Jim Kershner

James Warwick plays King Arthur in "Camelot."

For the second year in a row, the Valley Repertory Theater is presenting an evening of original one-act plays. It's called "New Stage II" and it opens tonight and runs through Jan. 29.

Who ever thought it would go this far? I listened to Newt Gingrich on the radio the other day and found myself agreeing with most of what he said. Good God, what kind of monster have I become? We're a pathologically fickle people I'm sure this feeling won't last through the year. Lately, we Americans admire our leaders only up to the point at which they actually have to start leading. Three full terms of baiting and hounding It's a good thing we weren't so fickle about FDR, for instance. We would have made his last 12 years in office a living hell. The GOP had better succeed, or else

"The Foreigner," Spokane Civic Theatre, Friday night, continues through Feb. 4, call 325-2507. The laughter just kept rolling and rolling through the theater. I was afraid people in the audience would rip tendons, they were laughing so hard. This response was gratifying, because the performers in "The Foreigner" weren't simply handed these laughs; they earned them. There comes a point early in a play like this in which the audience has to decide: Are these people lovable, human, quirky goofballs? Or are they simply annoying quirky goofballs? In this play, it was obvious that the audience was voting heavily for the former. Once that vote was in, everything these characters did seemed funnier. The laughs began to compound. The key lies in the nuances established by the director and the performer. Make the characters too hammy, too desperate, too broad, and the audience just becomes irritated. Make the characters quirkily human and the audience delights in them. Director Pat Owens deserves plenty of credit for the fact that all but one or two of these characters hit that note dead-on.

The United Paramount Network (UPN), one of the new contenders for America's fifth TV network, launches this week. Will Spokane get UPN? Yes and no. Spokane won't have a UPN affiliate to call its own, due to the fact that all four of Spokane's broadcast stations are already affiliated with other networks. UPN is hooking up with independent stations in most markets.

One of the great disappointments of my professional career came when "Feelings" received only one vote in my "Most Annoying Song of All Time" readers' poll. Granted, it was up against some stiff competition. It was beaten out by "Achy Breaky Heart," "She's Havin' My Baby" and "Muskrat Love," among dozens of others.

From left, Gretchen Oyster, Sara Edlin-Marlowe, Scott Dunckley and Brian Kitt in Civic Theater's "The Foreigner."

"All in all, this is a creditable version of this classic musical. The production values are high, and the voices are good throughout. And yes, Marie Osmond is likable and believable as Maria."

Jonathan (Samuel Toffler), Nick (Cheyenne Wilbur) and Patricia (Mary Anne Seibert) are characters in Interplayers' "Sight Unseen." Photo by Colin Mulvany/The Spokesman-Review

Reality check No. 1 What's all the uproar over that comment by Newt's mom? Hasn't every Republican in Washington used that word about Hillary? And yet another shocker from that interview Mrs. Gingrich called her own son a word even more alarming. She called him "Newty." Moral: Never tell your secrets to Connie Chung That Connie Chung is a piece of work, isn't she? She promised that their conversation would be "just between you and me," give or take 100 million people.

"I had never done anything on the stage, acting or singing," said Marie Osmond. "I wanted a good challenge, and I got one."

The F/X network was in Spokane and Pullman last week, shooting live for its morning show "Breakfast Time." They did segments on Cyrus O'Leary's pie-makers, the Spokane Police Regional Training Center and WSU's College of Veterinary Medicine.

1.Ron Elvis Wendlandt knows his Elvis Presley lore. In fact, he has made a career as the man who would be The King. 2. Elvis on Elvis Ron Elvis Wendlandt (left) strikes a pose like the real thing (far left). Here are a few of Wendlandt's favorite Elvis things: Favorite song (tie): "American Triology" or "My Way." Favorite Album: "Moody Blue" (1977) Favorite Elvis era: Favorite Elvis outfit: The million dollar "White Eagle" outfit. Favorite Elvis food: Fried chicken. Photo by Colin Mulvany/The Spokesman-Review

Samuel Toffler plays Jonathan, Mary Ann Seibert protrays Patricia, and Cheyenne Wilbur is Nick in "Sight Unseen." Photo by Colin Mulvany/The Spokesman-Review

1. Late Nirvana lead singer Kurt Cobain played the Coliseum Jan. 6. 2. Lyle Lovett was at the Opera House. 3. Gunther Schuller presided over the Northwest Bach Festival once again.