The Reader March 2016

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supply, reported the BLS. Looking to new college graduates to help fill the pipeline won’t suffice, as marketing is one of the skill sets most in demand by college recruiters, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers.

6 Toughest Jobs to Fill in 2016 Data Scientist Roughly 6,000 companies are expected to hire for an estimated 4.4 million IT jobs with direct ties to data analysis next year, reported CareerCast via Stamford, Conn.-based Gartner. Data science’s hiring boom is tricky to measure, say analysts, because the field is so new that the BLS doesn’t yet track specific hiring needs. In addition, the skill sets and responsibilities are still being defined at many companies, which likely will increase the recruiting challenge as hiring managers redefine what they seek on a regular basis.

Electrical Engineer While demand for electrical engineers is expected to be strongest in Chicago, Houston and San TECHNOLOGY

SR. ABAP Developer HCM Technical Lead for Kiewit Corporation (Omaha, NE). Work with functional analysts to design best technical solution to complex business problems. Requirements: Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Information Management, Electronics Engineering, or related. Five years of experience as a Programmer/System Analyst, Consultant or Assistant Manager-SAP HR. Five years post bachelor’s experience is required and must include: Direct payroll function for union/non-union employees (incl. expats); Prepare technical specification for the development objects; Guide off-/near-shore developers adhering to specified coding techniques; Lead SAP HCM & SAP FICO handling ABAP objects (reports, Interfaces, Conversion, Enhancements, Forms, Workflows); and Webdynpro development (including ESS configurations). Apply on-line at https://kiewitcareers.kiewit.com/job/Omaha-SR_-ABAP-DeveloperHCM-Technical-Lead-NE-68046/320215400/

NEW GRAND OCEAN INTERNATIONAL

is seeking Database Administrator (Omaha, NE) primarily responsible for the overall database performance, design, and its implementation. Involved in the planning and development of database for the entire company (both US and foreign operations), including Database management, Data processing reengineering chain, growth strategy forecast, risk management implementation, and business intelligence analysis. Master’s degree in Computer Science, MIS or related field. Proficiency in one UML model such as Agile, Astar, Netbeans, etc. and demonstrated ability to use Erwin, Oracle SQL, My SQL Developer, and Tableau. Resumes to: New Grand Ocean, Attn: Huy Tran, 11712 West Dodge Road, Omaha, NE 68154.

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Diego, the greatest supply of candidates will likely be in Los Angeles and New York, thus creating an imbalance, reported Randstad US, which also estimates that there are currently 17 openings for every electrical engineering candidate.

Home Health Aide Hiring is projected to rise by 48 percent over the next seven years, which the BLS says is a direct result of the aging population. Nearly 600,000 positions will need to be filled to meet the expected demand, while the low median salary of $20,820 limits the scope of the candidate pool.

Information Security Analyst The proliferation of cloud-based technology is a driving force in the need for this job. Microsoft reported that by the beginning of next year, North American companies will need to employ at least 2.7 million cloud-computing workers, including information security analysts, and labor BUSINESS!

IM SAP Payroll Analyst for Kiewit Corporation (Omaha, NE). Provide users w/ assistance solving syst probs & w/ cust facing app’n supp. Reqs: Bach’s deg in Info Tech, Mass Communications, or rel’d. 5 yrs exp as an SAP Bus Analyst, SAP HR Cons or rel’d occupation.

Five years post bachelors experience is required and must include: Canadian tax laws and SAP ECC6.0 Canadian Payroll configuration and interpretation, year end tax process, wage types, GL Mapping; App’n of Canadian union & non-union provincial regs; writing/updating payroll schemas, personnel calc rules, IDOCs, BAdIs, Cust User Exits, SAP Scripts/Smart forms; & Integ’n of Payroll, FICO, Benefits, HR & Time Mgmtt. Exp must incl 3 years of Reqs Gathering, Config’g & ABAP Debugging/Trouble Shooting SAP Payroll (using ITIL Incident Mgmt & ServiceNow). Apply on-line at https://kiewitcareers.kiewit.com/job/Omaha-IM-SAP-Payroll-Analyst-NE-68046/326992900/

KATHOL PC, CPA

is seeking Financial Associate in La Vista, NE to prepare financial reports in accordance with GAAP and PPC. Communicate and assist clients with design and implementation of corporate accounting policies and procedures; resolution of any accounting and internal control issues related to domestic and international accounting operations; review with clients documents related to employment of foreign aliens, calculation of foreign tax credits, reporting of foreign bank and financial accounts. Prepare entity, personal, sales, and payroll tax returns utilizing CCH material and software. Prepare documents detailing the interrelationship between Balance Sheet and P&L. Per client requests, research tax rules and regulations; assist in IRS audits. Prepare and give sales presentations to potential clients. Bachelor’s degree in international studies, accounting or related field and 1 year of accounting experience. Send resumes to Todd Kathol at 12120 Port Grace Blvd, Suite 100, La Vista, NE 68128.

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omaha jobs

analysts say the supply can’t meet that demand.

Marketing Manager With the explosive growth in digital marketing and an already high average annual salary of $127,130, marketing managers are in very short

Medical Services Manager The requirements for this position overlap the nation’s highest labor shortage industries, as estimated by BLS: health care, social assistance and professional business services. The BLS projects 73,300 new hires will be needed in the field by 2022, and predicts a 23 percent overall increase in employment.

ProKarma Jobs

Senior Database Administrator #SDA0216

ProKarma, Inc. has multiple openings for the position of Senior Database Administrator based out of its U.S. headquarters in Omaha, NE. The employee may also work at various unanticipated locations. This is a roving position whereby the employee’s worksite and place of residence may regularly change based upon client and business demands; however, this position does not involve a travel requirement as performing the daily job duties does not require the employee to travel.

Duties: Database schema design, test, normalization, data modelling, and providing enhancements as per new features of applications. Design databases to achieve high availability, scalability and easy maintenance.

The position of Senior Database Administrator requires a master’s degree, or its foreign equivalent, in Computer Information Systems, IT, Computer Science, Engineering (any), or in a technical/analytical field that is closely related to the specialty, plus at least one year of experience in the job offered or in an IT/Computer-related position. Alternatively, the employer will accept a bachelor’s degree, or its foreign equivalent, in Computer Information Systems, IT, Computer Science, Engineering (any), or in a technical/analytical field that is closely related to the specialty, plus at least 5 years of progressively-responsible, post-baccalaureate experience in the job offered or in an IT/Computer-related position.

The applicant must have professional experience with technologies: Oracle Database Administration (Oracle DBA), HA using RAC and Data Guard/Standby, RMAN and data pump, Performance tuning, OEM, Erwin, shell scripting (PERL, bash).

TO APPLY, SEND RESUMES TO: ProKarma, Inc. Attn: Jobs 222 S. 15th St., Ste 505N, Omaha, NE 68102 or email: postings@prokarma.com with Job Ref# in the subject line of the email

Academy Helps Neighbors Participate in Civic Life of Omaha

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efore arriving in Omaha in 2012, Kim Roth Howe was a Chicagoan for more than a decade. The layers of government in the Windy City, she politely explains, are incredibly difficult for the average citizen to penetrate.

“People there often walk away with the feeling that it’s pointless to try,” said Howe, a community engagement expert who owns and operates CoCreative Labs, a local business that provides process design and facilitation services to organizations with operational and project-based strategic planning needs.

When a friend and colleague recommended that Howe enroll in a local program designed to address that very issue, she was intrigued.

Howe joined the 2015 cohort of the Citizens’ Academy for Omaha’s Future (CAOF), a program that creates constructive opportunities for citizens and government to engage with and learn from each other. CAOF was founded in 2014 by a group of public agencies and nonprofits interested in giving residents greater access to the community’s planning processes.

Today, the academy is led by Live Well Omaha in partnership with the Douglas County Health Department, Mode Shift Omaha, Omaha by Design, the Metropolitan Area Planning Agency and ONE Omaha.

“It’s a collaborative effort borne out of a recognized need to help neighbors and others actively engage in the civic life of their city, which is their right and responsibility,” said Julie Smith, ONE Omaha program manager.

“It also provides local government representatives with the opportunity to educate the public about their processes in a supportive environment. If we can increase the lines of communication between these two groups and help them avoid unnecessary conflict, good things will happen for Omaha.”

The spring 2016 cohort of the academy begins Thursday, March 31, and continues weekly through May 5. The first five sessions, each hosted by an academy partner, will include one or two learning modules. The schedule:

March 31 Topic: Placemaking and Local Government Host: Omaha by Design • Placemaking • Local Government 101

April 7 Topic: Local and Regional Planning Host: Metropolitan Area Planning Agency • Key Concepts of City Planning • Key Concepts of Regional Planning

April 14

Topic: How Projects Happen Host: Douglas County Health Department • Key Concepts of City Engineering

April 21 Topic: Transportation Systems Host: Live Well Omaha and Mode Shift Omaha

Kim Roth Howe facilitates a 2016 planning session for the Hanscom Park Neighborhood Association.

• Key Concepts of Transit and Travel Demand Management • Key Concepts of Active Transportation

April 28 Topic: Neighborhood Associations and Grassroots Advocacy Host: ONE Omaha • The role of neighborhood associations • The role of citizen advocacy A key component of the 2016 academy is the requirement that each participant create an individual action plan. “We want them to con-

sider a community project and create an individual action plan that outlines the steps he or she would take to complete it,” Smith said. “It could be a project they actually want to implement or something theoretical.”

Diana Failla, president of the Midtown Neighborhood Alliance and a member of the planning team who helped organize the first academy, said it’s a unique opportunity for participants to create and implement a neighborhood project during the sessions. “They can work together to build skills, gain knowhow and obtain connections that empower them to carry out work in their neighborhoods and the community at large,” she said.

The final session on May 5, titled “Bringing It Full Circle,” will include action plan presentations from the participants, a group discussion led by Lee Meyers of Mode Shift Omaha, and evaluations and graduation.

Howe said her biggest takeaway from the academy was the accessibility of local government – a stark contrast to her experiences in

Chicago. “You can actually call someone from the city and go out to coffee with him or her,” she said. “That means something.”

She said the academy’s format gives both presenters and students the chance to have candid conversations about the nature of how planning processes work in general. “You’re able to establish cordial relationships with these people based on mutual respect and understanding, so when you return to them with a specific issue, you can appreciate where they’re coming from,” she noted.

After graduation, Howe put her academy learnings to work on an activity in her neigh-

borhood – the revitalization of Hanscom Park, which is being led by the City of Omaha Department of Parks, Recreation and Public Property. “We’ve helped parks bring three very diverse neighborhood groups together to help decide what the revitalized space will look and feel like and how it will be used,” she said.

Registration for the 2016 spring cohort is available on a first-come, first-served basis.

There are 25 slots available, and the cost is $50 per person. Scholarships are available to those who can’t afford the registration fee. To register or for more information, visit http:// oneomaha.org/programs/.

ONE Omaha, a public/private partnership funded in part by the City of Omaha, is dedicated to actively facilitating the development of neighborhoods in Omaha through communication, education and advocacy. It is housed with Nebraskans for Civic Reform (NCR) in the Barbara Weitz Community Engagement Center at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. NCR is a group of dedicated and politically diverse Nebraska professionals committed to making civic institutions more inclusive among youth and historically disadvantaged and disengaged populations. It acts as One Omaha’s fiscal agent and oversees its daily operations.

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MARCH2016VOLUME23NUMBER2 08 COVER STORY URBAN LIVING ISSUE 15 PICKS COOL EVENTS IN MARCH 20 HEALING THE SPICE OF LIFE 21 GREEN SCENE OPPD RESTRUCTURING 22 ART GETTING BRUTAL 34 THEATER NEW PLAYHOUSE DIRECTOR 36 EAT DINING ETIQUETTE 40 MUSIC COUNTRY DUO HITS HORSE 42 HOODOO MARCH HIGHLIGHTS 44 FILM ALL THE HYPE 46 FILM ALEXANDER PAYNE’S DOWNSIZING 50 FILM OMAHA FILM FESTIVAL 56 OVER THE EDGE KING TRUMP 58 MYSTERIAN DOCTOR IS IN

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contents

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BRIAN LITTLER Realtor with Focal Realty (focalrealty.com)

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SHARON DUTCHER Director of operations for Shamrock Development, Inc. (shamrockdevelopment.com)

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CHRISTIAN CHRISTENSEN Owner of Bluestone Development (bluestonedev.com)

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CHRISTOPHER ERICKSON Co-founder of City Ventures (city-ventures.com)

STEVEN HELD One of the owner/developers of Uptown Urban Dwellings (uptownurbandwellings.com)

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rom the 1950s through the current decade, Omaha’s geographic growth has generally been through expansion westward into suburban neighborhoods and communities. More recently, however, long-established areas of Omaha are also seeing some big changes through a variety of successful residential, business, retail and mixed-use urban development projects. The Reader surveyed five professionals representing a range of local development companies to engage in a conversation about the evolution of

urban development in the community, their past and present projects, and how their efforts are changing the face of Omaha for the future.

Christian Christensen - owner of Bluestone Development, (bluestonedev.com), a company responsible for cutting-edge housing projects including Rows at SoMa, Little Italy’s townhouses and Spaces Apartments in Midtown.

Sharon Dutcher - director of operations for Shamrock Development, Inc. (shamrockdevelopment.com), a lo-

cal development company with a history in real estate dating back to 1987. The Shamrock team is especially committed to Downtown Omaha, viewing it is “the civic and cultural epicenter of Omaha.”

Christopher Erickson - co-founder of City Ventures (city-ventures.com), a dynamic investment and development company “with the vision to see possibilities, the expertise to chart the path to success, as well as the capital, relationships and commitment to see it through.”

Steven Held - one of the owner/developers of Uptown Urban Dwellings (uptownurbandwellings.com), which focuses primarily on single-family new-construction townhomes in the Midtown area, for sale vs. rental.

Brian Littler - realtor with Focal Realty (focalrealty. com), specializing in infill real estate related activities including mixed use sales and leasing. Focal Realty and its affiliated brands, Old Market Life and Boulevard Real Estate, are located at 515 S. 13th St. in the Old Market.

What is your role in the development of urban living in Omaha?

Christensen: Our focus is multifamily infill development in the Midtown & downtown area.

Dutcher: Since the beginning we’ve focused on primarily on downtown projects. Some of our bigger projects have been the 1000 Dodge Building, We did The Paxton, we did The Barker, 1501 Jackson, we did 1009 Capitol, and now we’re working on the Capitol District.

Erickson: City Ventures is a local developer of community-based, urban infill, mixed-use projects. We work in Omaha and Lincoln currently.

Held: Over the last couple of years we’ve tried to work through a different niche of for-sale townhouse development. I would say our role is more tailored toward home ownership in the Midtown and downtown area which make up what people refer to as urban living in Omaha.

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Littler: We’re a boutique brokerage primarily specializing in Midtown, downtown residential and commercial clients and owners. The primary focus of Focal Realty is infill development projects.

What urban developments have historically been most successful and why?

Christensen: In general, some of the most successful projects are projects that are pioneering in a new area.

This is where pent-up demand meets something new and edgy.

Dutcher: Looking at just our projects first…one that probably stands out the most would be The Paxton. We took a building that was about to be torn down and restored it to the grandeur that it is today. It’s 56 luxury condos and penthouses. During the time we were doing the Paxton was right when the economy took a downturn and we were trying to sell those condos during that time and also finance our project without having to sacrifice the quality of what we were doing and what we believed in.

Erickson: Philosophically, I think the most successful projects are those that are tailored to fit the context of the neighborhoods they’re within. And by that, I mean that they’ve really taken a lot of time to look at their surroundings and tailor the mix of uses to fit the needs of the neighborhood. Cookie-cutter projects just don’t seem to work over the long haul; sometimes they just create an early momentum following pent-up demand.

Held: I think probably one of the main reasons we got interested in Midtown is because of the success of Urban Village. And I think (Scott Semrad’s and Jerry Reimer’s) sort of scattered-site approach to urban redevelopment of rental apartments and fixing up existing buildings—I wouldn’t say we totally copied their type of model, but we kind of tailored it for a for-sale approach.

Littler: From my perspective, mixed-use projects— those that involve some residential elements, a business element, an office element, retail—those types of projects create a vibrant setting that encompasses

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BRIAN LITTLER

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all of the above and the general public, so it’s like a hub of activity.

How is urban development beneficial for the larger community?

Christensen: Diversity, diversity, diversity. Home ownership is changing and the movement back to urban areas is no longer considered a fad but more a tsunami.

Dutcher: One thing that we like to emphasize with our projects is that communities with a strong urban core, they have access to public amenities and they have that lifestyle that attracts the next generation of talent and the next workforce.

Erickson: For the customers who live in the neighborhoods of the community, it improves the diversity and quality of the physical environment. Also, it creates new options for people to live, work and play. From a community economic perspective, it usually generates new traffic for retail, nearby existing ones especially, and it also creates a strong new tax base for the community in general. If you ever think about an investment into infrastructure, the urban redevelopment projects tend to be much denser projects, and the density is what gets the efficiency in the infrastructure investments that the communities make.

Littler: On a local level, smart development literally brings people together in denser, more communitycentric and walkability districts. On a larger scale, the larger community, I think, connects and grows with the past; that’s why you have this huge outcry over the last handful of years to save some of historical structures. So with the larger community, another benefit is that it is a great recruiting tool.

gest thing we look for is a passion for the neighborhood within the people who know it well.

Held: I’d love for Leavenworth to become something of a neighborhood business district... Maybe more toward the Ford birthsite neighborhood is another one, maybe just north of Midtown Crossing, Gifford Park. And Little Italy, that area, just south of the Old Market.

Littler: Old Market, obviously, but that’s a pretty tight area. Look to the surrounding areas in all directions, 10th Street south, between the Old Market and the ballpark. The Riverfront is very interesting. Outside of that, the UNMC region. Farnam, the Blackstone district. Benson is interesting. And here’s the odd one: ConAgra campus, we see that as an infill opportunity.

What conditions contribute to successful urban development and are they present in Omaha?

Christensen: One of the key factors is longer commute, which you don’t really have in Omaha to the extent as you would in a major city. That being said, the appeal is a huge lifestyle decision. It would be a mistake to underestimate the sexiness of urban living that has been created to those who were big fans of “Friends” and “Seinfeld” where urban living was the coolest thing to experience and was rooted in a social context that appeals to everyone.

Dutcher: The thing we try to stress is density, and I think Omaha getting more residents downtown, we’re filling in areas and getting the density we need to attract more services, like service retail: the groceries and the pharmacies. …We have a lot of cultural and civic venues that are well-known, and they’re pretty much all downtown and I think that attracts people downtown and contributes to the downtown lifestyle. And then one other aspect is sports…One other thing would be public transportation; I’m not sure Omaha is quite there yet.

Erickson: There’s a change in preferences currently in the way people want to live their lives; they don’t want to spend as much time in a car. I also think we’ve got such a strong, healthy economy here in Omaha and Lincoln, and that really contributes to growth. And we have strong job growth to go with the economic stability.

Held: I think it’s good to have a lot of existing rooftops and important job centers. I don’t think Midtown would have ever become what it was or would have had the opportunity that it did if it weren’t for Mutual of Omaha being there, Kiewit being there, UNMC being there.

Littler: I think, in generalspeak, good design and smart preservation is key. Maintaining incentive such as TIF (tax increment financing) and historic tax credits. Engaging the community, connecting the dots as well. The work that’s going on right now as far as the trolley system. continued on page 12 y

CHRISTOPHER ERICKSON

What areas/neighborhoods are ripe for development in the near future?

Christensen: One, small pockets that are nestled in between large areas that have already experienced major redevelopment. Two, fringe areas that are outlining major redevelopment areas and are a bridge to unlocking future growth.

Dutcher: I think that those outlying areas of downtown connecting up to Leavenworth Street or up towards like Midtown; I think there’s a lot kind of on the outline of downtown that could be developed as well.

Erickson: What we look for is, for one, an existing mix of uses or nearby mixture of uses. We like to come in and continue that trend, but urbanize it. But the big-

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What challenges stand in the way to successful urban development in Omaha?

Christensen: Acceptance of change to those who have been living in area where the density has not been increased since the original development, and now the change is not always comfortable. In addition, the cost to develop is high and the available of land is limited.

Dutcher: Something especially—not just for residents but for visitors that come into town—they want to be able to not to have to have a car or rent a car.

When they are downtown, they want to be able to walk to places.

One other thing I wanted to mention is broader housing options. I think we have the high-end residential and I think one thing that’s missing—and maybe that’s something for some of the other areas to be developed—is lower-income residential.

Erickson: Right now I think it’s rising construction costs, and that’s tied to lack of qualified tradesman. And the other thing I’d say is that compared to other communities of our size and larger, we have a lack of incentives available (for developers) in a very significant way. What that means is if there were more incentives available for us, we could structure projects differently to bring in the same quality of projects at more affordable prices for the end-users.

Held: I might be biased in saying this, but just from our experience in for-sale development, kind of alluding back to the reason why condo projects aren’t as popular, I think a condo is probably going to have some sort of inherent discount through it versus a property that is able to be sold in fee simple interest. So a property that has a lot bounding it—a house with property lines around it—goes back to how the secondary mortgage market works. And so there’s a lot of favoritism toward separately plated, fee simple interest property.

Littler: When you boil it all down and you’re looking at historic places with urban infill, and places like the Old Market versus the market in Charleston, we’re all trying to figure out what do we do with these older structures.

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CHRISTIAN CHRISTENSEN Where do we put these people and businesses in a very tight area?

What features makes Omaha ideal for the urban lifestyle?

Christensen: Major employers and University expanding, a philanthropic base that invests heavy in our urban assets, great retail, and a very safe environment.

Dutcher: Even visitors come in and love the Old Market. But when you go back to the master plan that they did and all of the districts that they did, I think that’s part of it, the entertainment district and filling in everything downtown until it’s all kind of one big, united urban area. They’ve been working on the wayfinding signage, and I think that’s important as well so you can experience more than just the Old Market downtown.

Erickson: Most people I talk to from outside Omaha are shocked to hear we’re approaching a million people in the metro area, and that’s a pretty important number for a lot of people. Again, we have such a good, strong jobs base in this community and

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people are really starting to take notice of the quality of life that we have in Omaha; we seem to be on a list every month, some new list of one of the best places to be. The other thing I would say is we still have those Midwestern values where we have good wages compared with a fairly conservative or low cost of living overall.

Held: Speaking of Midtown, I think it’s got this huge job center, a ton of rooftops, and great opportunity for connectivity. So looking at the existing corridors that stretch from one end to the other, I think it has all the potential to be a walkable area where people can live, work and go out and not really have to drive anywhere. It’s probably going to require more density, but I think it’s a good start.

Littler: I think people that have lived here all their life kind of take things for granted. Where you’re talking to people who are from halfway around the planet or several states away or whatever the case may be… you’d be pleasantly surprised at what you overhear or engage those people, to kind of look through their eyes at what Omaha has to offer: it’s a lot. continued on page 14 y

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What projects are you undertaking now?

Christensen: We are working on a 193-unit multifamily infill project on 51st and Mayberry.

Dutcher: Right now our main project is The Capitol District, a mixed-use destination dining and entertainment district that will feature a Marriott hotel, upscale residential units, office, retail, there will be a 525 parkingstall garage. And in the middle of all of that will be an outdoor plaza we’ll program with entertainment and there will areas to just kind of hang out. All the ground level surrounding the plaza will be retail.

Erickson: We’re in the final stages of The Corvina, which is in the Old Market, so downtown Omaha. It’s a luxury mixed-use project: studios, ones and two-bedroom units. They’re very high-level of finish—condograde finishes, is what we call them—stainless steel appliances, hardwood floors, very well-designed spaces with high-quality cabinets, countertops. We also have a pretty amazing amenity package in that project.

In Benson, too, we have a project under construction; we broke ground in the fall. We’re still working through the exact finish package and those sorts of things, but we’re very excited. The overall design style is artisticindustrial, and we’ve spent a lot of time trying to make sure that project is authentic to the neighborhood.

Held: We’re focused on creating attached urban housing, so Leavenworth Rows is what we’ll call a pocket neighborhood, and we’re looking at doing more of those. Leavenworth Rows, once it’s fully built out, will be 21 rowhouses.

And Uptown is excited for the opportunity to work with notable neighborhood furniture retailer Hutch, who is staging our model unit. The partnership is a great match, bringing complimentary businesses together, and showcases the keeping-it-in-the-neighborhood mentality of Midtown.

Littler: The 12th & Howard. That’s very exciting and we’re happy and humbled to be part of that. It’s 90-something-

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STEVEN HELD thousand square feet. It’s getting a historical preservation on the exterior. None of the retail spaces will be impacted…The second floor is going to be one of two things: either a co-work space, something Omaha hasn’t quite seen before, or it’s actively on the market where you may have a corporate headquarters move there or two or three smaller companies occupy that. Above that, floors three through five, will be 43 loft-style apartments catered toward what we’re calling the mobilely-inclined workforce. Great design—Alley Poyner Macchietto is the architecture firm—this is right up their alley.

What communities do you look to as positive examples of urban development?

Christensen: Denver, Chicago, Seattle, Washington D.C., Minneapolis and Japan, due to the land constraints that encourage smart, creative solutions.

Dutcher: I think there are some larger cities that have done a great job with their urban development, like Portland, San Diego—they all have neat urban aspects to them— but looking more to Midwestern examples...Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Oklahoma City, Kansas City. They’re all doing a great job there with their development.

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Erickson: I look to Denver as an example of what we could be in a community at a time that’s not really that far away from now. Kansas City’s pretty spread out, it doesn’t have that core kind of heartbeat like Omaha and Denver do, but there’s some great places. Minneapolis also has some great examples, and Indianapolis, too.

Held: Portland is a pretty good example because I think the people, the culture is similar. They have a lot of pride in their state. And they’re also really nice people. I think Des Moines—over by Drake University, that whole area—for a small town, they have a pretty good urban lifestyle.

Littler: Chicago. Charleston is one of my favorite towns from a preservation standpoint. Denver is doing pretty cool things. Vancouver. And some of our regional neighbors: Des Moines is doing some interesting things, Lincoln in the Haymarket…the Minneapolis area, San Diego’s gaslamp district, which did a nice job of branding their historic walking district. Places like that. Basically anywhere where there’s a sense of tight-knit community, even if you have to drive there. , For the full text of the interviews, please visit thereader.com.

Saturday, March 12

MUSIC

Dee Dee Bridgewater and Irvin Mayfield

Holland Performing Arts Center 1200 Douglas St., 8 p.m., $20-$45 www.omahaperformingarts.org Multi-Grammy Award winners Dee Dee Bridgewater and Irvin Mayfield take the Holland stage joined by the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra to celebrate that city’s re-birth. The impetus is the 10th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina’s transformation of the Crescent City.

The artists seek to call attention to the specialness of the place in what advance publicity calls “a sensory trip.” Big Easy-born 39-year old trumpet player Mayfield states “This music is a testament to the continued relevance of New Orleans…a muse for communicating truth, love and beauty.” He adds that Dee Dee’s performances prove “the city can make your heart and soul feel better.” Six years ago Bridgewater conveyed different heart and soul right here in this river city with a live performance of “To Billie with Love: A Celebration of Lady Day” garnering a Grammy for the CD version in 2011.

Tributes are her thing. Another Grammy was won for 1997’s “Dear Ella.” In earlier days she vocalized with Max Roach, Sonny Rollins, Dexter Gordon, Dizzy Gillespie and the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Big Band. No surprise, then, that she’s out front with another big aggregation, the 16-piece New Orleans Jazz Orchestra, going strong for 14 years since.

— Gordon Spencer

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TOP: M34N STR33T BOTTOM: HIGH UP

Friday, March 4 MATT WHIPKEY PRESENTS “PENNY PARK” WITH ROTHSTEEN Holland Performing Arts Center, 1200 Douglas Street 8:00 p.m., $15 www.omahaperformingarts.org

Friday, March 4 HIGH UP & M34N STR33T WITH LINEMAN’S RODEO The Waiting Room Lounge, 6212 Maple Street 9:00 p.m., $7 www.waitingroomlounge.com A showcase of artistic styles, the Waiting Room hosts a night filled with indie soul, homegrown hip-hop, and a touch of the trippy. Fink sisters roll out once again with a moody sound that travels the peaks and valleys of modern music, while Conchance and his alphanumeric namesake M34n Str33t will bring the beats. Lineman’s Rodeo start the night by turning the reverb up to 11 and letting the strings fly where they may. It’s sure to be an emotional night of intense music that will take you away from your daily grind.

— Wayne Brekke Saturday, March 5 2016 RESTORE OMAHA CONFERENCE AND EXHIBITION Metropolitan Community College, 32nd and Sorensen Parkway 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., $20-$70 www.restoreomaha.org

MATT WHIPKEY

A couple of albums ago, the intrepid Matt Whipkey released a pink vinyl album dedicated to the memories surrounding Omaha’s Peony Park. It was a passion project that blossomed from a few new song ideas to a full blown tribute to a piece of Omaha history. In this special performance at the Holland Center Whipkey and his band takes the stage to perform his album Penny Park in its entirety. Kicking off this energetic evening is Rothsteen, who’s been cited as “A master vocalist in R&B, pop and rock, there is no genre safe from Rothsteen’s precise execution.”

— Wayne Brekke

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Restore Omaha, the acclaimed restoration conference presented by Restoration Exchange Omaha. This conference has plenty to offer and if you are a developer, architect, owner of an old home or neighborhood community leader, you want to get your ticket now. As stated on the event website you will spend the day gathering ideas, solutions and inspiration to restore and preserve older properties. During the Friday Pre-Session, learn more about Federal State Funding Tools available to help restore historic buildings. Friday night, enjoy a guided tour of North 24th Street, followed by a reception in the historic Blue Lion building at 24th and Lake Streets.

Keynote by craftsman Scott Sidler. Listen and learn from Sidler, a licensed contractor, and owner of Austin Home Restorations in Orlando, FL. Sidler is also the writer of The Craftsman Blog and the No. 1 Amazon Bestselling

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book, Living in the Past. Choose from 15 Breakout Sessions, topics range from maintaining old windows, infill design guidelines, and the latest on the restored Burlington Station. Restore Jam, share the before-and-after photos of your own restoration project. Attending this conference will also provide opportunities for you to visit with vendors, local craftsmen and other attendees.

If you need to gather ideas, contacts and solutions, why haven’t you gone to the website and registered, yet? This year, the conference has a new venue, the Institute for the Culinary Arts Building and the Mule Barn at the Metro Community College Fort Omaha Campus. For pricing and more information, visit the website listed above.

— Mara Wilson Friday, March 11 DR. JANE GOODALL Holland Performing Arts Center, 1200 Douglas Street 8:00 p.m., SOLD OUT www.omahaperformingarts.org The first thing most of us think of when we hear the name Jane Goodall is, “monkeys.” Am I right? This woman is more than that word and no legend, but true to the tales you have heard and you can hear for yourself at the Holland, that is, if you were lucky enough to snag a ticket before this event sold out. World-renowned conservationist, Dr. Jane Goodall will be in Omaha for

DR. JANE GOODALL

one evening only and this free event, Gombe & Beyond: An Evening with Dr. Jane Goodall, will be an opportunity for audiences to explore the world of the Gombe chimpanzees. Dr. Goodall will share her observations and experiences from the field. Included in the presentation will be a discussion on her newest publication, “Seeds of Hope” and she will explain how we can better our planet and stop leaving such a big mark on this world. If you have a ticket and are attending this event, you are encouraged to bring old and unused cellphones for the Jane Goodall Institute to properly recycle them through their partner eco cell. Dr. Goodall began her study of chimpanzees back in the 1960s in what is now Tanzania. Her research became the foundation of future of Primatology and redefine the human and animal relationship.

— Mara Wilson Saturday, March 12 OMAHA ZINE FEST 1316 Jones Street 11:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., Free www.omahazinefest.org Omaha’s first ever zine fest, showcasing the work of more than 85 creators and distributors in the local and regional Zinemaking community. You may be asking, ‘what is a zine?’ a zine (an abbreviation of fanzine or magazine) is most commonly self-published work, traditionally photocopied. Zines can cover just about anything, often including politics, social theory, literature, art and design. Some zines can be as simple as featuring subjects about cats and dogs. This family friendly and free event will be presenting publications that cover a variety of subject matters and perspectives. Workshops and speakers from the publishing industry in the Midwest will also be featured. The DIY (do it yourself ) culture in Omaha and across the Midwest has created a resurgence of zine.

If you like what you have discovered at this event, you do not have to wait until next year to get your zine fix.

Zine Fest staff host fundraisers and community gatherings throughout the year to promote self-publication and autonomy in the arts. Social media guru? Check out the Facebook and Twitter page for this event, www.

WISHBONE INVITATION COVER FEAT. ART FROM PROGRAM PARTICIPANT HANNAH HIDALGO

facebook.com/omahazinefest and www.twitter.com/ omahazinefest

— Mara Wilson Saturday, March 12 VALLEYHILL WITH CODY FOX, CARSON CITY HEAT, & KAIT BERRECKMAN BAND The Waiting Room Lounge, 6212 Maple Street 8:00 p.m., $3 www.waitingroomlounge.com Once again, Midwest Elite Concerts presents a Fan Appreciation Night, with tickets and cover charge of only $3. This round features Sioux Falls’ Valleyhill, rising stars who offer a sonic blend of sound that seems to be catching fire across the country. Cody Fox makes his debut solo performance outside of his other bands We Be Lions and Slang 5. But wait! That’s not all! There’s more!

Carson City Heat puts on the suit and brings the loot with classic soul and funk while Kaite Berreckman tops off this musical cocktail with a twist of stunning vocals and acoustic songs.

— Wayne Brekke

Hors d’oeuvres, a cash bar, music and art are all the reasons this will be one fun evening. Honorary Chairs are Tim and Magan Smith. In 2014 Joslyn took ownership of the newly named Kent Bellows Studio and the KBMP. The studio was established in 2007 as an art mentor program for young artists. It was suspended in 2013, but the studio remains as the location for the program now under the Joslyn museum. During this event some of the KBMP students will be demonstrating their art making, while other select works from the program’s teen artists will be displayed. This year the event will be held in Joslyn’s ConAgra Foods Atrium. Omaha Central High School Music Department will be providing the music for the evening and entertainment from the master of ceremonies, Doug “Otis XII” Wesselmann. Dan Richters is the honoree for this year’s Mentor Achievement Award. Richters, an accomplished fashion designer and painter, has been with KBMP since 2010 and has served as a mentor through many other programs. If you plan on attending this Wishbone, the suggested attire is casual chic and you need to make a reservation online at Joslyn’s website before Friday, Mar. 11.

— Mara Wilson Sunday, March 20 ONE-EYED DOLL, EYES SET TO KILL, OPEN YOUR EYES The Lookout Lounge, 320 South 72nd Street 5:30 p.m., $15 www.lookoutomaha.com

VALLEYHILL

Friday, March 18 WISHBONE Joslyn Art Museum, 2200 Dodge Street 6:30-9:30 p.m., $50 www.joslyn.org Art, inspiration and fun is what has been promised at the fourth annual Wishbone event supporting Joslyn Art Museum’s Kent Bellows Mentoring Program (KBMP).

You can attend the tale of Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street as Chanticleer Theater offers you a new immersion into the fascinating, lurid, colorful, musically brilliant experience. It was first evoked in 1979, winning eight Tony Awards including Best Musical, Best Book and Best score. Stephen Sondheim wrote the songs, Hugh Wheeler the script. It keeps returning. As a 2007 movie with Johnny Depp in the title role. And resurfacing in 2005 as a skeletal version wherein director John Doyle laid the bones bare, the nine-person cast wielding the only instruments in play. At Chanticleer a cast of 33 takes it on with a six-member orchestra underpinned by three keyboards. Their sound conveys the essence of a score of operatic intensity; songs dominate the story.

You may also note intimations of stark, aggressive works

by Bertolt Brecht. To remind you of what the tale tells, Sweeney is a London barber, unjustly convicted and forcibly exiled who, returning, vows revenge on Judge Turpin who undercut, slashed and wounded his life.

Sweeney plans to cut his enemy’s throat in his tonsorial parlor, practicing his skill with other victims first. Their bodies become the main ingredients for meat pies sold in a downstairs shop run by Mrs. Lovett. Hold on to your seat, the madman with the razors is alive again.

— Gordon Spencer Friday, March 25 NOAH’S ARK WAS A SPACESHIP, MINT WAD WILLY, ERIC IN OUTERSPACE O’Leaver’s Pub, 1322 South Saddle Creek Road 9:30 p.m., $5, 21+ www.facebook.com/oleavers A little twang, a little fuzz, and a whole lot of noise creates a recipe for mass seduction. With 3 bands who’s names could be a Saturday Morning Cartoon lineup, Noah’s Ark was a Spaceship, Mint Wad Willy, and Eric In Outerspace team up and use their super powers for good. And for drinking beer. As EIOS opens the show with a trademark brand of dynamic melodies, sharp musical turns, and slow builds of bombast, MWW returns the pace with a twang-laced set that still feels indie enough to be called indie. Of course NAWAS never disappoints with a hypersonic set that will cap off a trilogy set in a galaxy far, far, away…

— Wayne Brekke

NOAH’S ARK WAS A SPACESHIP VIA THEIR FACEBOOK

Through March 27 TOTEMS Hot Shops Art Center, 1301 Nicholas Street Opening Reception: Friday, Mar. 4, 6:00 p.m.

Gallery Hours: Mon.-Fri. 9:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m., Sat.-Sun. 11:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. www.hotshopsartcenter.com Totems is a group show curated by Tearee Clarie Caswell. A Totem is a carved or painted animal, plant or object that is serving among certain tribal or traditional peoples as the emblem of a clan or family. A totem is regarded as the family or clan’s founder, or guardian and a reminder of its ancestry. The artists in this group show submitted their works to Tearee Caswell and were encouraged to not only demonstrate pieces reflecting the theme of Totems, but to also add their interpretations to it. They were told to research the theme and create pieces unique to their style. With this information, one can assume Totems will be a diverse show and provide a variety of talented work. Tearee Caswell is a RAW Artist in Omaha and has been since January of 2014. She focuses on fiber art, mixed media, illustrations, and curates art events such as this one. RAW ventures to provide the platform for success for independent, natural born artists within the first 10 years of their creative career by giving them the resources they need.

— Mara Wilson

It’s easy to see why there’s and early start on this show.

That’s because there is just too much music to contain in your standard set times. Six bands will be on site at the Lookout, with One-Eyed Doll and co-headliners Eyes Set to Kill leading the night alongside friends Open Your Eyes. And if that wasn’t enough, local openers the Clincher Anthems, and Like Noise But Louder will be tearing up the stage for a sight and sound that will have you rubbing your eyes and cleaning the rock out of your ears. We feel a theme going on here.

— Wayne Brekke Through March 20 SWEENEY TODD Chanticleer Theater, 830 Franklin Avenue Opens Friday Mar. 11 Fri.-Sat. 7:30 p.m., Sun. 2:00 p.m., $10-$20 www.chanticleertheater.com ONE-EYED DOLL

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tached. Undoubtedly this item dwells on various attachments including an unpredictable organ.

— Gordon Spencer Through April 2 NORMAN MELICHAR Connect Gallery, 3901 Leavenworth Street Opens Wednesday, Mar. 2 Gallery Hours: Wed.-Sat., 11:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. www.connectgallery.net

Through March 27 COCK SNAP! Productions, 3225 California Street Opens Friday, Mar. 4 Thurs-Sat. 8:00 p.m., Sun. 6:00 p.m. and Sunday, Mar. 27 2:00 p.m., $10-$15 www.snapproductions.com SNAP! Productions snaps to attention, taking on a British play. It’s Cock by Mike Bartlett. Speaking of royal courts, his 2014 script King Charles III won the Critics Circle Award last year. Bartlett’s work has often been

Folk artist Norman Melichar is featured in Connect Gallery’s March exhibit, there will be a 1950’s-60’s Party/Reception on Wednesday, Mar. 11th 5:00-9:00 p.m. This “Mid-Century Revisited” Party (dress in–the-times attire is optional) will celebrate the clean-lined geometry of the era and its use of metals and plastic in design. Using found and re-purposed objects and materials from leather to fabric, metal and packaging gathered from recycles and thrift sales, Melichar promises masks, collages, and innovative design approaches to honor the cache of these decades as well as create a multitude of new and inventive characters to please the eye. “Frita Pringle,” shown, is a good example. Melichar describes her as “hair dresser to the stars and life coach extraordinaire.” As the designated elementary teacher assigned to teach art in Millard for many years, Melichar rediscovered a love for art play and assemblage that he’d enjoyed in childhood. He inspired his students to make objects while learning about famous artists and the principles of design. His philosophy has long been that art should be uplifting and fun, with the goal of sharing the joy he has found in creating beauty from what others throw away as trash—not a bad goal in this consumer-oriented society.

— Eddith Buis Through April 3 CITY OF ANGELS Omaha Community Playhouse, 6915 Cass Street Opens Friday, Mar. 4 Wed.-Sat. 7:30 p.m., Sun. 2:00 p.m., $20-$40 www.omahaplayhouse.com

“FRITA PRINGLE” MASK COLLAGE BY FOLK ARTIST NORM MELICHAR

on display all over London including at the National Theatre. This four-character piece deals with one man’s search for self-definition, his anxieties about commitment to relationships and his emotional confusion. Personifying his dilemma, he finds himself swinging away from his boyfriend and getting involved with a woman.

SNAP’s press release calls this a three-lover “cockfight” and a cheeky “contemporary comedy of manners.” The cast: Joseph Schoborg, Eric Grant-Leanna, Caitlin Staebell and Brent Spencer. Joshua Mullady is the director.

The poster for this show shows a variety of images for the play’s title, including a rooster and a cocked pistol.

Clearly meaningfully symbolic. Absent are a cocktail and a cocked hat onto which other ramifications could be at-

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“What is real and what is illusion?” is a question often asked, especially in theatre and films. But, of course, those life forms create illusions themselves. You may legitimately ask why is this worn-out question being asked here? This isn’t a real conversation, even if you ask that or “Is this going to be some kind of think piece?”

Hello. This is the writer trying to connect with you. Re writers, surely you’ve heard that creators of fiction can lose their ways and reel in astonishment finding themselves interacting with invented characters as if real. So what about a guy, writing about reel characters, screen people, suddenly finding that one of them comes to life and tries to take over his, both lives so intertwined that it’s tough to tell them apart? And then they start to sing!

Holy smokes! This can’t be serious. No, pal, it ain’t. It’s a musical re-visit to the steamy, misty, twilight world of black and white private eyes. The guys who tangle with sleazy hoods and hot dames and could come out smelling like roses or like garbage, while hitting all the right notes. Hollywood. At Omaha Community Playhouse it emerges from the shadows as City of Angels, the 1992

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Broadway sensation which ran for more than two years and snagged a big handful of Tonys including those for best musical, book and score. Hey! Language advisory.

What’d you expect? Nice guys finish last. This piece is finished. Ba-da-da-boom.

— Gordon Spencer

the subject and the issues worth dramatizing. Hnath says he finds that other playwrights have been prompted to start exploring such ideas. The focus is on a schism in a contemporary evangelical megachurch. From a modest storefront, a congregation of thousands has blossomed and flourished. But pastor Paul sermonizes about a change in beliefs. The foundations seem threatened.

Questions are raised about the differences between spirituality and religion. This edifice is a major enterprise; with an impressive choir and a following spreading the gospel beyond the walls, could those walls come tumbling down? Hnath’s concept incorporates direct talk to those who attend, amplified and extended by tangling, cable-trailing microphones, suggesting complexities, probing privacy between God and mortals, asking if such actually exists. Hnath knows whereof he speaks. He grew up in an evangelical church. His mother was a minister.

What are his beliefs? “I can feel that rush to understand when people ask me,” replies Hnath. “I refuse to answer.”

Sometimes sermons and services seem so theatrical that one could ponder the speaker’s sincerity. Such a question may hover in the aisles. Believe it.

— Gordon Spencer

”OVER THE MERMAID LOUNGE” BY KENT BELLOWS

Through April 14 KENT BELLOWS, THE COLLECTION OF DR. ROSS AND KATHLEEN BELLINGHIERE Lied Art Gallery, North 24th and California Plaza Opens Monday, Mar. 14 Gallery Hours: Mon.-Fri. 11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. and 5:00-6:00 p.m., Sat.-Sun. 1:00-4:00 p.m. www.creighton.edu In the last few years, the visibility of the late Kent Bellows’ work has gone from occasional to frequent, thanks to the efforts of local arts organizations and patrons to recognize his contributions to the regional and national art scene. Fanboys and girls will have another chance to view intricately detailed renderings by this realist artist with a show of Bellows’ drawings and lithographs, courtesy of longtime supporters Dr. Ross and Kathleen Bellinghiere. Many will not have been seen before by the public. In addition, the Bellinghieres will be making a donation of eleven Bellows artworks to Creighton; they are planned to be placed in a newly renovated conference space in the Lied Education Center for Arts, home of the gallery and the university’s arts programs. A gallery reception will be held on Friday, Apr. 1 from 5:00-7:00 p.m.

A gallery tour with the Bellinghieres is scheduled for the following day Saturday, Apr. 2, at 11:00 a.m. The gallery will be closed for Spring Break, Mar. 6 to Mar. 13, and over the Easter holiday, Mar. 25 to Mar. 27.

— Janet L. Farber Through April 17 THE CHRISTIANS Blue Barn Theatre, 1106 South 10th Street Opens Thursday, Mar. 24 Thurs.-Sat. 7:30 p.m., Sun. Apr. 3,10, 17 6:00 p.m., $25-$30 www.bluebarn.org It looks as if there is a new trend in contemporary theatre: dealing with religion. 36 year old Lucas Hnath may be the guiding light behind that. His script The Christians has received a lot of attention as well as praise, getting people to realize that there is something about

Through April 29 PORTRAITS Petshop, 2725 North 62nd Street Opening Reception: Benson First Friday, Mar. 4, 7:00-10:00 p.m.

Gallery Hours: By appointment, petshopgallery@gmail.com We often remember portraits based on their realism: the difficulty of drawing lips just right, the powerful gaze of an important ruler whose eyes follow you across the room. It’s a tradition that focused on the technical realness of the subject to deliver the most accurate representation. Artist Erin Blayney does away with this tra-

“PORTRAITS” BY ARTIST ERIN BLAYNEY

dition in her new solo exhibition, Portraits, at Petshop in March. Taking a cue from abstract expressionism, her paintings and sketches are dominated more by color and line-rather than realism-to evoke the psyche within her subject. The realness in her work relies less on technicalities and more on perception. Blayney works in a more automatic format, capturing the faces of her models in quick gestures lending to work that is more instinctual and energetic instead of posed. What you end up with is a picture of emotion, experience and presence-presented as a person.

— Melinda Kozel

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heartlandhealing

SpiceofLife

S

HEARTLAND HEALING is a metaphysically-based polemic describing alternatives to conventional methods of healing the body, mind and planet by MICHAEL BRAUNSTEIN. It is provided as information and entertainment, certainly not medical advice. Important to remember and pass on to others: for a weekly dose of Heartland Healing, visit HeartlandHealing.com. .

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Variety for health

pices are a difficult category to define. About the only common characteristic that gilds the group is that they are always plant material of some sort. Spices can be seeds, flowers, bark, roots, flower parts, leaves, resins, saps or other plant products. Spices have the historical connotation of exotic origins and it’s true of most. Historically, Asia, India, tropical islands and the Far East were the main sources of spice. Trade routes from the Far East through the Middle East and on to Europe were founded because of spices. Columbus set out for America because he was searching for a route to spice. Part of what made spices so expensive was rarity. Initially, however, spices were treasured more for their medicinal qualities. Get to know spices and then stretch your knowledge and build a variety in your kitchen. Start with these.

Cinnamon. Who doesn’t love cinnamon, spicing up apple cider, sprinkled with sugar on buttery toast or dashed on a cup of cocoa? It’s harvested as the bark of a tree initially cultivated in Ceylon and falls in the category herbalists call a “warming aromatic.” Cinnamon warms the body and improves circulation. It also stimulates digestion. Cultures throughout the ages have used cinnamon to fight a cold. It is a mild expectorant and cinnamon oil has been used topically to treat bee and insect stings. Consider cinnamon the next time you have a cold. Instead of drugs with side effects that won’t cure a cold anyway, use a cup of hot water with cinnamon, a little fresh grated ginger root and some lemon. Sinuses clear and colds disappear, naturally.

Turmeric (curcumin). It’s the spice that gives Indian and southern Asian food that characteristic amber tint. More fragrant than tasteful, it’s an essential for curries. Medicinally, various components of turmeric have been found to be powerful anti-cancer agents, pain relievers (one study found curcumin equivalent to ibuprofen for pain relief of arthritis,) and more. National Institutes of Health has registered over 71 clinical trials completed or underway to study use of dietary curcumin for a variety of clinical disorders.

Cayenne. Known as capsicum or plain red pepper, it’s a powerhouse of healing properties. Cayenne defines spicy and hot. Medically, it’s as much a wonder drug as aspirin was once considered. Cayenne is useful in alleviating debilitating arthritis pain. Capsaicin, an active ingredient, is a main component in expensive over-the-counter and prescription pain medications. You can use the pepper itself; powdered in capsules, or as ointments. Cayenne stimulates the immune system and relieves congestion from colds. Next time you try

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heartland healing

BY MICHAEL BRAUNSTEIN

chicken soup, make it spicy! Dr. James Duke writes that cayenne treats arthritis, backache, bunions, heart disease, ulcers, carpal tunnel, emphysema, fever, herpes, indigestion, pain, psoriasis, shingles and more. Cayenne promotes circulation and endorphin production.

Cloves are the dried flower bud of the clove plant. Pungent, sharp and powerfully aromatic, cloves enhance meals in fruit dishes, desserts and candied meats like hams. Anyone with a toothache while away from the dentist knows clove oil is a powerful pain reliever. It’s a proven antiseptic, too. Some people find lightly chewing on a whole clove a wonderful breath-freshener. Make a pomander with clove and an orange and you’ll have a natural, chemical-free air freshener that kills bacteria, too.

Saffron. True saffron is one of the priciest of spices, going for up to $5000 a pound. It takes 75,000 flowers to produce one pound of the spice. In use as a medicine for over 4000 years, saffron is believed to be anti-cancer, an immune system booster, good for eyesight and an aphrodisiac.

Chocolate. More accurately, cacao, is from the seed of the plant. When it’s roasted, shelled and ground, you have pure, raw cocoa. As such, it’s a powerful antioxidant with proven healthful qualities. Once Hershey or Mars get hold of it, adding fat, refined sugar or corn syrup, forget it. But in a more or less dark chocolate form, it reportedly lowers blood pressure, stimulates serotonin, lowers cholesterol, protects the heart and boosts cognitive function (thinking).

Many spices can boost your health and should be a part of your “kitchen medicine cabinet.” Some applications (such as oils) can be very powerful. Getting advice from an appropriate healthcare professional is a good idea and going with the purest, organic forms of spice is best. Spices are often grown with the use of pesticides so avoiding those is preferable.

When shopping for spices, check the stores that have bulk supplies. Whole Foods, No Name Nutrition and Next Millennium have quantities in bulk.

Savings are substantial. Some of the ethnic markets like Namaste (114th & Dodge), Asian Market (north 76 Street), Jacobo’s (24th & “L”,) and Tulsi Indian Grocery (130 & Arbor,) have unique selections of packaged spices.

All of the above stores offer product at prices far below the individually packaged small bottles of spices at the standard grocer. That way you can try the spice of life without hitching up your camel.

Be well. ,

greenscene

raterestructure L

ast month, the OPPD Board of Directors approved a four percent general rate increase for 2016 and the implementation of a fixed service charge that will increase over the course of four years. The changes to the fixed service charge will begin June 2016 and will increase from $10.25 a month next year to $30 by 2019.

Jodi Baker, Media Specialist for OPPD, said OPPD began researching this restructure almost three years ago. She explained the issues that those who opposed the plan had were all understood well in advance of OPPD’s stakeholder process and all were considered when they made their recommendation.

“Despite knowing that we would face criticism, we felt that staying with the status quo, while the easier path, wasn’t in the best long-term interest of the company or our customer-owners,” she said.

Many are concerned just how their bills will be affected by the changes, but Baker said consumers with average usage will see minimal, if any, change at all on their bills due to the new rate restructuring and that’s because as the service charge increases, the usage rate decreases. Numbers-wise that breaks down to those whose bills run about $80-$125 a month.

“Those who use more energy, whose bills are more than $125/month, will see a decrease. Lower energy users, whose bills are less than about $80/month, will see an increase,” Baker explained.

The biggest issue expressed in the wake of all the changes has been the impact it would have on lowincome households. In other words, those who have a difficult time paying their current bill without the upcoming changes.

Baker said one big distinction that needs to be made is the difference between low-income and lowenergy use. The two terms are not synonymous. Some of the lowest-income customers do not live in homes that are energy efficient or don’t own energy-efficient appliances.

“Low-income customers who are high energy users will see an average monthly decrease of $18 by 2019. Low-income customers who use the average amount of electricity will see no changes due to rate restructuring. Customers who are both low-income and low energy users (the majority of low-income customers) will see their bills increase by an average of $9 per month over the course of the next three years,” Baker said.

One group that has been interested in the rate restructuring plan from the very beginning is Omaha Together One Community (OTOC). The organization held an open meeting the week prior to the board’s vote and had presentations by OTOC members as well as a Q&A session with Tim Burke, OPPD’s Chief Executive Officer.

Questions still abound about OPPD’s new policy

BY CHERIL LEE

OTOC’s members had hoped OPPD might take a little more time to consider other options before voting on the new rate restructuring plan.

“We are certainly disappointed they didn’t look into other alternatives. There really didn’t seem to be an immediate cause to do this since the rate structure isn’t going into effect until next summer,” said OTOC member Mary Ruth Stegman.

Stegman said OTOC was thankful that the board decreased the initial proposed fixed service charge from $35 to $30. She said it shows OPPD did listen to OTOC. She said they also believe that OTOC, along with other organizations including Nebraskans for Peace and the Sierra Club, helped people better understand what this was all about.

“We feel the public is far more informed on this issue now even though it didn’t go the way we would have liked,” Stegman said.

She said she feels OPPD did listen to some of OTOC’s concerns by adding in a credit for people who will need assistance with their monthly bill. Customers would have to apply for the credit. Stegman explained OTOC feels OPPD did give some assurance that its Common Fund is going to be more available to people who need it.

The new OPPD program Stegman referenced is called the “Residential Low Usage/Low Income Customer Program.” It will assist qualifying customers in managing their budgets through the service charge changes.

Baker explained, “This is a temporary, transitional program which is available to customers, whose usage falls below 600 kilowatt hours (kWh) in any given month through May 2020, and whose low income status is qualified through the State Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program.”

Another way people can obtain financial assistance with their electricity bill is the Common Fund, OPPD’s energy assistance program. Funds are raised through tax-deductible donations by customers on their monthly bills, through the Heat the Streets/Walk for Warmth event as well as OPPD employee contributions.

Mary Spurgeon, OTOC member, said she was encouraged by something that happened at last month’s board meeting. She said Anne McGuire, president of the board, asked that the board be given a monthly versus yearly update on the credit programs. Spurgeon said McGuire and at least one other board member wanted to know monthly about the program’s progress and how it’s going.

Spurgeon said she knows OPPD’s board of directors and staff are focused on making sure customers have reliable electricity that is affordable for most people. She acknowledged it’s a complicated job. But

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she also said what they don’t see because it’s not their focus, is some of the impacts these decisions have on people.

“I have likened it to moving a big building down a narrow road. You can’t just sit in a truck and do that.

OTOC is looking around as OPPD is moving ahead and we see some things that will be really hard on people. We want OPPD to do well but we also don’t want the greater community to be harmed by their actions,” said Spurgeon.

The board’s vote last month does not mean the end of OTOC’s efforts. In fact, they will hold an Issues Café at Urban Abbey on Wednesday, January 13 at 7 p.m. The event is called “Organizing a smart energy future.”

“This will be a frank discussion of the reasons why the OPPD board pushed through their rate restructuring plan despite enormous public opposition,” Spurgeon said.

Questions for OPPD will include when and where the OPPD board and staff considered alternatives, why OPPD would raise their customer service charge to the highest level in the United States for a major utility and what the public feedback has been like regarding the plan.

“We really need to have some brainstorming to see how and what we should push back on regarding this rate structure,” said Stegman.

One of the alternatives OTOC recommended OPPD consider focused on using a demand and charges time-of-use price structure. It was an option OPPD did think about, but Baker said the problem is these require the implementation of Smart Meters, a technology OPPD doesn’t currently have in place.

“We are implementing a pilot program (using Smart Meters) in 2016, and if it works well, we do plan on implementing the technology in the future,” she said.

Stegman said OTOC will be interested down the line to see if OPPD does in fact provide Smart Meters for fairer and more efficient pricing.

“They don’t have that plan ready to go right now, but it seems like the future would demand Smart Meters which they are not ready to do yet,” said Stegman.

So why did OPPD make these changes now?

Baker said the changes in the bill structure allow OPPD to build a better pricing foundation to embrace the developments and changes facing the energy industry.

“OPPD can either lead or follow. However, our mission is to ‘lead the way we power the future,’” she said. , More info at OPPD.com, OTOC.org

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Art OMAHA POLICE HEADQUARTERS

ConcreteMix “I

t appears that brutalism is coming to Nebraska.”

— Panel member’s general observations for the Nebraska Architects Association 1966 Honor Awards (Jan. 23, 1966.

Omaha World-Herald).

“Concrete jungle where dreams are made of” — Alicia Keys, 2009

Omaha has a peculiar relationship to architecture. With the recent fire at M’s Pub, the dogmatic preservationist discourse surrounding the Specht building, and ConAgra’s departure resurrecting

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’Brutal’ monuments flavor Omaha skyline STORY BY ALEX PREIST | PHOTOGRAPHY BY DEBRA S. KAPLAN

the Jobbers Canyon debate; rigorous conversations about architecture are at a fever pitch.

But between these moments of tension and trauma, where is the public’s sustaining appreciation and support for all types of architecture in Omaha? Capable of similar emotional extremes, the architectural style and severity of Brutalism presents a case for collective discourse in architecture and lasting momentum. Yet, ironically, at least in Omaha, these monumental buildings are often over looked.

“People dismiss these structures as not having value,” says Emily Andersen, architect and UNL adjunct instructor. “Particularly In Omaha where

we don’t have a lot of great architecture, buildings like these are deemed easily replaced because they don’t look like examples of historic buildings we traditionally think of as having value.”

To re-examine the effect of this international style and its imprint on Omaha’s urban-scape, four striking examples of Brutalism in the middowntown area between 22nd and 15th streets and Dodge and Leavenworth are explored below.

They include The Omaha Police Headquarters, the Omaha Fire Department’s Central Station, the Continental Trailways Bus Terminal and the former Farm Credit Parking Garage. continued on page 24 y

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Each urbane structure adheres to and is defined by the austerity of the architectural movement. Descriptions include defining facts on location and construction pulled from the archives of the Omaha World-Herald, Omaha Public Library, and the City of Omaha public records/ GIS; as well as subjective remarks.

Brutalism descended from modernism in the early 1950’s and is most emblematically found in stark, raw, repetitive structures built through the mid 1970’s. Brutal architecture celebrates architect Louis Sullivan’s mantra that “form (ever) follows function”. This ideology was translated into “honest” designs where the exterior was a reflection of the interior/an expression of use.

The stark, minimalist style became a blueprint for new utopian visions. It is no coincidence that many civic architectures and public housing projects built during modernism were designed in this style. What governmental agency would not want to appear as both sincere and forward thinking? Re-looking at these structures through the removal of biased blinders can re-establish a sense of optimism in architecture and a hope that architecture can change the world.

The first building on our tour is the Omaha Police Headquarters located at 505 South 15th Street. Designed by Leo A. Daley and con-

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structed by Hawkins Construction Company, the structure was completed on June 6, 1970, for $3,500,000. The Douglas Country GIS pin number is 0315640000.

In a blatant way, the Omaha Police Headquarters dramatically follows Sullivan’s idea that form should follow function. Sited at the Northeast corner of 15th and Howard, the design of the Police Station is like a guarded castle floating on a massive plinth. A character defining concrete lattice rigidly surrounds six floors of which Dave Raks of Hawkins Construction Company noted, “[is] both decorative and structurally necessary.”

While the façade is the most obvious attribute of the Police Headquarters, the micro detailing is stunning. Simplistic detailing and pronounced joints manifest the “modern lines” articulated in the original schematic. Each corner stacks like LEGO in a macro rectilinear pattern.

The juxtaposition of a white matte grid over an opaque black glass structure promotes a secure feeling necessitated by the headquarters of the Omaha Police Department. The weight of the structure is ominous, yet the iconography of concrete framework creates crevices where light and shadow play in the cerulean sky. In a perfect balance of weight and light the building floats on skinny pilotis (support piers) reminiscent of Le Corbusier’s Villa Savoye.

The architectural motives of the project were “a complete change from the old stone fortress,” yet as bunkertecture.tumblr.com states, “the building [was] so oppressive-looking that it was renovated in 1992.” As time went on, patriotic bric-a-brac have been added to the site complicating, like the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington DC, the design of this modern building.

The Omaha Police Headquarters is a premier example of post-war architecture in Downtown Omaha. Designed and fabricated with Brutalist tendencies: heavy attributes, civic duties, and concrete; simplicity certainly does not equate to mediocrity.

Our second example is the Omaha Fire Department’s Central Station located at 1516 Jackson Street. Designed by Henningston, Durham, and Richardson Inc. and constructed by A. Borchman Sons Company, the building was completed on March 20, 1967 for $1,800,000. The Douglas County GIS pin number is 0315710000.

The Central Station is an arrogant building. When it was opened in 1967, it closed three older firehouses and was heralded as “the largest and most modern fire department in the country (at that time).” Yet, it is also one of the softer examples of Brutalist architecture listed here.

The two-story concrete monolith sits as a two coordinating layers. The top, a smooth finished concrete, the base with a rough exposed-aggregate edifice stand like an Imperial Walker from Star Wars.

Rifle shot windows protrude from the second floor, creating dramatic shadows. The chunky base angles gracefully to the upper story. This station house is a modern spaceship ready for a starring role in a Sci-Fi movie.

Brutalism’s utopic mission of better living through architecture is a clear match in the Fire Station. Simple design re-defines the speediness of fire and rescue. The current mission of the Omaha Fire Department include a rather modernistic a line stating, “the members of our department hold themselves and each other to a high ethical standard, with integrity, professionalism, and compassion being at the core of every decision we make.” Modernist ideals and in particular Brutalist methods continue to coalesce in form as an expression of use.

Building number three is the Continental Trailways Bus Terminal located at 1601 Jackson Street/604 South 16th Street. Constructed by Four States Reality Company, Inc, it was completed on May 05, 1976 for $400,000. The Douglas County GIS pin number is 1532170000.

With rounded corners and a vertical ribbed armature, the one-story bus terminal elegantly sits as a bombastic bunker. Two concrete buildings straddle the site as a large super-flat plane unabashedly is plopped on top.

Creating the bus loading area, the concrete plane is the space defining architectural element yet it teeters between two boulders like Stonehenge. Below, a cavernous void awaits bathing in simplicity. The rhythmic structure is punctured by hidden vestibules and deep shadows.

The bus terminal is perfect in scale and proportion, and ready for the modern age. However, ac-

OMAHA FIRE DEPARTMENT CENTRAL STATION

cording to architecture critic Charles Jencks, “Modern architecture died in St Louis, Missouri on July 15, 1972, at 3.32pm (or thereabouts)” with the planned destruction of the Brutalist housing complex Pruitt Igoe. With that though, Continental Trailways Bus Terminal represents an interesting transition from modernism to post-modernism articulated in a curvaceous point-of-view.

Last, but not least on our tour is the Former Farm Credit Parking Garage located at 2023 Douglas Street. Designed by Boyer + Biskump Architects and constructed by Hawkins Construction Company, the structure was completed on December 1, 1970 for $2,750,000. The Douglas County GIS pin number is 0745340002.

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While it may seem superfluous to congratulate the design of a parking garage, this facility is arguably among the best examples of architecture in Omaha.

When it was constructed, this parking facility was marketed as “Omaha’s most modern public parking facility.” The 550-stall, 14-level automotive container was “specifically designed to make parking easy and fast.” It stands monumentally simple.

This is a massive object. There are 7,000 cubic yards of concrete making up the board formed structure, yet the subtle details are impeccable. The South side has a bisecting express ramp that cuts through the repetitive web. Light filters in, narrow stairs shuffle pedestrian traffic upwards, and a seven-story stair continued on page 26 y

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shaft rises into the sky like an homage to Le Corbusier’s Unité d’Habitation.

There is dynamism to the undulating push and pull of each ascending level. The structure is hiding nothing. It is an amalgamation of everything brutal about Brutalism. This parking garage sits as an architectural marvel, a beacon for modernism.

Architecture is the cornerstone of the built environment. Yet, Omaha risks not really caring about architecture and its cultural as well as functional role.

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Seen in context, Omaha’s Brutalist architecture has radical charisma. Four distinct buildings; Omaha Police Headquarters, the Omaha Fire Department Central Station, the Continental Trailways Bus Terminal, and the Former Farm Credit Parking Garage prove there is a lot to appreciate from Brutalism’s utopic tendencies.

As Omaha architect Geoff DeOld notes, “there’s a certain straight-forwardness in the architecture of Brutalism that provides a counterpoint to much of the work being produced locally.”

Omaha’s Brutalism is deliberate in approach, and it re-defines its built context with clean lines and modern structure. Architecture in and of itself does not have a narrative, and it exists beyond the circumstances in which it was built.

Architecture must be considered in relation to its environment and the effect it has on the human experience, namely it must be both seen and occupied. Utopic, historic, or contemporary, all of Omaha’s architecture deserves a place at the forefront of our discourse. ,

Saddle up for a rip-roaring roundup of dance, featuring the world premiere of Erika Overturff’s new ballet Go West!

momentum:

go west!

Season Sponsor:

Major Support:

Additional Support:

At Joslyn Art Museum: Friday, April 1, 7:30 pm www.TicketOmaha.com or call 402-345-0606

balletnebraska.org

At the Iowa Western Arts Center: Sunday, April 3, 2 pm artscenter.iwcc.edu or call 712-388-7140 | THE READER |

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Opening Night Film, Tuesday March 8, 6:30pm EYE IN THE SKY Rated R for some violent images and language Director: Gavin Hood Writer: Guy Hibbert Producer: Colin Firth, Ged Doherty, David Lancaster Cast: Helen Mirren, Aaron Paul, Alan Rickman, Barkhad Abdi Complications arise when a lieutenant general (Alan Rickman) and a colonel (Helen Mirren) order a drone missile strike to take out a group of terrorists in Nairobi, Kenya.

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Saturday, March 12, 6:15pm TAKE ME TO THE RIVER Writer/Director: Matt Sobel Producer: Billy Mulligan Executive Producer:Nick Case, Hisami Kuroiwa Cast: Logan Miller, Robin Weigert, Ursula Parker, Richard Schiff, Josh Hamilton, Azura Skye, Ashley Gerasimovich, Elizabeth Franz

A Californian teenager's plan to come out at his Nebraskan family reunion gets derailed when a bloodstain on his young cousin's dress makes him the unwitting suspect of abuse.

Screenwriter Phil Hay in attendance.

Phil Hay’s writing credits include the record-breaking action comedy Ride Along and it’s sequel Ride Along 2, Clash of the Titans, and crazy/beautiful.

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Wednesday, March 9, 5:45pm IT SNOWS ALL THE TIME Presented by Borsheim’s Fine Jewelry in cooperation with the Alzheimer’s Association of Omaha

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Director: Jay Giannone Writer: Eric Watson, Jay Giannone (screenplay), Erich Hover (story) Producer: Erich Hover, Jay Giannone Cast: Brett Cullen, Erich Hover, Sterling Knight, Lesley Ann Warren, Taryn Manning, John Beasley When Paul is diagnosed with young onset Frontotemporal Dementia at 58, his family comes closer together than ever before. Along the way, he and his middle son Jesse learn many things about each other by working on Paul's old truck, finally taking it for one last fishing trip together.

Thursday, March 10, 8:30pm BLACK LUCK Director: Jason Levering, David Weiss Writer: Jason Levering, Garrett Sheeks Producer: David M. Weiss, Jason Levering, Garrett Sheeks, Aaron Smith Cast: Garrett Sheeks, Karrie Bauman, Jeff Gamble, Jeff Luby A hitman in hiding struggles to keep his monsters at bay when his dark past comes calling. Some days your LUCK just goes BLACK. Friday, March 11, 6:00pm NO RESOLUTION Writer/Director: Tim Kasher Producer: Chevy Kozisek Executive Producer: Brian Young Cast: Maura Kidwell, Layne Manzer, Erin O’Shea The debut feature film by songwriter Tim Kasher (Cursive, The Good Life), No Resolution explores the relationship of never-was musician Cary and his newly pregnant fiancé Jean as they struggle with concepts of family and settling down.

New Year's Eve becomes a fitting backdrop for the disparity of their combined future.

Saturday, March 12, 3:45pm ONCE IN A LEW MOON Director: Lonnie Senstock Writer: Lonnie Senstock, Chance Williams Producer: Lynn Bartak, Jennifer Pederson Executive Producer: Drew Vamosi, Chance Williams Cast: Lew Hunter, Pamela Hunter, Francis Ford Coppola, Patty Duke, Oliver Stone, Bruce Joel Rubin, Hal Ackerman Lew Hunter came from a poor household and big dreams to make it in Hollywood. We will give writers around the world the applause they deserve. From rags to riches came this farm boy from Nebraska, fighting his way to the top of Hollywood.

'Directors and actors don't make it up as they go along.'

Sunday, March 13, 2:30pm I DREAM OF AN OMAHA WHERE… Director: Mele Mason Writer: Daniel Beaty Producers: Vic Gutman & Associates, Mele Mason, Daniel Beaty Cast: Daniel Beaty, Tyrone Beasley, Shamall Tysean Fleming, Savahanna Grover, TyJuan Henderson, Tabatha Manning Omaha has a long-standing problem with gangs and youth-on-youth violence and is one of the most dangerous cities to live in for African American youth. 'I Dream of an Omaha Where . . .' is a collaborative project involving former gang members and people who have been affected by gangs. The project, moderated by nationally known performer and writer Daniel Beaty, takes the participants through intense and moving workshops to a performance of a play which utilizes the transcripts of the workshops.

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FULL SCHEDULE Tuesday, March 8 Village Pointe Cinema 6:30pm – Opening Night Film: Eye in the Sky Cheeseburger in Paradise 8:00pm – Opening Night Party Wednesday, March 9 Village Pointe Cinema 5:45pm – It Snows All the Time (Special Engagement/Nebraska Spotlight) 6:00pm – Short Films Block #1 -

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Minimum Wage Mother's Day Unbelief Promise Me Partners EXO Purpose The Puppet Man Brix and the Bitch Killer

6:15pm – God Knows Where I Am 8:15pm – Short Films Block #2 (Nebraska Documentaries) -

Kearney Goes to War Cael Collaboration A Film About Loss Comedy Open Mic Handle With Care

8:30pm – Stereotypically You 8:45pm – Hunky Dory Funny Bone Comedy Club 6:00pm – Writers Theatre Presents: Screen/Play 10:00pm – Funny Bone Party!

Thursday, March 10 Funny Bone Comedy Club 8:00am - OFF Academy, Day 1 Village Pointe Cinema 5:45pm – Good ol’ Boy 6:00pm – Short Films Block #3 -

Move Me Pant Suits Blue Borsalino The Last Words Finding China Beyond the Blue Hut Hut The Voice in the Head

6:15pm – The Million Dollar Duck 8:25pm – Llama Nation 8:30pm – Black Luck (Nebraska Spotlight) 8:45pm – How To Plan an Orgy in a Small Town Bravo! Cucina Italiana 10:00pm – Bravo! Party!

Friday, March 11 Funny Bone Comedy Club 8:00am – OFF Academy, Day 2 Village Pointe Cinema 5:30pm – Short Films Block #4 -

In Memory Miss Famous Southern Justice The Bespoke Tailoring of Mister Bellamy A Walk In Winter This Modern Man is Beat Woman Outside

5:45pm – Rwanda & Juliet 6:00pm – No Resolution (Nebraska Spotlight) 8:00pm – The Invitation (Special Screening) 8:15pm – Short Films Block #5 (Nebraska Shorts 1) -

Reparations Target Practice I'm F*#cking Happy Midnight Kiss Tachycardia T for Tyranny Our First Date Tattoo The Office Routine The Boulevard Permanent Leaving Kansas

8:30pm – Baby, Baby, Baby Julio’s West 10:00pm – Ring the Bell Party!

Saturday, March 12 Village Pointe Cinema 11:30am – Sabali 12:00pm – Short Films Block #6 (International) -

Out of the Village The Chicken Nowhereland Disceptatio Taste of Life Stay Runaway Iris

1:15pm – Man Vs. Snake 2:30pm – Short Films Block #7 (Animated) -

Borrowed Time Violet Bendito Machine V - Pull The Trigger The Story of Percival Pilts Pombo Loves You The Orchestra Chatarra (Junk) Sleepy Steve The Loneliest Stoplight Fulfilament We Can't Live Without Cosmos

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Join the Club Fabrizio's Iniciation What If My Wife Died In Yoga Class?

Auto-Cowrecked Natural Insemination Killer Friends Madam Black Twisted How To Lose Weight In 4 Easy Steps

5:45pm – Coming Through the Rye 6:15pm – Take Me to the River (Special Screening) 7:45pm – Short Films Block #9 (Nebraska Shorts 2) -

Vanman and Truckboy In the Dark The Inselberg Effect Faces and Stones The Offer Second Words Run Lucky Stiff

8:30pm – Trivia Night 8:45pm – West of Redemption Harrington’s Family Restaurant 10:00pm – Harrington’s Party!

Sunday, March 13 Village Pointe Cinema 11:45am – When Voices Meet: One Divided Country; One United Choir; One Courageous Journey 12:00pm – Short Films Block #10 (Documentaries) -

Where We Stand Together We're Stronger The House is Innocent The Send-Off The Simple Gift of Walnut Grove

2:15pm – Keep in Touch 2:30pm – I Dream of an Omaha Where…

4:30pm – OFF Awards Ceremony

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RalstonArena.com • 402.934.9966 • 7300 Q Street • Omaha | THE READER |

MARCH 2016

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T

he Omaha Community Playhouse found a familiar face in their search for the company’s new Artistic Director. New York-based director Kimberly Faith Hickman accepted the position last week and will begin duties on June 1st, 2016. She fills the void left after the dismissal of OCP’s most recent Artistic Director, Hilary Adams.

Hickman is no stranger to the Omaha Community Playhouse after she guest directed both Enron and Jesus Christ Superstar during the 2014-15 season.

She also co-directed the most recent rendition of the Nebraska Theatre Caravan’s touring production of A Christmas Carol. Hickman said that some of her best work was on Playhouse stages.

“I had an amazing time working as a guest director at OCP,” she said. “Enron is the show that I’m the most proud of so far in my career. That was a project that was really near and dear to my heart. The subject matter was really challenging and obviously one that is very personal to the citizens of Omaha.”

For Hickman, working on Enron was a fantastic way for her to connect to the city of and its residents.

“I found that people were really willing to talk about their personal experiences with me while I was directing that show. I spoke to a lot of people that had worked for Enron, people who lost their savings due to the collapse of Enron. It was remarkable to see how open people were sharing their stories with me and letting me share their stories with the cast. Working on it at OCP was fantastic. The staff was wonderful. They were so supportive and great collaborators. I had an amazing time.”

One of Hickman’s main influences in her theatre career was the Springer Opera House, a historic theater in Columbus, Georgia.

Coincidentally, Springer was where former Playhouse Artistic Director Charles Jones called home before moving to OCP in 1974. Hickman said that each of the theatres share the same values.

“I think there’s something about organizations that have such strong ties to their past, and how that past influences their future, that’s something very unique and appealing to me. It’s almost magical; a magical sense of community spirit that travels through the organization,” she said.

“What I look for in a theatre is a sense of community. I’m a people person. I like going into organizations that have very strong relationships with their employees or very strong relationships with their audience members. That’s really important. Those relationships can meet the same goal. If you have a great relationship with your staff you’re going to have a great relationship with your audience because everyone is committed to telling or seeing a great story on stage.

The ebb and flow of a staff and an audience is key. All of the theatres I’ve worked at have that in common. They love their employees and they love their audiences.”

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New AD Hickman talks bout her vision for Omaha Community Playhouse

BY WILLIAM GRENNAN

OCP President Tim Schmad think Hickman matches well with the organization’s mission and philosophy.

“Kimberly brings a great deal of enthusiasm to the Playhouse, not only for what’s on our stage, but also for our other endeavors, such as our education/ outreach/Theater Tech programs and our Nebraska Theatre Caravan tours,” he said. “Having been a guest director here over the past several years – and having co-directed the Nebraska Theatre Caravan tours – Kimberly is very familiar with the Playhouse, and likewise, our staff at the Playhouse is very familiar with her. I know that our staff is extremely excited that Kimberly will be joining us on a fulltime basis.”

Hickman worked for several different organizations and artistic ventures during her time in New York. She is artistic associate at terraNOVA Collective, a member of Directors Lab West, Lincoln Center Theater Directors Lab and Stage Director and Choreographers Society. She is also a founding member of Bechdel Project, a non-profit organization devoted to telling stories that pass the Bechdel Test, where two female characters talk to one another and talk about something other than a man. Much the focus of those organizations involves fostering relationships and giving opportunities to artists on stage and off while working on projects that speak to a diverse collection of audiences in profound ways.

In terms of her artistic vision for the Playhouse, Hickman said that she wants to bring her diverse philosophy to the theatre while still embracing the more classic and commercial fare.

“My personal taste is all over the map. I love theatre that some people might call safe or commercial,” she laughed. “And I do love more mature material as well but because my taste is so diverse I think that offers a lot of opportunity for Omaha audiences because the programming I’m going to select will be incredibly diverse. I think it’s important for everyone in our audience to have options to see. For every big, flashy, commercial musical, there can be a newer play that people haven’t heard a whole lot about.”

“It’s important to have that balance. You can’t have a season of obscure work that no one’s heard of. I think that tends to scare people off more than welcome them in. Finding a balance is really important but I also think that the diversity of the content is vital because of the potential diversity in audience. I would love to have more diverse audiences, more diverse talent on stage and behind the scenes as well. If the stories we tell are a reflection of the world we live in, we need to make sure those stories are as diverse as possible.”

Additionally, Hickman made sure to emphasize her commitment to education in its many forms and fostering of opportunities for young people.

“I think it influences the theater culture in a really huge way when you engage young people but also connect them to the theatre’s history. I would love for an 8 year old child to tell me who Henry Fonda is, who Dorothy McGuire is.”

Perhaps most telling of Hickman’s artistic philosophy is her two most influential theatre experiences. The first was seeing a production of Annie as a little girl and the second was reading Tony Kushner’s Angels in America for the first time.

“I saw Annie when I was a young child and it just seemed so cool to be on stage and have that be your job!” she said. “And Angels in America introduced me to characters that were so different from anyone I thought I knew. It was really eye-opening for me. To have two experiences like that, a really fun, familyfriendly musical and then having a play that has very serious, thought-provoking subject matter, both of those informed me to look at theatre as something that is not only entertaining but something that is incredibly valuable.”

“Those two experiences made me see the world differently. Because I know that’s possible, I know it’s possible for other people too. A lot of my work as an artist has been an example of those two shows. Work that’s great for family and entertaining but also work that challenges the way we see the world.” ,

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MARCH 2016

35

THERULES: Top:

eat

Sharing is always good Eatiquette.

TOP RIGHT:Tipping less than 15 percent will earn you a chilly reception on your next visit. TOP BELOW: Spending 15 minutes trying to get your food to look Naughty will only lead to a cold meal (and maybe a naughty Instagram salad)

36

KnowYourEatiquette

The Reader’s Guide To Dining Like a Pro

P H OTO S B Y S A R A LO C K E | P H OTO S B Y D E B R A S . K A P L A N

E

your mashed potatoes, tip on the original total. To make your math easy, move the decimal point over and multiply by 2. For example, if your bill comes to $56.23, $5.62 is 10% of your bill. Multiply by 2 and $11.24 is a 20% tip.

mily Post had plenty to say about which fork to use, how to politely decline food that’s not to your taste, and what shoes are acceptable for a Sunday Potluck, but what would she say about Facebooking at the table?

The Reader has put together a brief guide to help you avoid diner douchebaggery. Comment here or Email Crumbs@TheReader.Com if you have tips to add to our list!

Do Not: Leave your server a note explaining why you left a lousy tip

Do: Tip on the original total of your bill

Coupons, Groupons, Daily Deal, Living Social, and Amazon all offer discounts on food, not on service.

Regardless of the discounted total of your meal, your server waited on you 100%. See that they are compensated fully.

Additionally, if a complaint about your food convinced management to discount your bill, remem-

MARCH 2016

| THE READER |

eat

ber to reflect the server’s work in their tip. If your meal was ruined by the commotion of the couple fighting at the next table or the kitchen forgot to leave your sauce on the side, but your food still arrived hot and without your server’s thumbprint in

This is condescending and disrespectful. We often only know our server until the end of our meal, after which they are discarded as a vague face to play an extra in a dream one day. Your terrible words on the tipline of your receipt, however, will stay with them for a long time. If your service was truly terrible, maintain your chill. A little known fact about wait staff- they are actually just humans in disguise. Beneath those sweat filled shoes, that coffee stained apron, and the smile you can tell is screwed on tight continued on page 38 y

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7020 Cass Street Omaha, NE 68132 402.556.6262 www.fumcomaha.org | THE READER |

MARCH 2016

37

y continued from page 36

after a long double shift, is an actual person capable of having a bad day, a bad mood, and yes- even making a mistake. Patiently mention to your waiter what went wrong with the service and give them an opportunity to make it right. If that gets you nowhere, escalate to their manager. Maybe it will be enough to get that tired server a break... or maybe they’re really bad at this job and you’re the 19th complaint today.

Do: Chat with a manager

YELPAGUYOUT:

If your online review of a restaurant is helpful, the owners will actually be glad you commented and make contact.

Whether it was the food or the service that left a bad taste in your mouth let the manager know. This is the keeper of the solutions and the person with the most power to fix what bugs you. If you have a suggestion or question, they’re always looking to improve your experience. The most important time to pull the manager aside for a talk is when you have had outstanding service. Sometimes a little thank you is what keeps your server from throwing food at awful patrons.

Do Not: Tell wait staff you have an allergy when, in fact, you have a preference

Yes, all the cool kids are gluten free now. That’s not an allergy. Yes, cilantro and arugula taste like dish soap to people born with a set of olfactory genes called OR6A2. That’s still not an allergy. If you DO have an actual, legitimate allergy, call ahead. The chef may be able to accommodate you, but this will require separate food prep, working, and cooking areas designated to avoid your specific allergen. If you find a place willing to go to this trouble to serve you, please be sure to tip the kitchen.

Do: Yelp about it… Sometimes

FAMILYFRIENDLY: When bringing little ones along for the meal, pack a charged tablet, book, or travel game to keep them content.

38

Before you put on your armor and sit down like the mighty keyboard warrior the internet loves you for being, think about a few things. Is what you are about to type completely accurate? Be sure to add context to your experience and consider whether your contribution to the piles of online reviews is actually helpful. If you have a negative experience to report, consider if your mood, your hunger level, or your expectations were actually the problem. If you spoke with the manager about your negative experience, add that to your review, along with what the staff did to right the wrong. If something is legitimately wrong, absolutely write it down. There is a reason 50% of restaurants close within the first 2 years.

Fun story to share: I was sitting down with Nick Bartholomew for last month’s issue when I mentioned to him that I had perused the Yelp reviews of Over Easy.

There was one particularly biting negative review from a gentleman who was angry that the vegetarian biscuits and gravy are not vegan.

Nick whipped out his phone and quickly had the review up in front of me, showing me that the bitter account continued via private message. I prepared to see Nick’s responses to the angry and clearly out of line customer. He was fired up as he clicked on his response, which sang to the tune of: ‘You’re right! I need to get some vegan items on my menu.

Thank you so much for bringing this to my attention!

Hopefully you’ll make the journey back when we’ve tweaked the menu a little.’

MARCH 2016

| THE READER |

Oh, right... the people who open restaurants, painstakingly prepare your food, and work endless days to feed you are doing so because they are passionate about providing you with an excellent meal.

Give them a chance to do it.

Do Not: Be Pastarazzi

I completely understand that your meal never happened unless you Instagram it, but clearing a table to stylize your dish, bumping into other diners, and letting your food get cold just to capture the right angle is the pinnacle of douchebaggery.

came. A foot from the door, George, the owner of the establishment grabbed my arm. With a thick accent and a look of concern he asked where I was off to. I explained that I would be back, but that I didn’t’t want my little one making a scene while we waited. He hollered back into the kitchen and within moments handed me a plate of chicken, gyro meat, and fries. “That should hold him over, yes?”

The Greek Islands is a family restaurant with excellent food. The kids menu goes beyond chicken nuggets, hot dogs, and pandering.

Know the restaurant and know your child. If they aren’t going to eat anything on the menu or if they’ve skipped their nap today, it might be a good idea to bring them a snack from home or place your order to-go. Even a perfect prodigy of table manners will occasionally melt down in a public place. Have mercy on your fellow diners, ask for a to-go box and the check, and pick up any fries they threw on the floor on your way out the door.

P.S. Throw a little extra tip your server’s way, no matter how many times she tells you she doesn’t mind cleaning rice off of the carpet.

Do not: Ignore your server, date and dinner for your electronic companion.

Do: Research the restaurant before bringing kids

This does not mean that you can’t eat at a decent place just because you’ve procreated. Many establishments welcome kids with crayons, discounts, and special menus. These days, my son brings his tablet with him to a restaurant and plays word games while he waits for his food, but when he was at the height of schedule worship, we popped into The Greek Islands for dinner. The place was pretty busy, but we sat down and placed our order. 20 minutes later, we still didn’t have our appetizers and my son was at the end of his rope. I scooped him up and headed for the door to walk around outside until our food

eat

Seriously, put away your phone. Eat your meal, engage with your server, and disconnect. Facebook will not melt down after an hour without you. Enjoy your meal.

Do: Cheat on your favorite food

There’s this Mediterranean place I’m absolutely obsessed with. The problem is that I am madly in love with one dish. It’s amazing and I could never stray- but the entire menu is brilliant. What’s a girl to do? Answer: Bring a new friend as often as you can, make them order something else, and sample each other’s food. I’ve never regretted cheating. The Spicy Chicken Toss at Mediterranean Bistro knows he’s my main squeeze and doesn’t care if I see a little lavosh on the side. ,

| THE READER |

MARCH 2016

39

music ‘countrytime:

LOCASH, formerly known as LoCash Cowboys, is an American country music duo composed of songwriters and vocalists Chris Lucas and Preston Brust.

makingbank “I

love my small town world, I love a country girl, I love a Friday night.

Man, I love this life.” You may know them as the LoCash Cowboys, but this country rock duo composed of songwriters and vocalists Chris Lucas and Preston Brust, has dropped the cowboy and kept the cash. Simply known now as LOCASH, these two talented men co-wrote Keith Urban’s No. 1 single “You Gonna Fly” and Tim McGraw’s Top 10 hit “Truck Yeah.” On top of these achievements, they have released their own singles including two Top 40 hits on Country Airplay, “Keep in Mind” and “I Love This Life.” Now, they are hitting the road and making a stop at the Whiskey Roadhouse in the Council Bluffs Horseshoe Casino.

Their smooth and clever lyrics course perfectly through their peppy, twangy rock produced from their instruments. Such demonstrations can be heard in their titled song of the album. Then

40

MARCH 2016

| THE READER |

music

LOCASH are on the road supporting music the I Love This Life tour

BY MARA WILSON

there are songs like, “Shipwrecked” a ballad that still manages to stay in high spirits. It has everything you expect from a romantic country song, but somehow it is less cheesy, perhaps it is because of the unique scenario the lyrics put the character in. The idea of being shipwrecked on an island and yet all your lover wants, is you.

Turn it over to “Drunk Drunk” and once more we get to move our bodies to a party song.

As stated on their website in the bio section, the LOCASH men feel this is the year for them. Through live performances they have built their brand and can now focus on their sound and produce the music they want. They have signed with a new label out of Nashville, Reviver Records and our on their way. “I Love This Life” EP was released at the end of October 2015 and it is receiving a great response from their fans and creating new ones.

For not having an affinity for country music, even I knew their song, “I Love This Life.” LO-

CASH’s uplifting music, and mottos of loving life for who you are and celebrating the way you want, made me wish for those 3 minutes and 31 seconds I was a country girl. This band definitely knows how to have a good time and based on their songs and videos of previous performances, this is going to be one country-rocking show. This EP makes you want to go out in the car and cruise around with your friends. Hey, gas is cheap at the current time, so listen to LOCASH online and if you like what you hear, buy their EP and jam out in preparation for the upcoming concert. , LOCASH perform Saturday, March 5, at the Whiskey Roadhouse Horseshoe Council Bluffs Casino, Council Bluffs, 8 p.m., $28. Please Note: Must be 21+ to enter Whiskey Roadhouse www.locashmusic.com

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MARCH 2016

41

hoodoo hoo doo

Blues Music Award winner Rawls released his latest disc, Tiger in a Cage (Catfood Records) in mid-February. See blindraccoon.com/clients/johnny-rawls.

The previously mentioned Joe Krown Trio funks things up Thursday, March 17. Saturday, March 19, it’s the explosive blues guitar and powerhouse stage show of K.C.’s own Samantha Fish. Thursday, March 24, The 24th Street Wailers are back with their dangerously fine rockabilly music. Saturday, March 26, K.C.’s Katy Guillen & The Girls return with power-trio bluesrock. Thursday, March 31, Ghost Town Blues Band is up and Saturday, April 2, the magnificent soul-blues of Laura Rain & The Caesars is back.

JOEKROWN.COM

Hot Notes

CHIP DUDEN

New Orleans’ Joe Krown Trio makes a rare metro appearance Thursday, March 17, 6-9 p.m. at The 21st Saloon. Joe Krown, Walter “Wolfman” Washington and Russell Batiste (L-R) are among New Orleans’ finest players.

HOODOO focuses on blues, roots, Americana and occasional other music styles with an emphasis on live music performances. Hoodoo columnist B.J. Huchtemann is a senior contributing writer and veteran music journalist who received the Blues Foundation’s 2015 Keeping the Blues Alive Award for Journalism.

Follow her blog at hoodoorootsblues.blogspot.com and on www.thereader.com.

42

RootsRoyalty M

arch brings the long-overdue return of Dave Alvin to local stages, joined by big brother and fellow Blasters founder Phil Alvin along with The Guilty Ones, Dave’s electric band. Dave and Phil Alvin and The Guilty Ones play Sunday Roadhouse at The Waiting Room Wednesday, March 2, 7:30 p.m., and Lincoln’s Zoo Bar Thursday, March 3, 6-9 p.m. Advance tickets for both shows have been on sale for a while. Check sundayroadhouse.com for Waiting Room tickets and etix.com for Zoo Bar tickets. Dave and Phil are touring in support of their second musical collaboration in recent years, Lost Time (YepRoc). Expect a mix of classic Blasters’ tunes, old-school blues, Dave’s solo work and recent Blasters’ material in an epic acoustic, electric and electrifying brotherly throw-down.

Zoo Bar Music

Lincoln’s Zoo Bar has a huge first week of March with Dale Watson March 1, Coco Montoya March 2, and Chris Duarte March 4, 5-7 p.m. John Németh plays Wednesday, March 9, Samantha Fish plugs in Thursday March, 17, followed by Kris Lager Band at 9 p.m. 24th Street Wailers are booked Wednesday, March 23, Billy Bacon is back March 24 and 26 and Tinsley Ellis is up Monday, March 28. Zoo Bar House Band’s own Tim Budig has a CD release party for the Tim Budig Band’s debut CD Saturday, March 12, 6 p.m. See zoobar.com for the full schedule. Shows above are 6-9 p.m. unless otherwise noted.

MARCH 2016

| THE READER |

The Alvin Brothers, Mavis Staples & Nick Lowe, Joe Krown and Walter “Wolfman” Washington

BY B.J. HUCHTEMANN

Németh & Zito Double-Bill

Blues Society of Omaha president Mark Grubbs is celebrating his 60th Birthday by hosting a concert at the downtown DoubleTree by Hilton ballroom, 1616 Dodge St., Saturday, March 12, 6 p.m.-12 a.m. John Németh Band and Mike Zito & The Wheel both will play separate three-hour sets. Tickets are $40 each and are available at eventbrite.com. Find out more about the organization at omahablues.com.

DAN BURN-FORTI

NOLAkings:

Fremont’s Corner Bar is booking local and regional blues bands of note. Follow their schedule at facebook.com/cornerbarfremontne.

Hector Anchondo Band made the cut from over 200 bands down to the prestigious final eight at this year’s International Blues Challenge in Memphis in January. Follow the band at hectoranchondo.com.

Force of nature Mavis Staples has teamed up with rock legend Nick Lowe and their exciting tour hits Omaha Thursday, March 10, 7:30 p.m. at the Holland Performing Arts Center. See ticketomaha.com.

Billy Bacon plays Omaha and the Jitterbugs Night Out dance Friday, March 25, 9 p.m. at 24th & Douglas. See jitterbugs.org.

Look for digital-only Hoodoo updates at thereader.com. ,

21st Saloon Blues

The 21st Saloon is throwing more Saturday blues shows into the mix with some extraordinary talent including a special St. Patrick’s night show with New Orleans’ keyboard wizard Joe Krown featuring fellow NOLA legends Walter “Wolfman” Washington on guitar and Russell Batiste on percussion. They are a Sunday night staple at New Orleans’ Maple Leaf Bar. OffBeat Magazine says the trio is “a killer collaboration between three of New Orleans greatest players!” This show is a don’t-miss for funk and New Orleans’ R&B fans.

Here’s the rest of The 21st Saloon March schedule.

Thursday shows are 6-9 p.m., Saturday shows begin at 8 p.m. Thursday, March 3, Chris Duarte Group plugs in with virtuoso guitar and rockin’ blues. Saturday, March 5, Omaha’s own Kris Lager Band takes the stage. Thursday, March 10, the masterful soul-R&B of guitarist-vocalist Johnny Rawls takes the spotlight.

hoodoo

Rockin’gospel: The glorious gospel-soul vocalist Mavis Staples and the iconic rocker Nick Lowe join forces for a special tour that plays the Holland Performing Arts Center Thursday, March 10, 7:30 p.m.

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| THE READER |

12/18/15 MARCH 2016

43

11:08 AM

hypedamned T

he advent of social media did more than just open up a new way for perverted manbabies to harass women for the audacious crime of daring to be a woman; it gave every Tom, Dick and Dick (there are a lot of Dicks on social media) a tiny personal megaphone through which to yell whatever they want out into the ether. In my little corner of the world, this completely changed film forever…for the best and worst.

On the pro side, I legit cherish moments like one I had the other day, where I engaged in a quippy, intelligent back and forth for a few hours about the nuances of a film at like 5 a.m. with someone on the East Coast. On the “some of you will burn in hell” side, you have the spoiler monsters: grotesque demonic unpersons who relish ruining things for other people because they have micropenises just like Hitler did.

But in the gray area lurks a four-letter word produced most often by people you like describing something you hope to love: hype.

44

MARCH 2016

How we’re ruining movies we love for others B Y R YA N S Y R E K

It’s not like hype is a new thing. Fans standing in lines that circled around movie theaters in 1977 to see Star Wars were geeked out of their mind without the aid of #UseTheForce. But social media turned the hype machine from a grenade lobbed out of the mouths of friends in conversation to a nuclear warhead sometimes launched by studios. Daniel Kehrer from Forbes had a great look at the costs of movie marketing not too long ago. He concluded that studios drop an average of $30 milly to market the typical PG-13 action film. It’s quite common for marketing budgets to come close to or even tie the costs of production in some cases. Social media?

That’s hella free. And if you have clever, competent people running it, like the gang behind Deadpool, you can get some pretty nice return on your $0 investment.

And that’s all fine too, to be honest.

Movie shills are gonna shill movies. When somebody with the Twitter handle @FoxStudios tweets “Deadpool makes the Sistine

| THE READER |

film

Chapel look like a finger-painting made out of feces,” you can disregard it. But what about when your friends lose their mind for a movie before you can possibly check it out? What about when critics you love drop hyperbole bombs coming out of a festival months before a film will reach you? Remember, we live in an age where hyperbolic rhetoric is the norm. We don’t say “That was really funny” in response to a clever online jibe. No, we say “I’m dead.” For the love of God, we ruined the word literally.

Video killed the radio star, and hyperbole made it so “literally” can now mean the opposite of literally.

Despite the rad work of my friends down at Film Streams (read about their awesome news in my Cutting Room column that should be located very near these words), Omaha doesn’t get all films as early as many other cities (including comparable ones like Kansas City). In particular, if it is an art/indie/foreign flick and Film Streams doesn’t have space on their

two screens (soon to be three…seriously, read that Cutting Room column), we may not ever have a chance to see it on the big screen. Meanwhile, cyber amigos in cities studios actually respect are barfing effusive praise onto every social media outlet.

I can be literally (not literally, but literally) drowning in hype for a movie I can’t physically access for months.

As reasonable and intellectual as you can try to be, this affects you. It has to.

You’re only human. Unless Donald Trump is reading this… It’s not fair in any way to the movie, but when your friends have assured you that it’s the cinematic equivalent of ascending into heaving while Jesus gives you a piggyback ride, even if the movie is only “good,” you feel disappointed. Two quick examples: John Wick and Looper. Social media didn’t tell me these would be exceptional films; it told me that John Wick redefined action movies forever and that Looper was the best time-travel movie ever made. I tried my hardest to

‘cutting’room

■ I don’t think in a million years I expected the news I’m about to report. It’s too good. It’s impossibly good. It’s so good I had to make sure I was reading it right before reaction. Film Streams, one of the best things to ever happen to Omaha in my book, has been given The Dundee Theater by The Sherwood Foundation. If you need some time, take it. I know I did.

My first cover story ever was about The Dundee and its history. The now 91-year-old theater has sat in shoddy shape along Dodge Street for years now, depressing me a bit every time I passed it. That was where I fell in love with movies. That’s where I saw Pulp Fiction and my first midnight screening of anything. Just knowing that Rachel Jacobsen (who is still Omaha’s Furiosa to me) and her crew are going to be saving it brings a tear to my eye.

But I’m actually more excited for what this means in terms of access to movies. Y’all, The Ruth Sokolof Theater has two screens. Two. One is typically showing an older film. That means that, in all of Omaha, we really had ONE screen dedicated to current indie/art/foreign films. One. We will now have two. That may not seem like a huge increase, but it literally means doubling the opportunity to see stuff. Rachel already told the Omaha World-Herald that was part of the drive behind this move; not just to save a piece of Omaha’s cinematic history but to give us more good stuff. See, she’s totally Furiosa.

It’s gonna cost hella dollars to renovate (cough, donate to Film Streams, cough), and the target is 2018 for bringing the Dundee back to life. Every day from now until the day those doors open, I’ll smile when I pass that spot on Dodge, knowing that a mini-miracle is on its way.

Hey, Film Streams, as a guy who fell in love with movies in this city in that exact spot: Thank you so so so much.

—Ryan Syrek

Cutting Room provides breaking local and national movie news … complete with added sarcasm. Send any relevant information to film@thereader.com. Check out Ryan on Movieha!, a weekly half-hour movie podcast (movieha.libsyn.com/rss), catch him on the radio on CD 105.9 (cd1059.com) on Fridays at around 7:30 a.m. and on KVNO 90.7 (kvno.org) at 8:30 a.m. on Fridays and follow him on Twitter (twitter.com/thereaderfilm).

tune out that hype, but you can’t unread words you’ve read. It’s like that old saying, “You can’t put Christina Aguilera back into the bottle.” Or something… As a result, two movies I have grown to love and would give a grade in the “A” range to now got labeled “B-“ and “C,” respectively. It’s as good a time as any to mention I believe film’s should get two grades from critics: One when we first see it, and one if we see it a second time. But the point is, friends who were excited about something I was excited about made me so excited that I wasn’t excited when I left the theater.

Worse yet, sometimes hype gets wasted on the undeserving. There are but three ways indie/art/foreign films break through to mass audiences: 1.) They receive adequate advertising from their studio (any indie director reading this will have to pause until they stop laughing), 2.) they win an award or get nominated for a big one or 3.) people hype the hell out of it on social media. This is why I saw The Witch, a movie that received just so much social media love, I couldn’t resist it, even though I generally loathe horror. If you read my review, hey thanks, pal! If you didn’t, know that I hated The Witch. Plus, I was extra pissed because “hype bombs”

for smaller movies are seemingly rationed out in insanely tiny supplies. We get one, maybe two, indie flicks a year that ride a wave of the tweets and the Facebook to a degree of mainstream attention. Typically, we waste it on the coming-of-age story about a white teenage dude. But the last two years, it was It Follows and The Witch, both of which made me madder than I get when I think of Puppy-Monkey-Baby.

The point is, hype can’t be trusted. Hell, FiveThirtyEight just ran a great piece on how Fandango just straight LIES to you about how much people like a movie.

They inflate their aggregate ratings numbers, a fact I knew had to be true after they said the new Fantastic Four movie had an average rating of 3/5. You can’t find three human beings in America who liked that movie. So between the studios using social media for advertising; friends bathing our eyeballs in hyperbolic, all caps joygasms and misplaced championing of undeserving indie fare, what are we to do?

I mean, the answer is realistically nothing. Like, if I could fix it, I wouldn’t be writing this. But I can tell you that I personally have begun watching how massively I hype a thing. “But Ryan, I’ve seen your

Johnny Guitar 1954

Omaha Steaks Classics

Picturing the West February 5 - March 29

Part of Westward O, a city-wide celebration of the West, corresponding with Joslyn Art Museum’s Go West! exhibition

The Misfits 1961 Feb 27, 29 & March 2 Johnny Guitar 1954 March 5 & 7 Meek’s Cutoff 2010 March 6 & 8

Heaven’s Gate 1980 March 12, 13 & 15 Hud 1963 March 19, 20 & 23 Giant 1956 March 26, 27 & 29

All showings at Film Streams’ Ruth Sokolof Theater.

Info & tickets at filmstreams.org.

Twitter! Didn’t you say Mad Max: Fury Road literally brought you back from the dead and redeemed your soul?” Yes. I probably did. But I only speak in the overly exaggerated parlance of our times if I really want to draw attention to something. I’m trying very hard to stop with the binary “OMG” or “SMDH.” If I like a movie, I only use social media to share a link to my review or address a particular angle. I realize that won’t change anyone or anything, but at least I feel better about not contributing to the problem.

Look, I love talking about movies. Even when white dudes consumed by guilt about

film

loving Hateful 8 desperately try to excuse Quentin Tarantino’s naked racism and misogyny throw verbal rocks at me, dialogue about movies is still my favorite thing. I’ll take the negatives that come with hype for the positives that come with a platform to engage in more cinematic discussions. But if any of you have tips for how to keep hype in check, hit me up. Because, I have to tell you, given what I’m hearing about the actual content of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, fanboys who have been tweeting that they are only staying alive to see the film are going to need a lot of counseling. ,

| THE READER |

MARCH 2016

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FILM

smallworld:

Now that Alexander Payne is making films more regularly, he’s glad to finally be lensing Downsizing, a project he previously twice tried to get made.

The sci-fi story about human beings having the option to miniaturize themselves in an endangered world will depend on specialeffects but the core of the comedy-drama is the emotions and relationships the hero, Paul (Matt Damon) experiences in a transformed state.

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downtime T

he high concept behind Alexander Payne’s soon to shoot new feature, Downsizing, unfolds in a near future world where humans can opt to be miniaturized. Everything about the story, from the title to the characters to the plot-lines, gives Payne and co-scriptwriter Jim Taylor ample metaphorical opportunities.

The $76 million budgeted Paramount picture starring Matt Damon, Reese Witherspoon, Neil Patrick Harris, Jason Sudeikis, Alec Baldwin and Hong Chau endured a long gestation. A different cast was attached in 2008-2009 before the road to financing collapsed with the economy. The pieces almost came together again in 2014. All the while, the script, begun in 2006, got reworked and pared down to meet the budget cap Hollywood placed on this risky project marking Payne’s first foray into science fiction and visual effects..

The production is based at Pinewood Studios in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, where Payne will work for the first time on sound stages and with green screens, CGI and motion capture. Little or no forced perspective will be used.

MARCH 2016

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film

Alexander’s Payne’s film Downsizing about miniaturized human life tackles big themes, goes before the cameras this spring

BY LEO ADM BIGA

The sprawling, three-month shoot rolls out April 1 for a week in Los Angeles, then comes to Omaha for a few days. The whole works heads off to Norway for more shooting but the bulk will occur across the border in Canada, where post-production will also happen.

Arch satirists Payne and Taylor use the downsizing premise to skewer the small-mindedness of persons, policies. constructs. In this new work the veteran scenarists, whose previous credits together include the Payne-directed Citizen Ruth, Election, About Schmidt and Sideways, suggest not only are Earth’s physical resources at risk but its intellectualmoral capital, too.

Downsizing’s all too real musings on diminishing returns and bankrupt values posits a redemptive protagonist in Paul, a South Omaha Everyman whom Matt Damon will play. Although the story has a fatalistic, end-of-world backdrop, it dangles hope that humankind, in whatever size survives, will muddle through somehow.

That Payne should use science fiction’s expansive prism to consider world crisis issues and explore

the nature of humanity may seem at odds with his intimate dramedies about neurosis, infidelity, promiscuity, loneliness, yearning. Then again, all his work has churned the existential wheel with mundane characters bogged down by the weight of their own mess. Just think of the angst that Ruth (Citizen Ruth), Jim (Election), Warren (Schmidt), Miles and Jack (Sideways), Matt (The Descendants) and Woody (Nebraska) confront. For all its fantastic elements this new narrative is anchored in that same morass of folks dealing with adult dilemmas, conflicts and flaws. Problems dog them wherever they go, even the would-be miniature haven, Leisure Land.

And why shouldn’t Payne dip his toes in the scifi pool when filmmakers equally identified with humanistic storytelling have done the same? John Sayles (The Brother from Another Planet) and Barry Levinson (Sphere) come to mind.

Besides, sci-fi is a liberating and therefore attractive gateway for artists to tackle large, serious subjects free of constraints. The genre invites storytellers to ponder endless what ifs. In that spirit Payne continued on page 48 y

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MARCH 2016

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starpower: Alexander Payne’s new sci-fi epic will feature (clockwise from top left) Matt Damon, Reece Witherspoon, Jason Sudeikis, Neil Patrick Harris and Alec Baldwin.

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MARCH 2016

and Taylor lay out an imagined scenario and burrow down that rabbit hole of speculation to follow what they deem the inevitable consequences.

Downsizing hinges on a hero sensitively responding to a world around him transformed. The implications and stakes are deeply personal and global. At least on the page Payne and Taylor manage to make us care about the micro and macro. Paul’s journey pulls us along this upheaval of life as he knew it. Expectations, definitions and limitations are threatened or overturned. Ultimately, everything is on the line.

Unavoidably, the story echoes other speculative tales, including any dealing with miniature humans.

It also resonates with themes from such disparate

elegantly and without obstructions and you say, Wow, I guess this was the time it was supposed to happen.

That has been my experience with Downsizing.”

As the 125-page script sits now, he says, “the story hums along with a good filmic rhythm.” Achieving that flow was challenging for the.”big idea” at its core. “So big,” he says, “it was difficult during our writing process to always discern where it breaks off because every idea you come up with for this idea has a very long series of chain reactions. So you just kind of drive yourself crazy with possibilities. The script goes in very unpredictable directions. I’m not saying they’re good because they’re unpredictable.

They were unpredictable to us as we were writing.

So to corral this story and to get it happening as ef-

sources as Dr. Strangelove, 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Truman Show, Children of Men and The Hobbit.

Payne and Taylor concoct a fable-like framework to hold the narrative together.

The most obvious if unintentional resonance – to The Incredible Shrinking Man – happens at the end, when our hero-pioneer once more enters the great unknown. As with Payne’s previous films, the story concludes with a feeling more than an event or a resolution.

Payne, now married to a native of Greece and coming off his stark tone poem Nebraska, recently spoke about Downsizing with The Reader.

“We always knew it would take a while, first to get the script right, then to secure the financing, and 10 years is a long time. Fortunately I was able to squeeze in two other features and a pilot during that time. But it feels right now. You know, it’s interesting that in life, not just film, you try to do something and you run into obstacles. You try again and you run into more obstacles, and you think, This is never going to happen. And then finally when it does it unfolds

ficiently and we hope elegantly from point to point to point took a while. Right now it looks good on paper.

I hope it will lend itself to a good movie. I won’t know that until I’m in post-production.”

He says the big idea that propels the piece is rife with “social-political overtones” but that it’s the “human aspects of the story that most interest us.” Thus, he’s not getting hung up on its sci-fi pedigree. He just enjoys the unlimited canvas he has to work on.

Payne also isn’t stressing the visual effects world he’s entered though he acknowledges he’s a fish out of water.

“It’s a whole new focus for me and everything.

I’m not worried but I’m curious to see how they’re going to work. There’ll be a certain amount of tedium involved because you have to shoot the same scene two, sometimes three times to get the different aspects and elements.

“I want to make sure the actors who are acting in a vacuum on a stage against green screen feel as comfortable and normal as possible. That’s my job. The acting style should not suffer because of the

| THE READER |

film

means of production. But it’ll be fine. You know, who cares, it’s just a movie.”

One whose $76 million budget is double any of his previous pics.

“If they don’t spend it on that, they’re just going to spend it on something else.” he says by way of classic Hollywood reasoning.

He feels in good hands with his visual effects supervisor, James Price, with whom he’s been in discussions since 2008-2009.

“He is my effects czar. He knows how to explain things to me to make things easy for me and how to teach me how these things are achieved – what I need to know, what I don’t need to know. It’s really exciting. The best thing those guys do is to free the director up to say, ‘I want a shot like this, can we do this?’ and they say, ‘Yeah, we can do that,’ and I say, ‘How?’ and they say, ‘Don’t worry about how, but we can do it.’ Between the visual effects supervisor, the DP, the production designer, they have to trick the director as much as possible into thinking that he or she is just shooting a regular movie so that I don’t censor my imagination, or what I have left of it.”

Payne says Price is on the same page as he and cinematographer Phedon Papamichael in terms of the desired visual palette.

“James knows the aesthetic we want and he’s an avid film watcher and film guy and so that makes me feel good. What I aspire to from the visual effects for this movie is not how eye-popping they are but rather how banal they are. I don’t want the seams to show.”

Payne also hopes to keep the effects to a minimum and to “try to do things in camera as much as possible.”

In addition to Price and his visual effects team Payne is working with a new production designer, Stefania Cella. But he’s mainly surrounded by trusted old friends and collaborators in producer Jim Burke, casting director John Jackson, Papamichael and costume designer Wendy Chuck. His longtime editor, Kevin Tent, is on board as well.

After the seven year gulf between Sideways and Descendants, Payne’s happy to be making films in short order. His last, Nebraska, was received warmly in Greece, where he met his wife while vacationing with his mother (Payne’s father passed away in 2014.).

“I showed the film in Greece a couple times and people were only too quick to tell me they thought it was a Greek film, which surprised me. I said, ‘Why do you think it’s a Greek film?’ and they said, ‘Well. it has the elements of going back to the village where your people are from.’ ‘Okay,’ I said.

And they connected with the part of dutifully ‘taking care of the parents who drive you crazy,’ and I said, ‘Well, I’m sure that’s not just Greek.’ I think that’s pretty universal.”

On the eve of finally making Downsizing after so long a wait and “jettisoning” subplots he admittedly “misses,” he’s content. “A movie is a movie is a movie and we have enough to make this movie, so it’ll be fine. And if the gods decree there might be a Downsizing 2, than we have other ideas that we’ve been collecting.” , Read more of Leo Adam Biga’s work at leoadambiga.com.

TUESDAY MAR 1 Billy Troy

FRIDAY MAR 11 The Confidentials

WEDNESDAY MAR 2 The Brits

SATURDAY MAR 12 Charm School Dropouts

THURSDAY MAR 3 Finest Hour

MONDAY MAR 14 Gooch & His Las Vegas Big Band

FRIDAY MAR 4 Lemon Fresh Day SATURDAY MAR 5 Eckophonic MONDAY MAR 7 Gooch & His Las Vegas Big Band

MONDAY MAR 21 Gooch & His Las Vegas Big Band WEDNESDAY MAR 23 The Grease Band THURSDAY MAR 24 Hegg Brothers

TUESDAY MAR 15 Chris Jones

FRIDAY MAR 25 Red Delicious

WEDNESDAY MAR 16 The Persuaders

SATURDAY MAR 26 D*Funk

THURSDAY MAR 17 Brad Cordle Band

MONDAY MAR 28 Gooch & His Las Vegas Big Band

TUESDAY MAR 8 Pete Fucinaro Group

FRIDAY MAR 18 The Six

TUESDAY MAR 29 Scott Evans

WEDNESDAY MAR 9 The 70’s Band

SATURDAY MAR 19 Fam & The Pearls

WEDNESDAY MAR 30 Bozak & Morrissey

THURSDAY MAR 10 Us & Them

THURSDAY FEB 18 Soul Dawg

THURSDAY MAR 31 Knucklehead

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FILMfest:

FILM

The Omaha Film Festival is acknowledging a trend of more interesting work by area filmmakers with its new Nebraska Spotlight lineup of featurelength narrative and documentary films.

The March 8-13 fest will showcase the work of some emerging and established filmmakers in the Spotlight series, including indie rocker Tim Kasher’s debut feature No Resolution.

It’s confirmation of a Nebraska New Wave in cinema.

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newwave

Omaha Film Festival adds spotlight on Nebraska films

BY LEO ADM BIGA

I

t used to be conversations about local filmmakers doing relevant work here began and ended with Alexander Payne and Nik Fackler.

That’s changing now and the March 8-13 Omaha Film Festival (OFF) is evidence of it.

The 11-year-old fest, back for the third year at Marcus Village Pointe Cinema, is programming more selections with local ties courtesy its new Nebraska Spotlight lineup of feature-length narrative and documentary films. This acknowledgement that a Nebraska New Wave in cinema is upon us follows breakout work by homegrown filmmakers Dan Susman, James Duff, Patty Dillon, Charles Hood, Jim Fields, Dan Mirvish, Dana Altman, Yolonda Ross, Patrick Coyle, Charles Fairbanks, Jason Fischer and others. Spotlight now provides a dedicated platform for feature filmmakers and their films who have some link to this place.

The fest is not as parochial as this sounds, Most OFF entries have no Neb. connection whatsoever.

But Spotlight is that showcase for emerging and established local filmmakers to shine.

Omaha indie rocker Tim Kasher is showing his feature writing-directorial debut No Resolution. Award-winning resident video photojournalist Mele Mason has a new documentary I Dream of an Omaha Where with a powerful local theme. OFF co-founder Jason Levering, who adapted Stephen King’s The Shining to the stage, is premiering a first feature he co-wrote and directed, Blind Luck.

MARCH 2016

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film

Itinerant area actor Lonnie Senstock’s doc Once in a Lew Moon profiles Hollywood luminary Lew Hunter. Omaha thespian Erich Hover has produced a highly personal story drawn from his own life in It Snows All the Time. Writer-director Matt Sobel mined memories of Loup City family reunions for his first feature, Take Me to the River. It played Sundance last year.

It Snows All the Time March 9 @ 5:45 p.m.

Erich Hover’s passion project dramatizes his father’s real life struggle with frontotemporal dementia and how its debilitating effects have impacted the family.

Hover shared the story with actor-writer-director Jay Giannone, who brought it to his writing partner, Eric Watson, a Darren Aronofsky collaborator. The resulting script by Giannone and Watson landed Brett Cullen as the father and Lesley Ann Warren as the wife. Hover plays a film version of himself in the film that Giannone directed. The name cast includes Omaha’s own John Beasley.

The pic shot in and around Omaha.

Black Luck March 10 @ 8:30 p.m.

Jason Levering and David Weiss directed a script Levering wrote with Garrett Sheeks. The log line reads: “A hit man in hiding struggles to keep his monsters at bay when his dark past comes calling.”

Levering says, “Although the subject matter seems like familiar ground, our take is more story-driven than action-oriented, offering the audience a thriller with a mystery at its core and several twists and turns. We did some non-traditional things with our storytelling. We went the Chinatown route with our main character, whose face is covered in bandages for most of the film due to the beatings his suffers.”

The film shot in Omaha with a local cast.

No Resolution March 11 @ 6 p.m.

“I’ve been wanting to shoot a movie for most of my life. This is the culmination of that, I guess,” Tim Kasher says. “I’ve written a handful of scripts over the years. This just happens to be the latest one I’ve written. The story is a fairly intense evening between an engaged couple who are at an impasse in their relationship. I’m obsessed with this long, drawn-out sort of fight on screen. But a lot occurs in between the arguments as well.”

He shot the flick in Chicago. it features his own music and that of friends. Kasher previously only directed video shorts. He got advice from two filmmaker friends, Nik Fackler and Dana Altman. “They have helped unravel some of the mystery for me,” he says. “I really enjoyed all of it. It’s all so exciting.

I even love how long the days are. I could hardly continued on page 52 y

ReaderAd_JanIssue2016_OmahaRollergirls_Layout 1 2/16/16 11:15 AM Page 1

OMAHAROLLERGIRLS.ORG

ROLLER DERBY 2016 MAR. 26 • APR. 29 • MAY 14 | THE READER |

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sleep each night, and then I would sleep so hard for a few condensed hours out of absolute fatigue.”

Once in a Lew Moon March 12 @ 3:45 p.m.

The subject of this documentary, Lew Hunter, is the classic small town boy made good in Hollywood story. This former executive at all three major networks and Disney is also a writer-producer with notable made-for-TV movie credits to his name.

But he’s best known as the author of the never out of print bible for scriptwriting, Screenwriting 434, based on the UCLA graduate class he’s taught since 1979. Filmmaker Lonnie Senstock captures the warm, communal spirit Hunter creates with students at UCLA and at the screenwriting colony he leads at his home in Superior, Nebraska.

Take Me to the River March 12 @ 6:15 p.m.

Matt Sobel grew up in Calif. but came to Neb. for family reunions. A dream he had about being falsely accused of something terrible at a reunion so upset him he set out to capture “that visceral sensation” in a script that otherwise tells a fictional story. He filmed at the very farm he visited for those reunions. Rising star Logan Miller plays the boy, Ryder, who finds himself under suspicion on the very weekend he’s coming out. The cast is rounded out by veteran supporting players.

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MARCH 2016

| THE READER |

film

All indie filmmakers have a rite-of-passage getting their work from page to screen, Sobel’s circuitous path took him on Cannes, Rotterdam and Manitoba detours before ending up back in Nebraska.

I Dream of an Omaha Where...

March 13 @ 2:30 p.m.

Mele Mason documented a local collaborative project moderated by national performance artist Daniel Beaty that involved former gang members and people affected by gangs.

“The project took participants through intense and moving workshops to a performance of a play utilizing workshop transcripts. I was able to document each step of this incredible process,” Mason says. “The I Dream project was a transformative experience for those sharing their stories and is also changing the dialogue in Omaha and similarly affected cities about the nature and impact of gang violence. To me and hopefully to the audience, it puts a human face on those who have or still are participating in gangs and the people who have been tragically affected by gang violence.”

When Voices Meet: One Divided Country; One United Choir; One Courageous Journey March 13 @ 11:45 a.m.

In addition to the out-of-competition Spotlight features, there’s a feature documentary in competition whose producer-director-editor, Nancy Sutton Smith, teaches at Northeast Community

College in Norfolk. When Voices Meet charts the experiences of a multiracial youth choir formed by musician activists in South Africa following Nelson Mandela’s release from prison. Ignoring threats, the choir traveled across the country via The Peace Train and became the face for the democracy Mandela moved the nation towards. The group performed for seven years, Members remained close friends. They reunited to share their stories.

A TV segment Smith produced about The Peace Train led to a decade-long collaboration that resulted in the documentary, which has become an award-winning darling at festivals.

The fest also has its usual block of locally produced shorts. The OFF Conference will include industry panelists from Nebraska. Conference Q&A’s and Fest parties offer opportunities to meet film artists, Add to these local film currents Alexander Payne’s Downsizing lensing this spring (a week in Omaha) with Matt Damon and Reese Witherspoon, the features East Texas Hot Links and The Magician gearing up for area shoots, plus Dan Mirvish with a new project and Nik Fackler writing scripts again, and the local cinema culture is popping. Once the Dundee Theater reopens, it’s a full-on moviepalooza in this dawning Nebraska New Wave movement. , For the complete OFF schedule, visit http://omahafilmfestival.org/. Read more of Leo Adam Biga’s work at leoadambiga.com.

MARCH SHOWS MAR 3-6

JOHN HEFFRON

John Heffron burst onto the comedic scene during the prime of his college heyday. Although he graduated in his home state of Michigan, Heffron’s priorities became clear when he began to skip class to perform live stand up. His first gig was on the University of Michigan’s campus at the Main Street Comedy Showcase. Since then, his comedy has evolved in a unique and creative fashion as he has grown from a fun-loving college student to a bewildered husband.

MAR 10-13 AUGGIE SMITH

After years of toil and struggle, Auggie first achieved acclaim by winning the 1994 Sam Adams Comedy Contest, who’s prizes earned him his first national exposure on the television show Evening At the Improv. Auggie truly found his comedy voice in 1997, when he placed second in the Seattle Comedy Competition to legendary comic Mitch Hedberg. This earned him an invitation to the 1998 Montreal Comedy Festival, where he performed a remarkable 12 shows, including New Faces, Danger Zone and The Nasty Show.

MAR 17-20

MARK VIERA

MAR 23-26

JAMES JOHANN

Bronx native Mark Viera became fascinated with comedy, very early on. While his mom worked as a social worker to provide for her family, Mark and his older brother would pass the time watching the popular TV shows. He would entertain his family with his remarkably accurate portrayals from shows like Carol Burnett, Sanford and Son and Three’s Company. Today, Mark has honed his talent to craft his own unique, creative style of comedy. His performances reflect his lighthearted, fun-loving approach to entertaining and his uncanny knack for seeing humor in even the most ordinary situations.

James’ standup career started in 1991 in Kansas City. James’ boyish appearance, self-deprecating sense of humor and high-energy style all come together to create a unique onstage persona. His comedy hits upon the universal theme of failure and it provides a truthful and hilarious reflection of life as he sees it. Besides headlining comedy clubs James has been on tour with Jeff Foxworthy, Bill Engvall and Larry the Cable Guy performing in theatres across the country.

MAR 31 & APR 3 CARMEN MORALES

Carmen Morales has a captivating style which incorporates quick wit and outlandish characters. Taking from family, friends and people from everyday encounters she transforms into these characters, then adds hilarious commentary which leaves the audience doubled over in laughter. With a perfect combination of like-ability and vulnerability she has been well received by audiences internationally. She’s been seen on the tv show “Laughs” on Fox, been featured in Gilda’s LaughFest Comedy Festival, the World Series of Comedy, Women of Comedy Festival, in the New York Times and has produced her own traveling comedy show, The Not Your Average Broads of Comedy.

APR 1-2

JOSH WOLF

When he’s not appearing in his weekly spot on Chelsea Lately or filming his top rated web series College Experiment for foxsports.com, Josh Wolf’s unique, honest, and high energy style of storytelling has made him a favorite at comedy clubs across the country. Josh wrote for many shows like Yes Dear, Will Smith’s All of Us, and Cuts starring Shannon Elizabeth. He was cast on Last Comic Standing and was on the season finale as one of the Last Comics Downloaded.

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overtheedge 56

TheKingofAmerica W

hen I wrote a column late last year saying you’d all be sorry when Donald Trump was out of the 2016 presidential picture, I figured he’d be long gone by now. And yet, as of this writing — the morning after he strongly won the South Carolina Republican primary – he’s still very much in the race.

Not so John Ellis Bush, who was pounded so badly in the primary it left him stuttering behind a microphone thanking his wife, Columba, along with the handful of supporters who stayed with him ‘til the end. Despite finishing behind “Jeb” with single-digit returns, both John Kasich and Ben Carson kept their hats in the ring, though everyone knows it’s just a matter of time until they’ll be up there making the same speech Bush just stumbled through.

That left Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz to fight like pit bulls for second place, while Trump leaned back and enjoyed a 10-point victory.

It wasn’t until this morning while reading a CNN piece that outlines Trump’s decades-long connection to the New York and New Jersey mobs that I figured out why he’s virtually untouchable to his voter base.

Trump has emerged as the ultimate antihero. In his supporters’ eyes, he’s that flawed character in the movies who does bad things but for (what he perceives to be) good reasons.

Merriam-Webster defines a fictional antihero as a protagonist whose characteristics include “imperfections that separate them from typically heroic characters — selfishness, ignorance, bigotry, etc.” Webster adds antiheroes’ characteristics include “qualities considered dark traits, usually belonging to villains (amorality, greed, violent tendencies, etc.) that may be tempered with more human, identifiable traits (confusion, selfhatred, etc.).”

And Wikipedia, where I’m culling this info, says antiheroes have possibly noble but ambiguous motives pursued by the belief that the ends justify the means.

Trump, in a nutshell.

Famous antiheroes from film fiction: Tony Soprano, Michael Corleone, Gordon Gekko, Harry Callahan, Travis Bickle, Charles Foster Kane.

You root for them even though you know what they’re doing is “wrong” in the eyes of respected society.

MARCH 2016

| THE READER |

over the edge

Donald Trump has emerged as the ultimate antihero

BY TIM MCMAHAN

Trump’s fans don’t love him because of any “Big Thought” policies or intricate 5-Step Plans; they love him because he says and does whatever he wants to. Trump’s speeches and actions provide formal justification for all their most vile and repulsive ideas. He is, after all, a presidential candidate. And a billionaire. What more noble pursuit can one have?

When Trump boasts he could “stand in the middle of 5th Avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldn’t lose voters,” he speaks the unfortunate truth. He clearly is beyond reproach in the eyes of an electorate that finds him irresistible.

I never, ever thought he’d last this long, but he’s bigger than ever despite not giving a single detail as to how he’d get Congress to follow his commands — a Congress that loathes him. His retort when asked how he’ll get anything done in Gridlock City — I make deals, big successful deals. That’s what I do.

That’s what I’m known for. Or in the words of Don Corleone, he’ll make them an offer they can’t refuse.

For his supporters, that whole “Congress problem” — you know, the democracy part — couldn’t be further from their minds. It’s as if Trump weren’t running for president as much as running for King of America. King Trump.

Try that on for size.

Look, it’s not so much Trump’s long history of misogyny or the xenophobia, the bullying or mob ties, or even the constant crassness that bubbles from his bloviating mouth that annoys me. It’s the lying.

The most blatant lie is the whopper he’s centered his entire campaign around: “We will build a wall along the border and make Mexico pay for it.”

Never mind that the United States could never afford to pay for such a massive, multi-billion dollar construction project. Trump insists a country as poor as Mexico could — and would — build that wall. And if they don’t, once in the oval office he threatens to increase fees for visas, border-crossing cards and tariffs (probably illegal) — i.e., they’ll pay for that wall or he’ll start a trade war with our third largest trade partner.

Of course Trump knows all this bluster about building a wall is pure folly. And, deep down inside, so do most of his supporters. No one really expects the wall to be built, just like no one believes he’ll follow through on expelling more than 11 million people who are here illegally. It’s the idea that matters.

In fact, the worst thing that could happen to Trump is that he’d actually win the presidency. Because he’d have to try to do all those things he knows were never possible in the first place. And, let’s face it, it’s better for Trump’s constituency if he loses. That way they can continue to blame someone else for everything that goes wrong in their lives.

We all know what happened to Gordon Gekko and the Corleone Family and Citizen Kane. All the great antiheroes lose in the end.

That’s why we love them. Why would Trump be any different? , Over The Edge is a monthly column by Reader senior contributing writer Tim McMahan focused on culture, society, music, the media and the arts. Email Tim at tim.mcmahan@gmail.com

| THE READER |

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Waterworld

Our future lies under the sea. In 10,000 years, the earth will all be water. Sea levels will have risen to cover the land, and all life will be in the oceans. Humans will have ceased to exist -- or, at least, ceased to exist as we know them. They will have returned to the seas, like the whales and dolphins before them. There will still be cities, and will still be culture, and will still be all that we know to be human. But it will be based in the ocean and unlike anything we experience now.

Tomorrow, the Road

Say goodbye to your house, your city, and your state. The time of the fixed address has come to an end. For most humans, the future will be one of constant, itinerant movement, seeking jobs, seeking safe places, seeking adventure. A popular book will come out in the next few years that will make the case that the nature state of mankind is that of movement, and we become unstable when moored to one place for too long. This will spark a worldwide revolution, where people will quit jobs, sell homes, pull up stakes, and move. Magazines will detail the history of nomads, as well as techniques used for a life on the road. The road is our future, and we will spend it traveling.

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MARCH 2016

There will be so many languages in the future that we can each have one of our own. Thanks to increasingly sophisticated translation software, coupled with ease of use thanks to wearable tech that will automatically translate anything heard, English will soon cease to be the dominant language of the United States. Instead, minority languages will flourish. Additionally, groups with shared interests will

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break off and choose the language best for their group.

Some will speak the language of their culture or ethnicity -- German, in particular, will enjoy a massive revival in the United States, as will Scandinavian languages and languages of Africa. Others will choose languages that represent their interests, with some people deliberately reviving dead languages, including Latin and Greek. And some will choose invented languages, or will invent their own, knowing that if they program it into a popular translation program, everyone will nonetheless understand them. Tomorrow will be like the world was after the fall of the Tower of Babel, with millions of languages, but nonetheless all will be heard and all will be comprehended.

The Deadline

In the future, we shall know the exact moment of our death, because we ourselves will have picked it. Thanks to advancement in medical science, it will be possible for people to live hundreds or even thousands of years in relative good health. But, for many, this greatly expanded lifespan will be a burden rather than a blessing. There will be FOUND VIA LEMERG.COM little incentive to accomplish anything when you have a near-endless amount of time to do so. Instead, many will choose to program into their genes and exact day of death. Some will want to live long, leisurely lives, but others will find more incentive to live under a literal deadline, with just a few decades or even a few years to complete all they must. On the day they have chosen to die, they will gather friends and family for a party, and will make a list of all they had done, and all they wish they had done.

And then they will walk into the woods to be alone, and to wait for the end.

For more on these predictions and others by Dr. Mysterian visit www.thereader.com.