Slumdog... Periello (2 separate thoughts)

Took my 14 year old to dinner and a movie to celebrate her straight A's (just 2 of us). saw Slumdog Millionaire. Great movie, in part because its so different. Sweet love story, plus gritty look at life in India's slums. Supposedly the "Bollywood" filmmakers there are upset because it showed the slums extensively, which I guess they avoid. In any case a really good film.

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Saw new 5th District Congressman Tom Periello on MSNBC yesterday, discussing the proposed stimulus plan ... rationally, coherently, with articulation - and minus the red meat partisanship, jingoism and inflammatory rhetoric of the deposed Virgil Goode.

5th district residents should feel good about the change to Periello from Goode. He looks and sounds fresh, intelligent, upbeat and eager to make a difference. Another good argument for term limits - or for people just getting up off the couch and voting for change. We'll see if Washington "corrupts" Tom - whom Goode tried to portray as some sort of Un-American terrorist with commercials designed to inflame his more rural (redneck) base - but so far, so good.

Mill Mountain Theatre space ... and Writer's Conference

Center in the Square president Jim Sears has been making noise on his Facebook page about using the soon-to-be dark space at Mill Mountain Theatre for community performances. Others, like Todd Ristau (Hollins playwriting program and No Shame Theatre, plus Studio Roanoke, a space scheduled to open this spring) have told Dr. Sears they are interested in exploring that option.

Its a big space to fill if you're talking about putting on experimental plays or readings... MMT has over 300 seats I believe. Here's a thought:

what about turning the Trinkle main stage theater into a movie house? Show first run foreign films and big budget movies that need another screen .... or maybe second-run films? Many older folks seem to remember fondly the big old movie houses that used to be downtown. Maybe the Grandin Theatre folks could run it? Call in Grandin Downtown?

Its another way to draw folks downtown, other than for a night of drinking and carousing... if they ever get their act together at the City Market building some of the vendors could stay open to take care of people after they get out of the movie ... maybe an ice cream shop would pop up, who knows... Its a thought, anyway.

The Roanoke Regional Writer's Conference this past weekend was invigorating and informative.. great to be around another 100 writers/journalists or so .... lamenting about the fading away of newspapers, the rise of blogs and other on line news services ... and how most writers won't get rich, or close to it. Looking forward to next year's conference already. I presented one session and co-hosted another, which was also fun.

Writer's Conference this weekend

Looking forward to the Roanoke Regional Writers Conference at Hollins U. this weekend. I'm actually giving a presentation on freelance writing. There are several dozen presenters, many with much better credentials than I have, but I'm honored to be included in this group. There's a reception and keynote speakers Friday night, and a full day of workshops on Saturday. The best part is the networking, plus all the freelance writers commiserate about how they are not paid what they are worth!

Its $50 for the whole shebang; give it a whirl if you like to write or are thinking about it. Just about every genre will be covered. see the link at Hollins.edu.

I just hope I have something to say for my 45 minute session....

Its a shame- Mill Mountain will close

Crushing debt says MMT board director Jason Bingham, and a downturn in the economy that eroded the sponsorship base and ticket sales, helped do in Mill Mountain, which will declare bankruptcy. There are other places to see plays around Roanoke (Hollins U., Jefferson Center - where the GAMUT troupe has been - even the Taubman Museum, where acting students stage productions).

But Todd Ristau, involved at MMT with No Shame Theatre, is also involved with a new venture set to open this spring, "Studio Roanoke." He sent out this memo today with his thoughts on that venture, owned by ZZ Top-looking Kenley Smith (pictured) and the demise of 40 year old Mill Mountain Theatre:

Yesterday it was announced that Mill Mountain Theatre, a leader in our region's arts community, would close its doors today. While the current production, Driving Miss Daisy, will continue its scheduled run, staff were let go effective today.


I don't have a lot of information, but from what I have gathered it sounds like the economy, downturn in ticket sales, dwindling donations, and rising debt all contributed to the Board taking the drastic step of shutting down operations to "reorganize."


I don't know what reorganization means, but from what I've heard, there is every intention to keep MMT viable by transforming it into a model that will work better in the new economy than the fully professional model operating under the heavy burden of Equity compliance. Perhaps MMT will return to its community theatre roots and return to the space like a phoenix from the flames.

I want to say plainly, whatever financial debts Mill Mountain Theatre may have accumulated are not equal to the cultural debt our community owes this marvelous theatre.


Obviously, our hearts and prayers are with Patrick Benton and the Mill Mountain staff, who have given so much to our community for so many years. This isn't going to be an easy time for any of them, and what we can do to help, we should do. (This includes going to see Driving Miss Daisy. If they can't sell out this show, it will be harder to argue for the theatre's possible return.)

Nothing at this point is certain, and you probably aren't interested in my speculation. You have plenty of your own. Because Mill Mountain Theatre's programming is linked to our MFA program, I wanted to answer some questions some of you might be having.

What about student readings and productions already planned?

The production of Ant Farm, by incoming candidate Ben R. Williams, as well as the readings of Elvis Blossom (Sunny daSilva) and Dear Abe (Adam Hahn) have been cancelled, along with the rest of Mill Mountain's season. We plan, however, to move them to Studio Roanoke at the earliest opportunity.

What does the loss of Mill Mountain Theatre mean to the playwriting program at Hollins?

The loss of Mill Mountain Theatre, our area's largest equity playhouse, will be deeply felt, but it is not by any means catastrophic. We continue to have hope that Mill Mountain will return in some form and continue its commitment to new play development along with corporate sponsors such as Norfolk Southern Railroad who underwrite their festival of new works. In addition, the Playwright's Lab has been aggressively building partnerships with theatres across the country that produce new plays, and that growing network will continue to be available to our students. Lastly, but perhaps most importantly, we will have the launch of Studio Roanoke later this Spring, as well as the re-opening of the lab space on campus which will continue to provide performance, reading, and experiential learning opportunities to our MFA playwrights.

What about No Shame Theatre?

Studio Roanoke will be opening its doors to the public very soon, and as the Artistic Director of Studio Roanoke, I'm happy to tell you that No Shame Theatre will have a home in our new space.

What about other alternative programming?

Studio Roanoke be offering a great deal of programming similar to what you were came to expect from Underground Roanoke at MMT. In addition to No Shame at its usual time and price, Studio Roanoke will also be offering a Tuesday Night Lounge series which will include a Poetry Lounge, a Comedy/Improv Lounge, and an Acoustic Lounge on a different Tuesday every month. Shows will be at 8PM.

We're also planning to have a fully mounted presentation of a new or unpublished play the last week of each month, presentations of touring works by other companies and guest artists, as well as special presentations such as readings, small scale productions, all ages music shows, theatre for young audiences, classes, workshops and guest speakers.

What will ticket prices be?

Studio Roanoke is committed to a flat ticket pricing scheme of $10 for all regular programming, and $5 for all late night programming (i.e. No Shame).

If Mill Mountain had to close its doors, why do you think Studio Roanoke will succeed?

Studio Roanoke will be operating on an entirely different model than Mill Mountain Theatre, as we will be more like a community theatre instead of having to meet the requirements of operating under professional contracts. As a result, our operating budget will be a tiny fraction of the funds needed to operate a theatre on the scale of Mill Mountain Theatre.

Our mission is also very different from MMT's in that we are coming into existence specifically to tackle new works development and all the risk that implies. To do this, we are in the process of building a donor base equally committed to creating a place where that risk can be taken and new work can be developed without worrying about success at the box office.

Our ongoing creative relationship with the playwriting program at Hollins also puts us in a position to offer some of the top talents in contemporary theatre to our community through shared resources.

Is Studio Roanoke trying to replace Mill Mountain Theatre?

We know that Studio Roanoke could never hope to fill the void left by the monumental and groundbreaking work Mill Mountain Theatre has been doing for over 40 years. Even so, we hope that by offering innovative programming such as MMT's Underground Roanoke was created to provide, we can preserve and extend a portion of Mill Mountain's commitment to new and challenging acts of theatre while building and expanding a local audience for it.

What can we do to help?

If you want a theatre in your community, you have to go to the theatre in your community. If you want to have artists, you need to subsidize them with donations so they can resist making art with profit as their only motivation. It is vital for people to realize that individual support for arts organizations is absolutely essential. Arts organizations don't function on a market driven model. The value of a play or an art object is not best measured in dollars.

As an Artistic Director opening a theatre when theatres all around me are closing their doors, I hope that you will take this to heart and remember that in our darkest times the arts are where we can turn to remember that life is worth living, people have value, and to find hope for the future.

Please join us in the ongoing conversation we'll begin this Spring at Studio Roanoke, and let's find out together what is possible.

Thank you,
Todd Ristau,
Director, Graduate Program in Playwriting at Hollins University and
Artistic Director Studio Roanoke

Obama: “the journey we continue today”

photo: Serena Paynter (center) celebrates with her Kleenex close at hand

They gathered at the Harrison Museum of African American Culture on Tuesday to watch Barack Hussein Obama be sworn in as 44th President of the United States. There were officials of the museum and friends, about twenty in all, as someone who looked like them took the torch from George W. Bush.

Museum board chair Serena Paynter remembers the waning days of segregation in her native Bedford County: “it is undoubtedly one of the happiest moments of my life. I was pretty overwhelmed all morning. It forced me to reflect on my life.”

“Its history, its so emotional,” said Wanda Austin, manager at the Harrison Museum, which is kicking off a two million dollar capital campaign, funds it will need to move from an old school in Gainsboro to a new home at Center in the Square. “Its something many of us never thought we would see in our lifetime.”

Museum director Bamidele Demerson said the Obama presidency “resonates in ways that have implications for this museum. It certainly brings renewed interest and understanding of …inter-ethnic relations. Beyond that it reminds us about a time for examining identity. The story of African Americans is search for democracy, the search for dignity, the search for justice – the search for freedom. The story we tell here … resonates.”

Maxine Wright was overcome by the occasion. “I never knew I’d be able to see the first African American president. Its overwhelming …its wonderful.”

(full story in this week’s Roanoke Star-Sentinel! – Thursday )

Feels like New Year's Eve

Tomorrow's swearing in of Barack Obama will be a good day for this country. Its a new start after 8 years of various missteps by the Bush administration. Its a good day for African Americans and for all Americans in general. It sends the signal that Yes, We Can - anybody can, even the biracial son of a single mother, a man not raised in a privileged world.

Its exciting, to think about having a president once again who is a riveting speaker, who sounds intelligent and coherent, who challenges people - especially it seems other African Americans - to get off their backsides and be a part of the solution.

I'm not going to DC - I'm not that crazy - but I will talk to folks who are and I plan to watch the swearing in at noon at the Harrison Museum of African American Culture. I want to see folk's reactions, I want to see how they feel, especially older folks who remember the days of segregation here in Roanoke.

Its a day of hope, of new beginnings, a time to roll up our sleeves, to get out of Iraq, to go green at home and to put people back to work.

But first, on Tuesday, as W. heads for Texas, its time to party. Yes, we can!

Students reflect on historic presidential event

(L-R) James Madison students Tavon Wright-Cicero and Teonshay Parris as Barack and Michelle Obama

The inauguration of America’s first African-American president is a national milestone, and for some a personal one. Last November 4 during an Election Night party/school project at James Madison Middle mile several students reflected on that, after it was apparent Barack Obama would beat John McCain.

Jamie Strassburg’s 8th grade civics class included Tavon Wright-Cicero, dressed as Barack Obama, with Teonshay Parris on hand as Michelle Obama. The historical aspect of the election was a major topic – electing the first African American president. “A lot of our kids realize, hey, this is the one our grandkids will ask us about.” noted Strassburg.

That night Grace Mason, daughter of Roanoke City Councilwoman Gwen Mason, termed it “sort of an historical election. I find that really interesting.” Mason said her parents allow her to make up her own mind about political leanings, pointing out that although Gwen Mason is a flag-waving Democrat her father is a Republican. “I think Obama would be a better choice,” said Grace Mason, who has an interest in politics and can see herself running for office someday.

“I think we need change in the country and believe he can bring it,” said Wright-Cicero, dressed in a suit as Obama’s stand-in on election night. “As an African-American, it was also time for the student to reflect: “it makes me feel great that we’re getting recognition.” (Gene Marrano)

American Lion - A. Jackson book..and David Baldacci

Just finished reading two very different books.. American Lion by Jon Meachem was about President Andrew Jackson, who 30 years before the Civil War was wrestling with the issue of secession and slavery. South Carolina was making the most noise about seceding, and had voted to be able to "nullify" federal laws any time it voted to. Jackson would have none of that.

Again, the state's rights issue clouded the real problem - the thorny issue of slavery. jackson's own VP in his first term (1829-1833) was a South Carolinian - John C. Calhoun - who had his own presidential aspirations and was a backer of nullification.

Like Lincoln, Jackson was a strong unionist, yet he owned many slaves at the Hermitage in Nashville and initiated the removal of Indian tribes from southern states - a la The Trail of Tears. fascinating, complex man .. good read for history buffs ...

Meanwhile part time Smith Mountain lake resident David Baldacci will be in Roanoke for the RAMA dinner on April 4th, a bunch of doctors that will get together to eat and raise money for charity. Baldacci will be a guest speaker - I've been asked to emcee the event. (Hope I don't need a tux).

Anyway I'd never read a Baldaci novel; he's written a ton of them and they have almost all been best sellers. That's why he has a big house at the lake. So I read "Simple Truths" (2007) and will start on another one soon when I get done with a non-fiction book on the U.S.'s obsession with Iraq and Hussein.

I'll call Baldacci easy-to-read "brain candy" (actually my wife's term) ... good beach or mountain cabin vacation stuff. Try it if you're in the mood. Looking forward to meeting him. I was invited to a private reception afterwards .... "Gee David, can I use the SML house when you're up in Fairfax??? :) r-i-g-h-t ....

new non-fiction book from Salem author

(note: I just interviewed Salem writer/historian John Hildrebrand about his new book. Here's the text that set up the audio interview. Available by Friday at wvtf.org under "Studio Virginia." Nice guy... Civil War and history-philes, give it a whirl...)

Retired civil ENGINEER JOHN HILDREBRAND HAS USED HIS FREE TIME IN RECENT YEARS TO RESEARCH AND RECORD LITTLE KNOWN ASPECTS OF THOSE WHO SETTLED WEST OF THE BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAINS IN VIRGINIA…NOW THE SALEM RESIDENT HAS PUBLISHED “THE LIFE AND TIMES OF JOHN BROWN BALDWIN: 1820 TO 1873”, ABOUT A CIVIL-WAR ERA STATE LEGISLATOR, LAWYER AND CIVIC LEADER IN AUGUSTA county, A MAN WHO ONCE HAD THE EAR OF PRESIDENT LINCOLN AND THEN BECAME INVOLVED TO MAKE RECONSTRUCTION AND READMITTANCE TO THE UNION AN EASIER PILL TO SWALLOW. BALDWIN WAS A PROMINENT AUGUST COUNTY POLITICIAN AND CIVIC LEADER BEFORE, DURING AND AFTER THE CIVIL WAR :

THE LIFE AND TIMES OF JOHN BROWN BALDWIN: 1820-1873, FROM AUTHOR JOHN HILDEBRAND, IS AVAILABLE AT Ram's Head Bookstore IN ROANOKE, the Bookery ON North Nelson Street in Lexington. YOU CAN ALSO FIND IT THROUGHT THE Salem Historical Society, AT THE History Museum of Western Virginia IN ROANOKE AND THROUGH THE Augusta County Historical Society in Staunton.

You Say You Want a Resolution

[Our Take]

from the News Editor

(with apologies to John Lennon) A week late, here’s a few resolutions and actions I’d like to see take place in 2009. Let’s start with a complete makeover of the City Market building, turning it in to a tourist attraction like public markets in Seattle, Philadelphia and elsewhere. (Remembering Tom Hanks at the Pike’s public market in Sleepless in Seattle, where they throw fish around? Been there myself; it’s a lot of fun.)

That means a City Market building that has longer hours and offers more variety, maybe some retail and Farmer’s Market vendors in the winter - like a plan offered by Downtown Roanoke Inc. The food court should be open in the evening and on weekends when there are spring/summer events at nearby Elmwood Park, and it is ideally situated to take advantage of traffic at the adjacent Taubman Museum of Art. Where the money comes from for all of this is another story.

Speaking of the Taubman, let’s hope for later hours on the weekend, like a closing time of 9 or 10pm on Fridays and/or Saturdays. Keep the café open also or set up an expresso bar in the lobby – would make for a great date night and downtown eateries should benefit once the Taubman did close for the night.

Let’s also hope that Center in the Square museums, the Taubman and the Virginia Museum of Transportation get together to offer pay one price discount tix, even on selected days, so that downtown visitors can take in all the cultural attractions with their families at an affordable price. (And why aren’t there signposts, brightly colored maps on billboards, etc. downtown pointing visitors to these museums?) Perhaps the new trolleys can be used on special weekends for these “museum crawls,” which could also include art gallery stops.

Planning for new public parking garages downtown and at the Roanoke Civic Center would be nice – one at the corner of Campbell and Williamson downtown and another somewhere near the coliseum/performing arts theatre complex, where there seems to be some open spaces for one, even if it is purchased from private property owners. Hello?! People don’t like shuttles from remote lots and in the (mostly) blue-collar Star City they don’t want to pay for parking in downtown Roanoke. Businesses that leave for the 'burbs often cite the perceived lack of parking as one reason they bail out.

Assuming that Roanoke City Council finds the tree where money grows on it, movement on the amphitheater issue would be nice – fix the Elmwood Park site for community concerts and festivals. Right now it’s almost impossible to sit comfortably in a chair there… feels like being on the deck of the Titanic, after it struck the iceberg. Speaking of ice, the kind under your feet, not floating in the North Atlantic – wouldn’t a new, dedicated ice skating rink be nice, perhaps equipped with 2500-3000 seats that could also accommodate a lower-level professional hockey league team? (Would be a nice addition downtown, or perhaps near Tanglewood Mall as a way to attract people to that underused property).

And approve a larger amphitheater for the old Victory Stadium property – something low tech, where flood water damage from the nearby Roanoke River wouldn’t be fatal; maybe 5000-7000 seats and room behind them on the grass for thousands more. Otherwise those fields could still be used for recreation leagues in a city badly in need of athletic venues. Aren’t you tired of traveling to Charlottesville, Raleigh or Virginia Beach to see major acts under the stars?

That’s it for now, I’m done spending other people’s money … personally, I hope to help turn out more interesting Star-Sentinel papers for our readers. As for the 20-30 pounds I want to lose – every year – that truly is another story.

Correction: Dr. Diane Christopulos finished off her journey on the Appalachian Trail last year – she did not “through hike” (do it in one shot) as reported in a previous Our Take column. And her significant other, Mark McClain, did not hike the entire AT with her either. McClain said he often provided the shuttle service that brought Christopulos to and from trailheads along the 2000-plus mile trail. Other than that McCain said he appreciated the story on the couple’s visit to William Byrd High School, where they talked to students about green technologies and cool cities.

Its not your parent’s Roanoke any more

Our Take: commentary from the Star-Sentinel staff

What’s going on in Roanoke? What with world-class art museums going up, retro-looking trolley buses running up and down Jefferson St. to the Carilion Clinic from the market area, big renovation plans in the works for Center in the Square and a City Market building makeover on the horizon, downtown Roanoke is not the same place it was a decade or so ago.

That’s good. There are now more signs of life at night and on the weekends in Roanoke and not just from those out for an evening of carousing at Corned Beef. And downtown now stretches past the city market area, past the courthouse and municipal buildings, to Jefferson Center, the Kirk Family YMCA, Ed Walker’s new music bistro on Kirk Avenue and the funky Water Heater venue on 5th Street Southwest. A new amphitheater capable of welcoming larger acts to the valley could be coming down the road if people figure out where they want it - and if taxpayer money is available to help fund it.

There’s temporary public art all over the city, a new permanent sculpture outside the Roanoke Civic Center complex that classes up the joint and something dubbed the “West Campbell Arts District,” a nod to the handful of galleries that have opened there in recent years, in part to feed off the anticipated excitement of the new Taubman Museum of Art.

Speaking of the Taubman, have you been yet? Even if you’re not a big fan of the exterior architecture, inside the dramatic second floor galleries and sweeping staircase will win you over. Note to the Taubman folks: think about later hours on weekends, maybe 9-10pm on Fridays? Would make for a great “date night”, especially when live music is offered downstairs and the café is open. Then patrons could spill out into downtown Roanoke to continue their night out and everybody wins.

On its first day the Taubman Museum was open to 11pm and the place – and downtown Roanoke – was hopping. Now if they can just get food court vendors at the market building to stay open at night …at least some of them. “It’ll be an economic stimulus [for the city], at least the equivalent of renewing Hotel Roanoke, if not greater than that,” predicted former Roanoke City Councilman Rupert Cutler on the day they cut the Taubman’s ribbon.

Okay, its never going to be confused with New York, LA or Chicago, a different mix of jobs are needed to attract more young folks here and it will take a whole lot of money in some circumstances to keep moving Roanoke forward…but one has to admit the Star City is a bit cooler these days.

Turn off the lights … save the planet?

Our Take

From the News Editor

Yes, Diana Christopulos and her companion Mark McClain are unabashed tree huggers, with the Cool Cities Coalition and the Sierra Club being major missions these days. The couple finished a through-hike of the Appalachian Trail earlier this year and spend much of their time talking about saving the earth – from actions as “minor” as passing out compact fluorescent light bulbs; those swirling, squiggly bulbs that use about 75 percent less energy than do the regular fluorescents, according to McClain.

He explained as much to several classes at William Byrd High School last week, trying along with Christopulos to elicit answers from students that may have been planning their Christmas break already.

Even if you do not believe that carbon emissions are the main cause of global warming, or if you question global warming itself, as does at least one columnist for this paper, the thought that human beings can help preserve what fossil fuel sources we have left for future generations by - for starters - recycling and turning off lights when someone leaves a room sounds easy enough. Unless you’ve tried to get teenagers to turn off lights.

McClain also spoke to students about the need to harvest sustainable energy sources - the ones that are replenished, like solar and wind. “The way we make and use energy needs to be addressed,” said McClain. Who knows, in two to four years, armed with college degrees, some of those kids last week at William Byrd may be designing more efficient collection systems for sustainable energy sources, perhaps inspired by the Salem couple’s presentation.

Wind energy, solar and geothermal could replace several hundred coal-fired plants by 2030 said McClain, if everyone climbs aboard the renewable energy bandwagon. Bio-fuels for vehicles, like those made with corn, are just a “stopgap” he added, one that puts pressure on the world’s food supply.

McClain pushed the “two percent solution,” asking students to reduce their own carbon fuel emissions 2% a year for the next 40 years, by driving less, recycling more, using those compact fluorescent bulbs, turning off unneeded lights and other appliances. Get involved said McClain, embrace a “conservation culture.”

Christopulos said the Cool Cities Coalition “are the people in the valley that say, hey, we need to do these things. We feel like we are part of the solution [and] hope you will be too.” The couple said they have reduced their own carbon footprint by 30% over the last two years and offer a worksheet at rvccc.org where others can figure out how much carbon dioxide they are pumping into the air.

Their presentation came about at the behest of Byrd guidance coordinator Patrick Patterson, who said “its good for our kids” to think about such things. Even for those that haven’t signed on to the global warming theory, if we can use up less fossil fuels, preserving them for future generations, while also developing renewable energy sources that could mean cleaner, healthier air – and more jobs for our children – doesn’t it make sense to move in that direction? Now if can just get our kids to turn off the lights when they leave a room …

(originally published in The Roanoke Star-Sentinel)

Plane down, social networking

Still can't get over what happened in NY yesterday, or how everyone got out alive when jet went into the Hudson. It just shows how folks can really come together in a time of crisis. Hope that's what we see after Obama becomes prez - people coming together, regardless of party, race, etc.

Just getting the hang of this stuff.. Facebook, blogging. I see how it can take up big chunks of your time!

first post

Plane went in the river in NY today ... was on that flight path many times taking off from LaGuardia when I lived there ...