Roam Home to a Dome
Jun. 13th, 2010 05:25 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
fauxkloreI flew back to D.C. early Monday morning and tried to be productive, despite exhaustion. My productivity was also limited on Tuesday, due to the 50th anniversary party at my company's offices. (Actually, we had the party outside on the plaza.) The food was good and the speeches were reasonably brief. There was also a raffle and I won the grand prize - a stadium blanket. That's actually useful since my government office is often freezing.
The major news item of the week is that Politics and Prose, an excellent independent bookstore, is for sale. Both of the owners are in their 70's and one of them is in poor health, so that isn't surprising. I hope whoever buys it will keep bringing in the wide range of author events they're known for.
My major event of the work week was going to see R. Buckminster Fuller: The History (and Mystery) of the Universe at Arena Stage on Wednesday night. I used the time between work and the show to do a bit of retail therapy at the Pentagon City mall. SInce the weather was decent, I walked to and from the mall. There were pickets outside the Sheraton, but I couldn't understand a word of what they were chanting. And there was a huge security detail at the Ritz Carlton, presumably for some dignitary.
Anyway, the one man play was written and directed by D. W. Jacobs, but is performed by Rick Foucheux. Never having seen Buckminster Fuller speak, it is hard for me to tell how accurate his mannerisms are, but the performance is impressive, with a lot of energy and humor. There are a lot of multimedia tricks and a bit of audience participation, including a sing-along about the geodesic dome ("Roam home to a dome" to the tune of "Home on the Range.") Unfortunately, all of the trickery and the excellent acting don't make up for a script that needs editing. I was hoping to learn more about Bucky, the man. Instead, I felt preached at for much of the show. There was enough interesting material that I didn't feel like my time was wasted, but this could have been a lot tighter.
The major news item of the week is that Politics and Prose, an excellent independent bookstore, is for sale. Both of the owners are in their 70's and one of them is in poor health, so that isn't surprising. I hope whoever buys it will keep bringing in the wide range of author events they're known for.
My major event of the work week was going to see R. Buckminster Fuller: The History (and Mystery) of the Universe at Arena Stage on Wednesday night. I used the time between work and the show to do a bit of retail therapy at the Pentagon City mall. SInce the weather was decent, I walked to and from the mall. There were pickets outside the Sheraton, but I couldn't understand a word of what they were chanting. And there was a huge security detail at the Ritz Carlton, presumably for some dignitary.
Anyway, the one man play was written and directed by D. W. Jacobs, but is performed by Rick Foucheux. Never having seen Buckminster Fuller speak, it is hard for me to tell how accurate his mannerisms are, but the performance is impressive, with a lot of energy and humor. There are a lot of multimedia tricks and a bit of audience participation, including a sing-along about the geodesic dome ("Roam home to a dome" to the tune of "Home on the Range.") Unfortunately, all of the trickery and the excellent acting don't make up for a script that needs editing. I was hoping to learn more about Bucky, the man. Instead, I felt preached at for much of the show. There was enough interesting material that I didn't feel like my time was wasted, but this could have been a lot tighter.
