by Carol Davis             
                     ____________________________________________

George and Martha are at it again!  

SAN DIEGO—In the final scene of Edward Albee’s tragi/comedy, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? George puts his hand gently on Martha’s shoulder, she puts her head back, and he  sings to her very softly : “Whose afraid of Virginia Woolf, Virginia Woolf, Virginia Woolf’”,… and she responds through teary eyes, “I… am George…I…am…”(George nods slowly) (Silence, tableau) Curtain. WOW! Who would have guessed?

Virginia Woolf is not just some old play written in 1962. It is more like a battlefield for George and Martha, who have been waging this mêlée since their marriage began. It’s the play that put Albee on the map and changed the tone of  contemporary literature. Howard Taubman of The New York Times said that Virginia Woolf : “…towers over the common run of contemporary plays. It marks a further gain for a young writer becoming a major figure on stage.” And Newsweek said,  “…a brilliantly original work of art- an excoriating theatrical experience, surging with shocks of recognition and dramatic fire.”

You don’t have to trust these critics. These reviews were written after it was performed off-Broadway in 1962 and then went on to win the New York Drama Critics Circle and Tony Awards as the Best Play of the 1962-’63 season. Just head down to the Cassius Carter Theatre at The Old Globe in Balboa Park and make your own judgments.

Unlike the times of its premiere on Broadway and in Hollywood at its opening, we as a society are more accustomed to the four letter words, the marital breakups, the dysfunctional family life seen in movies and TV, but it doesn’t make it any easier.

I don’t think anyone is really ever prepared for the drama of and in Virginia Woolf  but every now and then theatres take it out, dust it off and present their interpretation of what they think it should look like. Unsettling as it may seem, survival is the name of the game in this play and these two will do anything to survive the nightmare they have made for themselves. And unsettling as it may be, theatre companies owe it to their audiences to mount it, if for nothing else but to see a classic.

The definitive Virginia Woolf seems to be the movie version starring Elizabeth Taylor* and Richard Burton. directed by Mike Nichols. It was brutal, as those who remember the show can now attest. Taylor took home the Academy Award for her performance as Martha. That was in 1966.

Everyone wants their Virginia Woolf to look like the movie version. That it doesn’t happen is OK. In director Richard Seer’s production, quite the opposite happens. But more on that later.

As presented in the round, the powers that be at The Globe have a concept that the Classics should be up close and personal, and this one is.

Sitting in this intimate space the characters are in our face close and we are almost in Martha (Monique Fowler) and George’s (James Sutorius) living room (Alan E. Muraoka designed  the sets) which is a cluttered mish mash of furniture with clothes strewn about. Not to be unnoticed, however, there are no less than a dozen cocktail glasses lined up on a low hutch on one side with liquor galore. Eventually those glasses end up resting on one table or another throughout the night.

L-R: Sturgis, Sutorius, Fowler, Ferrarra
 

When the play opens, the couple is just coming home from visiting her father, the president of the college, somewhere in Massachusetts, where George teaches. George is in the History department (two bones of contention; the president and the teacher as opposed to The Head of the Dept.).

They are both three sheets to the wind, and instead of going to bed, they are awaiting the arrival of a new faculty member, Nick  (Scott Ferrara) and his wife Honey (Nisi Sturgis). It’s two o’clock in the morning and they are just warming up for the next round of blows to keep the adrenalin pumping. To their unsuspecting guests, they haven’t a clue as to what’s coming. Heaven help them.

As I mentioned earlier, Fowler’s Martha is not quite as vulgar, unkempt, vicious, nasty, brutal or pious as the classic Taylor’s was. She just nuzzles in and, in her own way, in three acts and no less than three hours, pushes George to the brink. Her voice doesn’t irritate or grate on the nerves. It does have a distinct accent, but not recognizable. She is just plain mean spirited and drunk! But don’t underestimate. She knows how to get George going. Fowler, a Globe Associate has appeared in many Globe productions over the years and has never disappointed. Her Martha is different. It works.

But  on opening night, she fell a little short of being on target in the first act.

Au contraire, it’s Sutorius’ George who appears to have won the upper hand when all the votes are in and the final bell has sounded.  His performance, while quiet, is  sharp, focused, painful sometimes comical and point blank. It comes at staccato intervals and he jabs like a boxer playing with his opponent. Sutorius is a master of all he surveys and has in no way fallen victim to her ugliness.

He seems to have a plan for the game and he follows

it through. Unfortunately for Martha, she has opened door number three and it turns out the she chose the wrong night to confide in Honey that they have a son. All the worms came crawling out of the can and the story and the existence of the ‘little bugger’ was finally exorcized; put to rest, in a highly dramatic give and take, much to her chagrin and their guest’s awe.

Sutorius, a fine actor who has proven himself to Globe watchers, won the San Diego Theatre Critics Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play, Lincolnesque.  He seems to have captured the essence of George; not too loud, not too overpowering, not too funny but overbearing enough  in his constant barrage of babble to wear both Martha and Nick down. Scott Ferrera was right on target on opening night as the sometimes defiant sometimes baffled Nick and Nisi Sturgis was perfect as Honey the milquetoast wife who tricked her husband into marrying her only to be lost in an another empty (nest) marriage.

Sears’ direction, whilst walking that fine line of  balancing humor and pathos, puts this Virginia Woolf into the category of must see. It plays through June 24. Tickets may be obtained by calling the box office at (619) 231-194.1

See you at the theatre.

*In 1957 Taylor converted to Judaism and in 2001, was asked on “Larry King Live”, “You are Jewish, are you not?” and she replied “I am, I am.” In 1981 she narrated parts of Genocide   produced by the Simon Wiesenthal Center. It went on to receive the 1981 Academy Award for best documentary, the first Holocaust documentary to be given this honor. It was the very first review I had published at the beginning of my long tenure as an Arts Critic. 

______________________________________________________________________________
The Jewish Citizen
              by Donald H. Harrison
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Seal vehicles are operated out of Seaport Village by Old Town Trolley Tours of San Diego.  The 90-
minute land and sea tour costs $30 per ticket.   For information contact the trolley at (619) 298-8687.  


Yes, there are Jewish stories everywhere
—even among the Seals and sea lions

SAN DIEGO—When you take an amphibious Seal Tour into San Diego Bay, the gentle rocking of the boat, the salt air and the breeze combine with the knowledgeable narration
by guides like Kimmy Nice to produce one's own soporific fantasy—or at least they did in my case.

Ironically, on the Seal tour, seals are not the marine mammals you are most likely to see.  Instead you are most likely to encounter California sea lions (Zalophus californianus).  They pretty much own the buoys marking the channel that every ship must take from the Pacific Ocean before docking in San Diego.  There is only one way in and one way out of the bay.

What's the difference between a seal and a sea lion?  Ears and flippers.  The sea lions have ear flaps, and they have flippers that can double as "feet" for navigating on land.  Seals on the other hand just have holes in their heads where their ears are. Not having the big flippers, they slide on the land if it's wet enough.

According to the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), sea lions are "playful, smart, and graceful in the water" and are "intelligent, agile and easy to train."  When you go to the circus to see a "trained seal," you are more likely to see a California sea lion. Like dolphins, they are supposed to be incredibly bright.  In fact the United States Navy has a Marine Mammal facility on this bay where it trains both sea lions and dolphins for various porpoises—er, purposes.

On its website, the Navy explains that it utilizes dolphins and sea lions because of "1) their sensory capabilities; and, 2) their diving capabilities. Dolphins naturally possess the most sophisticated sonar known to man. Mines and other potentially dangerous objects on the ocean floor are acoustically difficult targets to detect, especially in murky or dark water. The dolphin's biosonar system is unmatched in its ability to make accurate detections. The sea lion has excellent low light vision and underwater directional hearing capabilities. Sea lions are not only adept at locating objects in challenging conditions, they also have the ability to maneuver in tight spaces and can go onto the shore if necessary.

"Both species of animals can make repeated deep-water dives without suffering the effects of decompression sickness or 'the bends' as humans do," the Navy site goes on to report.
"One sea lion, two handlers, and a rubber boat searching for objects on the ocean floor can effectively replace a full-sized naval vessel and its crew, a group of human divers, and the doctors and machinery necessary to support the divers operating onboard the vessel."

All of this made me think about the Uplift Trilogy by science fiction writer David Brin, a friend whose daughter Ari's bat mitzvah was the subject of a recent story of San Diego Jewish World.  One of the concepts that Brin suggested was that higher species could employ a process of education to "uplift" other species to the point that they not only could be trained but could think for themselves and communicate those thoughts to humans.  In Brin's books, dolphins and humans ally themselves against other species on other planets.

I found myself musing if sea lions ever were to become human allies, whether they would announce their own religion to us, or whether they would be moved to investigate human belief systems.  If the latter, I wondered, how big a sacrifice would they consider converting to Judaism to be?  Kashruth obviously could be a problem, but maybe not that big a one.  NOAA's Southwest Fisheries Science Center reports on its website that sea lions in Southern California feed chiefly on "Northern anchovy (Engraulis mordax), Pacific sardine (Sardinops sagax), Pacific whiting (Merluccius productus), Pacific mackerel (Scomber japonicus), jack mackerel (Trachurus symmetricus), shortbelly rockfish (Sebastes jordani), and market squid (Loligo opalescens)."

Most of these species have fins and scales, and could pass the tests of even the strictest mashgiach. Of course, the fact that they eat their food while it's still alive is a problem.

Another thing I wondered as we navigated the bay alongside Point Loma: Who came up with the acronym NOAA anyway?  Was it deliberately constructed to remind us of one of the best known seagoing navigators who cared for animals—Noah? 

After our Seal made its way back to the boat launch ramp at Shelter Island, our captain Jimmy Saffer disembarked to make certain that no kelp had entangled itself on the tires. Meanwhile our nice guide, er, guide Nice told us that the fast-growing variety of seaweed is utilized in ice creams, gelatins, pharmaceuticals and many other food products.

My wife, Nancy, nudged me in the ribs.  "But not mattresses, right?"  She was referring to the fact that San Diego's first Jewish settler and entrepreneur Louis Rose—after whom was named the Roseville area of San Diego where the Shelter Island boat ramp is located—had once tried futilely to make a business out of drying the kelp and using it as a mattress stuffer.  In the 1850s, it  was an idea before it's time.  And still is.  "Gives a whole new meaning to the term kelp bed, doesn't it?" Saffer commented wryly. 
Kimmy Nice holds up some kelp as Jimmy Staffer pulls
land locks the ladder to the Seal amphibious craft.

Before taking the tour, I wondered whether I could demonstrate to our visitors from Louisville, Harry & Sherry Jacobson-Beyer, the truth of the slogan of San Diego Jewish World that "there is a Jewish story everywhere" even out on the bay.  Nice immediately set my mind at rest.  She's a good Catholic girl, she said, but learned a lot about Judaism before moving to San Diego. She had spent two years serving as a nanny for a Jewish family in the Foster City area, near San Francisco.  She used to go over the children's Hebrew lessons with them, and learned about Shabbat and the Jewish holidays. "What's the one called that's kind of like Halloween?" she asked.  "Purim."  "Right," she said, "I really like that one—and Chanukah too!"
                                                      

Bush-Rice...
(continued from above)

The U.S. Secretary of State had been in Potsdam for a meeting of the Quartet—the European Union, Russia, the United Nations and the United States—on the situation in the Middle East.
A statement released on Thursday reflected the group's meeting on Wednesday.  It said:

"The Quartet Principals - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, High Representative for European Foreign and Security Policy Javier Solana, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, and European Commissioner for External Relations Benita Ferrero-Waldner - met
today in Berlin to discuss the situation in the Middle East.

"The Quartet expressed its deep concern over recent factional violence in Gaza. It called for all Palestinians to immediately renounce all acts of violence and respect the ceasefire. It called upon the Palestinian Authority government, in cooperation with President Abbas and regional actors, to do everything necessary to restore law and order, including the release of kidnapped BBC
journalist Alan Johnston.
 
"The Quartet strongly condemned the continued firing of Qassam rockets into Southern Israel as well as the buildup of arms by Hamas and other terrorist groups in Gaza. It endorsed PA President Abbas' call for an immediate end to such violence, and called upon all elements of the PA government and all Palestinian groups to cooperate with President Abbas to that end. The Quartet called for the immediate and unconditional release of Israeli Corporal Gilad Shalit. The Quartet urged Israel to exercise restraint to ensure that its security operations avoid civilian casualties or damage to civilian infrastructure. It noted that the detention of elected members of the Palestinian government and legislature raises particular concerns and called for them to be released. The Quartet noted its support for the May 30^th Security Council Press Statement on the breakdown of the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
 
"The Quartet welcomed continued dialogue between Prime Minister Olmert and President Abbas, including bilateral summits, and expressed support for U.S. efforts to effect progress on security and movement and access issues. The Quartet agreed that movement and access are essential and in this regard called on both parties to implement fully the Movement and Access Agreement of 15 November 2005. The Quartet urged the parties to work positively and constructively in order to build confidence and to create an environment conducive to progress on the political horizon for Palestinian statehood, consistent with the Roadmap and relevant UN Security Council resolutions, which should also be addressed in these bilateral discussions. Palestinians must know that their state will be viable, and Israelis must know a future state of Palestine will be a source of security, not a threat.
 
"The Quartet commended the excellent work of the Temporary International Mechanism (TIM) and endorsed its extension for three months from July until September 2007. It called on donors to follow through on past pledges of support. The Quartet noted that the resumption of transfers of tax and customs revenues collected by Israel on behalf of the Palestinian Authority would have a significant impact on the Palestinian economy. The Quartet encouraged Israel and the Palestinian Authority to consider resumption of such transfers via the Temporary International Mechanism to improve the economic and humanitarian conditions in the West Bank and Gaza. In light of increased regional support for the Palestinians, the Quartet agreed to review where additional donor assistance should be focused, with particular consideration for infrastructure and development programs that can directly improve the daily lives of Palestinians. The Quartet invited concrete proposals from the parties on specific international support that could be useful at this stage.
 
"The Quartet welcomed the extension of the EU Border Assistance Mission at Rafah (EU-BAM). It reiterated the importance of resuming normal operations at the Rafah crossing. Taking note of the continuing threat to Israel and Palestinian security posed by smuggling, the Quartet welcomed progress in the Quadrilateral Security Committee and called for greater efforts by all parties to improve security along the Egypt-Gaza border.
 

"The Quartet welcomed the re-affirmation of the Arab Peace Initiative, noting that the initiative is recognized in the Roadmap as a vital element of international efforts to advance regional peace. The Arab Peace Initiative provides a welcome regional political horizon for Israel, complementing the efforts of the Quartet and of the parties themselves to advance towards negotiated, comprehensive, just and lasting peace. The Quartet noted its positive meeting with members of the Arab League in Sharm al-Sheikh on May 4, and looked forward to continued engagement with the Arab states. It welcomed the intention of the Arab League to engage Israel on the initiative, and Israeli receptiveness to such engagement.

"Recalling elements of the April 18 decision by the Arab League Follow-up Committee, the Quartet urged all involved to demonstrate their seriousness and commitment to making peace. In that context, the Quartet reiterated the need for a Palestinian Government committed to nonviolence, recognition of Israel, and acceptance of previous agreements and obligations, including the Roadmap, and reaffirmed its willingness to support such a government. The Quartet encouraged continued and expanded Arab contacts with Israel, and Israeli action to address concerns raised in the April 18 Arab League decision, including a cessation of settlement expansion and the removal of illegal outposts, as called for in the Roadmap.
 
"Looking ahead, the Quartet discussed a calendar for the coming months to support and encourage progress on the bilateral and regional tracks. The Quartet principals agreed to meet in the region in June with the Israelis and Palestinians to review progress and discuss the way forward. The Quartet also agreed to meet in the region with members of the Arab League to follow up on the Arab Peace Initiative and efforts to advance the regional track. Principals instructed the envoys to meet beforehand to follow up and explore options for the way forward."