TERRE HAUTE —
I have written this column before. Only the names of the events have been changed to update the story.
The story is titled, as always, “You Can’t Find Anything to Do in Terre Haute?” It is subtitled, “The lie that just won’t die.”
This time around, I started thinking about the lie as I left Tilson Music Hall late last month after the Terre Haute Symphony had knocked the socks off of several hundred of us who’d come for the 2010-2011 season opener. The symphony’s slogan this year is “Great Music! Close to Home,” and that’s exactly what the orchestra served up in the first of its five concerts.
The initial half of the program featured a fine march by Hector Berlioz and a contemporary piece by a young composer, Simon Proctor, that spotlighted an ancient and exotic instrument called the serpent. The serpent was played by Douglas Yeo, a guest artist from the Boston Symphony.
But it was the second portion of the concert that resurrected my notion about the lie that won’t die. Little old Terre Haute’s symphony tackled a piece of music that orchestras twice its size would fear, Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 5.
A Mahler fan, I have heard the Fifth performed live about a half-dozen times by big-city symphonies with internationally known conductors such as Michael Tilson Thomas and Leonard Slatkin. I’ve listened scores of times to full recordings of the work under the baton of such luminaries as Leonard Bernstein, Herbert von Karajan and Giuseppe Sinopoli.
Because of this, I must confess, I figured I’d better lower the bar for David Bowden and the Terre Haute Symphony. But I didn’t have to. Indiana’s oldest continually performing symphony orchestra hit a grand slam with Mahler’s Fifth. I was as wrung out and exhilarated at the end of their performance as I’ve ever been after hearing this piece. And the passionate standing ovation the orchestra received indicated I was not alone.
A couple of weeks later, as the lights came up on a compelling production of “The Baltimore Waltz” at Indiana State University’s New Theatre, I thought again about the lie that just won’t die.
Directed by ISU theater professor Arthur Feinsod, the play was written by Paula Vogel, a Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright who currently serves as an adjunct professor at Yale University. Funny and poignant, “The Baltimore Waltz” features only three actors, who get a verbal and physical workout from the moment the play begins until its last plaintive scene.
In Feinsod’s production, three ISU students — Ani Cohen, Neil Jordan Carpenter and Andrew Todd — played far above the caliber one expects of young, unpaid actors. The horseshoe-shaped New Theatre is small, intimate and therefore unforgiving of an amateurish stage presence or line delivery. Cohen, Carpenter and Todd performed like seasoned pros — with some of the most difficult material I’ve seen a student cast attempt in a long time.
Like any encounter with good, live theater, I found myself thinking about the production for days afterward.
Using the symphony and play as bookends, I did a quick review of just some of the cultural offerings in between. These are, of course, in addition to the usual autumn lineup of high school and college sporting events that make living in this part of the country such a timeless pleasure:
Country music poet-guitarist Terri Clark turned the historic Indiana Theatre into an acoustic love fest, drawing some 500 fans from the bistate area for her “Alone and Unplugged” concert. No stuck-up C&W diva, Clark stayed for more than an hour after the show, signing autographs until the last person in line left happy.
Clark performed on a night in which Downtown Terre Haute was jammed with art exhibit openings, a fabulous Frank Lloyd Wright program at the Swope Museum, author Maury Miller reading from his new “Psalm Songs” at BookNation, an all-class Rose-Hulman reunion at the Ohio Building, and area restaurants such as Market Bella Rosa offering special First Friday fare. Down on South 25th Street, the Community Theatre was in its second weekend run of “The Seven-Year Itch.”
Three nights later, CBS News correspondent Byron Pitts kicked off the ISU Speakers Series in Tilson with a candid, inspiring talk about the international journalist’s life that emerged from his humble, challenged youth. Pitts has reported from 40 countries for CBS, interviewed six presidents and led his network’s 9/11 Ground Zero reporting. He is a regular contributor to “60 Minutes.”
The price of admission to his enlightening presentation? Not one cent.
Every Friday, the Tribune-Star publishes a 12-page entertainment guide called ’Bash. It has not featured a blank page yet. Instead, the section is filled with diverse offerings in Terre Haute or within easy driving distance. Our four institutions of higher learning, alone — ISU, Rose-Hulman, St. Mary of-the-Woods and Ivy Tech — produce so many possible events to attend, a person could try to make them all and fall short every week.
Throw in organizations such as Osher Lifelong Learning, the Community Theatre, Arts Illiana, the Children’s Museum, Fowler and Dobbs parks, and commercial venues such as The Verve, Ballyhoo, Mulligan’s, Stables, Pizza City, Apple Club, Boot City and all the karaoke bars listed in ’Bash’s Live Clubs section, and there is no excuse for anyone to go a week without attending something in the community that involves other human beings making art, music, theater or comedy together.
Today, Broadway can come to you at Rose-Hulman with the Gershwin review “’S Wonderful” (3 p.m., Hatfield Hall), or you can travel back in time at the Collett Park Old Fashion Day (noon-5 p.m.). Tuesday, the Kenya Safari Acrobats are at ISU (7:30 p.m., Tilson) or you can drive to Rockville to see state legislator-Elvis impersonator Bruce Borders’ Presley tribute (7 p.m., Ritz Theater).
The Covered Bridge Festival is in full swing in Parke County through Oct. 17, there are Halloween haunted houses open all over the place, and live music going on every single night this week somewhere in the Valley.
On Thursday, Clabber Girl Museum hosts an artist’s reception (6-8 p.m.) for Jeff Paitson, who has mounted a stunning photo exhibit titled “First Fruits.” Like so many events and activities in this area, Paitson’s beautiful exhibit costs nothing to enjoy but the effort it takes to get there. So move it already.
Stephanie Salter can be reached at (812) 231-4229 or stephanie.salter@tribstar.com.
Opinion
Stephanie Salter: Turn off your TV — real life is happening in the Valley
- Opinion
-
-
EDITORIAL: Cleaning up voter rolls
It’s not a lot of money in the big scheme of things, but the $2 million designated in the recent session of the General Assembly will begin the messy but necessary process of cleaning up Indiana’s voter registration rolls.
-
READERS' FORUM: May 22, 2013
Rich history all along the river
Great work by Duke employees
-
RONN MOTT: Rabid Republicans
The so-called news people at Fox News can hardly sit still long enough to report on the latest gossip or untruth about our sitting President. They can hardly contain themselves.
-
READERS’ FORUM: May 21, 2013
• Great response to annual golf outing
• Doing your part on climate change
-
LIZ CIANCONE: Smell of fresh air gave way to dryers
Remember when clean clothes smelled like fresh air and sunshine rather than fabric softener and dryer sheets?
-
READERS' FORUM: May 20, 2013
The dangers of a little knowledge
Students enjoyed Rose study trip
-
Mark Bennett: High-profile mural connects historical dots from city to river
At 96 feet wide and 2 stories tall, the power, impact and value of the Wabash will be evident.
-
EDITORIAL: Waging the ‘readiness’ campaign
Almost every Hoosier who starts college intends to finish. Unfortunately, those who arrive on campus unprepared in key academic areas are far less likely to fulfill that aspiration.
-
READERS' FORUM: May 19, 2013
• Flawed reasoning on gun checks
• A hint of things yet to come?
• Are the ‘makers’ doing the ‘taking’?
• The ‘Obamination’ is finally revealed
• Pondering effects of Obamacare
• Fantasizing on the ‘Apocalypse’
• Another view of Hinduism
• Great experience for HCMS students
-
FLASHPOINT: A legislative session of missed opportunities
Given the nature of politicians, grand claims of accomplishments and overblown rhetoric about “historic” efforts are to be expected at the close of any legislative session.
-
RONN MOTT: Mushrooms = Hoosier happiness
Someone wrote or said a few years ago a statement that would define the word “Hoosier.” According to this urban legend, a Hoosier is somebody dribbling a basketball around the Indy 500 while eating a fried, morel mushroom. It did not define me, at the time.
-
EDITORIAL: Insult to an independent press
Distrust of government secrecy has been elevated to an exceptional level with the disclosure the Justice Department covertly examined two months of Associated Press phone records to determine who leaked details to the AP about a foiled terrorist plot.
-
READERS' FORUM: May 17, 2013
Hinduism doesn’t deserve ridicule — Shefali Purohit, Terre Haute
-
RONN MOTT: Israel’s Air Force
Recently the Israeli Air Force bombed and rocketed a convoy leaving Syria going to Lebanon with rockets that were going to be used to attack Israel. It did not get there. It was destroyed.
-
EDITORIAL: Noteworthy in the news: Dashing finish for the Sycamores
It’s always thrilling to see Indiana State University’s athletic teams do well in high-level competition, and two specific teams rose to impressive heights last weekend in the Missouri Valley Conference outdoor track and field championships.
-
Readers' Forum: May 16, 2013
Moving Deming folks sounds ‘nuts’
-
Readers' Forum: May 15, 2013
Participants rise to the challenge: I would like to write a letter congratulating all the Wabash Valley Roadrunners that competed in the One America Indianapolis Mini Marathon.
-
RONN MOTT: Media merry-go-round
Round and round it goes, where it stops nobody knows. That isn’t a unique phrase to this writer or to this era in time. But, when it comes to the musical chairs of broadcasting, it certainly applies.
-
LIZ CIANCONE: Courts see a different appearance than cops
Have you ever noticed the transformation between the arrest of an accused lawbreaker and the first appearance in court?
-
READERS' FORUM: May 14, 2013
ISTEP failure exposes flaws
Community hasn’t changed its spirit
Egregious threat to nation’s defense
-
READERS' FORUM: May 13, 2013
• Women’s group criticizes Bucshon
• Let’s hope this doesn’t come true
• Many get thanks for fest success
-
MARK BENNETT: Life at face value: Mom’s simple advice still presents a valuable daily challenge
Most moms don’t base their advice on scientific research.
(Unless, of course, your mother is a scientific researcher. If so, carry a No. 2 pencil and take good notes.) -
EDITORIAL: Better monitoring needed to prevent local environmental messes
The nasty, hazardous messes lurking in the community raise a bottom-line, red-flag question. Could these environmental problems have been monitored and, thus, prevented?
-
GUEST COLUMN: Nursing more than medicine and bandages
Being a nurse … Like most nurses, I chose this profession because I had a strong desire to help others and no other career would allow me the opportunity to touch lives the way I have been able to through nursing.
-
READERS' FORUM: May 12, 2013
Vigo Youth Football, entering 45th year, seeks new support
Media ignoring important case on abortions
Proud to be old-fashioned
Guns in school? What’s next?
Promoting hate not a ‘brave’ act
-
FLASHPOINT: Again in 2013 General Assembly, middle class generally ignored
Last year, the people of Indiana entrusted the Republican Party with some of their most precious possessions.
-
RONN MOTT: ‘Raccoons II’
In the Algonquin Indian language, raccoon means “working with hands.” They are really cute little fellows until they injure a child, or a pet, or leave feces around where you certainly do not want it.
-
Readers’ Forum: May 11, 2013
I just wanted to express my disappointment at the lack of response shown by President Obama after the Boston Marathon bombings.
-
Readers' Forum: May 10, 2013
CANDLES event plants new seed: On April 26, CANDLES Holocaust Museum and Education Center hosted an event called “Sowing Seeds of Peace: A Celebration of Spring” at the Apple House. Our purpose was to introduce people to our concept of forgiveness as a seed for peace.
-
RONN MOTT: ‘NRA Convention’
At the recent NRA Convention in Houston, Texas, where the right-wing political hot air almost lifted the convention's building off its foundation, the NRA trotted out the forever yours political dame of the right wing, Sarah Palin. Sarah did not disappoint.
- More Opinion Headlines
-
EDITORIAL: Cleaning up voter rolls
Jodi Arias: Death Penalty Would Cause More Pain
Looking for Love? Take the Prague Metro
Raw: Costa Rica Volcano Roars to Life
Today in History May 22
Raw: Students Clash With Police in Chile
Raw: Japan's WWII Atrocities Under Fire in Seoul
First Person: Baby Falcons on a New York Bridge
Crews Race to Find Survivors of Okla. Twister
Oklahoma: Images of Devastation, Reunion
Police Ram House to End Hostage Standoff
Tim Cook Defends Apple's Tax Accounting
Raw: Aussie Zoo Shows Off White Rhino Calf
Reunited Dad, Son: 'We Just Praise God'
Slow Pokes: Acupuncture Helps Sick Turtles
Moore, Okla. City of Reunions, Tears After Storm
Protests Outside Cincinnati IRS Office
Lawyer: Feds Investigating Susan Powell Case
Families Begin Returning to Their Homes in Moore
Raw: Aerial View of Moore Tornado Damage
Former Rep. Weiner Running for New York Mayor
Raw: New Video of Deadly Oklahoma Tornado
Morgan Freeman falls asleep on air!
Camera Captures Climber As He Loses Grip And Falls
Helen Mirren Meets with Dying Boy in Queen Elizabeth's Place
Crowd Chants '¡Si, Se Puede!' After Passage of Immigration Bill
DWTS Crowns a Winner
Demi Moore a Rocks Bikini at Harry Morton's Family House
Anthony Weiner: I'm running for New York City mayor
Kate Middleton's Dress Flies Up
VIRAL: Baby makes epic soccer goal
The Hangover Baby All Grown Up
Olivia Munn Flaunts Her Bikini Bod
Britney Spears Under Fire Once Again For Being A Bad Mom
Arias Tells Jury What She'd Do if She Gets Life
The all-new Xbox One
RAW: Massive tornado strikes Oklahoma
Nidal Hasan paid $278K while awaiting trial
VIDEO: Teacher reunites mother and son after tornado levels elementary school in Oklahoma City
Okla. tornado survivor finds dog buried alive under rubble
