And if you initially doubt the notion, this is the movie to see.

Forks Over Knives will be presented at the Progressive Film Series’ May 10 event, followed by a discussion with two articulate speakers, both Oregon doctors. The film systematically overturns modern American eating assumptions. Most of us have heard that processed, refined food and high fructose corn syrup are bad for us; the movie persuasively argues that meat and dairy consumption are directly related to heart disease, cancer and diabetes.

We follow two dynamic, elderly doctors, Dr. Colin Campbell and Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn as they pass through life on separate courses to come to the same essential conclusion and friendship. The epiphany startles both: one was proud to be raised on a dairy, the other supported his family beef operation. The film describes the beliefs that both of them (and nearly all of us) grew up with due to the USDA and other government agencies repeatedly stressing that meat, dairy and sugar are essential to growing bodies and minds.

Dr. Campbell and Dr. Esselstyn have done impressive research in their own lives, and numerous other studies, including the famous China Study, are cited. There seems to be simply no denying the striking health benefits of plant-based food and the utter damage caused by meat and dairy.

Dr. Mark Walker, internist at Salem Hospital, will join Dr. Lynn Shinto of OHSU to speak after the film. We caught up with Dr. Walker.

“I have lost over 50 pounds with the plant-based diet,” he told us, “although I do occasionally eat some fish… I have seen tremendous results, personally. When I was overweight, I would tell patients to eat better and exercise more until one day a patient said, ‘…so why don’t you do it?’”

Dr. Walker takes the subject personally. His oldest brother died from complications of diabetes, and he was “headed in that direction as well.”

Forks Over Knives argues that eliminating meat from the diet is good for issues of environmental integrity and climate change, too. 80% of cleared Amazon forest is now occupied by livestock operations. The amount of grain the world’s cattle eat yearly could feed 8.2 billion people – more than the earth’s population.

“The biggest objection I hear is, I won’t give up my meat,” Walker says. “I say, come over for dinner and see what I eat. It’s delicious and you don’t miss the meat. You need to come over for dinner so I can show you!”

The film follows three overweight people for a few months, observing them stopping their insulin injections and other formerly “essential” pills. It interviews folks who had multiple bypass surgeries decades ago and were told they had little time to live who are healthy these years later – all without their medication. The filmmaker, Lee Fulkerson, shows the entrenched attitudes of the USDA andnationally regarded nutritionists who argue for the status quo in spite of the evidence, and we hear how a patient’s physician was concerned that a healthier woman might go off medication. The woman laughs and tells the audience that she thought that was the whole idea.

Forks Over Knives takes viewers across American and around the world to present a compelling argument that is very difficult to ignore.

Walker assures us, “There is a way to restore your health through diet and exercise. If you do this, you can reverse heart disease, diabetes and get off most if not all of your medications…what’s not to like about that?”

 
Salem Progressive Film Series

Forks Over Knives
2012, 90 Minutes

With guests Dr. Lynne Shinto &
Dr. Mark Walker

May10, 2012
7 p.m.
Grand Theater, Salem Oregon

The story takes place in post-World War II New Orleans in a claustrophobic two-room apartment in the middle of the French Quarter. Mississippi schoolteacher and aging beauty Blanche DuBois has arrived for a summer visit with her sister Stella and her alpha-male ex-military officer husband Stanley Kowalski. From the get-go, the main characters are destined for a collision of tragic proportions, and along the way the layers of each character — specifically Ms. DuBois to a disturbing degree — are peeled back to reveal flawed human beings with surprisingly dark histories.

The story featured mental illness, spousal abuse, homosexuality, suicide, lust and rape at a time when such topics were rarely ventured near.

Pentacle’s cast includes Corvallis resident Cathleen Hockman-Wert in a stage-stealing performance as Blanche. Jessica Tandy won a Tony for playing the role on stage and Vivien Leigh won the Academy Award for her performance in the 1951 film.

Hockman-Wert is especially impressive at portraying a woman struggling in vain to hold on to her sanity in the midst of a chaotic dynamic.

McMinnville resident and Pentacle regular Lance Nuttman was strong as Stanley, a part originally portrayed by Marlon Brando, particularly in moments of rage and soul-crushing despair(“STELLAAAA!!!”). However, the passion between Stanley and Stella seemed to be lost at times. Jillian Sternke as Stella and Tom Mayhall Rastrelli as Mitch — Stanley’s friend and Blanche’s suitor — put in solid performances as well.

Tony Zandol, the set designer, was particularly successful in portraying a humid working-class French Quarter flat, complete with dingy bottles, an icebox, a never-clean utility sink, drab mismatched decor and dusty knick knacks. All this helped create a sense of being trapped along with Blanche for an endless summer of suffocating inner-city heat, as if the apartment was a black hole that slowly swallowed an endless line of doomed souls.

Pentacle’s run of “A Streetcar Named Desire” began on April 20 and ends May 12. Tickets can be purchased at pentacletheatre.org or the Pentacle Ticket Office at 145 Liberty St. NE. The theater is located at 324 52nd Ave. NW.

The company’s next play, “The Signal Season of Dummy Hoy,” about a deaf professional baseball player in the latter part of the 19th century, begins on June 1.

The all-ages performance is $25-35 and tickets can be purchased at TicketsWest.com.

“We have a lot of people that we are talking to for the series, not just comedians,” said Ravens Flight co-founder Ryan Rogers, who also is heavily involved with Salem’s Culture Shock, Clockworks Cafe & Cultural Center and Freewheel Skate & Style in Portland.

“We have some authors that we are contacting, spoken word artists, actors and some musicians as well as other comedians,” said Rogers, who added that the series is focused on a mix of storytelling and performance to create a personal atmosphere.

Rogers said that a large portion of the 2012 series would be announced within the next month, with a majority of the performers at the Historic Elsinore Theatre and a ticket price around $20-30. As per contractual standards, names won’t be announced until contracts are finalized.

Andy Dick was a comedian on the rise in the 1990’s as a regular on The Ben Stiller Show and NewsRadio, and though he has stayed in the spotlight the past decade with prominent bit parts in major films (Zoolander, Old School, Funny People) and appearances on television (Comedy Central Roasts, Sober House), well-documented substance abuse and related issues have made a public mess of his personal life.

“The performance will highlight a new creative direction for Andy, who is newly sober, and will be delving into a more personal intimate collection of material, sharing his experiences, his foibles, and his lessons,” Raven Flight Creative said in its press release.

Rogers said that a lot of celebrity performers are willing to reduce their fees to crack the mid-Willamette Valley market, but haven’t signed on just yet.

“Andy was really cool. He said yes right away. He’s been really positive about the show and coming [to Salem],” said Rogers. “But a lot of the people we are talking to are waiting to see how the first couple of shows go before they commit. Big names, ones that people will be surprised about.”

To find out more information about Ravens Flight Creative, visit RavFlight.com.

Tickets for the event are $10 in advance at www.CherryCityDerbyGirls.com or $13 at the door. Children 5-and-under are admitted free of charge, and parking for the event is free as well. According to the CCDG press release for the event, food, beverages (including beer) and merchandise will be available for purchase.

“You’ll see a great event that will keep you on the edge of your seat the entire evening,” said CCDG Publicity Committee Co-Chair Nicole Palmateer.
The Cherry City Derby Girls formed in 2009 amongst a resurgence in the sport, which has seen its 400 international leagues balloon to 700 in just the past year. CCDG has seen a similar increase in popularity itself, growing to 150 skaters and four teams.

“Roller Derby isn’t what it used to be,” added Palmateer. “Many people think of the 70’s when they think of roller derby. The sport has evolved into a competitive, exhilarating, exciting event that features women from all backgrounds, of all shapes and sizes, out there fighting to win.”

Even with the recent growth the league is always looking for new members, and interested athletes should visit the league’s web site for more details.

“Womens roller derby is a sport that welcomes all women,” said Palmateer. CCDG has skaters who were exceptional on skates when they joined all the way to skaters who could not stand up on skates when they joined. All it takes is a desire and commitment to work hard and to compete.”

An important part of the Cherry City Derby Girls as an organization is that their members aren’t just a group of athletes, they also have a commitment to serve the public.

“(CCDG) wants to provide entertainment and sport but a large part of who we are is also giving back to the community,” added Palmateer. “Community service is required of all league skaters and we feature a non-profit organization at each bout to help raise their awareness. We seek out opportunities to work with our community to help make Salem an even better place to live. The Salem community has been tremendously supportive and we can’t express our appreciation enough. CCDG will continue to integrate ourself into Salem, and we welcome opportunities to do so.”

•  For the first time since the 1970s, the number of women in Congress has decreased
•  No CEO in a top media corporation is female
•  Only 3 percent of CEOs in Fortune 500 companies are women
•  Women still make 77 percent of what men in similar jobs with similar experience earn
•  The wage gap is widening, not narrowing, over time

Want more?  China, Iraq and Afghanistan have more women in their governments than we do.  Rates of depression among American females have doubled between 2000 and 2010.

Statistics like these come hard and fast in MissRepresentation, the 85 minute, 2011 film by Jennifer Siebel Newsom to be presented March 20 in a program hosted jointly by local organizations Oregon Women Lead and Women Ending Hunger.  The film shows how mainstream media under-represents and undermines women in positions of influence, and at the same time, identifies women’s value narrowly, in terms of beauty, youth and sexuality.

Four Oregon leaders will also speak; Kate Brown, Oregon’s Secretary of State; Salem’s mayor, Anna Peterson; Cheryl Roberts, President of Chemeketa Community College and Kristen Grainger, Vice-President of Willamette University.

Media is dominated by men and advertising at every level.  MissRepresentation points out how young people are exposed to its content for a staggering numbers of hours every day, and suggests that adults under the age of twenty lack the cerebral maturity to evaluate sexist material.  It illustrates the ways feminism has been demonized in movies, video games, on television and in print.

A host of important women share their views with the filmmaker, including Katie Curric, Condoleezza Rice, Rachel Maddow, Margaret Cho, Jane Fonda and numerous articulate scholars.

The point is made that females in America spend more on “beauty” than on their own education.  “Self-objectification” is on the rise, which means that women, focused on looks and men, are less likely to run for office – or even to vote.  Female newsreaders and politicians, jobs with unusually high visibility, endure relentless evaluation by pundits and “entertainment” shows for their legs, their faces and their age.

Anna Peterson, Salem’s mayor tells Salem Weekly, “Women who achieve any degree of success in business or politics have had to play by the rules written by generations of powerful men.
Although generous men have joined the women who’ve mentored and supported Peterson, she stresses that “when girls are encouraged to spend time thinking about the importance of their appearance instead of thinking about the importance of their brains, everyone in society looses.”

Kat Daniel, of Women Ending Hunger, couldn’t agree more.  “Given the fact that 2012 is an election year, MissRepresentation’s message seemed like a critical one to get out there.  We were founded on the premise that women, united and determined, have been responsible for most of the successful social movements of American history.  We need to take our rightful place in Congress, in our State Legislature, in local government, on school boards and on corporate boards.”

Kate Brown, Oregon’s Secretary of State, is equally aware.  “Oregon has elected only one female Governor in its history and I am only the third woman elected as Oregon Secretary of State. I hope this film helps to inspire young women to reach beyond the stereotypes media present and continue our path of achievement and equality. We still have a long way to go. The White House is still waiting for Ms. President.”

Although the film never explicitly shows a causal relationship between American media and its pervasive sexism, the evening, from 6:30 – 9 p.m. at the Grand Theater on High Street, promises exciting ideas and unusually stimulating conversation.

Tickets are online at www.womenendinghunger.org and at the door of the Grand Theater.  Oregon Food Share receives all the proceeds.  More information available at 503-581-3855 x322.

This class, “the joy of my life,” according to Jo Dodge, its instructor, would no longer be offered. After 30 years, Chemeketa Community College was forced to discontinue the class, not to mention its entire four-year-old theater department. As one might expect, it was due to budget cuts, according to Greg Harris, dean of public information, marketing and student recruitment at Chemeketa.

Not a surprise, surely, in a sea of slashed funding, and especially considering it was an arts program. But this class – which was held in Pentacle theatre’s lobby – has had more effect on the community than many are aware.
Let it suffice to say Dodge’s influence within the community is substantial. For spending just three hours, every Saturday morning, working on scenes and improv, tailoring each attendee’s training according to his or her aptitude. Fostering a sense of safety and individual learning, and never allowing competition to enter the picture (there’s plenty of that in auditions).

On the subject of auditions, a good many of her students have gone on to perform in plays at Pentacle and beyond. Ashland, Seattle, New York… the list goes on. But that’s not the point, Dodge says. “It’s always about getting people more prepared for the stage and continuing to learn their craft.”

In an attempt to salvage the class, Chemeketa offered to restructure it as non-credited, though the tuition would have remained virtually the same.  Said Randy Boyd Pentacle Theatre’s Executive Director, “The inevitable drop in enrollment followed and the writing was on the wall.

It was clear to me, we (Pentacle) needed to act. The program was presented to the Governing board and approved.”

The good news? The cost of the new yet unchanged 11-week workshop is one-third of the tuition of the original Chemeketa class. The bad news? If you’re interested, you’d better hustle, because space is limited to about thirty students.
Considered an adult class, allowances are made for those under 18 with parental consent. The age of attendees has ranged from 15 to 80. No prerequisites are necessary.

The long term collaboration with Chemeketa, “has been a magnificent and symbiotic relationship,” Dodge said. “Pentacle needs to continue the legacy.”

When does she plan to retire? Replied Dodge, “When they kick me out!”

Pentacle Actors’ Workshop with Jo Dodge, Saturdays beginning April 7, 9 a.m. – noon
Pentacle  Theatre Lobby, 324 52nd Ave. NW Salem (off Hwy. 22W)
$105. To register, contact Shawna with the Pentacle Business Office at 503-485-4300×21 or  shawna@pentacletheatre.org”

Hank Mandel is a lean, successful 65-year-old New England man, a married heterosexual husband and dad, who has many long-term tmale friendships that are vital to him. “I think there’s a sympathy for the deep currents that run through our lives,” says Barry, an artist friend of Hank’s. This is one of Hank’s five closest male friendships that are examined in the film. Barry and Hank talk long hours and go shopping together, unembarrassed to say “That looks fantastic on you!” when one tries on a leather jacket. Hank, who is a Jew, is also friends with an African-American Baptist with whom he walks; Bob, a businessman with whom he travels and cooks, and Scott, a fellow New York Giants fan. Hank’s friendships survive geographic moves, job changes, divorce and remarriage.

But these relationships are not typical. Despite films such as I Love You, Man, and prominent articles about “man dates,” Hank’s deep bonds with other men are far from the norm, even now. Kelley Strawn, an Associate Professor of Sociology at Willamette University, will speak after the film. He discussed with Salem Weekly how culture encourages men to be cautious about intimacy, no matter how “sensitively” they have been raised.  “I arrived at… young-adulthood with a fairly high degree of discomfort with emotional intimacy and vulnerability in male-male friendships.” Jade Aguilar, another Assistant Professor of Sociology at Willamette agrees. “…As society increasingly started linking homosexual behavior with a homosexual identity, and then demonized that identity, men who created and maintained close friendships with one another became increasingly at risk of being labeled “gay” and had to deal with all the negative sanctions that came with that label.”The film presents insights in cut-aways to Michael Kimmel, a prominent sociologist and Alan Frow, a Southern California pastor, both of whom discuss the forms male-male uneasiness can take, especially the unwillingness to risk trust.
For those who believe that, intimate male friendships are an ideal society should strive for, this Progressive Film Series evening provides a pulse-taking of the United States at this moment in history. Tim Buckley, Salem-based writer and communication consultant with extensive experience leading men’s groups, will also be on hand to discuss the challenges of men sharing experiences, especially for many who are incarcerated.

When asked about the benefits of male friendships, Aguilar told Salem Weekly, “There are so many. I think all friendships are linked to higher rates of emotional and physical health. Having a close friend of the same gender is also beneficial because they have navigated similar social terrain and experiences.”

Strawn concluded our conversation saying, “We are, most likely, much more open about male-male relationships in the 2000-teens than we were in the 1980s. But we are also probably a long, long way from a wholesale change in how we define “maleness” in our society…. As a life-partner to my spouse, I would like to be free of the burdens of “socialized maleness,” and discussions like the one on March 8 are steps in that process. “

“There are a lot of things happening downtown, and  there is a lot going on in the artistic community.  At the same time we are seeing business closures,” said Phil Decker, Salem Photo League facilitator.
“We want to do something to help,” said Diane Beals, who co-created the event with Rebecca Maitland. “We want to lighten up vacant buildings just by being there. It’s about highlighting the potential our downtown has,” said Beals. For March, photo essays will include “Homeless in Salem” by Diane Beals, “Nothing To Do In Salem?” by Jennifer Carley, “The Happiest Place On Earth” by Joan Lockwood, “We Live Here” by Joel Zak, and “The Bush Park Crew” by Phil Decker.  Salem Photo League photographers will be live on Liberty Street to show and discuss their work. Each photographer will create text for each photo to explain what they are trying to communicate through the essay.  “We hope that it pulls photographers out of the woodwork, and you can imagine a First Wednesday street photo exhibit with many artists  represented giving people a chance to reflect on the Salem Community.”

The Salem Photo League is a collection of local documentary photographers, professional and non-professional, who shed light on local issues, and who support individuals engaged in documentary photography projects. The group was formed in July 2011 after collaboration on the “Faces of Salem” diversity exhibit sponsored by the Salem Multicultural Institute.

Local photographers are encouraged to contact the Salem Photo League to enter photo essays to be considered for each month’s exhibit.

“We are always inviting new people to join us,” said Decker. “We have a Facebook page, ‘Salem Photo League,’ and are always looking for new photographers to join us. The main criteria are to be a documentary photographer, live in the area, and be interested in contributing to the community.”

The Tesla Coil will be unveiled during Seattle’s renowned Pacific Science Center’s “Volts and Jolts” presentations at 3 and 5 p.m. on Sunday, February 19 at the Historic Elsinore Theatre (170 High St. SE). The presentation also includes the equally impressive high-powered electrostatic Van de Graaff generator and other electrically charged demonstrations and experiments. The only addition that could make this event more exciting is if the organizers included the Elsinore’s “Mighty Wurlitzer Organ” as accompaniment. The combination of one Tesla Coil and one Van de Graff generator with a dash of bombastic Wurlitzer could conjure enough power and imagination to raise Frankenstein’s monster.

Other highlights of the festivities include various educational demonstrations and activities throughout the weekend at A.C. Gilbert’s Discovery Village (116 Marion St. NE, Riverfront Park), a science experiment video competition (ending February 20), kids’ experiments at Lancaster Mall, a sustainability “walk and talk” at Pringle Creek Community Center (3911 Village Center Dr. SE), and an appearance by DreamWorks animator Martin Havran at Northern Lights Theatre Pub ($10, $8 for ACGDV members, 3893 Commercial St. SE).

It’s not often that there are activities in Salem that are educational, family-friendly, entertaining AND affordable. For a full list of activities and more information, visit the museum’s festival Web site atwww.acgilbert.org/sizzlinscience2012 or call (503) 371-3631.