Dear Friends of the Pub Quiz,
The poet James Dickey once said, “A poet is someone who stands outside in the rain hoping to be struck by lightning.” Like you, I think of that quip as being figurative, with an emphasis on the sudden inspiration or revelation that can strike the receptive poet like a thunderclap. But this past weekend, I actually had the experience of hearing (dramatic) poetry while being rained upon. Saturday night my daughter Geneva and I attended an outdoor performance of Julius Caesar performed by the student-run Studio 301 Productions Theatre Company. UC Davis students are historically famous for creating culture themselves where the city itself did not provide it for them. Consider the long history of student-run projects like KDVS, the Whole Earth Festival, and the California Aggie. Most other universities (and most other UCs) have full-time career employees managing equivalent their operations, but here in Davis the students run the shows themselves. Outfits like Studio 301 Productions and the Davis Shakespeare Ensemble may have the blessing of the UC Davis Department of Theatre and Dance, but they don’t have its funding or faculty. Nevertheless, these two local theatre companies remind us how lucky we are to live in a small town with so much culture, whether it be poetry readings, the 2nd Friday Art About, or outdoor theatre productions that can be enjoyed during a spring rainstorm. Sitting under the open sky (though warmly dressed, and under a blanket), Geneva and I (and the other audience members) were told that that the show would continue “as long as we have an audience.” As far as I can tell, the entire audience stayed, because we wanted to know how the story ends, and because we were promised swordfights. So with the sounds of a strong wind and clashing swords, we sat in the rain for Shakespeare. If you care about arts, culture and theatre, I wonder what sort of commitment you would be willing to make.
I’m looking forward to barking before a packed house this evening, for I know of a number of old friends who are joining us for the first time. I hope you are planning to attend, too. If so, please call to reserve a table, and plan to join us by 8:45 so you can be in place when the cowbell rings. Tonight expect questions on citizen journalism, finger placement, monetary policies, the Shaolin Temple, museums, basketball, space travel, war, New York drivers, California musicians (which is your favorite, and can you prove it?), a leftover obscure sports question, DNA, the mutiny on the Bounty, bewildering words, love songs, Full House, more famous people from India, willful email, Julius Caesar, piggies, Academy Award-winning films (can you name the first winner of the Best Picture Oscar?), conflicts in Afghanistan, trading partners, gnarly skateboards, geology, princesses, and, of course, Shakespeare. This week the correct answer to no questions will be A Midsummer Night’s Dream, though I will no doubt return to that play when Geneva is acting in it this summer.
Sadly, there will be no superhero questions tonight, unless you count musicians and geologists.
I look forward to seeing you tonight for another edition of the Pub Quiz. If you are trying woo potential participants to join you at the Pub Quiz, remind them to sign up for the Pub Quiz newsletter at https://www.yourquizmaster.com.
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Here are five questions from last week’s quiz:
23. Italian Patriots. What Italian patriot and world explorer who lived from 1807-1882 had first and last names that started with the letter G? Last name only.
24. Countries of the World. One finds four letters in the Irish name for the island of Ireland and the sovereign state of the same name. Two of those letters are the letter “E.” What are the other two letters? The correct answer to this question is two letters long.
25. Film. What 2004 film starred Rachel McAdams, Ryan Gosling, and James Garner?
26. Science. What does an anemometer measure?
27. Books and Authors. The first detective story was published by an American in 1841. Who was the author?
P.S. Poetry Night this coming Thursday at the John Natsoulas Gallery features Sacramento News and Review reporter Josh Fernandez, the Aggie author of the brand new poetry book Spare Parts and Dismemberment. You might have heard him last week on Insight on Capital Public Radio. Josh will be reading with Lawrence Dinkins, author of the 2011 poetry book Sub American. Both poets are alarmingly edgy and engaging. Details at http://www.poetryindavis.com. Now go visit some of the above links.
Friends of the Pub Quiz, and those curious about all the fun and fuss associated with the Pub Quiz, should come to de Vere’s Irish Pub in Davis (217 E Street), the highly esteemed pub and restaurant that fills up every night because of the superb quality of food, drink and company that can be found there. The de Vere’s Irish Pub Pub Quiz takes place every Monday at 7pm, though players are encouraged to arrive early to claim a table. As always, find out more about the Pub Quiz by visiting https://www.yourquizmaster.com. For more on de Vere’s Irish Pub, visit http://deverespub.com/.