A play extraordinaire

I recently witnessed “Bakersfield Mist,” a play that cannot be described as anything less than extraordinary. Fortunately this occurred not in Seattle, but conveniently in Sequim at the Olympic Theater Arts playhouse. The immediate standing ovation at the end of this one act play clearly indicated that I was not alone in my high praise for this production.

Sara Nicholls (Maude) and Steve Rodeman (Lionel) make up the cast of two that attempt to solve the authentication mystery of a garage sale purchased painting that is or is not a Jackson Pollack original. The setting is the trailer-park residence of Maude Gutman, a “retired” bartender whose foul mouth would make a sailor blush. The art expert who arrives disheveled, barely surviving the neighbor’s free ranging dog, declares the painting …. The story becomes not so much about the painting but more about these two people who gradually show their innermost hopes, dreams, successes and failures. It is gut-wrenching emotion played out with perfect acting and direction.

The last performance is on Jan. 27. I suggest you make every effort to attend.

George Will

Sequim

Time for change in the West Wing

As the third-annual Women’s marches have walked past, conflicts in purpose and meaning abound. These differences are both opportune, to explore women’s ever evolving place in human culture, and opportunistic, as various groups vie for their ideologies to prevail.

The ancient practice of binding girls’ feet in China comes to mind. A symbol of status, beauty, eroticism, a means to attract wealthy husbands, young girls’ feet were broken by older women, curled and bound into itsy, stinky knots, which made walking limited to tiny, swaying, painful steps. This pretty much ended dancing. These girls had done nothing wrong.

Some women continue to bind women’s contributions and aspirations by espousing “all people need justice, equality…” etc., shaming women who boldly speak of what specifically women want and need. To them, deferring to male leaders — male needs — appears to be paramount. They fear alienating men, thus strive to diminish the energy, rage, and clarity of women’s demands to walk straight and tall, anywhere, untethered.

Any man of honor and character will support women’s endeavors for a more inclusive access to power, not fear them. Rather than perpetuate the gangrene of the spirit of girls and women, I call for us to enthusiastically support the women who strive to be our new U.S. President in 2020. Marching on …

Gayle Brauner

Port Angeles