This workshop aims to touch the entire world of opera: from its early beginnings in the 16th C. to the modern day. We will learn about and listen to the music of the historic opera repertoire, the most beautiful music in the world, and view exciting performances on stage by the most enthralling voices. There…
New this year!Thornton Wilder regarded theatre as "the greatest of all art forms, the most immediate way in which a human being can share with another the sense of what it is to be a human being." Join us as we explore selected classic plays from the 19th and 20th centuries. We will read aloud…
New this year!This workshop will focus on understanding today's Europe in all its complexity. Why? After the Cold War ended, there was a widespread sense that democracy would prevail, peace and prosperity would follow, and the horrors of fascism and communism were past. In the intervening years, that quaint notion has fractured: war in Yugoslavia…
New this year!Devoted film buffs want to share their love of fine films by viewing them together and having great discussions about them. This in-person workshop is designed for just that. The 12 films will be chosen by Workshop members and the Co-facilitators. The films will be drawn from the list of 100 Best Films…
The workshop features all aspects of jazz such as various eras, styles, musicians, groups, and instruments. Each participant is requested to select a jazz related topic and prepare one or two presentations (depending on workshop size) of 50 minutes, the majority of which will be recorded music. Discussion occurs spontaneously during and after each presentation.…
This group will meet to extract the wit and wisdom in politics, business, finance, culture, literature and science from this influential international journal. Subscription copies can be delivered by mail (phone 1-800-456-6086) or electronically (economist@neodata.com). At each session, the group selects about eight articles and the discussion is begun by the proposer of each article…
New this year!Food for Thought… Feast your minds on the variety of food topics. Salivate over salacious details uncovering the dirty secrets of the food industry. Delve into the power of advertising. Consider the positive and negative effects food has on our lives. Food is central to everyone whether it is festivals, celebrations, or ceremonies.…
Podcasts are a relatively new use of technology to share information, expand our understanding of the world as well as to entertain us while we go about our active lives. There is a topic for every interest. This workshop aims to explore the world of podcasts by examining those that tackle a variety of topics…
Can democracy be saved? Join us for a wide-ranging discussion about democracies; how they flourish and how they fail. How do democracies become dictatorships and how do dictatorships become democracies? What is populism and when did it start? Can a single, strong leader have a significant impact on the course of a country? Each participant…
New this year!This workshop explores what makes companies tick. How should success be defined? Are there behaviours, conditions or opportunities that tend to generate winners? Focus will be placed on specific corporations and leaders. Corporations: Corporations today control budgets larger than the GDP of many countries. Some relative newcomers have succeeded masterfully, like Microsoft and…
At the start of each session the participants suggest topics from the recent newsworthy of further discussion. The discussion of each topic starts with a brief introduction by the person suggesting the topic followed by a general discussion. Facilitators Joan Bartel has lived in four countries, ending up happily in Canada. She enjoyed a long…
New this year!Lucille Ball, Milton Berle, Johnny Carson, Frank Sinatra, Jackie Gleason, Mary Tyler Moore, Ed Sullivan, Alan Alda, Bea Arthur, Carroll O’Connor, Elvis Presley, Aretha Franklin, and Sammy Davis Jr. These are just some of the legendary performers who defined the golden age of entertainment. These stars from the world of TV, film and…