Triskela appeared on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2008, at the Soper-Reese Community Theater in Lakeport. Courtesy photo.

LAKEPORT – The Soper-Reese Community Theater was the setting for a dazzling show Saturday night put on by the Bay Area harp trio Triskela.

The three women – Diana Stork, Portia Diwa and Shawna Spiteri – combine fantastic musical skills on not just harps but flutes, tin whistles and bodhran (an Irish drum), along with their own fine voices. Spiteri does much of the singing, using her full, lush voice to perfectly match the harpsong.

During the performance they were accompanied on a few of the songs by Bert Hutt, the Soper-Reese's artistic director, who sang and played the bodhran.

Spiteri, the group's gregarious emcee, introduced most of the songs and noted that they had last performed in Lake County 10 years ago, when they appeared in Lower Lake.

She voiced appreciation for the Soper-Reese as a venue. It was Triskela's first performance there, and my first time hearing a concern in the theater, which has been a community labor of love for many years.

At once both spacious and intimate, the Soper-Reese was a great setting for the harp trio and their music, with its delicate, intimate qualities.

The women write and perform many of their own songs, and they started off the evening with a medley that included Stork's composition, the brisk and sparkling “Wedding Bells.”

Stork said the song, which appears on their “Voice of Tara” CD (which I purchased in the lobby following the performance), will be used in an upcoming documentary called “Reclaiming the Blade” about the art of swordfighting. The film will feature narration by John Rhys-Davies, who played Gimli in the “Lord of the Rings” film trilogy, as well as an appearance by actor Viggo Mortensen, who played Aragorn in the films.

All three women are Tolkien fans, so Tolkien-inspired songs appeared throughout the evening, including another of Stork's songs, “Aragorn's Dark Horse.” It instrumentalizes the part of the Tolkien trilogy where Aragorn, Gimli and the elf Legolas are pursuing Saruman's forces to free the hobbits Merry and Pippin.

Each of the harps in the song represents a difference character; Diwa's rapid fingerwork symbolized Legolas, while Stork played for Aragon and Spiteri for Gimli. The song emphasized the different sounds of the harps, whose voices became characters with different tones and tempos that separated and danced before weaving together.

The three women then played their harps individually so the audience could hear the instruments' particular voices. All three were exquisite; I found my ear particularly fond of Diwa's Hummingbird harp.

One of my favorite songs of the evening and on the CD, “Voice of Tara,” is Spiteri's composition, is the lush “For the Ladies,” an uplifting and splendid song. They also performed “Distant Star,” a song Stork wrote for Diwa who, like Spiteri, was one of her harp students.

In addition to their own work and traditional Irish, Scottish and English songs, the group also are students of other harp traditions. On Saturday they played some very upbeat and exotic Venezuelan harp music. In South America, Spiteri explained, the harp is an instrument played commonly by men, whereas in other parts of the world the instrument's main players are women.

One song that wasn't their own, the Black brothers' “The Willow Tree,” was performed by the trio for the first time in public on Saturday. They had performed at an event with the Blacks and, after hearing the song, decided they wanted to perform the haunting work themselves.

Celtic music is known for its heartbreaking stories and melancholy tunes, a few of which were among the performances. They included the haunting “Eleanor Plunkett,” the tale of an Irishwoman is the last member of her family, most of whom were wiped out under the British oppression.

They also took the traditional Irish tune “An Buachaillin Ban” ‒ translated from Irish Gaelic, it means “The Sheperdess” ‒ and turned it into a Tolkien-inspired lament for the dying rowan trees in the Lord of the Rings Trilogy.

Still, Spiteri said not all Celtic songs are tragic love songs ending in death, failed crops or the cow getting loose. Such was the case in the upbeat “Star of the County Down,” where the young man wins the young lass who becomes, at a look, the object of his heart. The trio's repertoire also featured some catchy Irish jigs and waltzes.

Watching the three women at the instruments reminded me of watching weavers at loom, as the threads of melody wrapped in and out and around each other.

One of my favorite parts of the evening was the performance of the 14^th century medieval pilgrim's song, “Stella Splendens,” (“Brilliant Star”) sung in Latin – another of my favorite things. Diwa played a smaller medieval harp, whose bright, sharp sound was accompanied by Spiteri's singing,

The concert finished with one of my favorite songs of the evening, “Great Ocean,” another of Stork's compositions, a song marked by a hypnotic, wave-like melody which the trio used as their encore performance.

Afterward the musicians welcomed audience members to come up and see their harps and even play them. I couldn't help but take the chance to get closer to the harps, which outside of their musical beauty are handcrafted works of art. The harp I got to see up close had carved Celtic knotwork down its delicate sides.

Diwa patiently explained the Celtic harp and its colored strings – reds are the “C” – and asked if I wanted to try it. She pulled up a stool, and had me sit down and lean the harp against my right shoulder.

I've never played a harp before, but the instrument isn't just beautiful – it's generous. Any note you pluck sounds lovely. Diwa agreed that the harp is a very satisfying instrument to play.

Triskela will next be appearing on Tuesday at the World Festival of Harps in Lancaster, the 19th Annual Festival of Harps at St. Mary's Cathedral in San Francisco and the Nov. 8 Festival of Harps and Dance at Spreckels Performing Arts Center in Rohnert Park.

For more on Triskela, including CD ordering and upcoming concert information, visit their Web site at www.elefunt.com/triskela/ or their MySpace page, www.myspace.com/triskelacelticharptrio.

E-mail Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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Beginning Nov. 1 the Lake County Theater Co. will begin accepting full-length plays from playwrights in Lake County and throughout Northern California as part of its Dreamcatcher Playwright Contest.

All scripts not previously performed or published professionally are requested.

Lake County and surrounding areas have long been a haven for creative individuals. Art, music and published authors abound. For this reason, the Lake County Theater Co. has no doubt that a playwright contest in this area will produce plays of great quality, plays that are just waiting to be performed by an equally great theater company.

The contest will run through March 15, 2009. At that time, the winning play will be selected. This play will be performed and the playwright honored by the theater company in an upcoming production.

Call 279-2595 or visit http://lctc.home.mchsi.com for contest rules and application forms.

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Local publisher Mark Bredt is putting out a call to local writers for manuscripts. Courtesy photo.

This article has been updated.

CLEARLAKE – Local publisher Mark Bredt will host an open call for manuscript submissions at Wild About Books in Clearlake at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 25.

Printing under the imprints Mallard and Heron Books, Paracletus and Marshal Creek, Bredt plans to publish four to six books in 2009 featuring Lake County writers, stories or locations.

Authors are welcome to bring their completed manuscripts for consideration.

“One of the publications will be a collection of writings, short stories, and poetry by Lake County writers,” said Bredt.

Bredt also will present the second edition of his own short novel, “The Candlespike Murders,” during the open call.

“After discovering that Amazon was offering a copy of the first edition for $999 – no, really, almost $1,000! That’s absurd, but flattering – I thought it might be worthwhile to bring the book back into print,” said Bredt. “Besides, I am planning the sequel, 'Death Comes Quietly,' to publish in Spring 2009.”

Located in Clearlake Park, Bredt’s company, M Bredt Ink LLC, offers publishing services and consulting to small publishers and authors around the world via the Internet.

“Anyone interested in the book publishing industry, small press publishing or even self-publishing is welcome to stop by during the event and ask questions or discuss the business,” Bredt said.

Wild About Books is located at 14290 Olympic Drive in Clearlake, next door to Lisa's clothing store.

For an updated list of times and dates for upcoming events, stop by the store or call 994-WILD (9453).

UPDATE: 

In 2009, Bredt was named in a Florida publishing scam related lawsuit.

http://myfloridalegal.com/webfiles.nsf/WF/MRAY-7VJLSY/$file/WritersLiteraryGuildComplaint.pdf

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The program is a radio play based upon actual Wiccan ceremonies.

Wicca is religion which is nature-based, generally believing in the feminine Goddess in Her many aspects as well as a male God.

Wiccans celebrate a solar "sabbat" eight times a year with Samhain (sow-en) or Halloween being the old Celtic New Year. They do not worship the devil or Satan, but celebrate the joys in life recognizing the changing seasons and our own life journey.

Samhain is the last of the three harvest festivals preceded by Lammas on Aug. 1 and the Autumn Equinox. It is a time of reflection on our lives, what we've accomplished during the year and what is left undone. It is also a time to honor the ancestors who have gone on before us.

The radio play will include many of these principles. The stories of Persephone and Hades and the aspect of the Goddess Hecate are the principal archetypes. Your are invited to look at your shadow side with the hosts.

The play will also include Celtic- and Renaissance-influenced music from Blackmore's Night, Celtic Woman, Loreena McKennett and Reclaiming among others. The players are Andy and Annie Weiss, Jeff Hayes, Stazi Adair, Sandra Wade and Rhyschenda Owens.

The program rebroadcasts on Thursday at 11 a.m.

For information call KPFZ at 263-3640.

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On Saturday night, Oct. 25, there will be one screening only, 7:30 p.m., at Calpine Geothermal Visitors Center in Middletown. Please arrive at least 15 minutes before show time.

See the amazingly creepy, psychological thriller, “Subject Two.” Death has its side effects! Meet Director Philip Chidel and find out how he pulled this one out of his head and created a film that's been winning honors at film festivals.

In addition there will be wonderful animation, “Hope Springs Eternal,” by Ron Noble of Noble Town Productions, which is racking up awards of its own. This seven-minute, dark-humored story of death has been pleasing crowds at current festivals and took Jury Prize Winner at USA Film Festival, Best Animation at Festivus-Denver and Best Runner Up, LA Animation Festival.

The horror genre doesn't usually need any new takes on Mary Shelley's “Frankenstein,” but once in a while, something unique comes along that reminds us how rich with possibilities that original text is. \

Philip Chidel's “Subject Two” – a modern Frankenstein tale that takes place in the isolated snowy mountains of Aspen, Colorado – takes some of its cues from Shelley's seminal work, but the bulk are drawn from a fresh vision that's entirely his own.

At 12,000 feet above sea level, Dr. Franklin Vick has been conducting highly unethical research in the field of, well, resurrection. After his first subject fails him, he calls upon troubled, migraine-plagued med student Adam Smith to assist in furthering his "practical" studies, which involve killing and reviving Adam over and over and over again. But evidently dying has side effects.

Sprinkled with dark humor, this film has won numerous awards since it premiered at 2006 film festivals including Official Selection at Sundance and Best Feature Film at Sci-Fi-London (The London International Festival of Science Fiction and Fantastic Film) as well as Audience Award Winner at Silver Lake Film Festival.

As always, the cost is $10 at the door, $5 for kids 16 and under …but we don't suggest that this is a kid's night – parental discretion is strongly advised! We'll have fresh Coyote Popcorn, candies, drinks and other refreshments for sale.

The Calpine Visitor Center is located at 15550 Central Park Road, Middletown.

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For some unknown reason, this is not the week for family films, with “Max Payne” coming closest with its PG-13 rating. But instead of getting invited to a screening for that film, I was treated to the absurd delight of another teen sex comedy, one that held promise for offending a good number of people.

“Sex Drive” did not disappoint for its randy misadventures and raunchy escapades into the mysterious world of teens gone wild. This one is rated R for good reasons, namely for strong crude and sexual content, among other things.

The aptly named “Sex Drive” most fittingly has dual meaning. It telegraphs the urgency of raging male hormones and conjures up the vision of a road trip that has much to do with sex. As raucous and extreme as it often gets “Sex Drive” has irresistible appeal for the essential charm of its leading characters.

ighteen-year-old Ian Lafferty (Josh Zuckerman) believes that his biggest problem in life is that he’s about to start college as a virgin. Never mind the humiliating job he has at Senor Donut, which often requires that he wear a ridiculous costume while handing out fliers at the mall.

Taunted mercilessly by his obnoxious, cocksure older brother Rex (James Marsden), Ian even loses out in the romance department to his 14-year-old younger brother. The girl of his dreams is his longtime “best friend” Felicia (Amanda Crew), who seems reluctant to mess up a perfectly good relationship with any sort of physical entanglement.

Besides, Felicia is inexplicably attracted to Ian’s good buddy Lance (Clark Duke), a pudgy, nerdy guy who has such an abundance of self-confidence that he’s become the unlikeliest chick magnet. Strangely enough, there’s hardly any female that Lance can’t seduce.

Meanwhile, the sexually repressed Ian resorts to the Internet for dates. Passing himself off as a football stud, Ian hooks up online with Ms. Tasty (Katrina Bowden), a flaming hot blonde. Though the provocative cheerleader offers the promise of hot sex, the one tiny catch is that Ian must drive 500 miles from Chicago to Knoxville to consummate the deal.

Egged on by his pal Lance, Ian takes a huge risk in stealing his macho brother’s prized vintage 1969 Pontiac GTO for the lengthy road trip. Felicia decides to tag along with the two guys for what is obviously a bad idea.

In the predictable manner of other recent teen adventures on the road, seen in movies like “Road Trip” and “Eurotrip,” the comedy of “Sex Drive” also derives inspiration from the “American Pie” franchise. As a matter of fact, the sexual bravado of Ian’s older brother Rick has much in common with party animal Stifler.

The focal point of the story is the planned eight-hour drive that turns into a three-day marathon as the trio loses its way on scenic back roads detours. Car trouble is the least of their problems.

At a rest stop, Lance’s libido gets the better of him as he hooks up with an oversexed girl who lives in a trailer with her white trash parents. What happens during this romantic liaison is probably the film’s crudest moment. But then things get extremely funny when Lance, pursued by an angry boyfriend, flees naked into the cornfields while chained to a brass bed’s headboard.

When the GTO breaks down, they detour to an Amish farm, where the sarcastic Ezekiel (Seth Green), who once spent some time in the outside world, applies his auto mechanic skills to fix the car.

Other road trip problems include an unfortunate encounter in a gas station’s bathroom. A mishap on the highway leads to a stint in jail, where the kids face the expected perils from close confinement with hardened criminals.

There’s a strange interlude at a roadside carnival, where Ian is pressed into making a fateful abstinence pledge on a stage while becoming sexually aroused by the sight of the dancers disrobing behind the scenes.

Whether Ms. Tasty lives up to her Internet profile is best left to be discovered. The journey is of greater consequence than the destination.

Along the way, through all the trials of mayhem and misadventure, the trio of Ian, Felicia and Lance emerge as characters with substance, displaying genuine emotion and feelings.

“Sex Drive” turns out to be much more than sophomoric pranks and simple titillation. Still, for a teen comedy, this film is at turns outrageously hilarious and sweetly funny, even when the broader caricatures intrude.

DVD RELEASE UPDATE

Not to be confused with the 007 franchise, the original “Casino Royale” was a classic spoof of the secret agent genre. Made in 1967, it followed several of the Sean Connery films.

Now, “Casino Royale: Collector’s Edition” arrives on DVD just in time to celebrate the coming 53rd (or so it seems) installment of a James Bond film, “Quantum of Solace.”

Starring the debonair David Niven as the world famous secret agent, “Casino Royale” recruited several agents to also play James Bond, among them the unlikely Woody Allen. Best of all, the sultry original Bond girl Ursula Andress stars as the sexy Vesper Lynd. The soundtrack features great music composed by Burt Bacharach.

On the TV front, another great series has been released for the first time on DVD. “Nash Bridges: The First Season” revisits adrenaline-fueled adventures of a smart-aleck San Francisco detective, dealing with two ex-wives, a rambunctious teen daughter and a partner (Cheech Marin) who is often scheming for some get-rich-quick fix. This is a TV series worth a second look.

Tim Riley writes film and television reviews for Lake County News.

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