River Cities' Reader - Issue #761 - September 16, 2010

8/8/2019 River Cities' Reader - Issue #761 - September 16, 2010

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start out with a signi cant local handicap.Add to that any blame he gets or thepartys national losses and hell be seriously damaged goods and his opponents willundoubtedly use that against him.

Attorney General Lisa Madigan has longbeen thought o as a potential mayoralcontender, but she seems satis ed rightwhere she is, at least or now. Madiganpassed on an opportunity or U.S.Senate and governor last year, saying shethoroughly enjoyed her job. Madigan isthe most popular politician in Illinois andwould enjoy union support that might not

coalesce behindEmanuel, whois not known

or being a pro-union membero PresidentBarack Obamasadministration.

Cook County Sheri om Dart,a ormer state

legislator, signaledhis openness toa run last week.Dart is a popular,capable politician

who enjoys a strong base o support. Hesgreatly expanded that base by protectinghomeowners acing oreclosure, crusadingagainst online prostitution advertising, andbeing eatured in a national cable seriesabout Cook County Jail.

Comptroller Dan Hynes was reportedly approached by unions months ago aboutpreparing or a run, but many dont expectHynes to jump in a er losing his secondstatewide primary race. State S enator JamesMeeks has talked about higher o ce oryears but has never pulled the trigger.

Tere are just too many more names todelve into right now. Keep in mind that thisis a nonpartisan primary with a runo i nocandidate receives at least 50 percent plusone. Te contest will be w ho can get intothat runo , which means that a whole hosto olks could think they might make it.

Te business community willundoubtedly be more than a bit reaked outabout losing the stability and riendshipo Daley, so expect them to back acandidate. Te runo calculation and thecurrent national mood means that evensome Republicans are musing about theirchances at making the nal cut. MillionaireRon Gidwitz was just one o the namesmentioned last week. Gidwitz is chairingBradys gubernatorial campaign.

Rich Miller also publishesCapitolFax (a daily political newsletter) and TeCapitolFaxBlog.com.

by Rich Miller

Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daleysstunning decision to step downat the end o this term has at least

temporarily sucked almost all the oxygenout o Illinois politics and ocused justabout everyones attention on an extremely rare open-seat contest.

Tere hasnt been an open seat race ormayor since 1947, when Ed Kelly steppedaside so the Machine could endorsere ormer Martin Kennelly. Richard J. Daley de eated Kennelly in the 1955 primary, andthe rest is history. Tis upcoming open-seatrace is just about the rarest Illinois politicalevent most o us haveseen in our li etimes.

Since this raceis unique, one o the big worries o state Democrats isthat groups alliedwith them coulddecide to husbandtheir resources inanticipation o an

all-out Chicago warnext February. Temayors race will costa ortune, and severalaldermanic seatslook to be in contention. Most o the samebig groups who play statewide will also beextremely interested in holding sway overChicago.

Some top union o cials consulted lastweek said they had no plans at all to altertheir November budgets, with one evensaying that his union would borrow money i it needed the cash to compete in themayors race.

However, i Governor Pat Quinn cant gethis act together and make this battle withRepublican Bill Brady a reasonably closecontest, then there might be no reason totoss money down the drain with him. B etterto save the cash or the city contest.

White House Chie o Sta RahmEmanuel was perhaps the most prominently

eatured potential candidate in last weeksspeculation. Te ormer congressman and

Clinton White House o cial has long beena Daley avorite.

Emanuel reportedly wont announce adecision until a er the November 2 election.Tat means he and the rest o the WhiteHouse could be hugely damaged by thenational (and Illinois) election results, sowell have to see how this plays out.

An Emanuel run might mean moreWhite House ocus on his home state. Tatcould be help ul to Illinois Democrats,particularly Quinn and U.S. Senate nomineeAlexi Giannoulias. I those two do poorly in Chicago and the White House wasntperceived as being all in, Emanuel will

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OConnors comments, saying that takingpolitics out o the judicial process isexactly what hes a er in his efort.

We believe it has been politicized, andthat is why we have the retention vote,Vander Plaats said. Te retention voteis an accountability mechanism. Whencourt gets out o balance, the people thenhave a say and can rein it in. Te processbecomes political in our opponents eyeswhen the people rise up to exercise their

reedom o speech as protected by theConstitution and the courts.

Branstad, CulverTal Veterans Issues

Republican gubernatorial nomineeerry Branstad has unveiled proposalsor veterans, including a state-income-

tax exemption or active-duty personnelserving outside o Iowa, a new jobs bank

to assist veterans in their search oremployment, and better oversight o theIowa Veterans rust Fund.

Since September 11, 2001, Iowasmilitary members have been calledupon or an inordinate amount o duty at a great cost to the soldiers and their

amilies, Branstad said. At the sametime, the Iowa General Assembly hasprovided a reasonable level o veteransbene ts. Un ortunately, a breakdownoccurs in the outreach to and theeducation o Iowa veterans as to thebene ts they have earned and or whichthey are eligible.

Governor Chet Culver criticizedBranstads plan, saying the ormergovernor opposes millions in I-JOBSspending that is going toward projects tosupport Iowa veterans.

Te projects Culver said Branstadopposes include $22.9 million orrenovations to the Iowa Veterans Home

and $5 million or Linn County VeteransAfairs. Branstad and Republicanlieutenant-governor nominee KimReynolds also oppose unemploymentbene ts or trailing military spouses,Culver said.

For an expanded version o this article,visit RiverCitiesReader.com.

Tis weekly summary comes romIowaPolitics.com, an online government

and politics news service. Reporter AndrewDufelmeyer and other correspondentscontributed to this report.

by Lynn Campbell, IowaPolitics.com

R etired U.S. Supreme Court JusticeSandra Day OConnor last week touted Iowas merit system o selecting judges and warned againstinjecting politics into the court systemduring a speech attended by about 500business, labor, and civic leaders at theHotel Fort Des Moines.

We have to address the pressures thatare being applied to that one sa e place,the courtroom, OConnor said. Wehave to have a place where judges are notsubject to outright retaliation or their judicial decisions. Tats the concept.Sure they can be ousted, and thats parto the system, but what the ramers o our ederal constitution tried to do wasestablish a system o judicial selectionwhere the judges would not be subject toretaliation by the other branches or their judicial actions.

OConnor was in Iowa at the invitationo the Iowa State Bar Association, whichwas key in orming the group Iowans

or Fair & Impartial Courts. Te groupseforts come as another group Iowa

or Freedom, led by ormer Republicangubernatorial candidate Bob VanderPlaats is working to oust three IowaSupreme Court justices who were part o the unanimous decision legalizing same-sex marriages.

Te retired justice said she andSupreme Court Justice David Souter

were like-minded on the topic. We bothlooked at the court in our country, inour community, as the one sa e placewhere a citizen can have a air andimpartial hearing to resolve a legal issue,OConnor said. And we have to keep thatin our country, and the place we have tokeep it is in the heartland o the country.

Among those attending Wednesdaysevent were Iowa Chie Justice Marsha

ernus, First Lady Mari Culver, Attorney General om Miller, Agriculture

Secretary Bill Northey, and State AuditorDavid Vaudt.

Panelists at the event said i Iowans vote this November to reject threeIowa Supreme Court justices basedon their April 2009 decision legalizingsame-sex marriages, it would begin thedeterioration o Iowas judicial system.

Te panelists said judicial-retention votes such as the one this Novembershould be about the tness o judges overa broad spectrum, not about a single

decision or about raising large sums o money.

Vander Plaats put his own spin on

OConnor Touts Iowas MeritSystem o Selecting Judges

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Why Jonathan Narcisse Matters in the Iowa Gubernatorial Race

Enlarging t e Conversationby Jef Ignatius

[email protected]

Given the density o JonathanNarcisses ideas and plans, hessmart to dispense the easy-to-grasp

metaphor or example.Imagine you have a kid who hasnt

cleaned his room or six months, Narcissesaid in a phone interview last week. Andyou can try to go in and you can try to cleanthe room. Or you can get some heavy-duty garbage bags and just go through that roomand basically throw everything away, exceptthe bed, the dresser, and a couple other

things.Te 47-year-old Narcisse, a ormermember o the Des Moines school board, isrunning an independent candidacy or Iowagovernor, appearing on the ballot underTe Iowa Party banner. And he wants toapproach Iowa state government with someheavy-duty garbage bags in hand. (Fulldisclosure:River Cities Reader Publisher

odd McGreevy is a co-chair o Iowans ora Fair Debate, which is pushing or Narcisseto be included in gubernatorial debates.)

Narcisses proposals are radical in thesense that they have no respect or thestatus quo. Narcisse thinks the two major-party candidates Governor Chet Culverand ormer Governor erry Branstad arelike parents who think a light cleaning is goodenough. He disagrees: We just literally wipeout the massive bureaucracy, because at theend o the day, we spend that money wiser.

In total, Narcisse is proposing cuttingstate and local taxes by $1.5 billion to $2billion a year, with the caveat that equivalentspending reductions must precede tax cuts.

For perspective, the Iowa Revenue EstimatingCon erence in March put the states Fiscal Year2011 general- und receipts at $6.6 billion.

Tat type o bold plan has the potential toconnect with voters who are dissatis ed withgovernment and politicians.

But whether you agree with Narcissesassessments or his ideas is beside the point. Ina gubernatorial campaign eaturing two peoplewhove already held the o ce, Narcisse is anessential voice because he re uses to nibblearound the edges or accept the way thingshave traditionally been done. He gives votersthe opportunity to consider core questions o governance and talk about undamentals.

He enlarges the discussion.

Governance Over PolicyAlthough he considered running in the

Democratic primary against Culver, Narcissespolitics are undamentally conservative in just about every sense. Hes a small-governmentguy, hes pro-li e on abortion and against gay marriage, and he supports the death penalty intheory.

But theres nuance there. Narcisse iscognizant o the separation o powers, and

makes a distinction between governance andpolicy: Te rst is the purview o the governor the states chie executive and the latter isthe realm o the legislature.

Where theres an issue o governance I eel100 percent com ortable in acting, Narcissesaid.

So while Narcisse opposes gay marriage, hebelieves that the issue should be voted on by the public. He also supports giving voters theopportunity to have a direct say on abortion,term limits, and the prohibition o marijuana.

Te death penalty is instructive on Narcissesperspective. While he supports it, thats rsta policy issue. But on an administrativelevel, Narcisse said capital punishment isproblematic, because o the potential orinnocent people being executed: I completely support the premise o the death penalty, butthe act o the matter is government simply isnt competent to have that power. ... Te death

penalty is not just simply an issue o policy; itsan issue o governance.Tese subtleties arguably broaden Narcisses

appeal. His natural constituency is those whobelieve in the inherent value o the smallest,most-local government possible. But he adds tothat a populist bent, arguing compellingly thatstate government is bloated and ine ective.

And on top o that theres a pragmaticside. He doesnt advocate blowing up stategovernment on ideological grounds; he argues

or orderly transitions to something leaner andmore e cient.

We dont cut irresponsibly, he said at onepoint in our 90-minute interview. He alsoclaimed that cuts dont have to result in a loss

o services: I you change the way we dogovernment, we can a ord it [cuts].

And he recognizes that the governor alsohas to unction within the limitations o hisconstitutional mandate.

Yet he said that as governor he couldimplement e ciency components o hisagenda without legislative approval. Forexample, Narcisse supports zero-basedbudgeting, in which departments mustpresent and justi y an entirely new budgeteach year instead o working rom previous

allocations.Furthermore, he said the governorhas tremendous power as a check onthe legislature, like vetoing every singlenonessential expenditure.

But the line between policy andgovernance o en gets uzzy, and Narcisseseducation plan in particular seemsto have a oot on both sides o it. Tee ciency elements o it are pitched asgovernance issues, but because the planwould undamentally change the delivery o education in the state rom a public-school-district model to more o a ree-market system that includes public-schooldistricts it would require legislation.Changes to the tax structure would also

need action rom the legislature. And some o his proposals would require changing the IowaConstitution.

Narcisses approach to this challenge is navein many ways, but it has an idealistic charm;the candidate believes that public outrage can

orce the legislatures hand, and he said hellspend much o his time as governor traveling

the state and talking to constituents. Hell beconducting a perpetual campaign or his ideas.Sometimes the recourse you have is the

power o the bully pulpit, he said. Tegovernor has incredible power, and hes not just a politician; hes an institution. ... I I getelected, Im not really concerned about beingable to get things through.

He used as an example highlighting poorgraduation rates in the Des Moines publicschools. Instead o the normal gubernatorialmodel o de ending state government, Narcissesuggested that he would emphasize problemsas a way to push re orm.

A governor who stands up and startsexposing the truth is going to have an aw ul loto support behind him ... , he said. I you havea governor who stands up and releases thosekind o numbers, legislators start jumping anddiving like cockroaches with the lights on. Sothere is the ability o a governor to create agreat deal.

Narcisse has also outlined a president/prime-minister model or his administration an acknowledgment that as governor he

would have a big-picture perspective and leavethe details to others. Im not going to pretendI know how to run a vast, multi-billion-dollar

bureaucracy like state government, he said.But I know Culver and Branstad cant, either.Te di erence is [that] I know how to structureit so I compensate or my de ciencies.

O the record, Narcisse o ered three peoplethat he could see running state government ashis prime minister. He also emphasized theneed or strong administrators to lead statedepartments. Te heads o the departmentsare not policy wonks, he explained. You dontput the mental-health expert in charge o DHS[the Iowa Department o Human Services].

You put someone who can run a multi-billion-dollar bureaucracy in charge o DHS, and thenyou put the mental-health expert in charge o the division o mental health.

C ange t e Rulesof t e System

Narcisses primary value in this campaignis demonstrating that starting with commonsense exposes the problems o beginning withthe status quo.

Part o the challenge o rede ning oureducation system is rede ning the terms, hesaid. I we begin with the premise that theway the system is set up now is reasonable,then we accept that there are classrooms inDes Moines and Davenport and Waterloogenerating three- or our- or ve-hundred-thousand dollars [in education unding] wherethe teacher has to buy supplies and the parentshave to send markers and tissue. But i webegin with the premise that two- or three- or

our-hundred thousand is more than enoughto educate a child, then we can be really

creative and innovative. We have to changethe rules o the system in order to get to thatinnovation.

Narcisse is most e ective in conversation.His 14-page education plan (which hereleased last week and can be downloaded atRCReader.com/y/education) is single-spaced,all-text, and begins: Iowas public and privateeducation system evolved as a gi to ourchildren. An agrarian state, the eldest son wasmost o en named heir to our land and li elonglabor. It is not, in other words, a concisecampaign document. His 16-page publication

rom 2009,An Iowa Worth Fighting or: A 10-Step Vision Plan or 21st Century Governance(which can downloaded at RCReader.com/y/

ghting), is similarly overwhelming chock-ull o ideas and statistics and discussion, but

not suited or quick and easy digestion.Narcisses education plan can be boiled

down to a ew key concepts. One is that theeducation bureaucracy needs to be collapsed that there is too much duplication, and thatthe delivery o services can be improved.

Another is that the states decision to chase

ederal dollars through No Child Le BehindContinued On Page 18


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Its doubt ul anyoneneeds to be toldthat launching anew theatre company particularly in an areaalready ri e with theatrecompanies can be arisky venture, which islikely why Quad Cities-based organizationshave tended to debutwith relatively low-risk o erings. In 2008,the Harrison HilltopTeatre chose to stage,as its rst production,David Auburnsintimate, our-characterdramaProo ; a week later, the CurtainboxTeatre Company arrived on the scenewithTree Viewings,a trio o Je rey Hatchermonologues.

And what is Davenport native NathanPorteshawver, the ounder o the Internet Players,presenting or his new theatre companys debuto ering? An original drama that Porteshawverhimsel wrote.

In verse.With a cast o 17 actors.And nine musicians.I have other plays that have ewer characters

in them, says Porteshawver o the decision topremiere his large-scale dramaTe ragedy o Sarah Klein,running September 16 through 26 atDavenports Nighswander Teatre. And plays thatarent quite as ambitious as this one. But in order toget our name out there, I wanted to really show thecapacityo the Internet Players. Its an idea that Ihave big plans or.

A 2009 graduate o Brandeis University withdegrees in theatre arts and politics, the 24-year-oldIowa City resident explains that his notion or theInternet Players stemmed rom his experiencesas a fedgling author. I know that overnightsuccess, as a playwright, generally means 20years, Porteshawver says with a laugh. But youneed to build experience. So what do you do in themeantime? How do you get shows produced?

His idea, as the name suggests, was to create acompany that would employ the resources o theInternet, providing theatre artists with a Web site(TeInternetPlayers.com) where they could submitoriginal works or production consideration. A era particular stage piece was chosen, playwrightsand other theatrical talents such as ennesseecomposer ony Hartman, who wrote the originalscore orSarah Kleinand serves as the plays music

director would then be brought in to work onthe show and, as Porteshawver says, have theopportunity to really get their hands dirty with ascript.

So this company, he continues, is a way orme, and peoplelikeme, to expedite the productionprocess. We can use the Internet as a paper-lessresource to nd playwrights, to nd production-crew people, to nd actors, to nd musicians ... .

o nd whoever we need, bring them to a centrallocation, and produce their work.

Te Internet Players board o directors includesWally Chappell (the ormer director o theUniversity o Iowas Hancher Auditorium), araBarney (the CEO o the Quad Cities Chamber),and playwright Will Chalmus, and in describingthe type o material the company is seeking,Porteshawver says, Were looking or thought-provoking plays. New and original works by peoplewho are highly motivated, driven, and have ahuge desire to get their plays produced. He addsthat it made sense, then, or the companys trialproduction to be one o his own works that had yetto be staged.

Were just getting started, says Porteshawver,who also serves asSarah Kleins director, and Iknew it would be hard to nd a play out o theblue, when were just getting our name out there.So I just said, Okay, it has to be one o my plays,so lets give this one a try. (Regarding the choiceto debut with a piece that he wrote and directed,the Internet Players ounder insists, It really isabout getting our name out. Its not about NathanPorteshawver and his play.)

Concerning an up-and-coming CEO struggling

with pro essional and amily obligations,Teragedy o Sarah Kleinis, according to its author,

a call to step up and take on the di cult issues we

ace on a daily basis. Youknow, we have this urgein us to make money and to be success ul, butwe also have this urge tolove and eel loved and

eel com ortable at home.And when youre busy allthe time, its hard to ndthat balance. So the play,in a nutshell, isabout that balance.

Yet his descriptiondoesnt hint atSarahKleins many stylisticfourishes. Te play takes place in Illyria,says Porteshawver,which is a mysticalland that playwrightshave used many timesthroughout history to

show dystopia. So the plays very dream-like, andhas music thats adding a dream eel to it; at times,characters are being moved by the music, and atother times, theyre purposely at opposition withthat music.

Adding to the ambitious nature o the work isthe characters tendency to speak in a verse stylethat Porteshawver calls impossible to describe. Itsa mix between poetry and almost a David Mamet-esque writing something that h its on the realismwithinthe poetry. You know, when you have ideasand try to communicate them, the words dontalways come out the way they sound in your head,so were trying to be true to that.

He laughs. Its a very surreal kind o thing weregoing or.

Helping bring this surreal world to li e are setdesigner Kelsey Nagel, a graduate o OklahomaCity University, and lighting designer andDavenport Junior Teatre Artistic Director Daniel D.P. Sheridan, who says he was impressedby Porteshawver, and his theatrical concept, romthe start.

For me, as both a designer and a producero theatre o late, Im really excited about thisopportunity or the area to stage some new work,says Sheridan. Nathan has a lot o energy and alot o charisma thats extremely contagious, and hekind o propels people around him to want to beinvolved.

And one o the things thats exciting about it,he continues, is that all the people involved are

rom all over the theatre community. WithSarahKleins cast members and designers including veterans o numerous productions at Genesius

Net GainThe Internet Players Debut with Nathan PorteshawversThe Tragedy of Sarah Klein, Opening September 16

Vol. 1 , No. 1September 1 9, 010

532 W. 3rd St.Davenport IA 52801

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Publishing since 1993TheRiver Cities Reader is an independent newspaper

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Continued On Page 22

Don Faust, Dawson Tucker, Regan Tucker, Alexa Florence, Andrew Cole, Bill Peifer,and Ruby Nancy inThe Tragedy of Sarah Klein


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a shoe-box-sized wooden crate, eaturing a paintedportrait in the the top hal , with the bottom hal comprising a poem and a basket carved rom awalnut. Te title re ers to the work as a reliquary, an

ornate container that houses an object associated witha saint, with the walnut basket taking the place o thetraditional arti act.

Tis work is beauti ul not only in its appearancebut in the subtle tone o Midwestern practicality meeting the ancient and magical. Te loving detail

applied to the boxs exterior including a heart-shaped rock mounted as a type o handleand Emils name and li e spanpainted in ornate, medieval-looking lettering and thegold-lea e ect o the paintings

background make this acaptivating work. Te modern,painterly style o the portraitand the uncles contemporary pose and clothing crouchingdown with a dog while wearingbusiness-casual attire contrastwith the overall antique eelingo the containers nish. Tiswork speaks to the surrealquality o our memories o lost loved ones seemingly gone orever but somehow stillpresent.

Te ound-object sculpture Multigenerational , by Mary Pat LaMair, stands out becauseo its conceptual nature.Reminiscent o Fluxus boxesor the work o Je Koons,

it eatures a clear plastic box like those holdingtreasured objects in museums. In the box are threeglass dishes with neat ponytails o hair atop them. Oninspection, the three sets o hair are similar reddish-brown and straight, medium texture but seemprogressively older when viewed le to right. Humanhair removed rom a head can carry connotationso beauty, vanity, rites o passage, or death. When

Quad City Arts has hosteda variety o themed showsover the years such asTe

Cat Show, Te Dog Show, Te Artist in You but the currentRoots: WhosYour Momma? reveals an emotionalintellectualism in many o our localartists. Running through October 1,the exhibit eatures 49 artworks by 29regional artists, and in a novel move, theexhibit has been divided between two venues: Quad City Arts in Rock Islandand the German American HeritageCenter in Davenport.

Te artists who truly tackled thetheme o Rootsgenerated some thought-provoking pieces that make the viewercontemplate di erent aspects o theconcept o home. While severalworks are too loosely connected to thetheme, poignant and well executed artdominates. And the inclusion o artistsstatements makes the show accessible tothe casual viewer, connecting the work to the theme.(Full disclosure: I have a piece in the show and work occasionally at the Quad City Arts gallery.)

One great aspect o these open-call themed showsis that they shake out a lot o resh talent; many artistswho lack the consistent port olio to apply or anindividual or small-group exhibit are able to producea viable piece or a show such asRoots. racy White,

or example, is better knownor his poetry but contributed

two strong works o visual arttoRoots including a strikingabstract and simpli ed lit-glasssculpture. (Unless otherwisenoted, all the works discussedin this article are on display at

Quad City Arts.)Another exciting newcomer

is Corbett Fogue, whose two setso photographs are hope ully harbingers. Fogues untitledseries o our photographs hasthe same man as their subject,staring at the viewer with oldedhands and a blank expression.In each photo, he is wearing adi erent, simply cut dress, andis posed against a backgroundmade rom the same abric.

Tis is an odd domesticcamoufage, refecting thesituation o a person who isdi erent: His clothing (unusual

or a man) blends in, yet his aceand hands (which are normal)stand out. Fogue uses straight orward technique neutral but clear lighting, rich but not bright colors,and a calm, centered composition. Te depth o eldis shallow, making viewers eel as though they are aconversational distance rom the man in a cozy-sizedroom. Te large ormat o the photographs and theirunobtrusive raming enhance the e ect, making

viewers eel almost physically present with the subject.Another standout is Mimzi HautsSt. Emil Reliquary.Tis mixed-media piece is contained in

Your Roots Are S owingRoots: Whos Your Momma? , at Quad City Arts through October 1

by Michelle [email protected]


John Paul Schae er -Mothership

Corbett Fogue -Untitled

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or overplay the sentiment. Instead,she stages Clines songs simply, while

directing Walljasper to add amusing bitshere and there, and creates a per ect t an evening thats smile-inducing andgently pleasing.

Niemans handling o the nal scene,however, sent goosebumps up my armsand chills down my spine. I hesitate toprovide speci cs, so as not to take theedge of its emotional power. But at themention o Clines death, the revueswriters chose an apt reprise, with aneven more apt verse starting it of, andNiemans presentation adds an etherealelement to the moment that whenaccompanied by Becks voice is deeply moving.

It is designer Susan D. Holgerssonsgiant jukebox o a set piece, however,that carries the most drama, with itsprojected images o the jukeboxs track selection, o stained-glass windows, o theatre marquees creating a stunningbackdrop or Circa 21s ofering. Andlighting designer Ron Breedloves efectsmake Holgerssons creation all the moreefective, with their changing colors andpatterns creating dynamic visuals.

A Closer Walk with Patsy Cline is really just a genteel celebration o the songstressand her music. Yet with its classy air,Circa 21s presentation seems to truly honor Cline through its respect ulrendering o her hits, and Becks exquisitesinging o them.

For tickets and in ormation, call (309)786-7733, extension 2, or visit Circa21.com.

Tom White covers entertainment news or WQAD Quad Cities News 8.

I cant imagineanyonewho likesthe music o Patsy Cline notliking the Circa21 DinnerPlayhousescurrent ofering, A Closer Walkwith Patsy Cline .

Personally, Idont much care

or the mid-20th-Century country style o Clines songs.However, I very muchappreciatedSeptember3s opening-night per ormance or its staging andits remarkable singing, and there ore,enjoyed music Id otherwise ignore were Ito hear it on the radio.

A Closer Walk is barely a scriptedshow, playing much more as a Patsy Cline concert, with a radio DJ, Grand OleOpry comic, and Las Vegas comedian (allplayed by om Walljasper) interjectingtidbits about the popular artist in betweenevery third song or so. (When Clinesnumbers are sung during the radioshow within this musical, the band alsoper orms the stations call-letters jingle

and a couple o classic commercials, anddoes so with beauti ul harmonies.) Onthe whole, though, theres not a lot o storytelling, with the piece progressing

rom one Patsy Cline hit to the next,moving along at a minimally interruptedpace. We do not watch Clines li e un oldon stage; instead, we simply sit back andenjoy her li es work.

Tis being the case, almost the entireweight o the revue alls on the shoulderso the actress portraying Cline: HeatherBeck. Im not amiliar enough with thereal Clines mannerisms and vocal toneand quality to say, with any authority,whether Beck seems to channel the singerin her own per ormance. But I can say,with complete conviction, that Beckssinging is stunning. She has a rich, pitch-per ect sound that could easily be sultry enough to melt any mans heart. Beck doesnt allow any sultriness to sneak intoher depiction o Patsy Cline, however, andsings the part sweetly and unassumingly,with no pretense whatsoever.

Tat the piece itsel also lacks pretenseis due to director Ann Niemans handlingo it. She hasnt attempted to add drama

Gotta Lot of R yt m in her Soul A Closer Walk with Patsy Cline, at the Circa 21 Dinner Playhouse

through November 6

By Thom White

Tristan Tapscott, Danny White, Heather Beck, Justin Droegemueller,and Dave Maxwell


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W at s happenin

MusiSynergy BrGalvin Fine AUniversitySaturday, Sep

M ike, I nyour pconcert with th

What are yonally wrote a

thats ewer thaIt needs to bBut I kept it

point, like youto! I mention thmusicians are bthat their uniqucovering every classical to ska,upwards o 300recent appearanthe Ravinia Muthe anglewoodMassachusetts, Musik est in P

Yes.

I mention thQuintet is o enPublic Radio an

MusicThe Taj Mahal TrioRiverside Casino & Gol ResortFriday, September 24, 7:30 p.m.

A ccording to this pressrelease I received onHancher Auditoriums2010-11 Per orming ArtsSeries, the University o Iowa venue is currently inviting audiences to viewthe aj Mahal or as littleas $10. Seriously, I dontknow how this series

makes a pro t, given that plane ticketsto India have to cost at least ... !

Oh, wait. By the aj Mahal,it appears theyre re erring to thelegendary blues and roots musicianwholl be playing the Riverside Casino& Gol Resort on September 24. Yeah,that makes a lot more sense.

en dollars, though, still seems likean incredible bargain or a night spentenjoying aj Mahal and his gi edbackup musicians, who together ormthe aj Mahal rio. With a careerspanning nearly 50 years, Mahal born Henry St. Claire Fredericks has long been at the ore ront o

the American blues scene, his talentson guitar, banjo, harmonica, andpiano internationally-recognized, andhis vibrant, soul ul work rewardedwith two Grammy Awards or BestContemporary Blues Album.

And joined by bandmates Bill Rich(on bass) and KesterSmith (on drums),the aj Mahal riohas been acclaimedliterally worldwide,with its membersrecently demonstratingtheir exhilaratingmusicianship on tours inNorth America, Europe,

Latin America, the Caribbean, andWest A rica. Dont, however, expectany sort o downbeat experience in anevening o aj Mahals blues. As theartist is quoted as saying, You canlisten to my music rom ront to back,and you dont ever hear me moaningand crying about how bad you donetreated me. Man, he wouldsonot t inon the Reader sta .

For more in ormation on, andtickets to, the aj Mahal riosRiverside Casino concert, call theHancher box o ce at (319)335-1160,or visit http://www.Hancher.UIowa.edu.

LiteratureSimon J. OrtizCentennial Hall,Augustana CollegeThursday, September 23, 7 p.m.

(Te following haiku were written intribute to the famed writer who opensthe 2010-11 season of River Readings at Augustana.)

Simon J. Ortiz,Te Native AmericanAuthor o ction

(Also poetry,and childrens literature,and non ction, too),

Will take the stage inAugustana CollegesCentennial Hall.

At seven-thirty On September twenty-third,Hell read rom his works,

InauguratingTe school years River ReadingsSeries with a bang.

Sharing stories o His peoples struggleAnd community,

Te acclaimed OrtizWill orate passages

itles including

Theatre Souvenir: A Fantasia on the Life of

Florence Foster JenkinsVillage TheatreFriday, September 17, through Sunday,September 26

T he rst play in New Ground Teatres2010-11 season is the two-characterpiece Souvenir: A Fantasia on the Life of Florence Foster Jenkins,and Ill admit thatbe ore hearing the title, I had no earthly idea who Florence Foster Jenkins was. Itturns out, though, that she was a wealthy

American socialite romthe 1930s who onceper ormed a sold-outengagement at CarnegieHall, and thanks to themiracle o You ube, Ivebeen lucky enough to hearrecordings o her voice.

With apologies to those o you readingthis in print, click here or a sampling o the legendary Florence Foster Jenkinssound. I guarantee itll make you cry. Withlaughter.

Tats right, years be ore WilliamHung made ears bleed on American Idol ,

Jenkins was the inspiration or every wannabe vocalist who wasnt thwartedby an utter lack o talent. And withplaywright Stephen emperleys ony Award-nominated Souvenir which tellso Jenkins relationship with her longtimeaccompanist audiences are shown justwhat made this tone-dea chanteuse sucha national sensation, in a touching comedy (with music) that, according to CurtainUp.com, o ers a humorous and insight ullook at the woman and her unusual career.

Per ormed by area avorites SusanPerrin-Sallak and Bryan ank, and directedby Lora Adams, Souvenir is sure to beboth moving and, in the best possible way,cringe-inducing, at least i Perrin-Sallaks

approximation o her characters styleis at all close to the genuine article. Justcause I cant resist, heres another Jenkinssampling that le me weeping.

And again, Im sorry i youre landingon this Whats Happenin piece in printinstead o online. Ill try to make it up toyou in the next issue by making one o these things a scratch-n-sni .

Souvenir runs September 17 through26 with tickets available or $15

or adults and $12 or students andseniors and reservations can be madeby calling (563)326-7529 or visitingNewGroundTeatre.org.

Well, Hello...

Todays the Day.

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W at ElseIs happeninMUSIC

Friday, September 17 Nappy Roots.Alternative Southern rappers in concert, withopeners Mac Lethal and DJ Carlo Rossi. Rock Island Brewing Company (1815 Second Avenue,Rock Island). 9 p.m. $15. For in ormation, call(309)793-4060 or visit RIBCO.com.

Saturday, September 18 Sammy Kershaw.Chart-topping country musician in concert.Quad-Cities Water ront Convention Center (1777Isle Parkway, Bettendor ). 7:30 p.m. $15-30. Fortickets and in ormation, call (800)843-4753 orvisit Bettendor .IsleO CapriCasinos.com.

Saturday, September 18 Iowa WomensMusic Festival.17th-annual celebration o

emale musicians, with headliners The Re ugees,and per ormers including Ruth King, MaryMcAdams, and the Chris Pureka Band. Upper CityPark (Dubuque Road and Park Street, Iowa City).Noon-6 p.m. Free admission. For in ormation, call(319)335-1486 or visit PrairieVoices.net.

Sunday, September 19 The Petra Van NuisQuartet. Jazz ensemble per orms and educatesas part o Polyrhythms Third Sunday Jazz Matine& Workshop Series. The Redstone Room (129Main Street, Davenport). 3 p.m. all-ages workshop $5/adult, children ree; 6 p.m. concert $10-15.For tickets and in ormation, call (563)326-1333 orvisit Polyrhythms.org or RedstoneRoom.com.

Tuesday, September 21 Gaelic Storm.Chart-topping Celtic rockers in concert. TheRedstone Room (129 Main Street, Davenport).8 p.m. $25-30. For tickets and in ormation, call(563)326-1333 or visit RedstoneRoom.com.

Tuesday, September 21 The Texas Tenors.Acclaimed country musicians in concert. Quad-Cities Water ront Convention Center (1777

s Quintetenter, St. Ambrose

ber 25, 7:30 p.m.

ed you to cut part o ece on the upcomingSynergy Brass Quartet.talking about, Je ? Ihats Happenin article200 words!shorter.irect and to-the-always telling met the acclaimedsed in Boston, andstylings nd themusical genre romnd that they per ormoncerts per year, withes including sets atc Festival in Illinois,Music Festival innd the Bethlehemnsylvania!

t the Synergy Brasseard on Nationalper ormed with the

Mormon abernacle Choir on NBC, andthat the group has enjoyed residencies atthe Boston Conservatory, NorthwesternUniversity, and the University o Cali ornia at Los Angeles, and that NewYorksWatertown Daily imesravedabout the ensembles blazing precisionand amazing technique!

Right.I mention that local audiences can

hear the quintets extraordinary blendo trumpets, French horn, trombone,and tuba at St. Ambrose UniversitysGalvin Fine Arts Center on September25, that tickets are only $6 to $11, andthat reservations can be made by calling(563)333-6251 or visiting http://Web.SAU.edu/galvin!

Indeed.So what could you possibly want me

to cut?Te opening line.You dont like So whos eeling

horn-y?! ? Inappropriate or an event St.Ambrose?

Inappropriate oranything , Mike.

MusicThe Emmitt-Nershi BandRock Island Brewing CompanyWednesday, September 22, 8 p.m.

I t was in the all o 2007 that musiciansDrew Emmitt and Bill Nershioriginally teamed up to orm the much-admired touring out t Te Emmitt-Nershi Band. Considering that thegentlemen are, respectively, also memberso the popular jam bands Le over Salmonand Te String Cheese Incident, trust me,the groups name couldve easily been a arless appetizing hybrid.

Yet or bluegrass ans, the duos tuneswould no doubt be tasty no matter theband moniker, as audiences will discoverwhen Te Emmitt-Nershi Band playsthe Rock Island Brewing Company onSeptember 22. Joined by guitarist ylerGrant and banjo player Andy Torn,Emmitt (the lead singer who playsmandolin, ddle, and acoustic andelectric guitar) and Nershi (the lap-steelguitarist also expert at the bass anddobro) will rock the Rock Island venue

with their modern, passionate take on thetraditional bluegrass sound, per orminggenre classics and originals rom their

2009 CD,New Country Blues.Featuring compositions that include

the dynamic songs I Come rom theCountry and Tese Days and theblazing instrumentals Mango ango andSur ng the Red Sea,New Country Blueswas a smash with both ans and critics,with StereoSubversion.com praising TeEmmitt-Nershi Bands amazing pickingand soul ul harmonies. And writing orJamBands.com, Brian Robbins stated thatthe groups wicked picking and good vibes made it sound like youre sittingin the middle o the living-room foorscratching the dogs ears with the band ina circle around you, an experience thatwill likely be replicated during the gentsRIBCO engagement. I , that is, the venueis okay with you sitting in the middle o the stage. And, you know, i they allowpets.

Te Emmitt-Nershi Band per ormswith opener Chicago Farmer, tickets

are $13 in advance and $16 at the door,and more in ormation on the concert isavailable by visiting RIBCO.com.

, conficts,

om

Men on the Moon andWoven Stone and From Sand Creek,And help demonstrate

Why he received theArts Discovery AwardFrom the NEA.

Te reading is ree,As is the art-museumReception a er,

And theres anotherPerk to Ort izs visitI havent mentioned:

I guarantee thatHe wont deliver any Insipid haiku.

Examples o Ortizs writings and readings can be ound at RCReader.com/y/ortiz, and more in ormation the River Readings at Augustana series is available by contacting thecolleges Margaret Rogal at (309)794-7823.


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convention proposals, especially Virginias. Allpower, he argued, was subject to abuse and shouldbe guarded against by constitutionally securingthe great rights o mankind.

Madison argued that the government had only limited powers but that it might, unless prohibited,abuse its discretion. Te great objective he had inmind, Madison declared, was to limit the powerso government, thus preventing legislative aswell as executive abuse and, above all, preventingabuses o power by the body o the people,operating by the majority against the minority.

Madison also used Je ersons argument that theBill o Rights would encourage courts to checkthe other branches o the ederal government.

Madisons political courage and determinationcannot be overstated. He was insistent, compelling,unyielding, and ultimately triumphant. By the endo the summer, Congress proposed to the statesthe amendments that eventually became the Billo Rights.

Constitutional attorney and author John W.Whitehead is ounder and president o TeRuther ord Institute (Ruther ord.org). His bookTeChange Mani estois available in bookstores and online.

Continued From Page 3

With regard to such concerns about overbearingmajorities, Je erson believed that an independentcourt could withstand oppressive majority impulses by holding unconstitutional any acts violating a bill o rights. Je erson was anticipatingthe role o the courts in curbing the power o thegovernment, even i it eigned to speak or thepeople. Je erson added that a bill o rights willbe the text whereby to try all the acts o the ederalgovernment.

With regard to the position that compiling alist o rights runs the danger o omitting somerights, Je erson replied with the adage that hal a loa is better than none. Even i all rights couldnot be secured, let us secure what we can. Othersbelieved that a bill o rights was a good educationtool in that it taught truths upon which reedomdepends.

Incredibly, when Madison introduced hisproposals or the Bill o Rights in the FirstCongress, the Federalists thought the House hadmore important matters with which to deal. Andthe Anti-Federalists eared that the adoption o such amendments would e ectively ruin theirquest to oppose the Constitution. But Madison

persevered and on June 8, 1789, made a long,memorable speech be ore an apathetic House o Representatives, introducing amendments culledmainly rom state constitutions and state rati ying-

by John W. Whitehead

Constitution Day:Celebrate t e Bill o Rig ts


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Narcisse called the education con ederation.She would be required to le a core academic

plan, as well as a plan to show how she plannedto meet her academysunique academicmission or instance, language or science.Each academy would be held accountable orresults and expenditures, Narcisse emphasized:Tere is a mechanism in there that isdedicated to ensuring accountability. ... Youhave to demonstrate that kids are learning.

Tis would not necessarily be a dismantlingo the public-school system, Narcisse said.Rather, it would oster competition andinnovation without sacri cing accountability,he claims. Districts would have certainadvantages, he said. For example, theyd stillbe able to get ... physical-plant- and equipment-levy money, they would have certain traditions,they have buildings, they have in rastructure. I school districts were to innovate i they wereto streamline their bureaucracies, i they wereto invest in quality education they should beable to compete.

He also said the 1-percent sales tax nowdedicated to school in rastructure should bechanged so districts can spend it however they choose.

While parents could vote with their eetunder Narcisses plan, the candidate also saidthat schools will have the opportunity to get rido students who dont meet basic expectationsin areas such as attendance.Parents have to dotheir job, he said. I parents do their job, kidswill learn. I parents dont do their job, then itmakes it a lot tougher or the rest o us.

Deal wit ItNarcisse has also sketched out proposals on

tax cuts, and theyre worth exploring because

o how he envisions them working.He wants to phase out the corporate incometax and eliminate business tax credits, shi theproperty tax to 1 or 1.5 percent o the last saleprice, reduce the sales tax to 3 percent ( romthe current 6 percent) a er our years, andmake several changes to the personal incometax: reduce the top rate to 6 percent ( romthe present top rate o nearly 9 percent) andeliminate taxation beyond 40 hours o work in a week. (He also supports maintaining thedeductibility o ederal income taxes.)

But Narcisse doesnt just want to cut taxes;he wants to encourage investment in Iowa inthe process.

So a company could reduce its income taxto nothing through a rebate system; or every dollar a company puts into its Iowa operationor spends with an Iowa vendor, its income-taxliability is reduced by a dollar.

We have to jump-start the ree-marketengine in Iowa, Narcisse said.

ying property taxes to purchase price,he said, would encourage investment in thatproperty, with the aim o really allow[ing] the

restoration o wealth and power to workingIowans.

On personal income taxes, Narcisse said,


and Race to the op has hurt education inIowa.

Narcisse supports opting out o No ChildLe Behind and leaving behind the money associated with it. Its a negligible nancialconsequence, he argued. More importantly,the money were taking rom the eds inexchange or complying with No Child LeBehind is destroying education in our state,he said, because the program emphasizesstandardized tests over engaging students andteachers individually.

But the centerpiece o Narcisses educationplan is allowing or greater competition amongpublicly unded educational institutions.

I support allowing parents to decide wherethe money goes, Narcisse explained. Andthen where the child goes to school, the money

ollows. Tat means that we can e ectively havethe school board and traditional educationbureaucracy taken out o the equation. Iabsolutely support education being very closeto the community, but we take it one step

urther, where the power exists primarily in thehands o parents and in the hands o teachers,and then all other systems are subordinateto those two components o the education

system.Tis would be done by allowing

Independent Academic Academies. Narcisseuses the hypothetical example o Mrs. Smith,a teacher in the Davenport school district with20 years experience, a class o 25 students,and a current salary o between $40,000 and$60,000. Her students might generate stateand local education unding o $10,000 apiece,Narcisse said.

And the rest o the money is dissipatedthroughout the education system, he said.

What were proposing is that Mrs. Smith wouldbe able to say, You know what? I think I cando it better than the Davenport school district.And now Mrs. Smith can compete directly orthose dollars. Now we cant say Mrs. Smith isntquali ed to educate kids, because shes beendoing it. So Mrs. Smith, who was hired by thesuperintendent, now gets to compete againstthe superintendent, the school board, theschool district directly or those dollars.

Now what would happen i she were able toget all $250,000? Maybe she would pay hersel $100,000, or $90,000, maybe she would hire asecond adult [teacher] at $50,000, or $70,000.And [she would] still have signi cant resourcesle over to purchase technology, rent quality space, buy supplies, not have to buy themout o her own pocket. Would that system bebetter than the existing system? Remember:We start out with the very same person thatthe superintendent has said, Tis is the mostquali ed person to teach your kids. Te only di erence is: She now has hal the kids, makestwice the money, and has signi cant resourcesto be able to invest in things like technology

and supplies or kids.Mrs. Smiths Independent Academic

Academy would be monitored by what

Enlarging t e Conversationby Jef Ignatius

[email protected]

wed like to get to 100-percent rebates withinthe next decade, and then shortly therea er see

the individual income tax eliminated in Iowa.Initially, however, Narcisse said hed like too er a 5-percent rebate or contributions tonot- or-pro ts, meaning that tax liability up to5 percent would be reduced dollar- or-dollarby donations.

Another 15-percent rebate would beavailable or investments in Iowa businesses.You make every working Iowan a ree-marketinvestor, he said. axpayers can either give thatmoney to state government through taxes, orthey can invest it, making it essentially zerorisk or investing, Narcisse said.

In creating these incentives or investment,o course, Narcisses proposals would reducethe amount o money going to state and localgovernments to the tune o $1.5 billion to $2billion annually by his estimate.

And Narcisses plan would reverse theprocess o property taxation, whose rates aretypically based on budgets approved by taxingauthorities and on assessed valuation. Usinga xed property-tax rate statewide wouldnecessitate changing the way that money isdistributed.

Narcisse wants to take it urther, saying thatthe patchwork o state and local governmentneeds to be streamlined. Local governmentas we know it, state government as we knowit has to be restructured, Narcisse said. Hesaid hes in avor o eliminating many taxingauthorities that currently rely on the property tax and integrating their unctions elsewhere.He also said that state resources alone might beadequate to und education.

At the local level, Narcisse said, property-tax-dependent bodies will simply need to dealwith it.

At the state level, he said, be ore we cuttaxes, we cut spending.

Narcisse said hes identi ed where he wouldcut, and began talking about administration o the states regents institutions: the University o Iowa, the University o Northern Iowa,and Iowa State University. His education planstates: Te Regents Universities would retaintheir unique identities and classic missions butthey would be merged administratively andheaded by a Chancellor o Regents who wouldreplace the multiple presidents at our state

universities and community colleges.Tat gives some sense o the threat theNarcisse represents to people and organizationswith a vested interest in the status quo o government.

Ive Already WonTats also one reason that Narcisse

believes that its in my best interest to beunderestimated rather than to be takenseriously at an earlier stage. His ideas mightbe popular with angry and distrust ul voters,

but i he were seen as even a remotely plausiblecandidate by the political establishment, hed beattacked rom all sides.

Beyond his positions, his personal history would also be air game. Narcisse has admitted

having problems with sex and ood in the past.I will struggle with my personal challenges,he said. Tats not going to a ect my governance. ... And i people want to use my past or my past sins against me, then dont vote

or me.His term on the Des Moines school board

was also contentious by all accounts which ishardly a surprise given that he likes to slaughtersacred cows, but it could still be used againsthim by opponents.

So Narcisses low-pro le campaign has beento a large degree necessary. But with less thantwo months until the November 2 election,time is running out.

It could turn out to completely blow up inmy ace, Narcisse said o his strategy. On theone hand, I really like where were positioned.But theres a very real possibility we may havewaited too late to make our move.

Tis is an issue o unding. In a July campaign- nance disclosure, Narcisse reportedless than $3,000 cash on hand.

I we raise the money, I win, he said. Tequestion is: Can we raise the money? Because

Ive not typically been that kind o politician. ...I I raise a hal -million dollars, Im going tobe Iowas next governor.

At $250,000, I really like my chances.And at $100,000, I think we have a shot.Teres little evidence that Narcisse can

marshal those kinds o nancial resources.But he said hes convinced that the anti-incumbent atmosphere could catapult him,given Governor Culver and ormer GovernorBranstad.

We cant waste time. We cant waste money,Narcisse said. But the act o the matter isthat theres a mathematical path to victory thatexists or me that just simply doesnt exist orChet Culver at this point.

And he thinks that Branstads ormidablelead in the polls also works in his avor: I the media calls the election or Branstad, thatactually helps me, because it means that peoplecan just vote without worrying about voting orthe lesser o two evils.

Narcisse insists that even i it loses, hiscampaign has been success ul. He said hebegan his campaign with three objectives:

One: to advance an agenda. wo: to engageIowans in solution-oriented discourse.And three: to create a 99-county impactorganization. At the end o this election,all three o those objectives will have beencompleted. ...

Ive already won in terms o what my original objectives are. [But] Im going to work really, really hard, because I actually have achance to pull this o . I actually have a chanceto be Iowas next governor.

Jonathan Narcisses campaign Web site can be ound at NarcisseForIowa.com. Te Web site o Iowans or a Fair Debate is DebateIowa.com.


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worry.Scha er also delivers

with a painting on display at the German AmericanHeritage Center.CampaignStopis a mixed-mediacanvas the size and ormato a state fag, and itseven divided into thirds,evoking the Iowa state fag.Te le and right panelsare striped cottony abric,stretched as one wouldwhen preparing a canvas.Te center panel containsan oil painting, depictingan old- ashioned strawcampaign hat and a rolled-up, hand-sized Americanfag, with subtle geometricshapes and textural e ectsunder glazes o paint in thebackground.

Te color scheme o muted and warm reds,blues, and o -whitesmatches the Americanaaesthetic o en ound inpatriotic olk art and cra s. Tis painting suggests the or the people vibe that candidates o en strive orduring campaigns. Tis seems particularly relevant inIowa, where every our years the o cial presidential-nominating process begins.

Te show contains many other strong works.Te Holy Communicator by Paul Algueseva III is a

placed on seemingly scienti c or archival display, thatambiguity is compounded.

Upon reading the artists statement, we learnthat this sculpture began when LaMair oundan unexplained plastic bag o her grandmothershair. Te other bundles came rom LaMair hersel and her mother. Te similarity o the hair, romdi erent generations o the same amily, serves as a visual reminder o genetic similarity. But much o the intrigue o this piece lies in mystery: Why didLaMairs grandmother store her hair or years in abasement? Te tangible nature and treatment o thereal hair e ectively explore both the shows theme andthe true-story genesis o Multigenerational .

Refecting shared American heritage is Mothershipby John Paul Scha er. Te center o the paintingdepicts a set o 1950s drinking cups displayed on arack. Presented without context, these cups seemlike illustrated geometric gures rom a visual-mathproblem. On the perimeter o the painting, Scha ercreates a rame o collaged Cold War- and space-race-era advertisements and periodicals someserious and scienti c in tone, others whimsical andchildlike. Scha ers method o painting makes slick use o textures; viewed rom a ar, everything lookssmooth and pristine, but closer up, there are slightly rough visible brush strokes and hidden layers o color.

Mothershipworks as visual summary o mid-century American culture while remainingboth cryptic (through the seemingly signi cantpresentation o the cups) and un (through the kitschy print media and bright colors). Te piece conjuresmemories o contradictory eelings: about astoundingscienti c progress, mass media, and emergingconsumerism; hopes or uture innovation; and subtle

by Michelle [email protected]

realistically rendered red-clay sculpture that blends concepts o

amily, religion, and science in one antastical portrait.His use o a bust o an aged woman brings to mindmotherhood, with her ruit necklace re erencing theBiblical orbidden ruit, and the monkeys clinging toher head recalling mankinds evolution.

Peter Xiao contributes a painting that refects his

identity as a China-bornAmerican through a

touching single moment o watching the PhiladelphiaSymphony Orchestraper orm on Chinese

V. Susan Marts MyNeighborhood provides awindow into her childhoodexperience o walkingto school in East Molinethrough an unusual ormat:10 small canvases o close-up and abstracted scenes.

Te premise o Roots

inspired smart, intelligent,and varied mediations onheritage, culture, amily and home, and provided aplat orm or many newertalents. Te meaning ultheme allowed local artiststo show that their rootsindeed run deep.

Roots: Whos Your Momma runs through October 1 at Quad City Arts (1715 Second

Avenue in Rock Island) and the German AmericanHeritage Center (712 West Second Street in Davenport).For more information, visit QuadCityArts.com.

Michelle Garrison is a mixed-media artist who teachesart and design at Geneseo Middle School and J.D.Darnell High School.

Your Roots Are S owing

ABOVE:Mimzi Haut -St. Emil Reli-quary; TOP RIGHT: John Paul Schae-

er -Campaign Stop; RIGHT:Mary Pat LaMair -Multigenerational


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El en Eleven partly nancedIts Still Like a Secret through ans, who were o eredincentive packages at certain contributionlevels. A hundred bucks: You get a signedcopy o Its Still Like a Secret and you get to

punch im in the ace(but you have to weara boxing glove). obe lmed and put onYou ube, o course!At $750, investors wereo ered a package that

included an hour-longhelicopter fight withKristian in Los Angeles(includes lunch).

Dunn said the bandraised in the lowthousands includingone contribution o $750 and a ew o $100.

A couple o themsaid, Dont worry aboutit. I dont need to punchhim. Dunn said. Butone guy when we getback to L.A. is going topunch h im.

Dunn insists that Fogarty didnt draw theshort straw: He loves that shit. ... Hes a weirddude. Youve got to question someone whobeats things with sticks or his instrument.

El en Eleven ormed in 2002, and it oundits ormat quickly. I had all these ideas andI couldnt quite put them together, Dunnsaid. Fogarty told him about a looping pedal,and when Dunn tried one, our eyes kind o

popped open, he said. Tis could work. Wecould do this just the two o us.

Dunn then got the idea o using a double-neck watching Mike Ruther ord in an oldGenesis video. I started developing ways o playing both necks at the same time, he said.

Because Dunns setup has only one output,in the studio he records his parts separately sothat the band can apply standard e ects suchas panning. He admitted its cheating, but the

act that we can pull it o live makes it okay,I think.

And that double-neck and all those pedalsarent gimmicks, Dunn stressed. It would besilly i I didnt use them. ... I think o themas an instrument, really. Its what creates my voice.

El en Eleven will per orm on Monday,September 27, at RIBCO (1815 Second Avenuein Rock Island). Te show start s at 7 p.m.,and the bill also includes the bands Dosh and Baths. ickets are $10 and available romRIBCO.com.

For more in ormation on El en Eleven, visit El enEleven.com.

Its a sentiment that should come standard-issue with any virtuosity.I do have to check mysel , becausesometimes I can nd mysel doing overly complicated things, and I think, Wait, amI doing this because itmakes the song goodor because Im trying toshow o ? said KristianDunn in a recent phoneinterview. It usually ends up being the latter,

and it gets cut. Youve gotto be tough with yoursel in this kind o situation.

Tis kind o situation is pretty unny,because its unlikely that El en Eleven hasmuch company in whatit does. An instrumentalduo eaturing Dunn onguitars (o en a double-neck) and drummer imFogarty, the band makesextensive use o loopingand e ects pedals tobuild tunes that wouldseem to need three or more players. Fat GymRiot, rom 2008sTese Promises Are Being Videotaped , climaxes with thick bass and twin(or perhaps triplet) lead guitars.

But when El en Eleven returns to RIBCOon September 27, there will be just Fogarty and Dunn and the latters 13 pedals, trying tomake the extraordinarily complicated seemlike merely good music.

I want people to just like the musicbecause o the music, not because they knowits just two dudes doing it with loopingpedals and all that challenging stu , Dunnsaid. Te music should just stand on its own.It should just be good on its own.

Despite their combined technical wizardry,Dunn doesnt think the duo has quitemet that standard. (Hes being too hardon himsel . While knowing the technicalrequirements o the music enhancesappreciation o it,Tese Promiseshasconsistently strong, dynamic compositions,which are all the more impressive or being vocal-less.)

Dunn said he thinks the duos ourth ull-length,Its Still Like a Secret (due November9), addresses that sel -perceived shortcoming.Weve learned some lessons rom each one,mostly about what worked and what didntwork, he said o their albums. A lot aboutwhat we dont like and dont want to do again.Tis ourth one is sort o a summary o ... thebest parts o the rst three records at leastto us. Gone are the post-rock elements o the

rst album, he said, and the electro xation o Tese Promises.

Its ComplicatedEl Ten Eleven, September 27 at RIBCO

by Jef Ignatius [email protected]

Come dressed to impress & express Visit midwestwritingcenter.org or

call 563.324.1410 to join this party of misfits!$35 / person$30 / 2 or more

Performances bythe Barley House Band,

Burlesque Le Moustache &other acts of wonder!

Oct. 16, 7-10 p.m. - Putnam Museum

Photo by Amanda Fogarty


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rom that time. So the Internet Players would liketo join the ongoing e ort o bringing theatricalattention to this area.

For the dream to become a reality, its going totake a lot o work, but I really dont have any otheroptions, Porteshawver adds with a laugh. Tis iswhat Im interested in doing, so Ive gottadoit.

Te ragedy o Sarah Kleinis being staged at theNighswander Teatre in the Annie Wittenmyer Complex (2822 Eastern Avenue) September 16 through 26, with per ormances Tursdays throughSaturdays at 8 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m. icketsare $15 or adults and $10 or students and seniors,and reservations can be made by calling (563)383-6089 or visiting TeInternetPlayers.com.

Guild, the Playcra ers Barn Teatre, Quad City Music Guild, and venues in Iowa City, Nathanhas really broken those boundaries a little bit, and

considering the production challenge o bringingtogether all those people given the act that mosttheatre artists around here have ull-time jobs itsbeing managedextremelywell. You have to haveambition not to burn out on such an ambitiousproject.

Its ridiculous how great the theatre community is in the Quad City area, says Porteshawver. andhow the area is somehow ull o good actors. Iknew that going to college my infuences romthis area were partly what made my collegeexperience a success but coming back was evenmore o a shock, because things had grown even


Net GainContinued From Page 15

W at Else Is happeninIsle Parkway, Bettendor ). 7:30 p.m. $22-32. Fortickets and in ormation, call (800)843-4753 or visitBettendor .IsleO CapriCasinos.com.

Thursday, September 23 A Night of Sunshine.Cabaret evening eaturing Circa 21 BootleggerSunshine Ramsey and musical accompanists. Circa21 Dinner Playhouse (1828 Third Avenue, Rock Island). 7 p.m. $10-12. For tickets and in ormation,call (309)786-7733 extension 2 or visit Circa21.com.

Saturday, September 25 Doo Wop n Roll .Fundraising concert or Bethany Children & Families,

eaturing Jay & the Americans, Johnny Tillotson, andThe Shirelles Shirley Allston Reeves. Adler Theatre(136 East Third Street). 7:30 p.m. $27-67. For tickets,call (800)745-3000 or visit AdlerTheatre.com.

THEATRESunday, September 19 Godspell . Stephen

Schwartzs beloved nonsecular musical, in apresentation by the Center or Living Arts. TrinityEpiscopal Cathedral (121 West 12th Street,Davenport). 2 p.m. Donations encouraged.For in ormation, call (563)323-9989 or visitCenter4Living.com.

DANCEFriday, September 17, through Wednesday,

September 22 Ballet West II . A HancherAuditorium presentation, with outdoorper ormances by the noted touring ensemble.September 17 Central Park Square (Main Streetand Burlington Avenue, Fair eld). September 18 Hancher Green (Riverside Drive and Park Road,Iowa City). September 19 Shiloh Amphitheater(100 Shiloh Drive, Kalona). September 22 River ront Park (West Mississippi Drive and IowaAvenue, Muscatine). All per ormances at 6 p.m.; allper ormances ree. For in ormation, call (319)335-1160 or visit http://www.Hancher.UIowa.edu.

ARTSaturday, September 18, and Sunday,

September 19 Riverssance Festival o Fine Art.23rd-annual outdoor event eaturing visual artistsshowcasing and selling their works, live music, oodvendors, a childrens art tent, and more. LindsayPark (River Drive and Mound Street, Davenport).Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sunday 10 a.m.-4 p.m. $3.For in ormation, visit Midcoast.org.

Saturday, September 18, through Sunday,January 9 Dancing Towards Death. Exhibitexamining Dance o Death imagery, with worksby artists including Hans Holbein, Albrecht Drer,Rembrandt, Max Klinger, Kthe Kollwitz, GeorgGrosz, James Ensor, and Sue Coe. Figge Art Museum(225 West Second Street, Davenport). Tuesdays-Saturdays 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sundays noon-5 p.m.;Thursdays 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Free with museumadmission ($4-7). For in ormation, call (563)326-7804 or visit FiggeArtMuseum.org.

Friday, September 24, through Friday,October 29 Living Proof . Exhibit o artworks, inall media, created by breast-cancer survivors, withper ormances by Lisa Fox, Christina Marie Myatt,Bobbi Smith, and ComedySportz at the September24 opening reception. Bucktown Center or the Arts(225 East Second Street, Davenport). Reception 6-9p.m. Gallery hours: Wednesdays-Saturdays 11 a.m.-6p.m. Free admission. For in ormation, call (309)737-2066 or visit BucktownArts.com.

LITERATUREFriday, September 24 Banned Books

Reading.Local authors, librarians, and artistsread avorite passages rom books, poems, andplays that have been requently contested in theUnited States, in an event hosted by the DavenportPublic Libraries and the Midwest Writing Center.Bucktown Center or the Arts (225 East SecondStreet, Davenport). 7-9 p.m. Free admission.For in ormation, call (563)324-1410 or visitMidwestWritingCenter.org.

Monday, September 27 Fahrenheit 451: TheBig Read Kick-Of Event.Featuring a presentationby Ray Bradbury biographer Sam Weller, and apanel discussion on intellectual reedom. Moline

Public Library (3210 41st Street, Moline). 6:30 p.m.Free. For in ormation, call (309)524-2470 or visitMolineLibrary.com. For an interview with Weller anda schedule o The Big Read events, visit RCReader.com/y/bradbury.

COMEDY Saturday, September 18 Sad on Vacation.

An evening with the Chicago-based sketch-comedytroupe. The Circa 21 Speakeasy (1818 Third Avenue,Rock Island). 8 p.m. $15. For tickets and in ormation,call (309)786-7733 extension 2 or visit Circa21.com.

Saturday, September 25 The SecondCity National Touring Company.An eveningwith members o the amed sketch-comedyand improvisation troupe. Augustana CollegesCentennial Hall (3703 Seventh Avenue, Rock Island).8 p.m. $10; ree or Augustana students with ID. Forin ormation and tickets, call (309)794-7306.

EVENTSFriday, September 17, and Saturday, September

18 Our Big Fat Greek Festival.Annual eventeaturing Greek cuisine, a wine tasting, live music,

per ormances by Chicagos Hellas Dancers, Greek souvenirs and jewelry, childrens games and activities,and more. St. George Greek Orthodox Church (293031st Avenue, Rock Island). 11 a.m.-11 p.m. $2; ages 12and under ree. For in ormation, call (309)786-8163.

Saturday, September 18 2010 Celtic Festivaland Highland Games.An

River Cities' Reader - Issue #761 - September 16, 2010

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