My ex-culture detective partner, Spooky Noodles, and I concluded five years ago…..that on some days….everything is the movie ZARDOZ. After reading about the Major Bust by Shakespearean actors of a book store that had a book about Little Black Sambo in the window, what we have is a new ZARDOZ written by Athur DeFrane, who is a black man this time, and, he has come out with a new version of 1984, where the world of the future is inhabited by Wanna-be Black Thespians who climb the high ladder to a real audition by turning in Artist and Bohemian types to The Thespian Thought Patrol. Getting in their way is the truth 91% of the folks who buy a theare ticket, religiously, are White Immortals – that will not die! Black ZARDOZ is a Black Charismatic like Fela, and is dropped into the Ash Land Vortex to see if he can get an honest emotion and opinion – from anyone! The Apathetics are worthless to this end. They make poor victims. The OFS did put on The Wiz!
“Show me the book!”
“No! I won’t got there with you!”
“The owner initially moved “Little Black Sambo.” But after hearing that the actors had told their peers about the encounter, he moved the book back next to “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.”
In response, the Oregon Shakespeare Festival sent a private email to the bookstore stating that company would be boycotting it.”
The OSF removed three of my Facebook posts. This play wrote itself and is an Artaud Kafka piece. Establishing yourself as The Perfect Victim, is vital.
John Presco
Plot[edit]
In the year 2293, the human population is divided into the immortal “Eternals” and mortal “Brutals”. The Brutals live in an irradiated wasteland, growing food for the Eternals, who live apart in “the Vortex”, leading a luxurious but aimless existence on the grounds of a country estate. The connection between the two groups is through Brutal Exterminators, who kill and terrorize other “Brutals” at the orders of a huge flying stone head called Zardoz, which supplies them with weapons in exchange for the food they collect. Zed, a Brutal Exterminator, hides aboard Zardoz during one trip, temporarily “killing” its Eternal operator-creator Arthur Frayn.
Arriving in the Vortex, Zed meets two Eternals – Vortex 4 Controller Consuella and her assistant May. Overcoming him with psychic powers, they make him a prisoner and menial worker within their community. Consuella wants Zed destroyed immediately to stop the resistance from using him to start a revolution; others, led by May and a subversive Eternal named Friend, insist on keeping him alive for further study, while secretly planning to overthrow the government and end humanity’s suffering.
“But like many regional, non-profit American theaters around the country, this theater has been faced with a mostly white subscriber and donor base — which is aging.
“The American theater has relied for decades on that one demographic of people … over 65, affluent, white. It’s sort of the bread basket of the industry,” Garrett said.
Ashland, Ore., home of the festival, is itself about 91% white, according to the 2020 census. Portland State University Professor Daniel Pollack-Pelzner pointed out that Oregon has a bleak history of racism.
And contrary to those who believe that Shakespeare attracts only old white folks and thus — after four centuries of popularity — will fall into oblivion when people my age die off
How shall we respond to such a reality? Shall we view it through the lens of our current culture wars, resent white “dominance,” and gamble that a different OSF will attract audiences of equivalent size but different demographics? It’s unlikely that such a strategy will succeed for OSF, because there is so little racial and ethnic diversity locally. And even if that strategy fills the seats in OSF’s three theaters, it won’t fill the hotels, restaurants and shops that depend heavily on visitors.
A Play About The Cleansing of Old White Men From The Cultural Ecosystem – They Made! And the Insertion of Young People of Color Who Do Not Recall The Bad Ol Days When Blacks Owned No Shakespearean Culture. No White Folks Need Apply! Revenge – Is Sweet!
The company was pleased to know that the police force went through implicit-bias training, according to Cortez.
“Implicit bias refers to the attitudes or stereotypes that affect the understanding, actions and decisions in an unconscious manner,” according to the Kirwan Institute.
“Our job is to find out what (the implicit biases) are,” Ashland police chief Tighe O’Meara said in a phone interview. “If we don’t work through them, they have the ability to affect the decisions we make unconsciously.”
OSF is very pleased that the police force has shown the willingness to go deeper into the issue, Wallace said.
Although the company knows that their efforts have just started, they are confident that they are making a difference.
“The effort will continue, and hopefully we’re changing some minds,” Wallace said.
“Little Black Sambo” was displayed next to “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” at the Shakespeare Books & Antiques bookstore in Ashland.
The book was part of a banned-books section intended to educate store visitors about frequently challenged and controversial books, according to a story by the National Coalition Against Censorship.
PLAY BOTH VIDEOS SAME TIME
Twister Zardoz Show
Posted on September 16, 2021 by Royal Rosamond Press
Found this – emerald!
Whitey Noodles and I have a theory, sometimes, everything is….THE MOVIE ZARDOZ! There’s just no escaping it. You wake up some mornings, and……IT’S ZARDOZ!
Long live…..The Stoned Head!
WIZARDOFOZ
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twister_(play)
Mr. Twister speaks – to his chosen ones!
“Our hearts and minds are with the people being persecuted so unfairly relating to the January 6th protest concerning the Rigged Presidential Election,” Trump said in a statement. “In addition to everything else, it has proven conclusively that we are a two-tiered system of justice. In the end, however, JUSTICE WILL PREVAIL!”
Here is a summary of the Hippie Vortex Pilgrimage that fled the Bay Area to a farm outside Eugene. Throw in the truth, Peter, Christine, and myself, were a Northern Vortex, and, we are poised to be a Hippie Musical, then, it’s not over till the fat lady sings. Where in the fuck do Acidheads and Speedfreaks……..get the permission to do their version of the Wizard of Oz? Follow the bouncing ball. The Roof Job is about Dorothy wanting to get her roof fixed after The Twister. See what I mean? The Wizard of Oz is based upon the opera ‘La Boheme’.
Ken Kesey saw a virus coming in his apocalyptical opera. Trump is the Stone Head!
Seer John
This week’s hearing promised to be another blockbuster, featuring never-before-seen video from a documentary produced by Danish filmmakers about longtime political dirty trickster and Trump political adviser Roger Stone. A new hearing date has not yet been announced, but fortunately we don’t have to wait. Thanks to CNN, we’ve already seen highlights of the documentary – and they’re as shocking as anticipated.
In effect, Stone confirms everything the Jan. 6 committee has concluded so far: that Trump never intended to abide by the results of the election; that the insurrection of Jan. 6 was planned far ahead of time; that violence didn’t just happen, it was always part of the plan; and that Donald Trump himself was the ringleader.
Bill Press: Roger Stone tells all: Violence was part of the plan (msn.com)
In the News: Oregon Shakespeare Festival Boycotting Bookstore
Linsey MililloBanned and Challenged Books, Banned Books Week, Censorship
With Banned Books Week fast approaching, intellectual freedom and censorship is on many people’s minds. A recent news article out of Oregon brings this continued discussion to light once again. The Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF) has chosen to boycott a local bookstore based on what it considers a racially offensive book display.
Each September, the Shakespeare Books & Antiques bookstore in Ashland, Oregon, features a banned books display featuring works such as The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1884) and Little Black Sambo (1937) as a means to educate visitors regarding frequently challenged and banned books. The store’s owner, Judi Honoré, states that this same display has been featured for a number of years and this is the first year of any such complaints.
The OSF drafted a letter asking that the items be taken down from public view; however, Ms. Honoré refused, citing that these books should be available in such times as a means of education, not for promoting racial insensitivity. She is not without her supporters, including City Councilor Carol Voisin. Following Ms. Honoré’s refusal, the OSF has called for a boycott of all goods and services which the festival might have purchased from the bookstore.
What is at stake here is the continuing discussion of intellectual freedom. That the display might offend some is not the point, rather that these books were banned for a reason and that such a display should create a dialogue concerning our past, present and future. Sometimes the harsh truths behind the past are unpleasant. The question is not about how to create palatable displays for all sensibilities, but rather what lessons might be garnered from the situation. This certainly is a teachable moment for all when works such as Huckleberry Finn and Little Black Sambo might be discussed alongside contemporary titles such as the Harry Potter series and Perks of Being a Wallflower in order to break down racial, ethical and generational barriers.
Linsey Milillo works in teen and adult reference services for the Lane Libraries in Fairfield, Ohio. She’s an avid blogger with interest in reviews, programming and discussing timely issues at the center of library and information services.
Racist incidents spark action at Ashland Shakespeare Festival
Jag Lally, ’16, sips a cup of hot cocoa at Morning Glory in Ashland during the 2015 junior/senior class trip. Lally’s turban elicited a racist remark from three men in a truck while Lally was walking in town.
By Adam Dean, Sacramento Country Day School
October 28, 2016
In July, the Oregon Shakespeare Festival emailed a letter to its patrons, supporters and community members about its newfound mission to bring about social justice.
“You may have heard by now about the racist verbal assault directed at one of our actors, and about a death threat leveled at another female company member of color only days later,” artistic director Bill Rauch and executive director Cynthia Rider wrote.
“As far too many people in our community have experienced, these are not isolated incidents – they are happening daily in Ashland, and all over our country.”
English teacher Patricia Fels received the letter because SCDS high-school students have been attending the Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF) in Ashland every year since 1977. The next trip begins on Tuesday, Oct. 4.
The letter said one of these incidents involved African-American actress Christiana Clark in June.
While she was walking her dog in Ashland, a man on a bike stopped and spoke to her.
He said that he could kill her and get out of jail the next day. He also said that the Ku Klux Klan still lives and thrives in Oregon, according to Clark’s June 24 Facebook post.
Days later another death threat was directed at a second female actress of color.
“The second occurrence came from a known resident with a mental illness,” Eddie Wallace, associate director of communications, said in a phone conversation. “But our position is that it doesn’t take away from the fact that people of color still deal with it.”
Wallace said Oregon has always had a “bad racial history.”
In fact, he noted that it was only in 2002 that the state removed a controversial part of its constitution.
The passage read: “No free negro, or mulatto, not residing in this State at the time of the adoption of this constitution, shall come, reside, or be within this State, or hold any real estate.”
This isn’t the first time incidents like these have occurred in Ashland. Rather, it’s just easier for victims to speak up, Wallace said.
“Here in Ashland there are a lot of Confederate flags around,” Wallace said. “And it’s not uncommon for someone to be called the ‘n-word’ while walking down the street.
“It just doesn’t create an environment where it’s easy to come out and share these things.”
Other “microaggressions” often include people of color being followed around in stores or given inferior service, Wallace said.
Jag Lally, ‘16, said he was on the receiving end of one of these microaggressions a year ago.
Lally, a Sikh who wears a turban, was walking in the town to get food with two of his friends when three men in a truck pulled up beside him and told him to go back to his country.
“It was an unnerving incident,” Lally said. “It’s sad that people today still say things like that.”
But racist encounters with Country Day students are rare.
Biology teacher Kellie Whited has chaperoned the Ashland trip for five years and said she hasn’t heard about any issues.
“Everyone has always been very friendly and welcoming of our students,” Whited said.
And of the three college students of color contacted by the Octagon, none reported being racially harassed.
“Fortunately for me I had no such encounters on my class trips,” Savannah Symister ‘14 said.
Nonetheless, trying to prevent incidents like these is one of the reasons the Shakespeare Festival has taken this new mission.
“We feel we have the role of making this a welcoming community with the diverse audience and staff that we bring in,” Wallace said.
This year is the first time in the company’s history that more than 50 percent of its actors are of color, he said.
Part of this is due to the high number of minority roles in “The Winter’s Tale” and “The Wiz.”
“The Wiz” is a modern African-American telling of “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.”
The company recently boycotted a local bookstore after an incident involving a banned children’s book that contains racist stereotypes about blacks.
“Little Black Sambo” was displayed next to “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” at the Shakespeare Books & Antiques bookstore in Ashland.
The book was part of a banned-books section intended to educate store visitors about frequently challenged and controversial books, according to a story by the National Coalition Against Censorship.
“Little Black Sambo” was banned because it portrays blacks as unsanitary, having large appetites, and having a love for brightly colored clothing, Wallace said.
In July, cast members of “The Wiz” entered the bookstore to ask the shop owner to change the display of the books because they found it disconcerting, according to Wallace.
The owner initially moved “Little Black Sambo.” But after hearing that the actors had told their peers about the encounter, he moved the book back next to “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.”
In response, the Oregon Shakespeare Festival sent a private email to the bookstore stating that company would be boycotting it.
“We sit with our company members,” Julie Cortez, communications manager, said. “We’re not going to buy from someone who treats us disrespectfully.”
Another point of racial controversy is the company’s decision to use actors of color in traditionally white roles.
Brian Frishman, drama department head at Country Day, said that today, color-blind casting is used by most directors.
However, Frishman said he follows his own rules.
“My philosophy is that if the piece isn’t specifically about race, and using color-blind casting wouldn’t lessen the impact of the work, then I use color- (and sometimes gender-blind) casting,” Frishman said.
For example, in “The Paper Chase” last year, Gracie Strumpfer (‘16) played the lead professor who is male in the original play. And senior Jaelan Trapp played the romantic lead, who was written as white.
Wallace said the criticism OSF receives for its selections is directed to their box office employees.
The open letter states: “[Incidents] are happening to our Box Office employees, who bear the brunt of racially-charged and homophobic complaints about our approach to casting and season selection.”
But Frishman says he believes that the number of people that object isn’t very high.
“Audiences are so sophisticated these days that most people will follow the story and really not notice changes that don’t alter the storyline,” Frishman said.
Another part of OSF’s (Oregon Shakespeare Festival) effort to make a change has been their cooperation with the local Ashland police department.
The company sat down with the Ashland police chief and discussed what could be done to create a more friendly environment, Wallace said.
The company was pleased to know that the police force went through implicit-bias training, according to Cortez.
“Implicit bias refers to the attitudes or stereotypes that affect the understanding, actions and decisions in an unconscious manner,” according to the Kirwan Institute.
“Our job is to find out what (the implicit biases) are,” Ashland police chief Tighe O’Meara said in a phone interview. “If we don’t work through them, they have the ability to affect the decisions we make unconsciously.”
OSF is very pleased that the police force has shown the willingness to go deeper into the issue, Wallace said.
Although the company knows that their efforts have just started, they are confident that they are making a difference.
“The effort will continue, and hopefully we’re changing some minds,” Wallace said.
Read the original story here.
Rosamond Press 