Rudi Krause, Thoughts on THIS WONDERFUL LIFE

To Dan:

Just home from watching "This Wonderful Life". In watching you, Dan, I could always see two faces, hear two voices: the character you were portraying at the time, and your own. Sometimes the former was stronger, clearer; sometimes the latter. I know you could have made the characters (pre)dominate. But the interplay between the characters in the story and the story-teller himself was fascinating to watch; it drew me in and engaged me so that I was able to see my own face as well. I was able to identify with George more and better than when watching the movie. A fabulous, riveting, endearing, moving performance; it added depth and substance to a story which is pretty darn great in itself. Well done.

Further reflections:

The movie ends and so does the play; but not George Bailey's wonderful life. The money in the basket is used up. Another baby is born (a colicky one at that). Mr. Potter doesn't die for some time. The kids grow up and get into trouble of one kind or another. Mary gets sick, seriously ill. Does that mean that George's life was only wonderful on that one memorable Christmas?

No, as Dan reminds us in the play: it's not about Christmas; it's about all the other days. And all those other days (past and future) make up George's wonderful life. Of course, he doesn't it think it's wonderful all the time. He may have learned an important lesson under Clarence's lovely tutelage. But there will be days when that lesson will have faded, will be forgotten.

Our lives are wonderful not when and because we think they are wonderful. They are wonderful. Period. And it's not because we are stupid or fallen that we don't usually acknowledge that fundamental, mysterious truth. It's simply because we are human and limited. The weather changes; the sun doesn't always shine; time cycles through the seasons. To everything there is a season - including the recognition and the celebration that life is wonderful and beautiful.


Rudi Krause is a Pacific Theatre subscriber and a poet. I've read a couple of his pieces at Christmas Presence, unforeseen and one way

Dec 19: Sutherland Christmas Presence credits

ACT ONE

Nelson Boschman Trio – O Tannenbaum

Ron Reed - Robert Farrar Capon: Advent
Michael Hart - All Hail And Welcome

Ron Reed – Dina Donohue: No Room At The Inn

Garth Bowen - Go Tell It on The Mountain

Ron Reed - Garrison Keillor: The Seven Principles of a Successful Christmas

Garth Bowen - God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen

Ron Reed – Frederic Buechner: The Face In The Sky
sheree plett & eisenhauer – what child is this

Michael Hart - Come Thou Long Expected Jesus

Ron Reed - Sufjan Stevens: Christmas Tube Socks
Nelson Boschman - Star Of Wonder (Sufjan Stevens)
Ron Reed – Tom Carson: Snow Angel
sheree plett & eisenhauer – time of year

ACT TWO

Nelson Boschman Trio – Joy To The World

Ron Reed – Luci Shaw: Presents

Ben Goheen - Ave Maria

Garth Bowen - White Christmas
Ron Reed - David Sedaris: Santa's Little Helper

Michael Hart - Light Of The Stable

sheree plett & eisenhauer – oh emmanuel

Ron Reed – Ron Reed: It's A Wonderful Life
Nelson Boschman - O Come O Come Emmanuel
Ron Reed - Frederic Buechner: excerpt from Emmanuel

sheree plett & Eisenhauer - Silent Night


Some of these readings and several others are posted at Oblations

Dec 15: Valley Christmas Presence credits

ACT ONE

Nelson Boschman Trio – I Saw Three Ships
Ron Reed - Robert Farrar Capon: Advent
Michael Hart - Si Nous Marchons

Ron Reed / band – Blue Xmas / Blue Train
Ron Reed – Luci Shaw: Presents

Carolyn Arends - Christmas Must Be Tonight

Ron Reed – Frederic Buechner: The Face In The Sky
sheree plett & eisenhauer – what child is this

Carolyn Arends - It Was A Holy Night

Arnica Skulstad-Brown - Mike Mason: Christmas In July

Nelson Boschman - Star Of Wonder (Sufjan Stevens)
Ron Reed – Tom Carson: Snow Angel
sheree plett & eisenhauer – time of year

ACT TWO

Michael Hart - O Holy Night

Ron Reed - Lawrence Ferlinghetti: Christ Climbed Down

sheree plett & eisenhauer - I Will Not Let Go

Arnica Skulstad-Brown - Annie Dillard: God In The Doorway

Carolyn Arends -

sheree plett & eisenhauer – oh emmanuel

Ron Reed – Ron Reed: It's A Wonderful Life
Nelson Boschman - O Come O Come Emmanuel
Ron Reed - Frederic Buechner: excerpt from Emmanuel

Carolyn Arends - Is Bethlehem Too Far Away?
Michael Hart - O Come All Ye Faithful

*

Some of these Christmas readings and others can be found at Oblations

Dec 11: Christmas Presence at Holy Trinity credits

Featuring The Gallery Singers, Sara Ciantar (organ), Trish Pattenden and Ron Reed

ACT ONE
Ron & Trish - Charles Dickens: Scrooge & His Nephew
Gallery Singers- Es nacido
Trish - Scripture: The Annunciation
ALL - Joy To The World
Ron - Scripture: The Birth
Gallery Singers - O Magnum / Nino Dios
Trish - Hans Christian Andersen: The Little Match Girl
ALL - The First Noel
Ron - Scripture: The Magi
ALL - O Come All Ye Faithful
Gallery Singers - Convidando esta la noche

ACT TWO
Gallery Singers - I Saw Three Ships
Trish - Scripture: The Shepherds
ALL - Away In A Manger
Ron - Charles Dickens: Seven Poor Travelers
Gallery Singers - Guastavino / Medina / Pereira
Ron - David Kossoff: Seth
ALL: Hark The Herald Angels Sing
Trish - Robert Louis Stevenson: Christmas Prayer
Gallery Singers - We Wish You A Merry Christmas
Ron - Dylan Thomas: A Child's Christmas In Wales
ALL: Silent Night

Dec 10: Christmas Presence credits

ACT ONE

Nelson Boschman Trio – I Saw Three Ships
Verve Collective – Rudolph / Frosty Medley

Ron Reed / band – Blue Xmas / Blue Train
Ron Reed – Luci Shaw: Presents
Verve Collective – The Christmas Song

Ron Reed – Frederic Buechner: The Face In The Sky
sheree plett & eisenhauer – what child is this
Ron Reed - Wayne Harrel: The Camels Of Ancient Yore

Nelson Boschman Trio – Angels We Have Heard On High

Becky Branscom – Annie Dillard: God In The Doorway

Verve Collective – Let It Snow!
Ron Reed – Tom Carson: Snow Angel
sheree plett & eisenhauer – time of year

ACT TWO

Verve Collective – Angels We Have Heard on High
Ron Reed – Dina Donohue: No Room At The Inn

Tom Pickett: Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

Richard Osler & Holly Burke – poetry

Verve Collective – Carol of the Bells
Nelson Boschman - Star Of Wonder (Sufjan Stevens)

sheree plett & eisenhauer – oh emmanuel

Ron Reed – Ron Reed: It's A Wonderful Life
Nelson Boschman - O Come O Come Emmanuel
Ron Reed - Frederic Buechner: excerpt from Emmanuel

Verve Collective – Silent Night
Ron Reed - Robert Louis Stevenson: Christmas Prayer

*

THE PLAYERS

Bit of a jazz flavour tonight, especially with Verve Collective as our featured performers. Some PT fans will know this swinging a capella squadron from our 2007 Valentines Gala at the Vancouver Art Gallery. They came our way through friend-of-Pacific-Theatre and Collective member Jennifer Nagel, but alas we won't be hearing from Jennifer tonight: in the spirit of the Nativity season, she's taking time off to raise her new little baby!

Like the fabled MacNamara, jazz pianist Nelson Boschman is the leader of our Christmas Presence house band: his Mennonite Jazz Committee (love that moniker) just released a brand new Christmas CD, "Dawn Of Grace," and The Nelson Boschman Trio put out "Keeping Time: Volume 02" this fall – like Volume 01 (which includes my great favourites "Song For Ordinary Time" and "Jerusalem Hymn") the recordings are structured around the liturgical calendar, and the new one features quite a few Advent / Christmas / Epiphany numbers. You can order either of the Keeping Time cds or buy downloads of specific songs at the CSCSS website. I'm not sure where you can buy the MJC recordings (apart from the PT lobby at Christmas Presence), but if I find out from NeBo, I'll be sure to let you know. Also in the band we had Brett Ziegler on keyboards, Kenton Wiens and Rick Colhoun on drums and percussion, and Becca Robertson on bass.

sheree plett and Eisenhauer (that's her husband Jeremy) have just put out a brand new Christmas cd called "Lights Used To Shine" – and hey, there's even a dedication "to everyone at christmas presence – without them this album would probably not exist." My. That feels good. sher and jer (along with the band) are pretty much our "artists in residence" this Christmas: they'll be playing with us again Dec 10 at PT, Dec 15 in the valley and Dec 19 on the North Shore.

Musically, we'll also be joined by Pacific Theatre regular Tom Pickett, who you've seen onstage in memorable shows like DRIVING MISS DAISY, TENT MEETING, MASTER HAROLD & THE BOYS and plenty of others.

And Richard Osler is back with us again following his Christmas Presence debut last year, and this time he's joined by musician Holy Burke. We love to feature poets on our stage – doing what we can to preserve endangered species – and if you haven't read it, and have a heart for Africa, you may want to check out his book "Again, No More: Poems Of Africa." Carolyn Arends has posted several of Richard's Africa poems and stories in her online journal. For copies of his book (which includes a cd of the poet reading his own work), contact Richard directly at osler@shaw.ca


For other Christmas readings, check out Oblations

Dec 9: Christmas Presence credits

ACT ONE
Nelson Boschman & the band - I Saw Three Ships
Garth Bowen – God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
Ron Reed – William Nicholson: Christmas Drinks Party
Sara Ciantar – How Long
Ron Reed – Charles Dickens: Seven Poor Travellers
sheree plett & eisenhauer – lights used to shine
Luci Shaw – The Overshadow, Virgin, Madonna and Child with Saints
Karly Warkentin – a new song for Christmas Presence
Ron Reed – Frederic Buechner: The Face In The Sky
sheree plett & eisenhauer – what child is this
Ron Reed - Wayne Harrel: The Camels Of Ancient Yore (as told by a forgetful Grandmother, c1600)
Garth Bowen – Go Tell It On The Mountain

ACT TWO
Nelson Boschman & the band – Christmas Time Is Here
sheree plett & eisenhauer – cloak room
Luci Shaw - Madeleine L'Engle: The Tree
Luci Shaw – Mary's Song
Garth Bowen – White Christmas
Ron Reed – David Sedaris: Santa's Little Helper
sheree plett & eisenhauer – oh emmanuel
Ron Reed – Ron Reed: It's A Wonderful Life
James Lamb – O Come O Come Emmanuel
Ron Reed - Frederic Buechner: excerpt from Emmanuel
Garth Bowen – Alleluia
Ron Reed - David Kossoff: excerpt from Seth

*

THE PLAYERS

Luci Shaw was our special guest last night, driving in all the way from that o so little town of Bellingham just to read us her poems, and one by her dear friend Madeleine L'Engle. Her brand new collection of Christmas and other incarnational poems, Accompanied by Angels, is available at the Regent Bookstore, as is her classic anthology of Christmas pieces by various poets A Widening Light, which includes the L'Engle poem Luci read for us.

Like the fabled MacNamara, jazz pianist Nelson Boschman is the leader of our Christmas Presence house band: his Mennonite Jazz Committee (love that moniker) just released a brand new Christmas CD, "Dawn Of Grace," and The Nelson Boschman Trio put out "Keeping Time: Volume 02" this fall – like Volume 01 (which includes my great favourites "Song For Ordinary Time" and "Jerusalem Hymn") the recordings are structured around the liturgical calendar, and the new one features quite a few Advent / Christmas / Epiphany numbers. You can order either of the Keeping Time cds or buy downloads of specific songs at the CSCSS website. I'm not sure where you can buy the MJC recordings (apart from the PT lobby at Christmas Presence), but if I find out from NeBo, I'll be sure to let you know. Also in the band we had Brett Ziegler on keyboards, Kenton Wiens and Rick Colhoun on drums and percussion, and Becca Robertson on bass.

sheree plett and Eisenhauer (that's her husband Jeremy) have just put out a brand new Christmas cd called "Lights Used To Shine" – and hey, there's even a dedication "to everyone at christmas presence – without them this album would probably not exist." My. That feels good. sher and jer (along with the band) are pretty much our "artists in residence" this Christmas: they'll be playing with us again Dec 10 at PT, Dec 15 in the valley and Dec 19 on the North Shore.

New to the line-up were three members of baroque folk ensemble Wicker Robot; Karly Warkentin, Sara Ciantar and James Lamb. Karly even wrote a new song for (and sort of about) Christmas Presence. Wow. Wish we'd been recording! The amazing Sara Ciantar not only has a cd ("How Long") produced by one of our two little drummer boys, Rick Colhoun, but she'll be playing the pipe organ at our Traditional Christmas Presence in the Holy Trinity sanctuary Tuesday December 11. Crazy talented.

Garth Bowen is a seasoned Christmas Presence veteran, and goes back even further, to a time before there even was a Christmas Presence – Garth and I were both in the cast of PT's very first production of COTTON PATCH GOSPEL at the Richmond Gateway. He's currently working on a Christmas cd, but in the meantime you can hear his marvelous "Alleluia" on the Pacific Theatre "Christmas Presence" cd.

For other Christmas readings, check out Oblations

Dec 8 closing: THE ECSTASY OF RITA JOE

With Lisa Ravensbergen as Rita Joe...