Christmas at the Mormon Temple

The Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Kensington, Maryland/Photo from the LDS website

When you drive on the outer loop on the western side of the Beltway at night, do you crane your neck to look up and see the beautifully lighted spires of the Mormon Temple?  It is straight up, and I have often wondered how many car crashes have happened at that curve when drivers lean forward to catch a glimpse of the sacred monument on the hill. As you approach, the spires seem to almost lean over the roadway before they are obscured by trees.

The Washington, D.C. Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints/Photo by Patricia Leslie

Once I saw the Temple's Festival of Lights listed in the paper, I jumped at the chance to go and visit, but, not unexpectedly, upon arrival, my entrance to the Temple was denied. 

Without adequate training and education, I was told by two "sisters" at the adjacent Visitors' Center, I was not "worthy" to enter the sacred space of the Temple of Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

But, I was not the only one.  Some Mormons themselves do not pass the "worthy" test!

The sisters, both in their 20s, guided me through the Visitors' Center, explaining in a gentle manner that "worthiness" (sounds like Colbert's "truthiness") requires training, commitment, and devotion.  

Not something which can be taken lightly or done overnight.

As a matter of fact, the married Mormon aunt and brother-in-law of one of the sisters were not "worthy" themselves, having committed some "unworthy acts" (not defined) and were undergoing training and education at the very moment to learn and practice "worthiness." Once they passed the test and gained approval by the Temple's bishop, then, in one of the Temple's "sealing rooms," they would participate in an eternal marriage or "celestial sealing."

"'Till death do us part" is not long enough for Mormons.

In the Visitors' Center, a large cutaway model of the interior of the Temple (160,000 square feet) stood nearby. The sisters explained to me the purposes of many of the rooms.

At the Visitors' Center at the Mormon Temple, the large cutaway model of the Temple shows what the Temple looks like inside on multiple levels. The spires of the real thing are seen through what appears to be fog in the distance but is actually a window at the Visitors' Center/Photo by Patricia Leslie

Reflection on the heavy plastic or glass of the Temple model diminishes clarity for the photo/
Photo by Patricia Leslie
 
A close-up of one of the sections of the Temple model/
Photo by Patricia Leslie

At the Visitors' Center is a tall statue of Jesus.  Note its size compared to the adults standing nearby.  The base is marble and the statue components are ? Photo by Patricia Leslie

Jesus at the Visitors' Center flanked by poinsettias and decorated Christmas trees/Photo by Patricia Leslie

Sister Tillitson asked if she could read to me a short verse from the Book of Mormon which I was happy to hear.  She read Chapter 10, verses 4 and 5.  

 4 And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.

 5 And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.

The sisters carried their own well-worn copies of the Old Testament and the Book of Mormon.  To fulfill Mormon requirements they said they volunteer their time and talents for 18 months and serve as guides at the Visitors' Center, among other duties.  Males must spend two years in service for the church/Photo by Patricia Leslie

The Washington Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  On top of the spire at far left, clearly visible from the Beltway, is a gold statue of Moroni (pronounced "Mo-roan-eye"), the Mormon prophet/Photo by Patricia Leslie

Moroni, atop the Temple's tallest spire (288 feet), the closest spire to the Beltway/Photo by Patricia Leslie

Many tall decorated Christmas trees including this "doll tree" filled the Mormon Visitors' Center/Photo by Patricia Leslie

 A close-up of the "doll tree" at the Mormon Visitors' Center/Photo by Patricia Leslie

One Christmas tree was filled with scenes from a children's book, Bethlehem, based on art by Mikolas Ales (1852-1913), a Czech artist/Photo by Patricia Leslie

Crèches from around the world filled a separate room at the Washington Temple's Visitors' Center.  This one was from Honduras and made with banana leaves/
Photo by Patricia Leslie

In the "Crèche Room" at the Visitors' Center was a figure from Russia/Photo by Patricia Leslie

A crèche from Bolivia/Photo by Patricia Leslie

A crèche from Bulgaria/Photo by Patricia Leslie

A crèche from Tanzania/Photo by Patricia Leslie

A crèche from Ecuador/Photo by Patricia Leslie

 

A crèche from Thailand/Photo by Patricia Leslie

The Washington D.C. Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints/Photo by Patricia Leslie

Aerial view of the Washington D.C. Mormon Temple from Carol M. Highsmith Archive, U.S. Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division/Wikipedia
 
Wikipedia says the Temple cost $15 million and was completed in 1974 when 750,000 persons visited the building.  It was the first Mormon temple built east of the Mississippi River since the original temple was constructed in 1846 in Nauvoo, Illinois.

What:  The Washington D.C. Mormon Temple Visitors' Center

Where:  9900 Stoneybrook Drive, Kensington, Maryland 20895

When:  Open every day from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

How much:  It's free

Parking:  Plenty of spaces on-site and free

For more information:  301-587-0144

patricialesli@gmail.com

Vintage gowns, jewels, accessories end at Hillwood Jan. 10

Marjorie Merriweather Post wore this gown in celebration of her husband's bestselling book and movie, Mission to Moscow, about their lives in the Soviet Union from 1937 to 1938. Miss Post commissioned the jewels from Cartier/Photo by Patricia Leslie

 Darling, for a sumptuous visual feast, you would do yourself (and others of similar persuasion) a favor to visit Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens and luxuriate in Marjorie Merriweather Post's elegant gowns, now the centerpiece of an exhibition, Ingenue to Icon.   

Shoes, parasols, and other accessories complete her outfits in a 20th century fashion history which embrace 70 years of Miss Post's life.

The dresses pictured here are from the first part of the exhibition, no longer on view but changed out for another presentation of gowns which may be seen through January 10. 

They are but a small portion of Miss Post's ensemble of 175 gowns and 300 accessories (of 17,000 objects at the museum) featured in the show which is arranged chronologically.   

A 150-paged color catalogue is available.

This dress (which rotated at the display on a pedestal) opened the first part of the exhibition.  It's made of silk satin and includes the velvet and fur drape slung/resting on the chair.  For the accompanying 1934 portrait by Frank Salisbury, Miss Post wore a double-strand pearl necklace and Cartier bracelets/Photo by Patricia Leslie

Marjorie Merriweather Post (1887-1973) was/is a celebrity icon, a socialite, and philanthropist with a net worth of $5 billion (Wikipedia).  

The daughter of the cereal magnate, wife of four, and mother of three daughters (of whom only the youngest, the actress Dina Merrill, survives and celebrates her 92nd birthday December 29),

Miss Post lived in the Soviet Union during 1937 and 1938 with Husband No. 3, Joseph E. Davies who served as the U.S. ambassador under Joseph Stalin.

While in the Soviet Union, the couple's affinity for Russian imperial art developed, aided by their purchases, often at discounted rates, of the things they grew to love.  (Stalin needed the money for his industrialization projects.  This scenario can be compared to the Nazi seizure of masterpieces from Jewish families before and during World War II since some of the Russian art allegedly was taken from murdered royalty and private Russian citizens.)

Outside Russia, Hillwood has the world's largest collection of that nation's imperial art.  (One could only imagine how Vladimir Putin would like to have it back. A point of negotiation?  If he were to visit and ride horseback topless through Hillwood's 25 acres with BFF Donald Trump, consider Hillwood's ticket sales!  This activity is in keeping with both personalities, however, it would run counter to the style, class, and sophistication Miss Post represented so let's forget this possibility and move on.  BTW, in 1985 Mr. Trump bought Miss Post's Palm Beach mansion, Mar-A-Lago. The links are ceaseless.) 

Miss Post wore "my first ballgown" on her 16th birthday, March 15, 1903. Photographs and portraits of her in various apparel complement the garments in the exhibition/Photo by Patricia Leslie

With her two daughters, Adelaide and Eleanor, this 1918 portrait depicts Miss Post in an "afternoon dress"/Photo by Patricia Leslie

Calling Agatha Christie.  This was a "traveling dress" with accessories, circa 1910/Photo by Patricia Leslie

Miss Post's suffragette suit which she wore as a member of the New York State Woman Suffragette Party when the group met with President Woodrow Wilson in Washington on Oct. 25, 1917. The hat on the table reminds me of a big black bird flying in for a landing. (Have you seen the movie, Suffragette?  A must-see.  One of the year's best!) 

If the skirt were a foot shorter or pants, it could have come from the closet of Barbara Bush or Hillary Clinton, don't you think?/Photo by Patricia Leslie

Miss Post's Paris-designed dress was considered daring with its bifurcated skirt, inspired by the Ballets Russes which took Europe and America "by storm" when it performed from 1909 to 1929/Photo by Patricia Leslie

A 1935 Bergdorf Goodman creation in the "Hollywood style"/Photo by Patricia Leslie

Miss Post wore this on Oct. 31, 1957, when in recognition of her long devotion to France, the French ambassador awarded her the cross of the Chevalier of the Legion of Honor (the red ribbon sewn to her dress).  During World War I she established a hospital in northern France and in 1955, the bicentennial of Marie Antoinette's birth, helped raise money for Versailles/Photo by Patricia Leslie

Some of Miss Post's gowns/Photo by Patricia Leslie

The white "mermaid dress" was a gown Miss Post wore for the opening of the New York Philharmonic at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in September, 1962. The black "mermaid dress" is Hillwood's most recent addition, given last August by Miss Post's great-grandson, Post Steven Dye.  In the photograph circa 1962 taken at Hillwood, Miss Post wears the dress made of silk crepe,

nylon organza, chiffon, and iridescent sequins.  Miss Post bought Hillwood in 1955/Photo by Patricia Leslie

In 1952 when she was 65, Miss Post wore this gown for the portrait by Douglas Chandor.  It was designed by Ann Lowe, an African American who, in the previous year, created Jacqueline Bouvier's wedding dress for her marriage to John F. Kennedy/Photo by Patricia Leslie

Gowns in Hillwood's dining room/Photo by Patricia Leslie

More Hillwood and Post finery in the mansion, the designs which suggest an adaptation of the Winged Victory of Samothrace/Photo by Patricia Leslie

Nicholas II who served as tsar of Russia from 1894 to 1917 is positioned on the right wall upon entrance to the mansion's Pavilion theater used for after-dinner movies and dancing.  On a nearby piano in the Pavilion are photographs of Nicholas, his wife and five children, all murdered by the Bolsheviks on July 17, 1918.   Will the Russians have a commemoration in their honor for the upcoming centennial of their deaths?/Photo by Patricia Leslie

Another portrait of Nicholas II, also in the Pavilion on the left wall/Photo by Patricia Leslie

Hillwood's north portico where visitors enter/Photo by Patricia Leslie

Hillwood's south portico where visitors dream/Photo by Patricia Leslie

Steps to a Hillwood pond with statuary, all open for visitors' exploration and enjoyment/Photo by Patricia Leslie

Natural beauties found outdoors in the cutting garden/Photo by Patricia Leslie

Many rooms at the Hillwood mansion are open to the public, including upstairs bedrooms and dressing rooms.

See the post on Hillwood's 2011 exhibition of the Posts' wedding dresses.

From the website:

Hillwood Estate, Museum and Garden’s mandate is to preserve the 25 acre estate, museum and gardens that Marjorie Merriweather Post developed to house her important collections of Russian Imperial art, French decorative arts, costumes, textiles, and jewelry and to interpret and present them for the enjoyment of the public.

What:  Ingenue to Icon: 70 Years of Fashion from the Collection of Marjorie Merriweather Post

When:  Now through January 10, 2016, including New Year's Day, Tuesdays through Saturdays, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., and Sundays, 1 - 5 p.m.  Closed on Mondays.

Where:  Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens "Where Fabulous Lives," 4155 Linnean Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C. 20008

Suggested donation:  $18 (adults), $15 (seniors), $10 (students), $5 (child, ages 6 -18) and free for those under age 6.

Discount:  When reservations are made online, prices for adults and seniors are reduced $3 for weekday admissions and $1 for weekends. (Click here.)

Members' dogs:  Welcome on Sunday mornings (!)

Parking:  Free, on-site

Biking and walking:  Encouraged; bike racks available.

For more information:  202-686-5807

Metro station: Van Ness/UDC station on the Red Line, then walk a (mostly uphill) mile and burn off Christmas calories.  (Taxis, available.)

Metro bus stop: The L1 or L2 bus stops at the corner of Connecticut and Tilden streets, NW, about a half mile's (mostly uphill) walk from Hillwood.

patricialesli@gmail.com
 

Edgy British humor, 'Entertaining Mr. Sloane,' now playing in Bethesda

Matthew Aldwin McGee is Mr. Sloane (left), and Jim Jorgensen is Ed in Entertaining Mr. Sloane by Edge of Universe Players 2/Photo by Johannes Markus

The star of Edge of Universe Players 2's newest production, Entertaining Mr.Sloane, is the outstanding acting. 

The play is a "tragic-comedy" of dark British humor, written a half century before its prime.

On stage at the Bethesda Writer's Center are Claire Schoonover (Kath), Matthew Aldwin McGee (Sloane, who is also the fight choreographer), David Bryan Jackson (Kemp), and Jim Jorgensen (Ed).  They present a story of a young man temporarily housed with a woman old enough to be his mum, her brother, and their dad.  (Applause to Naomi Robin, casting director.)

The decaying family resides in a house beside a dump and once you know a little something about the British author, Joe Orton (1933-1967), that rubbish heap may be the society he lampoons.

Sex and murder are usually a winning combination, but they were not enough to quell outrage when Sloane opened in London in 1964.
 
In the company's mission statement, producer
William Goodman writes that Edge players "seek deep, long-lasting meanings that may improve the human condition." Literature, theatre, and reasoning play key roles in the infinite race to achieve "a better society."  Entertaining Mr. Sloan calls for examination of self, society, and legal structures, Mr. Goodman says.

David Bryan Jackson is the old man in Entertaining Mr. Sloane by Edge of Universe Players 2/Photo by Johannes Markus

Let's discuss.

Kath is starved for love and attention, captured in a prison by her crotchety dad and her manipulative brother.  When Mr. Sloane comes to call, she gladly welcomes him, showering him with warmth and desire. She becomes his "Mama," he, the baby, and also, the target of more than one character.

The playwright, Joe Orton, was murdered by his lover only three years after Sloane made its debut. The editor of the play's 50th anniversary edition, Emma Parker, writes in program notes that Orton, who grew up in poverty, began writing plays when imprisoned for six months for defacing library books (which are now actually preserved in British museums).

Orton believed his harsh prison term was due to his gay life and sexuality, and he set out with words to debunk middle-class society and mores. (Wikipedia notes the adjective Ortonesque is sometimes used to refer to work characterized by dark and farcical cynicism.)

  
Jackson (also, dialect coach) is superb as the ill and bumbling father with his Bernie Sanders flyaway hair,  thick, opaque glasses, and gait. He shifts his feet, looks askance, and stoops. Erik Teague dresses him in characteristically old man clothes with a sloppy open bathrobe and slippers, and puts little frilly dresses on Kath while Ed is straight up black and brown, nicely portrayed as one hungry to satisfy his own needs, like the rest of us. 

That there are no stumbles in the fast dialogue between brother and sister is astonishing. The audience laughs and gasps at lines which offended ancient audiences.  

Giorgos Tsappas's set design is spot-on. When drawn back, the curtains on a large window reveal nothing but a solid light blue wall (the sky?) which, with an outline in black of a tall heap of rubbish or coal pieces, would have added depth, but how do you illustrate society? 

The interior of the cozy house belies the neighborhood, and when one considers it, the occupants, as well.  

Sloane arrived about the same time as the anti-war,  anti-establishment movements began sweeping the Western world. We like to think of ourselves as more tolerant now, but are we?  

Continued enlightenment and messages about different lifestyles from yours and mine are always welcome and can help increase awareness and sensitivities.

Director Stephen Jarrett must be quite pleased with the production which warrants Helen Hayes nominations:

Best Actor: Jim Jorgensen 

Best Actress:  Claire Schoonover 

Best Supporting Actor: David Bryan Jackson

Other crew members are Marianne Meadows, lighting; Edward Moser, production manager and sound; Kevin Laughon, properties (the QEII on the wall was loved); Laurel VanLandingham, stage manager; Salima Seale, assistant stage manager; and Emily Morrison, publicity chief and graphic designer.

What:  Entertaining Mr. Sloane

When: 8 p.m., Thursday - Saturday, and 2 p.m., Saturday and Sunday now through December 13, 2015

Where: The Writer's Center, 4508 Walsh Road, Bethesda, MD 20815

How much: Tickets start at $25

Parking: Plentiful parking is nearby (scroll to bottom of link) and it's free at some lots on weekends.

For more information: 202-355-6330

patricialesli@gmail.com