It seems like a long time ago now. Not only the late 19th century, when the tales about Jews in Czarist Russia written by Sholem Aleichem took place, or even 1905, when Fiddler on the Roof (based on those stories) is set. But also the early 1960s, when this musical was created — when several […]
Arts + Scene
Reviews, interviews and upcoming highlights from the week in visual and performing arts around Humboldt County.
Posted inArts + Scene
Literary Gifts
Another year, another stack of books to wrap and give as gifts. A book is the gift that keeps on giving: With one purchase, you can cast a vote in favor of literature, in favor of the quiet joys of the printed page, in favor of writers in garrets, in favor of independent bookstores. Remember […]
Posted inArts + Scene
From a Lump of Clay
The hardest prose to write is a short story. I never have trouble filling up my column space; I have trouble trimming it down to my allotted number of words. Getting to the essence of a subject, removing extraneous material and making every word work is the tricky part of writing. The same is true […]
Posted inArts + Scene
Hobart Brown RIP
Considering the rumor that Hobart Brown’s last words were, “Alert the media,” chances are you’ve heard the sad news: Ferndale’s world-renowned artist died from pneumoniain the early morning hours of Wednesday, Nov. 7, at Redwood Memorial Hospital in Fortuna at the age of 73. Best known as the “Glorious Founder” of the Kinetic Sculpture Race, […]
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Lame Lions
Previews Opening Friday, Nov. 16, following in the footsteps of last year’s 300, Robert Zemeckis’ Beowulf brings another digitally enhanced warrior to the screen for your viewing pleasure. The film uses the technology of "performance capture" seen in The Polar Express to tell the story of the misunderstood monster who has been terrorizing us humans […]
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‘Othello’ in Arcata
When Venice was a great power, its most trusted military leader was Othello, a Moor. In secret, Othello wooed the daughter of a Venetian noble, Brabantio, and as the play opens their secret marriage is about to be revealed. I ago, a trusted officer who may or may not be seriously aggrieved at being passed […]
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Gangster drags
Previews Alas, the Christmas season is upon us. Opening Friday, Nov. 9, is Fred Claus , in which Paul Giamatti plays Santa, who hires his jealous and irascible older brother Fred (Vince Vaughn) as a worker in order to get him out of jail. Making toys is not what Fred is suited for. With a […]
Posted inArts + Scene
What War Is
Annie Reid works in a small cabin studio in Westhaven. She’s surrounded by redwoods, and this time of year there’s the constant quiet drip of a rainforest in the rainy season. Her garden is a slightly tamed version of a natural forest floor, with ferns in profusion and a thick layer of redwood duff on […]
