Mobile
Friday, March 20, 2009
Arts / News Live Review: How I Learned to Drive
Posted By Anita Overcash on Fri, Mar 20, 2009 at 12:25 PM
Davidson Community Players' How I Learned to Drive
Armour Street Theatre
March 19, 2009
The Deal: Davidson Community Players tackle serious subject matter in its performances of Paula Vogel's How I Learned to Drive. Staged in the new performance space, Armour Street Theatre, the opening night show was packed.
The Good: The play follows the swerves and passings of Li'l Bit's (played by Marla Brown) adolescence to adulthood, while using driving instructions throughout as a backdrop to the experiences and lessons shared. Li'l Bit is a victim of sexual abuse (emotionally and physically) by her Uncle Peck (played by Tom Scott), and much of the show focuses on their relationships development, as well as Li'l Bit's own messed up family life with her mother (played by Tory Macomson), grandmother (played by Amanda Roberge) and grandfather (played by Christian Love) - all of whom, when put together, make for a family dinner conversation that should never happen. From all of this Li'l Bit is scarred emotionally and left feeling degraded, yet she is also determined to drive away from the bad situation, once she is willing to confront it head on. Throughout the play, humor took away from the disturbing pedophilia subject matter. This included "a mother's guide to social drinking," by Li'l Bit's mother (played by Tory Macomson), which stirred laughs, as well as other parts of the play between Li'l Bit, Uncle Peck and other characters played by Macomson, Roberge and Love. The small cast, lack of costumes and stage props, and changes in appearance from character switching, was not a detour or downfall of the production. On the left and right sides of the stage a screen displayed photos of driving instructions, places and more, including photos of poses by calender girls -all popping up while Li'l Bit is being photographed by her Uncle Peck. The screen also displays close-up photo shots of Li'l Bit's own face on the screen, when she discovers yet another hurtful truth from her lousy relative. These theatrics added an extra touch of creativity to the already well-done acting going down on the stage.
The Bad: Despite touches of humor and a "driving lessons," throughout the show, the deep and horrifying issue of sexual abuse was always at hand. Subject matter was not something I'd typically want to see in theater, but it brought attention to an ongoing issue (pedophilia/sexual abuse) that must be confronted and stopped.
The Verdict: How I Learned to Drive tells the disturbing, yet triumphant story of a girl who deals with and rises from a life of sexual abuse. The performance is sad and touching, with tinges of humor throughout and an uplifting outcome.
Boomer with Attitude / News Stolen Italian statue update!
Posted By John Grooms on Fri, Mar 20, 2009 at 11:08 AM
We have learned of a huge new development in the Case of the Stolen Italian Statue.
The art world was surprised by yesterday's revelation that a small wooden statue, stolen from a church in Naples over 20 years ago, had shown up in a couple's home in Charlotte. Today's news, though, will likely bowl over art lovers everywhere.
News High-rollers secret club raided thanks to CrimeStoppers tip
Posted By Rhiannon Fionn-Bowman on Fri, Mar 20, 2009 at 11:00 AM
The rich just can't get a break these days, even their Las Vegas-style hidey-holes are being taken away by the government.
The police investigation continues into a West Charlotte club raided earlier this month by the Charlotte-Mecklenburg police. Patrons were not arrested, though the Charlotte Observer reports at least one person present at the time of the raid was a former NFL player.
The initial membership charge was $1,500 with $50-$100 due at the door. Sex and drugs were available upon request.
An aging warehouse on a back way to the airport became a secret late-night gambling haunt, offering sex, drugs and big-stakes card games to high-rolling customers – including former professional sports stars.Charlotte-Mecklenburg police raided the place off Wilkinson Boulevard, known on the street as “The Club,” earlier this month and seized about $40,000 in cash. Police made three arrests.
Before the raid, an informant sketched a scene for police investigators of high-stakes gamblers paying for on-demand sex and drugs, according to a court affidavit recently released to the public and used to obtain a search warrant.
Read the rest of this Charlotte Observer article here.
News Gov. Perdue visits the Q.C. to announce new jobs, open her office
Posted By Rhiannon Fionn-Bowman on Fri, Mar 20, 2009 at 10:46 AM
Keeping her word from the campaign trail, Gov. Bev Perdue is opening her Charlotte office today. While she's here, she plans to announce that "major jobs" are on the way. Watch News 14's coverage of her announcement at 1 p.m.
Gov. Bev Perdue is announcing new jobs and opening a new office in Charlotte on Friday.On top of the ribbon-cutting ceremony planned for the afternoon, Perdue is expected to announce major jobs coming to the area. Few details have been released on the scheduled announcement, but the possibility of more jobs coming to the area is a good news for the many Charlotte residents currently out of work.
Read the rest of this News14.com article here.
News Madoff employee's insider perspective
Posted By Rhiannon Fionn-Bowman on Fri, Mar 20, 2009 at 10:44 AM
It is amazing this scheme was allowed to continue, amazing people didn't pay attention to the warning signs.
Read the last sentence of this article: "'But now, I keep thinking about the 90 year old man who lost even his house and is bagging groceries. Then I think of the fact that I may have gotten paid with his money.'"
Blinding greed. Pathetic.
An employee who worked in Madoff’s legitimate brokerage operations, described by the fraudster in his plea agreement as being “successful and profitable,” has told The Daily Beast that they were in fact money losers that acted as a front for his Ponzi scheme.He said that the legitimate businesses, the proprietary and market making arms on the eighteenth and nineteenth floors of Madoff Securities were designed to lure investors in, especially highly-placed figures in society, and to fool the SEC into thinking that he had a large and impressive galaxy of businesses.
But behind the façade, these so-called legitimate businesses were a shambles. They were excessively staffed with grossly overpaid people, and run with marked inefficiency, he said.
Read the rest of this Daily Beast article here.
News John Grooms
Posted By Web Editor on Fri, Mar 20, 2009 at 9:50 AM
John Grooms is the tragicomic product of a bilingual postwar home in a small South Carolina town, interspersed with spurts of living in Brussels, Belgium. He is a multiple award-winning writer and editor, as well as a teacher, public speaker, event organizer, music lover, rock history fanatic, off-and-on Catholic, husband, father, and incurable smartass. He has lived in Charlotte since 1976, and was editor of Creative Loafing in Charlotte from 1988 until 2005. He is a progressive populist who is overweight and often profane. He likes long walks on the beach and candlelit dinners in a mountain hideaway. His favorite color is blue.
email: john.grooms@cln.com
The Wack List / News The Wack List: March 20
Posted By Carlton Hargro on Fri, Mar 20, 2009 at 8:55 AM
Five people, places and things we really ain’t digging today.
• All of the women on VH1's Tough Love
• Oh fuck it — ALL the Love-centric reality shows on VH1!
• BofA
• Fear of a weak dollar
Arts / Today's Top Five / News Today's Top 5: Friday
Posted By Anita Overcash on Fri, Mar 20, 2009 at 8:25 AM
Here are the five best events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today, March 20, 2009 — as selected by the folks at Creative Loafing.
• Opening reception of the An American Show exhibition, featuring works by Tyree Guyton at McColl Center for Visual Art
• Opening reception of the Felicia van Bork exhibition at Creative Art Exchange
• SlamCharlotte Poetry Slam at McGlohon Theatre
• Comedians James Sibley and Marvin Todd at Alive
• Laura Reed & Deep Pocket at Neighborhood Theatre
News Obama on Jay Leno
Posted By Carlton Hargro on Fri, Mar 20, 2009 at 7:26 AM
In case you missed this last night, here's the full video of President Obama on the Tonight Show:
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Film / News Gomorrah: Badfellas
Posted By Web Editor on Thu, Mar 19, 2009 at 4:00 PM
The Italian import Gomorrah is scheduled to open in Charlotte tomorrow. Here is Curt Holman's review from the Atlanta Creative Loafing:
Two young, naive stick-up guys run around a vacant building yelling, “I’m Tony Montana!” in the Italian mob movie Gomorrah. The transnational popularity of Al Pacino’s Scarface demonstrates the extent to which films can glorify organized crime. (I see young people wearing Tony Montana hoodies at my neighborhood library all the time.) Even in warts-and-all portraits such as Goodfellas and The Sopranos, the strippers-and-cash rush of thug life sticks in the memory longer than the cautionary messages.
-
Jigsaw, Dating App That Hides Users’ Faces, launches in Charlotte, NCTo Fight Superficial Dating App Culture 3
-
Question the Queen City: The story of Mabel Rea 4
The Charlotte native went Hollywood, returned home and met a tragic demise.
-
Knight and Day: Plot eclipsed by stars 1
Cruise and Diaz are main reasons to consider seeing mindless action flick.
