Happenstance, April 2

From the editor…
Deepest apologies. In the CASA Fourth article in last week’s Happenstance, I left the name of Mack Crow off the list of board members. Mr. Crow has been involved in the community in various ways over the years. His valuable service to CASA contributes to its success.

In this issue of Happenstance, Randy Campbell’s wonderful memory of a ‘50s Easter with its finely drawn moments reminds us of how ‘out of the ordinary’ Easter is; page 3.

The Las Vegas Arts Council has been around for many years with a mission of providing resources and services to artists. The bigger picture is that it is an economic engine fueled by the energy of creativity and involvement. See LV Arts Council celebrates the arts and helps them shine; pages 4-5.

There is nothing like live theater. It is a surprise every performance, not because the performance is different, but because as an audience member you are seeing just that performance in that moment, unfettered by any experience but the one you are having as the players unfold the story on the stage. You won’t get that sense of participation at a movie theater, not even a 3-D movie, because once it’s on film, that’s it, finito, end of story. In live theater anything can happen and it’s up to the actors, in character, to make it work. I am delighted we have an active theater group in Las Vegas. The Nat Gold Players has been around in one form or another for years.

I played Abbey in Arsenic and Old Lace, in the ‘80s, my brother, Marc Conkle, was Teddy, Abby and Martha’s slightly daft nephew, who thought he was Teddy Roosevelt. We had a blast, even though it involved six weeks of intense rehearsals for a ‘run’ of four performances. In recent years the players have evolved into a loosely organized group that has a specific goal of fostering performance as a thought-provoking and entertaining art form. Theater is too often a stepchild to other art disciplines, partly because of time requirements needed to mount a production, and partly because of funding. The Nat Gold Players forge ahead. Read more of their story beginning on page 6.

Regular features include the Happenstance Kitchen with Easter Pea Salad and Mom’s Potato Salad recipes, and The Best of the Web featuring Heifer International.
Enjoy Happenstance, life happens.