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Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Video: Kepler preview
Posted by Joshua Curry on Wed, May 23, 2012 at 8:22 PM
Kepler is a brainy exploration of Johannes Kepler astronomical ethics. It takes place on a mostly sparse stage, dominated by a huge screen in the background that alternates various color fields and effects. The action is limited and the result is contemplative and atmospheric. Here is a set of photos and a video from a dress rehearsal at the the Sottile Theater.
Five tips for surviving Spoleto Festival
Your mileage may vary
Posted by Jon Santiago on Wed, May 23, 2012 at 2:22 PM
Part of enjoying the festival is being ready for the demands it makes — not just on your spiritual being, but also on your physical self. There's still time to prepare. And I'm here for you.
Also, beyond the sheer public service of it all, I have a secondary agenda: if you're having a great time, you will be much more pleasant company for the rest of us.
Each Spoleto festival is unique, but they all share one characteristic: it's a marathon, not a sprint. As someone who once walked 500 miles across Spain, I can offer a few performance-enhancing tips.
Footwear is key. For men and women, if there ever was a time to be "gellin'," this is it. Comfy shoes may sacrifice some of your fashion-forward reputation, but you'll be a much happier camper which will add immensely to your rep as a bon vivant and all round swell companion. Choose wisely.
Note: I'm told that for those whom nature has outfitted with a lovely pair of X chromosomes choosing footwear to complement them may prove daunting. The sum total of my knowledge on this topic comes from a wise, very fashionable woman who once explained to me: "There are walking shoes and there are sitting shoes." Then she sat down.
Stay hydrated. Carrying water with you is a great idea. But stopping along the way for a refreshing beverage creates an opportunity for people-watching, which is as much a part of the Spoleto experience as the official performances. Think of it as street theater that improves with the number of beverages you imbibe.
Pace yourself. It's all about endurance. And noshing. A quick bite from a food truck may be all you need to stay in the game. Wash it all down with a bracing libation and you're back in business.
Take a pedi-cab. The Pavement Gondoliers of Charleston. When all else fails to revive a sagging day, climb aboard. These guys are everywhere and they typically offer both transport and chatty, light entertainment. Sit back, shoot the breeze, marvel at (or studiously ignore) the view. You know what I mean.
Give in to temptation. Variety will keep you going. Explore. Plain old sidewalks not doing it for you? We've got cobblestones in the French Quarter. Overheated? Take a break at Waterfront Park. Need an edge when deconstructing that last show with all your clever friends? Pick up some pirate paraphernalia in one of those shops along the Market and proceed to impress them with your "aaargh"-uments. (Sorry. Sorry. I will never give in to that particular temptation again.)
Spoleto vets! Have any tips to share? Weigh in with your comments. We're in this together.
Photos: On the set of Hay Fever
Posted by Joshua Curry on Wed, May 23, 2012 at 1:49 PM
We got a chance to preview a few scenes of Hay Fever, the Noël Coward play, this afternoon. It's whimsical comedy of manners and innuendo that's sure please fans of classic British TV comedies.
Outtakes: Catching up with Old Crow's Ketch Secor
Road Talk
Posted by Erica Jackson Curran on Wed, May 23, 2012 at 11:00 AM
Sometimes I interview someone who has so much to say, it makes my job effortless. Old Crow Medicine Show's Ketch Secor was like that when I interviewed him a few weeks back — I just listened as he talked about his relationship with Critter Fuqua, life on the road, and his love of the South. He said so much, in fact, that I couldn't fit it all into my preview article, so here are a few extra nuggets from our conversations for your enjoyment. The Ketch & Critter concert is Thurs. May 24 at 9 p.m. at the Cistern.
"When you live on a tour bus, it messes with your head a little bit. You wake up and you don’t quite remember where you are, you just know you’ve got a show to put on that night. And when you peek out the little curtains on your bus and you try to sum up where you are, when you look out at a parking lot, what makes it Charleston, South Carolina if you can’t see the Spanish moss? What makes it Charleston if you can’t smell the fragrant air? If you’re just looking at a parking lot, what makes it Charleston? I would argue that it’s a song, that it’s a voice."
"I love playing in the deep South. I love playing in the rural South. I love playing in the places where the music feels like it’s coming home when I blow harmonica, when I sing a song that’s 150 years old, and you hear it live. I love performing outdoors for that reason too. The songs are like landscape paintings, and the songs really capture a place. I feel that they capture a spirit too that exists in a place."
"Regardless of race, class, or creed, you see a banjo, or you hear one, and young and old, you pantomime a do-si-do. It’s like engrained, like when you pull your hand away from a hot stove. When you see a banjo, you clap. You pretend to buck dance, even if you don’t know what that is, even if you’re four generations removed from anybody that ever went to a grange hall and danced with a girl and courted. A banjo brings that out, it’s a powerful force, and the response is even more powerful."
"Last time I was in Charleston, I just got on a bus and rode it until it came back to where I got on it. I do that in a lot of towns, but I love to do that in Charleston, because you just hear so much. You hear so many dialects, you hear about eight manners of speaking if you’re African American, and you hear foreign languages, too, because the place is jumping, crawling with people who are looking for the real Lowcountry life. And they’re speaking Danish to each other, they’re speaking Flemish."
"I do love traveling just as a duo, because in addition to being able to take our time getting places and to eat, which is wonderful, it simplifies things. If you do night after night with a big band in front of huge crowds and you get so that you’ve thrown away all your talents and specialized in everything, and all I do is play that show, I might as well go into a cocoon after it’s over."
CP's free Spoleto Mobile app brings the festival to your fingertips
Posted by Joshua Curry on Wed, May 23, 2012 at 10:29 AM
Get all the latest Spoleto news and info on your phone with our Spoleto Mobile app. It's free and works on all current smartphones including iPhones, Android, Blackberry, and Windows phones. You'll get the latest inside info from our award-winning Spoleto Buzz blog, along with video previews of upcoming performances. It has the complete schedule for Spoleto Festival USA and Piccolo Spoleto with comprehensive previews and timely reviews. It's even got a feature to find restaurants near you or plan ahead and see recommended spots by venues.
You can get it by scanning the QR Code at right or by visiting this link on your phone.
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