Athena's Ashes Review

Athena's Ashes by Jamie Grey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received a free ARC of this book in exchange for this review.

Renna wakes up in a medical facility. She has had an implant placed in her brain. She is trying to destroy Pallas, the traitor within MYTH that she believes has done this to her. The implant gives her special mental abilities, such as the ability to see maps, and to communicate with other electronic systems. Renna is worried that she is turning into a cyborg. (Think Summer Glau in the Terminator TV series from a few years ago.) Dr Samil tries to give her injections to control the integration of the implant, while Pallas is Meanwhile, Renna misses the captain of the ship, Finn, that she was on before being brought to the hospital. She may be faling in love with him.

That's just from the beginning of the book. I won't give away too much because of spoilers, but I didn't want to put the book down. The plot moves fast, with a lot of twists and turns that are unexpected. The focus is on Renna, and her increasing abilities with the implant. I found shades of Terminator, Star Wars, and 2001: A Space Odyssey in this book. Pallas is also trying to construct a cyborg army based on the implant.

This is book 2 of the series. I didn't read book 1, but the first few chapters brought me up to speed on the important things. It can be easy to get lost in the details, but I was able, after a few pages, to catch up.

I liked how the author showed Renna's increasing power from the implants, and how she is able to use that power to get what she needs. Again, I won't say too much because of spoilers, but the integration isn't always smooth, and its use isn't always perfect. If it were, it would have ruined the plot.

This was an ARC, so there were some spelling errors, which I wrote off as typos. I assume they will be fixed in the final copy. When I review ARCs, I make allowances for this, and just review the content.

The ending is a little ambiguous. It ends, but it leaves open the possibility for a 3rd book in the series. I'm not sure if that's going to happen, but I think I would enjoy it if it did. All in all, a good book.



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Athena's Ashes Giveaway

Athena's Ashes (Star Thief Chronicles #2)

by Jamie Grey

Publisher: Clever Crow Press

Release Date: August 26th 2014

Rate: *4 of 5 stars*

Synopsis:

It’s Renna’s biggest job yet – convincing MYTH leadership that she’s put away her lock picks and is ready to save the galaxy, despite the dangerous implant in her brain. But with the Athena on the run, she’s working solo and facing her most ruthless enemy, the traitor Pallas, who’ll go to any lengths to destroy the MYTH organization. Including framing Renna for a devastating assault on MYTH HQ that leaves their defenses crippled and hundreds dead. 

Now that MYTH believes she’s a dangerous double-agent, Renna escapes their firing squad before they put more holes in her than a pair of fishnet stockings. But the ticking time-bomb in her head is the one thing Pallas needs to complete his master plan and he’s not about to let her get away. Even worse, he’s discovered the only thing that will bring Renna to her knees – threatening Captain Nick Finn.

Out of time and options, Renna’s got one shot to take down the traitor before he annihilates everything she loves, even though winning this battle may cost her everything.

**SEE SEPARATE POST FOR REVIEW**

CHAPTER ONE

For someone who was supposed to be the best thief in the galaxy, Renna had been spending entirely too much time locked up lately. Not that a high-security hospital room in a secret MYTH base was much of a prison for her, but the IV line snaking from her arm might as well have been a pair of Saltani iron handcuffs. She swung her feet over the edge of the lumpy bed and watched the holoscreen on the far wall. Stats scrolled past, red text on the black background. Her vitals were stable; blood pressure was fine. Looking at her chart, she was the picture of health. Except for the cybernetic implant taking over her mind. Renna rubbed the back of her neck where the original incision site had started to throb. It had been doing that a lot lately, thanks to Navang’s depraved experiments and the drugs he’d injected her with. Drugs he’d used to create a whole army of human-robot hybrids. Thana Samil, the MYTH doctor in charge of her case, said it was nothing to worry about, but Renna knew better. In the five days she’d been locked up here in the MYTH facility, the pain in her head had only gotten worse. And then there were the weird side effects. She hadn’t stepped foot outside her room, but she knew a bank of super-servers sat in the northeast corner of the facility, as if she’d drawn the blueprints herself. Communications relays resided on each corner of the roof. She’d even felt the throb of the automated defense cannons guarding the facility. If the doctor and her team didn’t figure out how to slow down the integration between the implant and her nervous system, Renna would be a walking machine before she had the chance to stop the person behind all this. Pallas. If Renna’s hunch was right, the traitor was close enough to touch. Maybe even inside this facility. But she’d never find him if she was trapped here for the rest of her short life. She slid off the bed to pace the stark room, careful not to disturb the needles in her arm. Six steps to the door. Turn around. Six steps back to the bed. She’d done this to herself. She’d volunteered to be locked away and dissected, just to keep Myka Aldani safe. To keep Finn safe. Her pacing slowed as a pang of longing shot through her. Captain Nick Finn. Former gang member turned MYTH soldier and her first childhood crush. Now, she suspected that she’d fallen in love with him, which worried her. Renna had spent most of her life making sure that didn’t happen. Yet somehow his bright blue eyes, square jaw, and straight-laced moral code had slipped through her defenses. And oh, the way his fingers had tantalizingly stroked her most sensitive places… Renna felt herself go warm as she remembered the last time she’d been with him. She’d escaped from Navang, but not before he’d started the process of taking over her implant. Finn had spent the night in her room, waiting for her to regain consciousness, and she’d practically begged him to make love to her. She could still feel the heat of his skin. She inhaled, half-expecting to smell his scent—sandalwood, gun grease, and something that was inexplicably him. She needed to know what was going on between them, and if that meant more bunk-side exploration, she’d totally take one for the team. But until she knew how to stop Pallas and put an end to these experiments, she wasn’t going anywhere, despite the urge she had to run back to Finn. She’d stay in this facility and let them poke and prod her, just to protect him and Myka. Even if it made her crazy. The lock on her door beeped, and high-heeled shoes clacked across the threshold. Speak of the devil. Renna turned as Dr. Samil entered the room. The young doctor wore a pleasant smile despite the slightly frazzled appearance of her long blonde hair escaping the messy bun she always wore. Renna leaned back against the edge of her bed. “Do you always have to look so happy at the prospect of stabbing me with those instruments of torture?” Dr. Samil’s blue eyes sparkled. “For someone who’s done her share of killing, I can’t believe you have a needle phobia.” “We all have our weaknesses,” Renna said with a shrug. “Pointy, shiny, metal bloodsuckers just happen to be mine.” Samil set her holopad down on the counter and pressed her thumb to the scanner to unlock the drawer. She pulled out a tray of tools. “I guess it’s time for the torture to begin.” The doctor brushed her bangs back off her forehead, and Renna gritted her teeth as she slid back onto the bed, preparing to be poked. “How’d the last test go? Is the implant fusing normally?” Renna stared pointedly at the far wall as Samil fumbled with the glinting needles on the tray. “Or whatever normal is in this fucked-up situation.” The doctor shook her head, flicking a finger against one of the syringes before pushing the plunger. Pink-tinged liquid squirted from the needle. “I wish I knew. I haven’t seen anything like this before. It’s fascinating.” Her voice was full of that breathless excitement Renna had come to hate. “Whatever Dr. Navang did prompted your ordinarily harmless implant to start fusing directly with your nervous system. If my hunch is right, any other cybernetic implants installed during this time would also fuse to your body. You could even start picking up other electronic signals.” Renna flinched. Not only because of the quick jab of pain as the doctor deftly slid the needle into her arm, but because she was already picking up those electronic signals. Things were progressing faster than the doctor knew. “Relax. I promise this won’t hurt.” “That’s what Navang said.” Renna tilted her head and fixed Samil with a frown. “And look how that turned out.” The doctor finished injecting Renna with whatever drug cocktail she was trying today, then smiled. “There. Wasn’t so bad, was it? I promise I don’t like torturing you any more than you like being tortured. Unfortunately, I need one more sample to check your antibody levels.” “Of course you do.” Renna grudgingly let the woman extract a vial of blood and then crossed her arms as Samil slipped the vial into her pocket. “So what did you mean about the other implants?” Dr. Samil nodded as she tapped some information into her tablet. “Navang wanted to create an army of hybrids he could control, right? Well, the first step was to keep their bodies from rejecting the modified implants he installed. But it didn’t work. His technique destroyed some of their own tissue and risked the constant rejection of the implants. Hence the need for a steady infusion of the anti-rejection medications. “The new formula he tested on you was a different attempt at the same thing. If he could find a way to make your body fuse with the implant, make it think it was part of itself, eventually technology could overtake biology. Even better, when the process was complete, depending on the type of implant, he could have different types of soldiers. He’d be able to control them all using his neural network. They’d be nothing but mindless robots until he gave them orders.” Samil’s voice rose as she spoke, her gestures growing even more animated, but a dull ache had started in Renna’s stomach. She remembered the expressionless eyes of the minions at Navang’s lab as she’d slaughtered them to ensure Finn and Myka’s escape. Her heart squeezed as she recalled Viktis’s assurance that she would make it. Her skin crawled at the realization that she was nothing more than an experiment to the doctor, a shiny new toy to be studied until the novelty waned. But this was Renna’s life. She wasn’t going to sit here helpless while other people tried to save her. “How long do I have?” she interrupted before Samil could get even more excited. The woman positively hummed. Samil paused, blinking at Renna. “Of course. Right. My assistant has had some success in creating a new drug to slow the fusion. It’s not exact, but I’m hopeful it will work.” Wispy, flyaway hairs floated around her face like a halo as she shook her head. “I’m confident we’ll have a breakthrough soon. I promise we’ll figure this out.” “Don’t make promises you can’t keep, Doctor. The headaches are getting worse every day.” Renna rubbed at her sore temples, closing her eyes as a wave of pain started to build. She shored up the walls surrounding her heart and refused to even think about losing the connection she’d made with Finn. “On the plus side, if your drugs don’t work and the implant takes over my brain, I hear metal body suits are all the rage this year.” Samil crossed her arms and leaned back against the table, a frown marring her pretty features. “You’re awfully calm about this whole situation.” Renna shrugged. She was ten years younger than the doctor, but she suddenly felt like she was a hundred years older. “I’ve learned to deal with the unexpected in my line of work, doc. If you can’t change something, you figure out how to work around it. It’s the only way to survive.” “That’s a cynical view of life for someone who’s only twenty-three.” “You saw my file. I grew up in the Izan tenements on Earth, with a prostitute for a mother and a background in stealing. I’ve worked hard to move on, but growing up like that leaves a scar. Or two.” Renna forced herself not to touch the physical scar on her neck, the daily reminder of that life and everything she’d worked so hard to forget. Thinking about her mother’s attempt to kill her in a drug-induced rage still made Renna flush with shame and hatred. Still made her wary of trusting anyone. Even Finn. Samil’s expression softened. “I know. And for someone with your past, you’ve come a long way. You’re now part of an intergalactic organization, doing your part to save the universe. You’ve become something bigger than just a thief. I admire you for that.” “If I had a choice, I would’ve been long gone by now. I’m no hero, and I certainly am not a team player. I don’t need to depend on a galactic organization. I just need myself.” Renna settled back against the pillows and crossed her arms. “MYTH can keep its good deeds. I’m just in this for the dental plan.” And just maybe to make sure she got a shot at happily ever after. Samil chuckled, and Renna felt a responding smile twist her lips. Despite the needles and the fact that the doctor viewed Renna as a science experiment, she liked the woman. Samil was whip-smart, and if anyone could solve this puzzle, it would be her. “What am I going to do with you, dove?” the doctor asked with a shake of her head. “Save me, I hope.” But the doctor could stop using that stupid nickname any time now. Thinking of Renna as a meek little dove was laughable. “I’m doing my best. I do wish Navang’s facility hadn’t been destroyed. If I had access to his drugs and research, it would make all of this so much easier. Or even Myka Aldani. At one time, he was the key to all of this.” Renna’s pulse jumped, and she dropped her gaze to the stark white tiles on the floor. This was exactly why she’d sent Finn on the run with Myka. Destroying the facility had been the only way to stop the human-robot hybrid army Navang and Pallas were building, but it had also signed Renna’s death warrant and put the kid in even more danger. Had she made the right choice? Could she have stopped Navang another way? “Do you know why Captain Finn destroyed the place?” Samil asked. “It doesn’t make sense. The captain doesn’t disobey orders.” “You know Finn?” She clenched her hands in her lap at the unexpected pang of jealousy. The past seven years had changed Finn into a different person, and those years were wrapped in a protective cloak that seemed to surround his heart. He was different, but that Finn from her childhood still remained. She’d thought they’d have plenty of time to get to know him again, to figure out if there was, in fact, a relationship developing under her nose, but life never worked out the way she planned. Samil nodded. “I was ship doctor for a year on the Athena. He’s a good man. It must have been something big for him to turn his back on MYTH.” Her blue eyes searched Renna’s. “Are you sure he didn’t tell you anything?” A lump formed in her throat, and she had to swallow around it before answering. “Finn and I didn’t exactly get along when I came on board.” Sticking to half-truths was the safest bet for now, until she figured out who she could trust. “Right. I’d heard he was angry that Major Dallas wanted him to work with a thief on the last mission. You, I presume?” “Guilty as charged. He wasn’t likely to confide in me either way.” “Probably not. I know how he felt about people like you.” Samil’s eyes widened. “I mean, people who don’t follow the law.” She shook her head with an apologetic frown. “I’m sorry, this isn’t coming out right. I just mean Finn’s a good man. For him to go on the run from MYTH means something is seriously wrong.” Renna nodded. “I get it. I’m a thief. Untrustworthy. But I was hired to do a job and that’s what I did.” “I didn’t mean anything by it, Renna. I’m sorry.” The doctor glanced at the door. “Now that I’ve put my foot in it, I’m going to go make sure my assistant has your newest sample. Stay positive, Renna, it’s going to be fine.” “I hope you’re right because it feels like my brain is about to ooze out my ears.” Samil unlocked another drawer with her thumbprint and rummaged inside. She pulled out a small, flesh-colored disk. “Here, put this medipatch on. It should help with the pain.” Renna slapped it on her arm. “Thanks, doc. I’ll see you later. Hopefully much, much later.” Samil smiled as she left. The door swished shut behind her, and the sound of the lock re-engaging echoed through the room.

Purchase links:

Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/mlr8wtv

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/athenas-ashes-jamie-grey/1120193749?ean=2940150650299&utm_source=Jamie+Grey+Books&utm_campaign=03b4d58ec4-AA_Release28_13_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_c78dd6e506-03b4d58ec4-99530853&mc_cid=03b4d58ec4&mc_eid=7a95e3e36a

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/athenas-ashes/id911771988?ls=1&mt=11

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/469796?utm_source=Jamie+Grey+Books&utm_campaign=03b4d58ec4-AA_Release28_13_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_c78dd6e506-03b4d58ec4-99530853&mc_cid=03b4d58ec4&mc_eid=7a95e3e36a

Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/athena-s-ashes?utm_source=Jamie+Grey+Books&utm_campaign=03b4d58ec4-AA_Release28_13_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_c78dd6e506-03b4d58ec4-99530853&mc_cid=03b4d58ec4&mc_eid=7a95e3e36a

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Jamie Grey spent most of her childhood writing stories about princesses who saved the day and pretending to be a daring explorer. It wasn’t until much later that she realized she should combine the two. Now, as a tech-obsessed gamer geek, her novels mix amazing scientific developments, future worlds, and the remarkable characters that live in them.

Jamie lives in Michigan with her boyfriend and their pets, who luckily tolerate her overspending on tea, books, and video games. You can learn more about her at www.jamiegreybooks.com, or follow her on twitter via @jamie_grey.

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Shakespeare's English Kings

Shakespeare's English Kings: History, Chronicle, and Drama by Peter Saccio
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I once had a high school English teacher describe Shakespeare's histories as "boring". Part of the reason for that is that it is easy to get lost in the murk of history. The events happened around 600 years ago, and seem like something out of a Renaissance Fair. This is what Dr Saccio's book works to explain. He very succinctly goes through the over 100 years of history discussed in the history plays, Henry IV parts 1&2, Henry V, Richard III, Henry VI parts 1-3. Richard II, King John, and Henry VIII. At times, it's hard to imagine how England could have survived. There were always questions over who was the legitimate heir to the throne, always battles over land, wars with France, arranged marriages, and bills of attainder prosecuting certain people for treason, many times on trumped-up charges. (This last part explains why the drafters of the US Constitution inserted a specific clause prohibiting bills of attainder.) Henry VIII also deals a bit with the Church of England's break with Rome. This is great material for any kind of dramatic play. Dr Saccio shows the differences between the actual history (as far as we know) and Shakespeare's version. Shakespeare occasionally telescopes events, has people present at certain locations who weren't actually there, and ages younger characters to be present for dramatic effect. In this, Shakespeare is no different than modern screenwriters, who will telescope events and composite characters to keep the movie under 2 hours. In Shakespeare's case, he was trying to show general themes--betrayal, murder, greed, incompetence--to show how the history evolved. The original book was written in 1977. Dr Saccio adds an Afterword, written in 2000, to explain the evolution of scholarship on Shakespeare since 1977.

Of the history plays, 3 seem to be the most widely performed today--1 Henry IV, Henry V, and Richard III. These are performed, not because of any history involved, but because of the characters. In 1 Henry IV, modern performers focus on the character of Falstaff, who, as Dr Saccio points out, is a Shakespearean invention. He is the "fat knight", and in many cases is portrayed as a buffoon. His famous line, "Discretion is the better part of valor," which he uses to explain his hiding out in the bar instead of taking part in the battle. (Supposedly, Queen Elizabeth I was so enthralled with Falstaff that she asked Shakespeare to write another play featuring him. The result was Merry Wives of Windsor.) Shakespeare's Henry V is almost the ideal king. I believe Shakespeare had the same view. I've seen modern business books cit Shakespeare's Henry V as a model of organizational leadership. One scene that isn't addressed in the book is the famous scene where King Henry disguises himself as a commoner and mingles among his troops the night before the battle at Agincourt. Was this a Shakespearean invention, or was there some historical basis for this? The book doesn't answer this question. I suspect that his "band of brothers" speech was all Shakespeare. The original motivational speech, predating "Win one for the Gipper" by 300 years. (As a Notre Dame graduate, I love that speech. GO IRISH!) Shakespeare's Richard III, by contrast, is the antithesis of what a king should be. He is the living embodiment of Machiavelli's Prince, always conniving and scheming to get the throne, until he falls at the battle of Bosworth. His famous line, "A horse! A horse! My kingdom for a horse!" is Shakespeare's invention. So is the humpback and the crooked nose often used by those who portray Richard. As Dr Saccio points out, the real Richard wasn't all that bad, but wasn't all good either. The truth is somewhere in the middle. Henry VIII is a historical footnote. At the premiere of Henry VIII at the Globe Theater, one of the stagehands apparently got drunk and fired off a cannon, which burned the Globe Theater to the ground.

If you look at the current situation with England and France today, it's almost hard to believe things were any different. Today, the Chunnel connects England and France by rail under the English Channel. The 2014 Tour de France spent the first 3 days in England before moving to France. It received a royal opening by Prince William, Duchess Kate, and Prince Harry. Queen Elizabeth II has been on the throne for 62 years as of 2014 (1952-present), surpassed only by Queen Victoria's 64 years (1837-1901). In 2011, Parliament passed legislation removing the preference for boys to rule, and removing the prohibition on the King or Queen marrying a Catholic. You wonder if all of drama described in Dr Saccio's book was necessary. All in all, this is an excellent book for those who want to know more about Shakespeare's kings.

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Elixir

Elixir by Ted Galdi
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for this review.

The timing of this book is eerie. There are news reports every day of the outbreak of the Ebola virus in western Africa, with a death toll over 900. There was also the report of 2 American missionaries being flown home to the CDC in Atlanta for treatment for the Ebola virus. That's what makes this book timely, although it's just a coincidence.

As the novel begins, Sean Malone is an 11-year-old prodigy, winning over $1 million on Jeopardy! Just 3 years later, he is in college, where he solves a previously unsolvable problem. This gets the attention of the NSA, which uses his solution to hunt down drug lords. He is forced to fake his own death and move to Italy, where he meets Natasha when he turns 18, a woman looking for some adventure. She goes with her family on a trip to Africa. When she comes back, she becomes sick,rom and is placed in the hospital, suffering from the effects of the Ebola virus. Sean tries to develop a drug that will heal her. I can't give away any more without revealing spoilers.

As I said earlier, this book has the benefit of timing. It reminds me of the release of the movie The China Syndrome in 1979, just a few days before the accident at the Three Mile Island nuclear plant. It was hard to read this novel without thinking of current events. That said, it was an engaging novel. The first few chapters jump ahead, skipping ahead a few years at a time. Once the action gets to Germany, however, the time frame settles down. It becomes a race against time to get the elixir finished in time, and get it injected into her before she dies. The action is well-paced. I won't give too much away, except to say that you never know quite what's coming next. It made me wish there really was an elixir that would cure Ebola. All in all, a good book.

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Wrap-up of Season 11, Great River Shakespeare Festival in Winona, MN

 

It's A Wrap!

"Let us agree that we shall never forget one another, and whatever happens, remember how it felt when we were all here together, united by a good and decent feeling that made us better people, better probably than we otherwise would have been."--The Brothers Karamazov

Season 11 of the Great River Shakespeare Festival in Winona, MN, wrapped up today. It seems too soon. It feels like only yesterday I was attending Will's Opening Weekend parties, and now it's over. 

Special appreciation to Lee Gundersheimer and Doug Scholz-Carlson, who were in charge for their first full season this year. This was definitely a success.

I know the quote at the beginning wasn't from Shakespeare, but I felt it was appropriate. There is a good and decent feeling among the players, the crew, the volunteers, and even the audience, to make this a great Festival. I haven't been to other Shakespeare Festivals, so I can't compare this Festival to others, but I have heard from some of those who have been elsewhere that this feeling is not necessarily shared at other Festivals. One crew member actually described another festival (which shall remain nameless) as a "dysfunctional family". This is definitely not the case here. From my own experience, as a reviewer, an usher, and concession stand worker, this does feel more like a family, without the dysfunction.

I have already reviewed the plays in other posts on my blog. I will only say that they were very well received by the audience. The total attendance was the second-highest ever in the 11 seasons of the Festival. The only season that exceeded it was a week longer. I also know that people in Winona also are willing to discuss the plays. 

The goal of the Festival is to make Shakespeare accessible for everyone. In that, I believe they have succeeded. They don't water down the text (although, for Hamlet, I've heard that they cut about 1000 lines to keep the running time reasonable; without that, it would have been over 4 hours long), but rely on the basic intelligence to understand what's going on. 

They sponsor pre-show conversations to help the audience understand the plays better. There are also Front Porch conversations with academics, to delve further into the plays. I attended one of these with Dr Peter Sacchio, noted Shakespeare scholar and author of Shakespeare's English Kings. He discussed Hamlet and the play based on Hamlet, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead (R&G). It was a fascinating discussion. I've just started reading his book, so I post my review when I have finished. 

They also sponsor Company Conversations, some held after the play was over, some held at Acoustic Cafe in Winona. This is a chance for the audience to discuss various elements of the play, and of their free time, with the cast members in a relaxed setting. If there are any other festivals that do this, I have not heard of them.

Another event is Concerts on the Green. Each Friday and Saturday night, there are concerts put on by various musical groups right on the campus of Winona State University, where the Festival is held. They're free with a free will offering. Food is available for sale. (Because of state law, alcoholic beverages are not sold on campus.) Everyone seemed to enjoy them. I know I did. Fortunately, this year they only had to use the rain location once.

Today the plays for next year were announced. They are:

Much Ado About Nothing. This could be the subtitle of Jerry Seinfeld's show.

Romeo and Juliet. The classic story of star-crossed lovers. What else is there to say?

And, based on the success of R&G, another non-Shakespeare play.

The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams. An American classic.

They have not yet announced the Intern/Apprentice project or the Shakespeare for Young Actors and Designers project. 

To honor Shakespeare's 450th birthday, the Festival had a goal of gaining 450 new sustaining memberships. Today, they surpassed the goal with 456. This should ensure the Festival's continuation for some time.

In closing, I leave you with the words of Carol Burnett, which she sang at the end of her show every week.

"I'm so glad we had this time together,

Just to have a laugh, or sing a song.

Seems we just get started and before you know it 

Comes the time we have to say, so long."

Congratulations on a great season, and we'll see everyone next year.

For more information on the Festival, go to www.grsf.org.

For more information on Winona, go to www.visitwinona.com.

Saw this on Facebook today. Not sure how true it is. If it is, it's sad.

Callithump at the Great River Shakespeare Festival in WInona, MN

Rating:

out of 5 cowbells.

What does Callithump mean? Who knows? The closest entry on Wikipedia was for Calathumpian, which is a term used to describe a religion or philosophy in its infancy. According to Wikipedia, it comes from the Latin "calathus", which is the term for rubbish bin. This definitely did not describe last night.

Callithump at the Great River Shakespeare Festival in Winona, MN is a variety show put on by the cast and crew of the Festival. Its primary purpose is as a fundraiser for the Festival. I think it also gives everyone a chance to blow off some steam and have fun. The costumes were primarily Festival t-shirts, especially the Callithump t-shirts. The slogan was, "Let the sky rain potatoes," a reference to Merry Wives of Windsor. Winona National Bank handed out cowbells to everyone to make noise. It almost reminded me of the Saturday Night Live sketch, "We need more cowbell!"  It started with an opening song featuring the entire cast. Other acts were a conversation between Shakespeare and another writer trying to edit the "To be or not to be" soliloquy from Hamlet. There was also a sketch called "John and Robert are Dead," a parody of R&G are dead, using Mrs. Ford's servants from Merry Wives. Other sketches were a discussion of the poison scene in Hamlet, which turned into an Abbott and Costello routine, There was also a routine called "Shakespeare's Tragic Heroines," based on "He Had It Coming" from "Chicago." A sketch with an audience member, a magic show, slam poetry, and musical numbers completed the evening. There was also an Accessories Parade, where cast members made up costumes and paraded them across the stage. In between, there was Seat Swag, where

The whole evening was a lot of fun. Thanks to Winona National Bank for sponsoring the evening. Special mention to Lauren Smith, Kate Ocker, and Brian White for pulling this off, and to Jonelle Moore for being the accompanist. The one minor issue is that sometimes the music drowned out some of the solo singers. That's a minor fix, though, for next year. Also, great job by all the performers. They were Benjamin Bocvalt, robert Montgomery, Bryan White, Steve Hendrickson, Gerrad Taylor Will Koch, Greg Ivan Smith, Michael Fitzpatric, Catie Osborn, Jenni McCarthy, Ted Kitterman, Emily Kurash, Leslie Brott, John Maltese, Andrew Carlson, Chris Mixon, Oriana Lada, Caroline Amos, Emily Hawkins, Allison Morse, Jess Shoemaker, Sigrid Sutter, Tarah Flanagan, the casts of the shows, the Interns, and the Young Actors. If I left anyone out, it's only for space.

All in all, a great show. By the time the closing number, a parody of "Bohemian Rhapsody", came around, everyone was waving their glow sticks, and celebrating. This definitely did not belong in the rubbish bin. My rating: 5 of 5 cowbells.

For more information on the Great River Shakespeare Festival, go to www.grsf.org.

For more information on Winona, MN, go to www.visitwinona.com.

For the Wikipedia article, click here.

The Tempest by William Shakespeare, performed by the Great River Shakespeare Festival in Winona, MN

The Tempest by William Shakespeare
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Tempest is one of Shakespeare's last plays. Prospero, exiled Duke of Milan, lives on a island with his spirit Ariel, his slave Caliban, and his daughter Miranda. He has the ability to control everyone on the island by use of his staff and his books. A ship carrying Prospero's brother Antonio, his other brother Sebastian, Alonso, King of Naples, Ferdinand, Alonso's son, Trinculo and Stephano, the king's servants, and Gonzalo, a kindly courrtier, is shipwrecked on the island, with a storm caused by Prospero himself. Ferdinand is separated from the group, then meets and falls in love with Miranda. Prospero gives Ferdinand several tests to prove his love to Mirands. Meanwhile, Trinculo and Stephano encounter Caliban, get him drunk, and persuade him to serve Stephano as his new master. Prospero eventually joins Ferdinand and Miranda in marriage, and forgives the wrongs all of the others have done. Prospero then asks the audience to release him so he can go to Naples.

This is one of Shakespeare's most lyrical plays. Some have suggested that Prospero is actually Shakespeare himself, saying goodbye to the theater. (He wrote Henry VIII and collaborated on The Two Noble Kinsmen, so we know that's not true.) It has some classic lines, such as, "We are such stuff as dreams are made on, and our little life is rounded with a sleep." and "O brave new world, which has such creatures in't." (This is where Aldous Huxley got the title for his novel, Brave New World.) It's also been suggested that the island is actually a reference to America. This was written in 1610-11, so some of the reports from the Jamestown colony in what is now Virginia would have fascinated the audience. Another culture reference is Ariel, which is the name Disney gave to The Little Mermaid in 1989.

The production was by the the Shakespeare for Young Actors and Designers program of the Great River Shakespeare Festival in Winona, MN. This program is for students in grade school through high school. They had 3 weeks to put the performance together. Some worked on acting, some on design, both of costumes and set dressing. The basic set was that used for Hamlet.

The play was condensed to fit in a 90 minute time frame, with no intermission. Since mostly girls had signed up for the program, most of the parts were played by girls. Given that in Shakespeare's time, all of the parts were played by men, this is an interesting role reversal. The actors did well. There were so many actors this year, some roles were played by 2 or 3 different people. (If I leave names out, it is only for space limitations.) Special commendations to the following:

Lauren Callahan and Emma Dalen as Prospero. They switched off in the middle of the play, and got back together at the end.
Raelynn Peter as Miranda. In the play, Miranda is 15. She's probably about that age, so it worked out perfectly.
Anna Scholz-Carlson as Ferdinand. She was able to play the part convincingly.
Emma Bucknam, Olivia Templeton, and Emma Wilson as Ariel. They played Ariel as a group of 3.
Violet Richardson and Eva Scholz-Carlson as Caliban. They switched off in the middle of the play.
Emma Wilson as Iris, Haley Donnal as Ceres, and Qiana Norris as Juno. They had relatively brief parts in this play, but they did well.
Stephanie Shaw as Alonso, Emily Schwermer as Sebastian, Jordon Prochnow as Antonio, Alayna Merchlewitz as Gonzalo, and Emma Wilson as Adrian. Extra commendation to Emma Wilson for taking on 3 roles.
Jackson Mixon as Trinculo and Jake Carlson as Stephano. The only 2 boys in the cast, they provided the comic relief.
Haley Donnal as the Boatswain and Qiana Norris as Master of the Ship. Again, small roles, but effective.

The program was started 4 years ago by Andrew Carlson, who plays Hamlet this year, as well as Dr Caius in Merry Wives of Windsor. He serves now as one of the instructors. This year, the lead instructor and director of the play is Tarah Flanagan, who plays Mrs. Ford in Merry Wives of Windsor. It is a tribute to her dedication and effectiveness that she makes time for this while taking on her other roles in the play. I would also like to recognize all of the other cast members who assisted in the instruction. They are Greg Ivan Smith, Gale Childs Daly, Michael Fitzpatrick, Christopher Gerson, John Maltese, Jenni McCarthy, Robert Montgomery, Sigrid Sutter, and Brian White. They helped make this play excellent.

For the designers, Lauren Smith was the primary instructor, assisted by Megan Morey and Jenn Oswald. They exhibited their work in the lobby of the theater. It was interesting to see the designs they came up with, then to see how they translated into real life. Special notice to Lauren Smith, who is also the education coordinator for the Festival, and has a lot of other duties. Again, the quality of the production is a testament to their dedication.

All in all, a great performance. I look forward in the coming years to seeing many of these actors and designers on the Main Stage at the Festival.

For more information on the Great River Shakespeare Festival, including the Shakespeare for Young Actors and Designers programs, visit www.grsf.org.

For more information on Winona, MN, visit www.visitwinona.com.


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Troilus and Cressida, performed by the Great River Shakespeare Festival in Winona, MN

Troilus and Cressida by William Shakespeare
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Troilus and Cressida is not one of Shakespeare's better known plays. In Shakespeare's time, it was a box-office flop. When the play was later published, it came with an introduction that said it was "unsoil'd by the stage," which scholars believe is not true. The introduction was a way to salvage its reputation.

The play takes place during the Trojan Wars. It starts 7 years in. Paris, a Trojan, has kidnapped Helen, and fallen in love with her. Helen of Troy is "the face that launched 1000 ships." A narrator (shades of Henry V) gives us the basics of the action. Troilus, the king's son, is in love with Cressida, whose father has joined the Greeks. Pandarus, Cressida's uncle, tries to persuade Trolius to marry Cressida, even as they prepare for war. On the Greek side, generals Agamemnon and Ulysses prepare for war against the Trojans. They receive a notice from Hector, the Trojan warrior, that he will call out one of their warriors. The seemingly obvious choice is Achilles, who is a famed warrior, but very arrogant. Ulysses devises a plan to have Ajax, another good warrior, but not as vain, battle Hector. Meanwhile, Pandarus arranges for Troilus and Cressida to meet. They get married that night, and go immediately to the bedchamber (shades of Romeo and Juliet). Cassandra, daughter to the king, has a vision that Hector will be killed, and urges him not to go. Just when the romance heats up, Troilus and Cressida learn that she is to be exchanged to the Greeks for a Trojan warrior. She leaves, though not voluntarily. In the meantime, Ajax has now started to become as vain as Achilles was. He is set to fight Hector, but Hector discovers that Ajax is half-Greek, half-Trojan, so the battle is called off. Ulysses takes Troilus to see Cressida, only to find that Cressida is romantically involved with Diomedes. In the ensuing battle, Achilles kills Hector. This becomes the mourning cry of the Trojans. The play ends with Pandarus asking for medicine for his aching bones.

This play was the intern/apprentice project at the Great River Shakespeare Festival in Winona, MN. Interns from all over the United States are auditioned for a role at the Festival. The interns work tirelessly throughout the Festival, whether it is in the box office, at the concession stand, and many other roles. The acting interns will understudy for the Main Stage Players. This actually happened last year, when one of the Main Stage Players lost her voice, and another actor needed to be with his sick wife. One of last year's interns became a Main Stage Player this year. This production is their time to shine.

This play is not staged often, so there is no other comparison for the performance. It emphasizes the erotic side of the relationships. There is a bedroom scene with Paris and Helen, where Helen is wearing only a bra top and panties, and starts to get into it with Paris. Pandarus breaks in to generate some humor, but we know what has happened. There is also the scene with Troilus and Cressida the morning after their wedding, where Cressida is wearing only the bedsheet. There is also a homoerotic relationship between Achilles and Patroclus, which is played with great intensity

The play itself is disjointed. It doesn't know whether it wants to be a comedy, romance, drama, or history. This may be why it wasn't well received in Shakespeare's time. That said, this production is a good one. It was stage in the Black Box Theatre, a smaller theater with seats around the edges of a large open space, and the action taking place in the open space. It is similar to theater in the round, but rectangular.

It was a bit jarring to see women cast in the roles of Agamemnon and Ulysses, and have them portrayed as women. (Shades of Xena, the Warrior Princess, a TV show popular in the 1990s.) Jessica Shoemaker (Agamemnon) and Emily Hawkins (Ulysses) manage to pull it off. They make it believable that, were they not playing actual historical figures, could be generals.

Robbie Love (Patroclas) at times plays his part like Jack on Will & Grace, with the over-the-top behavior. At other times, he shows off the erotic side with Achilles.

As for Silas Sellnow as Achilles, he is made up to look like Brad Pitt. He effectively conveys the image of someone who is full of himself, and has no time for anyone else, including the generals.

Caroline Amos as Thersites provides much comic relief. She also provides the drum, which punctuates the scenes. Sbe is also the chorus part, commenting on the action and at times moving it along.

Oriana Lada does double duty as Helen and Cassandra. As Helen, she flaunts her sexuality, and makes it clear why Paris would want her, and why she is the face that launched 1000 ships. (see the bedroom scene I described earlier) As Cassandra, she wails her prophecy, such that you want to yell out to Hector, "It's a trap! Don't go!" Both are effective. If I hadn't seen it in my program, I wouldn't have believed they were both played by the same person.

Riley O'Toole is great as Pandarus. He often provides comic relief, as he is primarily focused on his own needs.

Ted Kitterman as Ajax does well, first portraying Ajax as humble, then as a proud warrior, ready to take on any opponent, real or imagined.

Last but not least are Rob Glauz (Troilus) and Allison Morse (Cressida). At first, Troilus is portrayed as a shy lover, who is afraid to talk to Cressida, even at the insistent urging of Pandarus. Eventually, though, he breaks through, and becomes her lover and her husband. Cressida is more certain of her love for Troilus, and weeps at first when she is required to leave. She is conflicted about meeting up with Diomedes, but eventually gives in. Both of these actors portray this well. You believe that they belong together.

If I didn't mention anyone here, it is only for lack of space. All did well, and I look forward to seeing them in their other roles soon.

For more information on the Festival, including the intern/apprentice project, go to www.grsf.org.

For more information on Winona, go to www.visitwinona.com.



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Dick Vitale's Living a Dream

Dick Vitale's Living a Dream: Reflections on 25 Years Sitting in the Best Seat in the House by Dick Vitale
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received a free copy of this book from an Express Employment seminar.

Yo, it's Dickie V, baby! He beat the ziggy and became a PTPer at ESPN! It's awesome, baby!

Anyone who understands that statement has heard Dick Vitale call games on ESPN and ABC. He first came on the network in 1979, and has been there ever since. He wrote this book in 2003 to celebrate his 25th anniversary on ESPN. Even he recognizes that he wouldn't have been hired by any other network. He didn't fit the mold. Ironically, he probably wouldn't be hired at ESPN today. Everyone is buttoned down. Dick Vitale is an entertainer. Someone once said, "I didn't talk to Dick Vitale for 6 months. I didn't want to interrupt him." Reading this book 11 years later, I noticed some things that were very prescient. He has an entire chapter on LeBron James, talking about what kind of an impact he would have on the NBA. As I was reading this, ESPN had 2 networks simultaneously discussing his decision to return to Cleveland. (It might have been 3, but I don't get ESPNEWS.) Dickie V got that one right. He wasn't so good at predicting other things, though. On page 219 he says, "[T]he greatest role models are those who have done things the right way an made good decisions their entire lives--baseball stars like Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez[.]" If he were writing that today, A-Rod wouldn't be on there.

He also laments a lot of the changes in college basketball, especially players who opted to skip college and go straight to the NBA. He wrote this before the one and done rule, which states that a player can't enter the draft until after his first year in college. This was also before the lawsuit by Ed O'Bannon and other former college players saying that they are owed money for the NCAA's use of their names and likenesses in video games and other marketing materials. He would have a lot to say about that. He does talk about his personal life, and how things have worked out for him and his family. A bit dated, but all in all a good book.

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