Eric George Tauber is an actor as well as a freelance writer specializing in coverage of the arts.
Xenon Pictures presents a new documentary, About Face: Jewish Refugees in the Allied Forces. The promo reads: “When they were kids, they got the hell out of Germany. When they grew up, they returned… heavily armed and ready to kick Nazi tuchas.” [Eric George Tauber]
Jews fight back in ‘About Face’ Read More »
Eric George Tauber, International, Jewish Religion, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA
When we speak of this community, we often stop at the Ts or just abbreviate LGBT+. But the A in LGBTQIA stands for Asexual or “Acers.” These are people who really don’t want an intimate partner of either sex. Resisting societal and familial pressures, Acers are content to just be. I’d like to talk about one such person who played a pivotal role in my own family. [Eric George Tauber]
Aces have a place at the table Read More »
Eric George Tauber, Lifestyles, Obituaries & memorials
Summer fringe festivals have had to make a tough choice this year: shut down or go online. San Diego’s shut down, but in Rejkyavik, Iceland, the shows went online. And San Diego’s Todd Blakesley, a writer, actor, clown and raconteur was not only in the festival, he was the face of it in their promotions. [Eric George Tauber]
Crapshoot! is a Hoot Read More »
Eric George Tauber, International, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USAOde to Passion was supposed to premiere at the Queens World Film Festival back in March, but the plague put the kaibosh on that. So it has gone to Amazon Prime Video. It is the first feature-length film by Writer/Director Jack Danini with 19 original songs written in 80s rock-ballad style with shades of country. From the opening strains of a wailing base guitar and a forlorn lover clutching a thorny red rose, we know that this story does not end happily. [Eric George Tauber]
‘Ode to Passion’ Strikes a Chord Read More »
Eric George Tauber, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Theatre, Film & Broadcast
I sat down with Rabbi Michael Danziger of the Plum Street Temple (aka B’nai Yeshurun and the Isaac M Wise Temple). The cornerstone was laid in 1865. With only two hundred families at the time, they built a house of prayer that can seat 1,100 directly across from City Hall. [Eric George Tauber]
Jews in the Heart of Porkopolis Read More »
Eric George Tauber, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Travel and Food, USA
With all of the obituaries about Carl Reiner’s life and career, I would like to write about what he meant to me personally. In 1994, after a disastrous year with a fledgling theatre company, I was a college graduate working as a waiter in Cincinnati trying to figure my life out. There was a casting call for community theatre at the Jewish Community Center. Why not? [Eric George Tauber]
Carl Reiner Left Us Laughing Read More »
Eric George Tauber, Theatre, Film & Broadcast
What does being Jewish mean to you? Is it keeping up the practices of an ancient religion? Are the values separate from the prayers or are they symbiotic? Do we wear a Star of David as a symbol of pride or does it make us a target? Ask two Jews and you’ll get three opinions. And we can’t really say that one answer is more valid than another because each one speaks from her own point of view based on her own life. Each of this year’s Women of Valor were interviewed and then had their stories turned into monologues read by actors for the 27th Annual Lipinsky Family San Diego Jewish Arts Festival. [Eric George Tauber]
Three Jewish Women of Valor Read More »
Eric George Tauber, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & BroadcastIn the wake of the Black Lives Matter demonstrations against systemic racism and police brutality, San Diego Repertory Theatre decided to ask itself a hard question. How can we do better? Theatre folk are generally progressive, but we all have cultural blind spots. And there’s always room for improvement. [Eric George Tauber]
Listening to uncomfortable theatre conversations Read More »
Eric George Tauber, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USAOur master of ceremonies was the effervescent entertainer and composer, Karen Ann Daniels. Colorfully clad in an African dashiki, Daniels interviewed a variety of local artists associated with the Globe and presented videos from the archives of previous outreach presentations.[Eric George Tauber]
Celebrating Juneteenth with the Old Globe Read More »
Eric George Tauber, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & BroadcastThe plague of 2020 still hangs heavily in the air, shuttering our theatres and concert halls. But thanks to the miracle of YouTube, the 27th Annual Lipinsky Family San Diego Jewish Arts Festival goes on. Highlighting the lives and contributions of hard-working women, two of this year’s Women of Valor are Heidi Gantwerk, Board Chair of San Diego Jewish Academy, and Sharleen Wollach of the Jewish Community Foundation. [Eric George Tauber]
Two Women of Valor building trust and community Read More »
Eric George Tauber, Judaism, Lifestyles, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & BroadcastThursday night’s Woman of Valor was Tammy Gillies, Regional Director of the Anti-Defamation League played by Sarah Price-Keating. Gillies is the first woman to hold this post and there were a few members of the board who voted against her for this reason. They just couldn’t picture this soft-spoken woman shouting down a hater with a bullhorn. Yet she still got the job and she has shown them. [Eric George Tauber]
Finding Jewish Women of Valor in San Diego Read More »
Eric George Tauber, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & BroadcastDuring Passover, 2018, The San Diego REP premiered Beachtown, a fun, interactive town hall-style theatrical experience. Inspired by Pittsburgh’s Beertown, Playwright-in-Residence Herb Siguenza filled Beachtown with a cast of funny, relatable characters like the hip, surfing mayor, Steve Novak (Jason Heil) and an outspoken right-wing “journalist” Damon Haynes (TJ Johnson). Interactive by nature, I can’t think of a better show to transition to today’s Zoom format. Hungry for some live theatre, over 130 “Beachtonians” zoomed in to participate. [Eric George Tauber]
Zoom in to Beachtown Read More »
Eric George Tauber, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, VideosPEN America Prison and Justice Writing Programs, in conjunction with Haymarket Books, created a podcast featuring the literary and visual arts of prison inmates currently doing time. The virtual presentation included the music of Kenyatta Emmanuel, himself an ex-con, whose work has been heard from Sing Sing to Carnegie Hall. [Eric George Tauber]
Finding a stronger desire to live Read More »
Eric George Tauber, Lifestyles, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USAThis week, I tuned in to two live story broadcasts by local artists. The first was a picture book reading from YAAANA (Yiddish Arts and Academics Association of North America). The second was Read, Imagine, Create, a presentation of student works by Write Out Loud. [Eric George Tauber]
Stories under quarantine Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Eric George Tauber, San Diego County