This painting has caught me (and millions of others) with its ferocity. Where men are concerned, I have nothing to say about love at first sight - but my first glimpse of this piece has made me its life-long lover.

THIS MAN

is amazing.

Yesterday, I went to see The Subject Was Roses at the Mark Taper Forum here in L.A. The show was fairly good; strong performances abound with beautiful artistic direction. But something bothered me.

I’ve been submerged in the WORLD OF THEATRE for about ten years, and I love studying the craft and subtlety of this particular art. So usually when I go to a performance, my focus is on the play as an entity - are the actors truthful or vain, does the director understand what the important issues are, the technical issues, script chocie, etcetera etcetera. In the past few months, however, the gaze of my drama studies has shifted and landed upon the musings of Augusto Boal. They constitute the foundation and life of Theatre of the Oppressed, both the movement itself as well as the eponymous book that I am reading. The first chapter dissects Ancient Greek Theatre through Aristotle’s coercive system of Tragedy, which essentially states (after much examination and explanation) that the latter is a purgative system designed to keep the poor obedient to the laws of the State through play structures of empathy and catharsis. Theatre is always political, and should involve everyone. 

Sometime after reading this chapter, I found myself in the audience at the Mark Taper Forum watching Martin Sheen perform on this impeccably dressed stage - and I was horribly distracted by the audience. The acting and directing was strong, but it washed over quite a bit of poignant subtext; hovering always on the line of entertainment and never crossing to the realm of artistic statement. But the audience applauded. AFTER EVERY SCENE. The stage is dark, we have had a great deal set before our eyes: so why do we not ponder? I wanted to think about how he served as a conduit, or the myriad familial battles I had seen die before me. I loved Martin Sheen especially, but I will not allow my only interaction as a member of the audience to be in high praise of him, of applauding his tricks. Don’t you think the relationship is a little one sided? 

We pay so much money to attend the theatre these days, and gripe about the state of it in even greater amounts. My thoughts in watching my fellow audience were merely of an intrigued nature; I did truly enjoy the show. But even still, I could not help but think of Boal - who would have politely stood up during the performance, paused it, and asked an audience member to show us how she would have solved the conflict. 

We are all individuals with great stores of creative ability. When we applaud others for their power of craft so vehemently and so wholly moved, I have to wonder if we are denying our own.

I made the most delicious pasta last night! It’s inspired by a dish from Zov’s in Newport Beach - a culinary wonderland run by titular Armenian chef Zov Karamardian. If you like this dish, I highly recommend buying her cookbook “Zov: Recipes and Memories from the Heart”. Here’s how to make my (much simplified) version:

1. Cook pasta in a medium sauce-pan with a tablespoon of olive oil and a dash of salt.

2. In a skillet with a dash of salt and 2tbsp olive oil, lightly saute 1tbsp. garlic until it begins to give off an aroma. Add 1 tbsp. sliced basil leaves, 1/2 tbsp. chopped Italian garlic, and one whole Roma tomato (sliced into eighths). Continue to saute for another 30 sec-1 min. Remove the skillet from heat

3. While sauteing, set oven to broil and toast 1/8 cup of raw, sliced almonds until brown.

4. When spagetti is cooked, drained and rinsed, add it to the skillet and and stir thoroughly. Garnish with almonds, feta cheese and parsley.

Serve with red wine and French jazz.