CHB Interviews: Melanie Flood

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Clinton Hill resident and photographer Melanie Flood (of Melanie Flood Projects) curates art shows out of her Washington Avenue home.  We ask her more. Photo Credit Carolyn Louth

1. How long have you lived in Clinton Hill?  What brought you here? I moved to Clinton Hill from the East Village in 2004 to move in with my then boyfriend, now husband, Matt. I'm from Queens, so moving to Brooklyn was a big deal to me. (Sad to admit, Brooklyn is better!) 2. What's your professional background?  How did you begin curating art shows in your home? I’ve been taking photographs since 1989, when I received a camera as a Christmas gift.  It’s the only thing I’ve really ever been interested in.  I studied at the School of Visual Arts and received my BFA in Photography. Once I graduated I worked at Zingmagazine, a quarterly art magazine, I became Managing Editor and began curating projects of artists I admired- like Jenny Holzer and Todd Hido. After I left Zing, I worked as the Photo Editor of the New York Observer.  After a three years at the Observer, I decided it was time to focus on my own creative endeavors. While trying to get my photographs shown, I realized how the entire emerging photography community had at some point become an online only situation. It is very difficult to get a gallery show as an emerging artist, unless you want to show in a crowded group show, which requires a participation fee! I felt that it was time to shake things up a bit, and that’s when I decided to open up my home as an alternative venue to show emerging artists. I love the intimate setting of being in a home; people are more relaxed, it's more of a dinner party atmosphere.

3. What makes the Clinton Hill art scene unique? What makes it unique is that there isn’t a ‘scene’. You don’t think of Clinton Hill like you would Williamsburg.  What I love about this, is what I love about living in Brooklyn- you have space to think, to work, and to exist, without being in the midst of a hipster-influenced neighborhood. You can create without all these outside influences bombarding you. There are so many wonderfully creative people living right next to each other that I didn’t even know about until I started Melanie Flood Projects- Photographers Christian Patterson, Carey Kirkella, Peter Riesett, artists Sari Carel, Adam Stennett.

4. What's your favorite thing about the neighborhood? First and foremost, the diversity. I love that there are people of all ages, races, and religions living on top of one another. I guess New York is like that in general, but our neighborhood really still reminds me of the New York I grew up in. We’re not really labeled as one particular type of place. We’re not Greenpoint, we’re not Park Slope, we’re not the East Village. We do our own thing.

5.  Favorite restaurant: The General Greene

6. What do you think the neighborhood is lacking? I used to think stinky cheeses & baguettes. But, now with Fresh Fanatic open, I don't think it lacks anything. Had you asked me four years ago, I would've had a list!

7. Do you have a favorite neighborhood story or experience? Election night! Myrtle Avenue turned into a late night block party. It was great to see so many smiling, excited faces, organized chaos, passengers hanging out of their car windows, high five-ing police officers, banging on pans, drinking champagne on my corner. I will never forget it.

8. What's one change you'd like to see in the neighborhood? I would love if police enforced no commercial traffic on Washington Avenue. It’s a real loud, smelly drag!

9. Subway lines: G or C? Neither; I walk to Dekalb and Flatbush and take the B/Q. 10. If you were a flavor of ice cream, what would you be and why? Cardamon Rose. Sassy & Sweet. Just like me.

Read more about Ms. Flood's gallery on The Local.

CHB Neighbor Profile: Meet Gnarly Vines Owner Brian Robinson

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brian Do you live in the neighborhood? How long have you lived here?

Brian has lived here for seven years.

Are you involved in any community-based groups?

For six years he was a member of the Clinton Hill CSA and just this year joined the Ft. Greene one. Last year he hosted a wine tasting and potluck for the Ft. Greene CSA. As the father of three young children Brian has been involved in charity events for P.S. 11, The Co-op School, The Dillon Child Study Center, Brooklyn New School and Carousel Children’s Center by contributing wine to their fundraisers or donating private wine tastings for their live auctions. Brian is also an avid swimmer who just participated in the Brooklyn Bridge Swim.

Describe your career path. Is this your first foray into the retail side of the wine business?

Brian started out working in a family business that distributed welding and industrial supplies. At around the age of 30 he left that and started working at Phillips Auctioneers as head of their wine department. This made sense because wine was already a passion for him. His specialty was appraising, authenticating, and cataloging private collections. After a few years at Phillips he moved to Christie’s and later to winebid.com, an internet auction site. Having concluded that he was no longer enamored with the idea of collecting wine, he decided that he wanted to start selling it instead. In November 2007 he opened Gnarly Vines on Myrtle Avenue. Brian first caught the wine bug in the late ‘80’s as an intern for Aire Liquide in Nanterre, a gritty, industrial suburb of Paris. One of the things that struck him while there was how wine was consumed by the common man. He remembers fondly drinking inexpensive, rustic Côtes du Rhône with the truck drivers at lunch in the company cafeteria. Brian eventually received a formal wine education through the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET), where he earned both the advanced certificate and diploma.

I really appreciate your and your staff’s lack of pretension and the fact that the store carries plenty of great bottles of wine in the $10 range. Could you talk a bit about the store’s philosophy?

Brian says that anyone can pick a winner for $50, whereas in the $10 category you really distinguish yourself by your selection. At the lower price points there is a wide range in quality. When selecting value wines, he first looks for the absence of any obvious flaw. In general Brian tries to avoid mass-produced wines and prefers smaller producers and more environmentally-friendly wines. Brian’s assessment of wine combines both objective and subjective selection criteria. His philosophy is to pick a winner in every category and to not have too much redundancy. He describes his overall wine philosophy as adventurous. He observes that people are typically much more adventurous when it comes to food but relatively conservative (or play it safe) with their wine. He hopes to change that.  Brian is a big proponent of wine tastings and believes that as much as possible people should taste before they buy. He’s been conducting tastings since 1994, and the store provides a great space for them.

I know that you use your shop as a gallery space, which is a terrific idea. Do you primarily focus on local artists? What is your curatorial policy or philosophy? Do you have someone on staff who handles this?

Brian says that almost all of the work they display is by local artists. He’s frequently amazed at the talent of friends, neighbors, and customers and loves to showcase it.  He has noticed that having new art in the store every six weeks improves the morale and spirit of the people entering it. As a rule he gives the artists tremendous leeway and allows them to determine what they want to exhibit and how.

Are you actively involved in the Myrtle Avenue Brooklyn Business Improvement District or the Myrtle Avenue Revitalization Project LDC?  Have these organizations been helpful to you regarding marketing and community outreach and/or in other ways?

Brian is an active member of the Myrtle BID who regularly weighs in on various issues and searches for ways to dialogue with other small business owners. He feels that sharing information about services is crucial and believes that small businesses can work together in many ways beyond just marketing.

Did you have any special events or promotions linked to the “Move About Myrtle” events on Saturdays in September (or doesn’t that affect your section of the avenue)?

Even though Myrtle Ave was not closed to traffic directly in front of Gnarly Vines, they conducted in-store wine tastings during the ‘Move About Myrtle’ events to bring people further down the avenue and capitalize on the increased foot traffic on the street.  They are also participating in Explore Myrtle Avenue, a frequent-buyer program, where if you spend $10 at five or more businesses you become eligible to win one of four Myrtle Avenue Shopping Sprees valued at $400.

Has the store been adversely affected by the severe recession? Have you noticed any “recessionary” buying trends amongst your customers?

Brian says that it’s hard to say because he’s only been in business for a couple of years. His business tends to be on an upward trend right now with his customer base growing. People in the neighborhood are still discovering the store.  As for buying trends, he has seen a decrease in sales of bottles over $30, as customers tighten their budgets. At the same time, some families choosing to stay at home and cook rather than go out for a nice dinner might decide to spend more on wine in order to make the evening special. Brian observes that their strong collection of bottles in the $10 range has been selling briskly. Fortuitously, his firm belief that wine should be affordable positioned him well for the recession.

You mentioned that the store will be celebrating its two-year anniversary this fall. Congratulations!! What sort of events do you have planned around this birthday?

To mark the anniversary they’ll have a series of in-store tastings, and like they did last year they’ll bring in food from several local restaurants, pairing food with wines over a series of days.

Brian says that at some point he would like to organize more wine dinners at local restaurants. In 2004/5 he led a series of wine tasting dinners in the neighborhood that were pretty popular. During the last year he organized a South African winemaker dinner at Madiba, at which he presented wines from the beloved and established Seven Sisters Winery as well as introduced two new South African winemakers.  At another recent wine dinner at Chez Lola, he presented Miquel Angel Cerda, one of his favorite wine makers from Anima Negra in Mallorca.

Finally, what are some of your favorite places in the neighborhood?

Brian mentions Yú Interiors as one of his favorite stores. To him, its incredibly charming owner Ludlow Beckett epitomizes the style, elegance and attitude of Ft. Greene. With three small children and a new business, he doesn’t get out as often as he’d like but when he does he hates to leave Fort Greene/Clinton Hill. He tends to be very partial to his Myrtle Avenue neighbors A Bistro, Chez Lola and Anima. Having just written an article about pairing Spanish wine with the African cuisine in Fort Greene/Clinton Hill, he’s currently a big fan of Bati (Ethiopian), Kif (Moroccan), and Grand Dakar (Senegalese).  A nightcap at the Hideout is a great way to end a local night out.

Halloween at Habana

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Free Habana Halloween Kid's Party!
October 31st from 12- 6pm
Bring your little monsters and ghouls down for our free Habana Halloween party. Candy, games, crafts, prizes and more!
Monster Bash Dance Contest with DJ Juice E: 4- 6pm
Costume Contest @ 5pm

THE OFFICIAL Halloween and Last Call Party
Free – No Cover
Sat. October 31st from 9pm- 4am

Help us celebrate the end of another great summer at Habana Outpost on Halloween night with DJ Juice E in the Lowpost lounge (below Habana Outpost) There will be free giveaways throughout the night and a costume contest at Midnight!
Where : Habana Outpost
757 Fulton Street (Corner of South Portland ) Brooklyn NY
718 858 9500

The Faces of Tillie's 2009

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Tillie's has an awesome photo show lined up for October! The Face of Tillie’s 2009 Portrait of a Brooklyn Café Photographs by Bill Kontzias October 12th – November 14th 2009 A Clinton Hill resident for over thirty years, Bill Kontzias has photographed  princesses and presidents as well as celebrities ranging from Truman Capote to Rita Hayworth. Last fall he turned his camera to the denizens of Tillie’s in a delightful group portrait that was acclaimed all over the area, promoted on the Brooklyn Academy of Music site, and lauded at a meeting of the Society for Clinton Hill. Now he continues and enhances his project with a new series of portraits, shot not just in and around Tillie’s but also in other locations where the “regulars” work, live and play, including nearby Fort Greeene Park as well as Greenpoint and Coney Island. He states: “All of my subjects are special to me. As the project has gathered momentum, people have been so generous in sharing themselves: They meet me more than halfway. It’s my goal to capture the inner light of these ‘uncommon people,’ to frame that Tillie’s café spirit with my camera. To me the portraits, in sum, become a wonderful non-linear narrative about this time and place.” The full series can be seen online at www.billkphotography.com under the “Tillie’s Project” heading. Bill Kontzias is Adjunct Associate Professor in the Communications Design Department at Pratt Institute. Reception: Wednesday October 14th, 7 – 9 p.m. For more information on any of the above contact Patricia Mulcahy at 718 783-6140 or mail@tilliesofbrooklyn.com. For directions, see “Getting Here” on the site.

Tillie’s of Brooklyn 248 Dekalb Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11205 718 783-6140 www.tilliesofbrooklyn.com

aa12....elka&leon

ab13

Lunchtime With Tillie: Brooklyn Public House

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We’ve done Thai, Mexican, Indian and Italian. But how about something simple, like a good ol’ hot dog and fries?

Hey everyone, it’s V and T here with the latest in Lunchtime With Tillie-ness. This time, I decided to take it down on new tastes for the little one sample and took her to the neighborhood’s new gastro-pub, Brooklyn Public House on Dekalb Avenue

It’s not that I don’t want her to try new things, it’s just this time around, the idea of eating a Public Dog just took over! It’s a hot dog wrapped in Applewood smoked bacon and slathered with cheese. Yes, it’s as good as it sounds. I did give Tillie something to try, though, and it almost backfired on me, but more on that later!

After a trip to the playground in Fort Greene Park, we headed on over to the Public House. Upon entering, the waitress/bartender directed us to the roomy dining area since I had the stroller with me. I asked for a high chair and they didn’t have any, so it looked like Tillie would be going retro and eating in the stroller like she did as a younger youngster.

I got a menu, but since I knew what I was going to eat, it didn’t really do me much good. However, the lunchtime drinks special did pique my curiosity, especially after seeing that the Checker Cab ale was among the discounted options.

Here’s the Van Sias guide to Public House happiness (and this is for the grown-ups): Order the Public Dog and a Checker Cab or two, and you, my friend, will be thanking me at the end!

Anyway, so after a mini-debate within myself, I decided to top off my frank and fries with a beer. But the Checker Cab was out of the rotation of the beers on tap, replaced by something else not available among the discounted options! Arrgh! But I guess that’s a good thing because I don’t want to go down a slippery path and see “Lunchtime With Tillie” become “Lunchtime With Tillie at the Public House and Dad Eating His Daily Hot Dog and Drinking Beer”! So I just went with water instead.

While I was waiting for my food, I took Tillie’s out: some butternut squash soup Tillie’s mom made up. I managed to get her a few bites in, then mine appeared just like that. (There wasn’t much of a lunch crowd, which I guess contributed to the speed of service.) There it was in front of me: the bacon-wrapped hot dog with cheese melted over it and a basket of overflowing fries! I thought to myself, “You know, I can’t just indulge my selfish lunch cravings: I have to let Tillie try something. I know, I’ll let her try a French fry.” And that is where the backfire comes in!

lwtbph-tillie

I gave her a fry and she really enjoyed it, which was fine. But when I tried to give her another bite of the squash, she pushed my hand away! Was she just going to want fries? That’s not a good lunch for her to have! I tried again, and she replied with the hand push. Yikes! What was I to do? I couldn’t call Tillie’s mom for help. Do I call my mom? No, Van, you’ve been a dad for nearly a year now, you can handle this!

Then I came up with this plan: I’d dip the fry in the squash soup, which was thick enough to stick to it, and let her eat the next fry like that. After some success, I took it a step further: I’d put the soup on the fry, then pull it out of her mouth before she could chomp down, basically using the fry as a spoon. And it worked! I even got her back to eating the soup from the regular spoon again.

My meal was a little hectic, but my delicious hot dog and fries promptly got eaten. I’m glad I held off on getting the hot dog topped with turkey chili because that might’ve been a little too much (but probably would have tasted excellent)!

After all the soup and big kids food was devoured, I fed Tillie some grapes for dessert. I got the bill, which was only $9.25, not including the tip (or that Checker Cab), paid it and we were off.

We’ll be back, and I’d recommend others to go, too. The no-high-chair thing wasn’t a big obstacle to overcome, the lunch menu was reasonably priced and the waitress was really friendly. She was even cheering me on in my squash soup-fries battle, which I won in the end: a big victory for dads everywhere!

11th Annual Great Pupkin Dog Costume Contest

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The 11th Annual Great Pupkin Dog Costume Contest will be held by Fort Greene PUPS once again in Fort Greene Park. Last year's winner was a dog dressed up as the Fort Greene Park dog fountain (and the fountain actually squirted water!) See a gallery of photos past years' contests here. The event will take place on Saturday, October 31 (Halloween), with registration at 11:30 and judging starting at noon sharp. Lesterhead will once again be on the judging panel so bring your game, people! This year, PUPS is moving the location of the contest to the stairs below the monument (at the crypt level). They are hoping people will have better sightlines viewing the contest from the stairs. The rain date will be November 1, same time, same location. Get those dog costumes ready!

Fort Greene Park Dance Parties?

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A reader writes:

I was wondering if you knew what was up with the dance party in the park that seems to happen every Sunday??  They set up a couple of seriously loud speakers by the park and play house music for HOURS.  I remember this happening when I used to live in the neighborhood five years ago as well.
I haven't actually seen this, but a quick Google search yielded this information:
a Mu5ic Series -- FREE Outdoor Dance Parties in Brooklyn running from Aug 29 - Oct 10, 2009 @ Von King Park and Fort Greene Park

Featuring House, Funk, Soul, & Club Classics by DJ Legend, DJ Greg, DJ Ron, Phantom P, and Donny

DATES & LOCATIONS ( 2pm - 9pm ) w/ our GUEST DJs

Aug 29, 2009 -- feat. Guest DJ Markus Rice (at Von King Park)

Sept 05, 2009 -- feat. Guest DJ Jovonn (at Von King Park)

Sept 12, 2009 -- feat. Guest DJ Cloud 9 (at Von King Park)

Sept 19, 2009 -- feat Guest DJ Lil Ray (at Von King Park)

Sept 20, 2009 -- feat. Guest DJ Ray Vazquez (at Fort Greene Park) 2pm - 8pm

Sept 27, 2009 -- Plus another round ... (at Fort Greene Park) 2pm - 8pm

October 10, 2009 -- Summer2009's CLOSEOUT JAM (at Von King Park)

Visit our website for more info such as recommended related events, updates, possible schedule changes, additions etc. http://amu5icseries.blogspot.com/

PowerUp Rooftop Solar Summit

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PowerUp NY, a new, Brooklyn-based community organization promoting clean, renewable energy, is hosting an educational seminar on rooftop solar power systems. The event is being held on Saturday, October 10th at Habana Outpost, New York City’s first solar powered restaurant and ecoeatery.    The seminar will run from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM and will include an opportunity for guests to speak one-on-one with scientists and solar power experts and to register for a rooftop solar site evaluation.  Admission is $12.  Guests are encouraged to RSVP online at www.powerupny.org. This event is being co-sponsored by Habana Outpost and Sixpoint Craft Ales Brewery.  This event is open to anyone. Residential and commercial building owners are particularly encouraged to attend.

To register or see the list of speakers go to: http://www.powerupny.org

Habana Outpost 757 Fulton Street

Halloween in the Hill

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October is here, folks, and that means it's time to start gearing up for HALLOWEEN (Lesterhead's favorite holiday).  Unfortunately, LH will be honeymooning for a big chunk of the month, which means no Haunted House series this year (plus, the last few years readers asked it to be put out of its misery).  I may try to feature a few of my favorites later in the month.  If you're new to CHB, you can check out the past haunted! series here. hallo1

The folks at 313 Clinton have been planning this year's extravaganza since Nov 1, 2008.  They even have a website for this year's event!  The theme will be Carnival of Carnage, and I'm told there will be fire twirlers.  The first banner is already up.  Halloween falls on a Saturday this year - get ready, people!

hallo2

Spread Love...

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Man, I can't believe I didn't notice this post earlier from the Local, detailing an anti-gay church protest from a flyover state in front of Brooklyn Tech last week.  Props to the school's students, who outnumbered them and protested their protest.  (OK, I can believe I missed it, as I was in wedding prep mode.) Yes, we have the right to free speech here in the US of A, but I was glad to see local high schoolers making it clear that hateful intolerance is not tolerated in Brooklyn (and in our neighborhood).  My personal belief- put your energy into the positive instead of the negative.

Branch Update

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Here's an update from Branch, the temporary library at the corner of Myrtle and Clinton: After a rainy week, Branch community library is back tomorrow from 1-5pm at the corner of Myrtle and Clinton, and every Sunday until October 25. We got a very generous donation of more than 150 children's books yesterday, to add to our growing collection. Tomorrow for the first time we'll be offering books to take out for free, one week at a time, one book per member. We are also lining up programming for the rest of the month, including readings from local authors and storytelling for kids.

We're also looking for volunteers so we can make sure we've got enough people to help staff the space. If you can spare a few hours any Sunday this month, please send us an e-mail.

Lunchtime With Tillie: La Stalla

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Hey there, neighborhood! Van here (and Tillie there) with the latest on dining for the infant and adult set.Before I get into the story of our trip to Mexican/Italian restaurant La Stalla on Myrtle and Ryerson, I’d like to share a brief tale with you, of simpler times, of happier times at that location. I call this, “When La Stalla Was Los Politos II.”

Once upon a time, there was a restaurant called Los Politos II that was really good; I used to even think it was better than Castro’s. Then one day, it became La Stalla, which serves both Mexican and Italian food. I never tried the Italian, but the Mexican was nowhere near Los Politos, yet I still held out hope it would measure up. It never did. The end.

So that’s a little background on where I’m coming from with La Stalla. It’s been hard for me to accept Los Politos being gone, but every now and then I’ll go to its successor looking to recapture the magic of the past. That’s what partially inspired me to take Tillie there (plus the fact it’s right across the street from our house doesn’t hurt!)

Anyway, we went—shells and cheese and a banana in tow—on one of these cool autumn afternoons that we’ve been having. I thought the place would’ve been fairly empty, but there were a few tables filled. We took one close to the window and got some key Tillie ingredients to set us up for success: a high chair and a menu, which our extremely nice waitress left behind for her to play with.

lwtlastalla-tillie

I took a look at my own menu and decided to go with the enchilada. I asked our waitress which sauce had more kick to it and was told the green did, so I went with red because I thought Tillie could have a bite or two of corn tortilla.

While waiting for my order, I decided to start feeding Tillie some of her go-to meal, the old shells and cheese. She had a few bites, and then my food arrived. It came in no time at all, but right away I had some issues with it.

You see, I really don’t get the idea of it being a Mexican/Italian restaurant with separate options. You either do some kind of funky fusion or have two separate staffs working on each side of the menu (which La Stalla might have, I don’t know) or you don’t do it at all. I think both sides are bound to suffer.

So I don’t know if my nose was playing tricks on me or what, but I swear my enchilada smelled like it was covered in spaghetti sauce! It actually took me a minute before I tried it. While I was steeling myself for that, I looked at the rest of my food: a big mound of gummy-looking rice and the skimpiest amount of black beans distributed on Myrtle Avenue. The bean-to-rice ratio was definitely off here! lwtlastalla-food

I got up the nerve and tasted the enchilada, and while it wasn’t spaghetti sauce on top, it wasn’t anything that I’d be interested in trying again. I tried to offer Tillie a bite and she just turned her head away. Smart kid, that one! I wished I could have done the same, but I soldiered through and ate it.

After that, I broke out the banana for Tillie, which she was pretty excited about. I thought to myself, “Man, it must be nice to be happy about something your eating!” Once she finished that, we were off.

I have to give La Stalla this: Its lunch special ($6.95) is one of the best-priced that I’ve come across, and it includes a free soda. The staff there was super-friendly and there’s plenty of space for your stroller (I didn’t even have to fold ours up). The food on the other hand leaves a lot to be desired.

I guess I have to face facts: Los Politos isn’t miraculously coming back and it’s time for me to move on. But I’ll always have the memories.

Candy Shop on Clinton?

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There's been some activity in the former Little House on Clinton space (Clinton just north of Myrtle).  I've seen some folks working while driving by, but haven't been able to catch anyone when I was walking by on foot.  Recently, this sign appeared in the window: eat more candy

It could, literally, be a candy shop (which would be so fun!).  A reader who emailed me about the space hypothesizes it will be a children's clothing store.

Have the scoop?  Email us!

CHB Reviews: Macbeth at the Irondale Center

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Tonight, Mr. Lesterhead and I (I am using his laptop) checked out Macbeth at Fort Greene's Irondale Center.  An interesting interpretation, and I loved the choreography and sound (they use a technique called "Soundpainting").  But since Mr. LH is a renaissance lit PhD, I thought I'd let him do the formal review: October 1st, 2009

Macbeth is appropriate to autumn and October. Macbeth's colors are red and black; the poetry evokes the lengthening of nights and shortening days; and it's full of witches and ghosts. Perfect for the month of Halloween! I went with Lesterhead to see Strike Anywhere and ANITYA's joint production of "Macbeth Variations II" at the Irondale Center in the Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church on Lafayette and South Oxford St. in Fort Greene tonight. The production definitely set the mood for a spooky October.

There are a few things you might want to know before you go see the play. First, Strike Anywhere and ANITYA are based in New York and Paris respectively. Second, this is an interpretation of Macbeth, not a staging of Shakespeare's play. It is performed in both English and French. Unfortunately the Irondale Center, unlike the Met, doesn't provide subtitles in glowing green LED in the banquette in front of you. For those who either know French or know the text of Macbeth or both, this isn't an issue. If you speak English but not French and don't know the play well, it can be confusing. Third, the philosophy of the joint company prioritizes improvisation. As they say on their website, it's never the same play two nights in a row. So if you think "classic" when you think Shakespeare, this may not be for you. On the other hand, if the classics bore you but you feel compelled to get cultured anyway, this production is both edgy and old skool.

I would give you my take with no chaser, but I happened to overhear a conversation as I was walking out of the theater that I think says it all about what this show accomplishes. Three men, all in their mid-20s, were walking ahead of me on the sidewalk as we left the theater, and this is what I heard. (I've given them names. If this is you, and I gave you the wrong name, email the blog's adiministrator.)

Theophrastus: Cool. Way cool. Did you love how three actors took turns as Macbeth and Lady Macbeth? It was like they were three facets of the same personality.

Diogenes: No way man. That was pretentious, French [explitive deleted]. It's like "The Three" or something. Freud on stage. Yeah, I get it. Three actors per character: the Id the Ego and the Super Ego. Really?  You can't get more original than some pseudo-phrenology of the early 20th century?

Socrates:  Whatever. It was the best staging of the play I've seen in a while. Definitely better than the one the Public did with Liev Schreiber a couple of years ago. That was [explitive deleted] awful. I think Mayor Mike should pass a city ordinance that says it is illegal in the city of New York to put on a production of Shakespeare in 19th century European military dress. And right after than he should ban productions set in 1930s gangsterland New York.

Theophrastus: You have to admit, it was mercifully short for Shakespeare. The whole thing was, like, an hour and a half. And they only gave you the highlights -- the best speeches. It was way cool to end with the "tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow" speech.

Diogenes: Oh. My. God! That was the worst! If it isn't already the cheesiest 75 words in all the world, they made it the end of the play! Aaaaand end scene!

Socrates: Why are you such a cynic? It was an interpretation douchebag! It was a [explitive deleted] tone poem, and I thought they did an awesome job setting the tone. The witches were totally creepy with the red boxes in place of their heads, and that bit at the end where Lady Macbeth loses it, but she's behind the white scrim, pressing her screaming face through the fabric like a nightmare! The whole play was like that. The improv jazz, the garbled French and English, the three actors playing both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth were meant to invoke a nightmare, where you can't tell which voice in your head is the one who can see what's really going on, and which voice is actually the devil in disguise! The theme of the [explitive deleted] play is confusion!

Theophrastus: Yeah! That's why the witches say "Fair is foul, and foul is fair: hover through the fog and filthy air." And then in the very next scene Macbeth says to Banquo "So foul and fair a day I have not seen." It's like no one can tell what's good or bad.

Socrates: Exactly. I thought the three actors who played Macbeth and the three who played Lady Macbeth were less like three Feudian puppets and more like three echoes of a paranoid mind, three voices in your head, second guessing and mutually accusing each other.

Diogenes: Come on! You have to admit, for someone who doesn't love this play as much as you [Socrates], this production looks like some serious self-indulgent navel gazing. They should pass out black berets at the door.

Socrates: OK, dude. Not all of us are as sensitive to [explitive deleted] as you. For my money it was a work of art. If you want to do better, put it on yourself.

That was as far as I got before my lady and I turned down a side street and left these philosophers to themselves. I say, check it out. It's only playing two more days. You might agree with Socrates; you might agree with Diogenes. But you won't know until you've tasted it for yourself.

CHB: Technical Problems

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This afternoon, my computer started displaying a flashing folder with a question mark.  That's all it will do.  I have an appt with Apple on Sunday, so bear with me until I'm up and running again. Also, Lesterhead will be honeymooning from 10/8-19.  I will schedule a bunch of posts to publish while I am away, but if you have something you want covered or answered, send it before then.