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THE JEWISH CITIZEN
Synagogue bids farewell to a woman who shunned the honors that inundated her
By Donald H. Harrison
 SAN DIEGO -- Marian Barnes, 79, a native of England, was memorialized today in the packed sanctuary of Tifereth Israel Synagogue, a Conservative congregation where on three separate occasions she was prevailed upon to serve as president of the Sisterhood. Barnes, a self-effacing woman upon whom the congregation relied whenever something important needed to get done, by all accounts would have been pleased but puzzled by the heavy turnout for her funeral.
Donald H. Harrison
“Our sages taught honor eludes those people who pursue honor but honor befalls those people who run from it,” commented Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal, spiritual leader of the congregation. “There are few people in the world who ran from honor as did Marian and that is why she was so honored and loved.”
Nevertheless, on more than one occasion, Tifereth Israel found ways to salute Marian Barnes. The sisterhood presented to her its coveted “woman of valor” award, and she and husband Ralph were the honorees at a testimonial dinner a few years ago. Rosenthal recalled that Marian “continually turned to Ralph during the festivities and asked, “what could I have possibly done to be deserving of all this?’”
The answer to her question was simple, said the rabbi: “Whatever you wanted, whatever you asked, whenever you asked, no matter what was going on in her life, she didn’t know how to say ‘no.” Whether she was baking in the kitchen, organizing kiddushes and special events, organizing an activity, running an event, cleaning up from an event, no matter what, Marian always said 'yes.' There was no activity, no task, that was beyond her or below her. … when Marian took on a project, you knew it would be done; you could turn your back and walk way, knowing everything would be brought to its completion successfully.”
Ralph had served as president of the synagogue, and together they devoted nearly 30 years of their life to the congregation. Many times people were unaware of what they had done, because they often made a contribution, or paid a kindness anonymously, Rosenthal confided.
The couple had courted during World War II, and Marian developed a reputation as a resourceful cook, able to make interesting meals despite shortages of various kinds of foods. When asked about the life of Marian as wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, family members invariably remembered that she was a fantastic cook.
After Marian and Ralph were married, her employer told her that he had to discharge her because it was against his policy to employ married women, lest they leave they become pregnant and leave the company in a lurch. The rabbi said surprising as this may sound today, it was a commonplace attitude in the 1950s. Instead of becoming a professional, Marian devoted herself to homemaking and to being a helpmate for Ralph in his business.
The couple enjoyed a division of responsibilities, said the rabbi. “When they got in the car to go to work, he became the boss and she respected his wishes. When they got in the car to go home, Marian became the boss and he did the same.”
After her children were grown and out of the house, however, Marian exhibited as a volunteer the business talent that might have distinguished her as a professional, had she grown up in different times.
Meeting with the family in conjunction with Marian’s death on Friday evening, December 7, Rosenthal said he found it curious that he and they identified with such different aspects of her life. They spoke about her cooking, baking and homemaking skills, while Rosenthal himself thought of her as “an organizer, administrator, a delegator, an enable, an inspirer, a leader.”
City Ballet's Nutcracker sparkles
By Sheila Orysiek
 SAN DIEGO—Lights! Color! Action! The matinee performance of Dec. 8, 2007 at the Spreckles Theatre had all three and then some.
Nutcracker is a difficult ballet to present. It needs to tell a story but more than that it has to be magical. Magic often has a dark side and occasionally productions have been tempted to play that card, but since this ballet is generally performed during the holiday season it also has to fit in with the festive atmosphere that the audience is seeking. Few seek out a psychodrama which leaves the viewer in tears at this time of year. On the practical side, for the modern ballet company it is much more than a story and magic - it usually produces the major revenue of the performing season while at the same time it is a huge investment of time and resources for a company.
Sheila Orysiek
A successful production is also difficult because the ballet is so available - there are often several companies, of varying degrees of ability, within a particular urban area presenting the ballet virtually at the same time. And, there are many other opportunities for family entertainment at this season of the year. However, year after year people come to see the magic and many a professional dancer first felt the sprinkle of star dust while watching this ballet as a small child - and for many children it is their first experience in a theater. Behind it all, the company hopes that the pleasure will induce the audience to return for the rest of the performing season and that the magic of the ballet is not limited to a single experience.
First performed in St. Petersburg in 1892 (some historians say 1891) Nutcracker is noteworthy for some of Tchaikovsky’s most delightful music. Many of the melodies are among the most familiar to anyone who loves music such as Waltz of the Flowers, the Sugar Plum Fairy, or the Grand Pas de Deux. Tchaikovsky imported a musical instrument, a celesta, which he carefully guarded to keep other composers from using it before he did. This gives the score a very special sound; somehow familiar yet magical. City Ballet’s choreography credits: Ivanov, Vainonen, Nureyev, W. Chistensen and resident choreographer, Elizabeth Rowe Wistrich.
The Spreckles Theater in downtown San Diego is an old jewel box of a venue, seating approximately 1900 and is a good choice for projecting magic. It’s an example of the classic concept of what a theatre should be with open sightlines (superior to many a newer venue) and raked seating as well as what a theater should look like with many of the classic interior decorations that adds much to the experience. Since its opening in 1912 the stage has hosted luminaries from legendary Prima Ballerina Anna Pavlova to Sergei Rachmaninoff, from Abbott and Costello to Will Rogers.
The theatre’s intimacy in the hands of a less capable ballet company would be a negative factor and enable the audience to see - almost feel - any flaws. But in this case it allows the viewer to get involved in the sparkle and get drawn into the stage action. It is only later, upon reflection, that one knows careful guiding hands, thoughtful planning, good choices in artistic values, and committed dancers produced a most worthwhile production. The action is continuous, no lag time, no down time, no unused music.
First, the children - and there are many of them - but at no time are they “extras,” space fillers, or supplying the “cute factor.” They aren’t on stage to be cute - they are dancers; a well rehearsed intrinsic part of the ballet; clean, well utilized and one never gets the feeling they’ve been “used.” They are not there to manipulate an emotional response of the audience. They know what to do, they do it, they smile, and they also know how to leave the stage with aplomb. This is quite an accomplishment since they are often involved in fairly complex movement patterns.
The Act I party scene which in some productions is either fussy, musty or overlong - this production avoids all three pitfalls. I was especially taken with “Louisa” - I assume she was the gypsy doll, danced by Megan Nichols. Listed in the program as an apprentice - not as yet a full company member - she is evidently a dancer to watch; spirited, engaging, with exciting fully split sissonnes (huge split jump done sur la place) with her back leg an inch from touching her head.
Janica Smith danced “Clara” and managed to retain the young girl wonder while giving a fulsome performance. She’s a lovely dancer, always pleasurable to watch. Her Nutcracker Prince, Taurean Green, is a manly capable partner and I especially enjoyed him when he joined Daniel Salvador in the Russian divertissement. It was then that he was given the chance to stretch out and really dance. Salvador was enjoyable, too - particularly in his coda in the finalé. He also danced the “Mouse King” with verve. Kevin Engle’s “Herr Drosselmeyer” was properly mysterious without being scary. Emily Kim in the Spanish divertissement was feisty with David Levy a good match. The other dances, Arabian, Chinese, were all well done.
The ensemble dances, Kingdom of Snow and Waltz of the Flowers, again showed the fine hand behind the scenes; well rehearsed and together - well beyond the stage of “no mistakes” - every head, every arm, line of torso, line and height of leg - were presented as one body. Creating a stage full of individuals who dance as one body - a corps de ballet - is the most difficult of all the facets necessary for a good company to produce. In the Kingdom of Snow, when the dancers circled the stage, as an old retired ballet teacher I couldn’t help but click off in my eye each dancer as she came to the fore executing the quick arabesque sautés (small jump in arabesque), and yes, each foot was fully pointed, every time.
The Waltz of the Flowers was fine, too. Kimberly Roberts, as the “Rose” is a beautiful long stemmed flower. While she has a silken quality, I would have liked greater amplitude - a feeling that she was scooping us up, a more fulsome gesture as well as leaving some aroma behind. Her grand flic-flac en tournant was fun to watch.
I loved the color. I loved how brightly it was lit. At no time did black costuming (what little there was of it) become invisible to the eye. During the battle of the mice and soldiers, all too often the mice are dressed in black, in a darkened room - and much of the action is thereby lost. Not so in this production; the mice are in silvery grey - well lit - and easy to see. For only a short moment did the “smoke” hide the initial leap of the Mouse King into the stage action. But it was only a moment.
Something should be said about the lighting design. If credit was given in the program - I missed it - no name could I find. However, it added a great deal to the effect. Always lit so the action was visible, it also inspired mood from dance to dance and enhanced the vividness of impression.
And now to the Grand Pas de Deux with Ariana Samuelsson and Richard Bowman. This is the capstone of the ballet - all has led up to this. As I’ve watched Samuelsson these past several years, she grows and grows on me. Not that I was ever - ever - put off - no indeed. I love her timing; she leaves something of herself in the space she’s leaving while at the same time filling the space she’s coming to. Nothing is ever hurried, even in exceedingly fast allegro, there’s an ease to her execution. She lingers in the phrase and therefore lingers in the mind.
The ballet ends with the entire cast on stage in a sea of color and movement.
The forty member orchestra (led by John Nettles) - Artistic Director Steven Wistrich has told me it is important to him to have live musicians playing live music - was comprised of a range of musicians from area high schools, colleges and professionals. Except for a brief time in the beginning of the second act, they were a good addition. The volume of sound filled the theatre and the intimacy of the space made them part of the experience.
City Ballet’s Nutcracker has several more performances through Dec. 16, 2007.
SAN DIEGO JEWISH WORLD THE WEEK IN REVIEW
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 9
Alanna Berman in San Diego: Conference probes 'duty' of Jewish journalists toward Israel's image
Shoshana Bryen in Washington D.C.: Capability more important than 'intent' in measuring nuclear danger from Iran
Donald H. Harrison in San Diego: San Diego connections fail to rescue Shadow Soldier from fear of intimacy
Rabbi Baruch Lederman in San Diego: When all seems impossible, then persevere
Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal in San Diego: Wicked examines quesiton of 'otherness'
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 7-SATURDAY, DECEMBER 8
Shoshana Bryen in Washington D.C.: Questions abound about NIE assessment
Donald H. Harrison in San Diego: Let's stop demonizing undocumented immigrants; let's help Mexico's economy
Sheila Orysiek in San Diego: If U.S. intelligence was so wrong about Iraq, why does Left believe it about Iran? Reader Response
Michael M. Rosen in San Diego: Boling takes San Diego City Council campaign to Beth Jacob Congregation
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6
Shoshana Bryen in Washington D.C.: NIE has 'moderate confidence' Iran has not reactivated its nuclear weapons program
Peter Garas in Canberra, Australia: Stingy? Friendly to strangers? You may be genetically predisposed to such behaviors
Irv Hackel in Brookyn, N.Y.: 'There are angels out there' at Ezer Mizion
Donald H. Harrison in San Diego: His remains sent from Poland to U.S. so he could be buried where Jews would visit
Donald H. Harrison: Chanukah at Hillel: A meshuganah auction
Ira Sharkansky in Jerusalem: Shock and disbelief in Israel over U.S. latest estimate on Iran's nuclear program
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 5
Garry Fabian in Melbourne, Australia:Two Jews and new friends in Parliament... Church group slammed for trip 'bias' ... Toben pulls apology, denial remains on web site ... Community welcomes Smith as new foreign minister ...
Donald H. Harrison in San Diego: Beth Am packed with Olshansky fans
Sheila Orysiek in San Diego: The differences and similarities between a dreidel and a pirouette
plus these feature photos...
Hannukiyot at Beth Am
Mideast delicacy on a license plate
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 4
Shoshana Bryen in Washington, D.C.: Stephen Hadley's appalling speech
Dov Burt Levy in Salem, Massachusetts: Nu, Mr. Billionaire, let's talk about Israel
J. Zel Lurie in Delray Beach, Florida: At 94 today, will I see peace in my lifetime?
Alan Rusonik in San Diego: A Challenge for Jewish School teachers: is your classroom a 'big tent' welcoming all?
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