Ted Pope took the Taste Full Beans Coffeehouse by storm Tuesday night, and when he was through reading, the place looked like a storm HAD hit. Paper was strewn all around the stage and lectern area and the audience was wide-eyed in amazement and holding on to their tables for dear life.
It was quite a show by a real showman. Even when the dreaded cappuccino machine cut loose with its randomly-awarded raspberry, Pope instantly incorporated THAT into the poem he was reciting at the moment as if he had practiced the timing of those events for a month, and had gotten it down perfectly!
How good WAS it? Well, I’m not a poet so I dare not venture into that web, but I can say that the first sheet of paper Pope wadded up and threw to the floor was very dramatic. Particularly since it struck the right note in the thought that was also then being delivered. And the next two or three added to the first event almost like visual and background alliteration. But then it became more like consonation and finally assonation, and eventually it was . . . well, I have a two-year old granddaughter and she started to come to my mind.
Also, Pope had no problem with stage presence or getting the audience’s attention. But I did sense a problem with the audience understanding who he really is because we saw only one part of Pope. The game face part. Now Elvis comes to mind. Here was a guy who could romp and stomp with the roughest and toughest, but sometimes Elvis would also coo a tender love song that caused young ladies to actually die right in their chairs, and he would also occasionally spin out an ancient lullaby that would bring tears to the eyes of old women. Then he was back on the stage again rockin’ and sockin’ and stompin’ and rompin’ and air-copulatin’ and sweatin’ and spinning’.
That’s why I wanted to speak to Ted after it was over. And when I did, I saw a nice guy with great talent. It is my feeling that if he could show a deeper side of his personality, if only for one poem, that it would enhance his performance immensely. If you get a chance to see Ted Pope, don’t miss it. You'll probably see me there too.
