Page 12
September 18, 2019
Something for Every Taste
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trouble spots and helped me to see
the resemblance between the mis-
takes these characters make and
the typical ones that I might see in
real life, including in myself. The
production plays through Oct. 13.
Rosa Joshi is a classical di-
rector to watch for; her take on
Shakespeare’s “Henry V” last year
at OSF took audiences by storm,
and next year she will be back to
direct “Bring Down the House,” a
two-part adaption of “Henry VI.” I
can’t say that her “As You Like it”
is as exciting as her work on the
history plays (I was also amazed
by the production of “Richard
III” that she recently directed in
Seattle), but there is still much to
admire in this production. Joshi
has a compelling design aesthetic
and, like in the other productions I
have seen, this one has an unusu-
ally keen visual and aural sensibil-
ity, imparting through costumes,
set, sound, and lighting a compel-
ling contrast between the restric-
tive, male-dominated world of the
court and the relative freedom of
the Forest of Arden where women
are in charge. This production also
employed all female designers,
in keeping with Joshi’s commit-
ment to making space for female
sensibilities in the male-dominat-
ed world of classical theater. The
play deals with love and identi-
ty--how love changes us, how we
try to change it, how the identity
we adopt affects how we are able
to express and receive love-- and
this production benefits from a
buoyant cast who approaches the
material with joy and playfulness,
and experiments with casting
leave very happy. It’s meant to be
a celebration of inclusivity, and
director Christopher Liam Moore
has underlined that point by cast-
ing several roles with people with
disabilities. For me, the musical’s
nod toward racial equality left
me dissatisfied; its analysis feels
dated, white-centered, and oblivi-
ous to ways in which the talented
black performers are being up-
photo by J enny g rahaM , o regon s hakespeare f estival
The Oregon Shakespeare Festival presents “Hairspray—The
Broadway Musical.” Pictured are Kimberly Monk, Safiya Fredericks
and Johnique Mitchell as members of the ‘Dynamite’ ensemble.
many roles with women and with
trans and non-binary actors. Like
the heroine, Rosalind (a luminous
Jessica Ko), this production exper-
iments with gender presentation
to discover a new kind of freedom
and authenticity. The production
plays through Oct. 26.
Finally, a popular production
of “Hairspray” pops with ener-
gy and enthusiasm, and fans of
this particular musical will likely
staged. That said, I can’t fault any
of the performances; everyone is
showing up with joy, enthusiasm,
and their hearts fully engaged. The
production plays through Oct. 27.
Darleen Ortega is a judge on
the Oregon Court of Appeals and
the first woman of color to serve
in that capacity. Her movie review
column Opinionated Judge ap-
pears regularly in The Portland
Observer.
Church Hosts Pastor
and Jazz Service
c ontinued froM p age 7
to expand it across the state. He cur-
rently serves as chairperson of the
Albina Ministerial Alliance for Jus-
tice and Police Reform and is a past
President of Ecumenical Ministries
of Oregon.
Jazz musicians Marilyn Keller,
Ron Steen, Kevin Deitz and
George Mitchell will perform. All
are welcome.
Augustana Lutheran Church is
under the direction of pastor Dr.
W. J. Mark Knutson.
Caution on Vape Pens
c ontinued froM p age 3
and suspected it was a factor in the
death of the Oregon patient, whom
they treated. They said the person
who died was likely vaping canna-
bis oil that was bought at two legal
cannabis stores, but they hadn’t
determined yet what the product
was. Some experts have pointed
to chemicals added as thickening
agents such as vitamin E acetate,
but not have named it directly.
Amala said vendors are also tak-
ing precautions and she has gotten
letters and statements from many
of them. She said, so far, she’s only
pulled one product off her shelves
because of questionable additives.
Some companies state they are
only using straight cannabis oil
with no additives for their vape
pens, she said, while others state
they are not using any thickening
agents. Some just list “natural fla-
vor” which is very undefined.
Last week Health and Human
Services Secretary Alex Azar an-
nounced that the Federal Drug Ad-
ministration is working on a pol-
icy to outlaw most flavored vape
tobacco products. Oregon Sen.
Ron Wyden also proposed a new
nationwide e-cigarette tax, which
would include e-cigarettes as a
taxable nicotine product.