Lakeside Living – October 2023

Don Beaudreau

Email: wbeaudreau@aol.com

LAKE CHAPALA ORCHESTRA GOES BRITISH!

Friday October 13 at 7pm and Saturday October 14 at 3 pm, Lakeside Presbyterian Church 250 San Jorge, Riberas

The Orchestra will take a visit to Britain in their upcoming concerts entitled Basically British. Three British composers will be featured, starting with William Walton’s “Crown Imperial March,” composed for the coronation of King George 6^th and subsequently played at the coronation of Queen Elizabeth 2^nd and this year at the coronation of King Charles 3^rd.

By contrast, Ralph Vaughan Williams’s “The Lark Ascending” features the orchestra’s concertmaster, Diego Miramontes, as the violin soloist in this beautiful musical reflection of a lark in flight over the English countryside.

The main work is Edward Elgar’s “Variations on an Original Theme” (subtitled “Enigma”). The orchestra’s conductor, Michael Reason, explains that “Elgar writes 13 variations on an original theme and each one musically describes a close friend of the composer.”

Reason will precede the concert performance with a 15-minute illustrated talk about the piece and will explain why and what the “Enigma” is. The conductor himself is originally from Britain and has performed the Elgar work many times. This presentation will feature the largest number of musicians the Lake Chapala Orchestra has ever put on stage.

All Lake Chapala Orchestra concerts sell out so early booking is definitely advised. Tickets are $350 and can be reserved by emailing LCCOtickets@gmail.com. State how many tickets you require and for whichday.

The Lake Chapala Society hosts Open Circle every Sunday at 10:30 am. This community gathering in Ajijic presents a wide range of topics. Entrance is by the side gate on Ramón Corona, opening at 9:30 am. Check the website for upcoming topics, and make your reservation. If you missed a past presentation, you can catch it online at: https://opencircleajijic.org/

UPCOMING PRESENTATIONS

October 1 by Kelly Bennett, “The Bigger Picture”

Learn the practical importance of a bigger picture for you! Learn to see perspectives and consider sources.

Meditation has made it very clear to me that the bigger picture plays a more influential role than the local picture. For example, in creating new love for planetary transformation, more truth, more possibilities—all of life’s elements. Examples of wholeness are the inclusiveness of love and the unity of life! In fact, a caring viewpoint can open us to include all kinds of possibilities! Just notice what happens when you care. Your heart expands to include more possibilities related to your intent. Explore these thoughts and how they can impact your life.

Oct 8 by Ed Tasca, “What Makes People Laugh?”

Our capacity to laugh is a human phenomenon we take for granted. But the social sciences have found more to our ability to laugh than we may have realized. We know we laugh and we love it. We almost always believe our sense of humor to be an unusual, even crazy one, because it makes us feel certain superiority over the irrational, the misguided and the pretentious.

I have spent a lifetime fascinated by the subject of what makes people laugh and how it can be produced in so many ways for so many social and intellectual reasons. I’d like to share what I know about different types of laughter, debunk some myths and explain how we know laughter/humor works for us and against us as shapers of our individual personalities.

October 15 by Richard Clarke, “Casting Light on What is Always”

Science and Buddhism agree: there is no lasting individual self. Something is there, though; the Buddhists even say “Empty but not void. “Richard uses insights from Ramana Maharshi and Advaita Vedanta to cast light on what is always. It cannot be found in the changing mind. It can be found within you, though. Understanding the difference between thought and consciousness can lead to this deep understanding.

October 22, 2023 by Larry Kolczak, “On the Light Side” 

Larry Kolczak is a member of the Lake Chapala Writer’s Group, and a regular contributor of articles to El Ojo Del Lago, the largest English-language magazine in Mexico. His was the first article published in the LCS Conecciones magazine series called First Person Singular. He will be sharing a few of his favorite stories that reflect his uniquely humorous perspective on his day-to-day experiences living here at Lakeside and traveling abroad.

Larry’s presentations at the Ajijic Writers’ Group are always a hit. If you haven’t been following his work in the magazines, now is your chance to find out what you’ve been missing. If you have been enjoying his work all along, now is your chance to meet the man behind the humor. 

October 29 by Loretta Downs, “Dia de los Muertos and the Celebration of Life”

The Dia de Los Muertos is one of the gems of Mexican culture. Acknowledging death as a part of life drives the spirit of “Viva la Vida!” or “Live Life!” that is the root of all Mexican celebrations. The Day of the Dead is an opportunity to mock death and celebrate life. It is also a day of remembrance, a day to visit with the dead. Loretta will explore how making friends with death can influence life in positive ways. She will talk about changing attitudes, options, and rituals that are transforming world views on death. Loretta Downs, MA, CSA, is a well-respected death educator, speaker and writer, end-of-life doula, and certified senior advisor. She gives regular workshops about advance care planning at LCS.

The Lake Chapala Society is holding a Celebration of Life on Monday October 30th from 4:30 to 6 PM. Visit the altars lovingly erected around the campus. Listen to commentary on death from local faith leaders, and participate in a powerful ceremony for grieving our losses while expressing gratitude for the loved ones in our memories.

BARE STAGE THEATRE OCTOBER 2023 PRODUCTION:

BETTE AND JOAN, October 27, 28, 29

Bette and Joan, written by Anton Burge, is a trip back to the golden, yet brutal days of Hollywood. In the late ’30s and ’40s, Bette Davis and Joan Crawford were two of the most dynamic and important stars in the industry. By 1962, these great leading ladies were has-beens. Then they got an unexpected opportunity: playing opposite each other in what was to become a cult classic, Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?

The high-risk shocker becomes a surprise hit that propels them back to stardom. The play, Bette & Joan depicts the two stars, in adjacent dressing rooms, between takes on the set of Baby Jane. While Joan manages her anxiety by lacing her Pepsi with vodka and signing photographs for her beloved fans, Bette chain smokes and muses on her love life and her ability to pick a decent script, never a decent man. Behind the bitching and the practical jokes, we see each woman’s insecurities and regrets, and their rivalry is revealed to be underpinned by grudging respect as they attempt to identify their new roles in life as well as in their careers.

Playwright and actor Anton Burge has written ten plays championing the need of roles for women in theatre, all focusing on the lives of celebrated women of the 19th and 20th centuries.

Tackling this monumental tribute to Hollywood glamour queens are Lakeside’s own stage queens, Roxanne Rosenblatt (Bette) and Roseann Wilshere (Joan). Director Bernadette Jones, a Canadian theatre and film veteran, will surely have her hands full.

Show dates are Friday, Oct. 27, Saturday, Oct. 28, and Sunday, Oct. 29.

Curtain at 4:00 pm. Tickets are $200 to join in the fun. Sales are always brisk so RESERVE NOW at barestagetheatre2018@gmail.com.

We are located at #261 on the mountain side of the Carretera in Riberas del Pilar across from the Catholic Church. Door and Bar open at 3:00 pm. All bar proceeds go to Operation Feed. Seats are held till 3:50 pm.

LAKESIDE LITTLE THEATRE PRESENTS SEASON 59 consisting of five Main Stage Productions.

This season is an excellent blend of shows both old (from 1664) and new (2009). It features 2 dramas, 2 comedies and a musical.  Overall, our plays this season were nominated for 19 Tony awards and won 7. It’s an exciting season and we’re looking forward to presenting it to you. Individual show and season ticket sales can be purchased online at www.lakesidelittletheatre.com.

October 20 – 29, 2023

RED by John Logan

Director: Dave McIntosh

Red is a Tony-winning drama that takes you inside the studio of one of the most influential painters of the 20th century. As he works on a series of murals for a prestigious restaurant, he faces a challenge from his young assistant, who questions his artistic choices and motives. The play is a fascinating exploration of art, life, and color, as well as a genius’s personal struggles and conflicts.

December 8 – 17, 2023

THE LITTLE DOG LAUGHED

by Douglas Carter Beane

Director: Randy Warren

A scandalous comedy! What happens when a Hollywood star falls for a male escort? Can his ruthless agent keep his secret from the public eye? Will the escort choose love or money? How will his girlfriend react? Find out in this hilarious and provocative play that explores the themes of sexuality, identity, fame, and power.

February 2 – 13, 2024

JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR

by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice

Directors: Ann Swiston and Dave McIntosh

Musical Director: Gary Wayne Young

Choreographer:  Roy Haynes

Musical. Cast of multiple lead and ensemble roles for men and women.
Experience the drama and the music of the last days of Jesus. See him through the eyes of Judas, his betrayer, and Mary Magdalene, his lover! Hear the iconic songs that have moved millions of hearts. Feel the power and the emotion of this timeless masterpiece!

March 1 – 10, 2024

THE PRICE by Arthur Miller

Directors: Monnie King and Peter King

What is the price of your past? Don’t miss this gripping and moving play by one of America’s greatest playwrights! Witness the reunion of two brothers who have to face their family secrets, their personal regrets, and their moral dilemmas. Discover how their father’s fate during the Great Depression shaped their lives and choices.

April 5 – 14, 2024

TARTUFFE (Hampton translation), Author:  Jean Baptiste Moliere

Translated by Christopher Hampton

Director: Lynn Phelan

Don’t miss seeing the most outrageous and cunning impostor in theatre history! Will he successfully dupe a rich fool, seduce his wife, and run away with his fortune? Laugh out loud at the witty dialogue, the ironic situations, and the clever twists. Enjoy a timeless masterpiece that explores the themes of love, family, deception, and justice. Witness a sharp satire that exposes the corruption and hypocrisy of religious authority.