May 3, 2015

Blazing Sunday morning following a blazing Saturday. Saturday morning I went at 7 to the studio. Had my half hour of rage in having to put it back together after L moved everything about, but calmed then, and painted, painted, mostly in pastels, and was happy as a child with his toys. Took one to be framed. The delicacy of the finished pastel still bothers me, though there are French pastels that have lasted many years. Then to First Pres. for the final concert with ACS, at which I was at about 60%, but at which the chorus as a whole triumphed with its audience. In the evening went to the new Magnetic Theater, which is in every detectable way superior to the old one. It LOOKS like a theater, and shares space with galleries where one might wander about looking at paintings during intermission. No din from the adjacent bar. It rather reminds me, in lay-out, of the Project Theater in Dublin. Better sightlines, better– I don’t know what–feel. It’s a place where one could put one’s energies. The fare was rather a bell curve, two of the plays lamentable, two fun and witty and bright; one, by Greg Nanni, whom I distantly know, brilliant. I’d see the program again for another audition of that play. The acting was spare and classy and adept. The level of acting everywhere in Asheville is increasingly smooth and accomplished. Used to be you’d have to cringe past bad acting to see a play; now you almost never see a misstep in stage. The directing, too, was blameless, so far as I could tell. Victory first time out for MT.

Reading the scripture of Philip and the eunuch in mass this morning. What an odd story. Hope the homily gives exposition. Afternoon free, God be praised.