The 2nd Saturday Art Hop is tonight. Remember “tonight” is actually here in a few hours, starting at 5 p.m. in front of the Cascade Theatre with a sneak preview of “A Cascade Christmas.”
There’s always plenty going on, as can be seen by stories on this very site.
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Even though I wrote about some of my views and went on the occasional rant, I really did struggle with the bitter divisiveness of the recent election. It helped to not have my head plugged into TV news programs, radio and Internet sites that fed that division in an angry way. There were some political opinion pieces here on Food For Thought, but I believe those pieces and everyone who commented on them played pretty fair with their words.
A big one for me was Prop. 8, which I was against. It passed, and I was disappointed. Last night I watched the documentary “For The Bible Tells Me So,” which helped me understand the views on this issue a little more deeply.
I think even people who consider themselves Biblical literalists or very fundamentally Christian should take a look at this film. It centers around several Christian families who discover they have a gay member in their family. The film is even-handed in my opinion, and there are some incredible Christian thinkers and other theologians who are interviewed in it. Give it a chance.
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Speaking of Christian institutions, I was on the campus of Simpson University last night, and man, what activity. I purchased a drink at the packed YAKS coffee shop on campus and admired the fabulous art of Dan Ferrarese hanging on the walls.
I walked over to the softball field and saw the university’s first-year team practicing. In the Heritage Student Life Center, the Simpson and Oregon Tech women’s basketball teams were warming up for their game.
Outside near the gym, students were climbing on a new climbing wall purchased from the YMCA. This is a neat addition to Simpson’s new outdoor leadership program. Then I attended a performance of “The Macbeth Project” by Simpson’s theater department under the direction of Carolyn Murray.
The performance featured a discussion on the psychological elements of Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” by professors Danielle Beck and Brandy Liebscher. It was a fascinating entry point for viewing the motivations of the characters Macbeth and Lady Macbeth.
As for those characters, what a wonderful performance by David Bhasme (Macbeth) and Maggie Ritchie (Lady Macbeth).
Bhasme is a native of India and former student body president who also starred in Simpson’s production of “The Importance of Being Earnest.” Ritchie is a graduate of Wheaton College and a student at the Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry. Her experience as a theater student at Wheaton was apparent. She brilliantly captured Lady Macbeth.
The final performance of “The Macbeth Project” is at 7 p.m. tonight inside the black box theater adjacent to the gymnasium on campus. Cost is $8.
