BOOKS | Stephen Elliott’s The Adderall Diaries, February’s Books & Bars selection by Courtney Davison, TC Daily Planet • Stories of sex, drugs, and murder are usually best left to reality TV. Rarely does one pick up a book with the notion of being tantalized by such sensational subject matter.
THEATER | Shirley Valentine, you can’t be serious! I am serious, and I’m at the Jungle Theater by Matthew A. Everett, TC Daily Planet • There’s absolutely nothing wrong with Shirley Valentine. The script by Willy Russell holds up remarkably well for being over 20 years old. The character of Shirley is charming and funny, and Cheryl Willis’ performance is equally winning. If you’re looking for an evening of theater that goes down easily and leaves you with a happy feeling, Shirley Valentine at the Jungle Theater is a perfect fit for you.
MOVIES | Oscar nominees enjoy Beverly Hilton lunch: Where everyone is equal for the day by Barb Teed, TC Daily Planet • Chanhassen Dinner Theater alum Amy Adams, nominated in the Best Supporting Actress category, said she had a chance to meet real life Charlene Fleming, the character she portrays in The Fighter. “She was awesome. Charlene told me not to wear fishnet stockings but unfortunately [Director] David O. Russell disagreed, so I wore the fishnets.”
Need money for college? Fill out the FAFSA. by Mariah Davis, ThreeSixty • The Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, is the form that college students fill out when they can’t afford to pay every penny out of their own pocket. The FAFSA helps schools determine how much to award to students in state and federal grants, scholarships, loans and work-study jobs.
NEW IN BLOGS
FRONT ROW SEAT | When does a negative review go too far? by Jay Gabler • After my decidedly negative review of Workhaus Collective’s play Little Eyes was published, I received an e-mail from a reader. The reader expressed two basic concerns: (1) It’s not appropriate to use my aunt’s idea of what’s realistic to judge the quality of a fictional stage production that employs deliberately absurd storytelling techniques; (2) the tone of my review was unnecessarily glib, and lacked consideration of the degree of time and attention devoted to Little Eyes by everyone involved with the production.
PUBLIC POLICY FORUM | Bipartisan bill for “alternative teacher licensure” can help close achievement gap by Bobby Joe Champion • For too long, Minnesota has had one of the largest achievement gaps in the nation between White children and children of color. It’s time to do something about it. As our nation was tested generations ago, we must face this inequity in our education system head-on with new ways to educate all learners.
HINDSIGHT | Urban mobility: Twin Cities ranking poorly by Riordan Frost • The down economy had a bright side in the form of reduced traffic congestion, according to the Texas Transportation Institute’s (TTI) 2010 Urban Mobility report. Now that the economy is recovering, congestion is increasing, again.
BARATARIA | Teachers with experience by Erik Hare • Should it be easier to become a teacher? An simplified alternative licensing procedure for Minnesota has been outlined by SF40, a bill introduced to our newly Republican State Senate. The core of the proposal is that school districts must have in place a system for bringing in anyone who has a four-year degree, make their way through at least 200 hours of intensive training, and can pass a test. It’s something that caught my attention because I’ve often thought about becoming a High School teacher – but the current system is arduous and very expensive for those of us who want to change mid-career. Is this a good idea?
SINGLE WHITE FRINGE GEEK | My play Leave: No, it’s not about pedophilia by Matthew A. Everett • his is a challenge of a slightly nebulous title. Sometimes it’s a little too open to interpretation.
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