Robin Lee Hatcher's Write Thinking

funny catz

For a lot of years, I owned cats. Cats are great pets to have if you travel because they can manage awhile without anyone looking in on them. Cat boxes, on the other hand, can get very old. So when my last cat had to be put to sleep at the age of 16 1/2, I decided dogs would be the only pets in my future. Daughter #1 and her family have two cats, so if I need a cat fix, I can always go to their house. It was Granddaughter #1 who showed me this funny cat video. The beginning is slow and the music a tad obnoxious, but hang in there. It is worth watching.

So did you laugh?
-rlh-

clean your computer screen

Is your computer screen dirty? Well here is a surefire way to get it sparkling clean. NOT!

LOL! Do not miss this. My brother sent it to me.

-rlh-

a sad knight's tale

Oh, my heart hurts. Heath Ledger, star of one of my most favorite movies, A Knight's Tale, is dead at age 28 of an apparent drug overdose. Whether an accident or suicide (they say no note was found), this is sad, sad, sad. Ledger was a fine actor with lots of potential for many great years of acting to come.

-rlh-

Update 1/23/08: Reports say that even accidental overdose is speculative at this time and that it is possible HL died of natural causes. I don't want to add to the speculation so apologize for the "apparent drug overdose" comment. No matter the cause, there is a hurting family, and I pray that they will know God's comfort in the days to come.

the tempest

I saw the most wonderful production of Shakespeare's The Tempest on Tuesday night at the Idaho Shakespeare Festival. At the close, I was on my feet, applauding and shouting, "Bravo!" This isn't one of Shakespeare's plays that I have seen numerous times, so I didn't always know what was about to happen next. I could simply sit and be transported into the story. The acting was superb as were the costumes and the staging. It was just a perfect night.

With me were my good Shakespeare buddy (we've been going together to the Festival for over a decade) and my #1 daughter and her husband who were celebrating their anniversary. We all walked out of the amphitheater saying how great it was.

As a kid, I wanted to be an actress. I did a little bit of theater and seven years of dance, and I must confess, I do love being on the stage. But when writing came along, acting went out the window. There just wasn't time to write, work my day job, and be a mom to my kids plus participate in the theater. Ah, but there is always time to attend the theater, especially when we are privileged in Boise to have one of the best theater companies around.

My heroine in Speak to Me of Love (Tyndale, August 2003) is a Shakespearean actress in the late 1800's. Throughout the book, she thinks of lines from various Shakespeare plays when they are applicable to the situation. I had great fun creating that book but especially that character.

Our English language is littered with phrases from Shakespeare, and most of us never know it unless we study his plays. I remember when I went to see Mel Gibson's Hamlet, and I was amazed at how many phrases from that play that people use every day. I told my writer friend that Shakespeare wrote a lot of clichés. (That was tongue in cheek, of course. Our usage has made them clichés.)

Well, I'd best get to work, hopefully writing something that doesn't contain clichés.

-rlh-

THE NATIVITY STORY on DVD

Hitting stores just in time for Easter, The Nativity Story is an inspirational tale of extraordinary faith and love that chronicles the arduous journey of Mary and Joseph, a divine pregnancy and the miraculous birth of Jesus. The Nativity Story, arriving on DVD on March 20, 2007, from New Line Home Entertainment.

Write Thinking is delighted to bring the US and Canadian readers of this blog a chance to win their own copy of The Nativity Story on DVD.

If you didn't see this wonderful movie while it was in theaters, you won't want to miss it on DVD. And if you haven't seen it (or even if you have), take a moment to catch a glimpse of its beauty by watching the trailer of The Nativity Story here.

Beginning today (March 16, 2007) and ending on Good Friday, April 6, 2007, simply send an email to me at dvdcontest@robinleehatcher.com. (One entry per email address.) To be considered eligible, your email must include:

• How you learned of this contest (regular reader of Write Thinking, a referral from another blog, from Robin's e-newsletter to subscribers, from a friend, etc.)
• Your email address
• Your full name**
• Your physical mailing address (no PO Boxes)**
• Your telephone number including area code**

A drawing will be held on Saturday, April 7, 2007. Five lucky entrants (one winner per household/mailing address) will receive their own copy of this beautiful movie. Winners will be announced on this blog (first name, last initial, city/state only). The DVDs will be shipped to the winners via FedEx Ground by Big Honcho Media who is handling the promotion for New Line Home Entertainment.

Blessings!

-rlh-

** This information is necessary for FedEx shipments.

Julian Beever

Julian Beever is an English artist who's famous for his art on the pavement of England, France, Germany, USA, Australia and Belgium. Beever gives to his drawings an amazing 3D illusion. My brother sent me these, and I just had to share a few.

Note the artist atop of beer bottle. He is actually probably about 40 feet away from the girl.

Note people walking around the "hole" in the sidewalk.

The artist is actually standing on a level surface, but it's hard to believe it.

This shot of the girl in the swimming pool gives you an idea of how the optical illusion works.

An artist on top of the world.

Side view of the world.

This is so lifelike it is scary.

-rlh-

Technorati Tags: chalk artist, Julian Beever

beauty departs broadway

Here's a sad bit of news I got from Popwatch:

Disney Theatrical has just announced it is shuttering its production of Beauty and the Beast on July 29 to make room for a stage production of The Little Mermaid. Amazingly, Beauty -- which was slaughtered by critics but adored by tourists -- will have played 5,464 performances, making it the sixth-longest-running show in Broadway history. (It's also given Broadway exposure to such performers as Toni Braxton, Jamie-Lynn Sigler, Deborah Gibson, and Donny Osmond -- that's him as Gaston, in the center.)

I saw Beauty and the Beast on Broadway three times in the mid-1990's, and I saw it when the company came to Boise as well. Bought my kids and grandkids tickets to that one. I can't help but find it sad that should I get to return to NYC, it won't be one of my play options.

And I never would have guessed it was over 12 years ago when I saw it for the first time. Good grief!

-rlh-

they look like me!

Hat tip to From the Morning for this gem. Must admit that I rather like the 71% match with Parker and 61% match with Underwood. But do I really look like Rock Hudson? Hmm.

Okay, now I really must get back to my WIP. Maddie has a broken ankle, and she is much too attracted to Tony than she thinks is good for her. Robin to the rescue.

-rlh-

under the stars

Last night was my first play of the season at the Idaho Shakespeare Festival ("Shakespeare and Others Under the Stars"), celebrating its 30th season. Its my 17th summer as a season ticket holder, but the first production I attended was in the Festival's third season; I went with Daughter #2 who was 8 years old at the time, and we were both hooked. The plays were produced in three "borrowed" locations in the Festival's first 21 years. They moved into their own wonderful amphitheater 9 years ago (note the foothills as a backdrop).

I and my Shakespeare going friends like to sit on the lawn, center section, three or four rows back from the stage. We have our low-riding, low-backed chairs and our picnic dinners. I take along a blanket and a sweatshirt as it can get very cool by the river after the sun sets. I definitely didn't need either last night. It was hot and sultry when we arrived at the theater. When I was driving home at 10:30, it was still 81 degrees. We don't do sultry well around here. Our normal humidity is about 15% in the summer.

The Festival has a wonderful repertoire of plays by both Shakespeare and "others." They do the most plays in repertory than any other festival, I've been told. This year, as it turns out, I will only see one of the Shakespeare plays, Love's Labor's Lost. Last night I saw the musical comedy, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. This was a repeat from last summer's repertoire (they always bring back the smash hit from the previous summer to open in June). It was just as funny last night as last year. Next month, George Bernard Shaw's Major Barbara is in store for me.

If you're ever in Boise in the summer, treat yourself to a visit to the Idaho Shakespeare Festival. You won't regret it. And if you can't come here, find your local group of thespians and support their productions.

-rlh-