Hello again, fellow theatre-lover! Love, it seems, is in the air. ‘Tis the season, after all. We’re nigh onto everyone’s favorite holiday for the expression of love, as well as the simultaneous day of eye-rolling by all the people who “like, totally do not accept the validity of this commercially-mandated Hallmark holiday.” Regardless of on which side of the rose (petal or thorn) you find yourself, the fact is that theatre makes a great date. Even if you only take yourself. So, what kind of theatre do we have to offer in the next 2 weeks? I thought you’d never ask!
One Night Only!
Joel Sartore: Grizzlies, Piranhas & Man-Eating Pigs
The Victoria Theatre
The Skinny: Ok, so maybe not the most gooshy-romantic pre-Valentine’s date idea, but! it will probably be incredibly entertaining and completely fascinating. Joel Sartore is a wildlife photographer, author and regular contributor to National Geographic magazine, as well as an environmentalist and conservationist who champions endangered species and landscapes, documenting a world worth saving. In this hour-long lecture Sartore will recount stories of assignments that have taken him to some of the world’s most beautiful and challenging environments, from the Arctic to the Antarctic, and he has photographed everything from the remote Amazon to beer-drinking, mountain-racing firefighters in the United Kingdom.
Date: Monday, February 11th.
DMM Links: On Stage Dayton Preview | DMM Event Calendar
Tickets: For all ticketing information, please visit Ticket Center Stage online.
Closing This Weekend!
Cyndii Johnson and Donnella Barbour (center) and the cast of 1913: The Great Dayton Flood
1913: The Great Dayton Flood
Wright State Theatre Department
The Skinny: If you know anything about Dayton, you’ve probably learned that it was devastated by a terrible flood in 1913. In March, of 1913, to be more specific. Coming up, as we are, on the centennial anniversary of this formative moment in Dayton’s history, Wright State’s staging of this “epic parable with gospel blues” is appropriate and effective. Staged with a cast and crew of over 40 students from the department, this piece tells several different stories of those nights of terror. Helping to bring this to life are voice-overs from beloved native son Martin Sheen, Ruby Dee and the late Ossie Davis.
Dates: This production will close Sunday, February 10th.
DMM Links: On Stage Dayton Review | DMM Event Calendar
Tickets: To reserve tickets, please call (937) 775-2500
Opening This Week!
Edward Furs as Coach Vince Lombardi in Lombardi (photo by Scott J. Kimmins)
Lombardi
The Human Race Theatre Company
The Skinny: Feeling post-Superbowl pigskin withdrawal? Or, shamelessly playing into gender stereotypes, want to get your sports-oriented guy to go see a play with you? Hie thee to the Loft Theatre, then! Based on the novel When Pride Still Mattered: A Life of Vince Lombardi by Pulitzer-Prize winning author David Maraniss, The Human Race Theatre Company presents Eric Simonson’s bio-play about beloved national icon Vince Lombardi. Football fans and novices alike will discover a new side of the grid-iron legend.
Dates: Lombardi opens February 7th and runs through February 24th.
DMM Links: On Stage Dayton Preview | DMM Event Calendar
Tickets: Tickets are available online at Ticket Center Stage. This production has many special dates, such as “Team Jersey Tuesday,” when tickets are available for a discounted price to persons wearing, you guessed it!, team jerseys. All information is available on their website.
Intimate Apparel
Sinclair Theatre Department
The Skinny: The story of an African-American woman living in Lower Manhattan in 1905 as she strives to become an independent woman as a seamstress. It was an era when the cut and color of one’s dress – and of course, skin – determined your profession, friends and lifestyle options.
Dates: One weekend only! Opening this Thursday, 2/7 and closing Sunday 2/10.
Tickets: Tickets are available online at the Sinclair Theatre Department website.
Auditions!
The Retreat from Moscow by William Nicholson
The Dayton Playhouse
Directed by Dodie Lockwood
Times: Saturday, February 16, and Sunday, February 17 at 2:00 p .m. both days.
The Skinny: The Retreat from Moscow is the story of a thirty-three year marriage at the breaking point. How well do we know the people we marry? Is it wrong to decide it’s time to be honest? Is love enough to save a family? This celebrated author of Shadowlands tells the powerful story of a husband who decides to be truthful in his marriage, and the wife and son whose lives will never be the same. With coiled intensity and embracing empathy this drama shines a breathtakingly natural light on the fallout of a shattered marriage.
Characters:
Edward – A history teacher in his late 50’s. Edward is easy-going, logical and has been happy to accept the status quo in the marriage as much as possible.
Alice – A housewife in her late 50’s who is passionate about poetry. She is frustrated, combative and capable of any action to incite an emotional response from Edward.
Jamie – A bachelor in his mid-30’s. He is rational and is the family’s emotional center. Jamie is torn by his love and respect for both parents, while he himself has been unsuccessful in love.
All characters will have a slight British accent. Accents are encouraged at auditions, but not required.
Requirements: Auditions will consist of readings from the script; no monologues or memorized auditions are required. Resumes are encouraged for actors new to Dayton Playhouse, but not required. Please bring a list of all schedule conflicts between February 17 and April 21.
Performance dates: Performances of The Retreat from Moscow will be April 12-21. If you have questions, or need additional information, please email the director at dodieannl@yahoo.com.
Ok, so, where else but Dayton can you, in the span of a single fortnight, see a lecture about man-eating pigs, a play about a football legend, a play about women’s clothing and a piece about a transformative moment in local history? Seriously! If there’s not something here to fit your particular theatre-going palate, well, wait a couple weeks and I’ll be back with a fresh batch of temptations!
