Raising The Bar, Chicago Style

There is something wonderful happening down here in the borderlands. If you have been following my writing over the last few years, you know that has become my mantra of sorts. Whether it’s because the dry heat is mummifying my brain or there really is a change taking place I really couldn’t say at times,……

The Power of Nine

Some of the best things in life are limited. The unparalleled joy and excitement of being offered a dream job. The fully realized taste of extravagance in an ongoing buffet of austerity. The gloriously shocking smell of rain after a long and persistent drought. That giddy, stomach dropping, never-to-be-repeated-in-quite-the-same-way sensation one gets with the realization……

Living in the Past

There are few experiences more humbling than the weight of history when one finds oneself standing in its prodigious shadow. Most historical landmarks are noted for one important event or an association with a person of significance, which can be humbling enough. Rarely does an edifice find itself the focal point of history several times……

Pretty Little Lies

The hypocrisies of social behavior, the irrationality of love and the fleeting pleasures of excess: Heady themes in any age. The stuff that theatrical dreams are made of. And yet, it is the skewering of those very tropes that adds dimension to the human experience. Good theater, it can then be argued, serves as the……

Slut Up!

Filth. Expletives. Puppets singing songs about cannibalism, bestiality and pedophilia. Cross-dressing shrinks and insane clowns. If this sort of thing elicits a titillated giggle, or a tingle in your naughty bits (I’m not judging), you need to get your ass down to West End Art Depot to catch what’s left of Co-ed Prison Sluts, before……

History Lesson

Both playwright Tom Smith and Director Mark Medoff have spoken at length about the themes that make up the former’s latest offering, Aunt Raini, currently being presented by American Southwest Theatre Company and performed at the New Mexico State University Center for the Arts. Art as political statement and the question of identity are key……

Question of Identity

Identity. It’s an issue we all struggle with at one point or another; sometimes for our entire lives. Who we are and how we are perceived by others becomes a very important element in our day-to-day social interactions. It can color our world view. And, in some extreme cases, it can even affect future generations.……

Raising The Diva Bar

The Divos are in fine form this year. Yes, you read that correctly. Just as Las Cruces’ own divas – Megan McQueen, Janet Mazdra, Della Bustamante, Carrie Klofach and Thea Cordova Mills — will be coming together for the third straight year to present a fundraising extravaganza to benefit the American Southwest Theatre Company, the……

Shellfish Game

According to the latest statistics, shrimp is the most popular seafood import in the United States. A whopping 4.2 pounds of the briny crustaceans were consumed, per person, in 2011 alone. Even more surprising, the majority of the shrimp consumed in the United States comes from Asia and Latin America. It may surprise you to……

Celluloid Dreams

It would appear, if one were to believe the media hype coming out of Santa Fe not three months ago, that the film industry in New Mexico was on life support. Now comes news that everything is looking up again, with more films scheduled to shoot in New Mexico now than did so in all……