Twelfth Night

Cleveland Shakespeare Festival is presenting Twelfth Night, as a c.1938 radio play. It works well. One of their adaptations is a minor character, Fabian, a servant to Olivia is doubled as the Fabian Sisters, who recite some of Toby Belch's lines. [aside: Toby Belch sounds like a Dickensian creation]

Orsino (Meshal Al Sunaid), Valentine (Natalie Grace Sipula)  

the back of the card reads, "Western Union Telegram"

Andrew Aguecheek (Chris Ross) presents himself to the audience before coming to the stage. His performance i found more likable than a 1996 film performance, i recently viewed.

Toby Belch (Joseph Milan) and Feste (Amy Scwabauer) drunkenly sing, as Malvolio is awakened and disturbed.

 The costuming of this version looked good.

Malvolio (Allen Branstein) displays cross gartered yellow stockings. I just had watched the 1996 Trevor Nunn/BBC film, Nigel Hawthorne played the role. I found Branstein more entertaining.

 Captain America watches the play

Antonio ((Keith Kornajcik) under arrest

photographs of abandoned places #18

Longaberger Basket Company, Newark Ohio

Hillary Clinton was right in so many things she said. Here is a basket that would fit many deplorables. It is a seven storey basket. I don't know whether this building is abandoned, it was sold in December 2017, but it looks like it is still for sale. It is a Gulliver expansion (160X) replica of the company's best selling model, the medium market basket.

This building was built in 1997 for $32 million dollars. It and 21 acres were sold for $1.2 million and back taxes of $800+ thousand. The company founder had died, the business was sold, the building became vacant in 2016.

science re-scheduled

There was supposed to be a science demonstration in downtown Cleveland on the 14th of April. It was postponed due to rain. It popped up to-day, on Wade Oval. There were six or eight some speakers, very rational, very measured, sincere, but not very emotional. They tried to be very non-partisan, but do go out and vote for the science friendly candidate, so the present situation can approve.

One of several points made was that science is self-correcting. Evidence is important, and does prove or disprove a case. Motivation of people matters, because there is fake science. Appeals were made to people because of personal experience of medical cures, that were only valuable because of research. Climate change is real, and no honest and sentient being would say otherwise. The food that sustains us has been improved generation by generation because of purposely selective agricultural methods. The polio vaccine gave relief to so many, because it prevented a feared disease. Solar energy, and nuclear energy works.

 "Science not Silence"

 "Science the Universal Solution"

A reference to a popular television programme, Game of Thrones, in regards to later winters are coming.

There was a good number of canines in the crows. Kerrigan the Doberman is referring to another television programme based on a novel, The Handmaid's Tale.

Remember Monty Python? This is not him. He came with a comrade who was wearing an infowars tee shirt, and carrying camera. This knight had a bullhorn and sword, which he didn't use. He spoke at a couple of Anti-fascist protesters, about how deceptive and worthless communism is. He also spoke about artificial clouds created by unmarked planes, and several other matters. He has come to other demonstrations.

the old deaf school

The last remaining building of the Ohio School for the Deaf campus became Cristo Rey Columbus High School in 2013. The building opened in 1899 built in the style of a French chateau. There are fleur-de-lis stone ornaments on the building. The Deaf School moved in 1953. Facing the school, there is now a beautiful topiary park, where other buildings had been. The bushes are shaped after Georges Seurat's best known painting, in which the bourgeoisie enjoy an afternoon on an island in the Seine.

Two entrance archways have grotesques. They are mostly human faces, some exaggerated.

Topiary, a little of France in Columbus

James T. Mason. Topiary Park at the Old Deaf School. Columbus Ohio. 1988-1992.

 Georges Seurat. Un dimanche après-midi à l'Île de la Grande Jatte.

 (A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte) 1884-6. Chicago.

A landscape of landscape painting designed by a Columbus sculptor, whose wife worked for Columbus Recreation and Parks Department. From 1988, Mason built the forms the yew bushes would be topiary trained. The new garden was dedicated in 1992.

The park sits on the former grounds of Ohio School for the Deaf.

These fotos are from yesterday, mid July. The garden changes through the seasons, but the coniferous yew bushes remain to display a structural, and sculptural beauty.

In the background is the last building from the campus. It was built from 1898 to 1899 as a large French chateau. To-day, it is Christo Rey Columbus High School.

'Z' is for Zoo

The Cleveland Zoo is going to have five weekends of night festivals with Asian (which is the inclusive word choice for Chinese) lanterns. Workers from Chicago have been there a month installing 45 sets, and there has been some advertising. The people above are waiting to get in on Monday morning. Cuyahoga County residents can get in free that day. The huge lantern gate looks almost like a real ceremonial gate. It is in very good shape. Some of the lanterns are already faded, and the sign lanterns are frayed. It has been said, that this is the first setting in a zoo; others have been in botanical parks. Chicago and Milwaukee were previous stops.

 a snow leopard in the new "Asian Highlands" exhibit

 a female mallard in a low sawed off trunk

Perhaps the showpiece is the huge dragon in the lake. Many photographers have already posted their shots.

 Some sets are long tableaux, here is part of one which has thirteen pandas.

Tulips and a Dutch windmill are included in the Asian lantern show.

want a cracker?

Kristen Cliffel sculpted circus ceramic heads. This would fit well in the mid-1960s Batman show as one of the Joker's rooms. This was one of many works at the CAN (Collective Arts Network) Triennial at West 78th Studios.

 Molly acted as custodian of art and possibly security.

Christian Faur is a professor of art at Denison. He does pointillist works, with the points of color being sharpened wax crayon. This one was done with food. A saltine cracker is dry. He baked some.

Faur took 1296 of them to form a 6' square portrait of the half-baked cracker-in-chief. It is visiting West 78th Street Studios.

Some people share their feelings. Several people took photographs of selves and others displaying a certain finger towards the portraiture.

Well, to-day is Bastille Day

Marie Madeleine Berthe Lebeau *1923, 2016☨, the last surviving cast member

One of the best moments of cinema is this scene from "Casablanca" [click]: The film came in 1942, a moment in time when fascism was very strong and successful. Democracy was defeated in many countries. In this film, many of the actors were émigrés from Europe: people who could not live under fascism, some were patriots, some were among the hated peoples of fascism, or their spouses. In this scene, the Germans are singing, "Wacht am Rhein", and the French patriots sing the Marseillaise, which was first called, "Chant de guerre pour l'armée du Rhin". It was written in 1792, and became the national anthem (the first time) on July 14th 1795. This song has always been a song of resistance, and we must always oppose fascism.

fotos from the east side

Yayoi Kusama. Infinity Mirrors. Cleveland. 11 July 2018. 

These two exhibits were free standing, other exhibits were inside boxes where ticket buyers ($30) could see more.

polka dotted beach balls

hospital helicopter

I saw this photographed by a teevee station, and thought it was a good subject. A policeman died after getting ill while doing a training exercise in 90+°F heat. I can believe, he was a good man from the fotos and narrative presented. Previously, another policeman was killed by a car, and that teevee coverage was extravagant. The shooting of a Kennedy, did not get that much in local television. After the former's death, more teevee stories about a tenth anniversary of death of another policeman. Police were upset [they become so often and quickly] about "Black Lives Matter", and countered with "Blue Lives Matter", and "All Lives Matter". Cleveland Police criticise any story that is critical of police, and complain of press coverage. No, this is not true, a truer statement would be police want to control all press coverage on police. "Protect and serve" is propaganda, police are to enforce laws, and often that means arresting people.

I read these two light fixtures, "Protect" and "Serve" were made by Rose Iron Works. The 3rd District Police Station Cleveland has been open less than three years. Outside maintenance is not a priority. This fixture is under roof, and the grime is visible.