Monday, August 16, 2010

An Immoral Minority fan reviews the off Broadway play "Picking Palin.


This is only the second time in Immoral Minority history that I have featured a guest blogger.  As many of you probably remember the first time was when I hosted a blog post from the lovely Mercede Johnston.

Today's post comes from longtime visitor, and reviewer extraordinaire, Nancy Berger.  As you all remember I had made the request that if anybody were to see this off Broadway play that they might consider writing up a short review and sending it in for all of us to enjoy.  At that time I had NO idea that my request would be answered by somebody as talented as today's guest poster.  She has done a brilliant job.

So with no further ado, I present a review of "Picking Palin" written solely for the visitors of the Immoral Minority.  Enjoy.


“Picking Palin”
August 13, 2010
Connelly Theater, NYC
A review by Nancy Berger

Last night, in the 99 seat Connelly Theater in New York City, Stephen Padilla’s entry into this year’s Fringe NYC film festival played to a sold out crowd of Generation Xers and Baby Boomers. “Picking Palin,” a drama about the selection of the 2008 Republican Vice Presidential nominee, is smart, believable, and entertaining. Serious, yet sprinkled throughout with dry humor, the cast succeeded in eliciting the occasional hardy laughter while keeping the dramatic level up. As it reaches the historically factual climax, the audience has born witness to the truth of one character’s sad observation that they belong to a party “where dissent is disloyalty.”

Written in three acts, there is one set, a hotel room in Phoenix, where over the course of three days, four conservatives wrestle with their consciences, challenge each other’s motives, and argue with passion while trying to reach consensus on the decision they gave been tasked to make.

As the team begins to assemble, Stephen Gleason, playing McCain’s point man “Neil,” is on the phone with “Liz,” telling her she will have to wait until Friday to find out, just like everyone else. Neil knows that with McCain, all politics are personal; they need to pick someone the candidate knows well, but who should it be? At some time in each act, Neil has a similar phone conversation with Liz, to the mild amusement of political junkies for whom “Liz” needs no last name.

Bill Timoney, as “Bob” is a mixture of Carl Rove and Pat Buchanan. Flag pin affixed to his lapel, he has a scheming, win at any cost perspective. Timoney plays the role with precision. He gets angry when pushed to care about anything other than winning, he laughs along with the others as they dissect the shortcomings of each potential running mate, and he makes sweeping generalizations about groups of voters; i.e. women, minorities, the middle class. When others raise concerns about the frightening possibility that a ticket with Sarah Palin for VP would put someone with no experience and no demonstrated understanding of national issues “one 72 year old heartbeat away from the Presidency” he clearly doesn’t get it. His response - “Does it matter?”

Georgette Reilly Timoney, “Jan,” plays the one female in the quartet. Timoney’s “Jan” is skeptical of Palin from the time she reads the first Google results for the Governor. She questions Palin’s experience - “yes, she ran a small town – incompetently” - and takes particular offense at the idea that Hillary voters will flock to a female running on the Republican ticket simply because she’s a woman. Padilla wrote the part of Jan as a smart, thoughtful, equal participant on the team, willing and able to speak her mind and challenge the others. She is the one who raises the idea that perhaps Palin will not take the offer, maybe she will turn it down. She suggests that “Maybe her commitment to family will make her not want it, “ and in doing so, she got one of the show’s big laughs. Timoney delivers a solid performance, making Jan a character the audience respects.

The fourth person on the stage, “Paul” becomes progressively disillusioned as the Palin pick nears reality. Played by Keith Herron, Paul is a sympathetic character in near-agony as the drum beats for Palin get louder. The factual recitation of the many ways in which she is the antithesis of the senator cause Paul to ask if this choice is just another hijacking of a presidential election, taking away the very things that John McCain stands for and the voters chose. The suggestion nearly brings Bob and Paul to blows.

Time passage is marked by effective use of snippets of television coverage of the Democrat National Convention. Throughout, Padilla strives for historical honesty, while not hiding his criticism of the thinking and the attitudes of those who made Sarah Palin a household name outside of Alaska.

Now, for Immoral Minority readers, here’s what you’ve been waiting for –Did the fake pregnancy rumor come up? The answer is no. But the baby with Down Syndrome came up more than once as a sure winner with the powerful Pro-Life faction and the Christians. The baby would also benefit the ticket by bringing in the Special Needs Voters. (“There is a Special Needs vote, now?” asks a thoroughly dismayed Jan.)

Jokes based on the 49th state’s most famous former first couple were many, and all were appreciated. I took note of a few to share with Gryphen’s readers:

One of the men, challenged by Jan when he said she was attractive, explained he found her to be like an Outback Steakhouse waitress.

First learning about Todd Palin’s championship wins, “Iron Dog Champ, what the hell is that?” brought laughter from many who undoubtedly remembered having thought the same thing at the time.

Of course, the question came up, “Just how big is Wasilla?” The answer elicited this brilliant observation: “ There is a restaurant in Viet Nam that serves more people than that in under an hour.”

But my favorite jab of the evening was at Todd, not Sarah. When, when being vetted (if you can call it that) Sarah was summoned to an interview, an offhand question was asked, “Did she bring Jethro, too?”

New Yorkers can laugh at themselves, too. When Giuliani was called a cross-dresser who married his cousin (“What do you expect? He’s from New York. ”), It got a good laugh. Equal to it was one of the last moments of amusement before the final, serious conclusion. Jan admits, “My worse fear is that, now that she [Palin]’s here, we will never be rid of her. “

The off-off-Broadway showing in “liberal” New York City may have been “preaching to the choir,” but even in that context, it was thought provoking. My husband and I had dinner afterwards on the patio of a small restaurant in the neighborhood, and behind us another couple were engrossed in a discussion about elections and vetting candidates, obviously they were inspired by “Picking Palin.”

There are four more chances to catch this show at the festival – August 18, 21, 25 and 28. After that, I hope IM followers will be fortunate and will find it playing somewhere near them. Anywhere this play goes, thinking people will want to see it, then will want to discuss it, and that will be a good thing.

Wow!  That is absolutely amazing!  Nancy did a wonderful job with this review, and that she did it on behalf of all of us just makes it that much more special.

Thank you very, very much Nancy, I am humbled by your dedication to this blog and its visitors.

If YOU are in the New York area and would like to see this play, you still can.  Just click here for more information.

Once again let me give my most heartfelt thanks to Nancy Berger, and to ALL of you who come by and visit at the Immoral Minority on a daily basis.  I cannot tell you how much I appreciate that.

Namaste, my friends.

22 comments:

  1. Anonymous5:43 AM

    So, in other words, they completely forgot that she was the Governor of Alaska and just focused on Wasilla. The fact that she had the highest approval rating of any governor in the other 49 states was also not mentioned. The fact that she went against her own party when she saw corruption was also, I guess not important.

    Gotta love these liberal leftist loons. Facts are not something they have an acquaintance with and just parrot the information given by the Kool Aid providers.

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  2. Rick Hill6:18 AM

    You watch. The lesson the GOP will take away, the one outside the glare of lights and in the back room will be to learn how to tweak the process and get it right next time...

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  3. Anonymous6:52 AM

    Ignoring the nitpicking commenter, all I want to say is

    Wonderful review. Thank you.

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  4. angela6:54 AM

    Thanks Ms. Berger--wonderful review!

    Ummm . . . . Anon 5:43 This was a play. Theater.
    You seem to be under the impression that this was a FOX broadcast or Sarah Palin's Alaska or her Fakebook page. This was not supposed to be PR for Sarah. The truth of the matter is there was MUCH dissent in picking her. McCain's people almost came to blows at times.

    1.)How do you know that her high approval ratings weren't mentioned in the play. Did you expect Ms. Berger to relate the play verbatim? And come on---there's only about 800,000 people in Alaska. Basically the size of Memphis. It's pretty easy to get those numbers until the real truth comes out. Like legislators wearing "Where's Sarah?" buttons cause she didn't seem to want to actually show up. Didn't matter 'cause she actually quit in the end.

    2.) She keeps saying she went against her own party yet every time someone she went against dies---she talks about what great comrades they were. Hinkle and Stevens (thought she was poison). The truth is she went against people who were in her way. And since the majority of people who stood in her way were republicans . . . .

    3) And again Anon 5:43 this is a play. It seems all you Palin fans expect is her lunatic talking points and blabbering tweets. The real world outside of your fishbowl sees this woman as a disaster. If she comes anywhere near a national position in politics we will be a laughingstock and your comment reminds me just how delusional her fans are.
    THIS WAS A PLAY. And talk about drinking Kool Aid.
    Does Sarah supply grape or cherry?

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  5. laprofesora6:59 AM

    Did you hear something around 5:43, like an annoying, whining sound? No? Oh well, I guess it was nothing.

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  6. Forever Anonymous7:15 AM

    Thank you Nancy for a great review, the details you gave makes want to see this play.

    Its been a while since a heartfelt salutation has been heard around here.
    Your contribution makes us all feel special.

    Namaste, indeed.

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  7. Anonymous7:23 AM

    Anon 5:43 - To have written Sarah's Governorship into the play and the reason for her popularity would have taken many more "acts" in the play. - EX: She distributed $1,200 checks from oil revenue to each Alaskan, including children. So, a family of four rec'd $4,800. Rather socialistic, but kept her "popularity" ratings up. And a very bad way to have used the revenue, as far as the state goes.

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  8. Thank you so much!!

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  9. Anonymous7:50 AM

    Wish they would bring it to Georgia, but, I'm sure, not a chance in this conservative state. Even though many won't tell you this, but I do believe that for a lot of the thinking conservatives in this state, their enthusiam for all things Palin has considerably died down....some things even they won't tolerate or associate with.

    Just sayin'

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  10. Nancy - What a delight! Thank you so much for the review. I especially enjoyed your analysis of the characters. And, yes, I was wondering how the play would handle the Trig factor. Brava!

    Anon 5:43 - You'd be more effective if you applied some basic logic. It's impossible to logically conclude something wasn't in the play because you don't see it covered by the review. You know what they say about assumptions.

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  11. Enjay in E MT8:19 AM

    I would love to see it, unfortunately, Eastern Montana is a bit far away. Hope it goes on PBS!!

    In reading Game Change - there were a lot of concerns about the popular gov. when she got the "nod" More concerns on what to do with her "if" McC won. For example: keep her away from the press, photo ops only, figurehead position ONLY. SP was NOT vetted - she misled the interviewers and didn't tell the truth (or the whole truth).

    JMc unleashed this Palin disease on the country and altho he spent decades honorably serving Arizona -his legacy will be forever be linked with "PALIN"

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  12. ChenaGrll8:32 AM

    good review. Except, GOP regulars (not survivalist, tea party or gun crazies) in Fairbanks were talking about her interest in the VP job in MAY 2008.

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  13. Anonymous8:47 AM

    Thank you for the review it was nicely written.

    As for Anon 5:43... go do some research. For example,

    "The fact that she had the highest approval rating of any governor in the other 49 states"

    We just came out of a Murkowski Governorship and ANYONE, let me repeat, ANYONE would have been better then that (at the time). Palin gave good lip service and we didn't pay attention. So there is your approval ratings.

    As for being Governor of Alaska... cripes, there's something like 800,000 people living here.

    Take out the children, young adults, most rural communities not connected to cities/road system, most elderly, the ones incarcerated or with a past record, people NOT interested in politics and who do you have left? A handful of people.

    Hell, I can run for governor. So her being Gov. means nothing.

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  14. Anonymous8:54 AM

    Bill Timoney?! Oooh, he played the inimitable character Alfred Van Der Poole on the soap opera All My Children.

    Jealous.

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  15. Anonymous10:13 AM

    The accurate population of Alaska is over 600,000 - not 800,000! She was Alaska's Worst Governor too as the records are beginning to show. She did not clean up corruption in Alaska - it was already underway by the FBI when she took office. She lies about so much and so many in the lower U.S. believe what she says. They really should research records up here - even McCain didn't do it!

    She is no longer popular in Alaska - her ratings continue to fall! Thank God!

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  16. Anonymous10:30 AM

    Well done! A professional quality review if ever there was one.

    Thank you.

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  17. Anonymous10:40 AM

    Wonderful review Nancy - thank you! And Gryphen might I just say - it's a pleasure to check out your blog each day. You remind me that not everyone in AK has partaken of the Kool Aide. Namaste indeed.

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  18. Anonymous11:05 AM

    Thanks for the write-up Nancy! I so wish I was in New York, and hopefully the play will be a success and be brought to more cities.

    (P.S. Anon 5:43am - when all is said and done, Granny Quitter "governed" Alaska as incompetently as she did Wasilla.. I hope she is happy with her millions; her grab for cash cost her the respect of everyone with a serious interest in the political process of our nation.)

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  19. Thanks, Nancy, for a great review. I hope they take the play on a national tour. I'd love to see it.

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  20. Anonymous12:38 PM

    Hahaha, Gryph check this on out, Tom Chapin's "Go Away Sarah Palin"

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IC4N5wkp2Ug&NR=1

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  21. Anonymous2:01 PM

    Great review, Nancy! Thanks!

    @ anonymous 5:43 Reality bites, pal. Stop parroting the information given by the Kool Aid providers at Sarah Pac.

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  22. hauksdottir7:19 PM

    Thank you, Nancy!

    That review is perceptive, entertaining, organized, and thorough enough to give a taste of the evening... and the issues at stake within the play.

    Even non-politicos have to fret about how candidates get chosen, packaged, and foisted upon us by the handlers and the media. An entertaining look at the process will open it up for discussion much more readily than flat condemnation.

    We can do better. We MUST do better.

    A coach whose team loses badly often finds himself out of favor and out of a job. I wish the same thing happened to political consultants, however, their media contacts ensure that they can continue to control the conversation long after they have anything useful to contribute.

    For now and forever, the Palins are household names.

    deep sigh

    The worst part of American politics is that voters still cling to name recognition as the measure of competency. It doesn't matter if the individual was born or married into the family name, there is a sense of god-given entitlement and a royal right to rulership. ptui!

    No more Palins! No more Kennedys! No more Bushes! No more Clintons! No more McCains! No more Bidens!

    The people choosing and vetting candidates can find something other than a name and a pretty face to dangle in front of the voters.

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