Shipwrecked! A Rollicking Review

A giant octopus, wild aborigines, and a devastating storm are only a few of the myriad sights and adventures we encounter in Donald Marguilies' 'Shipwrecked! The Amazing Adventure of Louis de Rougemont'. Spectators are thrilled at this play's humour and raw, vivid energy.

Showing at the Triad Stage in central Greensboro, NC, from October 14th to November 4th,  'Shipwrecked!' is enacted by only three actors: Greg Jackson as Louis de Rougemont, and Laura W. Esposito and A.Z. Kelsey as various other characters encountered in this rollicking tale. These actors throw their hearts, souls and bodies in the show with the utmost enthusiasm and energy. The result is a vivid, lively performance complete with acrobatics.

Another remarkable characteristic of the play is the beautiful quality of the narrative. Each scene is described in vivid detail and often the lines cause raucous laughter from the crowd.

The tale begins with Louis' childhood in 19th century London, and swiftly progresses to the moment when he decides to go out and see the world, leaving his overprotective mother behind. His head filled with the tall tales read to him as a boy, Louis takes up with a pearling expedition and departs for the Coral Sea, near Australia. From there, his story becomes increasingly whimsical - so much so, that when he finally returns to London, and his adventure is published, the callous public eventually tear his claims to shreds.

How much of Louis' story is true? Did his imagination run wild with the ideas of 'Robinson Crusoe' and similar tales? Or is the Coral Sea really as dangerous, exciting, and adventure filled as Mr. de Rougemont claims?

An energetic and humorous play, 'Shipwrecked!' rings with truth. Thoroughly enjoyable and creative, it is a must-see for any lover of comedy and adventure.

Literary Spotlight: 'In the Time of the Butterflies', by Julia Alvarez: Part 1

"Words repeated, distorted, words recreated by those who might bear them a grudge, words stitched to words until they are the winding sheet the family will be buried in..."

                                                          - Julia Alvarez, 'In the Time of the Butterflies'

In the first fifty-five pages of this marvellous novel, Julia Alvarez illustrates with words a picture of life in the Dominican Republic under the tyrannical reign of Rafael Trujillo. It is hauntingly well written, each character distinct, each event subtly linked in a complex progression of time. But most of all, 'In the Time of the Butterflies' is poignantly human. From grief to religious piety, from love to rebellion, each emotion can be felt deeply; young Maria Theresa's excitement, Minerva's frustration, Patria's need, all are felt within the reader.

Alvarez conveys such depth and emotion masterfully, her writing style clever and evocative. Often, clues and hints are spread throughout the chapters, leaving a reader hungering for answers. Characters are mentioned in passing, then later - perhaps even from a different point of view - fully fleshed out. The reader makes their own connections from chapter to chapter, and from each separate point of view, the story is woven together.

The story's end is hinted at heavily in the beginning, and any preliminary research will reveal the abbreviated story of the Mirabal sisters. For indeed, Alvarez did not simply make these irrepressible personages up; the four Mirabal sisters eventually became rebels in a secret underground during the dictatorship years of the Dominican Republic. Their story is embellished and expanded by Alvarez, originally of the DR herself. Adding flesh to the bones of history, she creates in our minds vivid portrayals of the Mirabal sisters, (Dede, Minerva, Maria Theresa, and Patria) as well as the struggles they face. In chapter two we meet Minerva, the first of the sisters to feel the spark of rebellion. While at convent school, she learns from a friend the ugly truth about Trujillo, and the fire is lit - in following chapters, the reader learns that she hates the church for supporting Trujillo's dictatorship, that she has questionable friends, and that her family tries and fails to suppress her rebellious attitudes. Dede, the next youngest sister, is the sole survivor out of the four, and it is written in chapter one that she deals with her grief by remembering the happy days, before strife and conflict. The baby of the family, Maria Theresa is only ten when we first begin to read entries from her Little Book, and her innocent thoughts provide a clear picture of life in the Mirabal household. However, it is in chapter four that we meet the oldest sister, Patria Mercedes, a young lady who suffers internally when love conflicts with her faith. Although the first part of the book is largely concerned with developing the characters and setting, Alvarez' glorious writing manner keep the reader enthralled and turning pages.

Though I have only just finished the first part of the book, I would definitely recommend 'In the Time of the Butterflies' to lovers of dramatic historical fiction. It paints a gripping picture of life under a dictatorship, as well as of the trials of family, love and religion. Enjoy! 

Sweet Labor

If any curious neighbor or passing friend had happened to stop by this morning, and peered into our garage, they would have found us hard at work, harvesting liquid gold from thin wooden frames.

A shiny metal honey extractor took center stage, and with great care, we began to uncap the frames. This included using a very large knife to shear off the wax that covers the full honeycomb, and trying not to lose too much honey in the process. It's harder than it looks.


Uncapping the Frames

 Then, the gooey frames were inserted into the extractor, and we began to spin. We spun and spun and spun some more, and finally, after several long minutes, honey began to gather in the bottom of the barrel, then drip out of the spigot into the waiting filter and bucket.

Into the extractor

Five frames later, honey was oozing deliciously out of the spigot. When we had scraped every last drop out of the extractor's barrel, we left the honey to drip through the filter and down into the bucket, ridding itself of wax pieces, any dirt, and the occasional unlucky bug. Soon, the honey was sealed up in jars and ready to be eaten. The final result: a golden pyramid of sunlit jars, and some very sticky fingers.