SUMMERS OF FEAR

BY ED BRUCE edbrucevegas@yahoo.com

A PLAY AT UNLV'S JUDY BAYLEY THEATRE...A WEEK TO RUN...895 2787...

RECOMMENDED TO THE WORLD !

THIS A DOCUMENTARY OF THE RACE TO BEAT POLIO...WONDERFUL PRODUCTION AND AN ACCOMPLISHED GOAL OF TELLING THE STORY.

OF COURSE IT WAS 7 MINUTES LATE AND THE INTERMISSION WAS TOO LONG AND THE ACTING GENERALLY NOT GREAT...THAT SAID THEY TOOK THIS 2004 PITTSBURGH COMMISSIONED STORY AND GAVE ME THE FULL THRUST OF THE 1950'S POLIO VACCINE STORY ACCENTED BY JONAS E SALK.

THE SET WAS WONDERFUL, WITH PLATFORMS, PODIUMS, LEVELS, BALCONYS AND MOVING IRON LUNGS TOLD THRU BACKGROUND SCREENS USING HEADLINES, STORYS, DATES, PICTURES, PHOTOS OF THE HISTORY OF THIS STORY....EXACTLY WHAT I LIKE IN TELLING THIS STORY.

SO MUCH WE LEARN AS WE GO, I LIVED THRU THIS AND DID NOT REMEBER WHEN I WAS VACCINATED, BUT I DID REMEMBER THE RUSH ! DID YOU KNOW TWO WOMEN GAVE BIRTH IN IRON LUNGS...WHAT AN IMPACT...A CHILD WITH POLIO SAID HE COULD NOT PLAY BALL, COULD NOT WALK BUT HE COULD VOLUNTEER FOR THE VACCINE AND DID...WHAT AN IMPACT...DID YOU KNOW SALK VACCINATED HIMSELF AND HIS CHILDREN AS TESTS...ALSO HIS STAFF...WHAT AN IMPACT !

THIS A TRUE STORY AND PERFECTLY TOLD IN THE FASHION THAT WAS DONE HERE ! DIRECTOR BRAD CARROLL....GOOD JOB !

THIS PERFECTLY DIRECTED STORY COVERED THE MARCH OF DIMES, FUND RAISING RESEARCH, THE BACKGROUND OF SALK, THE INFLUENCE OF FDR, EISENHOWER, JFK AND BILL GATES IN THE MISSION TO SAVE LIVES...PRETTY POWERFUL STUFF. POLITICS AND COMPETITION DEEPLY INVOLVED IN THE DESIRED END....CURING POLIO !

GREAT GREAT TELLING OF THE STORY...MANY OLD DOCTORS...NOT GREAT ACTORS...AMAZINGLY TRUE IN THAT FOUR WERE EQUITY.

SO GLAD I WAS ABLE TO LEARN THIS HISTORY.

I REMAIN CONFUSED ON WHY AND HOW THE NEVADA CONSERVATORY THEATRE AT UNLV WORKS...WHY MONEY IS SPENT ON ACTORS, DIRECTORS AND PRODUCTION IN WHAT APPEARS AS COLLEGE THEATRE TRAINING...SEEMS TO ME UNLV THEATRE WOULD USE ALL COLLEGE STAFF AND STUDENTS...CAN'T BE COMMERCIALLY MOTIVATED TO SUCH A SHORT RUN AND SMALL VENUE ?

ANYWAY GREAT STORY TOLD HERE...I COULD GO AGAIN FEARING I MISSED SOMETHING !

85 B