Robert Shure has written some quizzical kinds of humor
over the decades now. Among the latest—
his writing being animated, for International T.V.
Two one-minute samples:
Scene One: Scene Two

These are two scenes from his book The Story of Digby and Marie,
published by St. Martin's Press.

Shure's output all started with the little dialogues in Twink,
the palm-sized book which became something of
a minor cult-classic for many years, with exchanges like these:

 
   

I used to cry orangeade tears.
You must have been a beautiful crier.
I must have had delicious tears.
Didn't you ever taste them?
Of course not.
Why?
It's not dignified to drink your tears.
You mean you let them go to waste?
Oh no.
Where did they go?
I was crying the orangeade for someone else.
Who?
Someone special.
Why did you stop?
She wanted champagne.

(Illustration from the book, by Ray Zimmerman)
       
                         
              OR........          
                     
              I have never sneezed with my suede pants on.
You probably don't know how.
I think I'm afraid.
Why?
You can't get sneeze off suede. 		   
Later came a series of brief droll tales broadcast on more than a
hundred National Public Radio stations (Five Minute Tragedies).
 

Bob's song lyrics have been recorded in Europe with a top
composer there--Heikki Sarmanto of Finland. One of these
recordings, Scene From a Trance, featured the great international
jazz legend Art Farmer on flugelhorn. And a story meant to be
heard, not read (Man With a Sax), was recorded in Finland and
released in the U.S., told by Shure's narration and a most melodic
Finnish jazz quartet, with a Cadence Jazz Magazine critic noting:

...There are segments when the music and words mesh perfectly--
most notably during a marvelously descriptive chase scene through
Boston's Gardner Museum. Shure's story is about art, love found
and lost, the other-worldly aspect of creation, the clash of the
artist's vision with the urge to improvise, and much more. Best
to listen to this late at night when your inhibitions are low and
your imagination can roam. Smooth as a fine glass of sherry,
Man With a Sax is a story worth hearing.

  --Richard B. Kamins  
 
 
Another project of Bob Shure's in Finland was a major production of his play without words (The Lunatic Express), performed in the handsome second theater of Helsinki's lavish new opera house. It's the story of a male composer creating not with piano but his own private beautiful all-female ensemble (8)--actual professional musicians (some of whom are are actors as well) who communicate with only the sounds of their various instruments (as musicians do, i.e. in rehearsals). The purpose: "Finland," said Shure, "has such magnificent theater--actors, directors, etc.--that almost no visitors ever see due to the uncommon Finnish language. This was meant to solve the problem."  The show was run for two weeks in February--few tourists--but the Finns filled every seat for each performance and had all the laughs and music they could wish for, as reported in the two leading dailies. Brilliantly directed by Laura Jantti, one of Scandinavia's best. Multiple music styles cleverly composed by Carita Holmstrom.

Erkki Saarela, Satu Taalikainen
 
 

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"Robert Shure has written some quizzical kinds of humor over the decades now. Among the latest—his writing being animated, for International T.V. See his two one-minute samples at www.robertshure.com."