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"Almost, Alaska," a romantic comedy, flirted with tragedy early this month. Just before the play, now running at Cyrano's, was to begin, one of the actresses came down with H1N1 flu -- and there was no understudy.
But the show must go on. Versatile actor Erick Hayden (more versatile than we previously thought), who is directing the play, was the only one who knew her lines and the blocking. He switched into feminine attire and makeup, put on his best drag persona and stepped into two women's roles. (The show uses actors playing multiple characters.) "It actually went very well," said Cyrano's Sandy Harper. Some actually thought they were watching an actress until Hayden, who has a resonant, fit-for-radio baritone, opened his mouth. But, she added, "Erick may have difficulty explaining (the role) on his resume." That's the great thing about live theater. You never know what you're going to see. "Almost, Alaska," conveniently reset in a small Alaska town, continues at 3 p.m. today and next Sunday, and 7 p.m. Thursday-Saturday. Tickets, $16, are available at centertix.net. Poet and librarian Joan Kane, the Anchorage poet who recently received a $50,000 Whiting Writers' Award, will present a reading and discussion at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the UAA Campus Bookstore. The event is free and so is the parking, according to the press release. Last week we noted the names of the judges who selected Kane for the $50 Anchorage Daily News/University of Alaska Creative Writing Prize in College Poetry back in 2000. One of them, Michael Catoggio, retired librarian, will also be speaking 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Fireplace at Barnes & Noble, at Benson and A Street. His presentation for the Alaska Writer's Guild will address "The Information Explosion and You -- Writing and Research in a Whilrwind." Catoggio had left Alaska for New York, which he called "my ancestral homeland... a progressive's Eden," after he retired a few years ago. However, he said, "I found myself surrounded by swarms of people trying to be normal. My wife and I returned (to Alaska) in November, 2008." The talk is also free. More information is available at www.alaskawritersguild.com or by calling 562-2520. New on air Pianist and music educator Christopher O'Riley's national radio show, "From the Top," can now be heard at 6 p.m. Sundays on Anchorage classical station KLEF. The program, locally sponsored by Alaska Music and Sound - The Home of the Horn Doctor, presents O'Riley in animated and intelligent conversation with young musicians along with remarkable performances by these prodigies. I first caught the program last week while in the company of a family member for whom music is not a priority, but she listened intently and -- without prompting from me -- declared, "This is a great show!" I concur. Cetacean fashions People in the Southeast village of Kasaan hope to restore the Chief Son-i-hat Whale House, the only Haida longhouse left standing in Alaska. I visited this place and the surrounding totems in 1999, and it wasn't easy to get to. I was stunned to find such a trove tucked out of sight from the world. But deterioration was evident in the structure, reconstructed in the 1930s after the original, built around 1880, had gone the way of all wood. To raise funds, the Kasaan folk are selling "Save The Whale House" T-shirts ($15-$25) and hoodies ($45). All proceeds will go directly to the project. To order contact the Organized Village of Kasaan office at 1-907-542-2230 or by e-mail at ovk@kasaan.org, subject line "Whale House." Ordering is also supposed to soon be available at www.kasaan.org. Hot medium Encaustic painting -- mixing color and resin and hot wax -- is a highly durable medium. Egyptian funerary art painted 2,000 years ago still looks almost new. It's experiencing something of a resurgence. Witness the encaustics included in Fairbanks artist Sandy Gillespie's solo show at the Anchorage Museum, Judith Hoesting's cold wax paintings at APU's Grant Hall and a group show at Doriola's (see "First Friday Rambles" at adn.com/artsnob). Encaustic enthusiasts are seeking converts. Sheary Clough Suiter is offering workshops in Anchorage and a local group, the Alaska Chapter of International Encaustic Artists, meets monthly to talk about their work and share tips. More information is available at www.backdoordesigns.com. Fred's heads For readers who asked to see pictures of art by Fred Anderson Sr. that appeared in print last month but not online, I've now posted a couple of his self-portraits, along with a detail from one of his pieces at the recent "Virtual Subsistence" show, at adn.com/artsnob. Need pix? If you can't do self-portraits, California celebrity photographer Casian is returning to Anchorage to shoot professional acting and modeling headshots and portfolios for kids and adults. The cost for a pretty comprehensive package is $350. For information, e-mail info@talentgps.com or call 903-1299. More information is also on the Web at www.talentgps.com.