Barbara Jorgensen | Dayton937

Established in 2001, the Dayton Theatre Hall of Fame was created to honor local theatre artists and patrons of the arts. It is designed to acknowledge people whose life-long participation, innovation, and creativity have influenced the Dayton arts culture.

The Dayton Theatre Hall of Fame was created as a way to recognize individuals who have dedicated themselves to the cause of theatre arts in Dayton or have made a significant impact on Dayton’s theatre community.

The 2014 inductees are:

Saul Caplan in A Case of Libel as photographed by Craig Roberts

Saul Caplan has been working in theatre for the past fifty-five years, starting with a show at Memorial Hall in 1959. He worked in various children’s theatres, performed at Colonel White in student productions, and majored in theatre at the University of Akron. From 1971 until the mid 1990’s Saul worked as a professional actor in theatres from New York to Florida before moving back to Dayton in 1998. Since then, he has worked on over sixty-five productions with the Human Race Theatre Company, The Dayton Theatre Guild, Sinclair, The Dayton Playhouse, FutureFest, Brookville Theatre, and Playhouse South.

Barbara Jorgensen has been working in Dayton Theatre since 1989 when she was cast in a production at the Dayton Playhouse. Since then she has performed for FirstStage Productions, Young at Heart Players, and the Dayton Theatre Guild. Barb has taught theatre to adults at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Dayton, and lends her acting talent to the University of Dayton School of Law performing in mock trials and playing various parts in legal scenarios with law students. Barb is active on the Board of the Dayton Theatre Guild where she wears many hats.

This year’s induction ceremony will be held in conjunction with the annual DayTony awards on August 9, 2014 at Sinclair Community College. Attendees will have the dinner or event-only option this year. Early bird pricing will be available through July 22^nd with a higher price until July 31st. No reservations will be accepted after August 1^st. The event is open to the public and reservation information will be available on the DayTony website when plans are completed. .

The Dayton Theatre Hall of Fame is operated and governed by the Dayton Theatre Hall of Fame Executive Committee. For more information visit the website: daytonys.org.

(l to r): Barbara Jorgensen, Maximillian Santucci, Alex Carmichal, Katrina Kittle, Corinne Engber in 100 Saints You Should Know (Photo by Craig Roberts)

Kate Fodor’s darkly comedic 2007 character study “100 Saints You Should Know,” currently receiving a fine regional premiere at the Dayton Theatre Guild, brings faith, faithlessness and forgiveness to the forefront in an engaging and compelling fashion under the delicate direction of Ellen Finch.

Alex Carmichal, who left an indelible impression earlier this season as the titular villain of the Dayton Playhouse’s production of “Dracula,” brings understated potency to his excellently conflicted portrayal of Father Matthew McNally, the play’s centerpiece. Grappling with unmentionable desires that betray his duties, a predictable yet reasonable notion, Matthew leaves his parish without a game plan for the future, causing him to question his beliefs as never before while returning to his childhood home for refuge. The reason behind Matthew’s hurried, vague departure, involving the provocative artwork of George Platt Lynes, is reserved for late Act 1, but Carmichal’s astutely perplexing nature remains thoroughly intriguing, especially as Matthew finds solace in reading “Dark Night of the Soul” and comes to grips with the acknowledgement that his spirituality, his connection to God, is completely broken. Amiable cleaning woman and single mom Theresa (a first-rate, emotionally distressed Katrina Kittle) inquisitively looks to Matthew for answers to her burgeoning thoughts of religion, but Fodor primarily keeps their budding relationship and insightful faith discussions ambiguous, which some may find perturbing. After all, this lonely pair feels very bonded as lost souls in search of intimacy and purpose, elements heartwarmingly fueled by Carmichal and Kittle’s innate chemistry.

Kittle also establishes a wonderfully exasperating rapport with the sassy Corinne Engber as Abby, Theresa’s startlingly rebellious, foul-mouthed 16-year-old daughter who deeply resents her and their meager existence. Theresa and Abby’s bickering showdowns are off-putting (Abby is one of the nastiest characters to come along in years), but Kittle and Engber build to a heartfelt climax nonetheless as Abby particularly grows to understand the cost of being utterly mean-spirited for selfish gain. The cast also includes the very endearing Maximillian Santucci as the gawky, gullible Garrett, a sexually confused delivery boy ridiculed by Abby to devastating proportions, and the marvelously grounded Barbara Jorgensen as Matthew’s stern, caring, Scrabble-adoring Irish mother Coleen, who has difficulty grasping his sudden change of heart and the sheer importance of acceptance.

Marcia Nowik’s efficient set as well as Patrick Hayes’ appropriate costumes and believably bloodied makeup for Santucci are also significant as this impactful tale of inner fulfillment runs its surprisingly heartbreaking course.

“100 Saints You Should Know” continues through March 10 at the Dayton Theatre Guild, 430 Wayne Ave., Dayton. Performances are Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 5 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. Act One: 60 minutes; Act Two: 45 minutes. Cost: $18 for adults, $16 for seniors and $11 for students. For tickets or more information, call (937) 278-5993 or visit online at www.daytontheatreguild.org. Also, in conjunction with the Dayton Visual Arts Center, the Guild will display the works of local artist C.A. Tiedemann in its lobby during the run of “100 Saints,” which contains mature subject matter.

2014 Dayton Theatre Hall of Fame Inductees Announced

ON STAGE DAYTON REVIEW: 100 Saints You Should Know (Dayton Theatre Guild)