civil discourse

Part I I’ve been watching Grey Forge LeFey and Kurt A. Schauppner develop their characters in Edward Albee’s Marriage Play. They’ve been adding layers and layers as they go and are certainly ready for opening night tonight. (Most importantly, director Abe Daniels thinks so.) Impressed as I am with their acting, I remain mystified as […]

I’ve always objected to the use of polite phrases (“excuse me”) as prompts–or worse, demands–for proper behavior. What brings this up at the moment is a discussion of parents using “Excuse me!” to shut their children down. That’s not what courteous phrases are for. They are meant to be expressions of deference, never demands. “Excuse