Pogue's Daily Words of Theatrical Wisdom

"I don't believe that panto is fundamentally about the triumph of good over evil, it is actually more subtle and subversive than that. It is about the triumph of virtue over authority. Our anarchic heroes meet their destinies by doing precisely what they are not allowed to do, whether rubbing the lamp, travelling to London, or going to the ball.

In an age when our readers seem ever more aloof, when the tentacles of authority seem to creep ever deeper into the nooks and crannies of the private realm, that message has a resonance and relevance as strong today as at any time in the last 2000 years."

--British journalist, Ally Fogg, writing in the Guardian about the great British stage tradition of Christmas Pantos...wild versions of classic yarns like Aladdin, Cinderella, Dick Wittington, & Moose Goose that delight children and adults alike--

This will be the last Daily Word until after Christmas.

Some Christmas trivia to keep you until our return. Last week I played Scrooge in a Reader's Digest version of A CHRISTMAS CAROL played between dinner courses out at Spindletop along with several other local actors under the direction of Eric Seale. During the rehearsal period, I happened to hear on a BBC comedy quiz that Dickens actually had alternative names for Tiny Tim. They were, believe it or not, "Little Larry"; "Small Sam"; and "Puny Pete". Imagine if you will: " 'God bless us, everyone!' said Puny Pete."

Happy Christmas, All!