Catching Up

Greetings, and welcome back to The Corner. Well, it has been quite a week for your friendly neighborhood Marius. My 42nd year started with a flurry of activity. Last weekend saw the birth, and all too soon, death of our 'Student Directed One Acts'. Actually only one of them was directed by a student, since we only have one graduating senior this year, but she did a magnificent job. The second show was directed by one of our former students, and the third was directed by yours truly. I was blessed with two magnificent students who brought the characters to life in a way that I could not have envisioned, but thoroughly enjoyed. Jessica, in particular, took on a very difficult role and gave the best performance of her scholastic career. She gave the character a wonderful, childlike innocence that neither I, nor the playwright(a friend of mine) had forseen. Tracy gave a valient performance in the often thankless part of the 'straight man', and dove in with gusto and enthusiasm, and managed to squeeze in her own share of humor. To both ladies I say thank you, thank you, thank you! :-)

On my birthday Em and I saw The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy. I first read the books back in high school(yeah, they were etched into stone tablets) and have loved all the different incarnations that I have seen...until now. As happens all too often when the Hollywood machine gets hold of something, things get changed that shouldn't. I didn't mind the altering of the story line, since the source material is so varied, and I had no problems with the casting, or the over-emphasis on the Arthur/Trillian romance. I loved the opening dolphin production number, and Alan Rickman as the voice of Marvin was, as always, brilliant. What spoiled the film for me was the changing of Zaphod Beeblebrox from a fairly confused, but completely self-confident, 'so hip he has trouble seeing over his own pelvis', totally hoopy frood, to a bumbling, mumbling, half-lobotomized idiot. Zaphod is supposed to be the coolest being in the multiverse, not a delusional, ineffective moron who seems to be equal parts Captain Jack Sparrow and Mr. Magoo. I loved that the voice of The Guide is the same as in the radio/tv series, and the cameo by the original Marvin in the crowd at the Vogon police station, and the use of the original Arthur Dent as the holographic messenger for Magrathea, but without a good Zaphod it seemed to be just another silly space movie. In my humble opinion, of course.

Launch is set for May 31st, with arrival in Tampa scheduled for sometime on June 1st. We would appreciate any assistance at either end of our journey, and will show that appreciation with food and beverage(most likely pizza, beer, and soda).

Ok, that's it for now. See ya soon.

Don't Panic.
Marius