Althouse: Madison street theater: The Madtown Liberty Players depict the history of war in Afghanistan.

July 3, 2010

Madison street theater: The Madtown Liberty Players depict the history of war in Afghanistan.

In less than 4 and a half minutes:

Today on the Capitol Square in Madison, Wisconsin.

50 comments:

Trooper York said...: Jeeez.; 7/3/10, 6:49 PM
Trooper York said...: Where's Leonard Pinth-Garnell when you need him?; 7/3/10, 6:50 PM
Anonymous said...: Typical wise ass college humor.

An old tradition. During the Vietnam war, the Guerilla Theater from Berkeley performed slapstick anti-war skits on the Quad at my alma mater, the University of Illinois.

I think that this wise ass college humor is the source of the notion, among college liberals, that the are possessed of some sort of amazingly acute wisdom.

In the same vein, the midnight movies at the Auditorium celebrated wise ass college humor.

We were certain of a lot of things when we were in college:

1. We were intellectuals.
2. Adults didn't really have sex, certainly not the incredibly imaginative way that we did,
3. Nobody had ever heard of homosexuality before we came along, and we were uniquely tolerant (You can see on this board that this conceit will probably live forever).
4. Centuries of human conflict resulting in war could be easily solved if the adults would just listen to us.
5. No way we were going to be corrupt and self-serving like those awful adults.

The list goes on and on. Everything looks so easy to wise ass college kids.

Sometimes I get tired of being 60 years old, and having seen it all over and over again. Can't people think up something new?

Answer: No.; 7/3/10, 6:56 PM
Jason (the commenter) said...: How "edgy".

(God, people in Wisconsin are lame.); 7/3/10, 6:58 PM
rhhardin said...: I can't stick it out past 20 seconds.

I assume it gets better.; 7/3/10, 7:02 PM
Unknown said...: "The Afghan People". Right, isn't that partly the issue? Also, when did repeated wars become amusing?; 7/3/10, 7:03 PM
KCFleming said...: I was not attracted to the Liberty Players because they all seemed to have unusually large feet.; 7/3/10, 7:08 PM
Wince said...: Not enough audience interaction.; 7/3/10, 7:10 PM
EK said...: The Batley Town's Women's Guild re-enactment of "The Battle of Pearl Harbor" was much more convincing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMqSmiC_xHg; 7/3/10, 7:10 PM
David said...: Sophisticated!!; 7/3/10, 7:11 PM
Maxine Weiss said...: http://gawker.com/5578609/judy-blumes-grandson-arrested-for-rape-on-marthas-vineyard

(read the comments on that---hilarious!!!)

Happy Fourth of July

love,

www.twitter.com/tweetmaxine; 7/3/10, 7:16 PM
Jason (the commenter) said...: rhhardin:I assume it gets better.

The depth! The depth, rhhardin! You wont believe how much depth the art reveals!; 7/3/10, 7:35 PM
Ah Pooh said...: That guy is a dork.; 7/3/10, 7:36 PM
Joe said...: Hey you rightwing nutz did you know Michael Steele called for an end to the war!?!?!

Why aren't you talking about THAT....I DEMAND it, talk about THAT!; 7/3/10, 7:36 PM
Anonymous said...: I missed the part where the Taliban killed the Afghan person.

They must have accidentally dropped that script page in the Starbucks when they did their fist reading.; 7/3/10, 7:50 PM
rhhardin said...: Today's new bike commute flags.; 7/3/10, 7:54 PM
Unknown said...: They used to do this sort of thing at Haverford College when we were in 'Nam.

Always interesting how the University types know all about war without ever having been through one.; 7/3/10, 8:22 PM
Fen said...: *sigh*

Our artists need to suffer more.

Some study of history wouldn't hurt either.; 7/3/10, 8:49 PM
Bob said...: Tomorrow I will spend some time at Arlington. Wander thru sectin sixty to see a couple of friends. Its just hard to accept those people as adults anymore.; 7/3/10, 9:51 PM
Penny said...: "Our artists need to suffer more."

Those that pay for their own education will suffer soon enough.; 7/3/10, 9:52 PM
Penny said...: "I can't stick it out past 20 seconds.

I assume it gets better."

Stick with Bloggingheads for a MUCH better outcome.; 7/3/10, 9:54 PM
Penny said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 7/3/10, 10:03 PM
Irene said...: Why does the bambolino playing the Soviet Union say, "perestroika"?; 7/3/10, 10:31 PM
bagoh20 said...: Looks like a good location for a stoning. Apparently one lets you forget the other.; 7/3/10, 10:34 PM
Rialby said...: Dirty hippies.

No offense intended Ann.; 7/3/10, 10:38 PM
Penny said...: "Sometimes I get tired of being 60 years old, and having seen it all over and over again. Can't people think up something new?"

ShoutingThomas this reminded me of a favorite business memory. My "progressive" company got a new "bottom line" leader who had just spent a week meeting with various managers and employees trying to get a lay of the land. At the end of the week, he wearily meets with his managers to tell us how entirely unremarkable we are, because with rare exception, there are few new ideas and concepts, just recycled old ones...and he knew them all.

I was much younger then, but not disillusioned by his comments. Instead I visualized one of my favorite childhood experiences. My first visit to a Horn and Hardart automat. I couldn't have been much more than six, but I was mesmerized by the conveyor belt that took away the dirty dishes and brought back clean plates! Pure MAGIC! haha; 7/3/10, 10:43 PM
KV said...: "bout time you posted something worthy Ann.
Brave folks in the MLP, daring to speak the truth while the rest of us bask in our elitist American lifestyles, including this waste of time....; 7/3/10, 11:08 PM
KCFleming said...: I woulda been sorely tempted to insert myself as a character in the play.

My patience for this stuff has worn too thin for civil silence.; 7/3/10, 11:09 PM
Anonymous said...: What a bunch of stupid douchebags.

I couldn't watch more than 30 seconds. Did they cover the part where Al Qaeda used Afghanistan as a base of operations to attack the US? How about the part where the Taliban stoned women to death?

Somehow I doubt it.; 7/3/10, 11:26 PM
miller said...: No mention of Greg Mortensen, who has spent 15 years building schools (especially schools for girls) in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

No, it's just all about what sells, not what's good.

Dr. Mortensen does far more to help the Afghanis & Pakistanis than these MLP dweebs.; 7/3/10, 11:57 PM
Anonymous said...: This 60 year old also must admit that he wishes he was still as stupid as a wise ass college kid.

To quote Bob Seger:

"I wish I did not know now what I did not know back then."; 7/4/10, 12:01 AM
Penny said...: Ah yes, Bob Seger.

One of my favorite philosophers of all time.

"I used her and she used me, but neither one cared. We were gettin' our share."

Just workin' on some knight moves.; 7/4/10, 12:24 AM
Penny said...: "My patience for this stuff has worn too thin for civil silence."

It seems the sun is rising on exercising your right to be a "civil servant", Pogo!

Oh go 'head. You first!; 7/4/10, 12:29 AM
Penny said...: POGO FOR PRESIDENT!; 7/4/10, 12:30 AM
Assistant Village Idiot said...: Not many things fall below the level of street evangelism theater by highschoolers. This does.; 7/4/10, 1:05 AM
bagoh20 said...: The honest ending would have had the American wash the afghan and hand it to the Afghan.; 7/4/10, 1:52 AM
Kev said...: "The Afghan People"

Yeah, that was the only thing in there that was remotely funny to me--depicting the Afghan people using someone wearing an afghan.; 7/4/10, 2:12 AM
Penny said...: Hi, AVI, it's been a while since I've seen you.

"Not many things fall below the level of street evangelism theater by highschoolers. This does."

Personally? I never fully appreciated theater, even on Broadway.

The seats were made for those with limbs much shorter than mine.

By the time I figured out how to uncross my cramped legs, the show was over! haha

Anyway, I digressed.

What I was saying was that "The 'play' is NOT the thing". No matter what Shakespeare said.

You just need to find your own "comfortable place".; 7/4/10, 2:37 AM
Penny said...: Now that I'm comfy, I have to ask?

Was that an afghan? It looked more like a serape?; 7/4/10, 3:06 AM
Jason (the commenter) said...: Pogo: I woulda been sorely tempted to insert myself as a character in the play.

Guerrilla art! Yes, you probably could have started shouting "stone the whore" at the "people of Afghanistan" character.; 7/4/10, 6:26 AM
Unknown said...: it's a great blog.; 7/4/10, 6:53 AM
Opus One Media said...: Liked the play. Liked the costumes. Didn't care much for the sets. Way too much green.; 7/4/10, 7:41 AM
KCFleming said...: @Jason (the commenter)
Heh. Well played, sir.
I will have to steal that idea.

"Dr. Mortensen does far more to help the Afghanis & Pakistanis than these MLP dweebs."

What, they get those cool shoes for free?
Awesome!; 7/4/10, 8:36 AM
Anonymous said...: I laughed. I cried. It was better than "Cats". /snark; 7/4/10, 9:04 AM
Big Mike said...: How about some street theater where the big fat guy brings in some of those sweet young women in chains and announces that he is explaining the story of Islamic justice.

The first young woman can be accused of exposing a half inch too much ankle from under her burka. She gets chained to a post, the back of her shirt gets ripped open (no need to expose her breasts, unless she wants to of course), and she gets fifty lashes. (This will, of course, be a stage prop -- soft, and dipped in red dye so that it leaves fake "blood" on her back.) The actress should take care to scream loudly and writhe in agony as the "lashes" continue.

The second should be forced to kneel, and the fat man announces that she has offended against the honor of her family. He introduces a young man as being her brother, and places a toy AK-47 in the "brother's" hands (do not use a real gun, not even a starter pistol). The young man pulls the trigger on his toy gun and the woman topples over. A pool of fake blood spreads out from underneath her.

The last young woman in chains is lowered into a pit so that just her head shows, and the fat man announces that she had sex with a man she is not married to. Then a large crowd starts throwing paper mache rocks at her (cue the final scene from "The Lottery") and when they separate again the young woman's head is covered in fake blood and she has fake blood trickling out of her mouth.

Now that would be street theater.; 7/4/10, 9:09 AM
Jason (the commenter) said...: Pogo: Heh. Well played, sir.

I assume if this show were performed in Afghanistan, it would be attacked by an angry mob. It's so culturally insensitive it's practically a hate crime.; 7/4/10, 9:09 AM
Unknown said...: A presentation written by the Taliban (Afghan word for "students") and performed by "students".

Was that taliban wearing an Afghan?; 7/4/10, 2:09 PM
Methadras said...: This passes for street theater? Fuck, at this rate, I'd rather have a shit encrusted street urchin wash my windshield for a quarter with one his shit-stained rags instead. That would be more entertaining compared to this.; 7/4/10, 6:08 PM
Ralph L said...: My college eating house re-enacted the battle of Pearl Harbor for its 40th anniversary. It was a little chilly for the battleship girls to wear bathing suits and state sashes. We male Zeroes (the nickname of the house) pelted them with Cheerios.

We also did the 50th anniversary of the St. Valentine's Day massacre. Caesar's murder scene from Shakespeare was an annual event on the Ides of March.; 7/4/10, 6:52 PM
Opus One Media said...: Only complaint is that the play seemed to drag on for hours and hours .. felt like a decade .. and the playwrite kept rewriting the final act.; 7/5/10, 7:34 AM