No work at

Friends today, (but definitely work there tomorrow and Wednesday)  so I probably will be able to go to the BAN meeting tonight. This is especially interesting because it will not be on w.24th street, the usual meeting place, but on 22nd street in Brooklyn---a chance to visit what is now referred to as "the south slope" neighborhood. This is what I really like---going out there.
Some reports: Saturday night: Seagull-machine at LaMama, by my favorite theater group Assembly. A very ambitious project---the audience is asked to sit through just about all of The Seagull, by Anton Chekhov, and then we are moved into another space to watch a fifteen page play by Heiner Muller called Hamlet Machine. Does it work? Not clear---these are my friends, so I am very much with them. The Seagull is performed decently---I love that play and all that it represents--and I found the major performances, if not brilliant, strong in intent and honesty. The supporting cast was solid---it was nice to see the play done in an honest fashion. Then, as the Seagull was about to end, we were brought into a large adjacent room to watch the transition to Muller's Hamlet Machine---a short play that takes Hamlet apart---probably stands on the opposite side of the theater spectrum from The Seagull. I understand the group's fascination for the contrast of the two theater events, which probably stands for their fascination for theater itself, but I am not sure the bonding idea was really made clear. Nevertheless, was glad that I came, had some nice conversations with the actors and joined the group at the nearbye bar for more conversations. A good evening.
Yesterday, wanted to go to a protest in Prospect Heights where a bar that has been a neighborhood staple is being forced to close down because the landlord is demanding too much rent.  But I did not make it---the thought of going to Brooklyn and then returning for the Friends spring musical to manhattan, just seemed a bit much. So I marshaled my energy and headed for the Vineyard Theater where There Be Dragons, the Friends spring musical was playing. How was it? Well, the cast, about twenty strong was amazing---there kids who I see in my day to day experience at the school, clumping about from one class to another, all of a sudden looking like Broadway dancers in this project. Technically the show was a marvel--great sets, costumers etc..the book---well it did leave something to be desired. Lots of thoughts went through my head as I watched it---saw many students in the audience whom I knew, also many students whom I am very fond of on stage---can't wait to see them in the next two days and tell them how much I admired their passion and commitment.
  After the performance, i headed to Standings, for some baseball and basketball watching---I left just as I friend Sam, the night bartender was beginning his run---will return at another time. The hard rain made it impossible for me to consider a trip to Brooklyn, so I settled for a pizza slice--some reading and some desert at the new and enormous Bean, that takes up a lot of eighth street, and went home.
Pretty much went to sleep after that.
That is all for now---will report the next time I have a free day...