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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Mt. Ashland hopes to build on good year ... Wolf pack grows as OR-7 slows down ... Sounds of Crater Lake ... Mt. Ashland hopes to build on good year ... Wolf pack grows as OR-7 slows down ... Sounds of Crater Lake ... LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letters to the Editor, July 30 Comment DailyTidings.com Writer Posted Jul. 30, 2016 at 12:01 AM Posted Jul. 30, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Social News Review missed the mark Jeffrey Gillespie is a fair critic and an insightful columnist, but even the fairest can misinterpret what they see. And that very point was part of ACT's purpose in producing "Chatting with the Tea Party," where real tea party leaders make unsupported (and unsupportable) claims about the federal government, which are then challenged by the narrating playwright, Rich Orloff. The tea partiers' passion about their cause is often founded on misinformation and conjecture. Gillespie, in his analysis of our production, also makes misinformed conjectures, particularly about the play's liberals. First, there are no liberal "characters." Actors pop into a scene as "liberal friend 1 or 2 or 3" to make critical comments about the tea partiers. They almost never have more than two consecutive lines and all lines are interchangeable (in terms of who says them) because they are a homogeneous chorus of points to be made, not people with characteristics. Yes, with over 30 characters, an actor playing a tea party member would finish his scene and return with a different costume accessory to make a liberal interjection — but there was no attempt to costume "liberal 1, 2 or 3" in a "stereotypical" style as hipsters or beatniks, as reported by Gillespie. He refers to a beret with a vest as indicative of our stereotyping the various liberals — except there is no beret in the show! A black driving cap with a bill doth not a beret make. This interpretation of our treatment of characters comes from a piece of information that was inferred but wasn't there. Writing about the way the narrator/playwright Rich confronts each tea partier about his/her assumptions would have been a good use of Gillespie's analytical skills. Instead the review dwells considerably on the technical recall problem of handling a narrative that reads like a newspaper — a unique challenge for any actor, including the New York professionals who premiered the play. With all the stories available in Wednesday's edition of the paper, the Tidings chose to reduce ACT's review into a sensational three-word teaser on the front page. There was apparently no quarter for Gillespie's other opinions that the show had "moments of genuine excellence," or that "the writing is surprisingly good," has "genuine humor and pathos," made for an entertaining evening and "was a fun night." Instead, ACT must recover from the fallout of the crass teaser headline, "Tea Party Tanks." Jeannine Grizzard, ACT artistic director Share the road As one who’s been walking dogs up Grandview Drive for 20-plus years, I took keen interest in your reporting and editorializing on the privately installed guardrail at the top of the hill. Scrambling to catch up with “facts on the ground” created by a private landowner and developer, city officials — after the fact — declare that they’re OK with what they acknowledge is an unpermitted code violation. At this point, City Administrator Dave Kanner urges the City Council to approve an option “which provides the greatest measure of safety for the citizens of Ashland.” At the moment, the safety of drivers and an individual homeowner are all that’s been addressed by the guardrail. The safety of pedestrians and bikers is worse than it was before the guardrail appeared without an opportunity for public comment. They’re forced onto the pavement as the guardrail bends around a curve. There’s talk now of a “shared road” project, including a five-foot buffer on each side for walkers and bikers. That should be a minimum next step for the City Council to approve and city agencies to install. Brad Knickerbocker Ashland Thanks for letter From another white, older woman of privilege, thanks to Elizabeth Fairchild for a well-written letter reminding all of us that we have an obligation to consider the welfare of all citizens when we cast our vote locally or nationally. Well done. Char Hersh Ashland A paradox We have the most qualified candidate ever to run for the presidency running against the most unqualified candidate ever to run for the presidency and not a clue as to who will win. If that isn't a paradox, what is? Maxine Scott Ashland DailyTidings.com Writer Posted Jul. 30, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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