Mountain Views News          Saturday, May 21, 2011

9

ARTS & ENTERTAIMENT

 Mountain Views News Saturday, May 21, 2011 


CAT’S CRADLE (a Mystery), by Leslie Sands

SEAN’S SHAMELESS 

REVIEWS: 

Wild Beasts

Review by Despina Tsiknas-Arzouman

The biggest mystery I had to get past was that 
this play was not an adaptation based on the 
book with the same title (Cat’s Cradle) by Kurt 
Vonnegut. That being said, I was then able to 
relax into enjoying this story (written by Britsh 
playwrite, Leslie Sands) beginning to unfold. 
It is about an unsolved mystery of a long-ago 
kidnapping of a little boy, from a small village, 
whose body was never found.

A young woman (Sarah Fulton, played by April 
Morrow) was about to marry a very wealthy 
young man after a whirlwind of courtship. It 
was the social event of the year. And strange 
as it may be, the investigator of the unsolved 
kidnapping (Jack Frost, splendidly played by 
Robert Pescovitz) coincidentally returned to 
the scene during this timing. Inspector Frost, 
(portrayed in a similar tradition as Sherlock 
Holmes) considered the unsolved disappearance 
of the infant boy as the greatest failure of his 
career. However, despite the fact that the mystery 
was never solved, Frost finds that no one in the 
village is particularly willing to cooperate with 
him – though there is evidence in everyone’s 
behavior that such unwillingness to cooperate is 
exposing the possibility that something has been 
hidden all these years.

This is a classic “who done it,” and if you enjoy 
such mysteries as portrayed in the Miss Marple 
series, or Murder She Wrote, you’ll love this play. 
Of course, one shouldn’t even try to compare 
live theatre with watching a television program, 
so just on that note, may I suggest making your 
reservations today to see this play before it ends 
(on June 4th). You’ll appreciate the intrigue 
and startling conclusion, and then perhaps go 
deep within and ponder the deep moral issues 
surrounding the case.

Bill Mesnick, the director of Cat’s Cradle did a 
wonderful job and has directed several shows at 
the Sierra Madre Playhouse over the years. And 
I always find myself being (not only pleased) but 
amazed with how the stage setting / construction, 
lighting effects,stage management, costuming, 
and etc. are so effective in framing the plays 
presented in this theatre’s small stage. Bravo to 
the entire production crew for their marvelous 
efforts.

Cat’s Cradle was written by Leslie Sands (1921-
2001)in 1983, and had a busy career as an actor 
on British television, appeared in many feature 
films, acted on stage including a stint with the 
Royal Shakespeare Company. 

Finally, even though I saw this play on opening 
night, it is noteworthy to be able to feel-see the 
hard artistic work which every actor puts into 
their character portrayal. Everyone was great!

CAT’S CRADLE is playing at the Sierra Madre 
Playhouse through Saturday, June 4th. General 
Admission is $20; Seniors and students: $17, 
Children 12 and under: $12. Don’t miss this 
show. Tickets and reservations can be made 
by calling (626) 355-4318, or online at www.
sierramadreplayhouse.org. 


WILD 
BEASTS 
make their 
ceremonious 
return with, 
“Smother”; 
the band’s 
third and most 
accomplish work to date. On their previous 
record, “Two Dancers”, the band demonstrated 
their buoyant, unorthodox, and sexually 
idiosyncrasy side. This time around, Wild Beasts 
present a much mellower, focused approach 
to their unconventional elegance. Instead of 
simply attempting to recapture the magic of past 
efforts, the UK quartet dive head first into an 
ocean of uncharted musical territory. “Smother” 
is dazzling, vividly trenched with imagery 
and transcendental. This is a monumental 
achievement for a relatively under-the-radar 
band that continues to push the envelope 
with each record. Their undeniably boundless 
talents are once again exhibited in such a stellar, 
uncompromising, and poignant way. 

 With “Smother”, washed away is both 
their old quirkiness and outrageousness leading 
to a more mature, austere demeanor. One cannot 
help, but sense that their overall soundscape has 
become so divined, graceful, and endearing. Wild 
Beasts features two singers, Hayden Thorpe, who 
parades such seductive intonations and bassist 
Tom Fleming, whose voice is much deeper 
and masculine than his counterpart. Despite 
the contrast, their vocals blend seamlessly 
well together. In the standout track, “Invisible”, 
Fleming’s vocals are on full display. “The things 
I thought I’d want/They vanish one by one” is 
sung in a painstakingly wailing sort of manner. 
It’s not foolishly sentimental, but deeply affecting 
and presented reflectively. With the other gem, 
“Reach A Bit Further”, Thorpe and Fleming share 
the center stage, dishing out gorgeous vocal 
arrangements back and forth with the end results 
being irrefutably superb. 

 “Smother” is tightly produced, 
atmospheric and a grand showcase of utter 
originality and creativity beyond the means of 
anything currently polluting the airwaves. Such 
brilliance and bravado are soaked within the 
confines of this record. The album will speak 
volumes to you in ways most compilations 
could only imagine to ever do. The heart and 
pulse of “Smother” beats methodically, gently, 
and cautiously. However, there is always a sense 
of impending doom on the horizon. A feeling 
of something imploding feels very close on the 
verge. To listen to the album in its entirety (the 
way it should be experienced) will place you on 
a voyage of awe and wonder. It unravels slowly, 
but what becomes fleshed out is something 
persuasively beautiful, terrifyingly imaginative, 
and artistically innovative. Wild Beasts are simply 
more than just a band to watch out for. This is 
an ensemble that continually cultivates inventive 
music with such significance and intrepidness. 
Not only does it set them apart from the others, 
but also clearly puts them ahead by leaps and 
bounds. 

Sean Kayden


The Book Report


Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life 

in the Void by Mary Roach

“America’s funniest science writer” (Washington Post) returns to explore 
the irresistibly strange universe of life without gravity in this New York 
Times bestseller. Space is a world devoid of the things we need to live 
and thrive: air, gravity, hot showers, fresh produce, privacy, beer. Space 
exploration is in some ways an exploration of what it means to be 
human. How much can a person give up? How much weirdness can 
they take? What happens to you when you can’t walk for a year? have 
sex? smell flowers? What happens if you vomit in your helmet during 
a space walk? Is it possible for the human body to survive a bailout at 
17,000 miles per hour? To answer these questions, space agencies set 
up all manner of quizzical and startlingly bizarre space simulations. 
As Mary Roach discovers, it’s possible to preview space without ever 
leaving Earth. From the space shuttle training toilet to a crash test of 
NASA’s new space capsule (cadaver filling in for astronaut), Roach takes 
us on this surreal and entertaining trip into the science of life in space 
and space on Earth.

The Silent Sea (The Oregon Files) by 

Clive Cussler & Jack Du Brul 

This 7th Oregon Files adventure begins on December 7, 1941, when 
five boys find tragedy while looking for buried pirate treasure on an 
island near Washington State. The novel then takes us to the present with 
Captain Juan Cabrillo, of the ship Oregon (a high tech ship posing as a 
tramp freighter), who is in Argentina with his amazing crew, attempting 
to recover a downed NASA satellite. While there Juan stumbles on 
something very different, and soon he’s chasing after the secrets of an 
ancient curse and a secret base in Antarctica. Fast paced with lots of fun, 
the latest Cabrillo novel delivers the adventure Cussler’s fans have come 
to expect. Cabrillo himself who shares his name with a 16th century 
Portuguese explorer, makes a great hero, very smart and two fisted. 
The book is full of action, high tech gadgetry , and exploration. Very 
entertaining!


Acting classes for REAL people, at the...
Join the “FOR THE LOVE OF ACTING” class.
Saturdays 2:00 to 5:00pm on our STAGE. No experience necessary! 
NEW BEGINNERS class starts APRIL 02. 
For reservations and class info, call June Chandler (626) 355-4572