ArtwordBlog

Author: Ronald Weihs

  • Limits to Common Sense

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    Ronald Weihs

    Today’s Hamilton Spectator (September 31, 2019) has an opinion piece by Matthew Lau in praise of economist Milton Friedman, founder of the “Chicago School” espousing the virtues of unrestrained free market capitalism. He cites two of Friedman’s ideas, which he treats as obvious: “nobody spends somebody else’s money as carefully as he spends his own.”…

  • The art of politics

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    Ronald Weihs

    Posted on August 2, 2019 by roncw The NY Times columnists, a dozen or more,  rate the performances of the Democratic candidates as if they are auditioning for a theatrical performance. They answer questions that include ideas, but their responses are judged on body language and seeming sincerity. The ideas are selected from a list…

  • Playing Real Good for Free

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    Ronald Weihs

    One of the pleasures of our 10-day stay in Lisbon was the quality of the street music all over the city. Best of all was a really fine ensemble from Cabo Verde playing near the waterfront, Nôs Raíz. We listened to their concert for about 40 minutes and bought a CD, which turns out to…

  • RSC: Kathryn Hunter’s Timon of Athens

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    Ronald Weihs

    Kathryn Hunter in Timon of Athens, photo by Simon Annand When Judith and I  learned that the Royal Shakespeare was doing Timon of Athens this winter, with Kathryn Hunter in the lead role, we were more than excited. Kathryn Hunter is a remarkable actor. She is known for her powerful stage presence, her prowess as…

  • RSC: Tartuffe in Birmingham

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    Ronald Weihs

    Tartuffe (played by Asif Khan) takes a selfie. The RSC’s new version of Molière’s Tartuffe is a remarkable piece of work. It transports the plot to Birmingham, and sets it in a Pakistani Muslim household. Tartuffe is a fake holy man, who has gained influence over Imran Pervais, and is imposing his fundamentalist version of…

  • Richard II at the Almeida: the real Beale

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    Ronald Weihs

    It was with great anticipation that I went to the Almeida to see Simon Russell Beale in The Tragedy of Richard II. He had been a brilliant Timon of Athens at the National in 2012, in a startling production by Nicholas Hyntner that connected Shakespeare’s stark fable to the Occupy movement and Wall Street corruption.…