Another One 11 February 1999

Tonight's Cultural Event: Collected Stories by Donald Margulies, at the Berkeley Repertory Theatre

OK, so I couldn't get a date to the play tonight. Fine. OK, so in fact, I couldn't even get turned down for a date - though if I'd known that would've been a goal, I probably could have managed that much. Must make a note: always ask at least one inappropriate person.

But was it really necessary to seat me in the middle of an empty row, in a section where otherwise every single seat was filled? I suppose I should just be grateful there wasn't a spotlight "accidentally" shining on me, oops. Jesus Christos, my Stinky Field is a wild and powerful thing.

So, the play. Well acted, well staged, missing something. Having read the Jon Carroll column linked above, I don't know how much it really did "telegraph" the major plot angle - I was waiting to receive a signal, looking for clues. But there was definitely a sense of "Oh, irony, I see." Not one of the better productions I've seen there. To my shame, I must admit that I was also distracted during the climactic confrontation by how skinny the younger actress was in her very fancy, very form-fitting black evening gown. One begins to see the origin of the Stinky Field.

There were some true moments in the writing, though. The story is about the relationship between an older woman writer and a younger one. At one point, the older woman admits that she is jealous - not of the younger one's success, but of the fact that her whole life and career is yet to come. She speaks of not being able to see that without thinking of herself at that point, without thinking about and cursing time. Being something like halfway between the two, it felt like I could see the moment from both ends at once; from incomprehension, and inescapable fact. As the young people on TV say, it was wiggy.

Sort of speaking of which: On my way from BART back down into MUNI to make my way home, I saw a poster for some ski resort that showed a typical fool with boards strapped to his feet falling down a mountain. The slogan on the sign read, "It's not like jumping off of an office building. It's like jumping off two of them." Now how exactly does one jump off of two office buildings at the same time? And even if you could, what's the point? I don't understand anything anymore.

Willfully blind self-indulgent nebbish or amusingly quirky old coot? And how bout that local sports team? Discuss among yourselves.

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