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STAR W E E K L Y
PRESORTED STANDARD US POSTAGE PAID Desert Hot Springs, CA
Bella da Ball, Alfie Pettit and Lola Showgirl with birthday cake, see page 2 for story. Photo by Pat Krause
‘The Cocktail Hour’
PERMIT NO 00005
September 14, 2016 Vol. 9 No. 74
Shana Wride, Chris Petschler, Cristina Soria & sitting - J. Michael Flynn
Playwright A.R. Gurney Comedy Resonates At North Coast Rep By Jack Lyons Theatre and Film Critic I can’t think of a better way to launch North Coast Repertory Theatre’s 35th Season of live theatre than to present a sophisticated comedy of manners written by A. R. Gurney, one of America’s finest playwrights and a play that is stylishly and deliciously staged by Rosina Reynolds, one of Southern
California’s finest directors. Gurney, is definitely a product that one would call ‘old school’. He was born into a wealthy up-state New York family, who knows whereof he speaks when it comes to telling the story of an upper class, stuff-shirted New England family of privilege who over-react to the newest play that their middle aged writer/publisher/ playwright son has written
using the family as somewhat unflattering characters. Gurney is probably best known for this and earlier plays ‘The Dining Room’ and the huge megahit play still being produced that is a favorite of America’s over 60 set - ‘Love Letters’. In ‘The Cocktail Hour’, he hits the vanishing cultural nail of privilege right on the proverbial head. In America of the 50s, 60, early 70s, however,
#MoralMondays’ Day of Action
the evening ritual of having a cocktail at the end of the work day (if one worked that is) with one’ spouse’ was the proper way to relax before the cook and maid announced that dinner was ready. Shades of Downton Abbey. In families of privilege where television was considered uncivilized and therefore beneath discussion, this nightly ritual would be where the news of the day,
and family gossip would be discussed and digested in a civilized manner, usually presided over by the father as titular head of the family. In ‘The Cocktail Hour’, Bradley (a terrific J. Michael Flynn) blusters and pontificates over a new play their son John (a solid Chris Petschler) has written. John drops by to get Continues on Page 19
Protests call on politicians nationwide to help poor, minorities
By Desert Star Staff Protesters in 30 states and Washington, DC have taken part in a “Higher Ground Moral Day of Action” as part of the “Moral Monday” movement. They have called on federal and local lawmakers to create policies that help, not hurt, the poor and minorities. The Moral Revival, an organization of national, and local progressive faith leaders planned the Higher Ground Moral Day of Action. The group held rallies in the 31 locations, and then delivered its “Higher Ground Moral
Declaration,” which calls on politicians at all levels “to move away from extremist politics and policies that benefit the few and move toward policies and laws that are just and fair and guarantee a better life for the majority of the people.” The format of the rallies was the same in all 30 states that participated in the day of action, as well as the nation’s capital. This included singing the same opening and closing songs, reciting the same litany and chanting the same lines. The day of action coincides with the weekly
“Moral Mondays,” a protest movement that calls on politicians to create a “moral public policy framework” at the beginning of each week. The demonstrations are marked by civil disobedience, with protesters entering the state legislature to be peacefully arrested. The movement began in North Carolina in 2013, and spread to Georgia and South Carolina in 2014, followed by other states, including Illinois and New Mexico. “Our goal is to support
Reverend William Barber II speaks out during a “Moral Monday” civil rights protest against North Carolina’s HB2 “bathroom law” that restricts members of the LGBT community from using the bathroom Continues on Page 13 of their choice on May 16, 2016 © Jonathan Drake / Reuters