Life and Trust

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Life and Trust Still by Stephanie Crousillat

Life and Trust is a spin on the Faust story by Emursive, the immersive theater company that reworked Macbeth in the style of Hitchcock for Sleep No More. The German legend of Faust tells the tale of a dissatisfied alchemist who makes a pact with the devil for success, riches, and love. But when your soul is for the taking, the deal is bound to go sour. In Life and Trust, Faust is Mr. Conwell, a banking magnate. On the evening of a big celebration at Conwell Tower, a bank built upon the fortunes of a magic syrup that cured his ailing sister, the wearied executive learns the stock market has plummeted. His entire fortune disappears in a blink, delivered to the audience members in his office with a mix of casual venomous disdain. Before he tries to take his own life, one of Satan’s minions offers him the chance to return to his original sin. From there, audience members follow various characters in their pursuit of pleasure, power, and legacy.

End of an Era

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We have moved the closing date up to just over a week from now for my father’s house in Monterey. This will end an almost yearlong saga. As you can see from the photos the house is almost completely empty now. Kudos to my brothers, Anne and the liquidators. The buyers who live only a couple miles away, walk by daily now. Of the few items still left in the house, much of it is already sold.

Ancient Splendor

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Yesterday, we went to the art museum, to see the new exhibit—Ancient Splendor: Roman Art in the Time of Trajen. This visiting exhibit comes from Italy and features art that has never left that country before. Showcasing art from the height of the Roman Empire, this exhibit features art portraying everyday Roman life and at the highest zenith of Roman power.

Seen here are statues of Trajen and Caligula. Trajen was the second of the “five good emperors”, while Caligula, the third emperor, was arguably the worst and was eventually assassinated by his own bodyguards while still in office. The US has often been compared to Rome. Both were the superpowers of their day. And comparing Trajen and Caligula with our own leadership, both had good leaders and bad. Does Caligula transition from popular leader to notoriously capricious, cruel, and extravagant tyrant remind you of anyone else?