Wednesday, July 1, 2020

A JEWISH BOARD OF DIRECTORS (reprise)

Schwartz, Cohen and Ginsburg have been good friends since childhood.

They decide to start a business together.

Schwartz says, "Okay, I'll invest $100,000."

Cohen says he'll put in $200,000.

Ginsburg says, "Alright, I'll put in $50."

Cohen says, "If I'm putting in $200,000, I'll be the President and CEO of the corporation. Schwartz, for your $100,000, you will be Vice President and CFO, and Ginsburg, for your $50 you can be our Sex Adviser."

Puzzled, Ginsburg asks: "Sex Adviser? Umm, what exactly do you mean by that?"

Cohen replies: "It means, when we want your fucking advice, we'll ask for it."


Al Pacino as Shylock in The Merchant of Venice


[Contributed by Raj. First posted 11 July 2009]

This dazzling production has renewed my faith in the power of the performing arts (repost)



Celebrated Flemish/Moroccan choreographer Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui presents Sutra - a brand new dance work inspired by the skill, strength and spirituality of Buddhist Shaolin monks. He has collaborated closely with Turner Prize-winning artist Antony Gormley, who has created a design consisting of 21 wooden boxes which are repositioned to create a striking, ever changing on-stage environment. Polish composer Szymon Brzóska has created a beautiful brand new score for piano, percussion and strings which is played live.

The 17 Monks performing in Sutra are directly from the original Shaolin Temple, situated near Dengfeng City in the Henan Province of China and established in 495AD by monks originating from India. In 1983 the State Council defined the Shaolin Temple as the key national Buddhist Temple. The monks follow a strict Buddhist doctrine, of which Kungfu & Tai Chi martial arts are an integral part of their daily regime. By visiting the Shaolin Temple in China, and working with the Shaolin Monks over several months, Sidi Larbi follows a life-long interest of exploring the philosophy and faith behind the Shaolin tradition, its relationship with Kungfu, and its position within a contemporary context.

Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui / Sadler's Wells London

Sutra
Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui / Antony Gormley
Szymon Brzóska
with monks from the Shaolin Temple

Direction & Choreography: Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui
Visual creation and Design: Antony Gormley
Music: Szymon Brzóska


A Sadler's Wells Production

Co-produced with Athens Festival, Festival de Barcelona Grec, Grand Théâtre de Luxembourg, La Monnaie Brussels, Festival d'Avignon, Fondazione Musica per Roma and Shaolin Cultural Communications Company.

[Thanks to Brian Jones for bringing this powerful collaboration to my attention!]



Exerpts from an upcoming documentary by Arte following choreographer Sidi Larbi in rehearsals for the new Sadler's Wells production
Sutra. By visiting the Shaolin Temple in China, and working with the Shaolin Monks over several months, choreographer Sidi Larbi follows a life-long interest as he explores the philosophy and faith behind the Shaolin tradition.

Featuring an ingenious interactive set designed by award-winning artist Antony Gormley, May 2008 will be the first time this exciting new Sadler's Wells production has been seen anywhere in the world. The production features music by Polish composer Szymon Brzóska, who has created a brand new score for piano, percussion and strings.


[First posted 9 July 2009]

Revisiting Charlie Chaplin's MODERN TIMES



Modern Times is a 1936 comedy film by Charlie Chaplin (who, incidentally, also composed the soundtrack music) that has his iconic Little Tramp character struggling to survive in the modern, industrialized world. The film is a comment on the desperate employment and fiscal conditions many people faced during the Great Depression, conditions created, in Chaplin's view, by the efficiencies of modern industrialization. The movie stars Chaplin, Paulette Goddard, Henry Bergman, Stanley Sandford and Chester Conklin, and was written and directed by Chaplin.

Modern Times was deemed "culturally significant" by the Library of Congress in 1989, and selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry. {Source: Wikipedia)

[First posted 7 July 2009]