This Just In...

hello, friends,

mel gibson has just started launching weapons at israel.

sorry. that wasn't funny, but i just had to weigh in there...

i'm sitting in the palmer house hilton in beautiful downtown chicago, having spent the last several days at the ATHE (association of theatre in higher education) conference (see www.athe.org) for more details. i've also had the great fortune to have seen a LOVELY production of bruce norris' new play, THE UNMENTIONABLES, directed by anna d. shapiro and featuring the always-luminous amy morton, along with shannon cochran and rick snyder. great work.

in addition, i've been on a sort of "culinary reunion" here in chicago. yesterday, it was all about the potbelly sandwich (www.potbelly.com). that poser chain known as quizno's has NOTHING on a vegetarian potbelly sandwich, though miz liz swears by the PB & J. and then there was dinner with the divine jessica, a VERY pregnant mrs. lance baker and a glowing leason at none other than kamehache, the BEST sushi this side of sapporo. we were later transported to hipster central, known as the landmark, where anna d. is apparently a regular fixture. the fun didn't end until about 2, when miz liz and i shared some iced amarettos.

the conference has been good, as i get to spend some quality time with treasured dramaturgical friends. and, since it is chicago, i've had the good fortune to see some of my old peeps. i am feeling a little homesick for the girl, but i am THRILLED that al gore has started reigning in that global warming business.

i have been reading thomas e. ricks' book FIASCO, which is subtitled THE AMERICAN ADVENTURE IN IRAQ. i'm still early on, but i am perhaps most stuck on the notion that, in a meeting on postwar iraq, a powerpoint presentation was given that consisted of only 32 badly written slides. 'nuff said, right?

stay strong.

gotohellifyouhatefreedom,
volansky