8 O'Clock Buzz Brian Standing, Haywood Simmons & Michelle Naff, Jan Miyasaki, Tony Castaneda, & Jonathan Zarov

TNW Ensemble Theater explores the worlds of women’s struggles against oppression through different slices of history with the premiere of its new production “Step Right Up, Ma’am: Stories of Resistance.” 

Featuring the poetic works of Fabu Carter, Dale Kushner and Danielle Dresden, and the collage work of artist Milly Charles, the play opens at the Overture Center Promenade on Friday, June 21. 



Artwork for Step Right Up, Ma’am by Milly Charles. 

Photo courtesy TNW Ensemble Theater

Danielle Dresden, who wrote one of the three segments of the play, called in to the Monday Buzz to talk about her work.  She was joined by Donna Peckett, who staged and directed the play.

Web posting by Nicholas Wootton

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Four and a half billion years ago, gravitational attraction pulled together floating specks of stardust to form the planet Earth.  It is difficult for those of us not schooled in geology to visualize such timescales – after all, recorded human history only stretches back a few thousand years. 

A retired judge and law professor has created a public installation to help ordinary folks comprehend such massive periods of time.

Nick Schweitzer worked for many years as an Administrative Law Judge and referee hearing cases of professional misconduct on the part of lawyers and other professionals, and subsequently taught ethics at the University of Wisconsin Law School.  Since his retirement, he has written 13 plays, and served as President of the Free Congregation of Sauk County.

In his free time Schweitzer has designed scientific exhibits for Madison area parks.  His latest creation, installed this past weekend in Law Park on Madison’s isthmus, documents the history of the earth in a proportional timeline.  Nick Schweitzer visited the WORT studios to tell Monday Buzz host Brian Standing more about it. 

 

 

 

 

 

Web posting by Nicholas Wootton

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On June 4, the Biden Administration issued an executive order effectively eliminating asylum applications for migrants who cross the border between the United States and Mexico without documentation.  The order comes as Republicans in Congress walked away from an agreement on immigration reform and as Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump calls for mass deportations. 

What has the impact of the Presidential order been to those seeking asylum from political oppression in their home countries? 

Sara McKinnon is a professor of Rhetoric, Politics & Culture in the Department of Communication Arts at the University of Wisconsin, and Faculty Director of Latin American, Caribbean & Iberian Studies.  She also co-chairs the UW Human Rights Program.  Sara McKinnon called in to the Monday Buzz to offer our listeners her perspective on the issue.

 

Featured photo © Tomas Castelazo, www.tomascastelazo.com / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0, used with permission

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Charley Preusser, editor of the Crawford County Independent, graciously fills in for the scheduled guest who was unavailable to be interviewed.  Charley provides an update on comings and goings in the driftless region over the past few weeks.  One of the big stories involved the showing of the film The Adventures of Priscilla Queen of the Desert at the Gays Mills Library to honor the celebration of Gay Pride Month.  It became a topic of controversy when a couple of Village Trustees tried to prevent the showing (they must not like desert movies) before others stepped in to resolve the issue.  One of the lighter stories was the sighting of a mountain lion wandering through the rural area, witnessed by none other than the editor himself.

Photo by Priscilla DuPreez on Unsplash

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Farm Days at Vitruvian will be held this Saturday, June 15, from 9:00am-6:00pm at Vitruvian Farms in McFarland, WI.  Marissa DeGroot, Marketing and Operations Coordinator, joins the 8 O’Clock Buzz, to provide information on the event, but also to speak to the plight of small farms in Wisconsin.  Marissa explains how Vitruvian Farms is partnering will other small, local farms in making their organic produce available to the public.  Farm Days will include three scheduled tours of the farm including the mushroom growing facility, and local farmers and makers handing out samples of their produce.  You can also visit the farm store while you’re there.

Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash

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Ken Grossinger, director of Impact Philanthropy in Democracy Partners and leading strategist in movements for social and economic justice for thirty-five years, talks about his recent book, “Art Works: How Organizers and Artists Are Creating a Better World Together“. The book combines story narratives and personal interviews to show how art can make a political statement in our world.

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