National Theatre Day: Favorite Roles

Some of my favorite moments on earth have been on stage in theatrical productions. 

I stood in Rome City Auditorium as Archibald Craven singing the heart break of losing Lily in the duet Lily's Eyes. This wonderful production of The Secret Garden was directed by Brian Sikes. We only performed it a single time! It was videoed for the cast, but my copy of the video was loaned out and never returned.

Twice I have played the Wonderful Wizard of Oz, but the wizard doesn't get to sing "Courage" --- that's the song I really wanted! :-)

In a Broadway Revue at Rome Little Theatre I sang a bunch of great songs including three from Les Miserables, entertaining as the raunchy n'er-do-well Thernardier in "Master of the House", then raging as the possessed Javert in "Stars", and finally pleading with the almighty for the life of Marius as Jean Valjean with the beautiful prayer, "Bring Him Home". 

In 2000, as Tevye, in Fiddler on The Roof directed by Don Rusaw. I was on stage for most of the play. I loved the whole thing, and have been asked to perform "If I Were A Rich Man" perhaps more than any other musical theater number, with the possible exception of "Bring Him Home". As Tevye I got to portray an amazing range of emotion.  But my favorite moment in that play was the quiet little duet with Golde, "Do You Love Me?" 

Opening night was a nightmare and my worst performance in anything ever. The second night I had one of the most important epiphanies of my life as I waited a center stage for the curtain to open and the rousing "Tradition" to begin.  And that performance was one of my favorites of all time. I'll tell that story another day.

But my favorite role was as Charlie Anderson. In 1998 Rudy Childs, a creative director, finally managed to put together a production he'd been talking about for several years. He as Director teamed up with producer Barbara Myers to establish a new production company called Stars In Our Eyes, found financing through all sorts of civic groups and used Shenandoah the Musical as a major fundraiser for the medical community. He cast me as the lead. Charlie is the curmudgeonly widowed patriarch of a family of six sons and a daughter as the Civil War comes to the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. The man sings songs of rage, of great hope, of joy, of despair, 

He he declares his neutrality in the war... he owes Virginia nothing!

When Sam comes to ask for Jenny's hand (my favorite scene) Charlie waxes eloquent.

 My favorite scene-I-wasn't-in was the boys' wonderful dance scene, "Next To Lovin' I Like Fightin'"

But eventually the war comes to the farm and Boy (Robert) is taken. 

And in his futile search for one son, another is taken by the war.

Charlie feels venomous murderous rage.

He sings the lullaby "Papa's Gonna Make It Alright" to comfort Ginny.

The Oak Tree's Revenge by John Schulz

John Paul Schulz is a wonderful creator of stories and has been a contestant in the annual Big Fibbers Contest several times now. The 2020 contest would have been this Saturday but for the story of a novel virus and the world's latest pandemic. So sit back and imagine John telling this tale in the contest.

The Oak Tree's Revenge

 

Gleaning Facebook: Signs of the Times

 

Gleaning Facebook: Bill Harley Pandemic Concerts

 Live storytelling from Bill Harley every Tuesday and Thursday at 1 pm. for as long as we are stuck at home! Everyone should enjoy these but ESPECIALLY if you have school age kids get 'em to tune in. This first one is also availble anytime. I don't know if that will continue.

My kids, Brannon Shaw and Lillian Shaw grew up listening to Bill Harley's tapes and CDs on road trips and at home. He's still at it!

Gleaning Facebook: Pandemic Politics

“I wish it need not have happened in my time,” said Frodo. “So do I,” said Gandalf, “and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.” 

- J.R.R. Tolkien

 

If you are among those of my dear friends and family who remain in the thrall of Donald John Trump you may as well stop reading here. I realize now that you will not be convinced by anything I can say. We now know that the "Fifth Avenue" of the supporters Trump referenced applies not just to NYC but to the "Fifth Avenues" in Rome Georgia and most other cities and towns in the country.

There will be an election this fall, despite the pandemic, and for now the campaign is pretty much limited to TV and social media. The future of America demands that, just as we managed presidential elections during the Civil War and again during WWII we must do it again during a plague. This time we MUST change horses; the one we are on has been into the locoweed.

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It is sad fact that our president dismantled our pandemic protections early in his presidency and then, even though briefed on the eminent pestilence, he crassly and for political advantage downplayed it --- even calling the whole thing a Democratic hoax --- while the virus ignored political philosophy altogether and just kept replicating itself among communists and libertarians, Democrats and Republicans, Socialists and Democratic Socialists. Anarchists and Mugwumps. Now Mr. Trump preens daily before the cameras and professes bipartisanship, while he derides the free press and takes the most ordinary journalistic questions as attacks on himself.

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Well, Donald John Trump I suppose this is an attack on you. You are the greatest impediment to a unified defense against the pandemic. On my 73rd birthday I am frightened not so much for myself or my fellow old geezers, though we will lose many of our number in this disaster, but for my younger family and friends who must rebuild our republic. 

We must politically obliterate Mr. Trump and his ilk on November 3.

Daffodils 2020

Publ

My Mother loves jonquils. I have been planting lots of them in recent years, partly so I have them available to take her bouquets during February and March. I tried to find the black & white photo of 5-year-old Terrell presenting Mother a milk carton stuffed with flowers I'd picked for her... mostly dandelions, I think ... about 1952. (No luck.) So I've been picking flowers for her for about 68 years. What a blessing to continue to visit with her as I enter old age and she nears the century mark (97 now). 

Here is a bit of verse I wrote for her long ago:
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Dandelions in a Milk Carton

Thank you, Mama, 
For nursing me and diapering me,
for a dry set of sheets when I wet another,
for the Bible story book and Uncle Remus,
for all five sisters and my little brother, 
And all the good eating stuff
Like biscuits from wooden bowls
and datenut cakes and lemon fluff,
and Russian tea and yeast rolls  
For Jesus-loves-the-little-children and Deep-and-Wide,
For walking to school that first day by my side
And for your loving smile when I came in a run
with dandelions in a milk carton for all you’ve done.

Another recent addition to the yard.

David Matheny
Reminds me of Jesus's encouragement to us not to worry ...the daffodils of the field don't.

Tersi Bendiburg
Lovely jonquils, memories, and poem!

These tall but small yellow blooms were here when we bought the place. I probably should dig 'em and separate 'em --- I've never fooled with'em since 1993.

 

I've really enjoyed these. I planted them maybe twenty years ago or more. They are beginning to fade (mid-March).

Landscape designer (and my former student) Thomas Humphrey planted several of these camellias a decade or two ago.

Thomas Humphrey
Hey Terrell Shaw! Glad to see the picture. And I still remember your reading of The Jabberwocky in class! Hope you are doing well!

Terrell Shaw
And I still have the wooden horse cut-out you gave me when you were a kid decorating my yard on the side of my shed. 

These are my 2019 planting --- big yellow trumpets.

When I planted these tulips long ago they filled in between some Encore Azaleas, but those did not last.

More of the Fall 2019 planting.

I love these large mostly white blooms... a years-ago planting.

There are many varieties of daffodils. I think I planted these only last year.

Back to Writing

My mother has always been a writer. At 97 she still lives alone ten minutes across town. We try to visit each evening.  I really enjoy our talks, usually about our church or our family (my two granddaughters especially) or about our lives in the different churches and parsonages of my Daddy's career as a Methodist pastor or about her growing up days in a mill village in Newton County. Yesterday she asked if I had written much lately and I had to admit that I have done very little writing excepting Facebook posts about politics mostly. So I thought I'd fit a little writing into every twenty-four hours since a big project has just fallen through --- though my wife would remind me that my list of very important stuff to do before my kids inherit my mess is lengthy and I really haven't the time.

I should follow this old advice of my own creation...

The Home Stretch

I haven't done my stretches, as I should.  

My verbs are wretched, stiff as wood.

My nouns are flabby with adjective fat,

wishy and washy as this and that,

gushy and gabby, fallen, flat. 

In the new year now, I highly resolve --

fervently vow -- baskets, buckets, of

rollicking, panting, working verbs,

stomping, splashing, dancing blurbs

to astound, aggrieve, prompt, perturb. 

Here's another...

Poetry

Don't get me wrong. 

I enjoy looking under the hood 

and kicking the tires, 

admiring the styling 

and color 

and detail.

I like knowing the history 

of the make 

and the influences 

that affected the designer.

But mostly I want 

to slide behind its wheel 

and cruise down the river road 

on this warm late April evening 

with the top down 

and Sheila 

nestled 

against my shoulder. 

Gleaning Facebook: Super Tuesday II

 I have long admired this good man. Now, barring something strange, he will be our nominee to reform the American presidency --

- from chaos to competence,

- from discord to good will,

- from kleptocracy to republicanism,

- from lies and insults to statesmanship,

- from treachery to patriotism.

He will lead a team. He has done it. He knows how.

Gleaning Facebook: Multiple Election Night Posts & Comments

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Three minutes till... will we have states called right at poll closing time? Three states up at eight: MS, ND, & MO

Comments:

David Matheny
You're on the edge of your seat...

Jeri Carter
It's 10:19 PDT, and WA State is still neck and neck, with Bernie up by .2% and 67% of the vote reported.

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Mississippi at poll closing!

Comments:

Terrell Shaw Biden leads in MO ND too early.

David Matheny Sometimes pronounced "Miss Hippie."

David Matheny A "Delta Dawn!"

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Missouri!

Comment:

David Metheny

Hoping for "Independence" from Trump!

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I didn't call it before voting was over at 9, but I was betting Jomentum is also in effect in Michigan!!! Go Joe!

Comments:

Terrell Shaw I love Joe and I believe he will make a great president, exactly the sort of level-headed, big-hearted, dependable patriot, and national statesman that we need to follow the chaos and discord of the Trump era. BUT... mavericks like Bernie Sanders are vital to American republicanism, pushing and pulling at the mainline Democrats. So I am thankful for Bernie and wish him well. Keep being the squeaky wheel for economic justice, Bernie!

David Matheny Could it be "Grand" Win for Biden. Or will it be a dizzying ride through the "Rapids?"

The voters in the Democratic primaries and caucuses from the Atlantic to the Pacific, from the Rocky Mountains to the eastern woodlands to the desert southwest to the Great Lakes to the alabaster cities to the palmetto groves of the south have spoken: we have decided, we are ready to come together against Trumpism. As James Carville has said: Remember, remember, it's all about November.

.

Julio Castro,

Eric Swalwell,

Cory Booker,

Andrew Yang,

Michael Bennet,

Kamala Harris,

Pete Buttegieg,

Amy Klobuchar,

Elizabeth Warren,

Bernie Sanders,

.

ALL are wonderful patriots and well-qualified to be president. But the VOTERS have decided after many debates, several caucusses and primaries, and an already long campaign:

.

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Joe Biden is our consensus choice.

Comments:

Anne Edwards Langley I think Bernie got the votes because some people did not like the Clintons and some did not want a woman president.

Terrell Shaw I just wish she could have been really known by the voters. We allowed the hard right with the Russians to define her as someone she has NEVER been.

Howard Smith Terrell Shaw Trump and the hard right will define Biden even worse. His vote to support the Iraq war among other old issues, family matters, his mental state will all be attacked. There is nothing off limits. And, with all due respect to Michelle Obama, when they go low, Biden’s campaign has to attack Trump. He has to be called out to win the undecided voters. This is going to be a really dirty campaign and Joe cannot just play nice.

Terrell Shaw Howard Smith yes, and the same would have been true of Bernie, or Amy, or Pete, or ??? Plouffe says we must assume that a very few votes per precinct will make the difference. We need to be united NOW and we need to scatch and claw till the last polls close in Alaska & Hawaii.

Terrell Shaw The turnout is encouraging though.

Howard Smith Terrell Shaw As much as I support Bernie, he would have lost the undecided older voters in a number of critical tossup states. These older voters lived through the cold war and the word socialism is a dirty word to them even though they support medicare and social security. They are moderates. That is simply a reality.

Bill Pelfrey Jr Howard Smith we support Social Security and Medicare because we paid into the program for 40+ years. It is our money not a socialist giveaway

Howard Smith Bill Pelfrey Jr It is obvious you don’t understand the concept of democratic socialism. These are not private sector programs run by for profit companies. These are government programs, run as a mandated collective, intended to benefit as many seniors as possible. You should go back and look at the history of the debate about social security and Medicare. In both cases the political right called them “socialism”. It is amusing that today so many of you on the right now reject than argument. I doubt you would also call our public school system “socialism” either, but guess what...Maybe, you’d be more comfortable with the term social democracy. A rose by any other name....

Judi Borgo Howard Smith People also need to understand that Trump is a threat to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. As a capitalist, I understand that businesses large and small need a pro-business climate to succeed. Many of Trump’s deregulations have been regressive, threatening decades of efforts to clean up our environment. His main concern is to cater to the needs of Wall Street. The stock market is important, but it is not the whole of the American economy. The coronavirus may steer many would-be investors away from stocks and give even experienced investors a reason to re-think their choices. As for Trump, he is a deal maker out for himself. Notice how he courts the Saudis and Putin. After he leaves office, he sees promise for deal-making with them. Afghanistan and Syria? They are poverty-stricken, war-torn countries. No future there for any Trump hotels. People need to wake up to who this man is - and I use the term loosely.

Howard Smith Judi Borgo I could not agree more.

Terrell Shaw It has been my contention for years that everyone falls somewhere on a socialism/capitalism scale. The closer a society is to either extreme the less liberty for the people -- plutocracy and serfdom on one end and communism and another sort of serfdom on the other. Maximum liberty resides somewhere near the middle. I think the founders expressed a near perfect description of the purposes of government in the Preamble...balancing individual liberty with the welfare of all. So I am for robust capitalism tempered by regulation and taxation to protect the liberty, the environment, the health, and the general welfare of all.

Karen Suzanne Wilkes Terrell Shaw well said.

Howard Smith Terrell Shaw I agree with you. I have always believed what has made us, at least up until the recent past and present, the most successful nation on earth is that we have not been wedded to any one particular approach to problem solving to better our lives but have preferred pragmatism....we attempt to do what advances our progress the most. We support free enterprise AND government intervention. We have zigzagged forward toward that "more perfect union. It is not a perfect model but it is better than that practiced in any other nation. As an aside, Elizabeth Warren probably grasp this notion as well as anyone running. Unfortunately, since the Reagan presidency our politics have increasingly moved right, to the detriment of the general welfare and common good. We are in need of a course correction.

Judi Borgo Terrell Shaw Yes! A leader of any entity will meet the people where they are. This person does not shake a finger in the faces of the poor, elderly or sick and say, “Get over yourself. Here’s how you need to be - preferably like me. Shame on you for (fill in the blank).” Not to say a leader shouldn’t inspire people to do their best, to reach upward, but poverty is all some people have ever known. They don’t have access to healthy food, decent healthcare or job networks. Strengthening public education would be the best investment this country could make right now. Also, offering low-cost health and/or insurance to those in need.

Dan Bolton What an night , I am glad to see my few bucks I could in helped

Judi Borgo As much as I am pro-Joe, I agree with pundits such as James Carville and David Brooks that he has to hit Trump hard with what he (Joe) stands for. It’s not enough to say his top goal is to beat Trump. He must also claim very confidently what he will do for the people of this country who believe Trump cares about them. Healthcare is a monumental issue at this time, but will it be in November? I don’t think he will take black voters for granted, but he must also continue to cultivate college-educated women. There are also women who voted for Trump in 2016 who don’t like or respect him and their votes are up for grabs. I get that candidates rely on their bases, but Trump is trying to cultivate minority voters. Joe needs to one-up him.

Howard Smith Absolutely. He has to call Trump out for who he is and what he has done and everytime Trump hits him he has to hit back and keep hitting. Trump will do his best to overcome his negative image by trying to make Biden's look worse. Biden can't let him get away with that. And, he should not be lured into just defending himself. He must attack Trump and there are plenty of areas of attack...women's issues, children in cages, his attack on ACA, farmer's going bankrupt, coal jobs keep disappearing, Mexico has not paid a penny for the wall, handling of the coronavirus, his taxes, Putin, etc. And, hit him personally as he will hit Joe. He is so vain, He says he is the most fit president ever and is a fit 175 lbs! Challenge him to stand on scales before a debate, call him out for his fake tan, his incoherent speech, how much he's cost us playing golf at HIS resorts. When he insults, insult back. No one stands up to his insults. Stand up to him and hit back again and again. Don't let up. He makes news with his insults, make news back.

Judi Borgo Howard Smith That’s it. And he has to be armed with credible information, which Trump never is.

Terrell Shaw Judi Borgo Yes! Hit back but with cold, hard, calm facts. And then pivot to how his experienced capable patriotic TEAM will bring us out of chaos to competence and out of discord to find some unity even if it means some compromise.

George Barton I just wish we would pass the torch of freedom to a new generation, Yang or Mayor Pete that will be alive in 2050? What is the point of passing the Presidency to another senile old fart?

Howard Smith I don't disagree with you but that is not our choice now. We have a choice between Trump and somebody else. I will vote for somebody else.

Terrell Shaw First of all I represent that! 

Second I wish the 22nd amendment had never been passed because the American who would have the greatest credibility to return our presidency to honor and competency would be Barack Obama. I wish we had a younger woman or man who could have fit the bill this time around, but that didn't happen. I can proudly support Joe. (He ain't senile and he will have a diverse and young team.)

Howard Smith I know someone else who opposes the 22nd Amendment...Trump.

Terrell Shaw Howard Smith I don't like to think that jerk agrees with me about something. In this case, if that's so, I'll bet we have different reasons. All things being equal I am always gonna come down on the side of expanding democracy rather than limiting it.

Howard Smith Terrell Shaw And, as you know this is an issue, given gerrymandering, given Citizens United, given voter suppression, given today's media, given the power of incumbency on which we will never agree. I want term limits for all elected positions and an age limit for judges.

Terrell Shaw I despise the idea restricting me from helping elect the best person for the job, as you know, and sometimes that's the guy who is already in the job. We have term limits; they are called elections. So yes, we'll havta just agree to disagree. 

We DO need reforms --- Ranked choice voting would help solve a lot of problems. We need some sort of standard regulation of redistricting to reduce partisan gerrymandering. Citizens United needs to be overturned by the Court or by amendment. If you are 18 and an American citizen you should automatically be registered to vote. I hope Ruth Bader Ginsberg lives to 120+ and dies as she issues her final opinion.

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We are ready to get down to the business of making a big change.

.

Out with chaos.

Out with discord.

Out with the petty, the mean, the crooked.

In with competence.

In with good will.

In with kindness, justice, American values.

.

We are ready to roll.

Comments:

Howard Smith
I am a Sanders supporter because he is far more progressive than Biden in his politics and I am a liberal. So are the majority of younger voters. Sanders dominates with that group still. Biden is seen by us as representing establishment politics. But, whether you are a liberal Democrat, a moderate Democrat, a conservative Democrat, we have a common enemy. We must unite to defeat Trump. Because what divides us is not nearly so important as the singular goal of turning away from this increasing corrupt and authoritarian president. We must come together and unite behind our nominee. We must.

Buff Hartnett
Sorry, not ready yet! Let the process play out, let the debates roll. I felt betrayed by the DNC in '16. A lifelong Democrat, a faithful voter, I am thinking about going independent if the party continues to attempt to manipulate its members rather than respect them.

Terrell Shaw
Buff, honestly, I do not understand how the DNC or "party" has manipulated anything. Bernie got his way pretty much with procedures this year. The voters -- the voters! -- have gone with Joe. I like Bernie and appreciate his role in pushing the envelope, but I want Joe as president instead. That's why I voted for Joe. With Joe we will have a more Bernie-like platform than ever before! It may not be the full-Bern but it will be CLOSER to that than 2008, 2012, or 2016. There is not that much difference between them. For example, Joe was out front on universal healthcare and wants to add a public option (That will be a tough sell in a divided Congress and maybe even with a Democratic senate if we manage that.) I beg you to accept the fact that the base is not quite ready for the full Bern but IS moving that way AND that it will certainly be better than giving Trump another four years to wreck things.

Buff Hartnett
Terrell Shaw , I just feel to many people weighing in before we've heard enough. We must beat Trump, but a good policy debate or two could surely do no harm in the midst of primaries. Let all the party members weigh in first! This no doubt arises from being a Californian, art least until this past ely

Buff Hartnett
Past primary. Let every voice be heard

Terrell Shaw
I really liked the tone of both Joe's talk last night AND Bernie's today. I want the issues discusssed, yes! But we must be one soon. This election is too important. And as I said, Bernie is right that the progressives have won some of the arguments and moved the party toward some of his positions.

Buff Hartnett
Terrell Shaw I just don't hear the fat lady singing yet. 

Terrell Shaw
She is definitely warming up her voice, though. 

Buff Hartnett
Heart over head this time

Howard Smith
Vote blue no matter who!

Jeri Carter
And as of today, Biden's leading in WA State, a state Bernie *owned* in 2016.

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Joe Biden's quiet and heartfelt talk in victory tonight is the closest thing I remember to what I imagine the Fireside Chats were. I truly believe this good man, who often misspeaks and stumbles over his words, is just the sort of patriot and heart we need at this critical point in our history. This is indeed a battle for the soul of our republic. Please join me in sending a little contribution to the Biden campaign and adding your name to his volunteer list. There are things we can ALL do. Just a few votes per precinct may make the difference.

Jeri Carter
DONE, Terry, and I couldn't agree more.

David Matheny
The Down Ballot Candidates all over the nation are breathing easier.

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