Friday, July 3, 2009  |   Madison, WI: 66.0° F  
Arts

THE PAPER / ARTS

ARTS

Frothy fun in The Philanderer by American Players Theatre

Although George Bernard Shaw's The Philanderer was one of his three Plays Unpleasant, he also subtitled it "A Topical Comedy." Let that be a tip-off to the somewhat split identity of this 1898 play. >More American Players Theatre gets big laughs with The Comedy of Errors

The opening night of The Comedy of Errors suggests why American Players Theatre is successful even in this challenging economy. Audience members are willing to drive out to Spring Green and trudge up the hill because they are guaranteed a quality performance and will often be treated to something special. >More

TELEVISION

The Great American Road Trip sends families cross-country
Car trouble

Many of us can't afford to travel this summer, but there's nothing to stop us from watching a travel series on TV. In The Great American Road Trip, families drive cross-country on Route 66, engage in a series of competitions and face weekly eliminations. >More

THEATER

Professional troupes fill the Madison Rep slot at Overture

Overture Center for the Arts has plugged the programming hole left by the defunct Madison Repertory Theatre. Its first-ever Playhouse performance series, announced June 11, will feature Milwaukee Repertory Theater and other troupes. >More What killed Madison Rep?
The end came faster than anyone expected

Just a few days ago, on May 10, the city's second-oldest theater troupe was to have completed its run of My Fair Lady, bringing a glittering 40th anniversary season to a close. Instead, Madison Repertory Theatre is dead. >More

GAMES

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 demonstrates what video games do best
PlayStation 2 & 3, PSP, Wii, Xbox 360 (Rated Everyone)

Here's how things go when I play the most addictive game so far of 2009, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10. My ball is teed up. The game shows me a flyover of the rolling fairway and greens. I can see the hungry sand bunkers, the overhanging trees that want to grab my ball, and the thirsty ponds. I see how hard the wind is blowing, and in which direction. The wind can really screw the pooch. >More

HOMEMADE

Madison Etsy explorations: Red Otter
Shopping locally online

To do lists are a daily part of my life. I have them scrambled on tiny post-its and scraps of paper, littering the dark corners of my tote bag. Sometimes I splurge and buy cute little notepads for my lists, although those tend to get used quickly as I almost invent lists just to use them. The notebooks at Red Otter would be no exception for me. >More Madison Etsy explorations: Sugar Plum Collars
Shopping locally online

I don't own a dog but the collars at Sugar Plum Collars jumped out at me no less because of it. Sewn with fabric that is bright and colorful, each one is adorable. The patterns are fun and certainly not ones that you have ever seen used for a dog collar before. A Sugar Plum collar would definitely make your pup the most unique on the block. >More

THE DAILY / ARTS

Madison Etsy explorations: Annabel's Aprons
Shopping locally online

I am not a chef; in fact I can't even say I cook. I have been known to reheat food from time to time and I make a mean cheese and crackers. That being said, I may enroll in a cooking class just to rationalize wearing one of the fabulous creations by Annabel's Aprons. >More Dave Crehore evokes enviable Wisconsin childhood in Sweet and Sour Pie

It made me laugh. It made me long for a childhood I never had, and which I sort of suspect Crehore is remembering a bit too fondly, with added saccharine. But I don't mind. The stories ring true, for the most part, and they immortalize a time and place that reflects well not just on the state but humanity. >More Lounging Around by Broom Street Theater is pleasant but transient

With Lounging Around, the folks at Broom Street Theater have achieved something remarkable: They've made the interminable wait for a delayed flight enjoyable, if not exhilarating. >More A Book a Week: An Exact Replica of a Figment of my Imagination by Elizabeth McCracken

This slim little book is about loss, specifically the loss of a baby. Too depressing, you might say? Maybe for some, but it's also about hope and about recovery. >More The Effigy Tree returns to its home on Lake Monona

The Effigy Tree has come home to Hudson Park. The installation of a bronze casting of the Harry Whitehorse sculpture concludes the latest chapter in the saga of the storied tree. >More Jealousy, harmony in The Winter's Tale at American Players Theatre

APT artistic director David Frank directs The Winter's Tale, and while this is not my favorite Shakespeare, the production is still strong and compelling. >More
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BOOKS

A Book A Week: Dumbfounded by Matt Rothschild

I'm not the first person to observe this, but you know how sometimes a movie trailer can make a movie look funny and unique, then you go see it at the theater and realize that all the best bits were in the trailer and the rest of the movie is a big disappointment? >More

ARTS

Return to Function at MMoCA is about everyday stuff
The urban pup tent

"I was very interested in the fact that people were dealing with political, economic or everyday issues," says Madison Museum of Contemporary Art curator Jane Simon of the exhibition Return to Function, which she organized. "It's kind of a radical notion when juxtaposed with other aspects of contemporary art." >More Eight to know: In praise of Madison artists you may have missed

You can probably name the prominent players on Madison's arts scene. But they'd be the first to say that the local culture doesn't begin and end with them. Madison is a thriving and growing center for the arts, thanks to our many galleries, music venues and performance outlets, to say nothing of the cultural riches shared with us by our colleges and schools. >More
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