Eugene weekly., October 20, 2011, Page 28, Image 28

LIMITED ENGAGEMENT!
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OPENS OCT. 21st
BY ANNA GRACE
Book and lyrics by
ONLY
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Steven Sater
5
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Music by Duncan Sheik
Recom
Directed by
Order Online at Tickets
www.ActorsCabaret.org
Joe Zingo
Call 541- 683-4368
Paul Calandrino
Theatrical Haiku
Local playwright Paul Calandrino illuminates life,
ten minutes at a time
I
Eugene’s Largest
Fall Bridal Show!
Something for Every Bride
that was frequently and liberally littered
with weed-whacker strings. This niggled
at him. Where did the strings come from?
Were they just going to keep piling up?
The strings struck Calandrino as
weird, but they didn’t inspire a play until
he stumbled upon Graceland Too, a low-
budget tourist attraction where an odd little
man with clattering dentures has stuffed
his pink Mississippi house from fl oor to
ceiling with Elvis memorabilia. At last,
the weed-whacker strings had found a
character worthy of their care, and a play
was born.
The eight plays selected for the
performance have been rehearsing
separately. Directors include Alan Beck,
Bailey Ellis-Wiard, Emily Hart, Richard
Leebrick, Adam Leonard and TBF veteran
Benjamin Newman. Calandrino says it
“feels great” to see his plays in the hands
of others. “Sometimes they open up a
whole new interpretation of my work,” he
says, smiling.
I fi nish our interview by asking why he
would pursue playwriting, a fi eld that yields
neither money nor fame. Calandrino’s
eyebrows draw together quizzically, and
he responds with a silence punctuated by
aborted answers.
It’s as though I’d asked why he decided
to pursue breathing. I realized that I had
the equation the wrong way around.
Playwriting has been pursuing Calandrino,
for a long time now. This weekend we get
to enjoy the results. ew
An Evening With Paul Calandrino runs Thursday-
Friday, Oct. 20-28, and Saturday, Oct. 29, Trial By Fire
TheatreWorks at Reality Kitchen, 245 Van Buren; $10,
info at 683-1429.
Roman Studios
sponsored by
t was an article on suicide tourism
that pushed him over the edge.
Paul Calandrino was your typical
theatergoer until he happened upon a New
York Times report on a peculiar growth
industry — businesses that fl y terminally
ill people halfway around the world so they
can die with dignity. Inspired, a play pushed
its way out of Calandrino’s imagination and
onto the stage, where it swept a couple of
competitions. He was hooked.
If Calandrino’s work around town as a
playwriting instructor and the wizard behind
the Northwest Ten Festival of Ten-minute
Plays is any indicator, he wants to get the
rest of us hooked on playwriting, too.
But this weekend, it’s all about Paul.
Trial By Fire Theatreworks is
showcasing An Evening With Paul
Calandrino, an octet of Calandrino’s
short plays with themes ranging from the
philosophical musing of a man trapped in
the mundane cubicle work world (Cubism)
to the kidnapping of a fi shmonger (Bring
Me the Head of Dufresne Fish).
Calandrino describes ten-minutes
plays as haiku — broad brushstrokes
illuminating a moment in time. But haiku
are under no obligation to have a plot,
build tension or come to a resolution. So
how does Calandrino conceive and craft
these quick, quirky theatrical experiences?
By obsessing on concepts that collide with
real events in his life, sparking the idea for
a play.
Take, for instance, Buzz Bohannon’s
World Famous Weed Whacker String
Museum and Hall of Fame as Seen on That’s
Incredible! Some years ago, Caladrino’s
daily walk to work took him along a path
October 15 & 16
Lane Events Center - Eugene
Wedding Gown Sale!
Show Hours: Sat. 10- 5 & Sun. 11-4:30 | Admission $9
ticket discounts at
oregonweddingshowcase.com
28 OCTOBER 20, 2011
EUGENE WEEKLY
October 21-22 & 28-29
Upstart Crow Studios 855 W. 1st Ave. Eugene
Doors 7 | Show 8
Tickets $10 online at www.upstartcrowstudios.com or at the door
Call 541-688-8260 for information
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