text:
|Número de publicación
|Tipo de publicación
|Número de solicitud
|Fecha de publicación
|14 Dic 2010
|Fecha de presentación
|12 Nov 2007
|Fecha de prioridad
|4 Dic 2001
|También publicado como
|Número de publicación
|Kerry Bradley, James Thacker, Michael Moffitt
|Cesionario original
|Boston Scientific Neuromodulation Corporation
|Exportar cita
|BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan
|Citas de patentes (41), Otras citas (7), Citada por (26), Clasificaciones (9), Eventos legales (3)
|Enlaces externos: USPTO, Cesión de USPTO, Espacenet
The present application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/343,007, filed Jan. 30, 2006, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/310,202, filed Dec. 3, 2002 (now U.S. Pat. No. 6,993,384), which application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/338,331, filed Dec. 4, 2001, each of which is incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention relates to neurostimulation systems, such as a spinal cord stimulation (SCS) system, and more particularly to a method for determining the relative position and orientation of electrodes on a neurostimulation lead or leads used with such a system.
In SCS systems, positioning of the leads is critical to the success of the therapy. During surgery, the physician places the leads in a very careful manner in order to locate the electrodes proximal to neural elements that are the target of the stimulation. During and after placement, stimulation energy is delivered to verify that the leads are indeed stimulating the appropriate neural elements.
However, if the leads happen to shift position, the targeted neural elements may no longer be appropriately stimulated. At best, this can require electrical reprogramming to restore therapy or, at worst, surgical revision, where a second surgery is required and the leads must be manually readjusted. In the first case, the physician may have only a suspicion that a lead has shifted position, based on patient reporting of paresthesia, which is not foolproof. Also, attempting to reprogram the leads based on paresthesia locations can be challenging.
What is needed is a more objective technique for verifying the position of the leads.
Prior art approaches for determining the lead position are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,486,835; 4,539,640; and 5,184,624, which patents are incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention addresses the above and other needs by providing a cross-check technique for verifying the position of the electrodes of the implanted leads. A first technique involves the use of interelectrode impedance. A second technique involves measured field potentials. A third technique involves estimated field potentials. Any of these techniques advantageously allows the relative orientation of one electrode on an implanted lead to other electrodes on the implanted lead or adjacent implanted leads in the spinal column or other body/tissue location to be readily determined. Such techniques are useful not only for reprogramming, but also to estimate if the shifted orientation of the electrodes is sufficiently large so as to make electrical reprogramming a waste of time, thereby suggesting that surgery may need to be performed for repositioning.
At present, the correct lead position may only be determined by X-ray or fluoroscopy. Disadvantageously, X-ray and fluoroscopy require expensive equipment, significant time, and appropriate medical facilities, most of which are not readily available. The general process for fitting a neurostimulation patient, i.e., a spinal cord stimulation patient, is described, e.g., in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,052,624; 6,393,325; in published international patent application WO 02/09808 A1 (published 7 Feb. 2002); and in U.S. patent application (assigned to the same assignee as the present application) Ser. No. 09/626,010, filed Jul. 26, 2000; and Ser. No. 09/740,339, filed Dec. 18, 2000, which patents, publication, and applications are incorporated herein by reference.
As indicated in those documents, prior to fitting a patient with the certain types of neurostimulation leads, the relative orientation of the electrodes on the implanted leads should be known in order to allow appropriate navigation of the stimulation energy. At present, a determination of the relative orientation typically requires that a fluoroscope or X-ray image of the implanted leads be present at the time of patient setup with the system programmer. Disadvantageously, however, such images may not always be available. Moreover, between the time of implant and follow-up visits, the leads may have shifted and the fluoroscope image may no longer be valid. This can result in poor patient outcomes due to inappropriate or unexpected stimulation effects during fitting.
Hence, it is seen that there is a need for the cross-check techniques provided by the present invention, which techniques can be used to verify the position of the leads at numerous times during the lifetime of the implanted leads, e.g., during initial implantation and programming, during follow-up visits, throughout the trial period, and during subsequent reprogramming sessions.
Other and further aspects and features of the invention will be evident from reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments, which are intended to illustrate, not limit, the invention.
The drawings illustrate the design and utility of preferred embodiments of the present invention, in which similar elements are referred to by common reference numerals. In order to better appreciate how the above-recited and other advantages and objects of the present inventions are obtained, a more particular description of the present inventions briefly described above will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments thereof, which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Understanding that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are not therefore to be considered limiting of its scope, the invention will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings in which:
At the outset, it is noted that the present invention may be used with an implantable pulse generator (IPG), radio frequency (RF) transmitter, or similar electrical stimulator, that may be used as a component of numerous different types of stimulation systems. The description that follows relates to a spinal cord stimulation (SCS) system. However, it is to be understood that while the invention lends itself well to applications in SCS, the invention, in its broadest aspects, may not be so limited. Rather, the invention may be used with any type of implantable electrical circuitry used to stimulate tissue. For example, the present invention may be used as part of a pacemaker, a defibrillator, a cochlear stimulator, a retinal stimulator, a stimulator configured to produce coordinated limb movement, a cortical stimulator, a deep brain stimulator, a peripheral nerve stimulator, or in any other neural stimulator configured to treat urinary incontinence, sleep apnea, shoulder sublaxation, etc.
The embodiments described herein use: (1) interelectrode impedance; (2) actual field potentials; or (3) estimated field potentials to determine the relative orientation of one electrode on an implanted lead to other electrodes on the implanted lead or adjacent implanted leads in the spinal column or other body/tissue location.
Before describing the three techniques, any of which may be used, it will be helpful to first briefly provide an overview of a representative neurostimulation system of the type in which these techniques may be used. A representative neurostimulation system is illustrated in
Each of the electrodes of each lead 20 or 30 are electrically connected through respective wires, embedded or carried within a body of the lead, to an implantable pulse generator (IPG) 40. The wires connected to the electrodes E1, E2, E3, . . . E8 of lead 20, for example, may be characterized as a bundle of wires 22 that are electrically connected with the IPG 40. Similarly, the wires connected to the electrodes E9, E10, E11, . . . E16 of lead 30 may be characterized as a bundle of wires 32 that are electrically connected with the IPG 40. Through these wires, carried within the respective leads 20 or 30, the IPG is able to direct electrical stimulation to selected electrodes of each lead.
When a given electrode is selected to receive an electrical stimulus, it is (for purposes of the present invention) said to be "activated". When an electrode is not selected to receive an electrical stimulus, it is said to be "non-activated". Electrical stimulation must always occur between two or more electrodes (so that the electrical current associated with the stimulus has a path from the IPG to the tissue to be stimulated, and a return path from the tissue to the IPG). The case of the IPG may function, in some modes of operation, as a return electrode ER. Monopolar stimulation occurs when a selected one or more of the electrodes of one of the leads 20 or 30 is activated with a common polarity (anode or cathode), and the return electrode ER is activated at the opposite polarity. Bipolar stimulation occurs when two of the electrodes of the leads 20 or 30 are activated, e.g., when electrode E3 of lead 20 is activated as an anode at the same time that electrode E11 of lead 30 is activated as a cathode. Tripolar stimulation occurs when three of the electrodes of the leads 20 or 30 are activated, e.g., when electrodes E4 and E5 of lead 20 are activated as an anode at the same time that electrode E13 of lead 30 is activated as a cathode. In general, multipolar stimulation occurs when multiple electrodes of the leads 20 or 30 are activated, but the IPG case is not used as a return electrode.
The IPG 40 is typically programmed, or controlled, through the use of an external (non-implanted) programmer 60. The external programmer 60 is coupled to the IPG 40 through a suitable communications link, represented in
Turning next to
Thus, for example, and as depicted in
If a second lead, also having n electrodes, is positioned adjacent the first lead, each electrode is similarly connected to a dual current source. For example, electrode E(n+1) is connected to a dual current source that produces a current of +I(n+1) or −I(n+1) through electrode E(n+1) when such (n+1)th current source is enabled. In like manner, all of the electrodes of the second lead are connected to respective dual current sources. There are thus 2n dual current sources that are respectively connected to each of the 2n electrodes of the first and second leads (n electrodes on each lead). Alternative embodiments (not shown) may employ less than 2n dual current sources connected to 2n electrodes through a suitable multiplexer circuit.
A programmable current control circuit 44 is also provided within the IPG 40 that controls, i.e., turns on or enables, at specified times, a selected current source to operate as either a cathode or an anode to source or sink a current having a desired amplitude. The control circuit 44 also disables, or turns off, selected current sources, as controlled by programmed control data received from the external programmer, or otherwise resident within the IPG. The control circuit 44 further includes the ability to measure the electrode voltage, EV1, EV2, EV3, . . . EVn, . . . EV(2n), appearing at the output of each dual current source 42, whether the electrode is activated or non-activated. This effectively allows the electrode voltage, or electric field at the electrode, to be measured, which in turn facilitates impedance or field potential measurements to be made, which measurements are used in carrying out various steps of the invention as described below.
Thus, in operation, and as illustrated in
After the time period T1, it is common to switch the polarities of the electrodes during a second time period T2. During T2, the electrodes E1 and E2 are activated as cathodes, so that they both sink current, and electrode E(n+2) is activated as an anode, so that it sources a current equal in amplitude to the current that is sunk by electrodes E1 and E2. In this manner, a biphasic stimulation pulse 46 is produced that is characterized by a first pulse (during time period T1) of one polarity, followed by a second pulse immediately or shortly thereafter (during time period T2) of the opposite polarity. The electrical charge associated with the first pulse is made so that it is equal to the charge associated with the second pulse, thereby maintaining charge balance during the stimulation. Maintaining charge balance when stimulating living tissue is generally considered an important component of a stimulation regime. Charge balance is commonly achieved in a biphasic pulse 46 by making the amplitude of the first pulse during time T1 equal to the amplitude of the second pulse during time period T2, where T1 equals T2. However, charge balance may also be achieved using other combinations of pulse duration and amplitude, e.g., by making the amplitude of the second pulse equal to ˝ the amplitude of the first pulse, while making the time period T2 equal to twice the time period T1.
Next, with respect to
The control circuit 44′, or other circuitry within the IPG 40′, further includes the ability to measure the electrode current, EI1, EI2, EI3, . . . EIn, . . . EI(2n), flowing to or from its respective electrode, whether the electrode is activated or non-activated, and the electrode voltage, EV1, EV2, EV3, . . . EVn, . . . EV(2n), appearing at the output of each non-activated dual voltage source 42′. These measurements facilitate impedance and electric field measurements or calculations to be made, which measurements are used in carrying out various steps of the invention as described below.
A programmable voltage control circuit 44′ controls each of the dual voltage sources 42′, specifying the amplitude, polarity, and duration of the voltage that is applied to its respective terminal. Typically, stimulation is achieved by applying a biphasic stimulation pulse 46′ to the selected electrodes, wherein a voltage of a first polarity and amplitude is applied during time period T3, followed by a voltage of the opposite polarity and amplitude during time period T4. The biphasic stimulation pulse 46′ may be applied between any two or more electrodes.
It should be noted that the functional block diagrams of
With the descriptions of
First, the interelectrode impedance technique for determining relative electrode positions for multipolar leads of a neurostimulation system will be explained in connection with
The first factor (part a) makes up the majority of the measurement, due to the higher and non-uniform current densities near the electrode surface. However, the second factor (part b), where the current density is more uniform, has a roughly linear relationship to distance between the two electrodes, due to the definition of resistance. Resistance, R, is defined as R=(resistivity)×(distance)/cross-sectional area. The second factor (part b) is used by the interelectrode impedance technique embodiment of the invention to determine the relative spacing between electrodes and to determine the relative orientation of the leads.
By way of example, one first-order, simple embodiment of the invention is as follows: if two multipolar leads are placed in the spinal column, see
The monopolar impedances are used to "correct" the bipolar impedances for the first factor of bulk impedance, the strongly-weighted impedance near the electrode. The corrected bipolar impedances are then used to develop an impedance "map" between the electrodes. This map reveals the relative orientation of the leads. To illustrate, a sample correction formula is as follows: (distance between two electrodes e1 & e2)≈(measured bipolar impedance between two electrodes e1 & e2)+(2*offset)−(monopolar Z for electrode e1)−(monopolar Z for electrode e2), where offset=an estimate of the impedance in the monopolar impedance measurement that is NOT due to the tissue near the electrode.
After the bipolar impedances are corrected by the above formula, the relative orientation of the leads may be inferred by the relative minima of the impedance values. Where the corrected bipolar impedance between two electrodes is a minimum relative to other electrodes on an opposing array, those electrodes are relatively adjacent. This information may then be loaded into a programmer, which can then provide a graphic display of the assumed relative lead positions. Such data and/or display might then be compared with previously measured or entered and stored graphics, indicating earlier orientations. Such comparison can thus help the physician/clinician to track the lead orientation to determine appropriate programming, reprogramming, or need for surgical revision. Also, for some programming systems, the present invention may be used to automatically setup the appropriate navigation tables for steering multiple lead systems.
The simple interelectrode impedance technique described above may be enhanced by making more accurate corrections using the appropriate field equations to calculate the monopolar and bipolar impedance of the electrodes. Also, other geometric methods may be employed using the improved "distance impedance" values to improve the mapping of the electrode orientations.
Next, the actual field measurement technique for determining relative electrode positions for multipolar leads of a neurostimulation system will be explained in connection with
By way of example of this field potential measurement technique, consider
Two combinations of anodes/cathodes are used to deliver current to the leads of the dual quadrapolar leads 21 and 31. The first technique is monopolar; that is, current delivered or sourced from one electrode (the cathode) and sunk to the return electrode ER (the anode). Thus, for each active monopolar combination, there are seven non-active electrodes on which the field potential may be measured. The second technique is flanked tripolar stimulation; that is, current delivered between two anodes and one cathode, with the cathode being flanked on each side by an anode.
In both the monopolar stimulation and the tripolar stimulation, a constant current is delivered to each electrode implanted in the patient's body while the field potential is measured on all other electrodes NOT involved in sinking/sourcing current. The constant current may be set to a subperception level, or to another suitable level that is comfortable for the patient.
The field potentials for the monopolar stimulation are plotted on the same chart in
The field potentials for the tripolar stimulation are plotted on the same chart in
Hence, it is seen that by measuring the field potential of the non-active electrodes, when active electrodes are stimulated at constant current levels, e.g., subperception levels, the relative orientation of the neurostimulation leads may be determined. Once known, the relative orientation may be used to perform any one or more of a variety of corrective actions, as will be described in further detail below.
Next, the estimated field potential technique for determining relative electrode positions for multipolar leads of a neurostimulation system will be explained in connection with
As illustrated in
Referring now to
Notably, while this equation has been presented herein to estimate a field potential Φc for the purpose of determining the migration of electrical leads or electrodes, any one of the monopolar impedances between two electrodes and a return electrode, the bipolar impedance between the two electrodes, and the field potential at one of the two electrodes can be estimated by actually measuring the remaining two of the monopolar impedances, bipolar impedance, and field potential to solve the equation for the estimated parameter. Thus, instead of measuring all three of these parameters, only two of them need to be actually measured, while the remaining parameter can be estimated.
While estimation of field potentials from monopolar and multipolar impedance measurements (or estimation of a multipolar impedance using field potentials and monopolar impedance; or estimation of a monopolar impedance using field potentials and multipolar impedance) has been illustrated with a simple two-contact (plus distant return for monopolar measurements) system, it is noted that many monopolar and multipolar combinations with two or more electrodes could be used to estimate field potentials (or impedances) given the linearity and reciprocity associated with the solution method.
For example, referring now to
Assuming that field potentials Φa−Φf are initially unknown, there may be a variety of ways to estimate the field potentials Φa−Φf using linear supposition. For example, the field potentials Φa−Φf can be estimated by configuring the electrodes E1-E3 in three configuration (1 tripolar configuration, 1 bipolar configuration, and 1 monopolar configuration).
Assume for the tripolar configuration that unit values of +0.5, −1.0, and +0.5 are respectively applied to electrodes E1-E3, then the respective monopolar field potentials m1-m3 on electrodes E1-E3 will be will m1 =0.5Φa+0.5Φf−Φd; m2=−Φb+0.5Φe+0.5Φd; and m3=0.5Φc+0.5Φf−Φe. Assume for the bipolar configuration that unit values of +1.0 and −1.0 are respectively applied to electrodes E1 and E2, then the respective monopolar field potentials m4 and m5 on electrodes E1 and E2 will be will m4=Φa−Φd; and m5=Φd−Φb. Assume for the monopolar configuration that a unit value of −1.0 is applied to electrode E3, then a monopolar field potential m6 on electrode E3 will be −Φc.
Based on the field potential measurements m1-m6, the six unknown field potentials Φa−Φf can be solved using common algebraic techniques or linear algebraic techniques, as follows:
Φc =−m6
The calculated field potentials Φa−Φf can be used to estimate bipolar impedances and monopolar impedances and potential differences for arbitrary electrode configurations. That is, assuming a unit current, the monopolar impedances on electrodes E1-E3 will be the field potentials Φa−Φc, and the bipolar impedances on electrodes E1, E2 will be Φa−Φb−2Φd, bipolar impedances on electrodes E2, E3 will be Φb−Φc−2Φe, and bipolar impedances on electrodes E1, E3 will be Φa−Φc−2Φf.
Referring to
For each case, the actual and estimated field potentials were then plotted together, as shown in
Next, with reference to
The amplitudes of the acquired electrical parameters are then saved (block 86), and the stored electrical parameter data is compared to previously-saved electrical parameter data for the same electrodes (block 88). The previously-saved electrical parameter data may have been obtained during initial implantation of the leads, or during the last visit (several weeks or months ago) to the doctor. Or, the previously-saved electrical parameter data may have been obtained just a new hours or minutes ago at a time when the patient's body had assumed a different posture position. Regardless of when the previously-saved electrical parameter data was obtained, the purpose of the comparison performed at block 88 is to determine if the relative position of the leads has changed, which change in position would also have caused a relative change in the position of the electrodes carried on the leads. Such determination may be made by analyzing the electrical parameter data (block 90) as described above in connection with
The magnitude of the difference in the compared electrical parameter data may advantageously provide a relative measure of how far the lead has shifted or moved since the last electrical parameter data was obtained. If a determination has been made that the leads (electrodes) have not shifted relative to each other (block 90), the process returns to block 84. Advantageously, if a determination has been made that the leads (electrodes) have shifted relative to each other (block 90), appropriate correction action may be taken, as needed (block 92). The corrective action taken at block 92 may include, for example, simply tracking the lead migration over time, so that other corrective action, e.g., surgery to reposition the leads, can be taken when necessary. Even if new surgery to reposition the leads is not needed, simply mapping the lead migration overtime will enable reprogramming of the stimuli parameters as needed so that a desired effect can be obtained regardless of the lead movement.
The corrective action may further include setting up stimulation configurations and parameters for providing nominal stimulation suitable for the electrodes in their new relative positions. For example, the amplitude of the stimulus applied to one electrode may be decreased if it is determined that the electrode has migrated closer to another stimulating electrode of the same polarity during stimulation, thereby preserving approximately the same stimulation effect for the patient. Alternatively, the amplitude of the stimulus applied to the electrode may be increased if the electrode has migrated closer to a stimulating electrode of the opposite polarity. Such amplitude adjustments may be made manually or automatically, depending on the mode of operation of the neurostimulation system.
Yet another corrective action that may be taken at block 92 is to adjust the distribution of the stimuli to a new location through navigation. Navigation, as described in the previously referenced patent documents, involves electronically shifting the stimulus current from one group of electrodes to another so as to shift or move the location where the patient feels the most beneficial paresthesia, and/or receives the most benefit. Such navigation allows the neurostimulation system to be quickly "fitted" to a given patient. Fitting the neurostimulation system to the patient is necessary after the system is first implanted, and may also be necessary whenever the leads (electrodes) have moved. The neurostimulation system provides a relatively easy way to determine whether such lead movement has occurred, and thereby whether a refitting is or may be necessary.
Yet additional corrective action that may be taken at block 92 in response to a determination that lead migration or postural changes have occurred includes manually or automatically adjusting the stimulation energy to a previously-defined optimal field potential.
It is thus seen that the present invention uses a measure or estimation of impedance or electric field to determine relative lead positions for multipolar leads in a multi-lead configuration of a neurostimulation system, e.g., a spinal cord stimulation system. It is also seen that the neurostimulation system uses impedance or electric field measurements or estimations to determine relative lead positions, which impedance or electric field measurement estimations may be used as an automated or assistive method for setting up a programmer for navigation, other programming, or diagnostic evaluations in spinal cord (or other neural) stimulation. It is additionally seen that the neurostimulation system may be directed to the storing of impedance or electric field maps to chronically track relative lead positions in a programmer linked to a database, along with other patient data.
Although particular embodiments of the present inventions have been shown and described, it will be understood that it is not intended to limit the present inventions to the preferred embodiments, and it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present inventions. Thus, the present inventions are intended to cover alternatives, modifications, and equivalents, which may be included within the spirit and scope of the present inventions as defined by the claims.
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|Devices for controlling spinal cord modulation for inhibiting pain, and associated systems and methods, including controllers for automated parameter selection
|7 Ene 2014
|23 Jun 2015
|Nevro Corporation
|Systems and methods for adjusting electrical therapy based on impedance changes
|14 Mar 2014
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|Globus Medical, Inc.
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|5 Sep 2013
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|Retinal prosthesis with efficient processing circuits
|16 Ago 2010
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|Boston Scientific Neuromodulation Corporation
|Apparatus and method for determining the relative position and orientation of neurostimulation leads
|6 Mar 2014
|1 Dic 2015
|Nano-Retina Inc.
|Techniques for powering a retinal prosthesis
|3 Feb 2010
|23 Feb 2016
|Nano-Retina, Inc.
|Retinal prosthesis
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|Globus Medical, Inc.
|Spinal cord stimulator system
|21 Ene 2014
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|Nano Retina Ltd.
|Transfer of power and data
|2 Jun 2009
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|Boston Scientific Neuromodulation Corporation
|Apparatus and method for determining the relative position and orientation of neurostimulation leads
|2 Dic 2010
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|18 Ago 2011
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|System and method for detecting intermittent interruptions in electrical stimulation therapy of a patient
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The Children's Book (edition 2010)
by A.S. Byatt
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The Children's Book by A. S. Byatt
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I was talking to someone very recently about the whole "which sister is a better writer" question when it comes to A.S. Byatt and Margaret Drabble. I said that I very much disliked the single book I've read by Drabble so I was going to come down on Byatt's side, even though I hadn't read anything by her. Now that I've read Byatt's wonder novel "The Children's Book" I can say I came down on the side of the correct sister.
"The Children's Book" tells a great story. It's about several loosely connected families and the secrets they keep. It's about how growing up in incredibly creative families seems like such fun from the outside, but isn't so much fun if you're living it. It's about the changing times from Victorian England to the devastation brought by World War I.
Byatt packs a lot into this novel, which can only be described as sprawling. As the story goes, it pulls you deeper and deeper into the dynamics of the families, which are populated by interesting people. I look forward to reading more by Byatt, for sure.
An excellent intricate and challenging read.
Need a new category for "tried to read it but couldn't". Attempted listening to the CD version of the book. I took it on a trip and was really looking forward to it, but it was just too darned S-L-O-W with too many weighty descriptions, not interesting enough to keep my attention. Too many other books to read to justify taking the time to slog through something that doesn't suit my tastes.
This might qualify for a spoiler - if someone reads it and thinks I should hide it, please message me. I don't think I am being that specific. This is really a 2.5...I have a hard time going under a 3 on my stars unless I really dislike something, and if I finish 24 cd's, then I didn't hate it. There are three parts to this book as I see it. The story of the actual characters, the history that appears at the beginning of some of the chapters, and the pieces of fairy tales written by the matriarch of the book. In reverse order, the fairy tales were interesting, and more of it would have been fine. Learning how the tale written for Dorothy mimicked events that occurred in real life at the time of her conception was well done. The history was interesting, I decided the next big achievement in publishing/electronics would be for there to be a way for me to pull out all of those parts and let me read them together. It was a little hard to follow it in the audio version - if I had it in preint I would have gone back over some parts. And for the actual characters...it occurred to me while listening to this that I tend to view all historical fiction as representative of the reality of that time. I think the better way would be to think the story may not be representative, but the context should be. In this case, if the story was totally representative of the time, once could conclude that middle-aged English males of this time period are predominantly adulterous, lecherous or incestuous, depending on their family constellation. There was hardly a decent one among them. And educational institutions for males are abusive hotbeds for breeding homosexuality. The women were presented largely as a variety of extremes, from bright and driven, to abused and in denial.I hope that the lives of most English families were NOT like this. While there were people that were likeable, the ravages of WWI, which I did assume to be fairly accurate, left everyone pretty much a shambles if they manages to survive at all. If you don't deal well with lots of death and sadness, this may not be for you.
Finishing this was a feat since it is very long but I believe it is the best book that I've read by Byatt.
The novel has a tendency to sprawl, with too many characters and too much to say. Yet Byatt takes tender care with the reader. She is a careful guide, and though this entry is at times a lot to process, it's a worthwhile journey.
While Byatt's engagement with the period's overlapping circles of artists and reformers is serious and deep, so much is stuffed into "The Children's Book" that it can be hard to see the magic forest for all the historical lumber — let alone the light at the end of the narrative tunnel. The action is sometimes cut off at awkward moments by ponderous newsreel-style voice-over or potted lectures in cultural history. Startling revelations are dropped in almost nonchalantly and not picked up again until dozens or even hundreds of pages later. Byatt's coda on the Great War, dispatched in scarcely more pages than the Exposition Universelle, is devastating in its restraint. But too often readers may feel as if they're marooned in the back galleries of a museum with a frighteningly energetic docent.
Byatt's characters are themselves her dutiful puppets, always squeezed and shaped for available meaning. The Children's Book has a cumulative energy and intelligence, and the unavoidable scythe of the Great War brings its own power to the narration, but nowhere in its hundreds of pages is there a single moment like the Countess Rostova's free and mysterious irritation.
As in her Booker Prize–winning novel, Possession, here Byatt has constructed a complete and complex world, a gorgeous bolt of fiction, in this case pinned to British events and characters from the 1870s to the end of the Great War...the magic is in the way Byatt suffuses her novel with details, from the shimmery sets of a marionette show to clay mixtures and pottery glazes.
It begins with the discovery of a boy hiding in a museum.
The time is 1895, the boy is Philip Warren, and the museum is the precursor to the Victoria & Albert: the South Kensington Museum. And, oh, yes –there's a remarkable piece of art that the boy is besotted with — the Gloucester Candlestick. However, while this may make many children's book mavens think immediately of E. L. Konigsburg's classical story for children, let me say straight out — A. S. Byatt's The Children's Book is a book for grown-ups. It is emphatically not a children's book although it is about children, about books, about art, about the writing of children's books, about the telling of children's stories, about the clash between life and art, and about a whole lot more. A saga of a book teeming with complex characters, fascinating settings, intellectual provocations, and erudite prose, it gets under your skin as you get deeper and deeper into it and won't let you go even after you reach the last page....
References to this work on external resources.
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Amazon.com Product Description (ISBN 0307272095, Hardcover)Shortlisted
for the Man Booker Prize
A spellbinding novel, at once sweeping and intimate, from the Booker Prize–winning author of Possession, that spans the Victorian era through the World War I years, and centers around a famous children's book author and the passions, betrayals, and secrets that tear apart the people she loves.
When Olive Wellwood's oldest son discovers a runaway named Philip sketching in the basement of the new Victoria and Albert Museum—a talented working-class boy who could be a character out of one of Olive's magical tales—she takes him into the storybook world of her family and friends.
But the joyful bacchanals Olive hosts at her rambling country house—and the separate, private books she writes for each of her seven children—conceal more treachery and darkness than Philip has ever imagined. As these lives—of adults and children alike—unfold, lies are revealed, hearts are broken, and the damaging truth about the Wellwoods slowly emerges. But their personal struggles, their hidden desires, will soon be eclipsed by far greater forces, as the tides turn across Europe and a golden era comes to an end.
Taking us from the cliff-lined shores of England to Paris, Munich, and the trenches of the Somme, The Children's Book is a deeply affecting story of a singular family, played out against the great, rippling tides of the day. It is a masterly literary achievement by one of our most essential writers.
(retrieved from Amazon Thu, 12 Mar 2015 18:19:08 -0400)
When Olive Wellwood's oldest son discovers a runaway named Philip sketching in the basement of the new Victoria and Albert Museum--a talented working-class boy who could be a character out of one of Olive's magical tales--she takes him into the storybook world of her family and friends--a world that conceals more treachery and darkness than Philip has ever imagined and that will soon be eclipsed by far greater forces.… (more)
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Digital Operations Manager
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- Bournemouth, Dorset
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- £competitive + excellent benefits
- Posted
- 29 Nov 2012
- Closes
- 01 Dec 2012
- Job Function
- Design and Production, eCRM, Mobile, Search Marketing, Social Media
- Contract
- Permanent
Job Description
About us
We're LV= and we've been busy shaking up the world of insurance. We're the UK's largest friendly society, with more than 4 million customers and over 5,500 employees. We've come a long way over the last few years with greatly improved financial performance and huge business growth. We're looking to the future with confidence and enthusiasm as we continue to make our product and service offering the finest around.
About the role
Digital Operations is a multi-disciplinary team of eCommerce professionals covering Web Content, User Experience and Project Management. Our mission is to deliver an exceptional online customer experience, thereby helping both our customers and the business to achieve their goals.
We work extensively with the Digital Marketing and Web Analytics Teams to understand performance and optimise digital marketing campaigns/ customer journeys. Within the wider business we work closely with CIO, Product & Pricing, Marketing, Business Change and Sales & Service (Contact Centre). We work hard to achieve our goals and like to celebrate our successes!
You will be responsible for the operational aspects of our General Insurance eCommerce operation including the end-to-end delivery of digital projects. In this role, you'll look to drive innovation and identify emerging trends and growth channels to ensure we achieve a best-in-class digital experience for our customers. We want to remain easy to do business with and successful in meeting the online needs of our customers, therefore it's important that we understand their needs as well as the needs of our GI Operations Business.
As well as a competitive salary, you'll enjoy 30 days' holiday (with the option to buy and sell more), annual bonus scheme, a highly competitive defined contributory pension scheme, childcare voucher scheme, private medical insurance, generous discounts on our range of quality products, and an impressive, flexible benefits package.
LV= is an equal opportunities employer.
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About you
You will have strong commercial awareness and significant experience of managing fully transactional digital channels combined with proven experience of delivering digital/eCommerce projects together with a broad understanding and experience of all eCommerce disciplines such as; Web content, User Experience, Web Analytics and Digital Marketing. You'll ideally come from either a financial services or multi-channel retail background, with an excellent understanding of the digital landscape including new and emerging digital tools and technologies with the ability to build relationships across multiple departments.
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Please apply online using the above URL or visit us at http://www.jobs.lv.com/


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EMP - Jimi Hendrix Life
December 3 | 9:00 am - 4:00 pm
Join us at the EMP in Seattle to celebrate Jimi Hendrix's 70th birthday. The Jimi Hendrix display focuses on his music and time in London. Special tickets allow 14 lucky people to get into the EMP and see the exhibit for free.
Who: Stillaguamish Senior Center
Location: Stillaguamish Senior Center
Address: 18308 Smokey Point Blvd
Arlington, WA 98223
Phone: 360-653-4551
Email: email@example.com
Cost: Busing and Parking/$16; lunch on own


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McCarthy & Stone - Holmes Place, TN6 Property new homes
Crowborough Hill, Crowborough, TN6 2RS | Call 01892 310004
Property type
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- Pre-owned / New homes No preference
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- Retirement No preference
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£273,950 From
1 bed flat for sale"Typical 1 Bedroom" at Crowborough Hill, Crowborough TN6
Each McCarthy & Stone apartment at Holmes Place varies to a degree, but this will give you an idea of what you'll find within a new one bedroom Retirement Living apartment at our new development in Crowborough.
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- Crowborough (1.2 miles)
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Further information for new homes from McCarthy & Stone - Holmes Place, TN6
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Annotate this Case
- Syllabus
- Case
U.S. Supreme Court
Cocks v. Izard, 74 U.S. 7 Wall. 559 559 (1868)
Cocks v. Izard
74 U.S. (7 Wall.) 559
A bill in equity, by the owner of real estate sold at public judicial sale will lie against a person who, at such sale, has made untrue representations, which prevent other persons from bidding and by which he has so, himself, got the property at an undervalue. The original owner is not confined to seeking relief through the summary modes such as motion to set aside the sale, which it was within the power of the court from which the execution issued to grant. Slater v. Maxwell, 6 Wall. 276, affirmed.
During the late rebellion, one Anderson, by a proceeding in what was known as "the Provisional Court of Louisiana" -- a court established by proclamation of the President in October, 1862, when the insurrection which had prevailed in Louisiana, had temporarily subverted and swept away the judicial authorities of the Union, and which, by the terms of its constitution, was to last only until "the restoration of the civil authority" -- brought some sort of suit against one Cocks.
The suit proceeded to execution, and, on execution, the marshal of the said Provisional Court exposed to public sale certain real estate owned by Cocks in New Orleans and worth $15,000. Cocks was a resident of Mississippi,
and knew nothing of the suit, execution, or exposure to sale. At the sale, one Izard, his tenant, who was there, made a bid of $1,500, giving out and letting it be understood that he was bidding for account of Cocks and in his interest. Persons, who were at the sale thus refrained from bidding from a wish not to compete, and, competition being so prevented, the property was knocked down to Izard at the sum bid by him.
Izard acknowledged these facts soon after the sale, and promised to reconvey on receiving the money which he had advanced. He afterwards refused to do this.
Cocks now filed a bill in the court below, setting forth the above facts, that Izard had received in rents, in two years, $2,500; and praying an account and reconveyance.
Izard demurred, and the court below, sustaining the demurrer, dismissed the bill. Cocks appealed.
Disclaimer: Official Supreme Court case law is only found in the print version of the United States Reports. Justia case law is provided for general informational purposes only, and may not reflect current legal developments, verdicts or settlements. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or information linked to from this site. Please check official sources.


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Edible and Medicinal Plants of California: A bioregional Exploration (12 Month Course)
Friday | October 24, 2014 | 7:00 pm — Sunday | September 27, 2015 | 7:00 pm
Blue Wind Botanical Medicine Clinic | Ukiah , CA
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Join us on this yearlong journey of discovery as we follow the plants through the seasons while learning about their many historical and contemporary uses. Class will meet one weekend per month (Friday evening–Sunday evening) for a total of 12 months. The March, July, and August classes will be extended to 4-day sessions and will take place at various locations throughout the state (details listed on website).Visit Event Website >>
Cost: $2550 Regular Tuition (after Sept 1st)Event Phone: 510-290-6841
Event Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Please contact organizer for wheelchair accessibility information.


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Cincinnati King
New play chronicles the life and legacy of Syd Nathan and King Records
Harper Lee
0 Comments · Wednesday, August 28, 2013
Earlier this year, dozens of volunteers roamed Cincinnati, haunting record stores, clubs and coffee shops. The group was seeking stories about King Records, the legendary record label that made its home here in the Queen City.
by Rick Pender
Posted In:
at 08:55 AM |
Stage Door: Near Season's End
Cincinnati Shakespeare Company finishes its run of Measure for Measure this weekend (CityBeat review here). It's a dark tale of hypocrisy and manipulation, with a few glimmers of ribald humor. Director Brian Phillips has transported the story from Renaissance-Era Vienna to the United States of the 1920s when Prohibition made everyday occurrences of fast living and bad behavior. (Can you say Boardwalk Empire?) In 20 seasons, CSC has only staged it once before, but this is a production worth seeing because of the strong acting company — especially Brent Vimtrup, Kelly Mengelkoch and Nick Rose. Billy Chace does a nice job with the comic bits, too, even though they feel weird in this difficult story of self-righteousness and double-dealing. Tickets: 513-381-2273, x1.For those into crooning, sentimental nostalgia, you'll find an ample supply aboard the Showboat Majestic's production of Forever Plaid. Jinx, Sparky Francis and Smudge conjure up a lot of good clean fun and close harmonies for their final concert. And I do mean final — in fact, they're kind of after the fact: Coming back from the great beyond for one last gig after a tragic bus accident on their way to a career-making gig. There's a lot of tomfoolery that makes this show amusing and entertaining. Through June 2. Tickets: 513-241-6550. If you prefer the girls to the boys, Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati is into the extended run of The Mavelous Wonderettes: Caps and Gowns. The spunky gals — who also traffic in tunes from the '50s and '60s — provide two more rounds of melodies and moodiness. "Caps" is a reconstruction of their graduation night in 1958, while "Gowns" is a decade later at the wedding reception of Missy, who always has a plan, and Mr. Lee, a teacher she idolized. We get to see what life has brought to her three friends, love-'em-and-leave-'em Cindy Lou, jealous Betty Jean and vapid Suzy. ETC's casting gets an A+. Through June 1. Tickets: 513-421-3555. For our early summer enjoyment, the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park has put together the charming and family-friendly Shipwrecked! An Entertainment: The Amazing Adventures of Louis de Rougemont (As Told by Himself). I attended the opening on Thursday evening and witnessed three actors who play a host of characters, change costumes in plain view, create wildly imaginative scenery and make their own sound effects. It's a wistful story of adventure that revels in the adventure of storytelling. It's onstage through June 16. Tickets: 513-421-3888.
Double Indemnity (Review)
Cincinnati Playhouse production is playful, thrilling
Rick Pender
0 Comments · Friday, May 3, 2013
Tough guys. Dames. Desperation. Shadows. Cynical narration. Sexual motivation. The Cincinnati Playhouse's production of Double Indemnity has all the requisite elements of film noir.
by Rick Pender
Posted In:
at 08:50 AM |
Stage Door: Shake It Up
Cincinnati Shakespeare Company opens its production of the infrequently staged Measure for Measure tonight. Director Brian Isaac Phillips says, "We have discovered a lot of satire and wit as we explore the biting social criticism in this play. The behavior of these characters … is like a dark comic mirror, held up to nature. Shakespeare has written a play that begs us to examine modern day decadence and hypocrisy." Phillips has set the production in the corrupt and hypocritical Prohibition Era, to "give modern audiences a context for the actions and the characters' deeply held opinions." It's onstage through May 26. Tickets: 513-381-2273 x.1. The Marvelous Wonderettes are back at Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati with another sequel to the 2010 show that set box-office records. This time the theme is "Caps and Gowns" — which means graduation (in 1958) and a wedding (in 1968). The quartet of girl singers are lively and sometimes harmonious, although each one has her quirks and pet peeves. The spread of a decade allows a range through two distinct periods of Rock & Roll, one innocent, the other a bit more knowing. ETC has reunited three of the four actresses who've played these parts before, and the fourth slot – filled by Leslie Goddard — is a petite stick of dynamite in cats' eye glasses. The show opened on Wednesday, and it will surely be a hot ticket again — ETC has already extended it by two weeks beyond its original closing date. Tickets: 513-421-3555. I went to see Sister Act, based on the Whoopi Goldberg film from 1992 about nuns and disco, with low expectations. I was pleasantly surprised: This is a solid production of a very silly show, with some genuine talent in the leading roles, and plenty of energy in the ensemble. The music (by composer Alan Menken, who also wrote Little Shop of Horrors, Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, Newsies and many more) is entertaining, the production looks great — lots of glitter and sequins — and some moments of touching emotion (cliched, but moving nonetheless). Don't expect anything profound and you'll have a good time. It's onstage at the Aronoff Center. Tickets: 800-982-2782. If you're in a darker mood, check out Double Indemnity at the Cincinnati Playhouse. It's a stage version of a noir classic, a pair of lovers plot to murder her husband and score a big insurance take (boyfriend is an insurance salesman). But things don't quite work out as planned. Very stylish imagery and actors who get the hard-boiled tough-guy style of story-telling from the 1940s. Paul Shortt's cleverly designed set moves the action quickly from scene to scene using two turntables, so it's almost like a movie with "wipes" from once setting to the next. Tickets: 513-421-3888.
by Rick Pender
Posted In:
at 08:46 AM |
Stage Door: Weekend Choices
You still have several weeks to see Cock (aka "The Cockfight Play" for journalism wimps) at Know Theatre. (It's onstage through May 11.) It's an oh-so-contemporary piece of theater about a gay man — or rather a man — who thought himself to be gay until he breaks up with his boyfriend and takes up with a woman. (CityBeat review here.) The play involves the tense dance of indecision he becomes part of as his lovers fight over him. It's about 90-minutes of fiercely acted theatrics, staged in a setting that looks like the arena where cockfighting happens. Definitely for mature audiences who appreciate shows that don't pull punches. Tickets: 513-3
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by Rick Pender
Posted In:
at 08:06 AM |
Stage Door: Tickets Available for 'War Horse'
I'm off to the Humana Festival of New American Plays at Actors Theatre of Louisville this weekend, where I'll be checking out plays that could well be on their way to theaters across America in future seasons. For those of you staying here in Greater Cincinnati, there's lots of good stuff to get out and see onstage:War Horse completes its Cincinnati stop on Sunday. I heard a rumor that it's not selling well, which strikes me as mystifying. It's one of the best pieces of theater I've seen on tour in ages. (Review here.) Of course, it's not a musical (which is what people who go to the Broadway Series at the Aronoff have come to expect) and it was made into a moderately successful movie by Steven Spielberg. But the stage production is a miraculous piece of theater artistry, especially the onstage creation of living breathing horses, life-sized puppets that are manipulated (by three performers) that you'll be convinced you're watching the real thing. The silver lining to poor attendance, I suppose, is that tickets are readily available. You should get yours right away for the chance to see this Tony Award-winning production: Final performance is on Sunday. Box office: 800-987-2787 Last evening I made time to see Cincinnati Shakespeare's production of A Midsummer Night's Dream. It's going to be around for several more weeks, and it's definitely an entertaining — and unusual — rendition of the tale of mixed-up lovers. (Review here.) Director Jeremy Dubin has transported it from the mythical Athens that Shakespeare envisioned and landed it in a swampy Southeastern U.S. in the 1940s, complete with a few guys with drawls in uniform and a clown in a loud plaid sports coat. The latter is CSC Nick Rose, and watching him overact as Nick Bottom, the weaver who imagines himself to be a brilliant performer, is hilarious. MND's mix of magic and humor is always fun, even if it doesn't make much sense, especially in this setting. Box office: 513-381-2273, x1. Also worth checking out is the Cincinnati Playhouse's entertaining production of The Book Club Play. It's good in the same way as a well-done TV sitcom: Familiar characters pushed to comic extremes, funny situations that you can identify with, story twists that surprise and amuse. (Review here.) Because book clubs are a big deal these days, lots of people are flocking to see this show (it's been extended to May 5), so you should call now to get your tickets. I can assure you that you'll leave the theater with a smile on your face. Box office: 513-421-3888. Smiles cannot be predicted with the staging of Jason Robert Brown's very serious musical, Parade, at the Carnegie. But a piece of great drama and fine music is certainly in store if you head to Covington for this one, staged by Ed Cohen and Dee Ann Bryll. It's actually a studio production from UC's College-Conservatory of Music, featuring some outstanding talent from one of America's best training programs for Broadway talent. The story of a falsely accused factor manager, railroaded into a murder conviction mainly because of anti-Semitic attitudes, is heart-rending. But it makes for powerful theater. It opens tonight and runs through April 21. Box office: 859-957-1940.
The Trip to Bountiful (Review)
Playhouse debut is a deeply heartfelt story about home
Rick Pender
0 Comments · Monday, March 18, 2013
Playwright Horton Foote, who died in 2009 at the age of 92, is making a long overdue debut at the Cincinnati Playhouse with The Trip to Bountiful.
Curtain Call
Seasons Greetings
Rick Pender
0 Comments · Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Here are the ingredients: a couple of Broadway and off-Broadway hits, three world premieres, a lavish Jane Austen show, a classic musical by Kander and Ebb, an innovative drama with tap dancing and video, plus holiday festivities...
by Rick Pender
Posted In:
at 11:00 AM |
Playhouse Announces 2013-14 Season
Blake Robison to stage "Cabaret," "Pride and Prejudice" among compelling new work
"People look to the Cincinnati Playhouse for classic entertainment and the best contemporary theatre," says Blake Robison, producing artistic director, as he announces his second season, coming in September. For 2013-2014 he's assembled an array of big titles — including the classic Kander and Ebb musical Cabaret and a stage adaptation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice — and a collection compelling new work (including two world premieres), mostly on the Shelterhouse Theatre stage. The Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park has two stages: The Robert S. Marx Theatre is the mainstage with 626 seats; the Thompson Shelterhouse (which is in fact a one-time park shelter) can accommodate an audience of 225. Both have thrust-style stages surrounded by audience seating on three sides, making the action is close and intimate in both theaters. On the Marx Stage: · Fly by Trey Ellis and Ricardo Khan (Sept. 7-Oct. 5, 2013). The story of World War II's Tuskegee Airmen is told using live action, video projections and tap dancing. This new work will be directed by Khan, its co-creator. · Cabaret by John Kander and Fred Ebb (Oct. 19-Nov. 16, 2013). Set in Berlin in the 1930s, and especially in the decadent Kit Kat Club, it's a musical love story with lots of choreography. Marcia Milgrom Dodge, a Broadway veteran, will direct. · A Christmas Carol, adapted by Howard Dallin (Nov. 27-Dec. 29, 2013). Michael Evan Haney will direct the holiday show with a cast of 30 for the 21st time. · Clybourne Park by Bruce Norris (Jan.18-Feb. 16, 2014). This one won the 2011 Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award for best play. Inspired by Lorraine Hansberry's classic play, A Raisin in the Sun, the play is explores racial attitudes in a Chicago neighborhood in 1959 and 2009. Artistic Associate Timothy Douglas (who staged the current production of A Trip to Bountiful) is the director. · Pride and Prejudice, adapted by Joseph Hanreddy and J. R. Sullivan (March 8-April 5, 2014). Robison will direct this lavish, full-scale production of Jane Austen's classic romance. · Venus in Fur by David Ives (April 19-May 17, 2014). Maybe you know Ives' very funny collection of skits, All in the Timing. This is a full-length comedy about a director seeking the right actress who gets more than he bargained for. Artistic Associate KJ Sanchez is staging this one. On the Shelterhouse Stage: · Seven Spots on the Sun by Martín Zimmerman (Sept. 28-Oct. 27, 2013). The first of several world premieres for the season, this one is a fable of revenge and redemption set in a Latin American village just after a brutal civil war. Sanchez is directing this one. · The Complete History of Comedy (Abridged) by the Reduced Shakespeare Company (Nov. 9-Dec. 29, 2013). The same guys who abbreviated Shakespeare, the Bible and American history are at it again, premiering their latest abridgment right here in River City. · 4000 Miles by Amy Herzog (Feb. 8-March 9, 2014). Robison will stage this tale of a pair of unlikely roommates, a 91-year-old grandmother and her 21-year-old grandson. · A Delicate Ship by Anna Ziegler (March 22-April 20, 2014). Another world premiere production, this one by an impressive young playwright who offers a humorous and heartbreaking look at love, memory and decisions that change lives. Michael Haney will direct. (Haney, perhaps Cincinnati's best local director, was the Playhouse's Associate Artistic Director from 2001 to 2013; starting in the fall, he joins Douglas and Sanchez in a trio of "artistic associates" who each will direct two shows.) · The North Pool by Rajiv Joseph (May 3-June 1, 2014). Rajiv Joseph's riveting psychological drama is the story of a transfer student from the Middle East whose life quickly becomes complicated. Douglas is the director.
by Rick Pender
Posted In:
at 07:47 AM |
Stage Door: Comedy, Conflict and Classics
My schedule hasn't afforded me the time to see the production of Don't Cross the Streams: The Cease and Desist Musical, a show that began its life in the Cincinnati Fringe Festival back in June. (It also was a festival highlight at the IndyFringe in Indianapolis in August.) But the very tongue-in-cheek piece inspired by the film Ghostbusters (but not allowed to say that) has now been expanded into a full-fledged musical that's onstage at Newport's Monmouth Theatre, presented by Falcon Theatre and Hugo West Theatricals. The League of Cincinnati Theatres has termed the show a "recommended production," so it's evident that their judging panel enjoyed it. One panelist called it "a lively, enthusiastic spoof," and another said that the show is "an evening of theater that doesn't take itself too seriously. The show just had a two-weekend run, so it's final performance is Saturday at 8 p.m. Tickets: 513-479-6783. Ensemble Theatre's production of Black Pearl Sings! features one of the finest performances by a local actor that I've seen this season. Torie Wiggins plays a woman in the 1930s who translates her memory of songs from her African ancestors into a ticket out of prison and to some notoriety in New York City. Wiggins nuanced performance is complemented by veteran Annie Fitzpatrick as the folk music researcher who sees Pearl as her own ticket to success. Their tentative relationship becomes a delicately balanced friendship, while both explore issues of racism, sexism and getting ahead. Definitely worth seeing. Through March 31. Box office: 513-421-3555. Lizan Mitchell is at the other end of the career spectrum from Wiggins, but she too plays Carrie Watts, a sprightly, elderly African-Amerian woman whose powerful sense of home takes her on an impromptu journey back to her roots in A Trip to Bountiful at the Cincinnati Playhouse. It's laced with sadness, since what she remembers no longer exists, but her memories and her joyful take on life make it all worthwhile, not only for her but for others in her life, including her browbeaten son and his selfish wife as well as a sweet young woman who is Carrie's companion on a long bus ride. Through April 7. Box office: 513-421-3888. This weekend Cincinnati Shakespeare is opening a production of the much-loved Shakespearean romantic comedy, A Midsummer Night's Dream. It's been transported to 1940s America and set in a Jazz-inspired magical forest, with original musica composed by resident sound designer Doug Borntrager; there's also original choreography by Brittany Kugler. The production is staged by Jeremy Dubin, and features veteran actor Nick Rose in the role of Nick Bottom the Weaver, the guy who makes an ass of himself — literally. It's a tangled, funny story that all works out perfectly in the end. A great show to kick off springtime. Through April 21. Box office: 513-381-2273 x1.
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Enrichment Guide
Type of Program
James A. Michener Art Museum
Essential Information
138 S. Pine St.
Doylestown, PA 18901
215-340-9800 ext111
Enrichment programs foster creativity, critical problem-solving & expanded cultural awareness.
Additional Information
Website: http://www.michenerartmuseum.org
Type of Program: Arts
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