Trump trivia quiz
As the 2020 election heats up, here’s a fun game you can play with your family around the dinner table or maybe with a small group of friends as coffee shops and bars slowly re-open. [Eric George Tauber]
Eric George Tauber
Eric George Tauber is an actor as well as a freelance writer specializing in coverage of the arts.
Street talk in a riot’s aftermath
The streets of La Mesa were bustling Sunday with disaster tourists checking out the ruins, taking pictures and remarking on the devastation. On Saturday night, a mob of rioters -joining what was supposed to be a peaceful demonstration protesting police brutality- threw rocks and bottles at the La Mesa Police Department Headquarters. Looted bottles of liquor became incendiary bombs, turning the Chase Bank and Union Bank on Spring Street into heaps of charred concrete, twisted metal and still smoldering pieces of lumber. Construction crews had already begun clearing the debris, but it’s a big job that has only just begun. [Eric George Tauber]
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Eric George Tauber, San Diego County, USAOnline concert benefits Ugandan Jewry
When thinking about Jewish communities around the world, most of us probably don’t give much thought to Uganda. But tucked away in the Savannah, over very rough roads, live the Abayudaya. Like the rest of the world, they are also affected by the current pandemic. Under the same lockdown rules, most Abayudaya are unable to go to their jobs to provide for their families. The worldwide pandemic has hit them hard because, as meager as our stimulus checks might seem, their government provides bubkes. And unlike many of us, working remotely via Wi-Fi is simply not an option. [Eric George Tauber]
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Eric George Tauber, International, Jewish Religion, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, USAProvocateurs sow dissension among Americans
Just because a former President of the United States is no longer in office -and lacks the authority to affect any executive orders or policy changes- does not mean that he is no longer a threat. The morals and ideals he espouses continue to have a lasting impact on the fabric of this great nation, whether to bind the threads of American citizenry in unity or rent them asunder. [Eric George Tauber]
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Eric George Tauber, International, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USAComedy album review: ‘Drinking at the Kids Table’
Comedian Billy DeVore, who co-hosts the Cincinnati Reds’ focused podcast “The New Nasty Boys,” has come out with his debut album: Drinking at the Kids Table. Loud, self-deprecating and rather crude, DeVore cracks wise about being overweight (Having a gym membership just means he can watch Sports Center in another building.) rescuing cats, and the challenges of married life. His wife Alicia views him not so much as a pet project like “This Old House” but more like “Extreme Home Makeover.” [Eric George Tauber}
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Eric George Tauber, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, Trivia, Humor & SatireCelebrating safely at a drive-thru circus
But how do you celebrate such a festive occasion when the plague of our own era demands that we distance ourselves from one another and avoid gatherings? Make it a drive-through. Welcome to the Lag Ba’Omer Drive Thru Circus Experience. Chabad Hebrew Academy located along Pomerado Road in Scripps Ranch set up multiple stages in their parking lot. Festival patrons slowly drove through in their cars. They were greeted by arches of red and yellow balloons (representing flames) Chasidic music, stilt-walkers, unicyclists, acrobats, jugglers, hula hoops, puppets and clowns. [Eric George Tauber]
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Eric George Tauber, Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & BroadcastWe celebrate our Jewish mothers!
My wife, the former Nancy Zeiden, having a last name that started with “Z,” typically found herself at the end of the line, or the person whose name was printed last or near last in any program. This being mother’s day, I thought I’d correct this alphabetical injustice for anyone who has found herself in the same situation. Therefore, we are running our Mother’s Day salute in reverse alphabetical order! We start with Shelley Zimmerman’s mother, Elaine Zimmerman… [Our Shtetl San Diego County column by Donald H. Harrison]
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Donald H. Harrison, Eric George Tauber, International, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, Middle East, San Diego County, Sandi Masori, USAEscaping the Holocaust with quick thinking
On Yom Hashoah, there were a number of Holocaust stories on my Facebook feed, mostly personal testimonies of children and grandchildren of survivors. Thankfully, my own grandparents were spared those horrors. Their families had come to the United States well before that. But I still have a great story. [Eric George Tauber]
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Eric George Tauber, International, Jewish History, USACanadian vs. American responses to mass shootings
Yesterday, April 19, 2020, in Portapique, Nova Scotia, a gunman on a shooting rampage killed at least 16 people including one Mountie. The gunman was able to flee and lead the police on a 55-mile chase because he was dressed as a Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer and driving a car made to look like one of their vehicles. Thankfully, he was later cornered at a gas station and taken out by the RCMP. Nova Scotia’s Premier, Stephen McNeil called it “one of the most senseless acts of violence in our province’s history.” [Eric George Tauuber}
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Eric George Tauber, International, USAMaking theatre under quarantine
Because of the rules of Social Distancing, our theatres are closed. SD REP’s House of Joy closed the same weekend it opened. Roustabouts’ gUnTOPIA showed one preview and has been rolled over into next season. Other shows have been indefinitely postponed or simply cancelled. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that theatre isn’t happening. We live in the Digital Age of YouTube, Skype and Zoom. And so “the show must go online.” Here are some of the ways our local theatres are still offering performances to our community. [Eric George Tauber]
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Eric George Tauber, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & BroadcastHouse of Joy is an intriguing adventure
With the Lyceum Space arranged in a black box, centering the action, Scenic Designer Yoon Bae invites us into a world of bright colors, ornate patterns and cherry blossoms. The luxurious harem of 17th century Hindustan was paradise, employing only the finest seamstresses, cooks, nurses and … well, you know. There was always plenty of delicious food to eat and fine silks to wear. The women of the harem wanted for nothing so long as they kept their Emperor happy. Watching over the harem are trained, battle-ready female bodyguards. They must be ever-ready to spring into action. But there’s a lot more waiting than action, so the guards play little games to pass the time. Devereau Chumrau and Taireikca L.A. have a playful rapport with a musical hip-hop street swag that makes them fun to watch. The stage combat with jo sticks, ably choreographed by Ka’imi Kuoha, was like a scene straight out of Kung Fu. [Eric George Tauber]
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Eric George Tauber, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & BroadcastSafa’s Story responds creatively to bullying
Safa is a fifth grader whose family hails from Zimbabwe. She’s precocious, curious, smart and very likable. But there’s a new kid in school, Ryan, who makes Safa the object of his taunts. Ryan isn’t hostile so much as immature. He’s “only joking,” but at Safa’s expense. And when Safa goes to the teacher for support, she’s labeled a “snitch,” which only makes matter worse. Halfway through the performance, the audience gets to weigh in, changing the outcome of the story by changing the characters choices, even stepping into their roles. We can be Safa, standing up for ourselves, her classmates being better friends or the teacher taking the situation more seriously. The one character we can’t replace is the bully. The only way to change him is to stand up to him. [Eric George Tauber]
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Eric George Tauber, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Theatre, Film & BroadcastRising Star of David: Levi Laddon
By Eric George Tauber SAN DIEGO — The Roustabouts upcoming premiere gUnTOPIA features 14 year-old Levi Laddon. Currently a freshman at West Hills High School, Levi will transfer to SDSCPA in the fall. Always happy to talk to the rising stars in our community, I sat down with Levi in the office of Temple Emanu-El
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Eric George Tauber, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & BroadcastWe can all relate to Making God Laugh
There’s an old Yiddish proverb: If you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans. We all make plans for our futures. Some work out, but many don’t. We’re encouraged to reach for the stars, but often we fall and hit the hard ground.
With the passing years, our families change and yet stay the same. Making God Laugh follows an American family with three grown children from the 80s to the twenty-first century. Bill and Ruthie are empty nesters in their cozy suburban home, waiting for “the kids” to arrive for Thanksgiving. The accouterments are very Catholic with the Ten Commandments by the front door, a crucifix, a portrait of the Madonna and Child and no mention of sex. [Eric George Tauber]
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Eric George Tauber, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & Broadcast