The Pitmen Painters: Beauty From The Coal Mines Theatrical Outfit’s Exceptional Production

~Doc Lawrence

A Talented Cast 

Nothing fits a season celebrating beauty better that a play about the evolution of artists. Not your ordinary art students, but a group of coal miners and a dentist who are taught art appreciation in their limited leisure time and embark on a art career of historic proportions.

1934 in Northumberland’s coal country is the opening scene in Lee Hall’s The Pitmen Painters, a funny and stimulating play that tells the true story about this group of working class men and their remarkable ascent to renown in a brave new world of art. 

A pitman is a coal miner. The group who become painters speak in a Geordie accent, the common vernacular in that part of northeast England which has its origin in ancient language that many believe was spoken by Chaucer. With success and acclaim, famous artists become their friends, their works are exhibited in prestigious venues but they choose to return to the dangerous dungeon of the coal mines.

These are pure folk artists: self-taught, untrained, raw and unschooled. Their teacher is an accident. They were expecting an after-hours economics instructor. Fate intervened and a good man encouraged them to aspire to greater things beyond themselves, to contribute something from their soul and paintings were perfectly suited to do this.

They excelled, creating paintings that are permanent testaments to their creative core, that do nothing less than contribute to everlasting good. Pitmen is no Pygmalion. As they develop through the completion of more works, the reward of "seeing by doing,” they transform themselves, their leader and certainly the audience who witness a lesson of character over class and unleashed talent over unearned privilege.

It takes a veteran cast of actors to do justice to a play that is quintessentially English and under the direction of Adam Koplan, the lines are delivered by an outstanding cast who virtually take the audience to the first row of a theater in Newcastle upon Thyne. The Geordie accents quickly lose any trace of peculiarity and take on a sing-song charm. Pitmen examines the way we look at art and uncovers our desire for a deeper, more meaningful existence. It’s not surprising that when the painters see a Van Gogh exhibition, they express an immediate kinship.

During their rise to fame, financially successful artists become their friends, their work hangs in prestigious collections, and they are celebrated in high society. But they still return to the mines. Based on a true story, this heartfelt lesson about character over class and talent over privilege challenges the way we look at art and reveals our universal desire for a richer, more colorful existence.

Geordie is more than an accent; it is the DNA of a culture. The Pitman Painters is far more than a story about men breaking the shackles of class. It is a triumph of the human spirit that affirms art as an intrinsic part of our humanity. 

Through March 24.

www.theatricaloutfit.org

(678) 528.1500

Photo Credit: Casey Gardner

"SPIT LIKE A BIG GIRL." A Triumphant Story; Magnificent Production

~Doc Lawrence

Stone Mountain, GA--A rainy Friday night in Georgia was made to order for a homecoming. Clarinda Ross brought her autobiographical play, “Spit Like A Big Girl” to the theater where she began her professional career as an actor and playwright. It was also, according to Art Station’s David Thomas who directed the production, the Southeastern premiere of the play.

Storytelling thrives in the South. Family, separation, birth and death are common themes that fill magazines, books, songs and of course the stage. What separates “Spit” is much of what makes the play compelling and relevant. For two spellbinding hours we join in the story of an amazing family of college professors, marriages and journeys buttressed with humor and more than a little sadness.

Clara, the developmentally challenged daughter, never actually appears but she surely stars and shines throughout the play. Her mother, Clarinda, takes us to places where mindless bureaucrats, thoughtless boyfriends and indifferent strangers somehow manage to find a way to make daily existence for mother and child a nightmare.

Floating around the audience was the unspoken but very profound question: How many of us have endured similar cruelty when we were desperately looking for help?

No need for a spoiler alert. “Spit” ends triumphantly, a victory for perserverance and a testament to the power of mothers everywhere who will not back down. If there is any deficiency, it is that we were not able to meet Clara, now grown and likely filled with the same spunk and grit of her devoted Mom.

Originally a one-person play, it has expanded to include the early days of Clarinda in Georgia and North Carolina masterfully performed by a young and gifted actress, Angelica Spence, a local talent, who early on matriculated at Art Station and now calls Buckhead home. Look for her in other productions. Her rising star shines brightly.

Clarinda Ross (L) and Angelica Spence

A paen to her college professor father who regularly cautioned “there’s nothing more dangerous than an educated redneck,” and kept a journal which manifested post-mortem to become a guide for his daughter’s career as an actress, playwright and storyteller, “Spit Like A Big Girl” is a lesson in the power of enduring love, seasoned with laughter, spiritual enough to prompt tears on demand. 

It’s very Southern. It almost has to be. God created us to be storytellers.

Through Feb. 24.

www.artstation.org

(770) 469.1105

Clarinda Ross

VALENTINE'S DAY WINE-Love in a Bottle

"I don't want to live; I want to love first, and live incidentally.”

                                     Zelda Fitzgerald

~Doc Lawrence

ATLANTA-I just made my purchase. Four bottles of  Saint Amour, the wine that says everything on the day we celebrate romance. No gimmicks here, not another beverage from madman hype . This wine is the real deal: made in a region of Burgundy, named after the village of the same name, bright red like a Valentine heart and delicious with almost all food. 

We all recognize that this wine bears a name which is gentle to the ear and to the heart. It is the wine of poets and lovers. If it did not exist, life would be a little less charming. The village of Saint Amour gives its name to this wine. Before that, a long time ago during Gallo-Roman times, a centurion named Amor belonging to the Thébaine Legion, stationed in the Valais region of Switzerland and famous for his Christian faith suffered martyrdom. In all evidence, the ways of lovers, with their pleasures and sorrows, are rarely easy. 

Saint Amour legitimately claims to be the most romantic of the 10 Beaujolais Crus. It’s name translates to “Saint Love” and loosely to “holy love,” “pure love,” or a variety of other equally delicious and romantic terms. 

With both the enchanting name and the reasonable price, this wine is ready for romance.

Saint Amour remind us that love is grand in all its forms – through youth, middle age, and maturity – and that this good wine is always an excellent accompaniment to romance, particularly on St. Valentine’s Day.

Here’a toast to everyone: All you need is love!

Note: Sherlock’s in Atlanta has Saint Amour and if you are lucky, the J.Sanders label. Good wine stores throughout the world sell out of this delightful wine each 14th day of February.

doclawrence@mindspring.com

The Last Dinner-A Romantic Evening, A Prelude to Tragedy

~Doc Lawrence

The last dinner on the Titanic was a spectacle of romance entwined with luxury, music, high fashion and the finest cuisine served with almost endless glasses of Champagne. The dining room for the wealthy was named The Ritz, an orchestra serenaded diners and encouraged dancing. An evening we can only fantasize about during the days leading to Valentine’s, our special time to celebrate the majesty of love. 

Luxurious Dining

Here is the menu for that luxuriously appointed event. Most of the dishes are recognizable. Some are antiquated. It is a guide of sorts for those who at least dream about a special evening with someone we love. In a place where the best of everything is served amid lovely music in a room tastefully furnished, with guests who excel in advanced conversation.

Although this was a prelude to tragedy, take a moment and imagine the evening spent in this manner with someone you love. Another glass of Champagne? Shall we dance?

                                                      

                                     The Titanic First-Class Menu

As served in the first-class dining saloon of the R.M.S. Titanic on April 14, 1912

First Course

Hors D'Oeuvres 

Oysters

Second Course

Consommé Olga

Cream of Barley

Third Course

Poached Salmon with Mousseline Sauce, Cucumbers

Fourth Course

Filet Mignons Lili

Fine Champagne Flowed

Saute of Chicken, Lyonnaise

Vegetable Marrow Farci

Fifth Course

Lamb, Mint Sauce

Roast Duckling, Apple Sauce

Sirloin of Beef, Chateau Potatoes

Green Pea

Creamed Carrots

Boiled Rice

Parmentier & Boiled New Potatoes

     

Sixth Course

Punch Romaine  

Seventh Course

Roast Squab & Cress

Eighth Course

Cold Asparagus Vinaigrette

Ninth Course

Pate de Foie Gras

Celery

Tenth Course

Waldorf Pudding

Peaches in Chartreuse Jelly

Chocolate & Vanilla Eclairs

French Ice Cream

The repast was served with a different wine for each course. 

Following the tenth course fresh fruits and cheeses were available followed by coffee and cigars accompanied by port and distilled spirits like Scotch, Irish Whiskey and Cognac. 

May your Valentine’s Day dinner be elegant and romantic.

Dare2Pair

We plan and host host wine dinners and gourmet events.

www.doclawrence@mindspring.com

www.thegourmethighway.com 

Atlanta Recipes-Super Bowl Brunswick Stew

~Doc Lawrence

Responding to good-natured requests for recipes that actually have culinary connections to Atlanta and Georgia, nothing stands out more than Brunswick Stew. It's ours, born here and served here in select restaurants, particularly those that serve great barbecue. You'll find it on the menu at Mary Mac's Tea Room, a landmark restaurant that has deep roots here. Manuel's Tavern serves a critically-acclaimed bowl of this staple as well.

Scarlett O'Hara

Jim Sanders, the father of fine wines here and an Atlanta restaurant pioneer, served on special occasions his barbecue pork along with his treasured, venerable recipe Georgia Brunswick Stew, something he learned during his childhood days in Covington, Georgia. It remains a traditional accompaniment to genuine Deep South barbecue. For those looking for a viable alternative to chili, here's a winner that is delicious. Sources swear it was a personal favorite of Miss Scarlett O'Hara.

ATLANTA BRUNSWICK STEW

INGREDIENTS:

1 four-pound baking chicken

4 pounds ground pork

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 

1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce 

1-tablespoon chili powder

1 tablespoon thyme

1 tablespoons cayenne pepper 

2 cups chopped onions 

1 cup red wine, preferably Rhone style

3 to 4 tablespoons bacon drippings  

36 ounces tomato juice 

4 ounce tomato catsup

3 cups cut corn

Kosher salt and black pepper

PREPARATION:

Boil the chicken until it is very tender, cool, de-bone and chop the meat finely. Meanwhile, in a large pot over medium heat, braise the pork until half done. Add half the chopped onions, one chopped garlic clove, chili powder, thyme, cayenne pepper and a generous sprinkling of kosher salt and black pepper. Continue to braise until the meat is well browned, stirring every few minutes to break up any lumps and combine with chicken. Add the tomato juice and catsup and simmer for 11/2 hours. Add the rest of the chopped onions, another chopped garlic clove and simmer for another 30 minutes. Taste for salt and spoon off the fat before serving.

Serve as entree or side with fresh cornbread preferably made with a Georgia heritage product, Logan Turnpike Corn Meal available at the Dekalb Farmer's Market in Decatur. 

Wines? A Beaujolais-Village, ever affordable, pairs well. Cocktails? Use your imagination. I will be enjoying several made with Coca-Cola (this is Atlanta), variations of the Cuba Libre and a few others. We'll open up everything before kickoff with a toast to our beloved Gladys Knight who'll be singing out all our love for America!

More recipes on request. doclawrence@mindspring.com

Atlanta Legend Gladys Knight