Up Down Town 2011

Up Down Town / Indianapolis 12.11 On The Web At: www.updowntown.net


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GIFTS THEY’LL NEVER GET TIRED OF. Or two of.


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SPECIAL FIRST FRIDAY EVENT TO FEATURE COLLABORATIVE WORK

Save the date — Friday 2nd December as Festive First Friday will include a large collaborative work of artist Rosanna Hardin Hall and poet John Sherman. The artist Rosanna Hardin Hall and Sherman will have on display (and for sale) their inaugural collaborative work at the monthly First Friday from 4 to 9 p.m., at 700 Middle Drive, in historic Woodruff Place.

The public is invoted to join them for holiday food and drink and the opportunity to see paintings from England, Italy, Hawaii, Indianapolis and New Mexico, as well as Sherman’s photo/poetry posters — some of which have been on exhibit before and several others which were created this Fall and will be on display for the first time in December.

Visit www.rosannahall.net to experience the art and www.mesaverdepress.smugmug.com to see some of the verse set for display.

WORLD AIDS DAY TO BE MARKED IN INDIANAPOLIS

The area is planning a variety of events to commemorate World AIDS Day 1st Decem-ber and this year events range from downtown Indianapolis to Seymour and beyond. In addition, downtown’s Damien Centre is launching a “get to zero” campaign with the goal being to zero out HIV/AIDS.

Downtown, Positive Living of Indiana will host a World Aids Day Celebration 1st De-cember from 7 p.m. with a theme of “Raising Our Voices” which Positive Living Direc-tor Greg Cork told Up Down Town, “will be a spirited celebration and commemoration of those Infected and Affected by HIV/AIDS.”

The event will take place at Universal Ministries Worldwide at 1927 East 32nd Street in Indianapolis. Special guests set for the AIDS Day event include the Universal Worldwide Ministries Mass Choir, Upshot, the Rev. Clarence Hatcher and more. Light refreshments will follow the programme. For more information ring Cork on 317/710.0655.

Meanwhile, The Damien Centre, according to Brenden Hudson of the development staff, is using AIDS Day to launch a “get to zero” campaign. The mission of the centre is to lead the fight to prevent the spread of HIV and to work with people affected by HIV/AIDS to move forward each day with dignity so this is just one small way to ac-complish that goal.

The Damien Centre offers vital supportive services to those infected and affected by HIV/AIDS so they may live abundant and productive lives and they also provide comprehensive HIV prevention services, including HIV testing, prevention counseling, education, and advocacy. To find out more, visit www.damien.org

IRVINGTON ORAL HISTORIES ADDED TO LIBRARY WEBSITE

The story of Indianapolis’ historic Irvington neighbourhood, just east of downtown, as told by its residents from as long as 40 years ago is on display through the expand-ing digital library of The Indianapolis Public Library. The library has launched on its website (www.imcpl.org) a collection of digitized materials that include recorded inter-views of Irvington residents conducted in the 1970’s and ‘80’s, their written transcripts and other miscellaneous items that reflect on life in Irvington throughout the 1900’s.

Those who shared their stories include community leaders, firefighters, authors, artists and ordinary people to create a snapshot of how everyday life was lived and enjoyed in the distinctive near-downtown neighbourhood. In addition to the recorded individual oral histories, visitors to the library’s digital site will find such unique offerings as au-dio from the Irvington centennial dinner in 1970 and audio from the 50th anniversary luncheon of the Irvington Union of Clubs in 1976. Many transcripts throughout the collection include photographs of Irvington families and individuals.

To access the Irvington Oral History collection, click on the “Digital Library” link on the library’s home page. Then click on “The Irvington Oral Histories” link on the photograph of an oral history interview, or select “Irvington Oral Histories” from the search or browse menu options. In addition to this latest project, the library’s digi-tal offerings include the Indianapolis Firefighters collection of historic photographs, Shortridge High School yearbooks from 1898 to 1968, the Indianapolis Postcards collection, the May Wright Sewall Papers, a World War One poster collection, pro-grammes from the English’s Opera House and actual recordings of poems read by beloved Hoosier poet James Whitcomb Riley.


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Inspired by those who served in World War II, and after nearly two decades of planning, the lights first appeared on Monument Circle in 1962. Every year Circle of Lights® presented by the Contractors of Quality Connection and Electrical Workers of IBEW 481 has been a beautiful centerpiece to the central Indiana holiday season. On behalf of those who have helped create this magical experience for 49 years, we hope this beloved celebration offers a joyful start to your holidays and is part of your family’s traditions and memories for years to come. All the best!

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Jill’s SwillBy Jill A. Ditmire / Mass Ave Wine Shoppe

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Then Recycle!Phone: 317/725.8840 e-mail: [email protected]

Up Down Town is published the last week of every month at 110 E. Washington St., Suite 1402, Indianapolis, 46204. While every effort is made to ensure accuracy and fairness, the publisher assumes no responsibility for errors. Liability is limited to the cost of said ad. Ads not cancelled by published deadlines will be billed at agreed-upon price. Ads may be edited or rejected for content at the discretion of the publisher. All items appearing in Up Down Town, as well as the name, logos and design are copyright 2011 by BBS, A division of High Speed Delivery Fork Ltd. & Ted Fleischaker and may not be reproduced in any form without prior written

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January’s Deadline

Monday 12th DecemberPapers On Street:

Thursday 22nd December

Let’s title this one Making Spirits Bright...

When most people are settling down for a long Winter’s nap I decided to expand my brain and palate by learning more about liquor. No, not just your everyday Patron or Jim Beam but “craft” spirits from independent, small distillers.

It’s like learning another culture with its language, customs and honour system. My home-work includes researching the process of distilling, remembering the rules of what barrels can be used for what liquors and of course the proof or percentage of alcohol in the bottle.

And once again, if my high school chemistry class had used liquor distillation as an ex-ample, I would probably be an chemist. But alas I am an omnimedia wine specialist, a wine drinker not a collector, a wine judge and a wine retailer. Plus I admit that a nasty 21st birthday experience where I overindulged in a series of liquors and shots of cordials made me stay away from spirits for these past two decades. Oh, and I apologize AGAIN to my dear friend Ute for throwing up in your car that evening...

So with that windy preface here is my 101 of what I’ve learned the past few months as I learn this new language in order to add distilled alcoholic beverages to my retail shelves. While the process IS science my interpretation is not, so if you REALLY want to learn more about the distillation process then Google and Wiki Wiki Wiki!

After I try to share what I have learned on the educational side I am so happy to share what I have learned on the taste side of spirits, too, because like wine, a good spirit is one you like and a bad one is one that you don’t. And the word “spirits” in reference to alcohol goes back to the Latin/Old English derivative of “breath” or “breathe”. I hope today’s column breathes some new life into your holiday happenings, sharings and “I want to try that in 2012” list.

Now back to distillation.

When it comes to alcoholic beverages it means taking a fermented carbohydrate (rye, corn, wheat, hops, potatoes, oats, agave) and stripping it of the “gunk”(fibre, earth, etc.) so the “good stuff” (aromatics, flavours) rises. Literally. The solids turn to liquids then to vapours then back to liquids. Repeat the process and get even less “gunk” and more of the “good stuff”.

That’s why some distilled spirits tout “distilled 500 times!” or such. And why Prohibition Bathtub Gin probably really DID taste like bathwater because the grain was just distilled once or twice to achieve the alcohol kick without the refining of the flavours.

The ancient way to distill was with a pot with a long skinny neck. That same process contin-ues today but in a 21st Century sort of way for most of the big time producers. However, the craft distillers still follow that age-old method which does make a difference.

Be reminded again: as is my rule of thumb with wine, a good one is one you like, a bad one is one that you don’t and the same rule applies in the spirits world. Especially if you are go-ing to drink it straight.

Vodka is supposed to taste like nothing. Just be clean and neat with a smooth hotness. But add infused herbs and citrus and you have a whole new reason to breathe.

North Shore Distillery Sol — located in Illinois this vodka is made from Midwest grain and infused with chamomile and citrus. Lovely perfumey nose, soft subtle clean hints of citrus, smooth with more flavour than burn.

High West Silver Vodka — distillery in Utah. Made from oats. Lovely sweet vanilla on the nose and palate. Reminded me of sugar cookies.

Bakon Vodka — the name says it all. Yes, it smells and tastes like subtle smoky bacon. Pig out!

Like it smoky? Like it nutty? Like it smooth? Then try these interesting takes on distilled agave (i.e. tequila) and new products to the U.S. from Mexico.

Sombra Mezcal Blanco — from Oaxaca and made with 100% agave that is roasted in open fire pit, Boy, oh boy, do you get that smokey quality in the nose and on the palate.

El Ultimo Almond Tequila — great value on this line-up of products from Mexico. Nose is all soft almond but on the palate the first taste is smooth almond which then gives way to the citrusy smooth tequila.

El Ultimo Tequila Blanco — soft and easy. Great value and flavour for blending. Bring on the margaritas & daiquiris.

El Ultimo Tequila Reposada — more structure and great for sipping. Subtle, smoky, spicy notes and smooth citrus.

New Holland Hatter Royale Hopquila — from the Michigan brewing company that also distills spirits. Fantastic packaging and a unique way to use leftover hops from beer-making. The perfect gift for that tequila fan in the house.

Cordials. Liquers. Elixirs of love. Call it what you will but will a sip or two or three to your lips and indulge in some of the spirits world’s most under-appreciated genres of beverage.

Santa Clara Rompope Vanilla — a smiling Saint Clare on the label and you may want to light a candle after experiencing this rich, lush cordial brimming with notes of wild vanilla. Pour some in a cup, add coffee and convert.

Santa Clara Rompope Nuez — I thought I had stepped back in time and was drinking a liq-uid version of my late Grandmother Burns’ pecan pie. Roasted nuts, buttery, rich molasses, caramel flavours. Wow.

While we are on the WOW roll... a series of liquers from Koval distillery in Ilinois. We plan to create some amazing champagne cocktails with these aromatic elixirs. And just like wines, spirits can be used in recipes, not just as beverages on their own.

Koval Coffee Liquer — add a splash to that cup of Rompope Vanilla and Kona coffee. Or pour over butter pecan ice cream.

Koval Ginger Liquer — Marinate some chicken breasts in a bit of this, fire up the grill and enjoy ginger chicken.

Koval Rose Hip Liquer — perfumey, fresh, soft red fruit notes can be sipped on its own or added to bubbly for an elegant holiday aperitif.

Clear Creek Distillery Grappa Muscat — grappa is usually made from the leftover worn out used up pumice, stems, seeds of grapes which is why grappa is usually harsh and hot. All for the alcohol and not the flavour (Remember Prohibition?)

The folks at this Oregon distillery actually grow grapes specifically FOR grappa, so what you get is fresh and lively just as if it had been fermented to a still wine state. The nose on this is fresh, frisky, tropical fruit. The taste is lovely, smooth with just enough heat to make you smile with pleasure and not pain.

Lazzaroni Amaretto — I wanted to dab this behind my ears, my knees and most definitely pour a bunch in my glass. Fresh almonds, cherries and vanilla. Smooth and amazing to dunk cookies in or pour over poundcake or chocolate ice cream.

Whiskey. Bourbon. Scotch.

Ireland and Scotland have their rules and regulations. America does as well. I’m still learn-ing the law but enjoying the flavours.

Willets Pot Still Reserve — GREAT packaging — a glass “pot still” so that alone is reason to enjoy. But the flavours are smooth, caramel, subtle and earthy, too.

High West Double Rye — from Utah and wild and free. Smooooooth, baby, smooth.

The Irishman Original Clan Irish Whiskey — soft sweetness, nutty and did I mention smooth?

And don’t forget Santa. We think the perfect glass to leave out on December the 24th would be filled with Prichards Key Lime Rum. It’s like a day in The Keys — lush, rich, limey and oh, so Ho! Ho! Ho!


MERRY CHRISTMAS

During this holiday season and every day of the year, wewish you all the best.

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HOMEWARD BOUND WALK IS BACK DOWNTOWN

Dust off your walking boots - Homeward Bound is back and this year’s one-mile walk has a new location, date and time: Monday, 19th December starting at 5.30 p.m. at the City Market in downtown Indianapolis.

Sure, it will be dark, it will be cold, and it’s such a busy time of year, but what better time to support our homeless neighbours? That’s how they feel every night at this time of year.

As you know, the Homeward Bound event gives those able a chance to make a real, tangible difference in the lives of homeless families. Together we are supporting agen-cies that work to end homelessness. At a minimum, please plan to walk. Registration is free, but a minimum donation of $20 gets you the event short-sleeved t-shirt and $25 earns you the long-sleeved t-shirt. Even better, recruit your friends and start a team. There will be prizes for the teams raising the most funds.

If perhaps you are unable to attend the event, you can still contribute to the cause by making an online donation. And don’t forget, 100% of the proceeds go directly to the benefitting agencies. For more info visit www. homewardboundindiana.org

INDIANAPOLIS PUBLIC RANKS AMONGST BEST URBAN LIBRARIES IN U.S.

In the most recent evaluation of the nation’s largest library systems, The Indianapolis Public Library again has been ranked among the top urban libraries with expenditures of at least $30 million annually. It’s the third consecutive year that The Indianapolis Public Library has received a 4-star designation as an “American Star Library” accord-ing to the recent Library Journal Index of Public Library Service.

The index, based on 2009 data compiled by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, examined various per capita performance measures, including patron vis-its, circulation, programme attendance and computer use. The library experienced record-breaking usage in 2009 in all areas: a circulation of 17.1 million items, over 5.9 million patron visits, and 1.2 million computer session hours. Over 312,000 individuals attended free library programmes designed to assist them in achieving their life-long learning goals, ranging from computer and job assistance workshops to author visits, craft programmes and youth literacy activities.

“We recognise that this latest ranking reflects a period before we made difficult but necessary decisions in late 2010 to reduce the library’s hours of service,” Laura Bramble, the Library’s CEO noted, adding, “However, we are still proud of our rating as an American Star Library as we continue to play a vital role in the lives of families and individuals in our community. Plans to restore a portion of those service hours will help us serve even more patrons in 2012.”

Of the 45 urban libraries in the “large” expenditure category, The Indianapolis Public Library placed just behind library systems in Cuyahoga County / Cleveland, Seattle, Columbus, Ohio and Portland, Ore. The library placed ahead of those in Santa Clara County and San Jose, California, Toledo and Cincinnati. The index by Library Journal, the oldest and most respected publication covering the library industry, focuses on actual performance measures rather than inputs such as expenditures, collection size and staffing.

More information on the index can be found at www.libraryjournal.com.

MAPS IN ART TO BE TOPIC IN FOUNTAIN SQUARE

We’ve had maps for a long time now and we have even had art about maps for quite some time, but personal mapping and the pervasiveness of mapping technologies has been reaching a crescendo recently. With GPS becoming part of every device, we are seeing maps in completely new ways. Paper maps are becoming relegated to theme parks and other tourist attractions.

Mapable aims to talk about these art-related mapping issues. How are artists using maps to talk about personal, political and social issues? What is the difference be-tween maps made by artists and map companies or scientists? How can manipulation of existing maps bring about new conversations? What forms can maps or mapping technology take that aren’t being explored yet?

Dutch artists Topp & Dubio visited the former Dutch colony of Indonesia with maps of an Indonesian restaurant in The Hague. They used the maps as travel guides and

communications tools. Born in Romania but living in Tennessee after pursuing a PhD in computer science at Columbia, Tiberiu Chelcea letterpress prints circuit boards to create the outlines of cities. Scottish artist Stuart McAdam shows a GPS tracing of his 2000+ mile roundtrip between Glasgow and the Netherlands. Georgia based Sage Dawson creates small maps from hair that also become memorials to the places based on her memory.

It’s all happening at the SpaceCamp MicroGallery, a small contemporary arts gallery located in the Murphy Arts Building in Fountain Square at 1043 Virginia Avenue, Suite 212. SpaceCamp is dedicated to bringing small (size wise) but large (idea wise) national and international art to Indianapolis. The co-gallerists are Flounder Lee, Paul Miller, and Kurt Nettleton.

The exhibit’s opening reception is Friday 2nd December from 7 to 11 p.m. with a “mid reception” Friday 6th January from 7 to 10 p.m. The exhibit is open select Saturdays throughout December and January. Check spacecampgallery.com for details. The ex-hibit is also open by appointment with notice.

MUSEUM OF ART SCHEDULES SPECIAL EVENTS FOR JANUARY’S KING DAY

The Indianapolis Museum of Art will host a day of free programmes and activities to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s legacy Monday, 16th January from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The day’s events and activities include:

—Art-making activities for all ages. Use traditional symbols and printmaking to design an Adinkra cloth swatch. Adinkra are bold visual symbols used in West Africa for decoration and communication. As a second activity, create a section for a community paper quilt. In writing, visitors can include what they hope to hand down as a family heirloom.

—Dr. Djo Bi drumming performance. At 4 p.m. in The Toby, visitors can hear a perfor-mance of West African drumming in celebration of the closing of Dynasty and Divin-ity: Ife Art in Ancient Nigeria. Dr. Bi is a master hard drummer from Cote D’Ivoire, West Africa. He has performed widely in Europe and the United States.

—Khabir the Storyteller. At 1 p.m. in Pulliam Great Hall, visitors can hear a story-telling performance about the true story of a prince from Guinea, West Africa, who survived servitude in 1800s America.

—Museum gallery tours. Thirty-minute guided tours will begin at 11.30 a.m. IMA docents will be stationed throughout the IMA galleries to interact with visitors. Tour schedule:

· 11.30 a.m., Realisation of the Deferred Dream: African American Artists at the IMA

· 12.30 p.m., Ancestors and Leaders – A Tour of the African Collection

· 1.30 p.m., Perceptions of America

· 2.30 p.m., Looking at Contemporary Art

· 3.30 p.m., Crowd Pleasers in the Late European Collection

—Museum gallery activities. Visitors can pick up a gallery art game at the information desk on the second floor as a fun way to explore the IMA galleries and the IMA Art Carts (exploring Art basics, Asian Art and African Art) will be stationed throughout the galleries from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

There will also be free admission to closing day of Dynasty and Divinity: Ife Art in Ancient Nigeria. This exhibition presents a glimpse of the extraordinary artistic ac-complishments of Ife, the legendary royal city-state of the Yoruba people during the 12th-15th centuries. Technically and visually the artworks of Ife, including near life-size heads and figures of humans in terra cotta, bronze, and copper, are among the most remarkable in the world. Also, there will be free admission to Art of the Ameri-can Indians: The Thaw Collection. This exhibition features more than 80 of the most outstanding works of Native American art drawn from the Eugene and Clare Thaw Collection, now held at the Fenimore Art Museum. And there will be free parking. Visi-tors can park for free in the IMA’s underground garage or large surface lot. Additional parking is available at Light of the World Christian Church, 4646 Michigan Road. Free shuttle drop-off and pickup is available throughout the day.

—Finally, don’t forget food and shopping. Visitors can grab coffee or a bite to eat in Nourish Café, located on the ground floor, and shop at the Museum Store for books, games, unique items for the home and more. The IMA Greenhouse also will be open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. offering a variety of garden-related items and post-holiday markdowns.

The Indianapolis Museum of Art is at 4000 Michigan Road. For more info visit www.imamuseum.org


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IT’S HOLIDAY TIME WITH PEEWINKLE

As they do each year, Peewinkle’s Puppet Studio presents “Christmas at the Puppet Studio” 10th thru 22nd as well as 27th December at various times.

Tickets are $10, under two, free. Bring your family to this music filled marionette Christmas performance, hosted by the delightful ritzy rodents, Ludmilla & Mozart, who live in the piano. This show is guaranteed to be great for all ages. Buy tix or get exact showtimes and days on line at: peewinklespuppets.com or give a bell to 917.9454

The theatre is located at 25 E. Henry St. in Downtown Indianapolis, just behind Arby’s at Pennsylvania and South streets.

BUSY SEASON AHEAD AT THE INDIANAPOLIS MUESUM OF ART

Winters are busy times at the Indianapolis Museum of Art (IMA) and there are a plethora of events set for January at the IMA, 4000 Michigan Road. Note that with the exception of special events and food/shop gifts all events are free. For more details than we have room to print visit imamuseum.org <http://www.imamuseum.org>

January brings several special exhibition tours including visits to Art of the American Indians: The Thaw Collection and Dynasty and Divinity: Ife Art in Ancient Nigeria and more. All are available with exhibition admission. Times vary. For a schedule of upcoming tours, visit: www.imamuseum.org/programs/tours

Despite the chill winds of Winter, the IMA’s Meditation Hikes continue every Friday from 5.30 till 6.30 p.m. Meet at Efroymson Family Entrance Pavilion for these hikes led by Global Peace Initiatives. In the spirit of mindfulness, the hikes move through the IMA’s grounds, gardens or 100 Acres Nature Park, sometimes in silence and some-times with dialogue. Hikes occur regardless of the weather.

The IMA is offering special Family Tours 14th & 28th January at 1.30 and 2.30 p.m. each day. Meet on the 2nd floor at top of escalator for a free, 30-minute gallery tour geared toward families with children of all ages. January tour topic: Art Appreciation

Want to make your own art? Free drop-in visitor art making is available in the Star Studio classroom each Saturday. Work with a teaching artist and make your own piece of art inspired by the exhibitions and ideas on display at the IMA. Projects are designed to be accessible and fun for museum visitors of all ages and levels of experi-ence making art. Star Studio is open for self-guided art making during all regular IMA hours.

Finally, don’t miss the Art of the American Indians: The Thaw Collection which is on show at IMA 2 December thru 12 February. Hours are 11 a.m.–5 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays; 11 a.m.–9 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays and Noon–5 p.m. Sundays in the Allen Whitehill Clowes Gallery in Wood Pavilion. There is an $8 admis-sion for this exhibition (Free for IMA members). This exhibition features more than 80 of the most outstanding works of art drawn from a collection held at the Fenimore Art Museum. More details are on the IMA’s website.


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“I am . . . haunted by the conviction that the divine William is the biggest and most successful fraud every practiced on a patient world,” wrote the novelist Henry James in 1903.

The “divine William” in question is William Shakespeare. Despite the plethora of books written on him and his works since his death almost 400 years ago, there is remarkably little factual information on Shakespeare’s life about which we can be ab-solutely certain. No surprise, then, that a variety of “conspiracy theories” have arisen about the man widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language.

The latest addition to the “Who was Shakespeare?” postulations is Anonymous, a new film by action-director Roland Emmerich (Independence Day, 2012). The film posits that Shakespeare the man and Shakespeare the author were not just different; they were as different as chalk and cheese.

The candidate for the “real Shakespeare” in Emmerich’s film — Edward de Vere — was first put forward in 1920 by an amateur scholar with the deliciously improbable name of J. Thomas Looney.

Looney believed that the son of a Stratford glove-maker with only a grammar school education could not possibly have written dramas of the depth and scope of Hamlet, King Lear and Romeo and Juliet. Such heights of poetry and insight into the human condition could only have been produced by a highly educated person — which in the sixteenth century meant a member of the aristocracy.

Looney found enough evidence in the works of Shakespeare to connect them to de Vere, the 17th Earl of Oxford. De Vere had connections at the royal court and was familiar with aristocratic lifestyles and manners.

He was highly educated — skilled in languages, law and science. He was well travelled and familiar with other cultures. Most convincing, for Looney, is that de Vere was a poet and a patron of both individual playwrights and theatrical troupes.

Anonymous takes the work of Looney and others — “Oxfordians” who pit themselves against “Stratfordians,” the more traditional Shakespearian scholars — as its founda-tion. The film utilizes what minimal factual evidence exists about Shakespeare and puts a slightly skewed spin on it, creating an intriguing and compelling film, if not a particularly believable argument.

De Vere (played as an adult by the wonderful Rhys Ifans) is raised as a ward of the court in the household of Sir William Cecil, chief advisor to Queen Elizabeth I and perhaps the most powerful man in England. De Vere is handsome, prodigiously intel-ligent, and athletic — a far cry from Cecil’s heir, the weak and hunchbacked Robert Cecil.

De Vere becomes a favourite of the queen, and later (if the film is to be believed), one of her numerous secret lovers. Instead of attending to his estates and his finances, he fritters away his time watching plays in the burgeoning London theatre of the day.

The film opens on the production of a play by contemporary playwright Ben Jonson. De Vere, noting the theatre’s ability to mobilize and rouse large groups of people, be-lieves he can do better than populists like Jonson. So he hands Jonson a script he has written and tells him to produce the play under Jonson’s own name. Being a “public” playwright was not something a nobleman did in Elizabeth’s time.

Indeed, being a playwright in the 16th and 17th centuries was a very dangerous occu-pation even for a commoner. Plays were considered the work of the devil by Puritans and as political propaganda by those jockeying for position at court. Jonson, who in the film’s opening sequence is being interrogated by Robert Cecil’s henchmen, is asked if he’s ever been arrested before: “I’m a writer. Of course I’ve been arrested,” he answers.

Jonson reluctantly agrees to go along with de Vere’s deception and stages Henry V with a view to taking a bow onstage when the highly spirited audience calls for the play’s author. While Jonson is dithering, however, an unscrupulous and drunken

young actor — a certain William Shakespeare of Stratford, who played a minor role in the production — comes forward and claims the play as his own.

Thus, according to Anonymous, a legend is born.

Shakespeare “thanks” the audience for its enthusiastic reception of Henry V and quickly proves himself to be a stuttering fool and a drunken oaf. He literally can-not string two sentences together. This is perhaps where the film does itself the least justice. Even if Shakespeare didn’t possess the skills to write such elegant, nuanced verse and plays, it is a little churlish to suggest that he was no more than an illiterate, babbling idiot.

But, for the film’s purposes, the fact that Shakespeare prefers drinking, whoring and bear-baiting to actually putting pen to paper, means that he is the perfect front — far more so than Jonson would have been. De Vere quickly realises this and allows the vainglorious “bard” to bask in the sunshine of another man’s work.

Anonymous is cleverly conceived and does many things admirably — not the least, highlighting the perils of life in Elizabethan society. It deftly traces parallels between the Elizabethan theatre and Elizabethan politics. De Vere’s plays increasingly point fingers at members of the queen’s inner court (chiefly Robert Cecil, once he has taken over the family business). Christopher Marlowe (Trystan Gravelle), who throughout his short life flirted with treason and heresy, discovers the “truth” about Shakespeare and is found with his throat cut in an alley. Jonson accuses Shakespeare of being the murderer.

True or no, the ambitious Shakespeare is not above a little extortion once he finds out the real author of “his” plays. Even Jonson also falls foul of the authorities as a result of the fraud. The queen’s favourite, Essex, leads an insurrection after a production of Richard III and is executed.

There are some clever “in-jokes” in Anonymous. When the young de Vere stabs an intruder hiding behind a curtain in his room, the film foreshadows the famous scene in Hamlet later on.

Each time we see Robert Cecil onscreen, we know that his misshapen frame will be-come the basis for “Shakespeare’s” depiction of King Richard III. Factual figures from de Vere’s life crop up throughout the plays as fictional characters in Shakespeare’s plays.

There are even some clever meta-fictional references in Anonymous too. The film opens and closes in modern day New York City with English actor Derek Jacobi giving a “presentation” on the life of Shakespeare in a Broadway theatre. Later Mark Rylance appears as an actor in Shakespeare’s company. Like Jacobi, a well-respected states-man of classical British theatre, Rylance was the first artistic director of the newly restored Globe Theatre in London. Both Jacobi and Rylance have been quite vocal in their beliefs that Shakespeare was not the author of the plays that bear his name.

This is all lots of fun for Shakespeare supporters and detractors alike. Yet Anony-mous still leaves plenty of questions unanswered. While Oxfordians and other anti-Stratfordians base their views on the fact that a man of Shakespeare’s humble origins could not have written the plays, the evidence for any other author is based on speculation, not fact. There may be no documented evidence to show Shakespeare unequivocally authored the plays. But there is no documented proof that anyone else did either.

Anonymous expansively and evocatively depicts Elizabethan London in all its glory and all its squalor. Vanessa Redgrave turns in a nuanced performance as Queen Elizabeth I, particularly as she ages and struggles with dementia and paranoia. David Thewlis brings a creepy charm to William Cecil, a man who cannot be trusted but who is unfailingly loyal to The Queen. While Sebastian Armesto injects a roguish sweetness into Ben Jonson, Rafe Spall couldn’t possibly have made his Shakespeare any less likeable.

The film doesn’t settle the Shakespeare authorship issue (Like the JFK assassination it seems destined to remain shrouded in mystery.), but it does raise many interesting questions while unravelling an engaging story.

If there is one lesson budding writers should take from the film it is this: keep a paper trail which identifies you as the author of your own work!


Food For Thought

Sometimes even a seasoned reviewer can make a mistake, and in the case of the India-napolis Colts Grille which recently opened in a huge space leftover when the Hoosier Park OTB left 110 West Washington Street for North Pennsylvania Street I made same. You readers didn’t see or hear me make the error, but friends on a morning walk with me one day after they opened did when staff suggested, as we walked by, that we come in and try it.

I turned up my nose and said “Whatever could interest me in another sports bar?” and we kept walking.

Fortunately a few days later, cooler heads won out and I was prevailed upon to at least go and try the Colts Grille. To say I was happy with the result on my plate would be a definite understatement, so allow me to publicly eat crow here and say it’s wonderful.

I do want to preface, too, by saying I really am not (confession time!) a sports fan. Not at all. The daily paper arrives and I toss the sports section first thing. If I can get ESPN on my TV I don’t know where or how as I never watch. I live downtown within blocks of both the fieldhouse and stadium and have since before either existed. I have never darkened either’s doorsteps. I never went to the dome or Market Square Arena, either. Not even to see what they looked like inside. And I do the best I can to find restaurants with NO TV sets blaring this or that game which I don’t care about. Got that?

OK, so the above confessed suffice to say I will be going back to the Colts Grille for lunches often. I might ask next time for a seat in what they call their “jocks and stocks” room at lunchtime, which is surrounded by glass walls and has its own TVs which at lunch are mostly on CNN and MSNBC. That way I can check my own game (if you call Wall Street these days a game) and ignore the football, baseball and so on outside.

But what one comes for at lunch is food and the folks at the Colts Grille have that. In fact, the menu, which at most sports bars is rather lean and predictable is as stuffed full of good things as a Colts player in his uniform. And if one eats here often enough (as I plan to) after a bit I might not need any padding.

Items featured range from the expected (burgers and fries) to the very surprising (os-trich burgers the day we visited for example.) One of our party adores making a meal of appetisers and was struck by the selection there, too. Looking at the menu we found everything from hummus and a Korean barbecue to pierogies with sautéed onions, fried pretzels and — what our friend ordered — edamame, which she pronounced bet-ter than anyone else downtown’s version of same.

But we do need to mention calories. While it is possible to stay on those diets and still dine at the Colts Grille, they do seem to have a menu which is a bit top-heavy with the goal of making you (and I) look like members of the team. And that’s without any fake padding. For example (quoting from the menu here) hidden amongst the burgers are a Breakfast Burger, which the menu states is, “served open-faced with a fried farm fresh egg, bacon marmalade and mozzarella cheese” and what’s called “Our Ginormous BLT Double Grilled Cheese Ranch Burger” which the menu describes as a “100% all beef half pound burger topped with ranch and stuffed between two grilled cheese and bacon sandwiches...” We confess, we did the breakfast one (served extra rare just as ordered) and loved every bite. Thank goodness our annual cholesterol check was the week prior but our scale did show a gain of two pounds the week we dined here. We can’t blame it all on the Colts Grill, but that burger surely didn’t help much.

Do keep in mind not everything here is fattening, but a lot of what sounded and tasted good was / is. They do have a salad area of the menu and you can cut calories and keep taste on most of the other things as well. Or you could just order the edamame which made a full meal and came with ponzu sauce for a low-cal lunch as one of our group did. But what the heck? If you plan on eating here, skip breakfast, cut back dinner and go full on at lunch. It really is that good.

A word, too, about service: Excellent. That’s really the only word needed. Our server not only found time to bring out the food promptly once we did order (It took awhile to go thru that huge menu.), but to spice his answers to our questions about the vari-ous items with a smile and associated humour. Asked about the ostrich burger he said he’s “always wanted to try that, but it seems a bit flighty...” And he went out of his way to make sure we not only were happy with what was on the plates, but to explain that if we came in during a Colts game we’d get to watch on the seemingly hundreds of TV sets in the room, but instead of hearing the game’s commercials in breaks we’d have music and stats given to us via a huge sound system he pointed out and which lines one entire wall. “We want it to be like you are at the game in person!” he said as our minds raced through how it must be on a real game day.

We think we will leave that for the real fans and their friends as we got exactly what we came for on a non-game weekday. That was good food, great service and we did it all for under $40 for three so it was definitely a meal we’d like to score again soon. Just after we again apologise for getting this place all wrong and saying it’s a great addition to downtown and it’s not a sports bar like any other. If you are looking to find the Colts Grille look beneath the Embassy Suites Hotel. There’s a street level cafe entrance on West Washington just east of the IRT Theatre or you can get in via the mall or Conrad without going outside as they have an entrance next door to Panera Bread and Weber Grill off the Claypool Courts.

Bits & bites...a bit more about downtown restaurants before we leave town for a couple ideas...but first, looks like lunch is off the menu for the time being at least at Libertine on East Washington. We gave it a thorough review last month, but now it appears from the door the lunches (previously offered Thursdays and Fridays) have been eliminated and the place opens at 4 p.m. As we said last time, it’s a great place for a drink (domestic or exotic) and has nice food, but as an eat along, not a full meal. Oh, and the door now says 21 and up welcome only, too, so you can’t bring the kiddies... Also downtown, we raved about the wonderful food at Left Bank Cafe along the canal, but management has opted to close down for the Winter rather than muddle along with too few seats in the indoor part. A sign on the locked door says see you in February (for Super Bowl one assumes?) and indeed we will when the staff and great French Onion Soup return... And finally downtown, we hear tell a well-known restaurant owner will be opening a 2nd spot with a different theme in the coming weeks. We’d say way more, but have been sworn to secrecy, other than to mention if he does it as well as the place he currently owns, it’s gonna be special.

And now, a bit of a departure from downtown. Our travels recently took us on the road on several jaunts around Indiana and we found three spots we’d recommend you visit if you get the chance during the holidays and Winter breaks. Just call ahead and be sure the one you might be close to is open before you go. Grab the pencil and make a note as these are all worth visiting...

First, plan to eat off I-74 just west of Covington, Indiana (four miles from Illinois or about 77 miles west of downtown). That’s where you will find the Beef House. This place dates to the 60s and it still has the best steaks we can find anywhere in the Hoosier State.

It beats all the self-proclaimed famous spots in Indy (you know who you are!) and while the decor is still out of the 60s, they do have a grand salad bar (Remember those? We wish more restaurants with foofy dressings and bowls of field greens would!) and super efficient service.

Also look at this photo and you will get an idea of the huge steaks, veggies, baked pota-toes and the fresh hot rolls with strawberry jam which keep on coming and coming and make this a wonderful meal.

Two can eat for under $50 and unlike those more famous spots where one leaves with a big bill and sense of “I could have done better” here one leaves smiling and feeling like they got more than atmosphere — they got FOOD! And great food, too.


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Next, if you take the backroads thru Indiana (We love to and recently went north from Indy to pick up partner Anthony at his parents’ in Elkhart County.) don’t miss a stop along Indiana Route 13 at North Manchester. This is the town where locals pointed us to the Time Out Inn / Sandwich Cellar. It would have alone been worth the drive for some wonderful subs, pizzas and the $7.50 special the day we arrived — all the spaghetti with fresh house made meat sauce one could consume plus a salad with homemade dressing and a huge tray of garlic bread. This is what happy partner Ivan looked like eating it:

The service in the cellar was so pleasant as to be perfect and the bill — $17.83 for two — was an out-of-this-world bargain. Oh, and the food? Nothing you will ever find at one of the chains. Not today. Not ever. It was all made by the staff back in the kitchen while we surfed on the inn’s free WiFi and looked at the decor, which paid homage to both the local high school team and the one at North Manchester College.

In short next time your travels take you north try the side roads, hop off at North Manches-ter and tell ‘em we sent you. By the way, the upstairs (the “inn” part) has a full bar and more, but since this is a food column written by a non-drinker we just peeked in there before descending the stairs, getting in the car and

heading north another hour of so to Elkhart County.

Our final foodie stop was there at Das Dutchman Essenhaus at Middlebury (below). It’s actually just a bit west of Middlebury in the heart of Amish Country. And that’s the good news - bad news part of the story. The good news is Amish cooking with fresh ingredients are hard to beat. The bad news is they don’t serve Sundays. Despite having over 1,000 seats and a huge cadre of shops and more, everything but their inn is shut tighter than a drum on Sundays. We have had some wonderful dinners here before, but this time had to settle for a Monday morning breakfast which was every bit as good. At just $7.50 for the all-you-want buffet it was also a deal. It was also fun to try some of the local items — an apple fritter and fresh doughnuts which were on the buffet made at the bakery in the adjoining room were our highlights, and while our early morning courage didn’t bring us to try, they had Head Cheese and tomato relish /sauce as well. We have had the former before, coming from a German family, though to some what it contains is a put off, so it’s best not thought of in detail, but we shall quote Wikipedia: “Head cheese is not a cheese but a terrine or meat jelly made with meat from the head of a calf or pig (sometimes a sheep or cow), and often set in aspic. Which parts of the head are used can vary, but the brain, eyes and ears are usually removed. The tongue, and sometimes even the feet and heart, may be included...” OK, so if you are still with me, they had some tradition-al ham, crispy bacon, biscuits and fresh apple butter mak-ing that $7.50 price a real deal (even without the Head Cheese) meaning Essenhaus is more than worth the trip. Middlebury is just southeast of Elkhart or about 3 1/2 hours north of downtown.


Hackin’ The NetBy Ted Fleischaker / Up Down Town Publisher

It’s the most wonderful time of the year as radio is and will, for awhile at least, be chirp-ing as we all welcome the Christmas, Chanukah and — to please the politically correct — the “holiday” season. And what better time to search out some electronic gifts? But what to buy and at which end of the budget?

Well, we’ve got some things we’d recommend and we have tried to group them into price ranges. This time let’s go from bottom to top. Or if you prefer, from an every-night-of Cha-nukah or stocking stuffer range, up to that “one big gift” you’d like Santa or Chanukah to bring you this year. First a few fun, but budget items after we indulge in a bit of nostal-gia...

— Give some new earphones. If you are old enough to remember when transistor radios were hand-held AM band only devices and ran on those flat 9-volt batteries, then you recall, too, that what we call earphones today were once simple single-ear “plugs”. They came with the 8-transistor radio all for $19.95 and they without exception sounded tinny and always seemed to break right at the plug end. That would send us running to Radio Shack (or in our youth in Louisville, the long-gone P.I. Burks on 9th Street) for a new plug, then to get someone with a soldering iron to put it on for us. The plugs cost 37¢ or some odd amount — always. Of course if we were totally careless with our allowance a brand new earplug which used to cost $3 or even $5 could be had. But who except a few rich friends would waste $3 or $5 when the old one could be fixed?

Well, just like in the old days, there are earphones out there and any of them make a great gift for that iPad, iPhone, iPod or other listener. Chances are he or she is tuned to internet radio, iTunes or his or her music and doesn’t even know what an AM radio station is, but never mind, they still listen with “head sets”. And despite all the changes in fidelity during the intervening years, even the new fancy headsets eventually break — and it’s still usu-ally right where they plug into your “device” (which is what they call a transistor radio or other music player today).

Unlike the old days, most folks now would not think of replacing those plugs. They want a whole new pair of headphones. I did check, by the way, and on their website Radio Shack does still sell just the plugs though they are two for $4.19 and in stereo now not mono at 37¢. Also, I don’t know a soul who has the patience or gear to solder one on anymore.

So, for that gift, Radio Shack and a lot of spots do sell headphones. We picked up one of our replacements along the way at Office Depot for under $5 though I will admit the chea-pos don’t sound a lot better than the ones which came with that transistor radio we got as a 12-year-old. Try spending $10-20 and you can hear a lot of good sounds. We recently bought a new pair of original Apple headphones like the ones we wore out for $29 at the Apple store and the difference is very apparent.

You could also go to another level for that gift as there are sound cancelling phones ($50 and up for decent ones) and others which go upwards past $100 and $200, so there’s a wide choice here.

Before you buy I recommend you check the frequency range. That tells the amount of highs and lows the phones can be expected to deliver. I found some really decent ones at under $12 at Fry’s which are Sony branded and offer 18 to 22,000 Hz (that’s Hertz, or if you prefer cycles per second) and a more than OK range to shoot for.

Remember, though, that spending more won’t always get you better sound and since those plugs and wires do still break, I’d suggest $10-20 phones in the stocking this year.

— While I’m on nostalgia, I will mention I did not even know they made pillow speakers anymore, but they do. Not heard of one? Well there are mono and stereo ones all for under $20. We shopped online after not finding any in the local shops and for around $15 got a Sangean Pillow Mate. We put the plug into our iPad, then slip the flat speaker between our two bed pillows. That lets us hear our tunes or news while our partner sleeps on undis-turbed.

We will note that the partner claims he can sometimes hear, too, so there are limits to how loud one can play a pillow speaker, but in our way of thinking it beats all heck out of going to sleep with earplugs in and we are 100% sure our friend Dr. Heidi Dunniway with Otolaryngology Associates here in Indy would approve of it far more as well. Think of it as giving your pillow the ability to play music and you’ll get the idea. Oh, and before anyone whines about comfort, the Pillow Mate is thin enough not to even notice being under our pillow. Just remember they don’t wash so be sure to check for yours before you do the bed!

— Moving along, with the new iPhone 4GS just out and all of the other “smart phones” in folks’ pockets, briefcases and handbags, what about a new case for a holiday gift? They

used to just come in drab colours, but these days one can be found with any and every imaginable design. Just be sure if you buy a case that you get the right one. Even a cool cover designed for an iPhone 3 will not fit a new 4GS.

Also remember durability. There are some awesome looking designs out there made of cheap plastic. Even for $5 at the kiosk at the mall, these are best avoided. Go for some-thing more sturdy. If your phone user is a real gorilla, we’d suggest an Otter Box — the top of the line in durability and security though, in our way of thinking, not the best fashion statement. They range from the $9 we paid for ours on ebay to $40 at some of the local shops.

— Moving higher on the price scale, how about a new music player or something better? True, they make some really cheap jank radios which even come with headsets for $19, but we are talking about one of the iPods. There’s a shuffle for $49. Or what about one you can wear on your wrist as a watch and then plug into for music? They are called Nanos and start at $129. Or an iPod Touch which range from $199 upwards.

Don’t forget, too, that while not as “romantic” as a new device, a nice holiday gift would be Apple Care on an Apple device or the comparable warranty plan if they buy a Droid or other gadget. Pricing ranges from $49 up, so it’s a thoughtful gift to consider, too. Oh, and if you buy headphones at Brookstone, they will sell you a replacement warranty for $6 which my partner has found comes in very handy. I think he’s on his third pair as they don’t fix ‘em...they replace ‘em on the spot if that plug or anything else fails.

—Still not expensive enough for you? What about an iPad, a computer or a year’s worth of internet service for a gift? The former can be as cheap as $399 if you opt for a tablet com-puter which is not a Mac or a PC laptop or as much as $5,000 if you go with a Mac Tower with 12 processors. Yes, 12. Speed is not cheap, but if your sweetie wants to have the best, then go for the whole deal. Paying someone’s dsl or internet bill is also a nice gift. You can make a card and slip it into a stocking or by the menorah then just pay each month. Costs vary depending what your recipient uses and does — from a standard dsl (about $40 a month) to cable modem or something more grand.

—Finally, don’t forget all the other — many, but not all top-of-the-line — things this col-umn writes about. You can pop in at the drugstore and grab an iTunes gift card from $10 up — great to remember since many drugstores are even open Christmas Eve and Day for last-minute thoughtfulness. With that your recipient can buy music, apps for their phone or even movies. Or you could buy your computer fanatic a new monitor. Most flat screen TV sets have an input (do check though) called HDMI for this purpose and even a name brand like LG can be had in a 42 inch size for under $500 these days. There are also speak-ers of all types, brands and sizes. Here’s where I hint to my spouse that the at&t store has a $200 awesome portable set by Jawbone called a Jambox which plugs into an iPhone and makes it fill a room with concert hall sound, though I doubt I will get one.

And don’t forget the latest thing — internet radios which need no computer. They are the present century’s answer to that old 8-transistor and just as innovative for their time. Sev-eral firms make them, including the Logitech Squeezebox line. We have a Logitech Duet which allows one access to over 10,000 internet radio stations, plus any music you have stored on your computer via WiFi. Pricing for these starts about $169. Details at www.logitech.com

And there you have it. Our annual holiday list. Some expensive, some not. And we’d bet any or all would be welcome at the home of the techie you have to buy for this holiday season. Have a happy, a merry and a great new year. See you in January!


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It appears to be magic, but in truth it’s a lot of back-breaking work by the folks from the Contractors of Quality Connection and Electrical Workers of IBEW 481 who began in 1962 to decorate the downtown monument into the “world’s largest Christmas Tree”. From the very beginning, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) local 481 electricians have volunteered to install the lights so each November about 200 volunteers spend six+ hours securing the décor. There are 52 garland strands with 4,784 coloured lights strung from the top of the monument to its base. More than six miles of electrical wire and more than two miles of garland are needed. Even if it doesn’t snow (as it did in our 2010 photo at left) the monument makes a striking statement and stands each holiday time as a symbol for downtown. Don’t miss it thru early January.Up Down Town Photos By Mark Dickhaus, Ivan Howard & Ted Fleischaker.


Other Points of Interest:1.) BioScrip Pharmacy2.) BARcelona Tapas3.) 110 East Washington Street Condos / Adobo Grill4.) 501 On Madison Flats5.) Acorn Group Offices / 1 North Penn / Pita Pit6.) Agio Restaurant7.) JW Marriott Hotel8.) Cosmopolitan On The Canal9.) Carson Pirie Scott & Co.10.) Cartridge World Downtown11.) Stars Cafe & Runners Forum12.) English Ivy's13.) Pearl Street Pizzeria & Pub14.) Federal Express15.) Mass Ave. Toys & Arts A Poppin’16.) Henry’s On Penn Cafe17.) O'Malia Food Market & Fusek's Hardware18.) Teapots & Treasures19.) TJ Maxx & The Block Apartments20.) Day Nursery State Gov't & Federal Centres21.) Kahn’s Liquors 22.) Silver In The City

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* Recognition as one of Indiana’s top three in ten Midwest Gaming & Travel and nine Southern Gaming & Destinations categories in 2011 readers’ poll. Must be 21 years or older. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-9-WITH-IT.

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Up Down Town 2011

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Transcript of Up Down Town 2011