Chesterton Theatre Company - response

After my previous post and inquiries about the G. K. Chesterton Theatre Company, I received the following e-mail:

Lee, I'm Cathal Gallagher Co-Founder with Peter of G. K. Chesterton. Some background: I founded a theater in San Jose called Quo Vadis.

We wrote and produced our own dramas - plays about saints and heroic figures in history. We got good reviews from the audience and (surprise) from the secular press. A few people in L.A asked me to repeat the experiment here. Thus was born G. K.Chesterton Theatre Company in Santa Monica.

Our first play is "Malcolm and Teresa" now playing at the Promenade Playhouse in Santa Monica. It is about the conversion of former agnostic/socialist Malcolm Muggeridge. Show times are Fri/Sat 8 p.m. and Sunday matinee at 2.30 p.m. Appreciate the support of your readers in L. A. If we can make a success of this our first production then we can get the theatre company launched. Our mission is to engage the Hollywood Culture and put on great biographical works that will move and inspire the audience. Thanks for your help. For tickets call 1-310-462-5141

Cathal Gallagher
G. K. Chesterton Theatre
email gkctheatre@yahoo.com


--- I also got one from the producer, Peter Gallagher -

I'm Peter Gallagher and I'm producing the play MALCOLM & TERESA from Irish born Playwright Cathal Gallagher and being directed by Vincent Lappas. This is Cathal's 10th major production and first in Los Angeles. Please let me know if you'd like to attend and review theplay. We would love to have you. Attached is a flyer with more info and below is some information as well. We sold out opening night and remained close to capacity Saturday.

Attached is the flyer for our show that opened last Friday and below is the website link. The play revolves around famed BBC reporterMalcolm Muggerridge's expose of the Ukrainian famine during the 1930's to an unbelieving world and his life changing interviews with MotherTeresa. If you can forward this on to whomever you deem appropriate, that would be much appreciated. It's going to be a great run! Play is Friday & Saturday's at 8pm, Sunday's at 2:30pm at the Promenade Playhouse on 3rd Street Promenade in Santa Monica.

Run is 6 weeks through November 16th

--- I like that review offer part. Too bad I don't live out that way.

I also like the idea of building on this to engage the culture and to move and inspire. Maybe they might consider a Chesterton play in the future!

Chestertonians in the Santa Monica area might want to check it out.

Camping With Hilaire

Just before school started I took my daughter on an end of summer camping trip. Whenever we go camping I use that time to learn a basically useless skill like how to tie a monkey fist knot or if a pizza can be cooked on a camp fire (it can). One of the silly things I do when we go camping is to bring too many books. The one I am reading (this time it was A Girl Named Zippy by Haven Kimmel – recommend it) and some back-ups. Really I’m not sure what I’m thinking bringing 5 books on a three day trip. Well this trip got sillier.

On the first morning we woke to a light rain that pretty much killed the plan to hang out by the lake so we went into the local town to see what we could see and maybe find something that would not make my daughter whine about being board. In the years we have been going to this area to camp I have never spent any time exploring the town. But I knew very small towns have little to entertain a high maintenance seven year old except for shopping.

Walking out of the local grocery store with candy for her and a six pack for me I noticed across the street a small Catholic book store.
“Hey Bubbles let’s check that place out.”
“Do they have candy?”
“Maybe.”
“OK”

Although this shop looked like every other small Catholic book store it had two things that set it apart from my experiences. The first was that it had a “kid’s corner” containing coloring books and lollypops. ‘Keep the kids quite so the old folks can look around in peace’ is a great marketing tactic. The other thing was that they had an extensive collection of Chesterton and Belloc books.

I bought Chesterton’s Heretics, Belloc’s The Crusades and The Path to Rome. I was grabbing more but my wallet stopped me.

When we finally left the shop the sun had broken through so we headed for the lake.
I cracked open Belloc’s The Path to Rome. Turned out to be a good choice for a camping trip sense he is has many camping like adventures on his Pilgrimage. Some have said that it is his best work, and it does contain some truly wonderful prose. I don’t know if it is his best but I do know this it has the best prologue I have ever read titled PRAISE OF THIS BOOK. The book also gives us a great example of Belloc’s sense of humor and wit – something he is neither know for or praised (just try to find a picture of him smiling) but he has a light sense of humor that floats upon a smile and a sharp wit that points out man’s foolishness without offence.

The last paragraph in his prologue sums up a great world view:
“Then let us love one another and laugh. Time passes and we shall soon laugh no longer-and meanwhile common living is a burden, and earnest men are at siege upon us all around. Let us suffer absurdities, for that is only to suffer one another.”

This book lifted my camping spirit. When I first started taking my children to this site there were only a few RVs and campers. This last trip my daughter and I were in the only tent. I always harbored a dislike for those land yacht camping people - you see I am a camping purist for goodness sake. But Belloc showed me what was going on here and it was not an avoidance of sleeping on the ground.

Through his pilgrimage he goes form wilderness to town to wilderness. He shows a respect for the wilderness and a love for the town. Unlike his contemporaries and most youth of any age he sings the praises of the middle-class. He states that when you come across a row of white houses you have come across civilization. After reading that passage I looked up at all those white RVs and knew that these people were out to build a small town, a civilization, that was not available in their own towns. They were friendly with their neighbors here, shared food, games and their beer. They wanted the town they grew up in without the fear and anxiety of their “gated communities”.

They were now beautiful to me in the action they took to salve their longings.

G. K. Chesterton Theatre Company

While wandering through the blogosphere searching for signs that perhaps voters were finally catching on to Obama, I stumbled across a blog called The Weight of Glory - a good Lewisian name.

It had a number of entries worth reading - but one in particular caught my eye: An October 10 piece on The G.K. Chesterton Theatre Company, which, according to the blog is a Santa Monica group "composed of playwrights, directors, actors and stage personnel. They are dedicated to putting on historical works as well as faith-based stories. Their emphasis is on heroic men and women, past and present."

http://www.doxaweb.com/blog/2008/10/malcolm-and-teresa.htm

Naturally, I went off in search for more information about the troupe. I did find one link - http://www.gkchestertontheatre.org/ - but it was more about the production than information about the group. There was an email address for information - gkctheatre@yahoo.com.

Nothing else so far. I will e-mail them. I asked the blogger to let me know if he knew more, or is perhaps even a member of the group.

Does anyone out there have more information?

Meanwhile, back to nosing around for more hopeful signs about November 4.

A clerihew: Looking in the last volume

Vladimir Kosma Zworykin
helped to make possible television.
His contribution to that form of mass media
is why he's one of the the last entries in our encyclopedia

Back in action

Sorry for having taken a few months off. Hey, I work in the insurance industry, what more do I need to say. Also some family farm issues and some medical things at home. Have kept me away from the computer and the books, even computing about books. I plan on getting active here again.

I have a good idea for a some things I would like to do in a serial manner on this site, but I would like to open by saying.

WE BROUGHT DALE AHLQUIST TO MY HOME PARISH! I am on a committee that brings in speakers to discuss various faith topics, and after a few years of whittling away the resistance, it finally happened.

Terrific evening. Lots of thinking, lots of laughter ---enough to make you forget that you are talking philosophy and old scholasticism.

On angels

Angels can fly because they take themselves lightly. - G.K. Chesterton

On this day the Catholic Church honors Guardian Angels. While they make take themselves lightly, I suspect they take their duties quite seriously.

I've often wondered about my guardian angel. Have I frustrated the poor spirit times beyond counting (I suspect so). Have I made him proud once in a while (I hope so).

Have I met him without knowing? A chance encounter in an elevator? On the highway? In the next pew? Did I respond well?

I would hope that I have on occasion responded to the gentle proddings of my heavenly helper when trying to decide between right and wrong. There have been a few times when I suspect a word has been whispered in my ear or a spiritual elbow thrown to get me back on the right path - though a more effective approach might have been to stick an angelic leg in front of me and send me sprawling. Come to think of it ....

I also wondered if my guardian angel was more like Clarence (It's a Wonderful Life), or Sylvester (The Bishop's Wife). Both have their appeal, but I must admit a certain fondness for Clarence.

Speaking of Clarence, is there a chance that angels include not only the heavenly spirits God created in the beginning, but also the risen souls of humans who have joined the heavenly work force? If so, could they be relatives? Maybe a great uncle twice removed? We Scots are a clannish sort.

Or who knows, maybe Chesterton is himself now a guardian angel - a large one! - celebrating his sudden "lightness" while whispering soul-nourishing paradoxes in someone's ear.

McCain campaign clerihew

John McCain
to spark his campaign
sought help from "above" -
Alaska's "Gov".

Zmirak on Chesterton

In case you missed it, Zmirak reviews, summarizes and promotes The Everlasting Man. Great stuff. Excerpt:

If you don't know the book, stop reading now. Click over and order your copy. Go ahead, I can wait . . .

When your package arrives, settle into a comfy chair with a decent supply of monastic beer, because you're in for a wild ride. In this easy book of medium length, Chesterton tries the impossible -- and nails it. A roistering tale of earthly life, and its fitful pilgrimage from the primordial ooze up through the conversion of Evelyn Waugh, The Everlasting Man is the ale-drinker's answer to Hegel.

"Gilbert" and the Books are here!

As is the tradition here in lovely western New York, my latest issue of Gilbert arrived long after others across the nation have received theirs and gushed about it.

Let me gush anyway.

I love the cover. As a pro-lifer, I enjoyed the insightful editorial. The interview with Ann Petta was delightful. "By the Babe Unborn" has always been one of my favorite Chesterton poems.

So much more to read!

It would have been perfect if one of my clerihews had gotten published. I wonder what happened to the batches I sent in over the last year? Sigh.

Around the same time, I received the package containing the books and DVD I ordered from the Chesterton Society, and a thank you for a donation.

Beyond Capitalism and Socialism, Chesterton on War and Peace, and The Surprise should kill a few hours most productively.

As for the donation, the American Chesterton Society is reaching out for help - consider giving.

We need Chesterton's sanity today.

Besides, the society has so many jolly folks in it.

(The American Chesterton Society, 4117 Pebblebrook Circle, Minneapolis , MN 55437.)

Battle of Vienna: September 11, 1683

Vienna, as we saw, was almost taken and only saved by the Christian army under the command of the King of Poland on a date that ought to be among the most famous in history - September 11, 1683. But the peril remained, Islam was still immensely powerful...

- Hilaire Belloc in The Great Heresies

Young Chesterton Chronicles

There was a time when I would’ve received advanced notice and a sample copy: The Young Chesterton Chronicles. It came out in March, but I just read about it in Faith & Family this past weekend. F&F gives it high marks. I’m curious, however, to know why I didn’t see it mentioned in Gilbert Magazine or this blog. Maybe I missed it? Goodness knows, I'm not in a position to criticize anyone for being negligent.

The Books Are Here! The Books Are Here!

The Ignatius sale spurred me to buy some books I coveted (in a non-sinful way, of course) but could not justify purchasing: Volumes 29-34 of the Collected Works of G. K. Chesterton (The Illustrated London News).

Ah, but at only $5 a volume, the temptation proved too much.

They arrived the other day. My wife gave me that "Not more books?" look.

I blame Ignatius.

Grin.

SAY HALLELUJAH

Usually the Republicans don’t develop a sense of humor until late September of an election year and mostly drop it after the last vote on November 4th. However with ads like this it bides well for a new type of political ad. True, the big “O” asked for it and finally he is getting it served back to him.

Garrison Keillor is my favorite liberal and here is why.

The Real Iron Chef

I once heard a metaphor for prayer that I think Gilbert would agree with. “There are three types of prayer, microwave, oven baking and crock pot. All prayers need to cook and is only answered when done. Microwave prayers are answered instantly, like “Lord, let there be a parking space in front of the store.” Then there those that need to bake, these take longer like “Lord, let this operation be a success and recovery be complete”. Then there are the crock pot prayers that have to cook a long time, like the one of Monica, Saint Augustine’s momma, did.

“No prayer will be served before its time.”

Three and a half years ago I lost my cushy well paying job through a corporate buy out – oh well.
I spent the first year looking for new work in a similar field to no avail so I took a factory job but kept looking. Every day I said this prayer, “Lord thank you for letting me have this job to help support my family and please Lord, get me OUT-OF-HERE.”

This prayer baked a good long time.

The other day I received notice that I have been hired as an Art Teacher for the Jr. High. Way back when this was my original choice for a career but I went in the business world. So now here I am, a beginning teacher at an age where all other teachers are retiring. What fun!

Chesterton in a horror novel?

I have been working on a horror novel (working title: "Swedenborg").

I bring it up here because in one section I will be talking about Distributism! The "good guys" will be discussing the issue at a party with Professor Staples (could his first name be Clive?), the wise scholar and Christian apologist who's dying of cancer, and one of his admirers, a rotund but brilliant grad student (wonder if I should give him a moustache and a walking stick?) who befriends the protagonist. The party scene is coming up - after the hospital scene where the mentally ill and very sick can see the dead souls besieging the living.

Hmm. Did Chesterton ever talk about Swedenborg and his ideas?

How about ...

"An atheist stockbroker in Surbiton looks exactly like a Swedenborgian stockbroker in Wimbledon. You may walk round and round them and subject them to the most personal and offensive study without seeing anything Swedenborgian in the hat or anything particularly godless in the umbrella. It is exactly in their souls that they are divided." - Orthodoxy, Chapter 8

I also think he mentioned him in connection with Aquinas in some way - but can't remember exactly where. Any help with this one - or any other G. K. mentions of Swedenborg?

Collected Works voIs 29-34 (ILN articles)

available right now for $5 per book as part of an Ignatius Press sale!

h/t to Marcel @ Mary's Aggies, a lucid writer and engaging speaker

Kewl Science

"Science can analyze a pork-chop, and say how much of it is phosphorus and how much is protein; but science cannot analyze any man's wish for a pork-chop, and say how much of it is hunger, how much custom, how much nervous fancy, how much a haunting love of the beautiful." GKC

This is very cool science and very useless. Maybe that’s why it is so cool.
Art historians are getting moist all over with this new technique, to see what lies underneath. Some have already said Van Gogh painted over old paintings because of the cost of canvas was so high. This is a perfect example of the art critic knowing nothing about the creation of art. Van Gogh was never short on money for canvas or paint, (Theo was there for him just as Pope Julius II was there for Michelangelo.) Simply looking at Vincent’s application of paint will tell you that he was not worried about his paint supply.
Artists paint over old canvases because they don’t like the work they are painting over or find it too weak to survive.

These critics/historians believe they can find the “secret” of the artists mind with this new method. They believe they will now be able to tell the Orthodox Jew what a pork chop tastes like. Oh well I guess it keeps them off the streets.

Oh yea, this is very cool too.

Catholic Convert Poets

Liam over at Sententiae et Clamores (http://trepanatus.blogspot.com/) began a discussion July 23 about Catholic convert poets (talk about a specific category!). The poets he and others cited were generally highly regarded as poets.

The list that was posted:

Denise Levertov
Gerard Many Hopkins
Thomas Merton
Oscar Wilde
Paul Claudel.

I immediately noted a certain prominent Catholic convert poet missing from the list: G. K. Chesterton.

Now I know G. K. is not known primarily for his verse, but he certainly was a prolific versifier. And some of his poems are very fine indeed. If Merton made the list, why not Chesterton?

Here’s the sonnet Chesterton wrote to celebrate his entry into the Church in 1922:

The Convert

After one moment when I bowed my head
And the whole world turned over and came upright,
And I came out where the old road shone white,
I walked the ways and heard what all men said,
Forests of tongues, like autumn leaves unshed,
Being not unlovable but strange and light;
Old riddles and new creeds, not in despite
But softly, as men smile about the dead.

The sages have a hundred maps to give
That trace their crawling cosmos like a tree,
They rattle reason out through many a sieve
That stores the sand and lets the gold go free:
And all these things are less than dust to me
Because my name is Lazarus and I live.

Other convert Catholic poets include John Dryden, John Abbott, John Henry Newman, Alfred Noyes, Siegfried Sassoon, Edith Sitwell, Dunstan Thompson, David Jones, Rolf Jacobsen, and George Mackay Brown. I’m sure there are many more.

Of course, not all of these fine folks have gained the same repute as the ones on the original list, but some of them certainly rank high as poets.

I think G. K. fits in with that distinguished poetic crew quite nicely.

Alexander Solzhenitsyn dies at 89

Alexander Solzhenitsyn, the Nobel Prize-winning Russian author whose books chronicled the horrors of dictator Josef Stalin's slave labor camps, has died of heart failure, his son said Monday. He was 89.

Stepan Solzhenitsyn told The Associated Press his father died late Sunday in Moscow, but declined further comment.

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