Governor Kim Reynolds and Involuntary Manslaughter

"A person commits involuntary manslaughter . . . when the person unintentionally causes the death of another person by the commission of an act in a manner likely to cause death or serious injury."
Source: Iowa Code, Title 16, Sec. 707.5, https://www.legis.iowa.gov/law/iowaCode

"Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds on Friday [Feb. 5] lifted Iowa’s partial face mask mandate, public health restrictions on businesses and limits on public gatherings. . . .
Starting Sunday, the day of the Super Bowl:
• Iowans will no longer be required to wear face coverings in public when around other people for at least 15 minutes.
• Businesses will not be required to limit the number of customers or keep them socially distanced.
• No limits will be placed on the number of people who can gather in public.

Source: Erin Murphy, "Gov. Kim Reynolds lifting Iowa mask rules, limits on businesses and gatherings starting Sunday," The Gazette, Feb. 8, 2021, p. A1, https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/health/iowa-covid-restrictions-lifted-mask-mandate-gatherings-gov-kim-reynolds-20210205

BREAKING NEWS! IT'S WORSE THAN WE THOUGHT
Can we now still say this is just a violation of the spirit behind the criminal law of involuntary manslaughter?

"Gov. Kim Reynolds did not consult her own public health department before lifting Iowa’s remaining COVID-19 mitigation strategies, including its partial face mask mandate . . .. Iowa Department of Public Health Director Kelly Garcia told the legislators the department was not consulted on the decision — that the governor made that decision on her own . . .."
For the full story see, Erin Murphy, "Gov. Reynolds did not consult state health department before lifting COVID restrictions, Iowa Democrats say," The Gazette, Feb. 9, 2021, p. A1

In some ways the most powerful evidence of the folly of her decision is that many restaurant/bar owners are, notwithstanding the voluntary reduction in their income, continuing to follow CDC standards (and common sense) rather than put the health of their customers, and other members of their communities, at dangerous risk. They are sending Governor Reynolds a sort of "Thanks, but no thanks."
"Christina and Mitch Springman, owners of The Map Room . . . in Cedar Rapids, said their employees’ health is at the core of their decision-making and they will keep their pandemic practices in place. 'They’re the ones interacting with the public. They’re the ones putting themselves at risk. . . . We expect our customers to respect our staff, and during a pandemic that means wearing a mask when within six feet and up and about.'” For the full story, see Gage Miskimen and Lee Hermiston, "Many Linn and Johnson County restaurants will practice COVID safety despite looser restrictions; Dozens of businesses have shared their plans on social media about maintaining mask rules and social distancing," The Gazette, Feb. 9, 2021, p. A1.

--------------- When it comes to managing this coronavirus global pandemic during 2020 the U.S. was one of the worst countries on Earth. With 4 percent of the world's population (328.2/7674 million) we managed to kill 20 (19.9) percent (459,895/2,303,322) of the world's COVID dead.

And among the U.S. states, Iowa is one of the worst for coronavirus deaths per 100,000 population (17th from the bottom) [Becker's Hospital Review, Feb. 5, https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/public-health/us-coronavirus-deaths-by-state-july-1.html]. Iowa's comparative ability to administer the vaccines it has received is even worse (at 59.26 percent it's 15th from the bottom of all states [Becker's Hospital Review, Feb. 5, https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/public-health/states-ranked-by-percentage-of-covid-19-vaccines-administered.html]. Oh, and let's not forget that Iowa's percentage of those tested that are positive ranges between 20 and 30+ percent -- compared with New York's earlier standard that schools would not reopen until the percent positive dropped below 3 percent -- and that it now has people who have tested positive for a varient of the virus that may not be stopped by current vaccines. And that our governor wants to make teachers and students go back to school, based on the CDC's statement that it's safe -- but without mentioning the CDC's conditions (masks, social distancing, improved ventilation, vaccines) which have been neither funded nor otherwise made available.

To repeal all of the mandates and suggestions from the Centers for Disease Control regarding control of this virus so that Iowans can gather together to watch the Super Bowl game, while infecting each other, may or may not prove to be good politics when she runs for reelection less than two years from now. But it will certainly leave her with fewer constituents.

The Iowa Code chapter dealing with "Homicide and Related Crimes" does not require that the defendant intended to kill a specific, named individual -- or unknown people in general in a mass shooting. It also deals with defendants who were engaged in behavior that they knew, or should have known, might result in the death of others. Whether what Governor Reynolds has just done violates the letter of Code Section 707 provisions I will leave to Iowa's criminal law attorneys and judges. Clearly (to me) it violates the spirit of these "right to adult life" protections.

# # #
P.S. If you'd like to see the fabulous Janet Schlapkohl playing the role of Governor Reynolds explaining her decision, look for the video she posted on Feb. 6, 2021, at about 10:00 a.m., on her Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/janet.schlapkohl

Tonight, Tomorrow Last Chance for 'Troll Music'

March 27, 2015, 9:00 a.m.

Plenty to Enjoy About "Troll Music"
Nicholas Johnson
Iowa City Press-Citizen
March 27, 2015, p. A7

Don’t miss “Troll Music”! The last performances are Friday and Saturday. (Details at Combined Efforts Theatre.)

Combined Efforts Theatre, an Iowa City gem, is Iowa’s only theater group that deliberately includes young and old performers and volunteers with and without disabilities. The plays are quality, original works by the group’s founder, award-winning playwright Janet Schlapkohl.

This one is about old friends meeting after years apart, secrets, new loves, memories both pleasant and painful, and the magic of delightful forest creatures — plus former burlesque performers, two out-of-work musicians and a mysterious child. The acting, directing by Elijah Jones, dancing gaggle of Nisse (look it up), and the Jazz Rascals make it a delightful evening for all.

But I am a New Orleans Dixieland jazz fan, with a reputation as a totally incompetent trombone beginner and a fading dream. So I have to admit that the highlight for me was listening to the almost-continuous “Riverbank Jazz Band” performance — a local group that had never played together before and assembled just for this show. (Audience dancing is not only permitted, it is encouraged — though not required.) They are as good as anything I ever heard in New Orleans over a half-century ago. Their names may be familiar to you: Ira and Katie Greenstein, Chris Clark, Jim Hall, Steve Norris and Tim Schulte

They alone are worth far more than the incredibly reasonable ticket price.

Nicholas Johnson

Iowa City

# # #

Janet's 'Coming of Age in Chore Boots'

December 4, 2013, 11:15 a.m.

Janet Schlapkohl's Latest Super Hit
"Coming of Age in Chore Boots" is a definite must-see, fantastic performance. Fortunately for you, if you're reading this before December 8th and you act quickly, you may still have an opportunity to see it at Iowa City's Riverside Theater. Here's the basic info:

Remaining Show Dates
Thurs/Fri/Sat/Sun Dec 5 - 8
All Thurs-Sat shows, 7:30PM; Sunday shows at 2:00PM

Tickets
319-338-7672 or in person at the theatre, 213 N. Gilbert St, Iowa City, Mon-Fri, 12p-4p; or one hour before each show.
Pricing
Adult Fri-Sun, $30 (For under 30 years old/over 60 years old, $27)
Adult Thursday, $25 (same price for all adults)
All Youth (18 and under), $15
Student Rush (any remaining tickets 20 mins before show time), $15
For group discounts of 10 or more call 319-338-7672

What the Theater Critics Say
I'm no theater reviewer. Rob Cline is. Rob Cline, "Review: One-Woman Show Urges You to 'Pay Attention,'" The Gazette, Dec. 3, 2013, p. A9. As evidence, Cline notes approvingly the contributions of the director, Tim Budd, Arthur Virnig's set, and Drew Bielinski's lighting -- a touch I would have overlooked. [And the next day, Dec. 5, Emma McClatchey did a great job of capturing the person that is Janet Schlapkohl and her one-woman play that is "Coming of Age in Chore Boots" in a well-deserved, front page, Daily Iowan, "80 Hours" section spread. Emma McClatchey, "One Farm Girl's Story," The Daily Iowan, "80 Hours," Dec. 5, 2013, pp. B1, 3.]

Other portions of his review ring true with what I came away with after her Saturday night [Nov. 30] performance:

Janet Schlapkohl connects her personal story with key events, ranging from the local to the international, in her one-woman show, “Coming of Age in Chore Boots” [which] is heartwarming and humorous, while addressing serious issues including the plight of young men sent to Vietnam and the farm crisis of the 1980s . . . highlight[ing] how the wider world can intrude on one’s individual story, even if one isn’t attending to much beyond one’s own sphere. . . .

The highlight of the first act is an extended sequence in which Schlapkohl interweaves her story of serving as a bat girl for the high school softball team with reflections on the Vietnam conflict . . . artfully contrast[ing] the battlefield of sport with the very real battlefields young soldiers encountered. It’s a beautifully written sequence that Schlapkohl performs with an appealing earnestness that nevertheless calls to the fore the high cost of war on scales both large and small. . . .

Schlapkohl had the capacity audience laughing with her portrayal of all four characters (including herself) at a monthly meeting of farm wives–a group into which she herself did not comfortably fit. Her depiction of preparations for and attendance at a department party after she and her husband returned to school was also quite funny. In between these moments, she delivered the somber story of the loss of the farm she and her husband had struggled to keep going. . . .

The show is dotted with humorously employed song clips that emphasize key moments. The device is handled well, and never detracts from Schlapkohl’s own storytelling, which is, by and large, exceptional.

The Trailer
Here is a brief YouTube trailer with Janet's description of the play.



Riverside Theatre's Comments
Here's Riverside Theater's description of the play, and Janet Schlapkohl:

Janet Schlapkohl, writer, director and frequent Walking the Wire performer shares her memories of growing up in the Midwest. Stories both hilarious and poignant emerge—from the local characters of the Wapsi Women’s Club, back-to-the-landers and early Lamaze advocates, to Vietnam and the farm crisis. A world premiere.

Janet Schlapkohl received her M.F.A. in Playwriting from the University of Iowa. She also has an M.S. in Education from the University of Iowa and a B.S. in Biology with minors in English, Chemistry, and Education from Iowa State University. She is the founder of Combined Efforts Theatre, director of Country Camp, LLC and the recipient of the Isabelle Turner Human Rights Award, the Richard Maibaum Award, and the Finkbine Award for Human Rights. She is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Iowa.

Her plays have been produced in New York City, Los Angeles, Colorado, and across Iowa. She has performed her monologues and one woman shows at Riverside Theatre in Iowa City and at the Looby Theatre in Nashville. She has also worked as a Director, a Dramaturge, a Scenic Artist, and a Costume Designer.

Corporate Art vs. Local Artists
So my comments are less those of the theater critics and more in the nature of a hymn to the members of Iowa City's creative community in general and this woman in particular.

One of the consequences of corporate control of art and entertainment is the creation of profit-maximizing celebrity -- the stars of TV and film, top earning music groups and graphic artists, the publicized athletes. The publisher, Alfred Knopf, used to publish worthy writers' first novels, knowing he'd lose money on them. Today's major media are primarily interested in authors whose well-advertised books can sell millions of copies, and actors whose films will gross well over $100 million.

This system has served us in some ways, and it certainly has served the CEOs and shareholders of our media conglomerates ("'All the gold in California'/Is in a bank in the middle of Beverly Hills/In somebody else's name"). But it has also created a false linkage between profit and talent, and in so doing has diminished the credit of those who have every bit of the raw talent (and sometimes more) than the celebrities but none of their publicity (or income).

Janet Schlapkohl
Virtually every form of artistic creativity can be found within the population of Eastern Iowa and Iowa City -- graphic arts and sculpture, film making and television, pottery and jewelry, writing and music of all kinds, photography, and more.

And Janet Schlapkohl is a major force in that creative community.

"Coming of Age in Chore Boots," is only the latest example of her work. It's certainly as good or better than much of the off-Broadway theater I've seen in New York over the years, even though you probably won't read about it in the New York Times or see her featured on CBS' "60 Minutes."

Janet is one of our own. As a former special education teacher at City High, she saw how beneficial theater performance could be for her students, and by 2002 had created "Combined Efforts Theater" -- "Iowa’s only Theatre Company with a mission to purposefully include actors with and without disabilities." Since then Combined Efforts has continued to grow, with ever-larger audiences, appreciative parents and actors, its own Section 501(3)(c) tax status, sprouting Men's Choir and Dance Troupes, and most recently the recipient of a Kennedy Center (Washington, D.C.) contract to teach a play writing class to local-area students, including those with disabilities. Along the way, she managed to pick up a masters in education and an MFA in play writing, while running a summer camp, helping with grandchildren, and managing a farm with her veterinarian husband, Dave.

Ever since, as a small boy, I read a books about Thomas Jefferson and Winston Churchill that emphasized the wide range of their talents and accomplishments (Churchill, the book said, had once built a brick wall), I have been fascinated by such people. Locally, the former UI president, David Skorton (now president at Cornell University), was such a person. An MD who continued his practice and research, he was abundantly qualified to hold the positions he did in the Colleges of Medicine and Engineering, as well as the Department of Computer Science. He was an accomplished performer on the saxophone and flute (having worked in Chicago as a professional jazz and R&B musician), hosted a radio program about jazz, and served on the Cedar Rapids Symphony Orchestra Board of Directors -- all while functioning as a major university president. Most amazing to me was his practice of personally answering all of his email each day. (I'm currently 250 emails behind.) I could go on with more, but you get the idea.

This is one of the many qualities that I admire in Janet. "Coming of Age in Chore Boots" displays a small range of her vast and various abilities. For starters, she researched and wrote the play -- one I would like to read sometime, if she would let me. It's also really good writing. Moreover, knowing her, I would not be surprised if she had more than a little to say about everything from the set design to the lighting, blocking, directing and costumes.

Once on stage, she not only displays her ability as an accomplished actor, but does her share of singing and dancing, moving gracefully around the stage, and keeping us laughing -- along with, as we say, "playing all the parts," complete with accents and rapid costume changes.

And don't forget, this is a "one-woman show." Have you ever tried to memorize anything longer than a sentence or paragraph or two? Have you ever had to learn your lines in a play? With other actors to work off of, and an occasional line, it's possible to memorize and get through it. But all alone? And throughout a two-act play for an hour or two? (Our Actors Equity son, Jason Grubbe, did a one-man, 90-minute-no-intermission show about Shakespeare's last day.) How anybody can do this is so far beyond my imagination, let alone ability, that I just sit there in awe when it happens.

And how does she manage to turn out those plays?

President Kennedy told a story about his experience as a senator, dealing with Senator Warren Magnuson, from the state of Washington. He said Maggie (as he was called) would go down into the well of the Senate chamber, where he would mumble something. Kennedy would later ask what he'd said, and "Maggie would reply, 'Oh, nothing,' and the next think you'd know the Grand Coulee Dam was built."

You ask Janet, "What are you doing?" "Oh, nothing," she says; "I should start working on the summer play" (a reference to the ". . . At the County Fair" series). You see her three or four days later and she hands you a 60-page script. And it's good! It reflects considerable research. And equally amazing, when additional youngsters come along who'd like to participate, it's almost instantaneously revised, and they are written into the script with a part to play.

"Coming of Age in Chore Boots" and "The Iowa Story"

So what's so special about her "Coming of Age in Chore Boots"?

"Let me count the ways."

I've already noted that it's delightful entertainment -- funny, poignant -- a wonderful evening in the theater; a great story, well acted, with music. But that would be true of other plays she's written.

This one really is her story, her farm experiences, her "chore boots." And she's really captured it.

For anyone my age, anyone who experienced an Iowa family farm during any time between the 1930s and 1950s, "Chore Boots" is a wonderful, warm walk down memory lane. I am so thankful for being born when I was, and being exposed to life on my uncle's farm during the 1930s and '40s.

It's always seemed to me there probably wasn't that much difference between Iowa family farm life in the 1930s and the 1830s -- windmills and pumps for water, outhouses and a pot under the bed instead of indoor plumbing, a kitchen stove to heat the house in winter, root cellars, literal "horse power" to pull the wagons instead of tractors, corn picked by hand, manure spreaders instead of commercial fertilizers, kerosene lanterns for light, a hand cranked milk separator. It was what we called "mixed agriculture" -- oats and alfalfa for the animals, which included horses, cattle, hogs, sheep, chickens, milk cows, and the occasional goat. Gardens provided most of the fruit and vegetables, fresh during the growing season and canned for the winter months. There were real chores -- and the boots to go with them. Kids who grew up on those farms learned how to work, rising early to do chores before breakfast and heading off to school on foot or school bus.

Janet has captured this with hundreds of references, what folks were talking about and how they expressed it, acting it out, telling the story.

It's a story that every Iowan should hear and know, and perhaps especially the young, who have only seen farms from a car window while speeding along an Interstate, and assume farmers have always farmed multiple sections of land, in nothing but corn and beans, with GPS-navigated tractors costing $100-500,000.

Janet Schlapkohl's "Coming of Age in Chore Boots" is the most delightful way I can imagine of hearing that story.

# # #

Iowa's Inclusiveness: Source of Pride and Reward

December 5, 2012, 10:00 a.m. [December 10: And see below for the nomination of Combined Efforts Theatre for the Press-Citizen's "Person of the Year," and theater reviewer James E. Trainor III's enthusiastic response to CET's latest production.]

Don't Miss Combined Efforts Theatre Production Friday and Saturday, December 7 and 8
Among Iowa's many distinctions is the benefit we all receive from our policy and practice of inclusiveness.

Nowhere is this more true than with the benefits that flow from the quality theater provided by Combined Efforts Theatre in Iowa City -- of which more in a moment.

Our Senator Tom Harkin is appropriately honored for the benefits that flow from the Americans With Disabilities Act.

All across the state we have special education programs and teachers in the schools, universities with accommodation built into classrooms and buildings, support groups for everyone from the autistic to the brain injured, Special Olympics, and employment opportunities at Goodwill.

But those programs just mean that Iowans value everyone, celebrate diversity, and recognize the necessity for honoring the role of human rights and civil rights for all if we want to call ourselves civilized.

It is programs of inclusiveness, such as the statewide Best Buddies groups -- and the Combined Efforts Theatre -- where we really shine. For Iowans realize that the more we reach out to familiarize ourselves with an increasing range of diversity among our friends and acquaintances, the more we enrich our own lives.

This Friday and Saturday, December 7 and 8, at 7:00 p.m., Combined Efforts Theatre is presenting the original play, "ISO-Orbiting From Galaxy Tenaj55."

Want a break from the commercialized and overbearing fare this time of year? Guaranteed, this is not your typical Christmas show! Admission is a mere $5.00, and it won't take much more than an hour of your time. It is being presented in the Little Theater, in the City High High School in Iowa City, 1900 Morningside Drive.

Not only will you be entertained by this oft-beat and often funny play with a serious message, but you will also be moved by the way this cast of young people and adults, with and without disabilities, work together with obvious respect and affection for each other.

Read the review, below, and . . . "Take a bow Combined Efforts Theatre!!"

Here is what I wrote about Combined Efforts Theatre when nominating the troupe for the Iowa City Press-Citizen's "Person of the Year" recognition:

Theater Group Should Be Person of the Year
Nicholas Johnson
Iowa City Press-Citizen
November 30, 2012, p. A7
The Press-Citizen’s “Person” of the Year occasionally turns out to be plural, as with the selection of the Englert Civic Theatre Group in 2000.

Venues for theater productions are essential to Iowa City’s lively arts. But so is what goes on inside those theaters. We’re blessed in that respect as well, with local actors, directors, playwrights and the others who make it possible.

But none is quite as unique in its contribution as “Combined Efforts Theatre.”

Like the others, CET offers quality, entertaining evenings of theater, at very reasonable prices, for ever-growing audiences.

But that’s where the similarity ends. For CET is so much more.

Because in addition to great theater, CET provides an all-volunteer forum in which residents of all ages, with and without disabilities, get to know and understand each other while working together on a common project (a process that might benefit Washington, D.C., as well).

CET’s mission is to identify and develop the skills each person brings to the stage, creating one of America’s most purposefully inclusive theater experiences for cast and audience alike.

CET was founded by Iowa City playwright, Janet Schlapkohl. She writes most of the scripts, often in collaboration with others. As a playwright, she has the flexibility to revise scripts, adding parts for new arrivals.

CET is one of Iowa City’s diamonds. It’s contributions during 2012 make it a worthy “Person of the Year.” Shining a little light its way could make that diamond sparkle even more.

__________
. . . and as a follow-up, here's what theater reviewer James E. Trainor III had to say about the play:

Iowa Theatre Blog Saturday, December 8, 2012
ISO Is Charmingly Out of This World

By James E. Trainor III
Iowa City - ISO is a spaceship orbiting Earth from the galaxy Tennaj55. Their mission is to comb the universe looking for the DNA code for peace; it's the Commander's belief that somewhere out there, there is intelligent life that has moved beyond violence and aggression. Of course, with hardly any power left and a pair of sarcastic robots who can't help but point out that the planet seems to have wiped itself out in a nuclear war, there's not a lot for her to hope for.

So goes Combined Efforts' post-apocalyptic comedy ISO - Orbiting from Galaxy Tenaj55, written and directed by Janet Schlapkohl. The show is an entertaining tale about the quest to find something worth saving in a universe that has been torn apart by war. The show runs again tonight (December 8) at City High's Little Theatre at 7:00. Not only is it quite funny, but it asks some thought-provoking questions and has some very moving moments.

ISO opens on a futuristic spaceship; the set is a creative collection of found objects arranged to look like sophisticated consoles for mysterious machines. It sets just the right tone for a fun space voyage. We meet the Commander (Isabel Cody), whose mission is to find "the genetic code for peace." An energetic leader who pushes forward with bull-headed determination, she knows that the universe is big enough to contain anything, even intelligent life that is peaceful. Cody, full of physical energy and snappy dialogue, is delightful as this character.

The robots on board the ship, XC#13 (Avery Mossman) and XC#14 (Jacob Walterhouse) are a little more skeptical. They're convinced that only machines are perfect and that anything that contains DNA is inherently prone to violence. As they descend toward the "third planet from the star," clouded in a recent nuclear winter, they constantly nay-say and poke holes in the captain's philosophy. Mossman and Walterhouse are hilarious as these robots; their awkward movements and voice patterns are quite funny, they play off each other well, and some of the best moments are their clashes with their frustrated commander.

The whole ensemble is really solid in this first part; it's an entertaining introduction that moves right along. Schlapkohl's direction is very effective, as is her writing: the exposition is clear and quick, the jokes and gags are quite clever, and the character types, though they come from an alien culture, are easily recognizable.

The other setting—the scorched Earth that this spaceship is orbiting—takes a different tone. It's a little slower, a little more dire, and very sweet. Hux (Emi Bergman-Corbet) and Ren (Jordan Lafauce) are charged with caring for Vin (Phoebe Chapnik-Sorokin) and passing down the knowledge that allowed them to survive this wasteland. We learn two facts, one tragic and one inspiring, from these three: that Ren and Hux are the elders of their people, because nobody lives past twenty, and that the methods of survival and safety as well as their culture's morality are passed down as "code." Much of this code contains the best of humanity—kindness, respect, and protecting those who are in need—but some of it results in fear and isolation. The young Vim, who isn't afraid to buck the "code" to do what's right, and who still believes in the psuedo-mythical Eve Firefox (Evie Stanske), who's older than twenty and remembers the past, seems to take a longer view.

These young actors are wonderful. They play close attention to the intention behind what they're saying, and they do it with energy, humor, and warmth. Lafauce is quite funny, Bergman-Corbet is sweet and protecting, and Chapnik-Sorokin is outstanding. As she sets off on her adventure, her charm and optimism are infectious.

What she finds is knowledge of the past—or what remains of it—in a small green globe that transmits holograms. This is how she communicates with the spaceship, sharing knowledge of Earth's history, in the form of an old variety show. This is a great device for Combined Efforts because it allows songs and skits into the show without breaking the narrative. The a capella songs are very intimate, and very sincere, and there are some very funny moments in the ensemble pieces. At the same time, Schlapkohl's selections hit at the bigger themes of the show.

Is humanity worth saving? What would a floating spaceship in the future think of our collective culture? Would we look bad, as Hux fears, or would we be redeemed? From the perspective of the XC units, it seems like a long litany of wars and violence, from Bonnie and Clyde to the succession wars of medieval England to World War I and beyond... and is a species worthwhile if it doesn't value itself enough to avoid its own destruction?

But then we have Louis Armstrong's "What a Wonderful World," sung beautifully by Cornel Stringer, and one wonders how someone can describe such beauty so soon after the massive, pointless destruction of World War II. One couplet from the song strikes at the heart of Iso's optimism:

"I see babies cry/I watch them grow They'll learn more/Than I'll ever know..."

The possibility of learning and growing is highlighted, as Vim, Ren, and Hux learn from the mistakes of their elders and as ISO's Commander restlessly sweeps the galaxy looking for morally perfect lifeforms. We're far from there yet, but there is hope, and the selfless acts of the main characters are very moving.

These themes fit right in with Combined Efforts' mission, which is to be "a purposefully inclusive theatre company for artists with and without disabilities." Everyone on stage performs at their best, and there is a real sense of community, and people working together to create something bigger than themselves. This is a warm, funny, and thoughtful show, and I encourage you to take the opportunity to see it tonight.
# # #

Go See 'Triangle': April 8-10

April 8, 2011, 8:15 a.m.

Great Entertainment, Important Lessons
Iowa City, designated by the United Nations as one of the Planet's three "Cities of Literature," is host to arts resources that are broad and deep and go well beyond "literature."

Among Iowa City's many quality manifestations of "the arts" is theater -- the University's MFA program, the community's theater venues, the entrepreneurs who keep them open, the actors, directors, producers, and the audiences that support the effort.

And, oh yes, the playwrights.

And among the playwrights who reside here, or have passed through Iowa City and its University, none is better than our own Janet Schlapkohl, who is, among many other things, the creator and 12-cylinder engine driving Combined Efforts.

The author of last summer's "Love At the County Fair," Ms. Schlapkohl has done it again with "triangle," now playing at University Theatre's Theater B, Thursday through Sunday: April 7, 8, 9 (at 8:00 p.m.), and 10 (at 2:00 p.m.). Tickets at the door. ("University Theatre" is what's known to Iowa City's old timers as "Mabie," down by the River.) Eric Hawkinson, "UI presents play on Triangle Shirtwaist fire," The Daily Iowan, April 7, 2011, p. A2.

The play is well written, acted, and directed, and very much worth attending just as entertainment and high class theater. The story is told from three perspectives: the young immigrant women, a group of Vassar students, and a woman of color -- eight women actors playing 18 roles. This is unique but what adds to the mix is the bonds of friendship that develop both within and between the individuals and groups.

But it is so much more; something every Iowan can learn from -- especially those not old enough to have lived through 20th Century history.

Photo credit: Cornell University (see link, below).

"triangle," as you may have guessed, is shorthand for the "Triangle Shirtwaist Factory" and the fire of March 25, 1911, 100 years ago this year, in which 146 workers died, most of whom were young immigrant women in their teens and twenties.

The workers' efforts to unionize having been beaten back, management, among its many other oppressive practices, kept the doors locked. Because the factory was on the eighth, ninth and tenth floors of a Manhattan building, the workers were some three stories above the highest ladders available to the New York fire fighters.

Confronting the prospect of being cremated alive, many chose to leap to their death. Photo credit: Wikipedia; "Bodies of the victims being placed in coffins on the sidewalk."

If you are unfamiliar with the details, there are many sources, including Cornell University's "Remembering the Triangle Factory Fire; 1911 -- 100 Years Later -- 2011," and Wikipedia's "Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire."

When the "company's owners, Max Blanck and Isaac Harris, were indicted on charges of first and second degree manslaughter . . . Max Steuer, counsel for the defendants, managed to destroy the credibility of one of the survivors, Kate Alterman, by asking her to repeat her testimony a number of times [and then] argued to the jury that Alterman . . . had memorized [her] statements, and might even have been told what to say by the prosecutors. . . . [T]he two men . . . lost a subsequent civil suit in 1913 in which plaintiffs won compensation in the amount of $75 per deceased victim. The insurance company paid Blanck and Harris about $60,000 more than the reported losses, or about $400 per casualty. In 1913, Blanck was once again arrested for locking the door in his factory during working hours. He was fined $20." Ibid.

Sports Law necessarily includes some references to labor law (indeed, it plays a role in the current conflict between the NFL owners and players). As I was teaching the course this semester, it became obvious to me that the students, most of whom were born in the late 1980s and '90s, knew little of our country's labor history. A show of hands make clear that virtually none of them had ever either belonged to unions or had parents who did. And what they did know, through no fault of their own, had probably been disproportionately shaped by the rhetoric and politics of the last three decades, designed to disparage the value of unions and curtail workers' abilities to organize and enjoy their benefits.

We couldn't spend a lot of time on labor history in a Sports Law class, but we spent enough to give them some sense of the relationship between the union movement and the creation of the middle class, with laws regarding minimum wages, maximum hours, child labor, and workplace safety -- with the story of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire playing a significant role in the latter.

Sadly, the problems remain. Having essentially decimated unions in the private sector, corporate and government munitions are now aimed at the members of public sector workers' unions.

This is not helping Iowa, Iowans, and our economy; it is hurting all of the above. That's why it is incumbent upon all of us to understand more about the union movement and why it is important to our current efforts at economic recovery today, and continued economic growth tomorrow. It's important for our students and future generations to understand. But it can't be grasped from hard copy books and professorial lectures alone. It has to be felt to be understood. "triangle" can help us achieve that understanding.

Workplace safety has improved in some ways in the years since the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire. But the unavoidable conflict remains for the corporate managers in a capitalist economy: every dollar spent on worker safety is a dollar no longer available for executive bonuses or shareholders' dividends. During the last year we've seen the results in lost lives on BP's offshore drilling rig, and in the depths of Massey's coal mines, among thousands of other workplace deaths.

Sadly, we also had a death of a worker at my law school, as I wrote in the Press-Citizen around Labor Day in an effort to put that death in context:

Honor Workers Every Day

Nicholas Johnson
Iowa City Press-Citizen
September 6, 2010 p. A7
[embedded in blog entry, "Labor Day: Honor Workers Every Day," September 6, 2010.]

On Wednesday, Tom Fosdick died from injuries sustained Monday, when he fell while replacing Boyd Law Building windows.

On Tuesday, President Obama reported to the American people that we are, at last, out of Iraq -- albeit leaving 50,000 troops, uncounted mercenaries and contract employees.

In the course of his speech, he paid honor to the "over 4,400 Americans who have given their lives in Iraq."

It is appropriate that he do so. Those who put their lives at risk in the streets and sands of Iraq, and made the ultimate sacrifice, certainly are entitled to our respect and honor.

But there are another "over 4,000" American workers who also have made the ultimate sacrifice in service to their country. They, too, are entitled to our respect and honor.

Fosdick has joined their number.

In 2006, there were 5,865 workplace deaths. In 2009, there were 4,340. Apparently a benefit from millions of unemployed is that if they don't have a workplace they're much less likely to be killed in one. Even one year's 4,340 dead workers is the rough equivalent of seven years' dead in Iraq. And 5,865 is more than twice the 2,752 killed on Sept. 11.

Moreover, add in the number of workplace non-fatal injuries and diseases and the number in 2008 was more like 3.7 million.

These are the men and women who build and maintain what our military is defending, and the rest of us take for granted. They are the ones who have done the sometimes literally backbreaking work, who risk injury, disease and death on a daily basis. They built the high-rise office buildings and condos, the highways and bridges, hospitals and schools, the networks of power lines and natural gas pipelines. Three of them died building our Hancher Auditorium. Now another has died refurbishing our law school.

Their ancestors built the canals and railroads that spanned our continent. They now maintain those railroads and subways. They sweat in 100-degree heat in the foundries that produce our tractors.

They construct the wind farms, cell phone towers, and radio and TV towers (and then have to climb them to change the little red light bulb on top) -- including the 11 workers who constructed the 2,063-foot antenna tower in North Dakota for KVLY-TV.

Fortunately, none of those 11 died. The 11 on the BP offshore oil rig did. And so did the 29 coal miners working in an unsafe Massey mine a couple weeks earlier. We've yet to hear the fate of the 13 in last week's Gulf offshore oil rig explosion.

I find it hard to understand those in business and legislatures who sacrifice workplace safety for profits, do everything in their power to beat down unions, OSHA funding, project labor agreements, the right to a livable wage or even an increase in the minimum wage. How can they be mystified as to why Iowa's young folks leave the state for jobs in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Illinois?

As someone who spends his days doing finger exercises on computer keyboards, I am in awe of what these men and women are able to do, and are willing to risk in the process. I stop to speak with them when I go into the law building.

But we don't introduce ourselves and certainly don't exchange business cards. So while I've met and visited with Fosdick's mother and brother, I don't know if Fosdick was ever among the workers with whom I visited, though I like to believe he was.

For me, the memory of Fosdick, the gift of his organs to others, will be something like the tomb of the unknown soldier at Arlington. Someone for whom I grieve, who symbolizes the others we will never know but should remember to recognize and honor every day.

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Two years earlier I wrote in this blog, "How To (And Not To) Grow Iowa's Economy," January 27, 2008. Here is an excerpt:

. . . So how can we more effectively promote economic growth?

By providing the things that really do attract businesses -- as . . . a Genencor executive [stated as] reasons for coming to Cedar Rapids, "because of its geographic location in the center of the country and its proximity to the fuel ethanol and corn sweetener manufacturing sector."

The Register editorializes this morning, Editorial, "Make Quality of Life Iowa's Edge," Des Moines Register, Des Moines Register, January 27, 2008, p. OP1. Certainly, that's a valid suggestion.

But much of quality of life, and the things that attracted Genencor, are attractions of geography over which we do not have total control.

A far more universal attraction is the well educated workforce that is dependent on things which we can control.

Iowa has well educated community college and university graduates. Unfortunately, because they leave the state after receiving that education, they don't constitute a workforce and therefore aren't much of an attraction for business. Kyle Carson, "Young Iowans Do the Math on Salaries -- and Leave; Commission Urges Higher-Ed Tax Credit and Help With Repaying Student Loans," Des Moines Register, January 27, 2008, p. OP1; "Commission Members Weigh In On Worker Shortage," Des Moines Register, January 27, 2008, p. OP6.

For a lawyer, Kyle Carson cuts to the core of the answer with an unusual economy of words: "So what should Iowa do? Pay them more."

And just how bad is it? Consider the recent report on "affordable housing":

The report said about 13 percent of people in the study area work in industries with entry-level wages of less than $15,000 annually, and another 40 percent work in industries with entry-level wages between $15,000 and $20,000. Almost 30 percent of all households in the study area have incomes less than $25,000.

The analysis determined that to afford a median-priced home in the area -- $162,000 -- a household income would have to earn about $53,150 and and not have much additional debt. The study said only 389 units were sold in 2006 that were valued at $100,000 or less, equaling about 15 percent of the total transactions that year.

Kathryn Fiegen, "Study warns of housing shortfall; Area prices outpacing incomes," Iowa City Press-Citizen, January 24, 2008. (The study, prepared by Mullin & Lonergan Associates, Pittsburgh, was described by Fiegen as a "127-page, data-intense report.) That report was the basis for a meeting reported in the paper on Saturday: Rob Daniel, "Summit: Housing policy needed; Lack of affordable housing reaching all area sectors," Iowa City Press-Citizen, January 26, 2008, p. A3.

And how can Iowa "pay them more"?

When was the last time you heard a boss say, "I'm feeling guilty about exploiting you guys with these low wages, seeing your kids go hungry, and without health care or new shoes, so starting next Monday everybody gets a 50% wage hike." It's not likely to happen.

A single person, out of work and desperately needing a job, is not in a very strong bargaining position when confronting a potential employer in front of him -- with 700 people standing in line behind that job applicant, all equally anxious to win one of five new job positions.

That's why they invented unions and "collective bargaining." "For the union makes us strong," is the old union song lyric; at least strong enough to get something more than the minimum wage for long hours at backbreaking work in unsafe working conditions.

Without unions professionals wages are driven down to those of skilled trades people; wages for skilled tradespeople that should be at union levels are driven down to those of unskilled labor; unskilled labor get paid what the working poor earn elsewhere -- and those in every pay category leave Iowa.

That being the case, I find it remarkable that neither Kyle Carson nor any other member of the Commission -- nor for that matter the Governor, members of the legislature, media, education leaders -- seem willing to mention, even as an "option," the possibility of Iowa becoming a little more labor union friendly. Nowhere in today's stories does the word "union" even appear.

In researching an op ed four years ago I discovered that Iowa was then 43rd of the 50 U.S. states in wages; that our State's anti-union "right to work" laws put us in a minority of states that included the solid South: Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, North and South Carolina; that from 1950 until now, anti-union bashing has driven union membership nationally from 35 percent to 13 percent of the workforce, and even less in Iowa.

With corporate campaign contributions going to Democrats and Republicans alike, the disparity between the income of CEOs and hourly workers has gone from 42:1 in 1980 to 531:1 in 2000. Two million workers recently fired for the sake of profits and executive bonuses don’t even have that.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration reports 70 percent of its investigations involve things management knew, or ought to have known, would cause serious injury or death. Nearly 6000 workers a year are killed, more than 5 million injured.

Even the most minimal efforts to help the working class and working poor are successfully resisted by Iowa businesses and their legislative representatives, most recently the "fair share" proposal (that those who get the benefits of union negotiations, while refusing to join the union, should at least pay their "fair share" of the costs for those union activities from which they personally enjoy increased wages and benefits). I could not get our local school board to support a "project labor agreement" for its new school construction projects. Nicholas Johnson, "Make School Projects Labor-Friendly," Iowa City Press-Citizen, May 15, 2003, p. A11 (with an appended list of sources). And see State29, "Viva La Slave Labor, Child Labor," January 26, 2008.

A mere three days later [Jan. 30] and we find the following in The Daily Iowan:

Union membership rates were down in Iowa and 29 other states in 2007, according to a recent report by the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics.

. . .

[U]nion membership in Iowa is below the national average for a second-consecutive year.

Jennifer Sherer, a labor educator at the UI Labor Center, said . . .
"We're losing higher-paying jobs and gaining lower-paying jobs," . . ..

Sherer also attributed the low rates to employers who make it difficult for new unions to form by using threats and intimidation. The law protecting unionization has not been strongly enforced, she said.

"We need political changes to make it possible for people [to form new unions]," she said.

Ben Travers, "Union Membership Going Down in Iowa; Despite a Report Indicating That Union Membership is Up Across the Nation, the Percentage of Iowan Union Workers Continues to Drop," The Daily Iowan, January 30, 2008, p. A3.

Of course, Iowans and their governments have the political right to continue our anti-labor traditions and reputation. It's just that it's a little self-defeating and hypocritical to continue to do so while simultaneously complaining about the disappearance of the workforce needed to attract the businesses we think we need to promote genuine economic growth.

So while you are reflecting on the significance of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in 1911 for the condition of labor in Iowa in 2011, here are a couple more pictures from Columbia University's collection:






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Full disclosure: Although I have no personal financial or other involvement in this script or production, my wife, Mary Vasey, is on the board of Combined Efforts, our son was one of two directors of this play, and Mary and I did have roles in Ms. Schlapkohl's production of "Love at the County Fair."

Love at the County Fair

July 27, 2010, 6:35 a.m.

Dessert for Johnson County Fair -- July 30 & 31
(bought to you by FromDC2Iowa.blogspot.com*)
The incredibly talented bundle of energy called Janet Schlapkohl, and her Combined Efforts Theater troupe, are about to burst on the Eastern Iowa theater scene once again this Friday and Saturday evenings (July 30 & 31, 2010).

It's the world premier of Janet's latest original play, "Love at the County Fair." This may be the best yet from this writing, producing, directing member of the University of Iowa's MFA playwriting program and her string of successful, sold-out productions. (Tickets for this one are still available as of this morning. Call 319-354-3369 for reservations.)

It's the county fair season in Iowa. The Johnson County Fair, on the fairgrounds south of Iowa City, opened yesterday. It's well worth attending before it closes Friday.

But what a wonderful encore Combined Efforts Theater offers us to the Johnson County Fair, like a creative, light, but intriguing dessert after a gourmet meal, that causes one to both smile and reflect.

As Combined Efforts' Website describes the play, "Here is truly a love story for every generation, as well as a rivalry between the owners of the towns’ two grocery stores, Monty’s and Kaplet’s. Add to that a Renaissance group turned boy band, rival stage mothers and their talented daughters, a lemonade swilling police chief, a former children’s show star and his stuffed raccoon, yodelers, hog callers, a Goth girl, singing, dancing, a pie baking competition, and much more." The combination -- and the ending -- make for a wonderful Iowa summer's evening of theater for the whole family.

The charm of the performance is increased, as always with Combined Efforts Theater, with the fact that the cast and crew includes both students and adults with and without special needs.

For all the details, pictures from a rehearsal, quotes and pictures from prior shows, and directions to the theater (appropriately for this production at an Iowa City farm), check out the Website, http://www.combinedefforts.org.

[Full disclosure: Combined Efforts Theater, and this production, include some family members of the blog author.]
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* Why do I put this blog ID at the top of the entry, when you know full well what blog you're reading? Because there are a number of Internet sites that, for whatever reason, simply take the blog entries of others and reproduce them as their own without crediting the source. I don't mind the flattering attention, but would appreciate acknowledgment as the source -- even if I have to embed it myself.
-- Nicholas Johnson
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Best Show in Town

December 19, 2009, 8:30 a.m.

Tonight's the Last Night
(brought to you by FromDC2Iowa.blogspot.com*)
Iowa City's recognized as a "City of Literature."

It's also a "City of Theater," companies and venues -- City Circle, Community Theater, Dreamwell, Englert, Hancher, Riverside, University Theater, and our three high schools, City, Tate and West.

In many ways one of the most innovative and interesting is "Combined Efforts Community Theater."

The theater a creative idea of Janet Schlapkohl that lives up to its name. She's the gifted playwright and director. The actors and support staff are volunteers from throughout the community, with and without special needs, of all ages, from a range of grade and high schools (including recent graduates) -- using City High's Little Theater, generously provided as a venue.

Their winter performance is an adaptation of the Scrooge story: "A Carol for Our Time," with Alec Grubbe, left, as Scrooge.

In addition to the quality of the show, and the moving way in which those with and without special needs support each other, at $5.00 it's Iowa City's best entertainment bargain this evening.

Understandably, it's enjoyed sell-out crowds Thursday and Friday nights (December 17 and 18), and will undoubtedly be a sell-out tonight as well. It starts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets at the door. So if you plan on going it's best to get there by 7:00. Better still, call 319-321-7926, and leave a voice message if necessary, to reserve tickets ahead of time.

Here's co-director Mary Vasey's letter to the editor describing the project and its latest show. Mary Vasey, "Theater Can be Model for Other Groups," Iowa City Press-Citizen, December 15, 2009.

Theater can be model for other groups
Let me introduce you to one more of our theatrical treasures: Combined Efforts Community Drama.

Its members are children, youth and adults with and without special needs. It was started five years ago at City High by Janet Schlapkohl and a small group of students and parents. Since then, it has grown to include, in addition to students, many community members. This year the group added summer stock and produced an original play with music called "Zombie Hotel."

On Thursday, Friday and Saturday, the presentation at the City High Little Theatre is an adaptation of Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" titled "A Carol for Our Time." The cast of 40 actors, singers and dancers present scenes from the original plus a glimpse of a possible future that we, like Scrooge, can change for the better.

This is a unique group. I learned about it last summer and became involved almost immediately. I have worked with drama in alternative schools for years so I appreciate what it can do to foster everyone's self confidence, cooperation and mutual respect.

The degree to which the members of the Combined Efforts Community Drama troupe show respect for one another is awe inspiring. These young people are willing to make time to share their talents in spite of the fact that many have incredibly busy schedules. The result is a quality performance that features and challenges every participant in addition to thoroughly entertaining the audience.

Because it involves actors and crew with and without special needs it can be a model for other groups who see value in diversity and just plain good theater.

There are a number of reasons why Iowa City is often ranked as one of the best American cities for quality of life. "Combined Efforts Community Theater" is yet one more very powerful example.

[Full disclosure: Although I have no personal connection with this project, co-director Mary Vasey is my wife; the acting coach is our professional actor/director son, Jason; Scrooge was played by his son, Alec; and the project photographer, Andi, is known in our ever growing "bigger and stranger family" as my "sister-in-law for life." I'm proud of them all.]
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* Why do I put this blog ID at the top of the entry, when you know full well what blog you're reading? Because there are a number of Internet sites that, for whatever reason, simply take the blog entries of others and reproduce them as their own without crediting the source. I don't mind the flattering attention, but would appreciate acknowledgment as the source, even if I have to embed it myself. -- Nicholas Johnson
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