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MoviePalaver: Oscar Shorts

The Oscar-nominated live action and animated (including "Granny O'Grimm's Sleeping Beauty")  short films will be playing at the E Street Cinema in DC starting tonight.  For locations and dates in other areas, look for your city here.  Here's your chance to study up for Oscar night (March 7).  It's better than watching all 10 of the best picture nominees.

RandomPalaver: Snowy Sunday Morning in Woodley Park

TheaterPalaver: Last Call for the Last Cargo Cult at Woolly Mammoth

At some point during Mike Daisey's two-hour monologue at Woolly Mammoth last night about a trip to the South Pacific island of Tanna for their annual John Frum celebration, the American banking crisis, the concept of currency and trust, and assorted other things, he poked fun at the audience's dither over the coming blizzard:  "'We're lucky we're here tonight.  The people tomorrow night are f#%ed.'"  (I'm paraphrasing.  Except I'm sure of the last word.)  Turns out the people tonight and tomorrow night are, indeed, . . .  unlucky, because the show is snowed out.  And it is sold out on Sunday, which was due to be its last night.  Because of the snow-outs, though, they've added a show on Monday night, and tickets are still available.

Though "The Last Cargo Cult" deals with serious themes, it is frequently laugh-out-loud funny.  (I'm not proud to say I split my side when he talked about the way the celebrating islanders wove tinsel through their hair and clothes, and said something like "If Martha Stewart saw what they did with tinsel, she'd s@!& herself."  Note:  this show is not for those who don't care for cursing.)  Daisey tells his story seated at a table with a glass of water, Spalding Gray style, but his delivery is a combination of Lewis Black, Jack Black, and Chris Farley.  Check out the Washington Post review here.

"The Last Cargo Cult"
Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company
641 D Street, NW  20004
Washington, DC
Box office:  (202) 393-3939

Photo from www.woollymammoth.net.