Focused on the future

Good, interesting, live theatre always captures my attention and right now there’s enough going on to even get me to blog again!

First, if you haven’t already, run to the Manhattan Theatre Club and see the brilliant production of the Pulitzer Prize-winning play Ruined, by Lynn Nottage. I admit to being late to the dance on this one, having attended a performance only a few weeks ago, but it is about as gripping and moving a story as you are ever likely to see. Set in a small mining town in the Democratic Republic of Congo, this haunting work about the resilience of the human spirit during times of war follows Mama Nadi, a shrewd businesswoman. Is she protecting or profiting by the women she shelters? Drawn from real-life accounts that Nottage researched on a visit there, acts of brutality which lay a foundation for this tale continue to this day, leaving no one unscarred.

Writer/performer Daniel Beaty (Emergence-See) gave select audiences here in New York a sneak peak last week at a new one-man play he is developing, Through The Night. Beaty masterfully performed six characters ranging in age from a small boy to a 65 year old man, weaving together an interesting story about the many challenges facing African-American males today and the ways in which we seek solutions. He presented it this week in North Carolina at the National Black Theatre Festival and hopefully soon, a more formal staging will take place. It is one not to miss.

Three theater companies which serve as an able training ground for new and emerging playwrights, will unveil new productions soon.

Freedom Train Productions stages new political theatre that challenges audiences to see character and human struggle from new perspectives — black queer protagonists. This week they open Fire! New Play Festival 2009 which runs throughout the month.

Lark Play Development Center has announced the list of plays and playwrights for Playwright’s Week 2009 and it looks to be an interesting mix. Keep a check on their website for the festival schedule and ticket information.

Diverse City Theater Company announced its 2009 Mainstage production of “Race Music” by Warren Bodow. Performances will run September 3rd thru September 19th at The Beckett Theatre. Set in a metropolitan Midwestern city in 1999, the play takes a hard and nuanced look at prejudice, race relations, and social politics. It examines how racial stereotyping informs our opinions, stirs our emotions, and conflicts with our instinct to appear unbiased.

Finally, the 2008 all-Black Broadway production of Tennessee Williams’ Cat on a Hot Tin Roof will be staged in London. Tony Award Winners Phylicia Rashad and James Earl Jones reprise their roles and are joined by Olivier Award Winner Adrian Lester (Girlfriends, As You Like It, Primary Colors) and Sanaa Lathan (Nip/Tuck, Out of Time, Love & Basketball). Debbie Allen once again directs. Performances begin November 17, 2009. Cat will run in limited engagement December 2009 until April 2010 at the Novello Theatre in the West End.

I know, it’s been awhile right. Did you miss me?

I just don’t know where blogging fits into my life these days or if I have enough time to devote to serious writing. I would hate to just put up any old thing for the sake of updating.

Let it suffice to say, I’m mulling it all over.

Regardless of which team you root for, Super Bowl Sunday will be a momentous day. Either the AFC Champion Pittsburgh Steelers will win their sixth title in franchise history, or the NFC Champion Arizona (formerly Chicago, later St. Louis) Cardinals will win their first ever.

Two weeks have elapsed since the conference championship games–the two most agonizing weeks in the life of a football fan–giving me time to reflect and research both teams in order to come to this weekend’s prediction. As I write this, it is less than an hour before kick-off and I confess, I am still not sure.

This is one of those head vs gut decisions. My head, the supposedly logical part of my anatomy, says the Pittsburgh Steelers should win this. “Defense wins championships” everyone keeps saying. The Steelers defense is the #1 defense in the NFL this year. Safety Troy Polamalu will draw the assignment of neutralizing Cards receiver Larry Fitzgerald, while nose tackle Casey Hampton will try to shut down running backs Edgerrin James and Tim Hightower. The so-called experts all seem to think this will be the deciding factor.

Those same so-called experts are the same people who told us the Dallas Cowboys were a lock to be in this year’s Super Bowl and we see how accurate that prediction was. So I’m not so eager to jump on the bandwagon.

What has me in a quandary—my gut talking to me–is how Pittsbugh’s offense will fare against the Cardinals defense, which has stepped up to shock and surprise the Falcons, Panthers and Eagles in three successive playoff games. Don’t sleep on this bunch. Cardinals tackles Darnell Dockett and Bryan Robinson will try to get pressure on Ben Roethlisberger, who suffered a concussion in a meaningless late season game, and they can disrupt a passing game.

Roethlisberger is seeking his second championship in as many visits. His counterpart, the mercurial veteran QB Kurt Warner will be playing in his third Super Bowl.

What I’m predicting is a low-scoring game that could turn on a mistake or a freak play, a turnover or a controversial decision. Defense may win championships, but on any given Sunday, any team can beat any other team.

I am 6-4 in my post season predictions and this week’s pick is in bold.

Super Bowl XLIII
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Tampa FL
6 PM ET NBC

Pittsburgh Steelers (14-4) vs. Arizona Cardinals (12-7)

It is the best of times. It is the worst of times…especially if you are a football fan. There are only three meaningful pro football games left in the 2008-09 season, the NFC and AFC Conference Championships today and Super Bowl XLIII in Tampa, Florida on February 1.

Four teams remain: the AFC #2 seed, the Pittsburgh Steelers (12-4, 1-0); NFC #4 seed, Arizona Cardinals (9-7, 2-0); and two #6 seeds, the wild card Baltimore Ravens (11-5, 2-0) from the AFC North and the NFC East wild card Philadelphia Eagles (9-6-1, 2-0).

For those of us who root for the last season Super Bowl Champion New York Giants, that fact is bittersweet. The Gmen played and defeated all of those teams this year and had they gotten past the Eagles last week, would have been favored to repeat. But that’s water under the bridge.

Philadelphia comes off that 23-11 victory with another necessary road trip to the Arizona desert to face a surprising Cardinals team that has advanced further in the playoffs than at any time in the franchise’s 60-year history. Quarterback Donovan McNabb has been this year’s whipping boy for Philly sports fans after a rocky mid-season and a one-game benching. He’s trying to get them back their first Super Bowl since 2005 and this is his fifth trip to the conference championship. He’ll need a running game from banged up Brian Westbrook, whose knee caused him to practice on a limited basis this week. Otherwise he’ll be dependent on an unheralded receiver corps.

Defense has always been the Eagles strong suit and they will need to step up against a Cardinals offense that has suddenly found balance. Running back Edgerrin James has had 130 yards rushing and 1 touchdown in two playoff games, and Quarterback Kurt Warner has receiver Anquan Boldin back to compliment the always dangerous Larry Fitzgerald and provide a double passing threat.

Arizona is at home in front of one of the noisiest crowds in the NFL. My heart is with the Eagles—I’d like to see Donovan silence his detractors, and have an all-Pennsylvania Super Bowl—but my head is telling me otherwise.

Since I’ve already tipped my hand about my AFC pick, let me just explain my rationale.

It’s another AFC North battle between two teams that know each other and don’t like each other. The Steelers have taken both meetings this season—23-20 in Week 4, 13-9 in Week 15 on a controversial last minute touchdown call. While it is hard to beat a team three times in one season, it will also be hard to beat the Steelers #1 ranked defense and stop their running back Willie Parker, with injuries to linebacker Terrell Suggs (questionable, with a shoulder injury) and cornerback Samari Rolle (doubtful, thigh). Ravens rookie QB Joe Flacco will be playing in his biggest game to date against a team that will show him multiple schemes. His receiver, veteran Derrick Mason, is also questionable with a knee injury.

I went 2-2 in last week’s picks and I’m 4-4 for the entire post season. This weekend’s predictions are in bold:

NFL Conference Championships

Sunday, January 18, 2009

NFC

Philadelphia Eagles vs Arizona Cardinals
3:00 PM ET FOX

AFC

Baltimore Ravens vs Pittsburgh Steelers
6:30 PM ET CBS

The NFL playoffs move into their second round this weekend with divisional matchups that pit winners from the Wild Card round against top seeds who enjoyed last week off. For any of those Wild Card winners to get to Super Bowl XLIII in Tampa, they’ll have to run the table on the road from here on out. This weekend, that won’t be easy.

Saturday’s first game however, presents possibly the best chance for a road team to get a win. The Baltimore Ravens (11-5, 1-0) travel to Tennessee (13-3, 0-0) to face the AFC’s top seed, who beat them 13-10 in a defensive struggle in Week 5. The Ravens then went 10-2 the rest of the season and bring a dominating defense, led by linebacker Ray Lewis, and ball hawk Ed Reed, who has 10 interceptions, two fumble recoveries and two touchdowns in his last seven games.

Tennessee has balance on offense and defense and can run the ball, although their ground game has been inconsistent in recent weeks and they will be without center Kevin Mawae. Quarterback Kerry Collins is enjoying a phenomenal late career resurgence, but the last time he faced the Ravens in the post season was in Super Bowl XXXV when Baltimore beat the Giants 34-7. He may have a similar outcome.

In the late game, the Arizona Cardinals (9-7, 1-0) travel to Carolina to play the Panthers (12-4, 0-0), looking for just their second playoff game in franchise history. Their defense has been very spotty against the run and will face a solid two-pronged Panthers running game with DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart, and a potent passing game with QB Jake Delhomme and the always dangerous receiver Steve Smith. The Cardinals lost to the Panthers 27-23 in Week 8 and are 0-5 when traveling to teams on the east coast.

Sunday has the battle for bragging rights along the New Jersey Turnpike as two NFC East rivals face off for the third time this season. The Philadelphia Eagles (9-6-1, 1-0) visit the NFC’s top seed, the New York Giants (12-4, 0-0). They’ve both won on the other team’s field, Giants winning Week 10, 36-31; the Eagles took Week 14, 20-14. Expected winter storms will not be a factor. Establishing the run will. The Giants will have a healthy Brandon Jacobs back, while Philly runs behind Brian Westbrook.

The last game of the weekend has San Diego (8-8, 1-0) without injured running back LaDainian Tomlinson, traveling to Pittsburgh to face the Steelers (12-4, 0-0). Darren Sproles had to carry the load for the Chargers last week in their overtime win over Indianapolis, but he’ll be facing the NFL’s Number 1 defense. Ben Roethlisberger had last week to recover from a concussion suffered in Week 17. With a clear head and some winter weather, they should have the edge against the team from Southern California.

I went 2-2 in last week’s picks. My predictions are in bold:

NFL Divisional Playoffs

Saturday, January 10, 2009

AFC

Baltimore Ravens vs Tennessee Titans

NFC

Arizona Cardinals vs Carolina Panthers

Sunday, January 11, 2009

NFC

Philadelphia Eagles vs New York Giants

AFC

San Diego Chargers vs Pittsburgh Steelers