B2
Arts & Culture
The Epoch Times
February 14 – 20, 2008
Theater Review
The Antidote: Classic Poetry for MODERN LIFE
A Reading of
‘Upon Julia’s Clothes’
by Robert Herrick
By CHRISTOPHER NIELD
Special to The Epoch Times
Upon Julia’s Clothes
Whenas in silks my Julia goes
Then, then, methinks, how sweetly flows
The liquefaction of her clothes.
Next, when I cast mine eyes and see
That brave vibration each way free,
Oh, how that glittering taketh me!
Liza Veronin/The Epoch Times
Fashion. How trivial it is and how dominant in
our lives. At its heart lies the same intoxication with
beauty that has driven poets mad for centuries.
Yet so often the fashion world makes it charmless.
We see too many blank faces, too many stiff poses
where the clothes hang limp from lethargic limbs.
We feel none of the carefree joy of the body. There
are few models, indeed, like Herrick’s Julia.
Herrick’s first impression of Julia, “whenas”
(meaning when) she enters the room in her “silks,”
is of a slinky, sheer delicious flow. After this initial glance, his mind appears to go blank. “Then,
then” he repeats, suggesting his surprise, sudden
transport, and racing excitement. He appears to be
searching for the right word, the best phrase for
this vision.
Then he finds it. His expression “the liquefaction of her clothes” should be pronounced with a
note of triumph, as he captures in mere words the
liquid, melting delight of her appearance. His use
of such a conspicuously polysyllabic Latin-derived
term seemingly raises the tone, as if we had been
taken from a domestic interior and set down in
a royal court, yet there is certain witty irony too.
Putting inverted commas around “liquefaction”
might help us to hear this irony—hear a teasing
euphemism that plays on our knowledge of what
lies beneath. Building on this, we might also want
to put a pause before “clothes,” as if hinting at
something less chaste. This is a brilliant example
of how in English the contrast of plain AngloSaxon words with abstract Latinisms can bring a
dance of tone and nuance into a sentence that can
turn the literal inside out.
Now it’s time for Herrick’s second look—often the moment of disillusionment. But, no, he is
transfixed again. Her sweet motion has become a
“brave vibration”—another Latinate term and one
first coined in Herrick’s lifetime. Here its comic effect is more apparent to modern ears. She is all
sway and bounce, it seems! “Each way free” she
is beyond all petty limitations, passing into pure
air or melody, like an angel. “Brave” is used in the
old sense of glorious or splendid—a sense we find
in the historian W. H. Prescott’s description of an
Aztec army as “a brave sight for the eye to look
on—such a beautiful array of warriors glistening
with gold and jewels.” (Today, “brave” in the context of fashion is often a sly put down, as in “What
a brave choice to wear acid green!” but we can be
sure that Julia has got away with her preferred
look.) Curiously, when we delve into its etymology,
we discover that “brave” shares its Latin root barbarous with barbarian. Herrick therefore brings
together the wildness of the sensual with the decorous rites of polite society.
In her “glittering” glory, like a pattern of light
on crystal or stream, Julia exemplifies the traditional association of femininity with a kind of
flowing tender sweetness, while reminding us too
of its hypnotic power. She is simply the belle of the
ball. The concluding, breathless “oh,” backed up
with an exclamation point, brings Herrick’s enthrallment to life, making it all too audible before
Julia’s beauty “taketh” him entirely, rendering him
speechless—and abruptly ending the poem. The
rest is silence. (Or put more vulgarly, gawking.)
The overall impression is one of intense glamour—a word not invented until the 18th century as
an alteration of grammar, of all things, and denoting a spell. (People spoke of witches and wizards
“casting a glamour” over someone.) Why this link
with grammar? One theory is that book learning
was associated with Latin and thus a cause of suspicion to the uneducated, who heard the ancient
tongue as nothing more than devilish babbling.
Herrick’s Latinate tricks, therefore, perfectly fit
his desire to express Julia’s uncanny essence; and
through the magic of poetry he plucks a radiant,
oh so transient moment—perhaps as she walks
through the door to dinner—and freeze-frames it
forever.
THE CIRCLE OF LIFE: Stunning visuals in the Disney musical “The Lion King.”
‘The Lion King’
It touches the heart
By JUDD HOLLANDER
Special to The Epoch Times
NEW YORK—Visually stunning,
with a standout cast and a story which
is touching, timeless, and a treat for
children of all ages, the Disney musical “The Lion King” (book by Roger
Allers and Irene Mecchi, music and
lyrics by Elton John and Tim Rice,
additional lyrics by Lebo M, Mark
Mancina, Jay Rifkin, Julie Taymor,
and Hans Zimmer) is as triumphant
as when it first opened on Broadway
more than a decade ago.
Based on the animated film and
set in the African veldt, “The Lion
King” tells the coming-of-age story
of lion cub Simba. Son to King Mufasa (Nathaniel Stampley), Young
Simba (Shavar McIntosh), like any
child, is wide-eyed, innocent, and full
of dreams. However, his adventurous ways often get him into trouble.
Things are not helped by the machinations of his evil Uncle Scar (Dan
Donohue), who makes no secret of his
hatred for both Mufasa and his son, as
it is only through their deaths that he
can ascend the throne.
When Mufasa is killed, Simba is
led to believe he’s responsible and flees
deep into the jungle, where he is be-
Robert Herrick (1591-1674) was a 17th century
English poet.
Christopher Nield is a poet living in London. His
e-mail is christophernield@hotmail.com.
Tomine’s Latest Is No Shortcoming
‘Shortcomings’
by Adrian
Tomine
By MITCHELL JORDAN
Special to The Epoch Times
and completely absorbing. What is
perhaps most remarkable is that someone so gifted at drawing should be
likewise talented with words. Moving
between acerbic and satirical, emotive
and honest, the dialog exchanged between characters flows freely and effortlessly.
As characters, both Ben and Miko
can be a little hedonistic, and the way
they treat one another is often less
than amorous; but it is, however, an
friended by Timon (John E. Brady),
a meerkat, and Pumbaa (Jim Ferris),
a warthog, who teach him a carefree
way of life. But his deepest instincts
cannot be ignored, and eventually the
now-grown Simba (Sean Bradford) realizes he must return to the scene of
his deepest shame and challenge his
uncle for the right to become king.
One feels literally swept up in the
story thanks to the intricate costumes,
headpieces, and other appendages (by
Taymor) the cast wears to make them
become the animals they are portraying. Also excellent are the sets by Richard Hudson and lighting by Donald Holder. This is all tied together
through Taymor’s wonderful direction, which is able to make her vision
for the show come almost magically
alive on stage. (She also gets able assistance from choreographer Garth
Fagan.) Just as important is the very
strong score, with such numbers as
“The Circle of Life” (which opens
and closes the show); as well as “I Just
Can’t Wait To Be King,” a wonderfully over-the-top number; and the humorous “Hakuna Matata.”
Standouts among the cast include
Stampley as the fierce and philosophical Mufasa, Donohue as a wickedly
malevolent Scar, and McIntosh and
Bradford who nicely portray Simba at
different phases of his life. Also quite
good are Jeff Binder as the bird Zazu
and Bradley as Timon, both of whom
provided important comic relief; and
Tshidi Manye as Rafiki, the aged
monkey, who has a mystical insight
into the ways of the jungle.
Also in the cast are Jean Michelle
Grier, Guy V. Barfield II, NicKayla
Tucker, Halle Vargas Sullivan, Bonita
J. Hamilton, James Brown-Orleans,
Enrique Segura, Danny Rutigliano,
Wallace Smith, Kissy Simmons,
Alvin Crawford, Lindiwe Dlamini,
Bongi Duma, Michael Alexander
Henry, Joel Karie, Ron Kunene,
Sheryl McCallum, S’bu Ngema, Selloane A. Nkhela, Mpuma Sikakane,
Lisa Nicole Wilkerson, Kenny Redell
Williams, Kristina Michelle Bethel,
Camille M. Brown, Michelle Aguilar
Camaya, Gabriel A. Croom, Nicole
Adell Johnson, Gregory A. King, Lisa
Lewis, Ray Mercer, Brandon Christopher O’Neal, Natalie Ridley, Ryan
Brooke Taylor, and Philip W. Turner.
The Lion King
Minskoff Theatre
Broadway and 45th Street
Tickets: 212-307-4747, 800-755-4000,
or DisneyonBroadway.com
Open Run
Running Time: Approximately
Two Hours, 25 Minutes
Judd Hollander is the New York correspondent for the London publication,
The Stage.
‘Come Back, Little Sheba’
A poignant, well-made play
Book Review
There’s a world of difference between a comic book and a novel, but
Adrian Tomine has managed to blend
both mediums together in his latest
work, “Shortcomings.”
Tomine is best known for his comic
book series, “Optic Nerve,” though he
has also been published in The New
Yorker and Esquire. “Shortcomings”
is no less thought provoking than these
efforts, but it does differ in that it is his
longest narrative to date.
It tells the story of Ben, a 30-year-old
theater manager and his disintegrating
relationship with his partner, Miko, as
she leaves Brooklyn to pursue a career
in the bright lights of New York.
Exploring issues of race and ethnic
heritage along with the vicissitudes
of being in love, it is a work that will
resonate with people of most ages and
backgrounds.
Cinematic and voyeuristic, Tomine’s
stills are, quite literally, picture perfect
Joan Marcus
accurate reflection of the pains of relationships, and because Tomine’s narrative is so firmly grounded in reality,
readers would be foolish to wish for
happy endings—which is not to say
that this book is depressing or dispiriting to read.
Rather than being didactic or moralistic, Tomine has instead created
a unique framework by which to see
ourselves. He is truly a talent to keep
an eye on.
Send submissions and article ideas for the Arts page to submissions
@epochtimes.com Subject heading: Arts & Culture
By DIANA BARTH
Special to The Epoch Times
NEW YORK—It’s a pleasure to see a wellmade play such as William Inge’s “Come Back,
Little Sheba.” Its content is universal, its characters recognizable. It has a beginning, middle, and
an end.
Set in a Midwestern city in 1950, Lola (S.
Epatha Merkerson) is the loyal wife of Doc
(Kevin Anderson). They respect one another, but
somehow an emptiness hovers about the childless couple, in spite of Lola’s ongoing efforts to
please Doc and accede to his every wish.
Furthermore, there is a major problem. Doc is
a recovering alcoholic. He dutifully attends AA
meetings, yet there is an air of uncertainty and
dissatisfaction about him.
Doc’s off-centeredness is heightened by the attractive young boarder, Marie (Zoe Kazan), who
has recently come onto the scene. Doc tries to
treat her like the daughter he has never had, but
one senses possibly inappropriate undercurrents.
It takes only a disappointment by Marie to push
Doc over the edge, and he now heads on a downhill spiral.
And who is Little Sheba? It’s a puppy Lola
once owned, which ran away some time back and
has never returned. Lola yearns for the puppy. It
is undoubtedly a symbol for the infant she has
yearned for, and her remembrances of the adorable behavior of the puppy help salve her current
pain and loneliness. But her memories also keep
her in an unrealistic state of mind.
There is some small-town banter. Nosy nextdoor neighbor Mrs. Coffman (Brenda Wehle)
alternately criticizes and admires Lola’s housekeeping skills; the postman (Lyle Kanouse)
never brings mail for Lola. Marie’s two love interests, the aggressive hunk Turk (Brian J. Smith)
and her more conservative fiancé Bruce (Chad
Hoeppner) lend interest to the goings-on, and finally, AA buddies Ed (Keith Randolph Smith)
and Elmo (Joseph Adams) pay a much-needed
call to help Doc get it together.
But the heart of the play is Lola’s conflict:
whether to stay with an unstable man or to leave
him and strike out for herself.
AN UNFULFILLED MARRIAGE: Kevin Anderson
as Doc and S. Epatha Merkerson as Lola in the
classic, “Come Back, Little Sheba.”Joan Marcus
S. Epatha Merkerson gives a fine performance
as the vulnerable Lola, although Kevin Anderson’s Doc more powerfully takes stage, in my
opinion. Under Michael Pressman’s astute direction, the company achieves a nice ensemble feel.
James Noone has created an effective, authentic-appearing set of a home of the era and likewise Jennifer Von Mayrhauser’s costumes capture the period nicely.
This is a warm and appealing production—offering both pleasure and nostalgia, particularly
for those who remember the 1950s.
Diana Barth writes and publishes “New Millennium,” an arts newsletter.