A Big Black Book with a Flower on the Cover?

A security guard was sitting behind the desk in the lobby, reading a big black book with a flower on the cover. He glanced up when we filed  in with our weapons clanking. “School group?  We are about to close up.”

page 144, The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan

This Coraline is… well…not..er…um…read for yourself

MCC, which is producing the piece, recommends it for children aged eight and up, but Merritt hopes the crowd will skew older: “I had a fantasy of doing Coraline entirely naked, so there would be no children in the audience.” At present, the actors are clothed, and Merritt has excised the American curse words he originally added (a nod to kiddie sensibilities). Yet removing them so annoyed him that “I put British swear words in where they’re totally gratuitous: ‘Bugger all.’ ‘Sod off.’ ” And Merritt, who acquired the theatrical rights some years ago, chose some distinctly adult collaborators. He hired cult playwright David Greenspan to write the book and Leigh Silverman, whose résumé includes nary a children’s show, to direct. Together, they selected the 55-year-old Jayne Houdyshell to play little Coraline. Greenspan, no stranger to drag roles, is slotted in as Coraline’s Other Mother, a demon entity in an apron. (From this Village Voice article.)

I’m going to see a Sunday matinee performance (where, I’m guessing,  a few kids  will be in attendence, some perhaps younger than eight, as parents don’t necessarily pay attention to recommended age ranges) with Ms. Bird and will let you know what I think.