Balladeer’s Blog takes another look at the surviving fragments of an ancient Greek comedian, in this case Crates.
CRATES – Crates’ career spanned from approximately the 450s B.C. to the 430s B.C. We have fragments from nine or ten comedies from an unknown total output. From other sources we know that comedies as stage productions began sometime around 500 B.C. or earlier so Crates came fairly early to the artform.
Crates was credited with being the first Athenian comic poet (the comedies were written in verse and included songs) to introduce drunken characters, still a comic staple over 2,400 years later. Aristotle himself credited Crates as being the first to abandon the “glorified comic monologues” approach of the oldest comedies and introducing fleshed-out plots and storylines.
Be that as it may, there is still a great deal of academic arguing over whether or not Crates’ work simply reflected the influence of Epicharmus, who may well have been the TRUE innovator.
Crates was supposedly an actor before he began writing comedies (But I’m sure he really wanted to direct. – rimshot -) and his brother was Epilycus, one of the Epic Poets. Eusebius’ Chronicles stated that Crates was a well-known comedian by 451 B.C. and Demetrius Lacon in his work On Poetry indicates that Crates may have acted in some of Aeschylus’ tragedies before switching genres.
KNOWN WORKS
NEIGHBORS – We do not have even a hypothetical year for this work, unfortunately. Since titles sometimes referred to the all-important Chorus of a Greek comedy there is speculation that the chorus members were “Neighbors” of some sort (Duh!) but nothing is known about the plot.
Athenaeus argued that Crates’ use of a drunken character in this comedy PRE-DATED Epicharmus’ use of stage drunks, so apparently even back in ancient times this was being debated. Continue reading
THE SCARECROW (1972) – Gene Wilder, Blythe Danner, Nina Foch, Pete Duel and Will Geer starred in this Hollywood Television Theatre production that first aired January 10th, 1972. Long time readers of Balladeer’s Blog may recall my remarks on previous Halloweens about how underused I feel scarecrows still are in Halloween movies. 
Percy MacKaye stretched the story out and altered some of the themes, so The Scarecrow is an adaptation of Feathertop, not a faithful dramatization of it. Gene Wilder portrays the scarecrow.
EERIE TALES (1919) – Conrad “Major Strasser from Casablanca” Veidt is, in my opinion, the most neglected figure from silent horror films. In this German work Veidt co-stars with Reinhold Schunzel and Anita Berber. The three portray various characters throughout the film. 
THE WERE-WOLF (1896) – By Clemence Annie Housman. Halloween month continues at Balladeer’s Blog! This neglected story features a female author writing about a FEMALE WEREWOLF so that makes it a bit special right there.
TOPPLING NUMBER FOUR – In NCAA Division 2, the number 15 CENTRAL WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY WILDCATS visited the 4th ranked UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT THE PERMIAN BASIN FALCONS. The Falcons were on top 7-3 come Halftime and 14-10 to end the 3rd Quarter. In the 4th, the Wildcats came from behind for a 27-14 Upset victory. 
NUMBER EIGHT TAKES A FALL – Staying in D2 for a moment, the NORTHERN STATE WOLVES played host to the country’s number 8 UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA AT DULUTH BULLDOGS. A 10-7 1st Quarter edge for the Wolves became 20-10 by the midpoint. After the break, the Bulldogs rallied but fell short as Northern State held on tight in a 34-31 triumph.
ANOTHER NUMBER EIGHT FOLLOWS – Over in the NAIA, the 14th ranked CARROLL COLLEGE FIGHTING SAINTS traveled to face the number 8 team in the nation – the UNIVERSITY OF MONTANA-WESTERN BULLDOGS. At the Half, the Fighting Saints put UMW on Upset Alert with their 28-14 advantage. From there CC held on to win the game 42-34. 
The Democrats seem determined to keep fueling the #WALKAWAY movement. I originally estimated it would take close to a decade at least for #WALKAWAY to have real impact but the Democrats may make it happen sooner since they refuse to tamp down their pomposity toward voters they think they OWN. 
“For as much as feminists say they hate the patriarchy, they do a darn good job of patronizing women with whom they disagree. They are demeaning, self-righteous and condescending. They deemed women who supported Kavanaugh “gender traitors.” They called Susan Collins and other senators who voted “yes” on the now-justice “rape apologists.” They claimed women who voted for Trump did so because of “internal misogyny.”
This weekend’s light-hearted, escapist superhero post from Balladeer’s Blog looks at Cassie Hack, the horror superheroine who battles a long line of slashers as stylishly as Buffy fought vampires. 
HACK/ SLASH Vol 1 #1 (Apr 2004) 
Readers are now dropped into the main story, set years later when Cassie Hack has established herself as a roving heroine who battles living and undead slashers alongside her African American sidekick – the hulking, gasmask-wearing Vlad. He views Cassie like a daughter and wields meat cleavers and butcher’s knives in battle. 
NUMBER TWO ROLLS – The 2nd ranked team in NCAA Division 2 football – the HARDING UNIVERSITY BISON – traveled to face the SOUTHEASTERN OKLAHOMA STATE SAVAGE STORM. A 14-0 1st Quarter lead for the Bison became 21-7 by Halftime. Harding U. shut out the Savage Storm from there as they won the game by a final score of 35-7.
KNOCKING OFF NUMBER NINE – Last night the JONES COLLEGE BOBCATS played host to the nation’s 9th ranked HINDS COLLEGE EAGLES. A 7-7 tie in the opening Quarter morphed into a 24-14 Bobcats advantage at the Half. After the break, the two teams wound up exchanging Touchdowns in a 31-21 Upset victory for Jones College. 
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