The Cosby Show became a staple in many black families’ households on September 20, 1984. The sitcom aired for eight seasons until April 30, 1992, and it focused on an upper-middle-class African-American family living in Brooklyn, New York. The Cosby Show painted a picture of hope for black people as to how we wanted the world to see us as an educated, intelligent family that can easily blend in with white America. However, even with that depiction, racial profiling of African-Americans is still a deeply troubling national problem within the United States.

Playwright Tracy Conyer Lee, who is known for writing plays on relationships and family dysfunctions, shares an intimate and thought-provoking play called Rabbit Summer. Redtwist Theatre is where we peek into the lives of Wilson, Ruby, and Claire. Set in the suburb of Ohio in 2020, we meet Wilson (Kevin Tre ‘Von Patterson) and Ruby (Brooke Reams). Their daughter is away at summer camp, and Wilson, who desires to have a son, see this time as the perfect opportunity to expand his family. He seizes the chance to kill the rabbit—a term used to get a positive pregnancy test result, but Ruby has other intentions.

To all intents and purposes, their marriage seems perfect. Wilson dotes on Ruby and worships her as his wife, but Ruby feels Wilson doesn’t share his emotions and hides behind his fears of not wanting to be like his father. Feeling helpless and trapped in her Huxtable-like existence, she comes up with a secret plan, reshaping their views about life and redefining their marriage, which is now under fire by new lies and old secrets.

Additional complications arise when Ruby’s friend Claire (Deveon Bromby) loses her husband due to a controversial police tragedy. Ruby offers her home so Claire can recover; however, her visit causes a dysfunctional reunion were fears of love, life, and lies start to crack a seemingly picture-perfect marriage and friendship.

Rabbit Summer is a fast-moving tragicomedy that is well-written and performed by three exceptional actors. On the night we were there, only a few people in the audience by the cast gallantly performed like the house was fulled. The triple threat performances of Reams, Bromby, and Patterson were flawless as they flowed effortlessly through the script. It was like peeking into the lives of three people fighting to survive the injustice against African-Americans. Bromby is phenomenal as Claire, who’s heartbroken, and depressed masking her feelings of sorrow with fury. Reams fits prefect as the quasi Betty Crocker wife and the closet rebel, aka Bonnie (to Clyde) personality as Ruby. The centerpiece of the trio is Wilson. Patterson, as Wilson, who is fighting to be more like Cliff Huxtable, then the reality of his father, Reggie, provides a haunting remember the pain a child feels feeling fatherless. Each role shines a light on the frustrations and fears of African-Americans.

Patterson’s role as Wilson shines a light on how men as fathers feel when their fathers fail to properly train up a child, regardless of the color of their skin. Reams’ role highlights the agony of trying to live up to the desires of others, albeit in a relationship or life, and what a person will do while facing the fears of not meeting those expectations. Bromby’s role shines a damning but necessary light of injustice. How surprisingly, still today, African-Americans are paralyzed by the difficulties of living while black.

A theater friend recommended us to see this play, and we were so happy that they did. Rabbit Summer is another play that shines a light of the violence, brutality, and the negative views about African-Americans by whites and those behind the blue shield. It’s just sad that these eye-opening plays, including ‘Kill Move Paradise,’ by playwright James Ijames and directed by Wardell Julius Clark, are shown only during Black History Month.

From an interview with the playwright, Lee expresses her feelings of frustration but reminds the readers that helpless and hopeless is not her style. She does this by using characters with the audacity to speak about what needs to change in our society.

The question this play asks the audience is, “Can you bear the weight?” The weight of being black and blue, dealing with police shootings, infidelity, selfishness, daddy issues, marital strife, and whether or not to have children. After seeing the robust performance of three characters coming to life in Tracy Conyer Lee’s play ‘Rabbit Summer,’ you will walk away wondering if anyone can say yes.

Let’s Play ‘Highly Recommended’ Rabbit Summer at The Redtwist Theatre.

Redtwist Theatre
Rabbit Summer
by Tracey Conyer Lee
directed by
Christopher Burris
Through March 22, 2020

It’s time for the Day (or Night) of the Living Ales, a chance to sample LOTS of beer served from firkins, steelies and kegs. Get in some early parade watching and drinking ahead of the St. Patrick’s Day weekend. And releases for International Women’s Day from women brewers.

A week or so ago, the North Side cider mecca The Northman announced it had been sold. The new owners, who ran the previous Bohemian House restaurant, have quickly rebranded the space as “Cobblestone.” The intent is to keep most of the favorite entrees from the Northman, but the new chef will be bringing in more bistro fare. The focus will remain on cider, however. The new Cobblestone is at 4337 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago. Details in this Chicago Tribune article by Louisa Chu.

Friday, March 6

Saturday, March 7

Sunday, March 8

As I look at this picture with my two childhood best friends, I wonder where the time has gone. How has forty years really flown by in just an instant? I try to remember when the last time that I saw either of them was, and I realize that don’t I know much about their lives as adults. I have been thinking about this all day, wondering why that is. I realize that I seem to have lost myself in relationships and even when I became a new mother. I stopped hanging out with my friends and quit doing things I loved to do. Part of it was that all consuming excitement of the new relationship, but I also think there is not enough time in a day. I enjoy being with people one on one or in very small groups, so sometimes with work and family commitments, I know there isn’t much time for friendships. I can also be a little introverted. Maybe I’m more of a social introvert, but I definitely need my alone time to read and just think. Leslie sent me this picture of us yesterday, and today is Kay’s birthday so I just want to tell them that I miss them and love them. My absence in their lives over the years has never been about them. It is about my shortcomings and also because there is not enough time in a day, days in a month, months in a year and years in a life. Lois Wyse explains how I feel perfectly with this quote, “A good friend is a connection to life.” Know that whether we talk frequently or have not spoken in years, you matter deeply to me.

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And read more positive thoughts Looking For The Good

All through my day, no matter where I go, or what I do, I am always looking for the good in people, in the world, in my life or even just in my day.

Having seen this movie before as an expatriate living in the third or developing world, I have a sense of what to expect in the second worst case scenario of the coronavirus.

In the first worst case, I would be dead before it came to town.

Abroad we planned for things that might happen, so I’ll start from those skills.

• The power might go out as it did everywhere we lived in the developing world. In Mexico it happened (yet again) as we were about to sit down for dinner party at our home, with 50 guests.
• The water might stop running as it did in Mexico and Ecuador, making the pool water of the latter quite useful.
• Deliveries might disappear from groceries and other shops leaving them with empty shelves, a reality that often happened on the sunny island of Curaçao. It’s an experience to watch fresh broccoli rot on the grocer shelf to an unappetizing brown. But I learned to buy ahead non-perishable items.
• So like then, I will stock up on things we use anyway, just more than I’d usually keep about.

Cans and jars of foods, dry goods like pasta and rice, a container to store drinking water (if needed), long shelf-life items like UHT (ultra high temperature) almond milk, wine and dark chocolate. Prescription medications that our stingy insurance allow us to order more than one unit at a time. And things without expiry dates like tissues, toilet paper, soaps for everything from our dishes to clothes, hair and body washes.

But what I most assuredly will not stock on, is panic. Panic is not helpful for my primary immune deficiency that needs weekly infusions to be normal like other people’s. That isn’t a medical statement, just a life lived in challenging countries statement.

So I’ll stock up on reliable, science-based information. Not the voodoo of social media and poorly sourced internet junk, or the magical thinking of a friend who is hanging onions about the house to keep coronavirus away.

But don’t listen to me. Go to the CDC coronavirus website to read and learn. Read a book, like John M. Barry’s The Great Influenza. Take a FREE beginner course online like my 9-year-old British grandson at Coursera. (Full disclosure, a relative works at Coursera.)

Knowledge is power and also assuages fear.

You’ll be busy, because you lose an hour Saturday night as we spring into daylight savings time. So much music, so little time.

Tuesday, March 3.

A presentation in honor of International Women’s Day on Folk Festival with Lilli Kuzma, 90.9 FM, or www.wdcb.org. 8 PM.

Thursday, March 5.

Dave Spector at Hey Nonny, 10 S. Vail St, Arlington Heights. 7:30 PM. $10 – $30.

 Donna Herula at Smoke Daddy, 1804 W. Division St, Chicago. 7:30 PM.

  Mark Dvorak at the Izaak Walton Preserve potluck dinner/concert. 1100 W. Ridge Road, Homewood. Dinner at 6, concert at 7. $10 for both, $5 for concert only.

Friday, March 6.

  Chris Vallillo at Two Way Street Coffee House, 1047 Curtiss St, Downers Grove. 8:15 PM. $10.

Annie Suma performs a house concert in Oak Park. [email protected] for details. 8 PM. $20.

Mulligan Stew at Irish-American Heritage Center, 4246 N. Knox, Chicago. 8 PM.

Richard Gilewitz and Pierce Pettis at Uncommon Ground, 1401 W. Devon Ave, Chicago. 8 PM.

Saturday, March 7.

Steve Dawson and Emily Hurd at Elevated Songwriter Series, 925 W. Diversey, Chicago. 8 PM.

Bernie Glum and Friends at Edgar’s Place, 70 Sycamore, Park Forest. 7:30 PM. $15.

Mark Dvorak performs a house concert in River Forest. [email protected]. Donations of canned good, unopened household items, etc.

Sunday, March 8.

Did you get up at 2 am and set your clocks ahead?

Ladysmith Black Mambazzo at Old Town School of Folk Music, 4544 N. Lincoln Ave, Chicago. 6 PM. $45.

Mark Dvorak at Schuba’s brunch, 3159 N. Southport, Chicago. Noon.

If we lose an hour on the weekend, can Spring be far behind? We’;ll be whining about the hot weather before you know it.

THE INVISIBLE MAN

Genre: Horror

Rating: R

Running Time: 124 mins.

Where Can You See It?: In theaters now

Premise: After escaping her abusive boyfriend, Cecilia (Elizabeth Moss) hides out with her cop friend (Aldis Hodge) and his daughter (Storm Reid). A few weeks later, she learns her ex-boyfriend committed suicide. But, all is not what it seems, and Cecilia finds herself being stalked by an invisible force, with nobody to believe her.

Behind-the-Scenes: Universal has long attempted to reinvigorate its classic monsters. Their first attempt was 2010’s The Wolfman with Benicio del Toro. It received poor reviews and middling box office. They tried again in 2014 with the misguided Dracula Untold, which turned Dracula into a superhero. That flamed out, so their next move was to mimic Marvel and go for some of that shared universe money by creating the “Dark Universe” – an interconnected series of films starting with Tom Cruise’s The Mummy. Budgeted at $120M and only grossing $80M here in the U.S., the Dark Universe never even got off the ground and was quickly shuttered, with future flicks like Frankenstein (with Javier Bardem) and The Invisible Man (with Johnny Depp) shelved.

That’s where Jason Blum comes in. Blum is a highly prolific producer who specializes in low-budget horror. Almost every movie he makes turns a profit, so Universal was wise to go with him. The other key move here was to bring in writer-director Leigh Whannell. He’s probably best known for writing the first Saw, but has recently found success as a director. If you haven’t seen Upgrade yet, you should definitely make that a priority. With a responsible budget of $8M, The Invisible Man is Universal’s latest attempt to bring back the classic monsters for a new generation.

The Good: The Invisible Man is a highly effective new spin on the character. Elizabeth Moss gives (another!) tour-de-force performance as Cecilia. Her character is really put through the ringer, and Moss manages to layer hurt, fear, paranoia, strength, and questionable sanity with expert precision. There is a fantastic scene where she speaks to an empty wall that is as riveting as any piece of acting you’ll see. Whannell crushes it on both fronts as writer-director. The script is smart – balancing humor, horror, thrills, twists, and even a little noir, and mixing in timely social issues like gaslighting and domestic abuse. Whannell’s direction only serves to enhance the script’s elements – he deftly uses a number of wide shots, giving ample space on screen between the characters and their surroundings, making the audience wonder where and if the Invisible Man is in the room with them. It never goes for cheap scares, and is economically stylish, with some terrific action set pieces. Benjamin Wallfisch’s thunderous score and the sound design both contribute to the intensity, and the opening 10 minutes provide a master class in creating huge suspense with minimal explanation.

The Bad: Some of the twists, much as they keep you guessing, don’t really make sense the longer you think about them. Not all of the other actors are up to Moss’ level. The ending may turn off some viewers.

Should You See It?: Definitely. This is the first great movie of 2020. Even if you don’t consider yourself a “horror person,” there’s enough here to elevate The Invisible Man beyond the horror genre and make it a must-see.

Star Rating: **** out of 5 stars

Better Than: Hollow Man, Memoirs of an Invisible Man, The Mummy

Worse Than: It Follows, Get Out

* * *

For more movie/TV commentary and other mischief, follow me on Twitter: @Hammervision and on Letterboxd: @Hammervision

What a long winter it’s been, and an extra day in February, too.

But meteorological Spring begins March 1. And there are already early signs of seasons changing–2 hours more daylight since the winter solstice on December 21. There have been some robin sightings. And the pussy willows are just starting to open.

Yes, spring is coming! And the waxing crescent moon is beautiful.

But there is a climate of uncertainty these days. It’s not just the Cook County property taxes due on March 3,  or the looming tax deadline on April 15.

Markets don’t like uncertainty.  The tumbling stock markets in response to the coronavirus crisis is the worst week since October 2008.

The stock market is not the only place that deals in futures.  Loans and bond issues are long-term deals. They assume (except for force majeure clauses) that life as we know it will be pretty much the same in 30 years. There will be roads and schools, bills and taxes.  But what will life be like in 30 years?

We know there is a climate crisis. The wild fires in Australia and melting glaciers in Iceland and Antarctica are signs of change.

There are more floods and fires, blizzards, tornadoes and hurricanes. More people are affected. There are more refugees. Will there be bridges or walls?  What kind of future do we want?   What kind of leadershipt do we want?  Remember when Donald Trump tossed the rolls of paper towels in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria?

Remember when he altered a weather map with a Sharpie, and NOAA coerced to salvage his ego?   Hurricane Dorian seems so long ago. Here’s a post about it.

There was a pandemic response team at the CDC under President Obama. That has been  scrapped. Now we are facing a crisis with the new coronavirus.  Maybe Donald Trump will throw us bottles of hand sanitizer.

Not long ago I heard a radio interview featuring the Chinese Ambassador to the U.S. talk about COVID-19 and how his country was way ahead of everyone in the world in their containment of the virus.

I was initially impressed until the matter of how the doctor, Li Wenliang, was treated by his own countrymen came up.  The press savvy Ambassador, attempted to skirt the issue, but he was up against a seasoned journalist that wouldn’t let him forget that President Xi Jinping and the powers that run China castigated the man for alerting the world to the outbreak.  The Ambassador attempted to paint a picture that the state had every right to muzzle the doctor in an effort to prevent pandemonium.  It was only after Wenliang, the ophthalmologist, who broke the news about COVID-19, despite an attempt by a totalitarian regime to shut him up, received the recognition he deserved albeit late and posthumously.  Li Wenliang suffered death at the hands of a virus he alerted the world to in December of 2019 – a full month before most had any idea of the impact the virus might wreak on the health of the planet and its economy.

We can be critical of China but even in America we have an administration that barred Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), from speaking publicly about the novel coronavirus without approval from the White House.  At a time when transparency is essential to garner the trust of our leadership, we instead must deal with the powers that be who have in the past displayed scorn for science and instead opted for what Kelly Ann Conway described best as “Alternate Facts.”   Everything is not okay or fine or a matter to be trivialized because of an upcoming election.  Hearing what the experts have to say is what is mandated NOW if we are to have confidence that the issue is being dealt with effectively and efficiently.

Other ground breaking individuals that have made a difference are those who have brought to the public’s attention what they perceive as unjust.  A number of courageous women had to put their own safety on the line to bring Harvey Weinstein, a sexual predator with tremendous power and prestige in his industry to justice.  Prior to their coming forward, Weinstein was impervious to consequences for his bad conduct that for years was overlooked or ruled to delicate or injudicious to bring to a court of law.

In the last six months, a number of dedicated patriotic Americans serving in our national security agency or our diplomatic corps found themselves also on the line for testifying about what they saw or heard that made them question whether or not the rule of law was being followed by those in our government.  Their previous service as veterans defending democracy as we know it was ridiculed and many were targeted with threats of violence for appearing before Congress per a subpoena (again per the rule of law).

Let me toast each and everyone of those who broke ground to GO DO GOOD in times when doing nothing would have been much easier  than suffering the vilification they received for being true to themselves and others.