The greatest perk

The greatest perk, among countless others, that comes from loving someone right now, just exactly as they are, instead of waiting for them to change, is that you get to love someone right now!

50th Season for Metro Theater in Vancouver

Congratulations to  Metro Theatre on the start of their 50th season. For 50 years the actors, producers, directors of this theatre have entertained thousands of people. They still are one of the best, and cheapest nights our for live Theatre in Vancouver. I consider the opportunities I get to go to Metro Theatre to be one of the highlights of my year.  Metro Theatre has been in Vancouver for 50 years and that says something about the quality of the performances given by this Theatre. 

I have never been disappointed by a play that I have seen at this theatre. So I am encouraging all of you who enjoy live theatre to make a point of going to see the first show of this their 50th season, (or any show of the season), if you can.  

If you live in the Vancouver area,  Metro Theatre has a wonderful season upcoming, if you are going to visit Vancouver then I recommend you try to take in a play. You will be entertained.  To get tickets phone the Box Office  604-266-719. Ticket prices Adult $25, Seniors and Students $20

===================================================================

Metro Theatre is proud to announce its 50th season with something for everyone! The first play of the season is:
Relatively Speaking  by Alan Ayckbourn,  Directed by -John Crittenden

This production will run from:
August 25th—September 22nd  ( Thursday, Friday and Saturdays only with two Sunday Matinee's on Sept 9^th and 16^th) Curtain 8PM, Matinees 2PM

Relatively Speaking opened at the Duke Of York’s Theatre, London, on 29 March 1967. The majority of critics fell over themselves to praise the production. True, it was considered insubstantial and slight, but this did not stop the plaudits for the quality of the piece; Alan’s dialogue, Nigel Patrick’s direction and the cast were rewarded with high praise. Alan’s fortunes had turned and the play would continue to generate excellent reviews in the coming weeks as the periodicals were published.

"I regard Relatively Speaking as a comedy. The plot is devious but doesn't really fulfil those desperate and anarchical requirements that would qualify it as a farce." (Personal correspondence,  Alan  Ayckbourn , 16 January 1986)

Here are extracts from many of the major reviews of the London premiere of the play.

Daily Express (Herbert Kretzmer)

Almost continuous laughter last night augers well for the commercial future of this cleverly judged comedy. It is bound to attract a large middlebrow audience and will deserve such success.

Daily Mail (Peter Lewis)

Unashamed, artificial, laugh-a-line comedy with no message or significance whatsoever…. Unlike most clockwork comedies, this one clicks and fizzes to the very end.

Daily Telegraph (W.A. Darlington)

If you want to see how brilliant light-comedy acting and production can make a charming evening’s entertainment out of a basically silly play, go to the Duke Of York’s and see Relatively Speaking…. Where then, lies the trouble? Simply in the fact that the author has to labour like an old-fashioned convict to prevent any of his characters from speaking the one line of sensible explanation that would clear up the mistake and bring the play to a premature end.

Evening Standard (Milton Shulman)

Slight, tenuous and too fragile for rational analysis. Relatively Speaking emerges as the funniest trick of the season.

Metro is next to the Arthur Lang Bridge, Vancouver and there is plenty of easy parking.

One of the charms of the Metro Theatre is the Metro Lounge, where after the show, the cast always shows up to meet and talk to the audience members who are in the Lounge. So be sure to visit the The Metro Lounge after the show, meet your friends, and to meet the cast. 

Today is a special day

From About.com
 Leap Year has been the traditional time that women can propose marriage. In many of today's cultures, it is okay for a woman to propose marriage to a man. Society doesn't look down on such women. However, that hasn't always been the case. When the rules of courtship were stricter, women were only allowed to pop the question on one day every four years. That day was February 29th.

St. Bridget's Complaint
It is believed this tradition was started in 5th century Ireland when St. Bridget complained to St. Patrick about women having to wait for so long for a man to propose. According to legend, St. Patrick said the yearning females could propose on this one day in February during the leap year.

February 29th in English Law
According to English law, February 29th was ignored and had no legal status. Folks assumed that traditions would also have no status on that day. It was also reasoned that since the leap year day existed to fix a problem in the calendar, it could also be used to fix an old and unjust custom that only let men propose marriage.

The first documentation of this practice dates back to 1288, when Scotland supposedly passed a law that allowed women to propose marriage to the man of their choice in that year. Tradition states they also made it law that any man who declined a proposal in a leap year must pay a fine. The fine could range from a kiss to payment for a silk dress or a pair of gloves.

Sadie Hawkins Day
In the United States, some people have referred to the first Saturday in November as Sadie Hawkins Day with women being given the right to run after unmarried men to propose.

Sadie Hawkins was a female character in the Al Capp comic strip Li'l Abner. Many communities prefer to celebrate Sadie Hawkins Day in November because Al Capp first mentioned Sadie Hawkins Day on November 15, 1937.  However Sadie Hawkins day became associated with Leap Year.

Spiritual Growth: the Spiritual Challenge of Modern Times

To grow spiritually in a world defined by power, money, and influence is a Herculean task. Modern conveniences such as electronic equipments, gadgets, and tools as well as entertainment through television, magazines, and the web have predisposed us to confine our attention mostly to physical needs and wants. As a result, our concepts of self-worth and self-meaning are muddled. How can we strike a balance between the material and spiritual aspects of our lives?

To grow spiritually is to look inward.

Introspection goes beyond recalling the things that happened in a day, week, or month. You need to look closely and reflect on your thoughts, feelings, beliefs, and motivations. Periodically examining your experiences, the decisions you make, the relationships you have, and the things you engage in provide useful insights on your life goals, on the good traits you must sustain and the bad traits you have to discard. Moreover, it gives you clues on how to act, react, and conduct yourself in the midst of any situation. Like any skill, introspection can be learned; all it takes is the courage and willingness to seek the truths that lie within you. Here are some pointers when you introspect: be objective, be forgiving of yourself, and focus on your areas for improvement.

To grow spiritually is to develop your potentials.

Religion and science have differing views on matters of the human spirit. Religion views people as spiritual beings temporarily living on Earth, while science views the spirit as just one dimension of an individual. Mastery of the self is a recurring theme in both Christian (Western) and Islamic (Eastern) teachings. The needs of the body are recognized but placed under the needs of the spirit. Beliefs, values, morality, rules, experiences, and good works provide the blueprint to ensure the growth of the spiritual being. In Psychology, realizing one’s full potential is to self-actualize.

Maslow identified several human needs: physiological, security, belongingness, esteem, cognitive, aesthetic, self-actualization, and self-transcendence. James earlier categorized these needs into three: material, emotional, and spiritual. When you have satisfied the basic physiological and emotional needs, spiritual or existential needs come next. Achieving each need leads to the total development of the individual. Perhaps the difference between these two religions and psychology is the end of self-development: Christianity and Islam see that self-development is a means toward serving God, while psychology view that self-development is an end by itself.