Word: clauses
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Dates: during 1990-1999
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Give director Henry Bial credit for not sticking to conventional interpretations of Christmas. His Three Christmas One-Acts analyze the holiday season from three widely divergent perspectives--one uses the figure of Santa Claus to attack the selling of scientific knowledge, another examines the theme of generational rebirth through a sequence of Christmas dinners, and the third employs a Dr. Seuss story to stress that Christmas spirit is more important than gift-getting...
...first of the one-acts, e.e. cummings' Santa Claus: A Morality, is the weakest of the Christmas offerings. Its attachment to the Santa Claus figure is, at best, intermittent--cummings' play could just as easily have been constructed around another personality of childhood fantasy, like the Easter Bunny...
Like Bertolt Brecht's Life of Galileo, this nonsensical play derides those who use the idea of "science" for commercial exploitation. Despondent because people no longer accept any gifts, Santa Claus (Joel Rainey) turns to Death (Ian Lithgow) for advice. Death proposes that Santa find another line of work--namely, selling knowledge. He suggests that Claus use the buzzword "scientific" to peddle his non-existent wares. "Why say fantastic when you mean scientific?" Death asks. Soon he has Santa selling stock in a "wheel mine." The plot becomes even more convoluted after this. Death and Santa exchange outfits...
...recent wave of hype began last year with his defense of hotel magnate Leona Helmsley. With the release of Reversal of Fortune, the film in which actor Ron Silver portrays Dershowitz defending Claus von Bulow, the feisty professor's public recognition level rose another notch...
...Santa Claus kicked off the Christmas shopping season in grand style last week in St. Louis, where he was escorted by 3,000 children to his castle at the sprawling 200-store Northwest Plaza. In New York City, Macy's staged its lavish Thanksgiving Day parade, towing Bart Simpson and 12 other giant balloons to Herald Square, where a 36-ft.-tall Paddington Bear now hovers invitingly above the entrance of the flagship store. In San Francisco holiday shoppers were making a beeline for the free merry-go-round and other rides on the roof of the Emporium. Across America...