October 20th, 2007 performance of 'Dandelion Wine' in Pasadena, California failed to materialize. While the audience waited, something was fermenting backstage.
Dandelion Wine was about to go "dark".

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Nard Kordell,

quote:

Originally posted by Nard Kordell:
October 20th, 2007 performance of 'Dandelion Wine' in Pasadena, California failed to materialize. While the audience waited, something was brewing backstage.
Dandelion Wine was about to go "dark".

It was, to say the least, a unique experience but as one might expect Mr. B kept everybody entertained. He gave a delightful talk, and then held court in the lobby for over an hour. Everybody that attended got a chance to speak to the master. Mr B signed programs and books. One woman took advantage of the situation and purchased ten books that Mr. B kindly signed for her. Now she has her Christmas shopping done, early.

So what was the problem? Was it a union issue with this particular production, or was it something else?

PHIL:
I have a little video clip going to post online later today of the announcement. But the problem was that they needed a state approved, registered school teacher to be on the premises. And there wasn't. Five minutes after the play was to begin, the notice was given to the director.

I decided NOT to put the short clip on 'YOUTUBE' pertaining to the temporary closing of 'Dandelion Wine' last night. However, if you wish to see it, email me at with your email address at:

catchaway@comcast.net

...and I will send the clip to you. Tho it is less than 5 MB, make sure you have enough space for the clip in your email.

Go ahead and send it to me please. You know the address - thanks!

IN THE LAST PHOTO in the album:

There is, nearest going left to right....
Adam Payne (Tom Spaulding)
Madelyn Payne (in front) as (Jody)
Adam Dlugolecki (tallest) as (John Huff)
Joshua Moore (with football) as (Douglas Spaulding)

Thanks Nard...great pics of the great one...

Thanks for the slide show.... I love Ray's tie...

We know DW as a movie would work!

Here are a few photos of DW Dark including a Halloween Tree necktie, our view of the stage, Irvin Kershner and I, the Kordells, and then the next day, at a signing in Thousand Oaks, we see Ray's daughter Susan helping Ray with the signing, as I chat up Donn Albright and Jon Eller out front whilst jkt arrives with sustenance for the hungry author.

Enjoy!

I've discovered a few blogs posting a "mystery" or "conspiracy" angle to the DW shutdown. Here's one:

http://noquarters.blogspot.com/2007/10/force-of-government.html

Is there really any doubt as to the validity/veracity of the person who closed the show?

This just shows RB's class. It is not as easy as it used to be for him to get out. He gets out to support people supporting him and he handles the disruption with absolute grace. What a master--at story-telling and at being a human being. Many could learn from him.

Thanks for the photo update on DW that fateful evening. If we had known that the event was going to be cancelled, I could have had my wife there, who is a retired California elementary school teacher, and that might have saved the evening? We attended the opening night performance and we thoroughly enjoyed the performances of these kids. They were superb. It was good to see Nard and his better half at the performance.
I loved Ray's Holloween Tree tie, and wonder who made it up for him? Thanks again for the pictures.

Hi. I noticed a link to my blog and dropped by to see who found it. I run the NoQuartersBlog website and commented on the play shutdown.

I have a pet theory that we all live under "Universal Criminalization". A term to mean that at any one point in our life, we are breaking some rule. Normally small and unknown, but there. Because of that the government can wield a level of force against us at will. The play is an example. The story is that he did not get free tickets, so he pulled one of there laws out, and shut the play down.

The last time I drove home from our local town council meeting, after the second reading of the town's recodified ordinances, I counted over a dozen broken laws in people's yeard from the town hall, to my house. More then one a block.

Ayn Rand said it best:
There's no way to rule innocent men. The only power any government has is the power to crack down on criminals. Well, when there aren't enough criminals, one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible for men to live without breaking laws. Who wants a nation of law-abiding citizens? What's there in that for anyone? But just pass the kind of laws that can neither be observed nor enforced nor objectively interpreted and you create a nation of law-breakers.

I don't consider myself a conspiracy nut. I'm a 40 year old guy going back to school to be a historical archivist, and am involved in local politics. I have my own weekly column in our town's newspaper, and run a community website that deals with local events and happenings. Just someone who has issues living in an over regulated society.

I hope the play runs. The books of Mr. Bradbury I have read have always been thoughtful and worth the time.