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Friday, November 30, 2001

Premieres are precious -- at least on 'Paper'

The arts, in order to remain meaningful, must continually give birth to new works. The same old warhorses, year in and year out, simply cannot feed the entirety of the artistic appetite. The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and Pittsburgh Public Theater have thankfully offered a fair number of world premieres over the past two decades. There is a great deal of risk in doing this -- not only can their more conservative and traditional client bases be put off, but the new work offered, oftentimes commissioned long in advance of conception, may not really be of much worth to anybody. An inferior product offends, whether it be old or new.

	We want your feedback Send letters, along with your real name, neighborhood and daytime phone number to Feedback: E-mail: letters@post-gazette.com. Fax: 412-263-1313. Mail: Feedback, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 34 Blvd. of the Allies, Pittsburgh

The Public has such a dilemma with the current play on the boards. "Paper Doll" is headed by two actors of the very top tier of talent. But the play is dismal. The literary notion of "show, don't tell," securely wed to the structures of fiction writing, is even more deeply imbedded in drama, which is created to be seen on the stage.

Yet "Paper Doll" expends most of the energies of its two leading people telling the audience, in two virtually parallel monologues, all about the life of Jacqueline Susann. Not showing, but telling -- sometimes in very lengthy soliloquies that rapidly wear down into verbal flatulence. There is very little dramatic interaction between F. Murray Abraham's character and that of Marlo Thomas. It is so sad, for the result is a big-time waste of big-time talent.

Notwithstanding, I remain undaunted. Keep the world premieres coming -- all you arts organizations. There is no life without new life -- be it the arts, business, politics or planetary existence.

DAVID CALDWELL
Brentwood

Idea for SEEN: Best Volunteer

After reading weeks of comments pertaining to the new SEEN section of the paper, Robert J. Spehar's letter ("What's so silly about SEEN," Feedback, Nov. 16) compelled me to write. The fact is that this section of the news is insignificant, trivial and frivolous.

My father always told me as a child that if you are truly good at what you do and succeed at being a good person, people will notice you. There is no reason to shove it down anyone's throat. Granted, these people are contributing to good causes, but does anyone find it slightly hypocritical that while they are contributing they are also buying outfits that cost thousands of dollars so they can be praised publicly for it?

How many articles does it take for the Post-Gazette to realize this is not literature that we find necessary in this day of recently renewed patriotism? My suggestion would be instead of best dressed, PG could spotlight a local volunteer for a nonprofit organization in the community that is actually improving Pittsburgh's community, not just their wardrobe.

STACY CRUMP
South Side

Give Munch a plastic bag

I have tried and I have waited. I have waited for Munch's weekly column to be relevant and informative. I have waited for it to be intelligent and intriguing. I have waited for it to at least pique my interest enough to patronize one of the establishments discussed.

Alas, I can no longer read the column without wondering why the Post-Gazette would waste space on such uninteresting drivel. This is not a complaint to the restaurants themselves, but rather a concerned citizen voicing his opinion regarding the uselessness of the column itself. I have to wonder how Munch bluffed his way through the interview process.

At least Woodene can give insightful and intelligent reviews of many of Pittsburgh's newest and best dining spots. Otherwise, we'd all be gastronomically challenged.

JIM KWEDER
Upper St. Clair

Judge's orders: Reinstate the Judge

I am shocked and appalled! Who in your organization has it in for "Judge Parker."

A few years ago you were going to rub him out, but apparently had a change of heart. Now, to add insult to injury, he's being replaced by a mutt.

Leave the mutt in if you want to, but SAVE "Judge Parker."

JUDGE MAURICE B. COHILL JR.
U.S. District Court

No justice for 'Judge Parker'

I believe many questions surround the dismissal of Judge Parker from the comic pages of the Post-Gazette. I understand you are basing your decision on the most recent survey you conducted last year.

Who took this so-called "reader survey"? 12- to 24-year-olds? How many older demos? And if the decision was based on the "overall" ratings, who looks at that number? Specific demo ratings are what count. I would be willing to bet that many older readers still read "Judge Parker." Do they not count? These are the longtime subscribers of your paper, certainly they must count for something.

And why did "Zippy" not get dropped? The comic fared much, much, much worse than "Judge Parker" did in your survey from last year. Obviously you are not looking at the research. If you were, "Zippy" would be gone and not "Judge Parker."

I know you can look at research many different ways. I suspect this is a classic example of the editors looking for a reason to get rid of Judge Parker, because they just don't get it.

Certainly there is still room for a heritage comic like Judge Parker, that still has a reverent following.

If "Judge Parker" continues to remain out of the paper, it will signify a newspaper alienating its older readers and trying in vain to cater to a younger audience who can get their entertainment/news/humor/features from other media or outlets.

ROB MORRIS
Bellevue

Get serious about the funnies

Please say it isn't so. Please tell me my morning habit of reading "Judge Parker" can remain intact.

Pulling the comic in mid-story is wrong, wrong, wrong!

Please, please, find the room to keep the Judge on the bench and in the comic pages of the PG. You just put it in the Sunday comics and now you are intending to pull it?!

Appeal!

Way back in August 1999, when writing that he picks the PG's comics ("Serious about the funnies,") John Craig wrote "You always try to select strips that rank first with at least one group. 'The Piranha Club' is such a strip. It is the favorite of men in their early 20s and younger; it does not rank highly with any other group. The continuity strips -- 'Judge Parker,' 'Rex Morgan, M.D.' and 'Mary Worth' -- appeal to people 70 and above; you do not tamper with them in this market."

The Judge is a much better strip than either "Rex Morgan" or "Mary Worth." Please put it back in the PG.

MARY WILKINS
Pittsburgh

'Boondocks' crosses the line

In "Boondocks" on Thanksgiving Day, Aaron McGruder states (in so many words) that he is thankful President Bush is not his leader. What is he talking about? Who then is his leader?

This comic strip (and I use the term lightly) has now gone much too far. As a proud American and a veteran, I am shocked to see such trashy anti-American statements printed in a family newspaper -- and to think you people actually pay McGruder for this.

After all this country has been through recently and the fact that we're currently at war only makes McGruder's thoughtless complaining even more disgusting.

Please send McGruder a message from all of us true Americans and give his very unfunny strip the ax.

DAN FRANCIUK
Hazelwood