The Arts

Preston Turegano Skewers and Praises San Diego Reporters, Leaders

An employee of the San Diego Union-Tribune and its predecessor Evening Tribune for 36 years until his retirement in 2006, author Preston Turegano had been an editorial assistant, general assignment reporter, and arts critic.  He once was told by an editorial supervisor that people in the arts community were afraid of him.  A colleague reassured him, “People don’t hate you because you’re gay; people hate you because you are you.” [Donald H. Harrison]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, California, Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History, San Diego County

Documentary Challenges America’s Wildfire Strategy

Jack Cohen, a retired U.S. Forest Service fire research scientist who lives in Missoula, Montana, passionately contends that for centuries the United States has dealt with wildfires all wrong. Instead of spending billions of dollars to put the fires out wherever they may occur, efforts should be prioritized to make homes and other structures as invulnerable as possible to flying embers, he insists. [Donald H. Harrison]

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California, Donald H. Harrison, Science, Medicine, & Education, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA

Poets of the Past Features Meaningful Introduction of Primo Levi by Dr. Andrew Viterbi

By Eileen Wingard LA JOLLA, California — The memorable Poets of the Past program, featuring Italian-born Holocaust poet, Primo Levi (1919-1987) and Belarus-born Yiddish poet, Bertha Kling (1886-1978), was held last month in the Astor Judaica Library at the Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center. It was particularly meaningful having Dr. Andrew Viterbi introduce the life

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Eileen Wingard, San Diego County

A High-Stakes Love Triangle in the Warsaw Ghetto

When the actors were backstage, they were enmeshed in a real-life love triangle featuring the competition of Edmund (Ferdia Walsh-Peelo) and Patryk (Mark Ryder) for the affection of Stefcia (Clara Rugaard).  Patryk’s on-stage wife Ada (Valentina Belle) was left out of the backstage action. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, Holocaust, Jewish Fiction, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Annotated ‘Merchant’ Both Confuses and Edifies

I want to precede this review by saying that I think avantgarde theatre that is designed to make you think is an important creative expression and we need art that starts conversations. Now having said that, I have to admit that it left me scratching my head wondering if I were smart enough to be in the audience.  [Sandi Masori]

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San Diego County, Sandi Masori, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

3-D Detail from ‘The Creation of Adam’ Wins a ‘Best of Show’ Award

Artist Joseph Pisano won First Place and a Best of Show Award in the Miscellaneous Three-Dimensional Art category at this year’s San Diego County Fair for replicating a detail of Michelangelo’s work utilizing between 3,000 and 4,000 drywall screws to depict the hands of God and Adam about to touch. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, USA

Hallmark Channel Highlights Jewish Customs in ‘The Wedding Contract’

The Hallmark Channel premiered on Saturday night, June 17, The Wedding Contract, a movie about a Jewish wedding that might have given viewers some wrong ideas about ketubahs. Adam (Jake Epstein) and Rebecca (Becca Tobin) joke about putting this or that into their ketubah, but they, like most Jewish couples, sign a traditional, off-the-shelf document. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

A One-Woman Tour de Force: North Coast Rep’s ‘Eleanor’ Reveals Personal, Public Facets of Former First Lady’s Life

By Eva Trieger SOLANA BEACH, California — North Coast Repertory Theatre has resurrected Eleanor Roosevelt from the dead. In the West Coast premiere of Eleanor, actor Kandis Chappell is a one-woman tour de force. Director David Ellenstein has done an amazing job with this impressive show. From the 85-minute visit with the former First Lady,

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Eva Trieger, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Judges and Visitors Acclaim Leah Horstman’s Photography at San Diego County Fair

On the second floor of the Grandstand East building at the San Diego County Fair, where the entries in the photography contest are displayed, visitors will see in a prominent position “Partners,” a photo made by Leah Horstman that received the most votes from fair goers last year as their favorite photo of all. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, International, Lifestyles, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, Sports & Competitions, Travel and Food, USA

Israeli Maestro Yoav Talmi, Formerly of San Diego Symphony, Turns 80

By Eileen Wingard   LA JOLLA, California — Israeli conductor, composer, and teacher Yoav Talmi’s 80th birthday was celebrated not only in his native Israel on April 28 at Tel Aviv University’s Buchmann-Mehta School of Music, where he heads the conducting department; but he was also feted the following month in Quebec City, Canada, where

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Eileen Wingard, Israel, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts

Drumming in Jewish Circles

By Mimi Pollack SAN DIEGO — In the book “Miriam’s Tambourine: Jewish Folktales from Around the World” (1988), edited by Prof. Howard Schwartz, Miriam’s drum had magical abilities. Taken from a 19th-century Eastern European folktale, Schwartz writes that the music from Miriam’s drum drove off serpents and kept Miriam herself in eternal life. Today’s drumming

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Lifestyles, Mimi Pollack, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County