Siege - Days 85, 86, 87, and (if I haven't lost count) 88

Where was I?

Oh, yeah, life and theater career during this coronavirus siege and this historical moment:

1)  Texas is not presently winning this siege: all the measurements are rising...  Dallas County has a record-breaking 312 new cases of Covid19, is up to 277 deaths and 13,257 total cases while more hospital beds are filling - a record 373 patients at this moment - and 25% of all emergency room visits now are for virus-like symptoms.

2)  So, like a dope, yesterday was the day I decided to have a long business meeting with someone who has not been living in a decontaminated bell jar (i.e. any human on the planet).  It was a great meeting and held outdoors with as much space as possible between us... which, really, why don't we each have our own nice safe bell jar, huh?  Oh, yeah, because even without one we flirted with heat exhaustion by the end.  That's why.  

Still, a very good meeting about a possible new show to design.  Hypnotism!  Cool.

3)  Meanwhile, in the horrible world of politics, our Prez is vowing to crack down on protesters - what was I thinking? on "ANTIFA!" and"ANARCHISTS!" - in Seattle where, as best I understand, peaceful protesters against police violence have renamed the (temporarily closed) police substation the "Seattle PEOPLE'S Station" and have occupied a few blocks where they are camping, cooking hot dogs, and having Movie Night.  How terrifying.  (This seems to be something Seattle-ites do now and then and, honestly, from my distant view it all sounds like quite wholesome granola-crunchy-goodness.  I bet those hot dogs are vegan.  Anyway, I guess the police are now politely asking if the detectives can please go back and sit at their desks now, because, you know, that's where all their crime files are and stuff.)  Just terrifying.

Also the Prez was in Dallas yesterday for a big fund raiser and some big threats.  Strangely, none of our black police chiefs, mayors etc. attended.  Weird.

4)  Oh, and the stock exchange cratered again.  For anyone with a 401K looking toward retirement this is... upsetting.

5)  But tomatoes are ripening.  Two big ones.

NOT MY TOMATOES - These are stand-in, stunt, public domain photo tomatoes

6)   I'm still feeling all dehydrated from yesterday's outdoor meeting - am applying drinks and popsicles.  Just a good thing I don't earn my living as a roofer, that's all.  Roofers out there?  Respect.  Also respect to anyone who picks tomatoes, out in the hot sun.  

7)  Returning to the coronavirus theme of the beginning of this post, the internet has just delivered to me a coolo UV wand/lamp kinda gadget to decontaminate with.  I have turned an old enameled bread box into a UV decontamination chamber for used face masks etc.  Very mad scientist.

Siege - Days 81, 82, 83 and 84

I suspect some of the protesters in DC who were gassed and shot at earlier in the week found this weekend's influx of protests by families with kids a little... disconcerting.  "This is not a carnival!" someone cried out to the ice cream eaters.  Because it is hard to think that protesters with kids and ice creams are taking the serious situation quite as seriously.

But, you know, I think having the protests reinforced by ordinary families, regular usually-stay-home people is significant.  A good sign.  For one thing, police and National Guards are less likely to resort to violence with kids in the crowd.  Also I LOVE that the president's playpen fencing is getting decorated by the protesters, turning into a shrine to justice, to black lives, to freedom of assembly.  (Assembling a collage? Go for it!)  Most important, it means that regular not-too-political folks are taking this to heart.  All this in the middle of a pandemic remember - there may be ice cream carts, but this is still taken seriously.

Wholesale public acceptance - that is how change happens.

The abuse of authority and power has to change.  

And, as grim as I felt when I wrote my last post, I think I still managed to underestimate the built-in racism and violence in the police culture generally.  The police have to be reformed massively.  Reconsidered from the ground up.  No more George Floyds should die.

So vote that way!  Vote local.  Vote national.

Siege - Days 78, 79, and 80

I labeled this coronavirus diary "Siege" as a joke - me in my comfy home bunker, waiting out a pandemic, cuddling books for comfort, talking theater and tomatoes.

Well, by Day 80, it's got Real.

A cop forces his knee into George Floyd's neck.  Mr. Floyd is black so, though it's broad daylight with witnesses with cameras pleading for his life, hey! this is a Bad Cop.  He has power, he misuses it.

Politicians find ways to depress the other party's votes - gerrymandering, crowded polling stations in the middle of a pandemic, no mail-in ballots, whatever.  Pressing a knee on "the Black vote," "the Latino vote," the anyone-who-might-not-vote-for-us vote. They have power, they misuse it.

A little man in a white house wants foreigners out of the country - close airports! kids in cages! -  wants riches - tax cuts! emoluments! - wants to walk across a street to use a church as a backdrop - force out protesters!  (Because it was a little embarrassing when news got out about him hiding in the basement from protesters - "inspecting" his bunker.)  This little man needs to be seen "dominating" the "battlespace." *  So he has legal, peaceful protesters - and clergy handing out water bottles - forced out using horses, tear gas, and rubber bullets.  He has power, he misuses it. 

(He doesn't use that Bible though.  Is he holding it right?  He looks uncomfortable, more used to grabbing other things maybe.)

But it's not just wielders of power who betray our country.  How about those who don't use it?  Representatives who could vote to impeach but don't.  (The little man huddles in his bunker, possibly clutching his tie for comfort, because you see that in videos all the time, a weird pet-the-cat gesture he has.)  Or senators who don't vote to remove him.  (Probably clutching that tie in his basement, possibly sucking his thumb, certainly watching Fox News "riot" footage and ab-so-lutely tweeting.)  They have power, they won't risk it. 

There is no excuse.

These people have to GO.  

Today George Floyd is buried.  There seems to be a real investigation starting of his death. The bravest of the Vichy politicians are starting to explain how hard it is to support the little man cowering in the basement of his white house.  Maybe they will grow a little braver.  Nothing will change the man himself - he is so very little... there's no room. 

But there's room outside!  People protest in front of their White House.  We-the-People are marching all around the country, chanting, and sometimes dancing a little, sometimes talking police into kneeling with them.  (There are many good police and good soldiers, kneeling or not, just as there are politicians dedicated to the people.  And good - if rather dim - people with privilege are figuring things out at last.)  Those of us who can't march are talking, writing, explaining, calling...  And if you aren't, start now.

Let's fire all the people who misuse power - every cop, politician, general, president.  Let's make our more perfect union NOW - one that's just no matter the color of your skin.  No matter your gender or orientation or religion or wealth.  

Let's dump ALL the damn tea in the harbor.

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peacefully to assemble, and to petition the Government for the redress of grievances.  

*Those words alone betray any oath to uphold the Constitution - damn that Defense Secretary anyway.  And he's not the worst of 'em.  By far.

Siege - Days 76 and 77

Terrible times...

The country is literally in flames.  Long time, deeply embedded injustices are scraped bare by the cruelties of this modern presidency, the danger of the pandemic, the sharp economic drop that falls unevenly across our society.

Hard to know what to do.

Voting in a president who won't cower in the White House bunker seems like a good start.

The White House - elevation by Benjamin Henry Latrobe.  Pre-bunker.

November is a long, long way off though...

Siege - Day 75

Saturday!  And pretty weather.

Oh, and here finally is the color version of that birthday certificate that took all those days.  Now in a gold frame, trucking its way westward toward the birthday party.  Be safe!

copyright Clare Floyd DeVries

Siege - Days 69-74

I love the typo-title of my last post!  It was not, however, actually Day 64068... it just felt like it.

Since then?

Well, my companion in coronavirus-safety is now back at the official office.  Although doing as much as personally possible to stay safe, some of his clients - first responders! - are requiring in-person meetings and not social distancing or wearing masks or taking this health threat at all seriously.  One Head of Response to Epidemics says that since it's mostly those folks catching it and he's a healthy not-old white guy he's not worried.

So that's good.

(Insert horrified face emoji here... maybe that face from The Scream?  Or this innocent below - This is How I feel All the Forking Time lately.  The world has gone mad.)

public domain image of me, being shocked, all the time

If Texas survives this plague I swear it will only be because of the heat of our weather saved us in spite of ourselves.

Meanwhile the Texas sun is ripening my tomatoes.  We've eaten, so far: 3 lovely ripe cherry tomatoes and 1 big tomato! (Okay, slightly bigger than ping pong ball sized.  Delicious.)

I've been continuing with writing and finishing up that colored birthday map and listening to Masterclasses... right now I'm listening to director Ron Howard.  

Every theater director should listen to Ron Howard's segments on collaboration.  Especially toward the beginning of "Collaboration Part I" where he explains the proper relationship between the director-as-decider and the creative team - which in film includes the director of photography (who does lighting too) and the production designer and composer etc.  I'm paraphrasing here, but it amounts to the director knowing the effect they want, then freeing the design team to make suggestions that get really listened to.  A collaborative director multiplies their imagination and problem solving abilities.  And - my favorite part! - the director should strongly retain their roll of ultimate chooser and decider... because that frees the designers to spitball and make crazy suggestions, knowing that these will be evaluated sensibly.  YES!  That freedom is worth gold.  THAT is the attitude that I, as a designer, hope for in a director.

So the Ron Howard class is great so far.  Steve Martin's was also very good - focused on standup comedy mainly, but with a lot of insight into writing too.  His comments on films like Roxanne were enlightening.  Honestly, I haven't hit a dud class yet.

Neverending Siege? - Days 64068

The big project lately - which has shoved all others off my board as I desperately try to make a deadline - is a big hand drawn and colored birthday certificate.

(I just hope Blogger will let me upload this... it's been cranky and difficult lately... which is why that last post had no illustration.)

Here goes...

So far so good - the photo loaded to the page, we'll see if it loads to the website.

What you should see is the B&W under-drawing.

Otherwise... Well, there hasn't really been any otherwise, just this for the last week.  

Though we did risk a barbeque run yesterday - take out, of course.  The BBQ was very tasty, but we won't be going back to that BBQ joint again until the virus situation calms down.  They just didn't have their act together.  I was one of only two people out of twelve wearing a mask correctly (the bartender had hers protecting her chin and eight had no mask at all).  There was some space between people, but in spite of ordering and paying ahead by phone, I still had to wait a long time in line (with the unmasked lady who said she was going to spread word of their food - and virus possibly - when she went home to Nashville).  And I still had to use their grubby pen to sign my receipt, so what was the point?  And open several doors.  Just not good enough.

Frankly, I think we're in trouble here in Dallas.  (And Nashville will be shortly.)

Seriously people!  Take this pandemic seriously.  Wear a mask at least, for everyone else's sake.

Siege - Day 63

Oh, this is great!

The BBC has released a bunch of documentary photos of their sets for people to use as Zoom backgrounds... a scenic design dream!

BBC's "The Joy of Sets"  HERE.