeff Hunter, Peter O’Toole, Frank Conroy, Henry Miller Jr., Tom NcHale, Arlene Apposite, Paul Goodman, Berry White, Bill Cosby Jr., Amanda Fox and (by the way) Thom Nickels. The title page alone reminded me of those short ‘sound bite’ news stories on Philly.com written by four journalists. Discouraged, I did some research and discovered that “devised” work in the theater is the latest avant garde infection. A noteworthy champion of “devised” work is David Dower, Associate Artistic Director at Washington, D.C.’s Arena Stage. At a panel discussion once, Mr. Dower proclaimed, “The future of theater will be made by devised work,” and that “the days of one writer sitting alone in a room, submitting the play to the theater” are over.
2 OFF W/PURCHASE
$ 00
OF $16 OR MORE Please mention coupon when ordering. Cannot be combined with any other coupon. Limit 1 Per Order
Huh? Arena Theater, for instance, has a new “devised” policy of accepting plays from playwrights whom they “engage” with, meaning, if you are a playwright outside their professional circle, you don’t stand much of a chance. Michele Volansky of Philadelphia’s PlayPenn wrote about Mr. Dower in a past issue of PlayPenn’s newsletter and voiced a ‘wait and see” view about devised work, giving it the benefit of the doubt while also wondering about some of its more radical expressions, such as a play without a written text. “Nothing remains that I can access,” Ms. Volansky posits. “Pig Iron and New Paradise Laboratories in Philadelphia have social relevance but none of them exist outside the memory and personal experience of those who witnessed them personally.” “For a play to endure,” she adds, “you have to have a text.” A text! How revolutionary! As for the “devised” concoction of what once was my play, I can only compare it to man-made satellites shot into space. A satellite, of course, is made by a community
HOLIDAY CATERING TRAYS!
of builders—a committee—so that there’s some likelihood that it will not crash to earth. Plays, however, are not mechanical devices but creative projects that depend on a single artistic vision. That’s why the pro-
PAGE 9
ducer’s group of engineers posing as playwrights could not prevent The Story of Abe Lincoln from leaving its orbit and crashing to earth. And crash and burn it did, as this particular story of Speed and Lincoln was never heard from again. •
WARREN’S RED TIGER
TAEKWON-DO TRAINING CENTER Samuel Playground 3539 Gaul Street, Philadelphia, PA 19134 Phone: 267-408-0905 CHILDREN CLASSES Mon., Thurs., Fri. - 6 to 7PM Age 6 years old and up. ADULT CLASSES Mon. and Thurs. 7:15 to 8:15PM
Grandma’s Candle Castle • Book &Shows Home Shows • Fundraisers •Book and Fundraisers • 60 Different Scents Available •60 Different Scents Available SUMMER HOURS NOW GOING ON SATURDAY HOURS 10AM-6PM
OPENEvery EVERY SATURDAY Open Thursday 6-9PM APPT. FOR LARGE ORDERS 10:00 AM TO 6:00 Saturday Hours 10ish till CALL 215-425-3219 PM3PM PLEASE NEW PRICES: Please noteNOTE new prices;
10% DISCOUNT QUARTS $11.00 EACH QUARTS: $11.00 EACH ON PURCHASES PINTS PINTS: $ 8.50 EACH $8.50 EACH SMALL SMALL: $ 3.50 EACH $3.50 EACHOVER $100
DISTRIBUTOR CANDLES DISTRIBUTOR OF OF MAKE LITTLE LITTLE GREAT HOUSE HOUSE CANDLES GIFTS! CANDLES CANDLES
Candles 2508 SEPVIVA STREET 2508 SEPVIVA STREET Make MAKE 2508 SEPVIVA STREET Great GREAT between Firth & Cumberland Street between Firth & Cumberland Street Gifts! (between Firth & Cumberland GIFTS! Street) Call CallAnytime Anytime 215-425-3219 215-425-3219
Call Anytime 215 425 3219
MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY NEW YEAR!
20% OFF ANY CATERING ORDER
Please mention coupon when ordering. Cannot be combined with any other coupon. Limit 1 Per Order
SUNDAY & MONDAY
50 WINGS ONLY
$
2500
+ TAX
Please mention coupon when ordering. Cannot be combined with any other coupon. Limit 1 Per Order