Email Author Paul Friswold

2008 Stories by Paul Friswold

• Kid Therapy

  published December 31, 2008

  It's a clean slate today. You know what would be a great initial mark on this, the first day of the rest of your life? Revert to childhood and... More >>

• New Musical Monday

  published December 31, 2008

  The New Line Theatre company is committed to the belief that the musical is not a quaint relic of a simpler time, but is rather a strong and... More >>

• Important Questions About Batman

  published December 31, 2008

  Life is about appreciating the little things. For instance, one may know that the Green Lantern's power ring has one weakness — the color... More >>

• Old-Time Hockey

  published December 31, 2008

  If, as Benjamin Franklin theorized, beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy, George Roy Hill's film Slap Shot is... More >>

• In Good Conscience

  published December 31, 2008

  According to George Bernard Shaw, his play Saint Joan features no villains. Every character in the play behaves according to his or... More >>

• Van De Graaff Musical Generator

  published December 31, 2008

  Feeling diminished by an unspecific sorrow, the Man in the Chair turns to his beloved vinyl copy of the 1928 Gable and Stein musical The... More >>

• Endgame Always Comes Early

  published December 24, 2008

  The typical setup for a game of chess involves so much more than just a board and 32 pieces when you play as poorly as I do. Dozens of scraps of... More >>

• The Devils, You Say

  published December 24, 2008

  When did we first begin hating the New Jersey Devils? Some claim it happened in the past fifteen years, when the Devils patented their brand of... More >>

• Seven Days of Principles

  published December 24, 2008

  Kwanzaa has been celebrated in its current incarnation for 42 years, which is still early days for a holiday. But the seven guiding principles... More >>

• You Down with ITP?

  published December 24, 2008

  New Year's Eve, despite all the manufactured hoopla about how exciting it is, rarely deviates from its tired story line. People show up, they... More >>

• Last Night Becomes First Night

  published December 24, 2008

  As far as years go, 2008 is not going to be ranked too highly. It would be best for all concerned if this particular year left as quickly as... More >>

• St. Louis Stage Caps

  published December 24, 2008

  The Last Seder Richard Lewis delivers a bravely unsentimental performance as the patriarch of a suburban New York family who is slipping... More >>

• Goodbye, Blue Eyes

  published December 17, 2008

  Actor, philanthropist and seemingly all-around good guy Paul Newman left behind a distinguished body of work. Fans may argue which Newman... More >>

• A Shot in the Dark

  published December 17, 2008

  With the official onset of winter just days away, the nights are at their longest. So it's fitting that the Saint Louis Art Museum in Forest Park... More >>

• Sing It, It's Christmas

  published December 17, 2008

  As if you needed another reason to sing some carols this weekend, the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra presents its annual holiday concert at... More >>

• Knotts to You

  published December 17, 2008

  Depending on when you were born, you perhaps recognize Don Knotts as either the one-bullet deputy Barney Fife or the desperately lonely landlord... More >>

• Christmas Reimagined

  published December 17, 2008

  Most Christmas specials follow a few well-established tropes. There's either not going to be a Christmas unless "X" happens (X always happens,... More >>

• Fashion First

  published December 17, 2008

  Look, times are tough. And when times are tough, it's easy to shrug off charitable requests as "nonessential." But Mathews-Dickey's annual... More >>

• St. Louis Stage Caps

  published December 17, 2008

  Die! Mommie! Die! Charles Busch's unrepentantly raunchy comedy skewers the conventions of B-movie melodramas with gleeful malice.... More >>

• The Starry Messenger keeps young and old adrift in a most splendid orbit

  published December 17, 2008

  All the elements of The Starry Messenger mark its origin as a play for younger audiences. It's about an hour in duration, has two... More >>

• Little Women, Big Show

  published December 10, 2008

  As difficult as it is to portray a beloved literary character, it may be even harder to imagine a more perfect Jo March than Casey Erin Clark.... More >>

• Cold, Cold War

  published December 10, 2008

  For parents who have had enough of manufactured holiday goodwill, there's always the black comedy of Terry Zwigoff's Bad Santa, but what do... More >>

• Find a Contemporary Gift

  published December 10, 2008

  The post-Thanksgiving advertising surge would have you believe that when it comes to holiday gifts, the mall has it all. Not so. If you'd like to... More >>

• The Color and the Shape

  published December 10, 2008

  The '50s are often perceived as a rather staid and buttoned-down decade, typified by Leave It to Beaver and an "I Like Ike" mentality. But... More >>

• A Gift for Everyone

  published December 10, 2008

  Regardless of one's personal feelings toward Christmas (Hate. It.), the fundamental idea of what it's all about is sound: Let's come together in... More >>