An Overwhelming Day

It was a lovely day in New York. The weather was gorgeous. I would have liked to have gotten a run in at Central Park, but I had some sabbatical duties that needed attention. I drafted a letter to give to artists that outlines the focus of my study. With the wonderful editing assistance of Dr. Greg Dyer, I think that this letter will really help clarify what it is I am requesting as I approach future directors, actors, playwrights etc.

Michele Pawk called and invited meto see the matinee of The Overwhelming. Perfect. I saw it in previews, have since read the script, and attended the talk-balk with Rogers (playwright) and Robert (lead). I was excited about the opportunity to see it again.

What a difference a month can make. This play is set in 1994 just as the massacre in Rwanda was escalating towards it pinnacle of horror. I was-appropriately-moved by it. It is rich with soundbites about one's duty to change the world, such as:

Jack: Look, Mandela, Jefferson: Their impact can't be denied. But glorifying a handful of great individuals releases us from responsibility...you, me. We're the ones who have to be willing to stand up and make a difference. This is how history moves us forward. One pebble redirects the river!

Buisson: But what if the river becomes an ocean?

Linda: Then you get more pebbles.

The climax of the play was chilling for me this time because it moved from me experiencing it only aesthetically, to really hearing the warning for all nations at the end. Mizinga, a leader of the Rwanda bloody rebel forces, says to the American family as they are cradling one another in a corner (an obvious piece of directorial metaphor):

Mizinga: This will mean nothing to you soon. All of us, we will mean nothing. This is so unimportant to you. You will go home and forget. How fortunate you are.

As he delivered the lines, he slowly turned to leave letting his eye contact break the 4th wall and fall on the audience. Powerful.

Sam Robarts was much stronger in the piece as he has settled into the role. However, Linda Powell who plays his wife was not on the same level. I may have some trouble with Roger's development of this female academic, so it may not have been entirely her problem that there was weakness. Also, I never realized that there was a casting problem with her too. Because of all the reference to her being an African American, this character need to be darker. In order for her personal complexity in the script to work, she needed to be able to be mistaken for a local. Frankly, without being told throughout the script, the audience would never have known her ethnicity. Those playing the government officials from American, Germany, France and Rwanda delivered powerful performances.

After the show, Michele and I went backstage. What a treat to be able to tell actors how much their work moved us.

After the matinee, I went to meet my South Dakota friends who had arrived. I actually ran into Thane and Brenda Paulson and Karen Sumner on 8th Avenue on my way to meet them at the restaurant. As they had just eaten and I hadn't, I suggest Angus McIndoe so we could do some "star gazing." We were not disappointed.

As we were being seated, I said to them, "I was sitting there (pointing) and Mel Brooks was sitting at this table when I met him last week." The waiter said, "Mr. Brooks is in the back." I grabbed a business card and went to the back. In the far back corned sat Kerri Butler at an obvious business meeting and around the corner was Mr. Brooks....I love this restaurant.

Here is the dialogue:

K: Hello. Please know I am not stalking you. I just heard you were here and want to say,"hi."

M: Kim Bartling!

K: Mr. Brooks, I brought my big purse today, and I have a proper card for you.

M: Please meet my son Nicholas. She is a teacher.from South Dakota.

(pleasantries all around)

K: Would mind doing me a favor before you leave?

M: Absolutely, I would love to stop by your table.

K: (laughing becuase I didn't even have to ask) That was be so nice of you. Friends from SD are here, and they would be honored to meet you.

(he gets up kisses my cheek...turns to his son)

M: I would do anything for this woman. I love her.

So, I go back to my table, share in great conversation with Thane, Brenda and Karen (and much on some calamari). Sure enough, Mel Brooks works his way through the room, and believe me, he works a room. Because so many people in the business of theatre hang out there, he knows everyone and talks graciously to each and everyone of them.

He comes to our table and meets my friends. How fun! I told him that Karen was a minister so he told the man behind us (who evidently wrote the screenplay of Blazing Saddles - Thane spoke with him) to watch himself because he sitting by a minister. Then, he kissed Karen on the head. He took photos with us...if fact, he directed the shoot. His son took the photo (it is on Brenda's camera so I will have to post this later).

When he went to leave, I gave him one of my newly constructed letters and said, don't forget to call me. He claimed he didn't know anything, but he just wanted to hug and kiss me. I said, he could certainly do that too.

From Angus we headed to Barnes and Noble in Union Square. Tom Brokaw was doing a reading. We were told when we arrived that he had pre-signed the books and would not be taken questions....darn. I bought a book anyway.

What a presence this man is. When he opens his mouth that voice is captivating. He walked us through the "gist" of his new book Boom! which is about the plight of a lowly Zip feed building in South Dakota that refused to give into "the man" of contemporary architecture....just kidding.
It is about the significant influence of the 1960's.

He did end up taking questions. I posed the following:

K: I am a professor on sabbatical in the city studying the Theory of Dakotivity. My best friend Beth Minor O'Toole claims 'all roads lead to Yankton.' Would you like to comment on this?

(He smirked a bit)

TB: She is referring to the town I grew up in.

K: There are a few of us from Sioux Falls in the audience.

TB: Sioux Falls. That's the big city.

He never did answer the question. Instead he spun it back to the book....that's why he makes the big bucks. After the questions, he was swept out a side door and gone. Who knew that meeting a SD native son would be harder than Mel Brooks?

To watch the video of the Brokaw event and my debut on Barnes and Noble media broadcast go to http://media.barnesandnoble.com/index.jsp?fr_chl=dffcb6f80ab19f65d2e40ae1fb7a9dc449458c38. The entire broadcast is @ 50 minutes. I ask my question at about the 36th minute.

Afterwards, we met Sarah Vanderwoude another native Sodak and dear friend on the Paulson's. Sarah works for FOX news from 12:30 am until 10 am. So, she is meeting us before going to work. We walked from Union Square, through Washington Square Park and over to my apartment in "Pleasantville." After the 2.2 minute tour of my tiny apartment we enjoyed the weather out on my fire escape. Brenda made the observation that the entire building reminded her of Breakfast at Tiffany's. It's true. From the hallway to the fire escape, I am walking in Audry Hepburn's shoes....just call me Holly Golightly.

We ended out evening together having a wonderful Italian meal on W. 56th street. This is such indulgence for me. If it isn't a bagel, a slice of pizza or cheese and crackers, I probably can't afford it. We feasted on prosciutto wrapped mozzarella, crustini, crab-encrusted salmon, and homemade fettucini. The conversation was a delicious as the meal. These are dear people.

We walked back down to Times Square and said our "goodnights." I continued on and walked all the way home. When do you get temps and nights like this in November?

On a personal note, for anyone that reads this. Please pray for my dad. As most of you know, we have been fighting colon cancer since May. For the last month his heart has not handled the new doses of chemo. He is back in the heart hospital, and we are waiting for a new approach to deal with the cancer. Please include him, my mom and the rest of the family as we continue to search for answers.