Thoughts on storytelling

There was a great article in the New York Times this week on the role of theatre. Charles Isherwood debated the virtues of storytelling for pure entertainment versus using drama to make a social statement/comment. You can read the article here (free registration required). Isherwood's article got me thinking about the plays I've really loved by Ibsen (and others), in which the plot and the characters DID entertain, but they also kept me thinking once I'd left the theatre. I don't necessarily think that a playwright who provokes thought about social issues with his work has an "ax to grind." Rather, I think such statements elevate the value and the catharsis of the performance experience. If, somehow, theatre can stimulate social thought/discussion as well as entertain, isn't it a more worthy endeavor? (Or, is it all about escapism for us now?) Individual human experience does, indeed, have social implications. Does it make a story/play "less true" if those implications/reverberations are portrayed on stage? Life teaches lessons. If theatre accurately depicts life, its characters should learn these lessons, too. I suppose the real test is whether these commentary acrobatics can be accomplished without seeming contrived.

I just finished reading Sand in My Bra: Funny Women Write from the Road. I must admit, some of the stories were really good. Others were less funny than I'd hoped. (I think maybe the title built up an untrue expectation. Lots of the stories weren't funny at all. They were more about feeling good in your own skin, or being secure enough to travel on your own, or just reveling in the variety and craziness of the world in general.) Armchair travel writing is often hit-or-miss that way. Sometimes I'd rather just read a really great novel that is set in an atmospheric place. That makes me want to travel more than almost any guidebook. I'm considering heading to the Southwest in the fall, once the temperatures aren't prohibitive. On my list: Pheonix, Sedona, and the Grand Canyon. I've been meaning to get around to the Grand Canyon for years now. Now that the dollar has tanked, I have no excuses.

My whole family went to dinner at Nick's (a swanky Greek restaurant) last night to celebrate my little sister's 21st birthday. I had a sublime paneed tilapia encrusted with nuts, and a fabulous glass of Blackstone Merlot. (I don't care what people are saying about Merlot. Sheesh. One movie about wine comes out, and folks are trying to tell me what to drink!) It was so good to see everyone and spend time together. (Corny but true.)

Tonight, we're off to Schimmel's (another swanky restaurant). I haven't been there for dinner in a while, so I'm interested to see what they've changed on the menu (if anything). Not sure about the valet parking, though. I have distinct reservations about handing over my car keys to a teenager I've never met before. (Call me crazy . . . )