Snippets:
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Theater: The Adding Machine (1923). Expressionist play by the American playwright Elmer Rice (1892-1967). Medicine Show Theatre, 549 West 52nd Street, New York, NY. Sept. 9-12, 2004. Dreary life, death, and after-life of Mr. Zero, a white-collar drone who learns that, after twenty-five years, `the Boss' has fired him in favor of a machine. Depicts dehumanization of society in the technocratic age. Other Plays by Elmer Rice.
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Literature: Paul Auster opened the new season of Works & Process on September 12-13, 2004, by reading from his Collected Poems at the Guggenheim Museum in NYC, NY. In addition, Works & Process has commissioned vocal music settings of his poetry from five leading composers (world premiere performances). The composers are Milton Babbitt, Lee Hyla, Louis Karchin, Roger Reynolds, and Charles Wuorinen; and each of the works is a duet for one voice and one instrument, performed by The Group for Contemporary Music.
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Book: Der Sommer der lachenden Kühe by Arto Paasilinna (in German). Story of a former sergant and a cab driver on a scurrile tour through Finland. Entertaining, but not too philosophical.
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Video: Girl with a Pearl Earring (2003). Directed by Peter Webber. After a novel by Tracy Chevalier. w/ Colin Firth (Johannes Vermeer) and Scarlett Johansson (Griet). In the 1660s, a maid is hired into the services of the painter Vermeer, becomes more and more intimate with her master, and finally poses as a model for the famous painting. A story made up for a painting. Probably little historical. Good cinematography. Many of the scenes look like Vermeer paintings. Ratig 6 out of 10.
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