We Venture To Furthest Phoenix

Specifically, to the Herberger Theatre Center, which seems to be situated in the middle of downtown Phoenix, more or less in the middle of the downtown Phoenix campus of Arizona State University.

The play on offer was Yasmina Reza's brilliant God of Carnage. Check out the Wikipedia website as well as the Arizona Theatre Company website which has a nice PDF on some of the more esoteric mentions and allusions in the play. This is 90 minutes, without interruption, of high tension drama, often producing nervous laughter from the enthusiastic audience at this Saturday matinee.

Apparently successful in the original French, the translation sounds well in English too, though I probably will continue to be put down by wife Carol if I cite this play as defense for my own scatological language.

The show was successful with me because it affirmed at least two of my longest-held prejudices as well as one of my more recent irritations.

These are, for those who I haven't had a chance to talk to:

1) that our children always expose the bad people we really are, even though we have been able to cover up these blemishes by our 30s and 40s;

2) that alcohol use leads to surprising truths—'in vino veritas'—and

3) that cellphones are the work of the devil, especially when those who use them in civilized company do not realize what pricks they are.

Worth seeing. Amy Resnik, Bob Sorenson, Joey Parsons, and Benjamin Evett are the players. All do excellent work by themselves and even better do they play with each other.

Nearby buildings appear to be human-scaled and includes St Mary's Basilica, to the left, started in 1880 and dedicated in 1881, the 2nd oldest church in Phoenix.

We saw a young-looking wedding party wandering around, apparently fresh from the Franciscan basilica honoring The Blessed Virgin's Immaculate Conception, while we shared an excellent fish sandwich and order of fried pickles at the downtown Phoenix Hooter's. This last dish is heartily recommended whenever you are in the vicinity of a Hooter's and have a friend or two to share it with.