Word: note
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Dates: during 1990-1990
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...this time the kidnapers were asking for a much more direct kind of contact. They called for John Kelly, Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, to fly to the Syrian capital of Damascus "to coordinate some final steps to guarantee success within 48 hours." Their note also cited unspecified "reciprocal moves" that they expected from the U.S. That was too much for an Administration mindful of the Iran-contra debacle and determined to avoid being drawn into negotiations with the kidnapers. At a press conference in Key Largo, Fla., where he had flown to discuss European affairs with...
There may have been significance in the fact that in its first note the IJLP pointedly credited Iran for prompting the plan to release a hostage -- a declaration the group is likely to have cleared first with Tehran. Since Iran has always preferred to distance itself from the hostage takers, its presumed willingness to be cited may be a sign that it is positioning itself to take credit for any future progress. "For us," says a French diplomat who went through the experience of helping secure the release of several French hostages, "the key was always in Tehran...
That said, we should also note that the cast, under the stage direction of Laith Zawawi, does not even come close to succeeding. Most of the performers overact terribly, and the repeated violence, which is intended to startle the audience and evoke sympathy for the title character, is so overdone that it borders on the hysterical...
...smaller characters also contribute to the production, if by nothing other than presence. The trumpeter Charla Griffy deserves special note for her outrageous costume, John Malone for his yuppily dressed (alas) Horatio and Gretchen Anderson for a glitzy Queen Gertrude. But Nestor Davidson's portrayal is weak. His Claudius, with the exception of some fluid moments in characterization, is disappointing...
Doctoroff and Giering move the audience as their characters contemplate their prospects for the future in the wistful song, "If Mamma Was Married." The song has a hopeful note until the singers come to the brutal realization that "Mamma nevers stays married for long...