From: owner-aml-list-digest@lists.xmission.com (aml-list-digest) To: aml-list-digest@lists.xmission.com Subject: aml-list-digest V1 #258 Reply-To: aml-list Sender: owner-aml-list-digest@lists.xmission.com Errors-To: owner-aml-list-digest@lists.xmission.com Precedence: bulk aml-list-digest Thursday, February 15 2001 Volume 01 : Number 258 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2001 10:12:33 -0600 From: Jonathan Langford Subject: Re: [AML] (Writer's Angle) The Journey of _Prodigal Journey_ Linda wrote: >Right now my kids are still so little, they don't know it's not exactly >ordinary to have a mom who writes books. I'll either be "cool" when they >hit junior high or embarrassingly strange... most likely the second, but >I've got more practice being weird than being cool, anyway... To which I respond: That's a good thing, because it will almost certainly be "embarrassingly strange." But that would be true whether or not you were a writer... That's what parents are for, when you're a middle schooler: to be embarrassed about. Jonathan (father this year of our first middle schooler...) jlangfor@pressenter.com - - AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature http://www.xmission.com/~aml/aml-list.htm ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2001 09:16:58 -0700 From: "Christopher Bigelow" Subject: Re: [AML] Marilyn Brown Novel Award If your novel manuscript is ready, you could win the $1,000 Marilyn = Brown Unpublished Novel Award, which is administered by the Association = for Mormon Letters. Manuscripts must be postmarked by July 1, 2001, and = mailed to: Marilyn Brown Novel Award, 125 Hobble Creek Canyon, Springville,= UT 84663. Please submit manuscripts copied on both sides of the paper and = bound with a comb binding. To facilitate blind judging, put no author = identification on the manuscript and include a sealed envelope containing = your name, address, phone number, and manuscript title. Include a = self-addressed envelope for notification of contest results, and provide = sufficient postage if you want your manuscript returned. The contest, = which takes place every other year, was won last time by Jack Harrell, = whose winning novel manuscript is under contract with Signature Books. = Honorable mentions went to Dorothy Peterson, Laura Card, and Alan R. = Mitchell, whose novel manuscript has been published by Cedar Fort as Angel = of the Danube.=20 - -------- For a sample copy of IRREANTUM, a Mormon literary quarterly, send $4 to = the Association for Mormon Letters, 262 S. Main St., Springville, UT = 84663. >>> "Annette Lyon" 02/13 5:13 PM >>> Just curious--I know Marilyn's contest is every other year, due, if I remember right, in July. Is this the year? Annette Lyon - - AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature http://www.xmission.com/~aml/aml-list.htm - - AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature http://www.xmission.com/~aml/aml-list.htm ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2001 09:18:50 -0700 From: Margaret Young Subject: Re: [AML] Mormon Films As a member of the Seventy, he thought it would be inappropriate to look like he was somehow "selling" sacred things. His mission was and is sacred to him. Don't you think it gets a little nervous-making when GA's sell books? I've enjoyed a number of books written by GA's (and haven't cared for a number of others), but the sale of such does get into some dangerous and tempting territory. I know John never did book signings for either of his books--both of which I love, by the way. Maybe I'll even mention that he was basically commanded to write _In the Eye of the Storm_ by one of the Twelve. He complied. But don't you think it'd look bad to go into a Deseret Book and have President Hinckley signing copies of _Standing for Something_, then directing you to the cash register? "D. Michael Martindale" wrote: > Margaret Young wrote: > > > John Groberg (my uncle) did NOT suggest that his > > book be made into a movie, and is refusing any profits from it. > > For heaven's sake, why is he doing that? He thinks there's something > wrong with being compensated for his work? > > -- > D. Michael Martindale > dmichael@wwno.com > > ================================== > Check out Worldsmiths, the new online LDS writers group, at > http://www.wwno.com/worldsmiths > > Sponsored by Worlds Without Number > http://www.wwno.com > ================================== > > - > AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature > http://www.xmission.com/~aml/aml-list.htm - - AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature http://www.xmission.com/~aml/aml-list.htm ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2001 09:34:33 -0700 From: Margaret Young Subject: [AML] YOUNG, _I Am Jane_ (Performance) We were thrilled with the crowds who came to see _I Am Jane_. We added a hundred extra seats for Saturday's performance. But guess what--there was at least one complaint, and it was taken directly to BYU's president, Merrill Bateman. I don't know exactly what the complaint was, though I can guess several possibilities. It'll be interesting to see if the complaint has the power to cancel any more showings at BYU. Sadly, I wouldn't be surprised if that actually happened. It doesn't make me mad, but it's such a disappointment that someone could stop on a difficult issue and refuse to participate in or receive the gift of Jane James's life. One of our cast has really wanted to get the play to the Conference Center. I warned him that the committees who oversee what shows at the Conference Center are extremely conservative. He said, "But Margaret, the stuff in the play is all true, isn't it?" (The events are indeed ALL true, though obviously the dialogue is made up.) This good man then said, "Why should they be afraid of the truth?" When I told James Arrington about this conversation, he said, "Oh! A virgin!" [Margaret Young] - - AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature http://www.xmission.com/~aml/aml-list.htm ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2001 10:26:31 -0700 From: "Eric R. Samuelsen" Subject: [AML] Re: (On Stage) BYU at ACTF Tony Markham, my distant cousin, asked: >Maybe I don't remember >too accurately (not the first time for that!) but I think he said that >while the BYU actors at some big competition normally did well, >the >writers normally did not. And I think the failure of the writers in >the >big competition was ascribed to their failure to use profanity as >liberally as the judges thought they should. >Eric, did I read or remember your post incorrectly? Do you really >think >that is a determining factor? First of all, I want to be clear that nobody has ever said anything like = that to me at ACTF, certainly not that baldly. Tony is essentially = paraphrasing my own subjective impression of why we don't do well. =20 What you see at ACTF is a certain kind of play, or one of several kinds of = plays. =20 Student Play Number One: You get the playwrights who want to be David Mamet, and who write grittily = realistic plays, full of F-words, about businessmen and their wives, who = are extremely rich but it's all so empty, empty. And they're all morally = bankrupt, and they all cuss a lot. What these student writers don't = realize is that Mamet uses this kind of language for his forty and fifty = year old businessmen, because he's saying that they're all basically = juvenile, and the language makes them sound more juvenile. That insight = into human (specifically male) nature is one of the main reasons I love = Mamet's work. (Ron Shelton does the same thing as a filmmaker--his = athlete-characters are all basically potty-mouthed children who have = refused to grow up. Which is why I love films like Bull Durham and White = Men Can't Jump; he's telling the truth about that particular sub-culture). = Student playwrights think using bad language makes them sound grown-up = and sophisticated. It doesn't. It makes them sound juvenile. =20 Student Play Number Two:=20 These plays are by the Tony Kushner wannabes, who are convinced that their = own sexuality, and their own decision to embrace their own sexuality (gay, = in most cases) is the single most compelling subject in the history of the = world, and cause for celebration by all, and they use the F-word a lot = because that's how one celebrates one's sexuality. Often these plays will = also have a political dimension, a la Kushner, suggesting, for example, = that beating Matthew Shepherd to death was really really wrong. The F-word = makes this point strongly too, apparently. Well, I think beating Matthew = Shepherd to death WAS really wrong; can any reasonable person in the world = disagree? What they miss is Kushner's poetry, Kushner's subtlety, = Kushner's theatrical magic. I find these sorts of plays unbearably = tedious, with very few very rare exceptions. =20 Student Play Number Three: The model for this play is Steve Martin's Picasso at the Lapin Agile, and = the way the play works is if you put, for example, Groucho Marx, Gloria = Steinem and Nixon in a bar together, hilarity will ensue. A favorite = comedic moment of such work is to have, say, Nixon, let slip an F bomb, = then clap his hands over his mouth amusingly. In the discussion periods = following such plays, the word 'post-modern' is bandied about. Now, my students aren't interested in these subjects. The packet of plays = we sent this time included a terrific play about working in a nursing home = with Alzheimer's patients, which was generous and compassionate and = heartbreaking. Another play in our stack was about a young married = couple, in which the husband says "I did everything I was supposed to. I = went on a mission, I met you, we got married. And my life sucks. I can = barely get out of bed in the morning, I hate my life so much." Eventually,= he punches her. Terrific, difficult play. Another play in our stack was = a terrific comedy about the world's worst wedding reception. And of = course, none of them used bad language at all. =20 I thought we had some excellent entries and I thought we'd do well. We = didn't. And yet looking at the plays that did do well, it seemed obvious = to me that our plays weren't what the judges were looking for. What the = judges wanted were . . . plays that use the F word a lot. Plays dealing = with certain subjects in certain ways, which are not the subjects or = approaches that interest BYU students. And yet, paradoxically, I think = they are the kinds of subjects and approaches which might do better in the = wider world we live in. =20 Eric Samuelsen - - AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature http://www.xmission.com/~aml/aml-list.htm ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2001 10:35:01 -0700 From: "Marianne Hales Harding" Subject: Re: [AML] MN "Standing For Something" Due in Paperback Next Month: Kent Larsen > >All I can say to this sad commentary, is I feel sorry for the spiritually > >bereft souls who bought this book, only to give it to someone else as a > >$17.95 Christmas Gift with no intentions of reading it themselves. Of course, if you're in *my* family you would have followed a long standing family tradition of buying a book as a gift and reading it (carefully) before giving it away. Got to make sure I'm giving a good gift :-) and saving the gift-receiver the trouble of loaning it to me after he/she has read it. Marianne Hales Harding _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com - - AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature http://www.xmission.com/~aml/aml-list.htm ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2001 10:40:36 -0700 From: "Eric R. Samuelsen" Subject: Re: [AML] Theater Is Dead Eric Snider and I are indeed still friends, and I completely agree that a = hallmark of any friendship is the ability to constructively disagree. =20 That said, Eric says something very interesting in his last post: >Does this happen elsewhere? It's one thing, of course, to >disagree=20 >with a critic's criticisms. But to be surprised that he can even >make=20 >them...? I haven't reviewed anywhere else, so I don't know what=20 >happens outside of Utah County. Any insights? I think this is an interesting question. A friend of mine and I recently = had a conversation in which he said that Mormons are culturally thirty = years behind the times. He didn't mean this comment in a pejorative = sense, but he meant it in a descriptive sense. Movies that were considered= shocking and pornographic thirty years ago--The Graduate comes immediately= to mind--are seen as very mild indeed nowadays. But Mormons tend to = respond to films from a 1970 mindset, and so, of course, contemporary = filmmaking seems utterly depraved. In any case, the gist of our conversati= on was that PTC might want to do a season of top hits from the '70s and = earlier. =20 Utah audiences ARE different. That's why I think we have an obligation to = build an audience. What Provo Theatre Company needs to do is simple = enough--find out what the audience wants and give it to them. Build some = trust. But Tim Threllfall has been beating his head against the wall = trying to figure out how to do just that. =20 I think Eric's point about criticism may be part and parcel with the whole = problem. This is not a particularly sophisticated audience. Utah is = geographically isolated, and Mormonism is culturally isolated (neither of = which is necessarily bad, either). =20 Eric is trying to get the audience used to actual criticism. That's an = important project. I'd urge him to consider 'audience building' as a = corollary of that. Don't give namby pamby reviews, of course. But also = don't allow audiences the short cut of a letter grade. And if you see a = show that you think audiences might enjoy, but that they might not attend = without some prodding--go a little easy, perhaps? Eric Samuelsen - - AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature http://www.xmission.com/~aml/aml-list.htm ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2001 11:05:46 -0700 From: "Christopher Bigelow" Subject: Re: [AML] YOUNG, _I Am Jane_ (Performance) OK, Margaret, discuss with us what you think the objections could have = been. I attended Friday night and really enjoyed it. I was refreshed by = the frankness, especially on the sexual level--nothing explicit, but = several natural references. Or was the problem with how the Church = leadership was portrayed? One thing that made me wince was having the same = actor play the evil racist mob leader and read the First Presidency = responses to Jane's letters.=20 Chris Bigelow - -------- For a sample copy of IRREANTUM, a Mormon literary quarterly, send $4 to = the Association for Mormon Letters, 262 S. Main St., Springville, UT = 84663. - - AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature http://www.xmission.com/~aml/aml-list.htm ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2001 10:13:27 -0800 (PST) From: William Morris Subject: Re: [AML] Theater Is Dead - --- "Eric D. Snider" wrote: > So people are interpreting a B grade as a negative > thing. I wonder > how much of this misinterpretation would be > eliminated if the grades > were eliminated? > > Does this happen elsewhere? It's one thing, of > course, to disagree > with a critic's criticisms. But to be surprised that > he can even make > them...? I haven't reviewed anywhere else, so I > don't know what > happens outside of Utah County. Any insights? The San Francisco Chronicle has an even more brutal method of rating shows. They use an icon of a man sitting in a chair. The top rating shows the man clapping and laughing and falling out of his seat in hysteria because the movie/play/performance is so good. Other icons include him sitting up and clapping, sitting up but not clapping, and slumped down in his chair asleep. For the lowest rating the chair is empty. Speaking for myself and the Chronicle readers I interact with, the vividness of the icon really influences reading patterns. Since the icon is not placed at the end of the review but generally is near the beginning third of the text (which is flowed around the icon), oftentimes the behaviour of the little man will cause me to not even read the review. If the show stinks, why even bother to read why it stinks? But that's only if I'm reading the newspaper like most people read newspapers. Generally, when it comes to theatre reviews, I try and read the reviews for local companies that I'm interested in (Berkeley Rep. for example). People write in to the Chronicle from time to time and complain that a certain review killed a show. And I seem to recall a rather heated exchange among letter writers a couple of years ago debating the merits of the little man system. Several people felt (much like Eric Samuelson) that the icon caused good shows to be ignored because unless he was falling out of his chair with delight people weren't willing to shell out money for a ticket (and this argument exclusively revolved around the performing arts----films, except for some of the small independent films, don't seem to be much affected by the Chronicles reviews). Of course, the situation is much more complicated here in the Bay Area. There are so many different theatre offerings and, more importantly I think, there are diverse ways to get an opinon about current performances. With all the alternative weeklies and the community and college newspapers you can sometimes find an audience among those readerships. Certainly, because of its circulations numbers, the Chronicle still carries the most weight, but some theatre groups do just fine without heavy coverage and endorsement from the Chronicle. And of course the great thing about Chronicle reviews is that nobody is willing to admit that they depend upon them to make viewing choices. The conservatives (who often live in the suburbs) think it's too liberal of a paper and often rely on their local community paper (these vary but tend to give favorable coverage to local theatre productions) and the liberals think it's too conservative of a paper and rely on the alternative press. Other Bay Area-based AML-listers might have a different take, but that's what I've observed. In short, Eric Snider needs some competitors, and there are more damning things out there than letter grades. ~~William Morris __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get personalized email addresses from Yahoo! Mail - only $35 a year! http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/ - - AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature http://www.xmission.com/~aml/aml-list.htm ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2001 11:19:47 -0700 From: Thom Duncan Subject: Re: [AML] YOUNG, _I Am Jane_ (Performance) Margaret Young wrote: > We were thrilled with the crowds who came to see _I Am Jane_. We added > a hundred extra seats for Saturday's performance. But guess what--there > was at least one complaint, and it was taken directly to BYU's > president, Merrill Bateman. I don't know exactly what the complaint > was, though I can guess several possibilities. It'll be interesting to > see if the complaint has the power to cancel any more showings at BYU. > Sadly, I wouldn't be surprised if that actually happened. It doesn't > make me mad, but it's such a disappointment that someone could stop on a > difficult issue and refuse to participate in or receive the gift of Jane > James's life. One of our cast has really wanted to get the play to the > Conference Center. Even if the powers that control that venue were to agree, giving you, for instance, total control over every aspect of the show, I would advise against it. It's too big a venue, physically, for your show. Jane would drown in that environment. Thom - - AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature http://www.xmission.com/~aml/aml-list.htm ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2001 11:22:12 -0700 From: "Marianne Hales Harding" Subject: Re: [AML] (On Stage) BYU at ACTF >If I remember, that is pretty much what he said, and I suspect that there >is at least a kernel of truth in it. One of my playwriting students >submitted a short play to the New Play festival in-- Is it Louisville?? >Kentucky??? I'm having a serious senior moment here--about four years ago, >and it came back with an almost ecstatic review-- but wasn't accepted. The >comment said that the language was beautiful but that the lack of "modern" >terminology--read profanity-- made it seem "somehow bowdlerized". Ok, I wasn't going to comment on this thread because I don't have time for an involved discussion, but now I must comment. I know the people at Louisville and this scenario seems highly unlikely to me. Michael Dixon is a very open and fair-minded man, interested in talented playwrights without regard to profanity. Sincerely, folks, for most theatre people there is no "profanity issue." No one has an agenda to make sweet Mormon playwrights write bad things. I do not use profanity in my plays (generally speaking) and I have never been discriminated against or told to include profanity. I have had tremendous success for a young playwright (and hope to keep having success) without *ever* having run into this problem in regards to my work. I had a show that was a finalist at Louisville and was even produced there in 1999 and you know what? My show didn't have profanity, and neither did any of the shows that were produced that evening. Yes, plenty of young playwrights use a lot of profanity in a misguided attempt to "push the envelope" but I submit that it is *inspite* of such juvenile wording and not *because* of it that these plays enjoy success at ACTF. Not having been to ACTF myself I cannot really comment in depth on those proceedings but the turn that this thread is taking has, as you can tell, upset me a bit. As a community we have too much of a penchant for the "victim" stance as it is. Let's just do the work. Marianne Hales Harding _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com - - AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature http://www.xmission.com/~aml/aml-list.htm ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2001 10:36:57 -0800 From: "Frank Maxwell" Subject: Re: [AML] Sales Figures in Mormon Market Margaret wrote: > Realistic numbers: > Gerald Lund's books (Deseret) have sold over a million. > The sales of Dean Hughes WW2 series are in the 100,000's. My question: Lund has sold over a million books? But that's cumulative, isn't it, for all his books? And it's books sold, right, not books printed? So if there are ~10 books in the "Work and the Glory" series, has each sold over 100,000 copies? And for Dean Hughes' books, are we talking cumulative numbers again? How about numbers per book? - - AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature http://www.xmission.com/~aml/aml-list.htm ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2001 11:44:42 -0700 From: Eileen Stringer Subject: Re: [AML] Re: (On Stage) BYU at ACTF > >When BYU cuts profanity from a play, that's considered censorship. Isn't > >forcing a playwrite to use profanity when he doesn't want to, or his > >play is rejected, as much a form of censorship? > > > >-- > >D. Michael Martindale > >dmichael@wwno.com > > > Certainly, but in the case of new play submissions, the producer or > dramaturg rules. He who pays the piper calls the tune. > Richard B. Johnson Or even discrimination, which more than censorship is punishable by law? Eileen Stringer eileens99@bigplanet.com - - AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature http://www.xmission.com/~aml/aml-list.htm ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2001 11:56:44 -0700 From: Eileen Stringer Subject: Re: [AML] (Writer's Angle) The Journey of _Prodigal Journey_ > Linda wrote: > > >Right now my kids are still so little, they don't know it's not exactly > >ordinary to have a mom who writes books. I'll either be "cool" when they > >hit junior high or embarrassingly strange... most likely the second, but > >I've got more practice being weird than being cool, anyway... Do not despair though, Anne McCaffery's sons thought it was cool to have a mother who wrote books and when peers found out who their mother was that "coolness" trickled down. One son got into the business with her. The possibilities are great for you. :) Eileen Stringer eileens99@bigplanet.com - - AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature http://www.xmission.com/~aml/aml-list.htm ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2001 11:57:36 -0700 From: "J. Scott Bronson" Subject: Re: [AML] Mormon Films > Gerald Molen is producing it? Wow. > He's also a member of the Church and was born in Montana. I would be > curious if anyone knows more about him. > > Tyler Moulton His brother is my dentist. scott - - AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature http://www.xmission.com/~aml/aml-list.htm ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2001 12:48:09 -0700 From: Russ Asplund Subject: RE: [AML] (Writer's Angle) The Journey of _Prodigal Journey_ This message is in MIME format. Since your mail reader does not understand this format, some or all of this message may not be legible. - ------_=_NextPart_001_01C096BF.0E8D38F0 Content-Type: text/plain I'm glad I'm not the only one who was depressed by _Mr. Holland's Opus_. Even _It's A Wonderful Life_ does that to me in the wrong mood. They seem to say the only way to be a valuable human being is to give up your dreams. I've always hoped to find some way to balance family, church, job and artistic goals. Then again, I'm never very successful at it. Russell Asplund > ---------- > From: Linda Adams > Reply To: aml-list@lists.xmission.com > Sent: Tuesday, February 13, 2001 6:57 PM > To: aml-list@lists.xmission.com > Subject: Re: [AML] (Writer's Angle) The Journey of _Prodigal Journey_ > > > > FWIW, I thought _Mr. Holland's Opus_ was one of the most depressing > movies, > as a writer/artist, that I've ever seen. I don't want that for myself. But > > my kids are vitally, fundamentally important. But I-- ...you begin to > sense > the battle. > > I think male Mormon writers have a slightly less intense struggle, > although > it's close to the same thing. (Especially since, with the assigned role of > > breadwinner, it's hard to justify writing full-time if it isn't making > money to support the family, which is a non-issue for me.) > > > > Linda Adams > adamszoo@sprintmail.com > http://home.sprintmail.com/~adamszoo > > > > - ------_=_NextPart_001_01C096BF.0E8D38F0 Content-Type: text/html Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable RE: [AML] (Writer's Angle) The Journey of _Prodigal = Journey_

I'm glad I'm not the = only one who was depressed by _Mr. Holland's Opus_.  Even _It's A = Wonderful Life_ does that to me in the wrong mood. They seem to say the = only way to be a valuable human being is to give up your dreams. I've = always hoped to find some way to balance family, church, job and = artistic goals.

Then again, I'm = never very successful at it.

Russell = Asplund

    ----------
    From:   Linda Adams
    Reply To: =       aml-list@lists.xmission.com
    Sent:   Tuesday, February 13, 2001 6:57 PM
    To:     = aml-list@lists.xmission.com
    Subject: =        Re: = [AML] (Writer's Angle) The Journey of _Prodigal Journey_



    FWIW, I thought _Mr. Holland's Opus_ = was one of the most depressing movies,
    as a writer/artist, that I've ever = seen. I don't want that for myself. But
    my kids are vitally, fundamentally = important. But I-- ...you begin to sense
    the battle.

    I think male Mormon writers have a = slightly less intense struggle, although
    it's close to the same thing. = (Especially since, with the assigned role of
    breadwinner, it's hard to justify = writing full-time if it isn't making
    money to support the family, which = is a non-issue for me.)



    Linda Adams
    adamszoo@sprintmail.com
    http://home.sprintmail.com/~adamszoo




- ------_=_NextPart_001_01C096BF.0E8D38F0-- - - AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature http://www.xmission.com/~aml/aml-list.htm ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2001 13:12:34 -0700 From: "Tyler Moulton" Subject: Re: [AML] YOUNG, _I Am Jane_ (Performance) >>> Margaret Young wrote: But guess what--there was at least one complaint, and it was taken = directly to BYU's president, Merrill Bateman. I don't know exactly what = the complaint was, though I can guess several possibilities. It'll be = interesting to see if the complaint has the power to cancel any more = showings at BYU. Why do we always cater to those most prone to take offense? (And what = would happen if we stopped?) Tyler Moulton - - AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature http://www.xmission.com/~aml/aml-list.htm ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2001 13:25:19 -0700 From: Margaret Young Subject: Re: [AML] YOUNG, _I Am Jane_ (Performance) I'll take Chris up on his challenge. (And thank you, Chris, for attending. You should've introduced yourself to me! I'm the redhead.) When we first performed the play, for the Genesis Group, Elders Haight, Groberg, and Samuelsen attended. Elder Haight said he loved it and wouldn't change a word. Elder Samuelsen called it "a sterling performance." But President [Darius] Gray got at least one call complaining about sexual innuendo. The person calling said she had counted four sexual innuendos. My response was, "You mean she only caught four of them?" I actually did remove a couple of them. Keith Hamilton asked me before the performance if he could say (as Isaac returning to Jane after 20 years absence and asking for a bed) "I ain't strong enough to take you on in bed anyway, though the memory sure do bring back sweet memories!" I had already written the "ain't strong enough to take you on in bed..." part, but not the memory part. I said, "Sure Keith. You say that--and look right at Elder Haight when you do." He said it. After the show, I asked, "Well, did you look at Elder Haight?" He answered, "Yep. And I saw him put his arm around his wife and squeeze her in close." Anyway, the sexual "innuendos" are all pretty muted and in a marital context. I suspect the problems the complaintant had were with the fact that, though we don't quote Brigham Young [I took those quotes out, though I did have them in early drafts], we mention that he had some racist attitudes. The other difficult issue is Sylvestor James's excommunication after he speaks up against the lynching of Sam Joe Harvey. In fact, I don't know exactly WHY Syl was excommunicated, only that he was, that the cause was listed as "Unchristianlike conduct" and that it happened within months of the lynching. So that's my take. Christopher Bigelow wrote: > OK, Margaret, discuss with us what you think the objections could have been. I attended Friday night and really enjoyed it. I was refreshed by the frankness, especially on the sexual level--nothing explicit, but several natural references. Or was the problem with how the Church leadership was portrayed? One thing that made me wince was having the same actor play the evil racist mob leader and read the First Presidency responses to Jane's letters. - - AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature http://www.xmission.com/~aml/aml-list.htm ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2001 15:37:24 EST From: Paynecabin@aol.com Subject: [AML] Grading Shows (was: Theater Is Dead) This actor remembers getting grades from teachers. I didn't like getting them, but never kicked against the pricks because I was a little kid trying to learn something and they were grown-ups who had been to college and were a lot older and very much bigger than I was. I never felt condescended to. Suddenly, reading reviews with grades in them, I do, even if they're "A"s. Two or three stars will always mean "I'm a critic, and this is how much I liked it." A B+ will always mean "I'm the teacher, older, smarter, bigger, and this grade is what you deserve on your way to doing it right." I respect and respond to peers. I get mad at teachers. I don't want to, but elementary school was not my happiest time. I want to learn, but don't want to go back to Baker School with Mrs. Bennett. Marvin Payne - - AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature http://www.xmission.com/~aml/aml-list.htm ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2001 15:23:04 -0700 From: "ROY SCHMIDT" Subject: Re: [AML] Mormon Films When he was interviewed regarding _Standing For Something_, (Was it on Larry King?) President Hinckley said he would probably sign some books, but he would do it in his office. So, if I drop off a copy, what are the chances I can get it signed? Any ideas? Roy Schmidt But don't you think it'd look bad to go into a Deseret Book and have President Hinckley signing copies of _Standing for Something_, then directing you to the cash register? " - - AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature http://www.xmission.com/~aml/aml-list.htm ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2001 19:04:04 -0500 From: "Tracie Laulusa" Subject: RE: [AML] MN "Standing For Something" Due in Paperback Next Month: Kent Larsen It took me awhile, but I bought it last summer. For myself. I think it's great. It has reminded me of a lot of things that somehow got lost in life's everyday shuffle. I really like the conversational tone. I like how positive it is, but not because the evil in the world is unacknowledged. Pres. Hinckley acknowledges how tough the world is and then invites us to change our focus. I hope people who bought it to give away found someone that would read it and appreciate it. I also thought it was interesting that Joseph Lieberman was quoted on the back cover. Tracie Laulusa - - AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature http://www.xmission.com/~aml/aml-list.htm ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2001 18:36:12 -0700 From: LuAnnStaheli Subject: Re: [AML] Theater Is Dead - --------------D103C82E753A77E968E93704 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > Marilyn, Do you have any upcoming plays planned that are appropriate for me tobring my 7 & 8 year old? Also, these two have an 8:00 p.m. bedtime due to early schedules around here. A Saturday matinee would be appreciated--that goes for anyone who runs plays appropriate for children. Thanks! LuAnn Brobst Staheli > "The Villa is south of the Utah Valley hub where these other two theaters > are and probably gets the same audience as long as they aren't doing the > same shows. Unless it can find something else to set it apart from the > others, the competition may be too much." > > - --------------D103C82E753A77E968E93704 Content-Type: text/html; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
Marilyn,
Do you have any upcoming plays planned that are appropriate for me tobring my 7 & 8 year old? Also, these two have an 8:00 p.m. bedtime due to early schedules around here. A Saturday matinee would be appreciated--that goes for anyone who runs plays appropriate for children. Thanks!

LuAnn Brobst Staheli
 
 

"The Villa is south of the Utah Valley hub where these other two theaters
are and probably gets the same audience as long as they aren't doing the
same shows.  Unless it can find something else to set it apart from the
others, the competition may be too much."
 
 
- --------------D103C82E753A77E968E93704-- - - AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature http://www.xmission.com/~aml/aml-list.htm ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2001 19:25:32 -0700 From: LuAnnStaheli Subject: Re: [AML] Flashbacks Marilyn, I met Beatrice Sparks at NCTE (National Council of Teachers of English) convention last Novemeber in Denver. She seems somewhat frail, but is still writing. She spoke and did autograph sessions at the conference regarding her newest book. Lu Ann Staheli - - AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature http://www.xmission.com/~aml/aml-list.htm ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2001 19:33:23 -0700 From: LuAnnStaheli Subject: Re: [AML] Marilyn Brown Novel Award Marilyn, Is the contest for LDS related novels only? I write adolescent novels and= I'm curious what you're looking for in the contest. Thanks. Lu Ann Staheli - - AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature http://www.xmission.com/~aml/aml-list.htm ------------------------------ End of aml-list-digest V1 #258 ******************************