Hedda Gabler

Richard's first play in college was this past week. They had rehearsals last week and performances this week. This made for long days and late nights for Richard.  He was getting home around 11:30 p.m. during rehearsals and 10:30 p.m. when the show was on. Most of the time, Lynn was driving him to school in the morning for classes, picking him up in the afternoon so he could be home for a couple hours, then taking him back to school ~ 6 p.m. and picking him up at the end of rehearsal or play. I took over a few times in order to give her a break.

Richard is credited in the program as "Light Board Operator." He was involved with installing the various lights, focusing, and setting up the light cues. He said that this show had more cues (over 100) than any show he's been involved with. During the performance run, he had to arrive early and check to make sure all the lights and lighting equipment was working properly; if not, it had to be reported and resolved prior to the start of the show.

The play was an adaptation of Hedda Gabler (A Dream Play),  the classic Henrik Ibsen play: a psychological study of a cultivated woman, recently returned from her honeymoon, whose boredom and dissatisfaction in a stifling environment lead her to destroy others — and herself. Steve Ginsburg, the co-Artistic Director of HartBeat Ensemble was guest director. Steve conceived this production as a dream, which underscores the central character’s desperation as well as its early feminist themes.

Lynn and I went to the Saturday evening performance. We like attending the last show. I have to confess that although I had a vague concept of what the play was about, I really had a difficult time following the story. I kept waiting for the feminist part but I just didn't catch it. All I saw was play about a neurotic woman. Perhaps that is what today's feminism has morphed into. I hope not.

Ironically, one of the biggest sensations of the evening had nothing to do with radical feminism but rather a newborn baby.  After the show, the director was walking around with his newborn baby (less than 2 weeks old) carried in one of those sling pouches at his chest. Of course, everyone had to have an admiring look. So tiny and fragile. For all of Hedda Gabler's feminist ranting about wanting "the power to mold a human destiny", becoming a parent is such an awesome and creative act.

Richard got comp tickets for us. We were a little nervous because the tickets were printed for Thursday rather than Saturday. But there was no question and we picked out our seats per Richard's suggestion. The theater is a black box theater. This type of theater is a very intimate setting.  The show was about 2 hours with a 10-minute intermission.  Richard did a good job with the lighting-it all looked good to me.

Links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hedda_Gabler
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/18/theater/18ishe.html?pagewanted=all
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_box_theater

Updated T10/29/2013 for director's baby and NYT article.

Back from Africa (Uganda)

"This picture is of a quilt that 1 of the Nurses here made for me, using the pictures I bro't back from Africa."

Received another letter from Fr. Hattie. Actually, it arrived in Thursday's mail in a small envelope with a homemade DVD (see below) documenting his return visit to Uganda in August. He is now back in Michigan at the Columbiere Center.
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My dear Rick: Peace of Christ!

     As if by schedule, your lovely & generous Gift of $XX.00 rolled in like clockwork. Thanks for being so kind. I think I had told you that I had written, after my trip to Africa, to the 110 donors who had stopped giving Gifts after my return to the USA. Well, the effort is paying off, for I received Gifts from 15 of them along with theirs. Pray that it keeps up. They had probably thought that I no longer had any connection with orphanage. But, in my letter, I assured them that I definitely HAD & was the only fundraiser.

    On my trip to Africa, I gave the Sisters 2 large Charitable Foundations & told them that they would have to learn to take over since I was NOT going to live to be 120 in spite of what they might think. They'll find it hard & time-consuming in the beginning, but if one is appointed to beg for their entire Congregation, they'd be better off.

     We buried 1 Father last Monday. I was shocked because I had eaten dinner with him the previous night & he seemed to be in good form. Another is on his way 'out', so I've been sitting with him for hours since he is terrified of being alone & tries to get up. It gives me a good opportunity to make a meditation on death..how all the trivial things that bothered us in life, seem nothing then.

     Be sure that you have your special place in my daily Mass & prayers & please don't forget my 5 wonderful Sisters, my 1000 kids & myself in yours. Meanwhile, keep smiling & spreading His & Her love, peace & joy all over W. Hartford.

      Tons of love & gratitude.
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A DVD containing highlights of his visit to the Nsumba Orphanage in August was included.

Mark your calendars for the 60th anniversary of Father's ordination; he was ordained November 21, 1953.

Send your cards & letters to Fr. Hattie at:

Fr. Gene Hattie, SJ
Columbiere Center
9075 Big Lake Road
Clarkston, MI 48346

or email to: EHattie@Ymail.com

Send donations for orphanage to:

IHMR Convent
c/o Sr. Christine Nantaba
5802 Evanston Avenue
Indianapolis, IN 46220

Include a note on your check that donation is for Fr. Hattie's Nsumba orphans.

Finally, you may recall that this connection with Fr. Hattie and the orphans is via my late Grandma Marie P and her Circle 7 mission group. As a rosary was part of their gathering and this is October, the month of the Rosary, praying a special rosary for Fr. Hattie would be very appropriate.

PEACE!

Links:
http://www.colombierejesuits.com/about_history.html

Catholic Team Falls to the Devils

Saturday October 26th was another home game for Richard's college. And they played another Catholic school....and WON!  For the season, the Blue Devils are 2-2 versus Catholic Schools.

This week's opponent was the Salve Regina Seahawks. "Salve Regina"" is a Latin term which translates as "Hail (Holy) Queen." It strikes me as somewhat blasphemous (or at least vulgar) to hear fans shouting 'holy' words while cheering at these games (e.g., "Go Salve", "Go Sacred Heart", etc.). To me, it shows the ignorance of their fans toward their own religion (and just think how much tuition costs at these private schools).

The weather was cool but sunny (I felt sunburned by the end). Richard and I again sat in the Student section stands, towards the top, about mid-field. The Blue Devils Dance Team was on our side of the field, along with the Marching Band, while the Cheerleaders were on the opposite side of the field (by the Reserved seats).  For some reason, there weren't too many fans; the official attendance was only 3312 (Hardly OSU or Georgia or Tennessee).

Having played in my high school marching band, I have to say that I am very impressed with the Blue Devils Marching Band. While it is small in numbers, it is very professional and polished. They do a nice medley of Rhapsody in BLUE, Behind BLUE eyes

So far, for each game, they have distributed "goodies" at the gate when we entered.  This time we received little NEC backpacks which included a pen (blue ink, of course) and some sun screen (which I didn't realize until after the game-see above).  We found out later, they were also giving away single servings of flavored pretzels. Ended up getting a "bunch" of those too.

The Blue Devils dominate the game. At half-time the score was 35-0. The Devils third TD was an exciting 94-yard run.  The final score was 47-13.

I was looking forward to a tasty cheeseburger from Ted's food truck but it wasn't there this time. So instead, we each had a "Frito pie".  This is a tasty small dish (only $3) of black and red beans in a chili sauce, poured over Fritos with a sprinkling of cheddar cheese. Yumm.

After the game we walked around the campus; had hoped to go to the bookstore but it was closed. Had to get home in order to get ready for this evening's final performance of the play, "Hedda Gabler."

Links:

http://www.salve.edu/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salve_Regina

https://www.facebook.com/CcsuMarchingBandFans

http://www.northeastconference.org/

http://www.ccsubluedevils.com/sports/fball/2013-14/boxscores/20131026_inbm.xml

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frito_pie

http://ricketwrite.blogspot.com/2013/10/hedda-gabler.html