Paperhand Puppet Intervention's 2022 Summer Show, The Meanwhile Clock and Other Impossible Dances, Is Like a Pilgrimage to a Corroboree

Paperhand Puppet Intervention's 2022 Summer Show, The Meanwhile Clock and Other Impossible Dances, Is Like a Pilgrimage to a Corroboree

Going to a Paperhand Puppet Intervention performance is like pilgrimaging to a Australian aboriginal corroboree, where magical ceremonies teach ancestral truths, pulling everyone present into the community. And it's all the more impactful when it occurs in a ruins-like amphitheater in a forest in the heat of a late-summer sunset…

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Four-Wheeled Litmus Test

Four-Wheeled Litmus Test

… Pedestrians in Northern Virginia and DC stopped to tell us they liked the van. In New Jersey, drivers in one suburb would smile and wave, while those in an immediately adjacent suburb would grimace with condescension. Massachusetts residents were generally unimpressed; my brother-in-law thought the van looked stupid, and his teenage son preferred it wasn’t parked in front of their house…

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Who Pays for Schools?

Who Pays for Schools?

This article was published by the News and Observer on July 21, 2010. In 2017, Orange County lost the ability to charge impact fees on new development; notably, Chatham County still charges school impact fees. A NC Senate bill enabling NC cities and counties to collect impact fees on new development for schools and other required infrastructure was filed in March 2021, but it appears to have gone nowhere since then (no surprise).

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Hurricanes, (Re)Construction, Rip Tides, and Drowning- When Will We Learn?

Hurricanes, (Re)Construction, Rip Tides, and Drowning- When Will We Learn?

In the wake of Hurricane Florence, one question plagues me (again): Are we going to spend hundreds of millions of dollars in FEMA and other public emergency funds to rebuild homes along the hurricane-battered coast, only so we can do it all over again when the next hurricane/tornado hits? Or will we…

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Hamilton at DPAC Is Not Just a Must-See Musical, It Is a Cultural Phenomenon!
Arts, Published, Community, Music Melissa Rooney Arts, Published, Community, Music Melissa Rooney

Hamilton at DPAC Is Not Just a Must-See Musical, It Is a Cultural Phenomenon!

Regardless of the acting team, the next time Hamilton comes to Durham, you should take your (older) kids for a special night out, including dinner (there are many affordable options). This is the article I wrote for the Triangle Review about my experience going to Hamilton the last time they came to Durham (in 2022).

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Joshua Thompson and Symoné Spencer Win 2022 Triangle Rising Stars Acting Honors

Joshua Thompson and Symoné Spencer Win 2022 Triangle Rising Stars Acting Honors

When I was given the opportunity to review this year's in-person Triangle Rising Stars Showcase and Awards program on Wednesday, May 11th, at the Durham Performing Arts Center, I knew immediately that I had to go. American Idol Season 2 runner-up Clay Aiken hosted the event, which featured performances by 2021 TRS Best Actor Joshua Messmore and 2021 TRS Best Actress and 2021 Jimmy® Awards best-actress-award winner Elena Holder.

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PlayMakers Rep's Production of August Wilson's How I Learned What I Learned, Starring Samuel Ray Gates, Is a Gift to Triangle Theatergoers

PlayMakers Rep's Production of August Wilson's How I Learned What I Learned, Starring Samuel Ray Gates, Is a Gift to Triangle Theatergoers

I would listen for two hours to someone reading August Wilson (1945-2005) aloud while sitting in a chair. But to see his writings performed in a one-person play, as if the actor were August Wilson himself? That is a real gift…

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2Cellos Continue to Entertain and Inspire (with Matt Simons and friends) at the DPAC this Week
Community, Music, Published Melissa Rooney Community, Music, Published Melissa Rooney

2Cellos Continue to Entertain and Inspire (with Matt Simons and friends) at the DPAC this Week

This article was published by Triangle Review on April 8, 2022. My first son discovered 2Cellos when he was twelve; and his first “real” concert was the 2Cellos concert at the Durham Performing Arts Center. This year, the 2Cellos performance at the DPAC was his little brother’s first concert experience, which was even more momentous because it’s the 2Cellos last tour together...

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Postcards from Ireland Featured Three Superb Singers and a Fiddle-Playing Sprite
Arts, Published, Music Melissa Rooney Arts, Published, Music Melissa Rooney

Postcards from Ireland Featured Three Superb Singers and a Fiddle-Playing Sprite

For the Durham Performing Arts Center's Wednesday, March 16th, presentation of Celtic Woman: Postcards from Ireland, my fellow audience members -- who did not have to wear masks after showing vaccination cards and photo IDs at the door -- ranged from 8 to 80 years old and reflected not only the diversity of Durham, NC, but the diverse population that has come to appreciate traditional Irish music and its modern influence.

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DPAC's March 20th STEM-Based Wow in the World Pop-Up Party: Laboratory of Bad Ideas LIVE! Interactive Variety Show Was Entertaining and Educational
Arts, Education, Children, Published Melissa Rooney Arts, Education, Children, Published Melissa Rooney

DPAC's March 20th STEM-Based Wow in the World Pop-Up Party: Laboratory of Bad Ideas LIVE! Interactive Variety Show Was Entertaining and Educational

The Sunday, March 20th, performance of the Wow in the World Pop-Up Party: Laboratory of Bad Ideas at the Durham Performing Arts Center (DPAC) is the first children's-theater show that I've attended since I first heard the words "Covid Nineteen." From the well-dressed young families running down Blackwell Street and the lack of parking, it looked like it was going to be sold out…

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Grace and Mercy at UNC’s Memorial Hall

Grace and Mercy at UNC’s Memorial Hall

Although more than 200 Confederate monuments have been removed across the country since 2019, the slabs of Confederate names in UNC's Memorial Hall still stand, rendering the Carolina Performing Arts ' presentation of Grace and Mercy an act of justice in and of itself.

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All or None (Parents, Cut Yourselves Some Slack)

All or None (Parents, Cut Yourselves Some Slack)

This article was first published by the News and Observer in February, 2012. When people say, “It goes by so fast,” I usually respond, “If only it weren’t all or none.” If only we could stretch these early years to double their duration and half their intensity. It’s wonderful, but it isn’t easy. And we parents shouldn’t be so hard on ourselves.

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Lydia R. Diamond’s Stick Fly at Playmaker’s Rep is Thought Provoking and Entertaining
Arts, Relationships, Published Melissa Rooney Arts, Relationships, Published Melissa Rooney

Lydia R. Diamond’s Stick Fly at Playmaker’s Rep is Thought Provoking and Entertaining

Stick fly is perhaps Lydia R. Diamond’s most well-known play among New York audiences, thanks to its 2011-12 Broadway Season produced by singer-songwriter Alicia Keys. But how does this play about an affluent African American family on Martha’s Vineyard stand up 10 years later, during a pandemic, and in the state of North Carolina? Quite well, going by Playmaker’s Repertory Company’s current production…

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Edelweiss and Remembering for Both of Us (ReadAloud)

Edelweiss and Remembering for Both of Us (ReadAloud)

Years after the book's release, Charlotte continues her involvement in improving our understanding and communication about Alzheimer's Disease, which her husband suffered before his passing. Remembering for Both of Us is *the* book to give a child (or a parent or grandparent) who has a family member suffering from Alzheimer's Disease or Dementia. Every physician/counselor in the field should have a copy of this book in their waiting room.

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Visit Pilot Mountain. Stay at Jomeokee Campground (even if it's just for the day).

Visit Pilot Mountain. Stay at Jomeokee Campground (even if it's just for the day).

Jomeokee Campground in Pinnacle, NC, is one of the most beautiful places I have ever spent the night (and I have camped throughout the US, Australia, and New Zealand). I encourage you to visit and camp (if you are up for it), particularly during the week when you may have the entire grounds to yourselves.

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My Video Game Addiction (Part 1)

My Video Game Addiction (Part 1)

Do you or anyone in your family play Plants versus Zombies on Xbox? If not, keep reading. If so, I have a couple questions for ya: Do you prefer to play as Plants or as Zombies? And which character is your favorite? Why am I asking you these questions? Because I am a PvZ addict…

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