wow Cheney in 1994--take a listen

https://pol.moveon.org/donate/cheneyvideo.html?r=2879&id=10983-5323594-T9Pjx9&t=1 So if Cheney clearly knew all along that the war would do this, why would he do it? It seems almost certain it was done purposefully without regard for American or Iraqi lives for his own political and monetary gains. It's so insane. so very insane. And now we're stuck there as he knew we would be draining money, letting our soldiers die while Halliburton rakes in the bucks. It's so very evil. Is there another word? If it is clear it would destabalize the region, why would anyone do it? Especially without a good plan?

http://mmadan.wordpress.com/

Jay Leno : It was this week in 1974 that Richard Nixon resigned the presidency after getting caught lying and violating the constitution. Remember when that kind of thing used to get you kicked out of office!

from Allison

http://theatrenotes.blogspot.com/2007/08/confession-of-sorts.html

"This process is why I don't believe that any critique - and certainly
none of mine - can ever be the last word on any work of art. It would
be the height of solipsism - and even I am not that solipsistic - to
think that I, alone of 50 or 200 or 800 other people in an auditorium,
can have the only authentic experience in the theatre. It would also
be rather dull. Any response is, rather, the beginning of another
conversation. And it's all these conversations, shimmering skeins of
them, over dinner tables, in newspapers and journals and blogs and
pubs and cafes, that make what I understand to be a living culture.
And I am very proud to be one talkative thread in the whole noisy
tapestry"

I think this sort of open ended conversation on theater is missing in
American reviewing. And I think some of the blogs here are trying to
create something like this and i applaud them. Am I wrong or does it
feel like most reviewers here are trying to be the last word on the
art they are discussing?

For some crazy reason I started reading some of the bad reviews of my
previous plays. Don't ask me why. It's amazing how many voices in
our day to day writing life say "no" and "bad" and amazing how many
people want your play to be something other than what it is. If you
listened to these people and let them in and believe everything they
say, you would implode.

Sometimes you just have to be like, fuck you. this is my play. this
is the way i want to write it. Your idea will not help it. I do not
need to know you don't like it. i do not need to know what you need a
play to be.

You can't create anything new if you are worried about pleasing people.

At the same time, there are smart people sometime who know what they
are talking about and can help you and when they speak they are maybe
not saying what you want to hear about your play, but you know they
are right and you know you should work towards the things they are
saying.

Survival in this field is all about navigating these voices. I got a
show coming up and maybe I should go back to not reading reviews
again. I know what this play is. I know its strengths and weaknesses
and I will learn everythign I need to know by sitting in the audience
and feeling their energy. Do I need to read what someone thinks of
the show? Not really. Who said that if you believe the good reviews,
you have to believe the bad reviews? I'm not sure how you can do that
when they contradict but again, i'm taking everything too literally.

if you get a chance

go see Gus Schulenburg's Riding the Bull in the fringe. I saw it and
it's pretty great.

http://www.fluxtheatre.org/

Aug 15 in Columbus, OH

A reading of my play, Pretty Theft

http://www.avltheatre.com/Shows/nwn.html

on saturday

http://www.myspace.com/susangetssomeplay

Rudy Guiliani, Urban Legend

http://www.rudy-urbanlegend.com/

h/t jason

http://jasongrote.blogspot.com/

The problem that NY Firefighters have with Guiliani's leadership and
his platform which rests on the ashes of September 11.

"Paid for and authorized by the International Association of
Firefighters Interested in Registration and Education Political Action
Committee (www.iaff.org)
and not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee."