Facebook, as everyone knows (or should know) is one of the the be-all-to-end-all places in cyberspace that is part of what social media is all about. For the past ten or so years, millions of folks have posted their place on the site where they let anyone within their “friend’s” realms about anything and almost everything about what they do, what they think, and how everything is all up to snuff.
Although elements may vary, it appears that these folks, ranging in age stretching from “Gen Y’s” through the Baby Boomers generation, take the time to express the elements about their life, showing off pictures of their family, the events that attend, the assignments they do, and anything else they feel that others should know about. Never mind the fact that these expressions may be of little to no interest by the others that make up their “friends”. They just perform these things just because they can!
However, one will note that many of these posts about their lives tend to fall into a sense of bragging. Many of these folks give the illusion that their lives are bright and rosy. The work they do are their “dream jobs”, their families are perfect, their pets are oh-so-cute (if not being passed off as a family member), and other bits and pieces that would become a work of a public relations team, making sure that whatever aspects they spin, it must be upbeat and ideal.
Although there is nothing wrong with anyone that “toots their horn” about themselves (after all, that is what having an ego is all about), posting all of this goodness from others can backfire. Some of those that are obsessed with this social media entry may take some of these post seriously, perhaps too seriously! Many studies has found that spending too much time on Facebook (perhaps an hour or more per session), has brought a sense of depression to those that keep on reading all of these people’s post with their reports of joy, happiness, and the elements that “everything is going my way”!
People that continue to read these posts, as well as glancing at their video uplinks, can receive the notion that all is well with these “friends” (when in reality, they are perfect strangers), that may ask themselves, “What have I done with my life?”.
As much as people may believe, Facebook never makes any agreement that anything people post on their sites that are of a personal nature are deemed to be true and accurate. Anybody can state anything about themselves and/or about those around them whenever they are actually true or not. A person for instance who claims they are a writer can say they just signed a zillion dollar contract with a big deal publishing company on their next romantic novel. (Many of these writers tend to be women, just to let everyone know!) Or somebody can post pictures of a recent vacation that they and/or the family went on where everyone in the pictures are having the time of their lives. However, how would anyone know that these events are real? Perhaps the “writer” didn’t get a high dollar contract. Perhaps this writer is attempting to write that novel, hoping to sell it to anyone that’s willing to buy it. Maybe that writer doesn’t even exist! How would anyone know these facts? And would anyone really care??
This writer (“me”), has stated many times about the people we created that’s alive and living on Facebook. A few we have forgotten about while two in particular are indeed “alive and living”. Although they do have an active profile going, they are anything but real! They don’t exist!! But one person who as of this writing has 5000 friends–the maximum about of people one can have as friends. But out of these 5000, how many are aware that this person is a fake? A few may know, but for the most part, they don’t care! And then again, how many of the 5000 are real? And so it goes!
So go ahead. Let everyone in your gang know about everything you want them to know about! Just keep things in an upbeat matter. Don’t let anyone know that your life is just as crappy as the next person’s. It will just spoil the continuity of things, and will turn attitudes on its face(book)! It’s just part of the personal PR that everyone wants and needs–assuming that anyone would really give a crap!
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NEWS AND REVIEWS
At the Zephyr on Melrose theatre located in the heart of the Fairfax district is James McLure’s LONE STAR, a comical tale of two siblings that talk about some of the things in life for better of for worse.
Taking place not too many years ago, Roy (Christopher Jordan) and his younger brother Ray (Christopher Parker) meet behind Angel’s Bar in Maynard, Texas-a place only famous for passing the day and nights away drinking, playing the jukebox loaded with Wayland, Willie, and Hank, shooting pool, and shooting s#it. Roy, a vet that did a duty in ‘Nam, doesn’t have much going for himself with the exception of a beer in hand (“Lone Star”) and his pink ’59 Thunderbird. Ray and Roy talks about the basic in life–or their lives anyway–that has meaning, such as being in Maynard all of their lives. Not much is going on outside of discussing drinking, Roy’s war stories and his car, and the woman they both once knew. The only one that seems to have his life together is Cletus (Brian Foyster). He’s a clean cut Baptist and works at the local appliance store. He does admire Roy as he’s the man that Cletus isn’t. Things just never get any better (or worse) in the Lone Star state.
This one act play is very comical that expresses how being in a small town where drinking in dive road houses is not just a hobby, but an “art”! The three characters that appear in this production are just as backwater Texas as they could get. David Fofi, one of the founders of the Elephant Theatre Company, a long established theater company that made its mark along Hollywood’s theatre row aka Santa Monica Blvd., directs this program that is highly entertaining, although its very short for a one act as its running time is somewhere around 70 minutes!
Special attention goes to Christopher Jordan’s scenic design that consists of a faded and very run down back of a rural road house bar loaded with rusted auto parts, a beat- up car seat serving as a comfy couch, along with long spent longneck bottles of Lone Star scattered about–the only brand of beer that matters!
LONE STAR is very witty on laughs and very short on running time. That’s no blame for this production as that was how the play was penned. But life itself is too short to worry about things as such. Just enjoy while taking a swig of brew while The Man in Black is thumping on the jukebox!
LONE STAR, presented by the Elephant Theatre Company, and performs at the Zephyr on Melrose, 7456 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles, until May 7th. SHowtimes are Friday and Saturday nights at 8:00 PM, and Sunday evenings at 7:00 PM. For tickets, order online at http://www.plays411.com/LoneStar
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The Glendale Centre Theatre reprises Oscar Wilde’s THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING ERNEST, a play that banters upon upper class Victorian life, and the notion of two acquaintances being engaged to the same woman–among other follies!
Daniel Deyoung portrays John Worthing, a man that lives in a county estate outside of London. While in the city, he uses the moniker of Ernest. He’s in love with the coquettish Gwendolyn Fairfax (Meghan Lewis). Miss Farifax has a cousin named Algernon Moncrieff (Grayson Wittebarger) who also goes by the alias name of Earnest. Algernon a.k.a. Earnest heads off to Jack’s country home and falls toward romance with his ward Cecily Cardew (Zoe Farmingdale). Things become quite complicated with these two suitors calling themselves Earnest and their attempt to woo the named ladies that leads up to a climatic conclusion showing how important it is to be…Earnest!
There has been many accounts and notations stated about this play by the master Wilde (ironically, his final work), that has been expressed by many a theater connoisseur to become perhaps one of the greatest comedies ever written in English that didn’t come from the pen of The Bard! And after 100+ years from its first appearance, it appears to be just as timeless than ever before! The play itself is very well intact with its ever present wit. In fact, it’s very talky (i.e. use of dialogue than stage action) adding plenty of the for mentioned witticism that is part of its humor factor!
Zoe Bright, who appears in this production as Lady Bracknell, directs this piece with its cast of players that holds as much charm and appeal as the play itself. That said cast features, as listed in their order or appearance, Anthony Papastrat as Lane/Merriman, Dynell Leigh as Miss Prism, Tom Allen as the Rev. Chasuble, and Martin Sottile as Merriman the butler.
Angela Manke of Glendale Costumes provides the period costuming that is just as appealing as the performers that don such outfits, making their fashion statements well know to the era it caters to.
One forgets how such an ageless piece this play presents itself to be, no matter how many times one is exposed to it. After a century plus, it just gets better with time! And this community theater company located in a growing section of Glendale is indeed the place to see it for another opportunity!
THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING ERNEST, presented presented by and performs at the Glendale Centre Theatre. 324 North Orange Street, Glendale, until May 13th. Showtimes are Friday and Saturday evenings at 8:00 PM, and Saturday matinees at 3:00 PM. Additional performances take place on Thursday, April 20th at 8:00 PM, and on Sunday, April 23rd and 30th at 3:00 PM.
For more information and for ticket reservations, call (818) 244-8481, or visit the GCT’s web site at http://www.GlendaleCentreTheatre.com
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ACCESSIBLY LIVE OFF-LINE (C) 2017 Linear Cycle Productions. All rights reserved. The views and opinions are those of the writers, and not necessarily of the staff and management. ‘Nuff said!
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