Speaking as a supporter of Obama who isn't behind the Tea Party movement ... I still have to say, that YouTube video from 2004 just makes me cringe. Benny, idealogically we may not agree -- but you are absolutely right that any claims against the other side should be backed up with real evidence, and a lot of folks on both sides fail to do that.
Just for the record, Theatre Cedar Rapids was not even in the 500-year floodplain. It's right outside of it. Tells you something about just how severe the flooding of '08 really was.
While it's true that the majority of people would rather watch TV, eat junk food and do nothing to better themselves or their community, that doesn't mean it's the right thing to do. If these people were in charge, society would never advance, nothing new would ever get invented, cities wouldn't be built and quality of life would just keep dropping until everyone thinks that there's nothing more to life than a free meal at Applebees. Fortunately, there are enough people who care about their community that they carry everyone else along.
Someone needs to do something to help downtown. Will the theater do it? It's definitely going to help more than a gift certificate to Applebee's will. I for one am pulling for this to make a difference.
Have you tried rush tickets? They are $12 half an hour before the show -- barely more than a movie ticket, and less than half the price of a regular seat. It's a really good alternative for people who can't afford to pay the regular price. Also, as the other poster said, volunteering as an usher is a great way to see the show for free.
The show has no agenda, other than to closely examine the details of a tragedy that received major media attention a decade ago. The "plot" is that in the wake of Matthew Shepard's murder in 1998, a group of ten writers travel to where it happened in order to interview the residents of Laramie, Wyoming about how the tragedy affected them as a community. It asks why this happened. It also researches the details of the crime, including interviews with the people who initially found Shepard on the fence; the investigative team; the doctors in the hospital; and employees at the bar where the killers originally met Shepard.
The play gives voice to people who think the case was way overplayed in the media. It also gives voice to those who say the case inspired them. Most importantly, it shows how a community comes together -- gay, straight, religious, agnostic, old, young, whatever -- in the face of a terrible tragedy. That's something that a lot of people in Cedar Rapids can empathize with, regardless of any sort of political leanings or personal prejudices.
Hope that answers your question.
Yes, "The Laramie Project" was being performed by TCR for the first time, but it has received a number of Iowa productions. Along with Kirkwood and Ames, it's been produced in Des Moines, at Cedar Rapids Kennedy and others. In fact, Westboro Baptist Church was in Iowa eight months ago to protest Marshalltown Community Theatre's production of the show last summer. That's why their threat to protest in Cedar Rapids was taken so seriously. If they came to Marshalltown less than a year ago, why would we have any reason to suspect that they were bluffing about coming to Cedar Rapids as well?
Normally it might not be that big of a deal, but in a city that was devastated by a flood and in an economy that gets worse and worse -- yes, a story about a new business opening up is a pretty good thing to have happen.
I am a liberal, I love America and I am thrilled that Little Caesars is back. Oh, and I can't stand foie gras. I am elitist that way. :)
Ummm ... you consider that refreshing? What a ray of sunshine for Cedar Rapids recovery you must be. I congratulate Little Caesars too, but what a rude thing for you to say.
I appreciate what you are saying, but at the same time, I kind of cringe whenever someone says that a veteran won't talk about what happened in war because he chooses to be "humble." That implies that if a veteran DOES talk about his experience, he ISN'T humble. And that couldn't be further from the truth.
A few years ago when I worked as a newspaper reporter, we interviewed 50 different WWII veterans for a series in Central Iowa soldiers. They told their stories with difficulty, but at the same time, with pride. Mind you, they were humble men. But they wanted to honor the soldiers they'd served with, especially the ones who never came home.
I completely agree that these men are forever heroes. Some may be reluctant to revisit those days. Some may find it too painful, or be unable to put it into words. But "humble" isn't the word I'd use for why they don't talk about it. I had the honor of telling the stories of some of the bravest -- and humblest -- men I have ever met.
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