Scene4 Magazine | letters to the editor

I couldn't help but notice that the August issue of Scene4 contains three eloquent eulogies to artists from varying discliplines who could have not been more different, except for the consistent excellence of their work. I refer to Arthur Meiselman's article on Ingmar Bergman, Karren Alenier's on Beverly Sills, and Kathi Wolfe's on Doug Marlette. I was glad for those articles, because they paid just tribute to three great artists, and because they reminded us just how much great art improves and enriches our lives.

Miles Moore

Thank you Scene4 for another beautifully presented, provocative issue. You are one of the best kept secrets on the internet and in journalism as well.
Louis Laird
read the April 2008 issue

Amen! Please make a print edition.
Anee W.
read the April 2008 issue

To all the good people of Scene4 and the magazine, congratulations for you to get down the long journey to the year 10. Please take my not adequate words as very sincere love for what you do and the beautiful way you write for the arts and make the beautiful presentation of your magazine. If I tell you that with that you have also helped me to make my English better, not good yet but better. Believe it. You show me and others how very, very important is the arts and how terrible life would be without them. I think why you do this is also very, very important. Thank you and stay blessed as you already are.

Jorge Lobos - Santiago, Chile

Terrific review but white print/black background is much to difficult to read for an entire article. An occasional white on black "punch" field may be fine, an entire article too tedious to read. Too bad, it was a welcome review.

Barbara Witte

read Renate Stendhal's article

And like "Destry" she returns from the 'dust' of a bad shoot-out with fate... with her wry and poetic fast-draw intact. You won't want to miss Kathi's take on things mortal - For the Love of Heaven in the May issue. Welcome back to Life Among the Heffalumps, Kathi, we 'thumpers' missed you.

And in this last issue of our 10th year of publication, take some time with Michael Bettencourt's usual penetrating insights on the 'homelessness' of playwrights - Outrageous Fortune; Nathan Thomas' wise and enduring view on the 'business of show' - Sleeper Awake; Martin Challis' down-under head-turning commentary on 'the theatre of sports' - The Shared Experience along with the latest chapter of his serialized novel - Where Cedar Creek Falls ; and Les Marcott's down-to-earth, Texas-Hold 'Em view on 'private matters and public apologies - Apologist for the Unapologetic.

All inView in the May issue of Scene4, online May 1st... including reviews and insights of film, dance, books, opera, the Arts of Thailand by some of the best writers on the web. And top it off with a quick go-around with "The Old Hippy" - Memories That 'Chitter' the Heart'.

Year 11 begins in June!

The Late-Nighters at Scene4 -
International Magazine of Arts and Media

www.scene4.com

As a long-time subscriber to this magazine and a former resident of Thailand, it's been a joy to see the coverage you give to this marvelous and unique culture. The arts have been a river flowing through Thai history and defining the unique Thai lifestyle and view of life. I only wish you could expand your coverage to include much more of what Thai arts create and offer. That said, I can only commend with great praise the work of Ms Yasovant to bring Thai arts to your readers. Kop kun kap and thank you.

Stuart Medlin

read Janine Yasovant's current article - in English and Thai

...and check the archives for more of her articles

From a comment posted to Karren Alenier's blog at Scene4...

I've been rereading a number of The Dresser's postings and I'm ashamed I haven't written before not only to thank you but to say how marvelous it is what you've been doing over this time. I have no reason to flatter -- you've brought such a fine critical intelligence and in a writing style that keeps one (me) moving from one sentence to another. Ann and I haven't gone to all that much in D.C. this year, so The Dressing has been a vicarious way of doing that. A bit of hyperbole maybe but not all that much. We did get to the Joe Louis opera -- I've seen numbers of Leon Major's productions, all of which have been strikingly distinctive. The voicies espeically of Carmon Balthrop and Adrienne Webster, as you say, were compelling -- Webster had terrific dramatic presence. I loved the staging -- the modern Greek chorus, the movement with chairs, the masks, the lighting, Kirby Malone and his partner's projections. The structure of the storytelling might have been more adventurous -- I felt my attention flag at times, which could easily have been me and not the libretto. I only read the Washington Post review later on, not wanting to be prejudiced, and the criticism had some validity, though in truth I was caught up in the production. I'm not a great fan of so-called biopics and so when I say it might have been more adventurous, something different than the linear storytelling. Then your observations about the Terra Cotta warriors, the differences between seeing them in Xian and at the National Geographic -- first rate. When I first read your post on Split This Rock, your comment about Holly Bass didn't register with me -- I didn't know her work and so it passed over. But on Friday night, a bunch of us were at the Enoch Pratt for a reading for Kim's Full Moon -- Holly read and did her "In This District," which I loved.

Merrill Leffler

read Karren Alenier's blog

First, I feel incredibly pleased and gratified by Renate Stendhal's kind and generous letter about my reviews. To receive such praise from a writer of her stature is an honor indeed. Second, I loved Nathan Thomas' appreciation of the great Sir Derek Jacobi. I hope Mr. Thomas enjoyed Sir Derek's performance as Lear (I can't imagine otherwise). I myself have been fortunate enough to see Sir Derek four times in the flesh: on stage in "Cyrano de Bergerac," "Breaking the Code," and "A Voyage Round My Father," and as himself at a speaking engagement at The National Press Club. Sir Derek was as charming, witty and self-deprecating as one could wish. He spoke of just barely losing the role of Hannibal Lecter in "The Silence of the Lambs" to Anthony Hopkins: "Tony was brilliant, damn him, but I should have liked to have a go at it!" He also told the tale of being approached meanicngly by an extremely intimidating U.S. Customs official. The official's demand? "Show us your limp!"

Miles David Moore

read Nathan Thomas' article

Jon Rendell is a magician, a superb craftsman and a master of "perspective." And Ms Bennett, who shoots like that at 16. If I could have shot like that at 16 I wouldn't be the snapper that I am today. Thanks for these wonderful displays in your great magazine!

Arthur B. Morris

visit Perspectives

Scene4 does not have a "feminist orientation toward the arts and media". It has a number of writers, both women and men, who support feminist issues regarding the arts as well as other issues including, on occasion, contra-feminist views. It is an international magazine of arts and media with a multi-cultural readership in over 102 countries. It has no stated political or philosophical editorial policy, only its adherence to the highest journalistic standards it can achieve and maintain.

The Editors

read the original 'Ashley Judd' post below