Meaning

What I like best about fine dramatic theater, like that invariably found at the Mark Taper Forum, is it's ability to challenge our most fundamental assumptions about our world. I was not disappointed by this evenings production of "Palestine, New Mexico", the latest vision from that iconoclastic theatrical powerhouse known as Culture Clash. Their third premiere production at MTF since 2003, "Palestine" perfectly concludes one of the most compelling seasons there in recent memory.

The title, itself, hints at an intersection of cultures, histories and beliefs that, on the surface, seem worlds apart. But as the play unfolds, we are gradually drawn to realize the powerful threads common to all human experience.

Since my recent post celebrating the formal legalization of Tom & George's marriage, they have crafted an Open Letter to all Californians. In light of the looming state constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage (Proposition 8), close on the heels of California's landmark decision legalizing it, they wish to explain why this proposition should be defeated. The letter is personal, well-reasoned, factual and compelling. I urge everyone to read it, regardless of your position on the issue, because through it you will gain a very personal understanding of what marriage means to these two loving and committed men; you will see that it is the very same things the rest of us enjoy (or strive for) in our marriages.

Last month, my good friend Tom and his husband, George, took advantage of the recent California Supreme Court ruling overturning the state's ban on same-sex marriage and finally obtained an official marriage license. The civil ceremony, conducted on a fine Saturday morning by a judge-acquaintance at a Downtown LA courthouse, was brief and private. I was not there, but my family and I joined the "newly-weds" for a celebratory lunch following the ceremony at a fun Mexican restaurant named Casita Del Campo in the Silver Lake area. We had a most enjoyable time with Tom's parents and a small group of the couple's close friends. The whole affair was very low-key and informal, so perhaps I can be excused for missing, at the time, the "big picture" significance of the event.

Year Of The DogThis week, I celebrated the completion of my 48th year on Planet Earth. I was born in 1958, which - according to the Chinese Zodiac - was The Year Of The Dog. Unlike our occidental zodiac of 12 months, the Chinese devised a 12-year cycle, each year denoted by a different animal. Individuals acquire the strengths and weaknesses attributed to the animal associated with their birth year - or so the theory goes. Therefore 1970, 1982, 1994 and 2006 are also Dog years. At 48, I'm celebrating my fourth full cycle and, on this occasion, I've been reflecting on the events of my life at each of the previous three cycles. So many changes - from boy to man, from one love to another, from school to professional career, from child to father - and yet so much good fortune along the way.