Lakeside Living – September 2023

Don Beaudreau

Email: wbeaudreau@aol.com

The Lake Chapala Society hosts Open Circle every Sunday at 10:30am. This community gathering in Ajijic presents a wide range of topics. Entrance is by the side gate on Ramón Corona, opening at 9:30am. We recommend bringing a hat and bottled water. 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/

OPEN CIRCLE UPCOMING PRESENTATIONS

September 3, 10, 17, 24

September 3, 2023: Can Animals Talk to Us?

By Diane LeBlanc

Bone Voyage Dog Rescue presents the internationally known author and animal communicator, Diane LeBlanc. Diane is part of a growing movement that was once discounted as “pet psychics,” but over the past 70 years has gained legitimacy as scientists continually add to our field of knowledge about animals. Diane will show that animal communication is neither magic nor mind-reading but an innate skill we all have — if we take the time to develop it. She will give live demonstrations of this skill by communicating with selected Bone Voyage Rescue dogs. To learn more about Diane LeBlanc, please visit her website, https://becomingapetwhisperer.com/

September 10: Lakeside Little Theatre’s Exciting New Season

By Brian Mattes

In his first year as President of Lakeside Little Theatre, Brian has transformed LLT into a new center for the performing arts, adding concerts and Metropolitan Opera performances to its live stage shows, in addition to National Theatre London presentations. The Theatre is tackling more ambitious shows, is working with more community organizations, is adding to its technical capabilities, and is attracting extraordinary new talent. We will launch our new season in October with thrilling Tony Award winning performances, a spectacular rock opera musical, and comedies — both classical and contemporary. What’s next for LLT? Join us at this Open Circle to learn more about what is coming up and about our important role in the Lakeside community. We will also offer a sneak peek at the upcoming season of performances

September 17: Confessions of a Reluctant/Wannabe Writer

By David Ellison

Dave Ellison was a writing teacher for 36 years, an educational columnist for 18, and the author of 4 books–none of which sold. In this humorous, self-deprecating (but ultimately quite serious) talk, Dave will share how a kid who hated to write ended up spending most of his life writing passionately, how he attempted to convince his students to believe they could and should write, too, and he’ll share a few poignant but silly anecdotes from his writing life. He’ll end his talk by reading two short selections from his latest book, Mexican Streets: Tales of Tragedy and Triumph. He’ll be available afterward with copies to sign.

September 24, 2023: Why Can’t We All Just Get Along?

By Rex Gale

We are politically, racially, and culturally divided. The Anatomy of Peace – Resolving the Heart of Conflict is an interpersonal approach that helps to unite us. The problem is that we often misunderstand the causes of our conflicts. What if conflicts at home, work, and in the world stem from the same root cause? What if we systematically misunderstand that cause? And what if, as a result, we unwittingly perpetuate the very problems we think we are trying to solve? This interactive talk will help us understand the causes of conflict, and how our mindsets can be altered to bring greater peace and joy into our lives, communities, and world.

Rex Gale is a former Fortune 500 human resources executive and management consultant. Navigating conflict has been an integral part of his life in his business and professional consulting career. A writer, speaker, and certified personal development coach, Rex has published numerous articles on human resources, healthcare, and talent development. A part time resident of Ajijic, he is also a former TEDx speaker and is currently the organizer of TEDxHiltonHead, an independently organized TED event, which showcases “Ideas Worth Spreading” throughout the Lowcountry of Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.

Lakeside Little Theatre and the Chapala Opera Guild Announce a New Home for Metropolitan Opera Performances!  Tickets Go On Sale (Online) September 15; and at LLT’s box office September 20, 21.

 Lakeside Little Theatre (LLT) has announced that it has worked with the Chapala Opera Guild and the Auditorio Nacional in Mexico City to acquire the contract to show next season’s Metropolitan Opera performances.  The full 9-opera Met season will be shown at LLT beginning on October 30 with “Dead Man Walking.”  LLT is holding ticket prices the same as they were previously when the operas were presented at MovieSpace: 2500 pesos for the full season and 330 pesos per individual show. 

The performances will be presented on multiple days, generally Sunday and Monday at 4 pm, although several of the most popular operas will be shown over 3 days. 

LLT has recently renovated the theatre with comfortable seats and high-quality sound and video systems.  And now even further improvements are occurring in preparation for the opera season!  Says Brian Mattes, LLT President:   “We have purchased a much larger, higher quality electric screen to replace our aging manual screen along with a much more powerful 7000w laser projector.  The result will be a larger, sharper and brighter image, one deserving of a Met Opera performance.”

All these performances are pre-recorded from the Met Live in HD 2023-2024 season and will feature English subtitles in all shows sung in other languages.  The chronological schedule of performances at LLT includes:

Dead Man Walking, The Life and Times of Malcolm X, Florencia en el Amazonas, Nabucco, Carmen, La Forza del Destino, Romeo et Juliette, La Rondine, Madame Butterfly

Please check LAKESIDE LITTLE THEATRE publicity for the exact schedule.

September 22, 23 and 24 at 4 pm (door and bar open at 3 pm)

Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie, with stage adaptation by Ken Ludwig

Directed by Roseann Wilshere

Tickets are $200. RESERVE NOW at: barestagetheatre2018@gmail.com.

Whodunit? Detective Hercule Poirot is determined to find out in this thrilling murder mystery. Ten passengers board the luxurious Orient Express that’s traveling from Istanbul to Western Europe, but after the train unexpectedly stops in the isolated, snow-swept mountains, only nine of them are still alive. A man has been murdered in his room overnight, and suddenly every passenger becomes a suspect. Tensions rise as Poirot searches for the killer lurking in their midst who just may strike again. 

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

The Feria Maestros del Arte is in its 22^nd year!

November 10-11, 9:30 to 5 pm and November 12, 9:30 to 4 pm, Club de Yates de Chapala, Ramon Corona #1, Chapala, Admission Price 100 pesos

Special Event: Experience Oaxaca: “Danza de la Pluma” and 9 Espiritus Mezcal and Kalakas Chile Licor. Charity Raffle.

Mexico’s folk-art traditions are disappearing at an alarming rate. Artisans need opportunities to sell their work and the Feria offers them a venue at absolutely no cost: no booth fee, no percentage of sales. We pay their transportation to and from the event and find them host families where they sleep and eat for the three days of the show. For some artisans, the sales they make at the Feria represent a major portion of their annual income.

The selection criteria for artisans is based on the merit and quality of their work, as well as their ability to continue to produce it. Traditional folk art reflects shared cultural aesthetics and traditions, however, for the purposes of the Feria, traditions are dynamic and traditional folk art can be both reactive to and innovative for the times.

Indeed, we promote a wide range of Mexican folk art:  world class, up-and-coming, innovative, and traditional.

Having 85 artisans at the Feria offers the public the opportunity to see the work of some of Mexico’s finest artists, allowing each artist a place to exhibit and sell their work. Indeed, the Feria promotes the folk art of Mexico, while educating the public that such art is in danger disappearing forever.

We are a non-profit organization and are run entirely by volunteers.  For more information email: info@feriamaestros.com or

Marianne Carlson, Founder of the Feria, has provided this information from the Feria website.