Let us praise the crazies, the dreamers, the artists who ask “Why not?” instead of “Why?” In other words, let us praise Philippe Petit, the man who admired the newly built World Trade Center towers in 1974 so much that he decided to honor them one morning by stringing up a tightrope and walking, without a net, from one tower to the other while a surprised downtown Manhattan populace gasped from below. As recounted in the excellent documentary Man on Wire, Petit was immediately arrested for his feat, but he has since gone down in history for one of the most high-profile and daring acts of guerrilla acrobatics. If you’ve ever rooted for ideas that seemed too absurd to be feasible, or if you’ve ever dreamed of the impossible, the gut reaction after viewing is to find Petit, shake his hand, and say thank you. (As for himself, he went directly to bed with a stranger.) The film screens and Petit himself appears in conversation on Wednesday, Nov. 4, at the Napa Valley Opera House. 1030 Main St., Napa. 7pm. $35. 707.226.7372.Gabe Meline
.Nov. 4: Philippe Petit at the Napa Valley Opera House
