Word: ancien
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Dates: during 1990-1999
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...Sellars' interpretation is Arkel (bass Kenneth Cox), who is prominent here as in few other stagings. Arkel represents an ancien ragime that refuses to cede power, quashing the aspirations of the younger generation, represented by the angry, violent Golaud (bass-baritone Willard White), his younger half brother Pelleas (baritone Francois Le Roux) and Melisande (mezzo Monica Groop), the mysterious girl Pelleas meets in the forest and brings home as his bride. The Simpson connection was coincidental, but the color-blind casting of White, who is black, creates an unintentional, tabloidy frisson...
...contrast with the members of the ancien regime was startling. The Republicans of the 104th Congress are largely white, male and strikingly young. The white males among the devastated Democratic ranks are older and tired looking. As Gingrich prepared to give his surprisingly conciliatory opening address, several vanquished Democratic committee chairmen -- among them former Foreign Affairs chairman Lee Hamilton of Indiana -- paced the back aisles, pale ghosts of caucuses past. One chose to look at the bright side. As chairman, he said, "you're dealing with a bunch of little rug rats whining about what they want and what they...
...sidelong and subliminal way, men have become the Evil Empire, or, anyway, the ancien regime. We are "They," "Them," "the Enemy." The "manly" virtues (bravery, strength, discipline and, egad, machismo itself) remain admirable only by being quietly reassigned to women -- to Janet Reno and Hillary Clinton...
Marat starts with the support of his countrymen, but his motives for joining and ultimately leading the Revolution are slowly twisted at de Sade's beckoning. His supporters accuse him of joining the Revolution only after having failed to gain fame in the ancien regime, he is shown to be a loser and a power-hungry wretch. In the end, Marat himself is convinced by these torturers of his own base motives. He asks himself, "Each argument was true...and now...why does everything sound so false?" as they cheer him on sarcastically: "Marat for Dictator!" And all the while...
...Clinton, New York was a must-win state. A loss to Brown would reignite efforts among Democratic insiders to find another candidate. But Brown's slashing street attacks have eroded Clinton's claim to be the agent of change against Bush's ancien regime. "Clinton is the personification of a system and a politics that don't work," Brown barked. "I constitute a challenge to the failed status quo." Only in the last few days of the campaign, when Clinton loosened up and displayed more passion on the stump, did he seem to hit his stride...