Tuesday, August 25, 2020

The female influence in politics of Latin America Free Essays

While examining Latin American district I was addressed why this area has more quantities of female presidents. Accordingly, in this exposition, I did some little investigate with a rundown of female agents as a head of states. I think the job of ladies is wherever fundamental and can incorporate huge impact as in public activity so in legislative issues. We will compose a custom exposition test on The female impact in governmental issues of Latin America or then again any comparative subject just for you Request Now A few people contend that women’s nearness in power is a straightforward inquiry of decency. Reasonableness that requests ladies to get their legitimate portion of intensity whether or not they us this capacity to advance women’s interests. Another explanation is viewed as the spread of globalization. This wonder has given the drive for raise of woman's rights in Latin American locale. In this manner, the more noteworthy nearness of ladies in national councils concurred with remarkable regard for women’s rights issues like abusive behavior at home, multiplication and family law. Ladies from various ideological groups were shaping coalitions to put women’s issues on the approach plan and afterward to compel their male partners to help changes in law. One emotional case of the potential changes ladies pioneers brings originates from Mexico. In 2000, Rosario Robles, at that point chairman of Mexico City, broke the Latin American fetus removal impasse by acquainting enactment with adjust the city’s criminal code on premature birth matters. The proposition, endorsed through help by the PRD (Partido de la Revolucion Democratica) and PRI (Partido Revolucionario Institucional) parties, sanctioned premature births performed if the mother’s wellbeing (not simply her life) is in danger and if the embryo has birth deserts. Robles acknowledged the long-standing women's activist contention that fetus removal is a general medical issue, since depending on stealthy premature births presents grave dangers for women’s lives and wellbeing. No other Latin American nation has changed its fetus removal laws since the 1940s. The 1990s we saw consistent development in women’s investment in political force in Latin America. The outcome can be women’s portrayal in the lower places of congress expanded from a normal of 9 % in 1990 to 15 % in 2002; in the Senate, from 5 % to 12 % in 2002; and among pastors, from 9 % to13 % in 2000. These numbers put Latin America behind Europe, comparable to Asia, and in front of Africa, the Pacific and the Middle East. It’s clear that Latin American district has more instances of female presidents at the leader of the state rather in different nations. In Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Peru and Venezuela, ladies have run for president with a sensible possibility of winning, and even won. Dilma Rouseff of Brazil, Cristina Kirchner in Argentina, Michelle Bachelett of Chile, Laura Chinchilla in Costa Rica, Isabel Peron as a first female leader of the district. In more nations, ladies have filled in as VPs, and ladies have represented the region’s (and world’s) two biggest urban areas, Sao Paulo and Mexico City. In this I present summed up data about female home office in LA: Dilma Rousseff, Brazil 2010. Dilma Rousseff of the decision Workers’ Party has quite recently been chosen leader of Brazil †a country of right around 200 million individuals, and a rising worldwide force. She is a lifelong representative, and was †until running for the administration †head of staff to President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva; before that she was vitality serve. Lula gave her his full sponsorship during the battle and she has vowed to proceed with his arrangements. The individuals who know Rousseff depict her as a â€Å"tough cookie†, and as a decided, down to earth lady who likes to complete things. One of her epithets is ‘the iron lady’. She is supposed to be adroit, with a key, sensible brain. Her dad was a worker from Bulgaria, and her mom a teacher. While an understudy during the 1960s, she joined the left-wing outfitted opposition against the military tyranny. Despite the fact that she says she was never associated with brutality herself, she was viewed as a key figure inside the development. She was captured and held for a long time, during which time she was tormented. Ms Rousseff was discharged in 1973, continued her examinations in financial matters, and afterward joined the common assistance. Laura Chinchilla, President of Costa Rica 2010. Laura Chinchilla was confirmed as leader of Costa Rica in May of this current year, after a decisive triumph in races in February. She is with the anti-extremist National Liberation Party, and was VP under her antecedent, Oscar Arias. Ms Chinchilla has held a few governments’ posts and originates from a political family. She concentrated in Costa Rica and at Georgetown University in the US. Ms Chinchilla is viewed as a social preservationist, and is against gay marriage and fetus removal. She has vowed to proceed with the free-advertise arrangements of previous president Arias, and to develop Costa Rica’s organized commerce bargains. Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, President of Argentina 2007 Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner cleared to triumph in the first round of Argentina’s presidential political race in October 2007. She assumed control over the administration from her better half Nestor Kirchner. The two worked intently together, and were named â€Å"the Clintons of the South†. Mr Kirchner kicked the bucket of a coronary failure at 60 years old in October 2010. Christina Fernandez has a long reputation in governmental issues going back to the late 1980s. She has worked in the territorial parliament, the national parliament, and as a representative. She considered law at college, and is known for her work battling on human rights and women’s rights. Michelle Bachelet, President of Chile 2006-2010 Michelle Bachelet was introduced as leader of Chile for the Socialist Party in March 2006. She had recently been Chile’s Defense Minister †the main lady to hold that post in Latin America †and furthermore wellbeing pastor. She examined military system and is prepared as a pediatrician and a disease transmission specialist. In 1970s, in the beginning of Augusto Pinochet’s rule, her dad was hung on charges of conspiracy. Ms Bachelet and her mom were likewise kept and tormented, before going into oust. As wellbeing priest Ms Bachelet created a ruckus in ardently Catholic Chile by permitting the free dispersion of a next day contraceptive for casualties of sexual maltreatment. She ventured down in March 2010 with a prevalence rating of over 80%, as the Chilean constitution doesn't permit a second back to back presidential term. She is right now leader of another United Nations office taking a shot at sexual orientation issues, called UN Women. Mireya Moscoso, President of Panama 1999-2004 Mireya Moscoso won presidential decisions in May 1999, and was in control a year later for the US handover of the Panama waterway. She is the widow of three-time president Arnulfo Arias. She started her political profession after her husband’s demise. Ms Moscoso originated from a poor, rustic foundation, and prepared as an inside creator. She vowed to work to diminish neediness in Panama. In any case, her administration was hounded by claims of defilement. Rosalia Arteaga, between time President of Ecuador 1997 Rosalia Arteaga went about as break leader of Ecuador for only two days in February 1997, when the previous pioneer, Abdala Bucaram, was pronounced unfit to administer. She was VP before that. Ms Arteaga ran for the administration in decisions in 1998, yet got just a little portion of the vote. Violeta Chamorro, President of Nicaragua 1990-1997 Violetta Chamorro beat the occupant Daniel Ortega in decisions, to become leader of Nicaragua in April 1990. She was the possibility for the National Opposition Union †an alliance of gatherings that ran against the Sandinistas. Her offer was upheld by the US, who lifted endorses on the nation after her political race. Ms Chamorro originates from a well off family and was taught abroad, remembering for the US. She entered legislative issues after her better half Pedro Joaquin Chamorro †who had been proofreader of an enemy of government paper †was killed. She took over as proofreader of the paper after his homicide. She is credited for carrying dependability and harmony to Nicaragua. Lidia Gueiler Tejada, break President of Bolivia, 1979-1980 Lidia Gueiler Tejada was between time leader of Bolivia from 1979 to 1980. She was picked to pursue the nation uncertain races and the expelling of the brief president Walter Guevara. She was to lead Bolivia until new races, however she herself was expelled in an overthrow before they were held. She prepared as a bookkeeper, and functioned as a Member of Congress and as leader of the Chamber of Deputies before being break pioneer. She later filled in as Bolivian Ambassador to various nations. Isabel Peron, President of Argentina 1974-1976 Isabel Peron was the principal lady president in Latin America. She took over as leader of Argentina when her significant other †the three-time president Juan Domingo Peron †passed on in office in 1974. Isabel Peron was his third spouse, and they wedded quite a long while after the passing of the much-cherished First Lady Eva Peron. Referred to Argentineans as â€Å"Isabelita†, Ms Peron was a previous nightclub artist. During her administration, there were various work strikes, and several political homicides. Isabel Peron was expelled in a military overthrow in 1976, and held under house capture for quite a long while before moving to Spain. In 2007, Argentina gave a global capture warrant for her, over her supposed connects to a conservative paramilitary gathering, which worked during her standard. Argentinean specialists likewise needed to scrutinize her over the vanishing of two men. Spain dismissed the removal demand; the court there decided that there was deficient proof against her. In these and different ways, women’s political conduct mama

Saturday, August 22, 2020

Lord of the flies reflection Essay Example For Students

Master of the flies reflection Essay Thoroughly analyze Essay : Lord of the FliesLord of the Flies shows an inconspicuous yet significant message, for the most part about the way that people can transform practically any circumstance into a malicious one. The epic is completely founded on endeavoring to comprehend this message. Sadly the film for different reasons doesn't do the novel equity in the plot and detail office. The tale is stuffed with subtleties and psyche reveling unexpected developments. In any case, the film forgets about these as well as neglects to incorporate or changed fundamental pieces of the story. One of these components was the nationality of the young men who are abandoned on the island. In the novel the young men are British yet in the film they are American. This not just influenced appearance, for example, garments and accents, yet in addition the way that the young men acted mirrored the various societies that they had experienced childhood in and was diverse in every adaptation. A case of this if how they thought of the military, in the novel they referenced connects to world war 2, yet in the film they just discussed the military as somebody who might spare them and war was rarely truly referenced. Likewise an alternate change from the novel to the film was the time setting between the two. In the novel the assessed time was the 1940s, and the young men mirrored this by beginning on the island as great younger students that had regard for their older folks, and so on. In the film the time period was anyplace from the late 80s to the mid 90s, it was fairly difficult to characterize a definite date. The time setting appeared in the innovation that was available at the time, for example, helicopters. Additionally in the film the young men began on the island as young men who are going to military school and were mostly desensitized to brutality, perhaps from the TV and media of the 80s and 90s which is an incredible jump from the 40s. This potentially may have had any kind of effect in how the kids responded to Jack and the entirety of his insubordinate thoughts. One other distinction between the two stories is the principle wellspring of discussion and fears that drove the young men into their outlooks. In the novel the mammoth was continually referenced and drove the possibility of a savage beast wandering free among them. This significantly influenced the manner in which the young men responded to whatever would get their brain off being eaten by the mammoth. For example, chasing with Jack, playing a kind of converse physiology on themselves by chasing as opposed to being pursued, this caused them to feel progressively make sure about as I would like to think. In the film the brute is essentially the pilot who remained alive on the island and doesnt put dread into their souls for extremely long, it just doesnt have an incredible same impact as the books mammoth did. At the point when it comes down to the knitty dirty, I would pick the novel over the film on the off chance that it came down to which was all the more intriguing, however that is the thing that happens when you need to stick 200 pages in a very little over 60 minutes.

Friday, August 7, 2020

Khan Academy and Breakthrough Prize launch the Breakthrough Junior Challenge

Khan Academy and Breakthrough Prize launch the Breakthrough Junior Challenge Calling all scientists, mathematicians and filmmakers, aged 13-18! Today, in partnership with Breakthrough Prize, we are launching the Breakthrough Junior Challenge. Submit a video (at most 10 minutes) that explains a challenging and important concept or theory in mathematics, life sciences, or physics and you could win a $250,000 scholarship - with $50,000 for your teacher, and a state-of-the-art $100,000 science lab for your school. The winner will also be invited to the televised red carpet 2016 Breakthrough Prize ceremony in Silicon Valley, where the prize will be awarded, and the winner will meet today’s superstars of science from Silicon Valley and Hollywood. The deadline for submissions is October 7, so register today at www.breakthroughjuniorchallenge.org, where you can find all the details. Khan Academy and Breakthrough Prize launch the Breakthrough Junior Challenge Calling all scientists, mathematicians and filmmakers, aged 13-18! Today, in partnership with Breakthrough Prize, we are launching the Breakthrough Junior Challenge. Submit a video (at most 10 minutes) that explains a challenging and important concept or theory in mathematics, life sciences, or physics and you could win a $250,000 scholarship - with $50,000 for your teacher, and a state-of-the-art $100,000 science lab for your school. The winner will also be invited to the televised red carpet 2016 Breakthrough Prize ceremony in Silicon Valley, where the prize will be awarded, and the winner will meet today’s superstars of science from Silicon Valley and Hollywood. The deadline for submissions is October 7, so register today at www.breakthroughjuniorchallenge.org, where you can find all the details.

Saturday, May 23, 2020

Ideas and Identity - 800 Words

BAR 150 In this essay we will be examining the internal tension in the mainstream representation of people seeking asylum in Australia The issue of â€Å"truth† and its representation in regards to the perception of â€Å"non (White) Australian† Australians has been a recurring motif through out Australian history. The majority of representations of Indigenous Australians, those the White Australia policy was designed to exclude and refugees who arrived since World War 2 have been deliberately manipulated to reinforce the perceived undesirability of these people. Since the Howard governments commitment to its â€Å"hard-line† approach to refugees, the Australian public has been subjected to a non-stop campaign of negative media images†¦show more content†¦The term â€Å"refugee† is value laden. It carries centuries of imagery, something connected to our own histories, whether personal or cultural, an image deserving charity or compassion. But by its very neutrality, its bureaucratic blandness, the term â€Å"asylum seeker† distances us from the natural reaction of wanting to offer refuge, to one of objectivity and lack of emotional engagement. Whats ironic here is that the term was probably coined by a well meaning academic attempting to remove the stigma of those emotional, pejorative or inaccurate labels like â€Å"boat people† , â€Å"queue jumpers† or the particularly insidious â€Å"genuine refugee†. Unfortunately their efforts have been co-opted by the opinion makers to reduce the experience of afflicted people to what sounds like a category on a governmental form. The fact that this term is so bureaucratic means that it ties in well with the label â€Å"queue jumper† further reinforcing the image of refugees as importunate opportunists who just want a share of â€Å"the good life†, Aussie style. With the Abbot governments media black-out on reports on the arrival of refugee boats we see the negative representation of asylum seekers taken one step further to complete erasure. If we do not see any images of refugees then obviously they no longer exist. Abbott defended this measure by comparing his campaign to â€Å"stop the boats† with a military operation and therefore warranting secrecy. I wouldShow MoreRelatedIdentity Is The Idea Of Knowing Who You Are1534 Words   |  7 PagesIdentity is the idea of knowing who you are and what you stand for, but society has an affect on everyone’s identity. In some cases the identity that you believe is a person may not be the same as who they truly are. Each person’s identity is created and affected by society, this is because who you are as a person is affected by how you grow up, the people around you, and what you have been taught. Your identity is who you truly are, and sometimes many people do not know you r true identity, theyRead MoreIdeas Of Personal Identity, Human Nature, And Reality877 Words   |  4 PagesMy aim in this essay is to analyze in this order the ideas of personal identity, human nature, and reality. The following essays and films will be analyzed: Divided Minds and the Nature of Persons, The Selfish Cooperator, Does the Real World Exist, Transfer, I Am and The Signal. In Derek Parfit s Divided Minds and the Nature of Persons, we learn that personal identity is ever changing, whereas in Richard Dawkin s essay The Selfish Cooperator we are taught that human nature is circumstantialRead MoreThe Idea Of Identity, By Denise Chavez, A Dead Mexican Movie Star1902 Words   |  8 Pages The idea of identity is one that is extremely difficult to master. In novel by Denise Chà ¡vez, Loving Pedro Infante, protagonist, Teresina, is once divorced, thirty-years old, living in the border town of Cabritoville, New Mexico, and struggling to attain a life of fulfillment. Unfortunat ely, she is defined by her obsession concerning Pedro Infante, a dead Mexican movie star. Teresina yearns to have a life with a man as worthy as Pedro as a means of life fulfillment. Teresina does not truly understandRead MoreA Critical Textual Analysis : Feminine Identity And The Essentialistic Ideas Of The Late Nineteenth Century Between Men And1286 Words   |  6 PagesThis critical textual analysis will examine feminine identity and the essentialistic ideas of the late nineteenth century between men and women as elaborated by Kaplan and Rogers in â€Å"Essentialisms, Determinisms. It will include an analysis of theories regarding dichotomies of biological determinism and cranial classification. Essentialism argues that there are categories of objects and genres that have essential characteristics, notwithstanding individual variation, and that these essential characteristicsRead More Quicksand shows Helga’s as a figure of a Mulatto with a constant conflict between ide as of black and white identity. 2262 Words   |  10 PagesNella Larsen deals with the crisis of racial identity Helga has throughout Quicksand. She comments on the life of a mulatto woman at a strict black southern school who wants to find herself. Larsen deals Helga as the ‘tragic mulatto’ from the beginning of the novel setting clearly the views of black racial characteristics. The tragic mulatto being a stereotypical idea of someone doomed to limbo between being black and white. Helga exhibits, an inability to conform anywhere long enough to discoverRead MoreIdentity and Gender1627 Words   |  7 PagesThe word identity has become the most discussed idea in our society. It is described mostly, to be a word that stands for who we are. Therefore, because of who we are, identity has come to be a word that we use to claim and understand people’s actions in our society. So in this paper I will be analysing how social practices surrounding identity relates to g ender in social, personal levels, through the work of three authors; by Ian Hacking on â€Å"kind making†, Margaret Somers on â€Å"Narrative constructionRead MoreEssay on Personal Identity1742 Words   |  7 Pagespersonal identity it is necessary to understand what he means by identity and what he means specifically by personal identity. Locke states there are three substances that we have ideas of and that have identities. He defines idea in Essay concerning Human Understanding as â€Å"whatsoever is the object of the understanding when a man thinks† (Essay, chapter 1, section 8). That is to say that an idea, to Locke, is the basic unit of human thought. Identity is based off of comparison of these ideas in differentRead More Compare and Contrast the Way in which Emerson and Thoreau Represents American Identity1290 Words   |  6 PagesEmerson and Henry David Thoreau presented an idea about American Identity. Emerson in The American Scholar and Thoreau in Walden represents the idea of American identity by connecting this concept with nature and individuality but Emerson presents his idea about American identity in an intelligent manner whereas Thoreau uses mockery to present his idea. Emerson and Thoreau both have connected the idea of nature and individuality to represent an American identity. Well, the reason for both the writersRead MoreFilling the Void: Karl Marx, John Stuart Mill and Others on Identity1145 Words   |  5 Pagesevery person’s identity and something for a country and its people to unit over. But as society slowly aged, and governments were reorganized and re-structured, one can see a reduction in religion being a part of someone’s identity. It is hard to imagine being without an identity so it came as no surprise when, as the void left by religion was opened, people began to create an identity that had to do with different ideas and ideologies. More specifically, new political movements, ideas of nationalismRead MoreWilliam Carlos Williams Philomena Andronica And Gertrude Stein s Identity1431 Words   |  6 PagesWilliam Carlos Williams â€Å"Philomena Andronica† and Gertrude Stein’s â€Å"Identity, a poemâ⠂¬  are both visually and tonally very different texts. However, Stein and Williams have both used similar approaches to literary form in their poems as can be seen in their non-traditional approach to meaning generation and rejection of grammatical convention. The poems also both show an interest in the notion of identity and it’s fluidity, although Stein employs repeated images in her investigation whilst Williams

Tuesday, May 12, 2020

The Nature Of A Human Being Means - 2165 Words

Seeing the significance in anything from an object to a human being means that it has grown to have sentimental value and has become important enough be kept around. While it is normal for others to choose to place worth on physical things such as materialistic entities, Confucians have long treasured practices that were deemed significant enough to be passed down to future generations to benefit from. These practices are unique in their own ways and have engrained itself into traditions around the world, people utilize these long-time practices to teach the younger generation about family, respect, honor, prosperity, and much more. Confucians specifically have valued these practices to an extent where they have become rituals that are essential for the young to learn. Due to the reasons that Confucians believed that participating in these rituals would serve as a way for society to strengthen mankind, unite the people, and preserve spirituality within the religion simultaneously. Co nfucius believed that life was a process of transformation with ups and downs, tasks to follow, and stages to pass through as one ages. Therefore, he documented his life journey to be able to recommend to his followers how he thinks life develops and created rituals along the way for everyone to fulfill. Confucianism itself is â€Å"known as a tradition of ritual/ propriety (lijiao)† (Yao 191), therefore it is easy to see why rituals have become such a significant factor within this following.Show MoreRelatedThe Natural Law Theory Of Human Nature954 Words   |  4 PagesIt is our human nature that makes us feel great when we get a job and makes us feel horrible for something we steal something. This is because it feels natural for us to feel that we did something right or wrong. The natural law theory tells us that an action is morally right if it is natural and an action is wrong if it is unnatural. This means that human morality comes from nature and has a purpose to live a good life. If someone’s actions are preventing them from making them live a good life,Read MorePolitics, Society And The State Of Nature930 Words   |  4 PagesPolitics, society and the state of nature are connected. Though Rousseau and Kant state that civil society and humanity amongst citizens can only be found if they are not related to the state of nature, in their explanation of laws and society in their political recommendations, the visibility of the state of nature is evident. However, their ways of clarifying nature are not the traditional way. They took a more aggressive approach to defining the purpose of state of nature in relation to politics andRead MoreWhat It Means to be Human644 Words   |  3 PagesAt some point in time we have all wondered what it means to human, and what we are supposed to do with our lives. Throughout the centuries, there have been gradual changes in what it means to be human. Through Pico della Mirandola we will how man became the m easure and took the place of God, through Charles Darwin we will see how nature and science began to take the place of man, and through the art of Friedrich we can visually see all of these changes. Before the Renaissance, God was the measureRead MoreThe Meaning Of Human Nature870 Words   |  4 PagesThe Meaning of Human Nature The social contract seems to be open to be an ideology that is left to interpretation by everyone that has either wrote or read about it based on their individual definitions of what it means to be in the state of nature. Throughout this course we began with Thomas Hobbes, whose beliefs seemed quite ridiculous at times, but his ideas about what it meant to be a person in the state of nature, were supported by what he believed to be true. Much like when Jean-Jacques RousseauRead MoreSociological Theories Of Global Climate Change1611 Words   |  7 Pagesawareness of environmental problems in the 1970s. Environmental sociologists examine and theorize the complex and multifaceted relationship between human beings and their natural environments, including the question: why do social systems tend to exceed their ecological carrying capacities (Nagel et. al., 2010)? Despite its foundational focus on the human-nature nexus, environmental sociologists have only recently turned their resear ch attention to global climate change. There is, however, a great dealRead MoreTheories of Human Nature 670 Words   |  3 Pages The theme of this course is theories of human nature, theories of human nature is an historical scope of philosophy. Theories of human nature provides a philosophical analysis into human nature through the investigation of issues, including the mind and body, perceptions and conception, freedom and determinism, death and immortality, the relation of the human to nature and the divine, and reason and emotion (Professor Galgan, Course Syllabus). The two articles written by Dr. Galgan, â€Å"Infinity andRead MoreTheories Of Human Nature By Karl Marx And Thomas Hobbes Essay1656 Words   |  7 PagesIn both theories of human nature by Karl Marx and Thomas Hobbes respectfully, each provide their own perspective on the fundamental point of human nature. Marx makes the argument that that humans are inherently cooperative and the capitalist system creates a state of nature where humans are competitive. In opposition to Marx’ argument, Hobbes may say that humans are inherently competi tive and the social contract is what makes humans cooperate within the capitalist system. In response, Marx mightRead MoreAquinas View On Happiness1271 Words   |  6 Pagesrather than subjective well-being. He asserts that human happiness does not consist in acquiring things such as money, honor, fame, power, goods of the body, or pleasure. He also claims that complete, i.e. perfect, happiness can only be achieved by contemplating God in the afterlife. I will discuss arguments for, arguments against, and my opinion for both claims. To support Aquinas’ claim that money, honor, fame, power, goods of the body, or pleasure is not required for human happiness, one may citeRead MoreEast Asian Concept Of Human Nature1715 Words   |  7 PagesEast Asian Concept of human nature Introduction The Eastern Asia region is diverse. It include: Buddhism, Confucianism, Islam, Taoism, Shinto and Christianity. Confucianism and Buddhism and Taoism have dominated most parts of the region with some states governing system being based on these religions. Chinese government, constitution and the administration policies have been based on the ethics of Confucian traditions and ethics as well as philosophy. Similar to the governing ethics in these regionRead MoreThe Political Theories Of Machiavelli, Niccolo Machiavelli And Thomas Hobbes1456 Words   |  6 Pagesviews of human nature, which is what people are fundamentally like. In order for a political theory to function in a certain society, it needs to understand how people think and act. Three prominent political theorists were Aristotle, Niccolo Machiavelli, and Thomas Hobbes. Aristotle viewed humans as natural â€Å"political animals† that have both rational and irrational sides to them, allowing for a government that pr ovided overall goodness for the people. Machiavelli took a more grim view of human nature

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Night World Daughters of Darkness Chapter 8 Free Essays

She waited another hour after he set off down theroad, heading east-doing what, she had no idea. There was nothing that way except two creeks andlots of trees. And her house. We will write a custom essay sample on Night World : Daughters of Darkness Chapter 8 or any similar topic only for you Order Now She hoped he was goingto try to walk into town, and that he didn’t realize how far it was. All right, he’s gone, now forget about him. You’vegot a job to do, remember? A slightly dangerous one. And he’s not involved. I don’t believe he knows anything about what happened to Mrs. B. She got the shovel and started down the road west.As she walked she found that she was able to put Ash out of her mind completely. Because all she could think of was what was waiting ahead. I’m not scared to do it; I’m not scared, I’m notscared†¦. OfcourseI’m scared. But being scared was good, it would make her careful. She would do this job quickly and quietly. In through the gap in the hedge, a little fast work with the shovel, out again before anybody saw her. She tried not to picture what she was going to findwith that shovel if she was right. She approachedBurdock Farm cautiously, going north and then doubling back southeast to come in through the back property. The farmland had gone wild here, taken over by poison oak, beargrass, and dodder, besides the inevitable blackberry bushes and gorse. Tan oaks and chinquapins were moving in. Sometime soon these pastures would be forest. I’m not sure I believe I’m doing this, MaryLynnette thought as she reached the hedge that surrounded the garden. But the strange thing was that she didbelieve it. She was going to vandalize a neighbor’s property and probably look at a dead bodyand she was surprisingly cool about it. Scared but not panicked. Maybe there was more hidden inside her than she realized. I may not be who I’ve always thought I am. The garden was dark and fragrant. It wasn’t theirises and daffodils Mrs. B. had planted; it wasn’t the fireweed and bleeding heart that were growing wild. It was the goats. Mary-Lynnette stuck to the perimeter of the hedge,eyes on the tall, upright silhouette of the farmhouse. There were only two windows lit. Please don’t let them see me and please don’t letme make a noise. Still looking at the house, she walked slowly, taking careful baby steps to the place where the earth was disturbed. The first couple of swipes with the shovel hardly moved the soil. Okay. Put a little conviction in it. And don’t watch the house; there’s no point. If they look out, they’re going to see you, and there’s nothing you can do about it. Just as she put her foot on the shovel, somethingwent hooshin the rhododendrons behind her. Crouched over her shovel,Mary-Lynnette froze. Stop worrying, she told herself. That’s not the sisters. It’s not Ash coming back. That’s an animal. She listened. A mournful maaaa came from the goat shed. It wasn’t anything. It was a rabbit. Dig! She got out a spadeful of dirt-and then she heardit again. Hoosh. A snuffling sound. Then a rustling. Definitely an animal. But if it was a rabbit, it was an awfully loud one. Who cares what it is? Mary-Lynnette told herself.There aren’t any dangerous animalsout here. And I’m not afraid of the dark. It’s my natural habitat. I love the night. But tonight, somehow, she felt differently. Maybe it was just the scene with Ash that had shaken her, made her feel confused and discontented. But just now she felt almost as if something was trying to tell her that the dark wasn’t any human’s natural habitat. That she wasn’t built for it, with her weak eyes and her insensitive ears and dull nose. That she didn’t belong. Hoosh. I may have rotten hearing, but I can hearthatjustfine. And it’s big. Something big’s sniffing around in bushes. What kind of big animal could be out here? Itwasn’t a deer deer went snort-wheeze. It sounded larger than a coyote, taller. A bear? Then she heard a different sound the vigorousshaking of dry, leathery rhododendron leaves. In the dim light from the house she couldseethe branches churning as something tried to emerge. it’s coming out. Mary-Lynnette clutched her shovel and ran. Nottoward the gap in the hedge, not toward the housethey were both too dangerous. She ran to the goat shed. I can defend myself in here-keep it out—hit itwith the shovel†¦. The problem was that she couldn’t see from in here.There were two windows in the shed, but between dirt on the glass and the darkness outside, Mary-Lynnette couldn’t make out anything. She couldn’teven see the goats, although she could hear them. Don’t turn on the penlight. It’ll just give awayyour position. Holding absolutely still, she strained tohear any thing from outside. Nothing. Her nostrils were full of goat. The layers of oat straw and decomposing droppings on the floor were smelly, and they kept the shed too warm. Her palms were sweating as she gripped the shovel. I’ve never hit anybody †¦ not since Mark and Iwere kids fighting †¦ but, heck, I kicked a strangerthis morning†¦ . She hoped the potential for violence would comeout now when she needed it. A goat nudged her shoulder.Mary-Lynnette shrugged it away. The other goat bleated suddenlyand she bit her lip. Oh, God-I heard something out there. The goatheard it, too. She could taste her bitten lip. It was like sucking on a penny. Blood tasted like copper, which, she realizedsuddenly, tasted like fear. Something opened the shed door. What happened then was that Mary-Lynnette Something unholy was after her. Something thatsniffed like an animal but could open doors like ahuman. She couldn’t see what it was-just a shadowdarkness against darkness. She didn’t think ofturning on the penlight-her only impulse was to smash out with the shovel now, to get ft before ft could get her. She was tingling with the instinct forpure, primordial violence. Instead, she managed to hiss, â€Å"Who is ft? Who’sthere?† A familiar voice said,†Iknew you were going to do this. I’ve been lookingeverywherefor you.† â€Å"Oh,God, Mark.† Mary-Lynnette sagged against wall of the shed, letting go of the shovel. The goats were both bleating. Mary-Lynnette’s earswere ringing. Mark shuffled farther in. â€Å"Jeez, this place smells. What are you doing inhere?† â€Å"Youjerk,†Mary-Lynnette said. â€Å"I almost brained you!† 0†³You said you were forgetting all this crazy stuff. You lied to me.† â€Å"Mark, you don’t †¦We can talk later†¦. Did you hearanything out there?† She was trying to gather her thoughts. â€Å"Like what?† He was so calm. It made MaryLynnette feel vaguely foolish. Then his voice sharpened. â€Å"Like a yowling?† â€Å"No. Like a snuffling.† Mary-Lynnette’s breath was slowing. â€Å"I didn’t hear anything. We’d better get out ofhere. What are we supposed to say if Jade comes out?† Mary-Lynnette didn’t know how to answer that. Mark was in a different world, a happy, shiny world where the worst that could happen tonight was embarrassment. Finally she said â€Å"Mark, listen to me. I’m your sister. I don’t have any reason to lie to you, or playtricks on you, or put down somebody you like. AndI don’t just jump to conclusions; I don’t imagine things. But I’m telling you, absolutely seriously,that there is something weird going on with these girls.† Mark opened his mouth, but she went on relentlessly. â€Å"So now there are only two things you can believe, and one is that I’m completely out of mymind, and the other is that it’s true. Do you really think I’m crazy?† She was thinking of the past as she said it, of allthe nights they’d held on to each other when their mother wassick, of the books she’d read out loud tohim, of the times she’d put Band-Aids on his scrapes and extra cookies in his lunch. And somehow, even though it was dark, she could sense that Mark was remembering, too. They’d shared so much. They would always be connected. Finally Mark said quietly, â€Å"You’re not crazy.† â€Å"Thank you.† â€Å"But I don’t know what to think. Jade wouldn’t hurtanybody. I justknow that. And since I met her , .†Hepaused. â€Å"Mare, it’s like now I know why I’m alive.She’s different from any girl I’ve ever known. She’s ____ she’s so brave, and so funny, and so †¦ herself.† And I thought it was the blond hair, MaryLynnette thought. Shows how shallow I am. She was moved and surprised by the change in Mark-but mostly she was frightened. Frightenedsick. Her cranky, cynical brother had found somebody to care about at last †¦ and the girl was probably descended from Lucrezia Borgia. And now, even though she couldn’t see him, shecould hear earnest appeal in his voice. â€Å"Mare, can’t we just go home?† Mary-Lynnette felt sicker. She broke off and they both snapped their heads to look at the shed window. Outside a light had gone on. â€Å"Shut the door,† Mary-Lynnette hissed, in a tone that made Mark dose the door to the shed instantly. â€Å"And be quiet,- she added, grabbing his arm and pulling him next to the wall. She looked cautiously out the window. Rowan came out of the back door first, followedbyjade,followed by Kestrel. Kestrel had a shovel. Oh. My. God. â€Å"What’s happening?† Mark said, trying to get alook. Mary-Lynnette damped a hand over his mouth.What was happening was that the girls were digging up the garden again. She didn’t see anything wrapped in garbage bags this time. So what were they doing? Destroying the evidence? Were they going to take it into the houseand burn it, chop it up? Her heart was pounding madly. Mark had scooted up and was looking out. MaryLynnette heard him take a breath-and then choke. Maybe he was trying to think of an innocent explanation for this. She squeezed his shoulder. They both watched as the girls took turns with theshovel. Mary-Lynnette was impressed all over againat how strong they were. Jade looked so fragile. Every time one of the sisters glanced around the garden, Mary-Lynnette’s heart skipped a beat. Don’t see us, don’t hear us, don’t catch us, she thought. When a respectable mound of dirt had piled up, Rowan and Kestrel reached into the hole. They lifted out the long garbage-bagged bundle Mary-Lynnettehad seen before. It seemed to be stiff-and surpris ingly light. For the first time, Mary-Lynnette wondered if it was too light to be a body. Or too stiff †¦ how longdid rigor mortis last? Mark’s breathing was irregular, almost wheezing.The girls were carrying the bundle to the gap inthe hedge. Mark cursed. Mary-Lynnette’s brain was racing. She hissed,†Mark, stay here. I’m going to follow them-â€Å" â€Å"I’m going with you!† â€Å"You have to tell Dad if anything happens to me-â€Å" â€Å"I’m going withyou.† There wasn’t time to argue. And something inside Mary-Lynnette was glad to have Mark’s strength to back her. She gasped, â€Å"Come on, then. And don’t make asound.† She was worried they might have already lost the sisters–it was such a dark night. But when she and Mark squeezed through the gap in the rhododendron bushes, she saw a light ahead. A tiny, bobbing white light. The sisters were using a flashlight. Keep quiet, move carefully. Mary-Lynnette didn’tdare say it out loud to Mark, but she kept thinking it over and over, like a mantra. Her whole consciousness was fixed on the little shaft of light that was leading them, like a comet’s tail in the darkness. The light took them south, into a stand of Douglasfir. It wasn’t long before they were walking into forest. Where are they going? Mary-Lynnette thought. She could feel fine tremors in her muscles as she tried to move as quickly as possible without making a sound. They were lucky–the floor of this forest was carpeted with needles from Douglas fir and Ponderosa pine. The needles were fragrant and slightly damp and they muffled footsteps. Mary-Lynnette could hardly hear Mark walking behind her except when he hurt himself. They went on for what seemed like forever. It was pitch dark and Mary-Lynnette very quickly lost any sense of where they were. Or how they were going to get back. Oh, God, I was crazy to do this-and to bring Markalong, too. We’re out in the middle of the woodswith three crazy girls†¦. The light had stopped. Mary-Lynnette stopped, holding out an arm thatMark immediately ran into. She was staring at thelight, trying to make sure it really wasn’t moving away. No. It was steady. It was pointed at the ground. â€Å"Let’s get loser,† Mark whispered, putting his lips against Mary-Lynnette’s ear. She nodded and began to creep toward the light, as slowly and silently asshe knew how. Every few steps she paused and stood absolutely still, waiting to see if the light was going to turn her way. It didn’t. She got down and crawled the last ten feet to the edge of the clearing where the girls had stopped. Once there, she had a good view of what they were doing. Digging. Kestrel had shoveled the pine needles aside and was working on a hole. Mary-Lynnette felt Mark crawl up beside her,crushing sword fern and woodfem. She could feel his chest heaving. She knew he saw what she saw. I’m so sorry. Oh, Mark, I’m so sorry. There was no way to deny it now. Mary-Lynnetteknew. She didn’t even need to look in the bag. How am I going to find this place again? When I bring the sheriff back, how am I going to remember it? It’s like a maze in one of those computer fantasy games-Mixed Evergreen Forest in every direction,and nothing to distinguish any bit of it from any other bit. She chewed her lip. The bed of moist needles she was lying on was soft and springy-actually comfortable. They could wait here for a long time, until the sisters left, and then mark the trees somehow. Takephotographs. Tie their socks to branches. In the clearing the flashlight beam showed a hand putting down the shovel. Then Rowan and Kestrellifted the garbage-bagged bundle-Jade must beholding the flashlight, Mary-Lynnette thought-and lowered it into the hole. Good. Now cover it up and leave. The beam showed Rowan bending to pick up the shovel again. She began quickly covering the hole with dirt. Mary-Lynnette was happy. Over soon, she thought, and let out a soft breath of relief. And in that instant everything in the clearingchanged. The flashlight beam swung wildly. Mary-Lynnette flattened herself, feeling her eyes widen. She could see a silhouette against the light-golden hair haloed around the face. Kestrel. Kestrel was standing, facing Mark and Mary-Lynnette, her body tense and still. Listening. Listening. Mary-Lynnette lay absolutely motionless, mouthopen, trying to breathe without making a soundThere were things crawling in the soft, springy needlebed under her. Centipedes and millipedes. She didn’tdare move even when she felt something tickle acrossher back under her shirt. Her own ears rang from listening. But the forest was silent †¦ eerily dent. All Mary-Lynnette couldhear was her own heart pounding wildly in herchest-although ft felt as if it were in her throat, too.It made her head bob with its rhythm. She was afraid. And it wasn’t just fear. It was something shecouldn’t remember experiencing since she was nineor ten. Ghost fear. The fear of something you’re not even sure exists. Somehow, watching Kestrel’s silhouette In the dark woods, Mary-Lynnette was afraid of monsters.She had aterrible,terrible feeling. Oh, please–I shouldn’t have brought Mark here. It was then that she realized that Mark’s breathing was making a noise. Just a faint sound, not a whistling, more like a cat purring. It was the sound he’d made as a kid when his lungs were bad. Kestrel stiffened, her head turning, as if to locate a noise. Oh, Mark, no. Don’t breathe. Hold your breath-Everything happened very fast. Kestrel sprang forward. Mary-Lynnette saw her silhouette come running and jumping with unbelievable speed. Toofast-nobody moves thatfast .. . nobody human†¦. What are these girls? Her vision came in flashes,as if she were under a strobe light. Kestrel jumping. Dark trees all around. A moth caught in the beam. Kestrel coming down. Protect mark†¦ A deer. Kestrel was coming down on a deer. Mary-Lynnette’s mind was filled with jumbled, careening images. Images that didn’t make sense. She had a wild thought that it wasn’t Kestrel at all, but one of those raptor dinosaurs she’d seen at the movies. Because Kestrel moved like that. Or maybe ftwasn’t a deer-but Mary-Lynnette could seethe white at its throat, as pure as a lace ruffle at the throat of a young girl. She could see itsliquid black eyes. The deer screamed. Disbelief. I can’t be seeing this†¦. The deer was on the ground, delicate legs thrashing. And Kestrel was tangled with it. Her face buriedin the white of its throat. Her arms around it. The deer screamed again. Wrenched violently.Seemed to be having convulsions. The flashlight beam was all over the place. Then it dropped. At the very edge of the light, Mary-Lynnette could see two other figures join Kestrel.They were all holding the deer. There was one last spasm and it stopped fighting. Everything went still. Mary-Lynnette could see Jade’s hair, so fine that individual strands caught the light against the background of darkness. In the silent Bearing the three figures cradled thedeer. Huddling over it. Shoulders moving rhythmically. Mary-Lynnette couldn’t see exactly what theywere doing, but the general scene wasf,miliar.She’d seen it on dozens of nature documentaries. About wild dogs or lionesses or wolves. The pack hadhunted and now ft wasfeeding. I have always tried†¦ to bea very good observer. And now, I have to believe my own eyes†¦ . Beside her, Mark’s breath wassobbing. Oh, God, let me get him out of here. Please justlet us get out. It was as if she’d been suddenly released from paralysis. Her lip was bleeding again-she must havebitten down on it while she was watchingthe deer.Copperbloodfear filled her mouth. â€Å"Come on,† shegasped almost soundlessly, wiggling backward. Twigs and needles raked her stomachas her T-shirt rode up. She grabbed Mark’s arm.†Come onl† Instead, Mark lurched to his feet. â€Å"Mark!† She wrenched herself to her knees andtried to drag him down. He pulled away. Hetook a step toward theclearing. No â€Å"Jade!† He was heading for the clearing. No, Mary-Lynnette thought again, andthen shewas moving after him. They were caught now, andit really didn’t matter what he did. Butshe wantedto bewith him. â€Å"Jade!† Mark said and he grabbed the flashlight.He turned it directly on the little huddle at the edgeof the clearing. Three faces turned toward him. Mary-Lynnette’s mind reeled. It was one thing toguess what the girls were doing; it was another thingto seeit. Those three beautiful faces, white in the flashlight beam †¦with what looked like smearedlipstick on their mouths and chins. Cardinal red, thimbleberry color. But it wasn’t lipstick or burst thimbleberries. It wasblood, and the deer’s white neck was stained with it. Eating the deer, they’re really eating the deer;oh, God, they’re really doing it†¦. Some part of her mind-the part that had absorbedhorror movies-expected the three girls to hiss and cringe away from the light. To block it out with bloodstained hands while making savage faces. It didn’t happen. There were no animal noises, nodemon voices, no contortions. Instead, as Mary-Lynnette stood frozen in an agonyof horror, and Mark stood trying to get a normal breath, Jade straightened up. And said, â€Å"What are you guys doing out here?† In a puzzled, vaguely annoyed voice. The way youwould speak to some boy who keeps following you everywhere and asking you for a date. Mary-Lynnette felt her mind spinning off. There was a long silence. Then Rowan and Kestrelstood up. Mark was breathing heavily, moving the flashlight from one of the girls to another, but always coming back to Jade. â€Å"What areyoudoing out here; that’s the question!† he said raggedly. The flashlight whipped to the hole, then back tothe girls. â€Å"What are you doing?† â€Å"I asked you first,† Jade said, frowning. If ft hadJust been her, Mary-Lynnette would have started towonder if things were so awful after all. if maybethey weren’t in terrible danger. But Rowan and Kestrel were looking at each other,and then at Mark and Mary-Lynnette. And their ex pressions made Mary-Lynnette’s throat close. â€Å"You shouldn’t have followed us,† Rowan said.She looked grave and sad. â€Å"They shouldn’t have beenableto,† Kestrel said.She looked grim. â€Å"It’s because they smell like goats,† Jade said. â€Å"What are you doing?†Mark shouted again, almostsobbing. Mary-Lynnette wanted to reach for him, butshe couldn’t move. Jade wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.†Well, can’t youtell?†She turned to her sisters.†Now what are we supposed todo?† There was a silence. Then Kestrel said, â€Å"We don’thave a choice. We havetokill them.† How to cite Night World : Daughters of Darkness Chapter 8, Essay examples

Friday, May 1, 2020

Barbara Damashek a moving target Essay Example For Students

Barbara Damashek: a moving target Essay When Quilters hit the regional theatre circuit a decade ago, it sent Barbara Damashek on what she describes as a creative roller-coaster ride. It was one of those life-changing moments when you take a major creative leap, she says now, sitting in her small sunny cottage in the Berkeley hills, with a tomcat and a Siamese kitten acquired to add a sense of terra firma to her nomadic existence chasing each other across her lap. The metaphor of quilt-making has turned out to be a theme thats woven itself into the fabric of Damasheks life. As a freelancer, youre always putting together a quilt somehow, she notes wryly. This gypsy life takes away anything central, any sense of roots, community, continuity. In life and art, youre constantly looking for ways to pull things together, or you learn to allow them to coexist in their contradictory ways. Im much more conscious now of experiencing life as a patchwork, fragmented thing, and that informs everything I do. Before Quilters, shed led a relatively low-profile East Coast life teaching at conservatories and working as a composer/lyricist at Rhode Islands Trinity Repertory Company and Connecticuts Hartman Theatre. But when she was commissioned by Denver Center Theatre Company in the early 80s to put together a piece based on a book of oral histories of frontier women who made quilts, her life was forever changed. The musical, which she co-wrote with Molly Newman and directed, marked Damasheks first professional exposure as a director and became her main artistic focus for the following two years, as she toured with the show around the country, to Europe and finally to New York. It also established a unique creative niche for her in the national theatre scene as a director/composer/lyricist/writer of distinct sensibility and vision. Having settled in the Bay Area after a brief stint in the mid-80s as artistic director of the now-defunct Berkeley Jewish Theatre, Damashek maintains a loose artistic affiliation with San Franciscos Magic Theatre. But on the whole, her itinerant career has kept her, she says jokingly, a moving target. In fact, until recently she hadnt stayed in one place long enough to be registered to vote. In the first half of 1993 alone, she dashed from the Magic Theatre (where she directed the premiere of Steve Friedmans Trouble) to other directing jobs at Ashlands Oregon Shakespeare Festival (The Baltimore Waltz) and Shakespeare Santa Cruz (Alls Well that Ends Well). Outline1 Responding to the world  2 The names Diana  3 A capacity for paradox   Responding to the world   When Damashek first began creating theatre pieces, she applied her own particular musical vocabulary to mythology and fables, but now shes more interested in applying it to oral histories and documentary material. Im more aware now of the political implications of my work, she says thoughtfully. A favorite project was Whereabouts Unknown, a 1987 work commissioned by Actors Theatre of Louisville based on testimonies of the homeless. Damasheks close colleague Larry Eilenberg, former interim artistic director of the Magic Theatre, can clearly see the artistic changes that time and maturity have wrought. Her work has responded to the world, he says. Theres a much franker sense of darkness to it. Shes much more accepting of tragedy, although her ultimate posture as an artist is affirmative. I do not write the well-made play, Damashek ventures. The subject matter and the point of view define the world I create for a work. My directing sensibility informs what I do as a writer I write with a plastic sense about what form the play will take when its up on its feet. I look for a texture I dont know when I start a piece whether to make it out of linen or stone, which are natural materials, or out of something contemporary, like celluloid. Quilters was made of cloth, Whereabouts Unknown was made out of steel. I let the subject tell me what it is. .u87d9c5f8b6ffb3ea46c6ee3acd2548cf , .u87d9c5f8b6ffb3ea46c6ee3acd2548cf .postImageUrl , .u87d9c5f8b6ffb3ea46c6ee3acd2548cf .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u87d9c5f8b6ffb3ea46c6ee3acd2548cf , .u87d9c5f8b6ffb3ea46c6ee3acd2548cf:hover , .u87d9c5f8b6ffb3ea46c6ee3acd2548cf:visited , .u87d9c5f8b6ffb3ea46c6ee3acd2548cf:active { border:0!important; } .u87d9c5f8b6ffb3ea46c6ee3acd2548cf .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u87d9c5f8b6ffb3ea46c6ee3acd2548cf { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u87d9c5f8b6ffb3ea46c6ee3acd2548cf:active , .u87d9c5f8b6ffb3ea46c6ee3acd2548cf:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u87d9c5f8b6ffb3ea46c6ee3acd2548cf .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u87d9c5f8b6ffb3ea46c6ee3acd2548cf .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u87d9c5f8b6ffb3ea46c6ee3acd2548cf .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u87d9c5f8b6ffb3ea46c6ee3acd2548cf .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u87d9c5f8b6ffb3ea46c6ee3acd2548cf:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u87d9c5f8b6ffb3ea46c6ee3acd2548cf .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u87d9c5f8b6ffb3ea46c6ee3acd2548cf .u87d9c5f8b6ffb3ea46c6ee3acd2548cf-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u87d9c5f8b6ffb3ea46c6ee3acd2548cf:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: The key scenes Essay The names Diana   When Damashek directs a play, she almost always creates original music, because music is her personal path into understanding a theatrical piece. Her preparation for directing Max Frischs darkly comic The Firebugs for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival included creating musical and rhythmic settings for the plays choral passages delivered by a cluster of firemen pounding out the rhythms of their text on steel gasoline drums. In her recent Alls Well that Ends Well, Damasheks music did double duty not only clarifying the plays major themes, but providing a playful medium for its humor as well. The Muscovite regiment laying for Paroles was backed up by an Internationale-like marching song with Volga boatman overtones, and an elaborate four-part a capella doo-wop number called Fontibel was totally at the service of the two-line exchange between Bertram and Diana: They told me your name was Fontibel, he says proudly after dismissing his backup singers to begin his wooing in earnest. Her simple response, No my good lord, Diana, brought the house down every time. A capacity for paradox   One of her regrets is that as a freelance director, she never has the opportunity for continuity with an artistic ensemble. To compensate, she creates an imaginary ensemble in her head when she writes, and during rehearsal shes an involved, hands-on director, notorious, she claims, for writing the actors daily notes. I expand rehearsal time in a sense by going home and writing notes theres never enough time in the rehearsal process. The push and pull of being a gypsy director has made Damashek keenly aware of paradoxes, she says. I dont know if its art imitating life or life imitating art. I read a quote recently that said, The capacity for paradox indicates a kind of spiritual maturity.' One of the paradoxes that has affected her work is the shifting balance between masculine and feminine sensibilities, polarities she explored in her recent production of Alis Well. The play is full of riddles the writing is so dense, so feminine, every sentence turns around on itself, it has incredible depths of images. I did things that were Jungian, I dealt with images of healing, and I think there was a lot of the feminine in the way I did this play. She glances longingly at the musical keyboard and the tidy desk in her live-in studio. There hasnt been much time lately for her to initiate her own creative projects, but she hopes that will soon change. Shes about to catch a plane for Ashland to discuss creating a piece for the Oregon Shakespeare Festivals resident ensemble. And if all goes according to plan, shell also be creating new works with the Cleveland Play House, Milwaukee Repertory Theater and San Franciscos American Conservatory Theater (in collaboration with the DeYoung Museum). Would she give it all up for the stress and responsibility of being an artistic director, for having an artistic home? Absolutely.