Neil Simon’s ‘Rumors’ Opens in Westfield

Comedic timing isn’t easy. The key is for actors to play the action as reality. “The moment actors start playing comedy, they ruin it,” said Jen Otterman director for Basile Westfield Playhouse’s next play, Neil Simon’s “Rumors,” opening Thursday. “This show has a great deal of glib delivery that has to be authentic,” she said.…

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Pondering Weighty Matters

His warning shattered the predawn tranquility. I couldn’t see him, but his cry blasted through the fading fog like the air horn on an 18-wheeler, traveling too fast to stop in time for a red light. “Wait!” he said. “Don’t pull that handle!” Too late. I had already squeezed the trigger at the end of…

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Our American Atrocity Dilemma

Merriam-Webster defines “atrocity” as a “a shockingly bad or atrocious act, object, or situation.” In a different era, the word “atrocity” was used mostly in wartime situations, be it Babyn Yar in Kyiv, the Katyn Forest massacre in Poland, the Andersonville Prison during the American Civil War, or My Lai in Vietnam. But since 1999…

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Bunion Season

It’s that time of year again. No, I am not talking about bikini season. I’m talking about bunion season. I did not even know I had a bunion until fairly recently and now, every time I start wearing sandals again, I am reminded that I do. I imagine it was growing on the sly for…

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Food Poisoning and How to Avoid It

Barbecue season is in full swing and it’s a good time to review food safety. Foodborne illness, commonly referred to as “food poisoning,” is something that almost all of us have experienced at some point in our lives. Foodborne illness is defined as more than two people having a similar illness with evidence of food…

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Flags Decorate the Square for Memorial Day Weekend

I just love to see all of the American flags decorating the Hamilton County Courthouse Square on Memorial Day weekend. Thursday afternoon, I caught up with the Noblesville Noon Kiwanians who placed about 200 small American flags on display around the Historic Courthouse, many in memory of and in honor of loved ones or military…

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More Cutting Remarks

Mary Ellen is insightful enough to know that in most of my columns I’m poking fun at myself. Take last week, for example. Wait, that’s not a good example. You see, last week, I gently chided my loving wife in my column for having no desire to mow the lawn. It was not one of…

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