Community Sabbath Prayer for Israel

Peace

Praying for the Safety of Israel and IDF Soldiers

This weekend, Stand With Us, wherever you go to worship and whatever religion you observe, ask G-d to ensure the safety of Israel -- the only USA ally in the Middle East. Pray as well as for the protection of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers currently fighting terrorism in Gaza.

May the Lord protect and defend you

May the Lord preserve you from pain

Favor them, Oh Lord, with happiness and peace

Oh, hear our Sabbath prayer 

Amen

From the lyrics of the song Sabbath Prayer from Fiddler on the Roof

Review Shakespeare Outdoors in Southern California Much Ado About Nothing

Culture

by Benny Balazs
Lifestyle Writer

Much Ado about Nothing
At Will Geer's Theatricum Botanicum 

July 12 through September 28, 2014

All images in post provided by Will Geer's Theatricum Botanicum

When I first was given the opportunity to attend press night for a live Southern California performance of Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing I was ecstatic. I'd had some experience working with the drama department while in high school, so I have some idea of what’s needed for a good live theater production. 

The Venue - Perfect Setting for Shakespeare on Stage

Will Geer's Theatricum Botanicum outdoor theater is located in the tiny remote wooded town of Topanga Canyon about 40 minutes by car from Los Angeles. But don't let the distance deter you, because the drive to the venue is picturesque and even more well worth it once you arrive. Topanga itself is a storied place, long regarded as a hang out for local artists and musicians. In fact, it is in this area not far from the theater where Neil Young, one of the world's greatest rock and roll singer-songwriters, recorded his 1970 album After the Gold Rush.

Image from Will Geer's Theatricum Botanicum

As you enter the estate-like grounds where the theater is located, the first thing you'll notice is how rustic and organic the place looks. All the buildings are wooden on the outside, and meld perfectly with the surrounding forest. The staff was lively and warm, welcoming me with bits of humor and wide smiles, which made it that much easier for me to feel cozy there. I also noticed that some of the staff working the ticket office and snack stands appeared later in the show.

Image from Will Geer's Theatricum Botanicum

The best part of this whole experience was seeing the stage itself which is like none other that I have ever seen. The bulk of the stage is fitted for outdoor scenarios, and is full of space. It spans around the sides of the audience with perches and balconies. In the background of the stage is a stone path that winds through the grass, creating a natural place for character entrances. 

A large tree protrudes from the middle of the stage, and looms over the audience, giving an incredibly organic and immersive feel. As the description entails, it requires little effort to totally get lost within the play on stage, since the scenery around you exudes natural beauty, as well as realistic depiction.

There aren’t too many seats in the theater space, which I prefer since it creates a more comfortable atmosphere that doesn’t overwhelm you. Better yet, every seat in the house guarantee’s a great view of the stage! The viewers ranged in age from kids to senior citizens, indicating a truly multi-generational appeal, with the venue suitable to families, couples, and singles alike. 

Will Geer's Theatricum Botanicum continues its celebration of the Bard's 450th birthday with another new summer production. The performance itself, which is part of the theatrical company's All-Shakespeare Repertory Season, was simply spectacular. 

Shakespeare’s Much Ado about Nothing is a battle of the sexes, in which several noblemen have potential spouses in their sights, who prove hard to get. In the process of finding true love, the main characters endure well-executed wit, bountiful hilarity, and solemn heartbreak all wrapped in the eloquent language scripted by Shakespeare. 

As great as the story is, it’s the actors that make the play, and make it they did. The characters were played by performers that seamlessly brought their roles to life. Brimming with energy and emotion, each member of the cast drove the narrative with a momentum that made it impossible not to smile throughout.

Overall, Will Geer's Theatricum Botanicum’s Much Ado about Nothing was incredibly satisfying, leaving me feeling warm and delighted by the time the show ended. I can’t wait to come here again and see future productions in this beautiful and comfortable venue. Of course, kudos to founder Will Geer, who built the space as a safe haven for blacklisted actors such as himself back in the 1950s to help them pursue their love for the stage.

About the Theater
Will Geer's Theatricum Botanicum is located at 1419 North Topanga Canyon Boulevard in Topanga Canyon. For a complete schedule of performances and to purchase tickets call 310-455-3723 or visit Theatricum.com. You can also stay up to date on everything about this theater by following them on Facebook and Twitter.

About the Author
Californian Benny Balazs comes from a Hungarian family on both sides and describes himself as a writer by day and a singer by night. A newly-minted graduate, he received his high school's top music award, was a member of an a cappella group, editor in chief of a student literary magazine and originated/wrote a newspaper column as well a school play.  Following his passion for performing and literary arts, he hopes to join an a cappella group soon and aspires to write a book.

Please Leave a Comment And Share
It's time to share your passion about Shakespeare. What's your favorite play by this famous playwright and why?

FTC Disclosure: MommyBlogExpert received tickets to attend the press night performance facilitating this review post. No other compensation or payment was associated with this post. See complete FTC Disclosure information that appears at the bottom of MommyBlogExpert's main page and at the bottom of every individual post on this blog, including this one.

New App Stops Burned Popcorn for iPhone iOS 7 Free Fun Perfect Pop App from Pop Secret

Technology

This is a sponsored post

Image by MommyBlogExpert.com

If you're a popcorn lover and as tired as I am of the burned and blackened popcorn dilemma, you're going to love this. Apps for iPhone keep coming out all the time to make every day life easier and more fun. Now, at long last, there's finally a brand new free app just for popcorn fans called Perfect Pop from Pop Secret to make sure your popcorn pops perfectly and doesn't go up in smoke in the microwave ever again. 

I just hate when this happens, don't you? Black popcorn not only ends up in the trash, which is a waste of food that ends up costing you more money in the long run since you have to pop up another batch to replace the one you just threw out. Besides, when it's incinerated it can make your kitchen and whole house reek with the worst kind of burnt food smell imaginable. P-U!

It looks and tastes so bad when it's burnt to a crisp -- even our always hungry miniature pinscher Dexer runs away from it, LOL! I know this has happened to me, my kids and our little dog once too often when microwaving some Family Night Movie Popcorn, way more than I'd like to admit.

Image by MommyBlogExpert.com

There's no time is better than now to say #GoodbyeBurnedPopcorn

This  new Pop Secret app for iPhone 5+ running iOS 7 or higher is just the thing to put perfectly popped popcorn and fun back into your family's home video watching quality time together. To get started first download the Perfect Pop App from the App Store. The Perfect Pop App is designed to work with select Pop Secret products, so you'll want to have one of these on hands, either in Regular or Snack Size.

Pop Secret pocorn varieties Perfect Pop works with 

• Homestyle (the type I used for this post)
• Butter
• Light Butter
• 94% Fat Free Butter
• Movie Theater Butter
• Extra Butter

Our dog loves perfectly popped popcorn. Don't believe me? Watch this silly Wild Dog Dexter #PerfectPop Popcorn Chase video

Just about everyone knows how frustrating burning popcorn can be -- even hungry dogs. So it's a good thing that Pop Secret has come to rescue us all from any more burned popcorn, allowing you to spend more time enjoying movies and less time worrying about burned popcorn.

Downloading and Using the Pop Secret App

Using an iPhone 5+ running iOS 7+, first download the Pop Secret Perfect Pop app ("Perfect Popcorn) for free from the App Store.

Then follow these easy steps:

1. Put a bag of Pop Secret in the microwave and enter suggested cooking time from the packaging. Remember: Perfect Pop is optimized for the perfect Pop Secret popcorn only.

2. Turn up the volume on your iPhone. Point the phone's speaker towards the microwave and keep with 3 feet. 

3. Start the microwave and then hit the start button on the app. Stay right there, don't walk away because now the fun really begins!

Then, get ready for some fun watching a simulation of what the popcorn inside the bag looks like as it is popping on your iPhone! A message will pop up on the screen telling you to stop the microwave when your popcorn is finished.

No more relying on that unreliable popcorn microwave button or guessing how many seconds between pops. Pop Secret is serious about perfect popcorn. That means less worry and more time to spend watching home movies and videos with friends and family.  The Perfect Pop app listens to the pops, waiting for the perfect moment to let you know your popcorn is done.

Pop Secret is great when reading too!

Image by MommyBlogExpert.com

Last, but most important of all, enjoy your freshly popped corn while watching a movie with those you care about or even reading a good book solo like my son did. Based on my test ofor this review, I recommend trying this fun and practical app with the Pop Secret Homestyle popcorn variety. 

The Pop Secret Homestyle popcorn type, BTW, which is made from the brand's secret recipe with a sprinkle of salt and a taste of butter pops up bigger and more delicious than the competing brand I used to use exclusively. Certified OU kosher, the Pop Secret line is widely available at markets and big box stores where food is sold nationwide.

Q: Can you guess which is Pop Secret?  A: The popcorn on the left

Image by MommyBlogExpert.com

About Pop Secret popcorn & the Perfect Pop App
Learn more about the brand and the fun new Perfect Pop app here. You can also stay up on the latest news by following them on Twitter @PopSecret and watching for the hashtags #PerfectPop and #GoodbyeBurnedPopcorn across a range of social media channels including Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram.

Take the Pop Secret Popcorn Survey

FTC Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Pop Secret. However my affinity for the brand's popcorn products and the new Perfect Pop app, as well as the opinions here, are completely my own. I received the popcorn products featured as well as compensation to facilitate this post. Apple and iPhone are not affiliated and do not endorse, sponsor or support this third party app. See complete FTC Disclosure information that appears at the bottom of MommyBlogExpert's home page and at the bottom of every individual post on this blog, including this one.