Karen and I saw great performances last week, and what struck full force were the processes that created those performances. Great performances are nested in action improved over time with feedback from outstanding fellow performers.

    My wife and I drove to Ashland to see three plays at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF), begun 75 years ago when Angus Bowmer produced three plays and boasted they were “The First Annual Shakespeare Festival.” We are in awe of its organizational skills. Guest artists augment outstanding performers in the Acting Company. The Angus Bowmer theater had comfortable seats, excellent views and two intricate stage sets. Its system for selling unclaimed tickets worked well and prevents scalping.

    On the drive we listened to Shakespeare, The Biography by Peter Ackroyd. We learned Shakespeare wrote and performed with the Lord Chamberlain players, a company of 16 actors who were England’s premier performers for five decades. During Shakespeare’s participation, he wrote and rewrote his incredible literature by borrowing the best of other playwrights, adapting scripts to a consistent cast of collaborating fellows, and improving the plays based on feedback from performances and audience reactions.

   We saw three excellent plays, but best was a stunning, riveting performance of Hamlet in a contemporary setting, driven by OSF actor Dan Donahue’s interpretation of Hamlet. Locals alerted us that his was the best interpretation of Hamlet by 11 OSF performances. He drew from ten-years performing Shakespeare’s works with artists at OSF and Shakespeare festivals around the nation, roles on Broadway and appearances on television in The Closer and The Drew Carey Show. At intermission men marveled at his unique interpretations of Hamlet’s character while they moved slowly toward the inadequate men’s restroom (restrooms at Bowmer theater are one place OSF facilities are inadequate). The audience unanimously and instantly jumped to its feet when the lights came on.

    Collectively people recognize great performances, but sometimes forget what fosters them. While we were there, a political role player, her honor Susan Bolton, the federal judge in Arizona, acted after reading the entire Arizona immigration act. She drew from arguments by Arizona, the federal government, prior judicial opinions and the constitution, documents created by performers stretching over 200 years in our great country. 

    She objected to parts of the act primarily to protect all U.S. citizens. She prohibited Arizona officials from making each of us “prove our immigration status to the satisfaction of authorities.” She wrote, “United States citizens are not required to carry identification.” Further she struck down arrests without a warrant if “the person to be arrested has committed any public offense that makes the person removable from the United States.”  She wrote, “this determination is ultimately made by federal judges,” who issue warrants.

    I’m not able to evaluate her legal opinion. But I’m thrilled she courageously acted within our magnificent legal system that permits appeals on the quality of legislation so Congressional and legislative playwrights can rework it based on feedback.

Give Arizonans credit, they acted to solve the difficulty they shoulder because Congress won’t act. Federal inaction unfairly burdens local officials, businesses and taxpayers. So Arizona, go ahead and appeal, but rewrite your act again.