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A Limitless View at DVAC

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"Distance In Itself Invisible" - by Stefan Chinov

Selected from over 100 exhibiton proposals received from our its 2010 Biennial Call for Exhibitons, DVAC brings it close to home for it’s fourth and final exhibiton of the season. The two-person exhibition features painting, photography, sculpture and painting by Dayton-based artist Stefan Chinov and Cincinnati painter Craig Lloyd.

Titled Limitless View, artists Chinov and Lloyd explore different methods of understanding and re-thinking limitless landscapes—both real and imagined.

Primarily a sculptor and draftsman, Stefan Chinov’s new work was inspired by his recent residency on the Bulgarian, Chilean, Spanish and Russian bases of Antarctica. Chinov imprints the Antarctic landscapes with sculptural installations in ice and volcanic ash and documents its untouched vastness in photographs and video that underscore its mythic presence. Additionally, Chinov plays with the lines of landscape in his geometric studies rendered in three-dimensions in two large floor sculptures; and in two-dimensions in three large scale drawings. Chinov, born in Bulgaria, lives in Dayton and is currently an Assistant Professor at Wright State University.

Craig Lloyd

Craig Lloyd’s paintings of landscapes in central and southern Ohio and northern Kentucky capture the sensation of stopping to take in a more careful and contemplative view. Working in the field or developing images further in the studio, Lloyd optimizes light, atmosphere and seasonal changes to create an idealized version of contemporary frontiers where open space has become a commodity. His fine brushwork captures a clear summer day’s perfect puffy clouds as they perch above a vast expanse of rolling hills, densely-leaved trees, and storybook curves in the road. Lloyd lives in Cincinnati and is an Associate Professor at the College of Mount St. Joseph.

Together, these artists make for a remarkable exhibiton.

“Limitless View”
May 11 – June 16 at DVAC
118 N. Jefferson – Dayton, OH 45402
Opening Reception: May 11 5-10pm
Gallery Talk: May 17 6:15pm
 

 

Lone Star Family Feud

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(Clockwise from Top R) Greg Smith, Barbara Jorgensen, Gayle Smith and Jeff Sams in Dividing the Estate (contributed photo)

The colorful Gordons of economically grim Harrison, Texas circa 1987 are torn between the importance of legacy and ensuring a viable monetary future in “Dividing the Estate,” Horton Foote’s 2008 Tony Award-nominated comedy having its local premiere at the Dayton Theatre Guild.

In the midst of juicy gossip and seemingly trivial chitchat, Foote’s delightfully dysfunctional and relatable characters sharply uncover the unnecessary strife that occurs when money overtakes love among relatives. As a child of the Great Depression, matriarch Stella (Gayle Smith) loathes talk of dividing the land that has been in her family for generations, but differing viewpoints, personal and practical, are astutely crafted with charming authenticity and occasionally moving poignancy. There is also a startling undercurrent flowing throughout the tale as the overt neediness of Stella’s three supposedly mature children Lucille (Barbara Jorgensen), Mary Jo (Julie Hauwiller) and Lewis (Greg Smith) morphs into a humorous, pathetic and sad display. A lot of blame can be passed around as infighting swells, but Stella’s continual willingness to spoil her brood speaks volumes about her parenting choices and the repercussions of those decisions contributing to her family’s fiscal woes spiraling out of control.

Director Ralph Dennler establishes a great pace and masters the tricky dynamics of uneasy conversation (excellently realized in the Act 1 dinner scene), but a firmly combative attack is missing among his principal players. As Stella rules the roost, Smith is sweet and genteel instead of an authoritative vessel of domineering intimidation, which diminishes her clout and the power of her arguments. Jorgensen, Hauwiller and Smith are a prickly trio that could be more explosive and galvanizing, particularly in Act 1. Still, Jorgensen is well-suited as a devoted, widowed caregiver wholeheartedly invested in her mother as well as her loyal son (the amiable Jeff Sams), Hauwiller grasps Mary Jo’s persnickety personality and fervent desire to be seen as an equal among her siblings, and Smith credibly portrays the agitation and disgust stemming from Lewis’ alcohol and gambling addictions.

Oddly, the standout performances derive from characters who are not Stella’s descendants, fueling the production’s off-kilter nature. Geoff Burkman shrewdly dials up the salesmanship as Bob, Mary Jo’s realtor husband intent to sway Stella to reassess her convictions with forward-thinking results. Franklin Johnson, as memorable here as he was last season at the Guild in “The Boys Next Door,” is absolutely wonderful as elderly servant Doug, a talkative fussbudget prone to jealousy and melodramatics who appreciates the Gordons and his place in their history far more than they could ever comprehend. In many ways, the bond between Doug and Stella, which dates back to Stella’s childhood, runs incredibly deep and gives the play emotional heft.

Claire Alemdar, Tori Easterling Doby, Lori Grissom, Lolita Long, Wendi Michael and Bernadette Rose commendably complete the folksy cast. Alemdar and Grissom’s ’80s-era dresses are notably designed by Carol Finley.  Attractively accented by Blake Senseman’s set, “Estate” lacks intensity yet remains a relevant tale of sacrifice in today’s rocky financial climate.

“Dividing the Estate” continues through May 13 at the Dayton Theatre Guild, 430 Wayne Ave.  (Click here for show schedule).  Act One: 60 minutes; Act Two: 55 minutes. Tickets are $10-$17. For tickets or more information, call (937) 278-5993 or visit www.daytontheatreguild.org

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Oscar-Nominated FOOTNOTE Opens Friday

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Hello Everyone,

On Friday, we finally get to open the Oscar-nominated film FOOTNOTE. If you’ve been to THE NEON in the past couple months, I’m almost certain you’ve seen the trailer for this film that has received critical accolades from around the world.

If you still need to see JIRO DREAMS OF SUSHI, it only plays through Thursday. JEFF WHO LIVES AT HOME and DAMSELS IN DISTRESS will play for another week. For remaining showtimes for this week, please visit our website at www.neonmovies.com.

Because of limited print availability, our upcoming schedule has moved around quite a bit. In addition, we’ve added some new, great titles (see the entire line-up below). On Friday, May 18, we will open the new documentary MARLEY – the definitive life story of the brilliant musician and political/social prophet Bob Marley. In celebration of this film, we will have live music on our patio – provided by Reggae musician M. Hunter of Columbus – starting at 6pm on May 18. We hope you’ll plan to join us. (More details will be provided in next week’s newsletter.)

Synopsis for FOOTNOTE: “Eliezer and Uriel Shkolnik are both eccentric professors who have dedicated their lives to their work. The father, Eliezer, is a stubborn purist who fears the establishment and has never been recognized for his work. Meanwhile his son, Uriel, is an up-and-coming star in the field, who appears to feed on accolades – endlessly seeking recognition. Then one day, the tables turn. When Eliezer learns that he is to be awarded the Israel Prize, the most valuable honor for scholarship in the country, his vanity and desperate need for validation are exposed. His son, Uriel, is thrilled to see his father’s achievements finally recognized but, in a darkly funny twist, is forced to choose between the advancement of his own career and his father’s. Will he sabotage his father’s glory?” (taken from Sony Pictures Classics) Nominated for “Best Foreign Film” at this year’s Oscars, this film is currently at 91% positive reviews on Rottentomatoes.com.  Visit the OFFICIAL SITE.

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On Wednesday, May 23 at 6:30pm (registration begins at 6pm), United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 75 has rented out our space for a special screening of INSIDE JOB – “the first film to expose the shocking truth behind the economic crisis of 2008″…and they’re inviting you to join them. “UFCW 75 represents nearly 30,000 members along the I-75 corridor in Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky; our members work mostly in supermarkets, drug stores, food packing and food processing plants, and in health care facilities. We are Ohio’s largest private sector union. For questions, more information, or to RSVP, email [email protected].” (details provided by UFCW 75)

For those of you who use Facebook, we finally have an actual page…not just a “group” page. We will soon be fazing out the old group, so please LIKE us by visiting our page – which now has a very easy address: www.facebook.com/neonmovies

Thanks for your continued support.

We hope to see you soon,
Jonathan

P.S.  I saw MOONRISE KINGDOM last week.  Favorite film of the year so far.  Can’t wait to bring it to Dayton!!

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SHOWTIMES for
Fri. May 11 – Thur. May 17:

JEFF WHO LIVES AT HOME (R) 1 Hr 23 Min
Friday, Saturday, Sunday: 5:10, 9:30
Monday – Thursday: 5:10

FOOTNOTE (PG) 1 Hr 43 Min
Friday, Saturday, Sunday: 12:50, 3:00, 5:15, 7:30, 9:40
Monday – Thursday: 3:00, 5:15, 7:30

DAMSELS IN DISTRESS (PG-13) 1 Hr 39 Min
Friday, Saturday, Sunday: 12:45, 3:00, 7:20
Monday – Thursday: 3:00, 7:20

COMING SOON:
As always, all dates are tentative.  Many of these dates will change.
In some rare cases, titles may disappear.
May 18 MARLEY
May 25 THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL
June 1 SOUND OF MY VOICE
June 15 HYSTERIA
June 29 MOONRISE KINGDOM
LOLA VERSUS
DARLING COMPANION
July 6 TO ROME WITH LOVE
July 13 YOUR SISTER’S SISTER
July 27 BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD
WHERE DO WE GO NOW?

Coming Up in Cincinnati Theatre: May 7-13

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…BLINK AND THEY’RE GONE

THE CIVIL WAR

UC College-Conservatory of Music

The Story: THE CIVIL WAR is a moving musical meditation on the Civil War as seen through the eyes of Union and Confederate soldiers, slaves and landowners, along with American “everymen” from all levels of society. Featuring an eclectic score that includes gospel, folk, rhythm and blues, country and rock, the musical was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Musical. By turns humorous and emotionally gripping, THE CIVIL WAR is a sweeping portrait of a country torn by unrest and a moving tribute to the 620,000 men and women who made the greatest sacrifice for their principles.
The Dates: May 10-12, 2012
Tickets and More Information: BTC listing

THE COMPLETE IDIOT’S GUIDE TO ENLIGHTENMENT

The Story: A workshop production. An aging stand-up comedian unburdens himself in the middle of his night club act, spinning a tale that is at once a memoir of his late lamented stepfather and an account of the odd events that occurred at the funeral.
The Dates: May 10-11, 2012
Tickets and More Information: BTC listing

Disney’s CAMP ROCK THE MUSICAL

The Children’s Theatre of Mason

The Story: Based on the Disney Channel original movies CAMP ROCK and CAMP ROCK 2: THE FINAL JAM this production will fire up the stage with over a dozen songs, including “This Is Me,” “Can’t Back Down,” “It’s On,” and “We Rock.” Camp Rock is the ultimate camp for aspiring musicians! This summer at camp was supposed to be all about the music and having the time of their lives. But the new, flashy Camp Star across the lake now threatens Camp Rock’s very existence. To keep the doors open, Mitchie steps up, rallies her fellow Camp Rockers, and gets them into top shape for the ultimate showdown!
The Dates: May 11-13, 2012
Tickets and More Information: The Children’s Theatre of Mason | BTC listing

ELEPHANT SIGHS

Mad Anthony Theatre Company

The Story: Not long after moving to a small town, an uptight lawyer named Joel is invited to join a group of townsmen who meet in a ramshackle room at the edge of town. Joel has been chosen to replace a recently deceased and much beloved member. Joel accepts the invitation without ever asking just what exactly it is the group actually does. As an anxious Joel is swept up in the strange lives of the guys, the more apparent it becomes that each of them is just as lost as Joel. As the evening progresses the regulars finally reveal the mysterious reason for their gathering.
The Dates: May 1-6, 2012
Tickets and More Information: Mad Anthony Theatre Company | BTC listing

LES MISERABLES

Broadway in Cincinnati

The Story: Cameron Mackintosh presents a brand new 25th anniversary production of Boublil & Schönberg’s legendary musical, Les Misérables, with glorious new staging and dazzlingly reimagined scenery inspired by the paintings of Victor Hugo. This new production has been acclaimed by critics, fans and new audiences and is breaking box office records wherever it goes. The New York Times calls this Les Misérables “an unquestionably spectacular production from start to finish.” The London Times hails the new show “a five-star hit, astonishingly powerful.”
The Dates: May 8-13, 2012
Tickets and More Information: Broadway in Cincinnati | BTC listing

…NEW THIS WEEK

ANGEL STREET

Lebanon Theatre Company

The Story: As the curtain rises, all appears the essence of Victorian tranquility. It is soon apparent however, that Mr. Manningham, a suavely handsome man, is not what he appears to be. When a caller from Scotland Yard visits Mrs. Manningham during one of Mr. Manningham’s many unexplained absences, pieces of the puzzle begin to fall into place. Author Patrick Hamilton has built and sustained some of the most brilliant, suspenseful sequences in modern theatre.
The Dates: May 11-20, 2012
Tickets and More Information: Lebanon Theatre Company | BTC listing

THE FANTASTICKS

Loveland Stage Company

The Story: Two fathers decide that they want their children to fall in love. The girl, Luisa, is a daydreamer with an active imagination. The boy, Matt, is a romantic. The two fathers decide to instigate a mock feud amongst themselves in order to help the boy and girl fall in love. They figure that this feud will give them the excuse to say no to the relationship, which of course will simply encourage the children’s love even more. The fathers go as far as to hire El Gallo to stage a mock abduction of Luisa, in which Matt can become a hero and save her. 
The Dates: May 11-20, 2012
Tickets and More Information: Loveland Stage Company | BTC listing

FIVE WOMEN WEARING THE SAME DRESS

Wyoming Players

The Story: During an ostentatious wedding reception at a Knoxville, Tennessee, estate, five reluctant, identically clad bridesmaids hide out in an upstairs bedroom, each with her own reason to avoid the proceedings below. They are Frances, a painfully sweet but sheltered fundamentalist; Mindy, the cheerful, wise-cracking lesbian sister of the groom; Georgeanne, whose heartbreak over her own failed marriage triggers outrageous behavior; Meredith, the bride’s younger sister whose precocious rebelliousness masks a dark secret; and Trisha, a jaded beauty whose die-hard cynicism about men is called into question when she meets Tripp, a charming bad-boy usher to whom there is more than meets the eye.
The Dates: May 11-19, 2012
Tickets and More Information: Wyoming Players | BTC listing

Brian Isaac Phillips as Shylock, Kelly Mengelkoch as Portia & Jared Joplin as Antonio. Photo by Jeanna Vella.

THE MERCHANT OF VENICE

Cincinnati Shakespeare Company

The Story: Passion, betrayal, and a bargain with a terrible price. In one of the Bard’s most controversial and thrilling plays, Antonio covers a debt for his friend Bassanio, from the complicated and persecuted Shylock—who has much reason to resent Antonio. Across lines of race and wrongdoing, Antonio must face a terrible fate, while Bassanio finds true love in the arms of the delightful Portia. Watch what happens as events culminate in a cross-dressing courtroom battle in THE MERCHANT OF VENICE.
The Dates: May 11-June 3, 2012

Tickets and More Information: Cincinnati Shakespeare Company | BTC listing

Tom Highley as Bruce Ismay, Shawn Toadvine as Thomas Andrews, and Rick Kramer as Captain EJ Smith.

TITANIC THE MUSICAL

Cincinnati Music Theatre

The Story: TITANIC is based on the true story of the great ship’s maiden voyage from departure in Southampton, England to the sinking in the Atlantic by an iceberg. The show touches on issues such as class, immigration and mankind’s vulnerability in the face of nature. The story follows passengers and crew members who actually existed and were aboard the Titanic back in 1912.
The Dates: May 11-19, 2012
Tickets and More Information: Cincinnati Music Theatre | BTC listing

…CONTINUING

James Oblak as Skip, Will Slenick as Wally, Nick Laughlin as Denny & Lee Slobotkin as Eugene. Photo by Ryan Kurtz.

LIFE COULD BE A DREAM

Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati

The Story: SH-BOOM! From the creator of THE MARVELOUS WONDERETTES, comes the Crooning Crabcakes, the boy group banned from the Springfield High School prom that made it possible for The Marvelous Wonderettes to perform. The guys get one more chance at fame and fortune as Denny, Eugene, Skip and Wally form a singing group to enter and win the local radio contest and realize their dreams of making it to the big time! Featuring such classic songs as “Stay” (Just a Little Bit Longer),” “Runaround Sue,” “Tears On My Pillow,” “Unchained Melody,” “Earth Angel,” and of course the title song, Life Could Be A Dream is another musical trip down memory lane that will leave you laughing, singing and cheering!
The Dates: May 2-20, 2012
Tickets and More Information: Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati | BTC listing

Catherine Ross as Margaret Johnson & Abby Paljieg as Clara Johnson in Footlighters' THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA.

THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA

Footlighters Inc.

The Story: The show takes place in Italy in the summer of 1953. Margaret Johnson, the wife of an American, is touring the Tuscan countryside with her daughter, Clara. While sightseeing, Clara-a beautiful, childish young woman-loses her hat in a sudden gust. As if guided by an unseen hand, the hat lands at the feet of Fabrizio Naccarelli, a handsome Florentine, who returns it to Clara. This brief episode sparks an immediate romance between Clara and Fabrizio. Extremely protective, Margaret attempts to keep them apart. As the story unfolds, a secret is revealed about Clara: she is not all that she appears. Unable to suppress the truth, Margaret is forced to reconsider not only Clara’s future, but her own hopes as well.
The Dates: May 3-19, 2012
Tickets and More Information: Footlighters Inc. | BTC listing

OVER THE RIVER AND THROUGH THE WOODS

Mariemont Players

The Story: Nick, an Italian-American boy from New Jersey, wants to follow his dream and move to Seattle – far away from his beloved, but annoying, grandparents and their routine Sunday dinners. But both sets of grandparents scheme to keep him from moving, using the lovely, and single, Caitlin O’Hare as bait.
The Dates: May 4-20, 2012
Tickets and More Information: Mariemont Players | BTC listing

The cast of THE SECOND CITY 2: LESS PRIDE...MORE PORK. Photo by Sandy Underwood.

THE SECOND CITY: LESS PRIDE MORE PORK

Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park

The Story: The world’s premier comedy company will again set its razor-sharp sights on Cincinnati. What’s left to skewer? The Second City was in town long enough to know they haven’t come close to exhausting the material. Not to mention, between now and opening night, entire sports seasons will come and go, politicians will star on reality shows and streetcars may (or may not) be on track. The future holds nothing but promise for comedy at our expense. 
The Dates: April 29-July 1, 2012
Tickets and More Information: Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park | BTC listing

David St. Louis as Marvell Thunder, Terry Burrell as Good Sister Dupree, Jennie Harney as Glory Dupree & Trent Armand Kendall as Jaguar Dupree, Sr. Photo by Sandy Underwood.

THUNDER KNOCKING ON THE DOOR

Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park

The Story: Once upon a time, a mysterious, blues-playing stranger named Marvell Thunder arrives at the door of the Dupree family with a unique challenge — a “cutting contest,” in which twin guitars are the weapons of choice. If he has his way, the epic musical showdown will change everyone’s life forever. A mystical, magical celebration of love, family and the exhilarating power of music to free your soul. 
The Dates: April 21-May 20, 2012
Tickets and More Information: Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park | BTC listing

…ENDING THIS WEEK

BLOODY BLOODY ANDREW JACKSON

Know Theatre of Cincinnati

The Story: BLOODY BLOODY ANDREW JACKSON uses the story of America’s controversial seventh president, “the man who invented the Democratic Party, doubled the size of our nation, and signed the Indian Removal Acts that started the Trail of Tears,” to investigate the attraction and terrors of American populism, using a raucous blend of outrageous comedy, anarchic theatricality and an infectious rock n’ roll soundtrack.
The Dates: March 31-May 12, 2012
Tickets and More Information: Know Theatre of Cincinnati | BTC listing

Jonathan Zeng as Joseph, Michelle Koopman-Wells as The Narrator & Donnie McGovern as Pharoah in JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT..

JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT

Covedale Center for the Performing Arts

The Story: The Biblical, all-sung saga of Joseph and his coat of many colors comes to vibrant life in this delightful parable. Joseph, his father’s favorite son, is a boy blessed with prophetic dreams. When he is sold into slavery by his jealous brothers and taken to Egypt, Joseph endures a series of adventures in which his spirit and humanity are continually challenged.
The Dates: April 19-May 13, 2012
Tickets and More Information: Covedale Center | BTC listing

PLAY IT AGAIN, SAM

Stagecrafters

The Story: Allan Felix has this thing about Humphrey Bogart. If only he had some of Bogart’s technique…Bogey comes to the rescue of Allan (who is bookish and insecure with women) with a fantastic bevy of beauties played out in hilarious fantasy sequences. Fixed up with gorgeous women by friends, he’s so awkward that even Bogey’s patience is tried. Allan mostly resembles a disheveled, friendly dog and this is what ultimately charms his best friend’s wife into bed. It’s a tough life, making it in the world of beautiful people but if you can’t be a hero it helps to have one…
The Dates: May 5-13, 2012
Tickets and More Information: Stagecrafters | BTC listing

…COMING SOON

Matt Dentino, Danielle Muething, Jennifer J. Araya & Patrick Phillips.

BABES IN HOLLYWOOD

The Dates: May 16-June 3, 2012
Tickets and More Information: Showboat Majestic | BTC listing

BECKY’S NEW CAR

The Dates: May 17-19, 2012
Tickets and More Information: Middletown Lyric Theatre | BTC listing

THE COMPLETE HISTORY OF AMERICA (ABRIDGED)

The Dates: May 17-20, 2012
Tickets and More Information: Greater Hamilton Civic Theatre | BTC listing

SONGS FROM THE TALL GRASS

The Dates: May 18-27, 2012
Tickets and More Information: Fairfield Footlighters | BTC listing

The Invisible Becomes Visible – This American Life Hits the Big Screen

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Radio Spectacular Comes To The Big Screen Via This American Life Live!

On May 10 the ultimate “shared experience” will be simulcast in over 550 theaters between the US and Canada as PRI’s award winning show, This American Life (TAL) brings radio to the big screen for the third time! TAL host and executive producer (and public radio rockstar) Ira Glass, serves as ring master for the cinematic event broadcasting live from NYU’s Skirball Center for the Performing Arts in NYC. The Invisible Made Visible is the theme for this production, starring a veritable “whose who” of the public radio culture!

For starters, there are feature stories from Ira Glass himself, as well as regular contributors David Sedaris and David Rakoff and yet another regular, Mike Birbiglia, throws in a short film into the mix. Also joining these TAL all stars is the host of NPR’s Snap Judgment, Glynn Washington, as well as comic Tig Notaro, author Ryan Knighton (to the delight of Canadian TAL fans) and live music with audience interactive Android / iPhone App performance by the band OK Go. Original animation and projected illustrations will be sprinkled throughout the show plus special surprise guests!

BUT WAIT! There’s MORE! What, you may be asking yourself, would a radio show be without dance?  The Monica Bill Barnes & Company of New York is not only featured in this performance, but was the motivation behind bringing This American Life back into the cinema!  In a recent interview, Glass recounts how inspired he was while attending a live performance of Monica Bill Barnes & Company for the first time…

“There was something about they way they did their performance that reminded me of our radio show. There was something about the personality of it and the way the dances unfolded. They were just very good actors. The pieces seemed to be about moments of awkwardness and anxiety and the thought flashed in my head.” Glass went on to say that, “Our audience would really be into this, it’s just like our radio show…but it’s entirely visual, maybe we should think about doing another cinema event.”

I asked him how long it took from the actual moment of inspiration to the concrete production of this live show. He was surprisingly specific…

“I saw the dance show (I’m pulling it up on my calendar as we speak) June 4th, 2011, but we didn’t really decide to do it until September.” He cites being in ‘infinite editing mode’ on a Birbiglia film during the Fall of 2011 and preparing for the January 2012 Sundance Film Festival, for putting this live event momentarily on the back burner.

Yet, this moment of inspiration led Glass into a parallel universe to produce The Invisible Made Visible. For the better part of the last year, while continuing to work on the radio show, Glass found himself in “the weirdest period of my life” approving drafts from Disney animators, attending dance rehearsals, as well as working with the band OK Go in developing an interactive iPhone & Android app. To heighten the shared experience, the vision for the music app is to include 50,000 audience members in a musical performance with OK Go, similar to the bands 2012 interactive music video, Needing/Getting which aired as a Chevrolet commercial during the Superbowl.

“We basically tried to invent things that you could never do on the radio.” – Ira Glass

This production is not the only cinematic venture in the life of Ira Glass. In the summer of 2011 he co-wrote and shot a feature film with humorist and author Mike Birbiglia titled Sleepwalk With Me, which is based on Birbiglia’s This American Life piece of the same name which, in turn, was developed into a book and one man show. In January of this year Sleepwalk With Me received an audience award at Sundance Film Festival and will be go into general release August 24, 2012.

When asked what his thoughts were pertaining to the Invisible Made Visible project, he laughingly said, “I wished for a multi media adventure and I got my wish!”

When I asked Ira if fans could look forward to these cinematic/multimedia events on a regular basis, say every two years or so, he gave an enthusiastic nervous laugh, saying, “I have no idea if we’ll ever do it again! It is such an ambitious sort of undertaking that with all the animations and movies and things like that, it’s either going to be the most AMAZING thing that we have ever put on, or, it’s going to be a complete train wreck! There’s no middle ground! It’s going to be the greatest triumph of the shows history OR we will always look back on this day as the WORST thing that we ever attempted. Nothing in between is possible!” (more nervous laughter) “That is my promise to the audience!”

Judging from the success of the radio show, the brief stint of This American Life on Showtime and the last two cinema events, Glass doesn’t have much to worry about. The financial weight of this, the third, live show is much less daunting than the previous one in 2009. That entire production was funded from the pockets of TAL and was an extreme business risk.

“This time we’re doing it for the purest of reasons. It seemed like it would be fun for the audience and fun for us.” – Ira Glass

Even with the hefty price tag of such a production for a cinematic event like this, the thought of the possible higher revenue from Pay Per View is not as attractive to Glass as one might think. The impetus for taking on such a huge endeavor such as this may be explained by something Glass had been witness to in the past. As a huge fan of Howard Stern, Ira recalled how magical it felt to be in a theater with other fans and the moment of sharing the standing “O” when Stern entered the theater.

“One of the big advantages to doing it in a movie theater is, I know that when we’ve done our show live on stage, it’s exciting for people who are fans of a radio show to get together with a group of people who are fans of the same show.” Glass said.

Glass respects the intelligence of  the audience of This American Life, and leaves it up them to discern the difference between journalism and story telling. Briefly touching on the recent controversial Mike Daisey episode, Mr. Daisey Goes to the Apple Factory and the following retraction show in March 2012, Glass spoke to issues of fact checking and the responsibility of shows that deliver a mix of off beat news through entertainment.

Pertaining to the pitfalls that can occur with a show such as TAL, Glass said, “Truthfully, I would like to believe that the audience is sophisticated enough that they can tell the difference and that we don’t have to cue them.”

Even in light of his high regard for the audience, technical concerns and complicated timing during this live show is nerve wracking.

“I feel confidence in the material but, it’s a very complicated tech thing to pull off and so I feel very nervous about that.” Glass expounded on that thought by saying, “I feel confident or I wouldn’t be doing a show…but I go into it very, very worried. It’s also the excitement of doing things you’ve never done. Hopefully, with fear comes enjoyment.”

With all the anxiety that comes with producing such an ambitious event, Glass is equally excited about the format. He loves the energy and reaction of a live audience versus being in a sound proof production booth.

“It’s exciting to be on stage in front of people, especially with material that you’re excited to present! Maybe this is a bad thing to say because we have all these people collaborating, but I am most excited about my own part of the show.” Glass went on, saying, “I’m most excited about the parts I get to perform! There’s a story I get to tell at the top of the show and there’s another one in the middle of the show and their both going to be really fun to perform!” Taking on a giddy tone, his inner geek came out while talking about mixing music, quotes and cues live with an iPad. “It’s really fun to do!”

“I feel like we’ve been doing promos on the air and try to express to the audience, ‘No, no! I know I’ve promoted other things but this one is really unusual and special!’ and I don’t know how to wave my arms around enough and say, ‘We’re pulling all the stops out here! Even stops we didn’t know existed!’” Glass added, “I want to communicate to the audience, ‘We’re not kidding this time! You’re not going to want to miss this one!’ The stuff we’re making for the show is so exciting! The animation and the movie that Mike Birbiglia did…they’re so exciting that it’s really hard not to just show (it to) those to people and say, ‘See what we’re talking about?!?’…but then we don’t want to spoil it.”

Dayton, Ohio witnessed this “live” mix in the flesh last May (2011) when Ira performed his solo act at Victoria Theater, in support of WYSO. I was fortunate enough to be in the first class of WYSO’s  Community Voices as a producer training. Ira conducted our last class the afternoon before his show. He had a lot of great stories and practical advice. One thing that stands out with me even today was his advice on finding stories, which was pretty simple actually: “Do stories on things that amuse you.”

This American Life has always had its finger on the pulse of what amuses people. Whether it’s tragic or comical, it draws us in. They have done what radio of the past has done; given a shared experience using only sound. This live show is the rare event to bring us the sight that goes with it.

Things you should know before attending the show:

~ Dayton showings are at Regal Hollywood 20 at Fairfield Commons in Beavercreek, Dayton South 16 (near Dayton Mall), and Huber Heights 16. Tickets are $20.00 and can be purchased in advance here: http://www.fathomevents.com/originals/event/thisamericanlife2012.aspx

~ If you have an iPhone or Android and would like to participate in the live interactive “OK Go” performance, (imagine being encouraged to loudly use your phone in a theater), you need to get the App before going to the theater. Cell phone reception is poor in theaters for a reason, so don’t wait to download your App in the theater. You can get it via iTunes or the App store or for easier linkage, go here: http://www.thisamericanlife.org/blog/2012/04/download-the-live-show-app

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Dayton Circus Sideshow Lucky 7

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Laurana Wong performs at Sideshow I

In 2006, local artist Laurana Wong had a vision to “expose the burgeoning underground art scene and interconnect it with the more established art community while bringing attention to Downtown Dayton through a grand-scaled and highly public display of the art that is so ripe in this town. The event will be free of charge and open to as wide of a population as we can reach. The guests will be at least as diverse as the involved…”  And that year in a vacant space in the Cannery, Sideshow was born.

This was (and still is) the quintessential do-it-yourself grassroots independent local art show in the region.  Artists and volunteers came together to prepare a vacant space that had collected decades debris and dirt.  A stage was built, walls for hanging art were added, a dumpster was filled – and through it all, tight bonds were formed between dozens of local artists all coming together to organize an awesome event.  That night on June 24th, over 60 artists and performers (including Laurana herself) put on an amazing show that had people mesmerized and speechless, with many shaking their heads in disbelief that they were “still in Dayton” – a phrase uttered at each of the following Sideshows that speaks both to how strong our independent arts community is, and how many in the region are still unaware.  After that first wildly successful Sideshow, The Dayton Circus Creative Collective was born, with a simple mission: “The Circus is dedicated to building a nourishing environment that will encourage community interaction, artistic collaboration, and the empowerment of the individual. We offer a place to create, perform, and share freely in the experience of living.”

Leesa Haapapuro - "Pot Luck"

Sideshow has moved around to different locations over the years, with one of the most popular venues being The Merc on Third Street across and down from The Cannery.  Next was the old Unicorn Bar at Third and Jefferson, then The Armory in the OD – and finally now at the permanent home to the Dayton Circus – The Yellow Cab Building across and down from Garden Station at 700 E. Fourth St.  This 7,300 square foot space was built in 1964 and has a mix of spaces including a large garage area, artist studios, community meeting rooms and event spaces.

This year on Friday, May 11 (Urban Nights), and Saturday, May 12  the Dayton Circus Creative Collective will present its annual multimedia extravaganza, Sideshow 7 – which will feature work by more than 50 artists and more than 20 acts by performers and bands. In addition, there will also be performance art on Friday, and a fashion show and fire spinners on Saturday evening. Admission is free, but donations will accepted to support The Sideshow and the Circus.

I talked to this year’s co-organizer Kate Ervin about Sideshow 7…

DMM: What will make this Sideshow different from past Sideshows?

Kate: All our Sideshows vary year to year based on the tastes of the organizers and locations. Since this our second year in our semi-permanent home at the Yellow Cab, we’ve been able to settle in a bit and make the space more comfortable, rather than working with a completely abandoned shell of a building. In recent years, I’ve wondered if the general public associated The Sideshow with Dayton’s very large dark/goth/horror scene, however we truly don’t intend to highlight any one subculture. Therefore I’ve made it my mission to fill the building with nothing but fun this year, with rainbow color, cartoons, and good luck symbols for our seventh year!

DMM: Why do YOU think people across the region should check out Sideshow?

Kate: As a community-based arts festival, you’re likely to experience the creativity of your friends and neighbors. Even more, YOU are invited to participate in any manner you see fit, whether or not you are an “artist”–we welcome the contributions of everyone (shameless plug for volunteering – click here!)

DMM: What are you personally looking forward most to seeing?

Kate: I’m especially proud of the artists who have taken up my call to “go big” and make interactive installations to transform the space. A trio of street artists–ETCH, Nate Harrah, and Neal Chaney–have been working long nights on a giant Rube Goldbergy/Plinko machine that will predict your future. Kat Keller, an MFA student at OSU, created an outdoor “sensory experience” room with lighting, sound, and visuals. Leesa Haapapuro stepped up to build and cater our food table this year, making it a beautifully-designed carnival game.

 

Dayton Most Metro is proud to be the Media Sponsor this year!!!

Performance Schedule for Sideshow 7

Friday May 12

6:00-6:30 Emevol

6:30-7:15 Father’s Day

Todd The Fox (with Lisa BunnyFooFoo) Photo Credit: Val Slayton

7:15-8:00 Todd The Fox

8:00-8:45 The Fair Shakes

8:45-9:30 Dan Raridan & The Calientes

9:30-10:15 C. Wright’s Parlour Tricks

10:15-11:00 The Show

11:00-11:30 Vag Speak

11:30-12:15 Jasper The Colossal

Jasper the Colossal - Photo Credit: Amanda Barbosa

12:15-1:00 The White Soots

 

Saturday May 12th

6:00-6:25 Two Suns

6:25-6:55 The Low Land Healers

6:55-7:25 Haunted Palace

7:25-8:05 Northwest Ordinance

8:05-8:15 Atomik Geisha Fashions

8:15-8:55 Skratchmatik with the Funk Lab Crew

8:55-9:05 Daddy Katz Fashions

9:05-9:45 Starving In The Belly Of The Whale

9:45-9:55 Nina Kahn Fashions

Dirty Socialites

9:55-10:40 Tim Pritchard and The Boxcar Suite

10:40-10:50 Cachet G! Fashions

10:50-11:30 Lurchbox

11:30-12:15 The Dirty Socialites

12:15-1:00 Oxymoronatron

 

Artist Lineup for Sideshow 7

Nicholaus Arnold

Josh Arnold

Kristin Bailey

Gary Blowers

Blue Sky Tech-Arts Collaborative (Terry Welker, Christina, Pereyma, Rodney Veal, Teresa Olivaria, James Balmer, Denise Brooks, and others)

Neal Chaney

Jennifer Clarke

Matt Coffee

Alessandro Cortez

Jeff Dabney

Laura Daniel

Megan Dooley-Smallwood

Jen Dyke

Kate Ervin

ETCH

Summer Rose Fig

Cherry Fullam

Christine Gaffney

Charlie Gast

Stephanie Gorby

Mike Guidone

Amber Gwin

Leesa Haapapuro

Don Habill

Nate Harrah

James Hayden

Steve Heman

Amanda Jasnowski

David Jewell

Kat Keller

Micah Kemplin

David Kenworthy

Braille Korp

Crystal Leisure

Christina Lewis

Richard Duerr Lober

Joey London

Melissa Lush

Agatha MacAlpine

Shayna McConville

Ali Troubadour

Tracy McElfresh

Sarah McLain

Sharon Middelchylde

Chesterton David Miller

Jonathan Missall

Gary Mitchell

Sharon Mohler

Lisa Newman

Michael Officer

Michael Profitt

Rachael A. Redolfi

Bill Reid

Heather Lea Reid

Ben Riddlebarger

Ron Rollins

Katherine Schwab

David Sloane

David Sparks

Spyder

Frank Travers

Julia Trimboli

Wendy Wagener-Harris

Tamra Wallace

Tom Watson III

Patrick Woehl

A Lawyer Walks Into A Comedy Club…

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Many of you may know that for years I owned a comedy club here in town.  Folks are always asking me who’s funny and to tell them when someone good is coming to town.  That’s hard for me to do, for a couple of reasons.  One- after 20+ years of seeing comic’s I became very jaded, what makes me laugh tends to be the obscure or the sick deviant stuff.  Another is that I really prefer to know what you like before I recommend someone.  I can send you to see  a squeaky clean show, political satire or  silly song parodies, but not every show is for everybody.  Every now and then there’s an act that I think is pretty all encompassing and this week the Funny Bone at The Greene has him, Paul Mecurio.  He’s an emmy winner for his work on The Daily Show!

Here’s what the Huffington Post has to say about Paul:

Paul Mecurio took an interesting route to becoming a comedian, beginning his career on Wall Street as a mergers and acquisitions lawyer and moonlighting in the clubs. Now he headlines comedy clubs around the country. Most recently, Paul launched Got No Game with Paul Mecurio, a new web series on HBOSports.com which tackles the world of sports with a comical look at the compelling stories and outrageous events away from the field through original sketches and one-on-one interviews. New episodes of Got No Game with Paul Mecurio will post each Friday through September 4.
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Mecurio has been featured on his own “Comedy Central Presents” half-hour special and has made numerous TV appearances including Late Night with Conan O’Brien,The Late, Late Show with Craig Kilborn, CNN, MSNBC, and many others. For his work as a writer on Comedy Central’s The Daily Show, Paul won both an Emmy Award and a Peabody Award (the Pulitzer prize for broadcast journalism). When he’s not on the road, Paul frequently opens for live tapings of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and Who Wants to Be A Millionaire? Paul can also be heard on the nationally syndicated Bob & Tom Radio Show. As the “Image Makeover Guy” on Bob & Tom, Paul doles out advice on how public figures can improve their images. Paul’s “Consumer Man” pieces about life as a frequently aggravated consumer have been featured on Bob & Tom and in The New York Times Magazine.

You probably  know I do an interview with local Chefs called 10 ?’s.   Paul wanted to know if I could interview him to help get the word out that he’d be here, so  I sent him my 1o ?’s.  Here ‘s what he shot me back in 2 minutes.  And that’s a record for quickest answers!

What is your favorite ingredient to cook with?

Bob Costas interviews Paul as an "asterisk"

OXYCODONE–IT TRANSPORTS THE FOOD … AND YOU!

What ingredient do you dread?

URANIUM, VERY DIFFICULT TO WORK WITH AS A REDUCTION SAUCE

What’s your favorite dish to make? 

CHEF BOYARDEE RAVIOLI … NOW IF I CAN JUST FIND SOMEONE TO OPEN THE CAN FOR ME, IT WOULD BE PERFECT

What’s your favorite pig out food?

PIZZA, ICE CREAM AND CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES, ALL AT ONCE … I;M A BUSY MAN

What restaurant, other than your own do you like to dine at in the Miami Valley?

THERE’S S A GREAT DUMPSTER AT FIFTH STREET & WAYNE AVE

What’s your best advice for home chefs?

FLAME RETARDANT JOCK STRAP.

If you could invite any 4 guests to a dinner party who would they be and why?

3 GANG MEMBERS AND DONALD TRUMP, SO I COULD WATCH THEM BEAT UP DONALD TRUMP WHILE I EAT — DINNER AND A SHOW.

Who do you look up to in the industry and why?

THE COLONEL –COME ON ELEVN HERBS AND SPICES?  ELEVEN!  THE MAN’S A GENIUS

What do you do in the Miami Valley on a day off?

READ THIS BLOG POST AND WEEP.

(though I seem to remember some nights we spent at Diamonds with the Jokers staff…)

Share a kitchen disaster, lucky break or other interesting story:

I WAS COOKING PASTA AND FORGOT TO PUT WATER IN THE POT-THE PASTA WAS A LITTLE UNDERCOOKED.
So go check Paul out this week at Funny Bone, make reservations, shows do sell out and tell ’em Lisa sent you!  But remember there’s a 2 item minimum and don’t heckle, you’re never gonna be as funny as the pro’s and Paul is one of the best!

The Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra presents Resurrection Symphony

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Facing Life’s Challenges: A Musical Guide to Dealing with It All

I have a personal mantra: Nothing’s Ever Easy.

There aren’t web pages enough for me to catalog all of the instances in my own life where fate intervened, and I snapped defeat from the jaws of victory rather than the other way around.

I’ll share one with you.

After having caught nine innings of a baseball game, I came to the plate in the bottom of the ninth (I was much younger then, you understand) with two outs and our leftfielder standing on third, the result of two-strike curveball he’d slammed off of the centerfield wall.

I hit a line shot that caught the opposing team’s pitcher just above his sternum and bounced weakly off into the grass on the third base side of the diamond. Stunned by what was, in fact, the equivalent of a bunt, the other team’s third baseman started a late charge toward the ball. Our leftfielder ran towards the plate and the game-winning run, and I took off for first victory as good as in my grasp.

Here’s a rule of nature: catchers aren’t particularly fast runners, especially after having caught for nine innings. As first base loomed before me, almost as in a dream I saw something fluttering in the air above my head and slightly to my side. It was the baseball!

Here’s another rule: never slide headfirst into first base; scientific study has proven it to be actually a slower way of reaching the bag than simply running as fast as you can toward it. And I contributed to that body of scientific evidence, reaching the bag with my knurled fingertips scant seconds after the opposing first baseman had slammed his glove with the ball inside it right onto the top of my head. Hard!

Here’s a rule of baseball: Rule 4.09 – A run scores when a runner touches home plate before the third out is made, EXCEPT that no run can score when the third out is the result of a force play, or when the batter is put out before reaching first base.

Nothing’s Ever Easy. Life is a synonym for challenge. And that challenge is universal; we are all allergic to it. All.

I know of a man whose life was perhaps one of the most challenging ever lived. He grew up a Jew in a mostly Christian country, where all the old prejudices and hatreds toward Jews were rife.

He had to struggle to make ends meet. Some say that, when he eventually converted to Christianity, he did so to get a better paying position. No one bothered to determine if he really wasn’t only following through on a change in his beliefs.

Christopher Chaffee, Associate Professor of Music at Wright State University provides this insight into the man: As a conductor he ruled with an iron will and overturned many long-standing traditions. He banned the rowdy fan clubs of star singers, stopped performances when audience members talked, and closed and locked the doors to the hall once a performance began, leaving latecomers stranded in the lobby…was equally demanding on the musicians, and the quality of his opera productions and orchestral programs soared to new heights.

He was a composer whose own wife joined with the music critics in deriding his compositions as manufactured, out-of-date, and distraught.

And, as if that weren’t enough, his five-year-old daughter died.

His music reflects his emotional roller coaster ride, taking listeners to “heights of pleasure and happiness to the depths of despair, many times…” (Chaffee). And one of his symphonies, his second, in particular depicts musically the challenges we all face. Life-and-death challenges, religious and philosophical challenges, the challenges we face simply to stay alive and those we face when we ponder life and the sense, or insanity, of it all.

Here’s how the composer himself described his second symphony:

“It is the hero of my First Symphony whom I bear to his grave, and upon the clear recollection of whose life I gaze from a higher vantage point. At the same time, there is the great question: ‘Why hast thou lived? Why hast thou suffered? Is all this only a great and ghastly joke?’ We must solve these problems in one way or another, if we are to continue living – yes, even if we are to continue dying! He in whose life this call has once resounded must give an answer; and I give this answer in the last movement.

Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra
“Resurrection Symphony”
Friday, May 11 & Sat­urday, May 12 ~ 2012
Schuster Center, 8 pm
Click for Tickets

“The second…movement is a recollection – a sunny scene, from the life of this hero. It must have happened to you once – you have borne a dear friend to his grave, and then, perhaps on your way homewards, there has suddenly appeared before you the image of a long-past happiness, which now enters into your soul like a sunbeam- marred by no shadow – you can almost forget what happened! That is the second movement.

“Then, when you awaken from this nostalgic dream and must return to life’s confusion, it may easily occur that this perpetually moving, never ending, ever incomprehensible hustle and bustle of life becomes eerie to you, like the movement of dancing figures in a brightly lighted ballroom into which you must gaze out of the dark night – from so far that you do not hear the dance music any more. Life becomes senseless to you then, a ghastly apparition from which you, perhaps, recoil with a cry of disgust. This is the third movement!

“What happened to me with the last movement of the Second Symphony is simply this: I …was forced…to express my feelings and thoughts in my own words. It was at this time that…I attended…memorial services. The mood was very much in the spirit of the work I carried inside of me. At this point the choir from the organ loft intoned…Rise Again! Like Lightning this hit me: everything became clear and distinct before my soul.”

The confusion had dissipated. Everything had become clear. Finally, Gustav Mahler had understood the reason for the challenges of life and the approach for dealing with them.

On Friday, May 11 and Saturday, May 12 at 8 pm in the Schuster Center, the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra will present Resurrection Symphony, the final concert in this season’s Classical series. DPO Music Director Neal Gittleman will host a Take Note Talk in the Mead Theatre at 7pm and provide you with in-depth background into this glorious musical work, Mahler’s Symphony No. 2, Resurrection.

Soprano Ilana Davidson and mezzo soprano Susan Platts will join Neal, the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Dayton Philharmonic Chorus directed by Hank Dahlman for Mahler’s groundbreaking Second Symphony and take you on a universal, spiritual odyssey of life, death, and resurrection.

And help us all perhaps face life’s challenges.

With hope.

 

Coming Up in Dayton Theatre 5/4 – 5/18

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You may have heard that a little show called Wicked  is going to be returning to Dayton, with tickets going on sale imminently. The return of this monster super show is great for Dayton for a lot of different reasons, and we at On Stage Dayton can’t wait to tell you more about it, but in the mean time, let’s not forget the other things we have going on here!

Currently Playing:

Dividing The Estate

Dayton Theatre Guild

The Skinny: This Texas-based comedy by Horton Foote opened last week at the guild and chronicals two generations of former gentility as they connive and grope to wrest control of the cherished and once-valuable family estate out of the hands of the matriarch, who wants the eponymous estate to remain a proud symbol of a vanished way of life. Family members square off against her, and each other, in a comedy that precisely captures a time, a place and a way of life of a very colorful set of kinfolk.

Dates: Continuing this weekend and next, closing May 13th.

Tickets: For tickets and more information, please visit the Dayton Theatre Guild website at www.daytontheatreguild.org

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The Hallelujah Girls

Brookville Community Theatre

The Skinny: The action southern-fried comedy takes place inside the beauty salon Spa-dee-dah!, where, every Friday night, a group of women friends gather to catch up. After a tragedy rocks the tight-knit group, the realize life is precious, and with the support they lend one another, they’re able to make needed and healthy changes in their lives.

Dates: Continuing and closing this weekend, May 6th, it’s worth noting that Brookville Community Theatre does offer a Thursday show, so there are 4 more performances available.

Opening This Weekend:

Ravenscroft

Troy Civic Theatre

The Skinny:  Inspector Ruffing is called to Ravenscroft Manor on a dark and snowy night. There’s been a murder — the soul male in a houseful of women has been killed, and Ruffing must piece together who did what, to whom, with what and when. Part psychological thriller, part dark comedy, the first impressions of these seemingly innocent women belie their deeper motivations.

Dates: Opening Friday 5/4 and running two weekends, closing Sunday 5/13.

Tickets: $12 per seat, first come, first served. This play is being produced in the Barn in the Park, across from Hobart Arena. For directions and ticket reservations, please call 937-339-7700.

Additionally, Troy Civic Theatre has annouced their 2012-2013 season:

Dearly Departed; Annie ; Boeing, Boeing and Edwina Black

Dates are not yet stated on the theatre’s website: www.troycivictheatre.com

Opening Next Weekend:

The Sound Of Music

The Dayton Playhouse

The Skinny: If you’re unfamiliar as to the general plot of The Sound of Music, I gotta wonder where you’ve been lo these 50-odd years! This perennial favorite combines nuns, children, nazis, love and — best of all — some of the most enduring music Rogers and Hammerstein ever added to the American songbook. It’s truly a classic, and absolutely deserving of that title. This one pleases all generations!

Dates: Opening Friday 5/11 and running 3 weekends, closing Sunday 5/27.

Tickets: For tickets and more information, please visit the Dayton Playhouse website at: www.thedaytonplayhouse.com

Future Fest 2012 Finalists!

The finalists are (mostly) decided! 5 of the 6 plays competing in Dayton’s own, nationally reknowned playwrighting festival are as follows:

A Political Woman; Curve; Excavation; Nureyev’s Eyes and Provenance.

One of the originally selected 6 finalists had to drop out, and a 6th play is currently TBD.

Also announced is this years line-up of adjudicators:

David Finkle
Rob Koon
Helen Sneed
Eleanor Speert
Faye Sholiton

Future Fest audiences may remember Faye Sholiton from having won Future Fest 1997 with her stirring piece The Interview.

Future Fest auditions will be held:
June 4th at 2 pm
June 5th (fully-staged shows)  at7 pm and June 6th (staged-readings) at 7 pm.
Tickets will go on sale on June 4th. Weekend pass (all 6 shows) price is $95.00

 

 

Zoot Theatre 2012-2013 Season Announcement

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The Zoot Theatre Company, Dayton’s only professional puppetry and mask company has announced its 2012-13 inaugural season at the NCR Renaissance Auditorium at the Dayton Art Institute.

The Hobbit

The company will open with THE HOBBIT, presented by special arrangement with Dramatic Publishing Company out of Woodstock, IL and co-directed by J. Gary Thompson and D. Tristan Cupp. THE HOBBIT is J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic story of Bilbo Baggins, who is asked to leave his large, roomy home underground to set out as chief robber to recover a very important treasure. Presented as a puppet and mask piece, Zoot’s stunning artwork will be on full display in this epic adventure. THE HOBBIT will open on Friday, September 28 and run three weekends, every Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. through Sunday, October 14.

Zoot’s second show in its three-show MainStage Series is A CHRISTMAS CAROL, which is being specifically adapted for Zoot in order to fit its artistic vision of the classic Charles Dickens masterpiece. Presented as a puppet and mask piece, people of all ages will marvel at the ghosts of Jacob Marley and the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come. A CHRISTMAS CAROL will be directed by Aaron Vega and will open on Friday, November 30 and run three weekends every Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. through Sunday, December 16.

Finally, Zoot will close the Season with the powerful and historic tale of children coming of age in Terezin, the Jewish city established by the Nazis. AND A CHILD SHALL LEAD is Michael Slade’s powerful play about children using their imaginations and creativity to make art to build lives of hope with their actual poems and stories woven in throughout the play.AND A CHILD SHALL LEAD will be directed by Mark Metzger and open Friday, April 5 and run two weekends on Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. through Sunday, April 14.

Zoot will be holding general auditions at the company’s studios at 308 Washington St., Dayton on Saturday, June 16 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. There will be both paid and unpaid acting positions, depending upon the role in which one is cast. Those interested should email auditions@zoottheatrecompany.org to schedule a timeslot. More information will be posted on the company’s website at www.zoottheatrecompany.org and Facebook Page.

Tickets will go on sale beginning July 1 online and over the phone. Both single performance tickets and subscriptions will be available. Tickets are $18.00 for adults; $15.00 for seniors; $15.00 for students with a valid ID; and $12.00 for children 12 and under.

Coming Up in Cincinnati Theatre: April 30-May 6

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…BLINK AND THEY’RE GONE

ALADDIN JR

Cincinnati Black Theatre Company

The Story: Welcomes Agrabah, City of Enchantment, where every beggar has a story and every camel has a tail! Filled with magic, mayhem, and flying carpet rides, audiences’ spirits will soar with excitement. With, Academy Award winning songs including “A Whole New World” and “Friend Like Me” will certainly make this musical a favorite for many years to come!
The Dates: May 5-6, 2012
Tickets and More Information: Cincinnati Black Theatre Company | BTC listing

MAMMA MIA!

Broadway in Cincinnati

The Story: A mother. A daughter. 3 possible dads. And a trip down the aisle you’ll never forget! Over 45 million people all around the world have fallen in love with the characters, the story and the music that make Mamma Mia! the ultimate feel-good show! Writer Catherine Johnson’s sunny, funny tale unfolds on a Greek island paradise. On the eve of her wedding, a daughter’s quest to discover the identity of her father brings 3 men from her mother’s past back to the island they last visited 20 years ago. The story-telling magic of ABBA’s timeless songs propels this enchanting tale of love, laughter and friendship, and every night everyone’s having the time of their lives!
The Dates: May 1-6, 2012
Tickets and More Information: Broadway in Cincinnati | BTC listing

 

…NEW THIS WEEK

LIFE COULD BE A DREAM

Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati

The Story: SH-BOOM! From the creator of THE MARVELOUS WONDERETTES, comes the Crooning Crabcakes, the boy group banned from the Springfield High School prom that made it possible for The Marvelous Wonderettes to perform. The guys get one more chance at fame and fortune as Denny, Eugene, Skip and Wally form a singing group to enter and win the local radio contest and realize their dreams of making it to the big time! Featuring such classic songs as “Stay” (Just a Little Bit Longer),” “Runaround Sue,” “Tears On My Pillow,” “Unchained Melody,” “Earth Angel,” and of course the title song, Life Could Be A Dream is another musical trip down memory lane that will leave you laughing, singing and cheering!
The Dates: May 2-20, 2012
Tickets and More Information: Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati | BTC listing

Catherine Ross as Margaret Johnson & Abby Paljieg as Clara Johnson in Footlighters' THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA.

THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA

Footlighters Inc.

The Story: The show takes place in Italy in the summer of 1953. Margaret Johnson, the wife of an American, is touring the Tuscan countryside with her daughter, Clara. While sightseeing, Clara-a beautiful, childish young woman-loses her hat in a sudden gust. As if guided by an unseen hand, the hat lands at the feet of Fabrizio Naccarelli, a handsome Florentine, who returns it to Clara. This brief episode sparks an immediate romance between Clara and Fabrizio. Extremely protective, Margaret attempts to keep them apart. As the story unfolds, a secret is revealed about Clara: she is not all that she appears. Unable to suppress the truth, Margaret is forced to reconsider not only Clara’s future, but her own hopes as well.
The Dates: May 3-19, 2012
Tickets and More Information: Footlighters Inc. | BTC listing

OVER THE RIVER AND THROUGH THE WOODS

Mariemont Players

The Story: Nick, an Italian-American boy from New Jersey, wants to follow his dream and move to Seattle – far away from his beloved, but annoying, grandparents and their routine Sunday dinners. But both sets of grandparents scheme to keep him from moving, using the lovely, and single, Caitlin O’Hare as bait.
The Dates: May 4-20, 2012
Tickets and More Information: Mariemont Players | BTC listing

PLAY IT AGAIN, SAM

Stagecrafters

The Story: Allan Felix has this thing about Humphrey Bogart. If only he had some of Bogart’s technique…Bogey comes to the rescue of Allan (who is bookish and insecure with women) with a fantastic bevy of beauties played out in hilarious fantasy sequences. Fixed up with gorgeous women by friends, he’s so awkward that even Bogey’s patience is tried. Allan mostly resembles a disheveled, friendly dog and this is what ultimately charms his best friend’s wife into bed. It’s a tough life, making it in the world of beautiful people but if you can’t be a hero it helps to have one…
The Dates: May 5-13, 2012
Tickets and More Information: Stagecrafters | BTC listing

THE SECOND CITY: LESS PRIDE MORE PORK

Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park

The Story: The world’s premier comedy company will again set its razor-sharp sights on Cincinnati. What’s left to skewer? The Second City was in town long enough to know they haven’t come close to exhausting the material. Not to mention, between now and opening night, entire sports seasons will come and go, politicians will star on reality shows and streetcars may (or may not) be on track. The future holds nothing but promise for comedy at our expense. 
The Dates: April 29-July 1, 2012
Tickets and More Information: Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park | BTC listing

…CONTINUING

Kellen York. Photo by Deogracias Lerma.

BLOODY BLOODY ANDREW JACKSON

Know Theatre of Cincinnati

The Story: BLOODY BLOODY ANDREW JACKSON uses the story of America’s controversial seventh president, “the man who invented the Democratic Party, doubled the size of our nation, and signed the Indian Removal Acts that started the Trail of Tears,” to investigate the attraction and terrors of American populism, using a raucous blend of outrageous comedy, anarchic theatricality and an infectious rock n’ roll soundtrack.
The Dates: March 31-May 12, 2012
Tickets and More Information: Know Theatre of Cincinnati | BTC listing

JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT

Covedale Center for the Performing Arts

The Story: The Biblical, all-sung saga of Joseph and his coat of many colors comes to vibrant life in this delightful parable. Joseph, his father’s favorite son, is a boy blessed with prophetic dreams. When he is sold into slavery by his jealous brothers and taken to Egypt, Joseph endures a series of adventures in which his spirit and humanity are continually challenged.
The Dates: April 19-May 13, 2012
Tickets and More Information: Covedale Center | BTC listing

THUNDER KNOCKING ON THE DOOR

Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park

The Story: Once upon a time, a mysterious, blues-playing stranger named Marvell Thunder arrives at the door of the Dupree family with a unique challenge — a “cutting contest,” in which twin guitars are the weapons of choice. If he has his way, the epic musical showdown will change everyone’s life forever. A mystical, magical celebration of love, family and the exhilarating power of music to free your soul. 
The Dates: April 21-May 20, 2012
Tickets and More Information: Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park | BTC listing

 

…ENDING THIS WEEK

THE CRUCIBLE

The Drama Workshop

The Story: The story focuses upon a young farmer, his wife, and a young servant-girl who maliciously causes the wife’s arrest for witchcraft. The farmer brings the girl to court to admit the lies and it is here that the monstrous course of bigotry and deceit is terrifyingly depicted. The farmer, instead of saving his wife, finds himself also accused of witchcraft and ultimately condemned with a host of others.
The Dates: April 27-May 5, 2012
Tickets and More Information: The Drama Workshop | BTC listing

THE DROWSEY CHAPERONE

Nativity Players

The Story: The show revolves around one musical theatre fan’s obsession with a fictional show from the 1920s – ‘The Drowsy Chaperone’. As he listens to the recording, the characters come to life in his apartment. This is the story of a Broadway actress, Janet Van De Graaaff, who wants to marry the debonair Robert Martin and give up her stage career. Janet’s producer, Mr. Feldzie, must stop the wedding because if she quits show business, he’ll lose his job! Further, gangsters threaten Mr. Feldzie since if Janet quits, they lose their investment.
The Dates: April 27-May 5, 2012
Tickets and More Information: Nativity Players | BTC listing

Tracy M. Schoster & Jeremy Fischer in Falcon Theatre's FROZEN. Photo by Mikki Schaffner.

FROZEN

Falcon Theatre

The Story: This taut drama explores the world of three characters who’s lives intersect in the most violent way. A mother,a serial killer and a psychologist take us deep into the events of a terrible crime and its aftermath. The quiet power of this play is at once horrifying and mesmerizing.
The Dates: April 20-May 5, 2012
Tickets and More Information: Falcon Theatre | BTC listing

…COMING SOON

ANGEL STREET

Lebanon Theatre Company

The Dates: May 11-20, 2012
Tickets and More Information: Lebanon Theatre Company | BTC listing

THE CIVIL WAR

UC College-Conservatory of Music

The Dates: May 10-12, 2012
Tickets and More Information: BTC listing

THE COMPLETE IDIOT’S GUIDE TO ENLIGHTENMENT

The Dates: May 10-11, 2012
Tickets and More Information: BTC listing

Disney’s CAMP ROCK THE MUSICAL

The Children’s Theatre of Mason

The Dates: May 11-13, 2012
Tickets and More Information: The Children’s Theatre of Mason | BTC listing

ELEPHANT SIGHS

Mad Anthony Theatre Company

The Dates: May 1-6, 2012
Tickets and More Information: Mad Anthony Theatre Company | BTC listing

THE FANTASTICKS

Loveland Stage Company

The Dates: May 11-20, 2012
Tickets and More Information: Loveland Stage Company | BTC listing

FIVE WOMEN WEARING THE SAME DRESS

Wyoming Players

The Dates: May 11-19, 2012
Tickets and More Information: Wyoming Players | BTC listing

LES MISERABLES

Broadway in Cincinnati

The Dates: May 8-13, 2012
Tickets and More Information: Broadway in Cincinnati | BTC listing

THE MERCHANT OF VENICE

Cincinnati Shakespeare Company

The Dates: May 11-June 3, 2012
Tickets and More Information: Cincinnati Shakespeare Company | BTC listing

TITANIC THE MUSICAL

Cincinnati Music Theatre

The Dates: May 11-19, 2012
Tickets and More Information: Cincinnati Music Theatre | BTC listing

Downtown Dayton’s Biggest Street Party Returns May 11

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Approximately 30,000 people come downtown for Urban Nights.

On Urban Nights, downtown will be teeming with activity and people ready to enjoy the dining, nightlife, art, music, shopping and housing that can be found only in Dayton. The next free Urban Nights will be held 5 to 10 p.m. Friday, May 11, in downtown, the Oregon Arts District and Wright-Dunbar Business Village.

Click here for a complete performance schedule, map of participating venues, and list of all participating locations’ events and specials.

The Green Street Project, designed to celebrate all things green and promote environmental sustainability, will include interactive and art-making activities for the whole family, exhibits on green technology, games, and more on Main Street, which will be closed between Second and Third streets. The Green Street Project is presented by the Downtown Dayton Partnership, Montgomery County Solid Waste District and PNC Bank. Activities include:

• The Dayton Regional Green 3 Initiative will host fun and educational activities and booths to promote greener and more sustainable practices in the Dayton region.

• The Montgomery County Solid Waste District’s two mascots, Curby the Cardinal and Lucky the Ladybug, will be on hand, as well as its Extreme Recycling trailer.

• The Dayton Art Institute will lead a community art mural-making project using recyclable materials.

• Zoot Theatre Company will demonstrate its larger puppets and visitors will have an opportunity to create masks out of reused and found materials.

• Visitors can ride a segway, courtesy of Dayton Segway Tours; chalk the street; have their picture taken in an open-air photo booth, courtesy of Lift-Off Entertainment; and check out an eco-friendly bus from Greater Dayton RTA and the eco-friendly Buick LaCrosse eAssist, courtesy of Bob Ross Buick.

• The Victoria Theatre Association will provide activities inspired by the Broadway musical Wicked.

Urban Bikes @ Urban Nights is a ride through the event’s action ending at Courthouse Square.

Urban Nights visitors can get around the event by participating in Urban Bikes @ Urban Nights, a community ride through downtown that starts at 6 p.m. at Don Crawford Plaza in front of Fifth Third Field. The best way to see as much as possible during Urban Nights is to walk, and many of the destinations are just a short distance from each other. Greater Dayton RTA also will provide free event trolleys to help visitors get around.

As visitors make their way through the Urban Nights action, those locals who are professional and amateur photographers and videographers are encouraged to capture some shots or footage to submit in the 2012 Downtown in Focus photo contest and a new video contest, Downtown on Film. This year’s photo contest will include a category highlighting downtown festivals and events, and the theme for the video contest will be “Summer in the City.” Details for both contests will be announced in early summer, with deadlines in August and winners announced at the Sept. 14 Urban Nights.

Live Entertainment on Six Stages

Roaming performers will entertain visitors throughout downtown and the Oregon Arts District, and stages will be set up throughout the Urban Nights area. A performance schedule follows:

Main Stage: Courthouse Square, sponsored by DP&L
5 to 5:50 p.m.                     Al Holbrook Band
5:50 to 6:10 p.m.              Circle Nerdz (breakdance crew)
6:10 to 7 p.m.                     Wheels
7 to 7:20 p.m.                    The Dropbacks (juggling duo)
7:20 to 8:10 p.m.              Hey There Morgan
8:10 to 8:30 p.m.               Soul Fire Tribe (fire dancers)
8:30 to 10 p.m.                   TOUCH

A variety of entertainment can be found on the Urban Nights stages.

Spotlight on Sinclair: Second and Jefferson streets by the Kettering Tower
5:30 to 5:50 p.m.               Sinclair Chamber Choir
6 to 6:20 p.m.                     Sinclair Opera & Musical Theater Ensemble
6:30 to 6:50 p.m.               Sinclair “Classical Café”
7 to 7:30 p.m.                     Sinclair Men’s & Women’s Ensembles
7:30 to 8 p.m.                     Sinclair Chorale
8 to 8:30 p.m.                     Sinclair Chamber Choir
8:30 to 9 p.m.                     Sinclair Gospel Ensemble
9 to 9:30 p.m.                     Sinclair Men’s Ensemble
9:30 to 10 p.m.                  Sinclair Gospel Ensemble

Community Stage: Corner of Third and Jefferson streets
Special thanks to Harvey Lehrner, owner of Don’s Pawn Shop, for use of the parking lot.
5 to 7 p.m.                           Performances by people from the community
7 to 10 p.m.                        Open call karaoke

MetroParks Pavilion at RiverScape MetroPark: Monument Avenue and Patterson Boulevard
5 to 5:30 p.m.                     Funklab
5:30 to 6:30 p.m.              Okay Lindon
6:30 to 7 p.m.                     Party Pleasers (DJ)
7 to 8 p.m.                            Son del Caribe
8 to 8:30 p.m.                     Party Pleasers (DJ)
8:30 to 10 p.m.                  Mojo Flo

Live on Five: In the historic Oregon Arts District next to the Trolley Stop 
6 to 6:45 p.m.                     David Burris
7 to 7:45 p.m.                    White Rabbit Band
8 to 8:45 p.m.                     Nasty Bingo
9 to 9:45 p.m.                     Ape the Ghost

Wright Dunbar Entertainment: Third and Williams streets
The Plaza Stage:
5:30 to 9 p.m.                     Tribute bands featuring the music of Jimi Hendrix, Santana and Bob Marley
The Lounge:
6 p.m.                                    Cyrstal Echols and line dancing
7:30 p.m.                             Big Gil and his Funky All Stars featuring Valeria
Grillin’ & Chillin’ Tent:
5 to 10 p.m.                        Master G spinning music for the dance tent
Gospel Karaoke Cafe:
5 to 8 p.m.                           Open mic with music by DJ Jerry Sanders

Art and More for Everyone

Art is at the heart of Urban Nights and often can be found in unexpected places.

In addition to the Green Street Project, several Urban Nights venues will host activities fun for the young and young at heart. Visitors can get their hands dirty at K12 Gallery for Young People/TEJAS,510 E. Third St., by working on the community art project the Xenia Avenue Mosaic Mural. Participants will have their name added to a plaque dedicated to the volunteers who helped with the project.

Garden Station on the corner of Fourth and Wayne will host a Rock Band challenge and an urban putt-putt golf course made of pallets and old tires. The CADC, formerly the Cannery Art and Design Center, will celebrate its grand re-opening in its new location at 35 S. St. Clair St. with art, games and more. My Father’s House Childcare and Learning Center,35 S. Jefferson St., will host entertainment by a clown and offer balloon animals for children and free snow cones. The Dayton Metro Library,215 E. Third St., will offer arts and entertainment for adults and children. At the Dayton Art Institute, 456 Belmonte Park North, visitors can enjoy free parking and family activities.

Tour some of downtown’s historical places during Urban Nights, including The Dayton Woman’s Club,225 N. Ludlow St., a landmark Victorian home circa 1848, and the 107-year-old First Lutheran Church,138 W. First St. Of course, lots of history can be found in the Wright-Dunbar Business Village. Hop on the Wright Flyer trolley and celebrate Dayton’s rich cultural legacy at multiple locations in this historic area along West Third Street between Broadway and Williams streets. Visit the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park and the Wright Bros. Bicycle Shop; visit business open houses; and experience art, poetry, food and live entertainment.

Visitors also can tour Activated Spaces’ Street Level Art Competition. Check out local artists’ displays of works focused on the theme “Naturally Dayton” in windows throughout downtown. Vote for your favorite artist by scanning the QR code in the respective storefront window. The Urban Nights People’s Choice winner will receive gallery space for an exhibition of his or her work at a local gallery or restaurant. Artwork can be viewed at:

• 100 E. Third St.: Bethany Ramsey, Robin Dakin and Amanda Sue Allen
• Talbott Tower, 131 N. Ludlow St.: Philipe Payne, Talia Shade and Spire Arts/Montgomery County Board of Developmental Disabilities Services
• Main Street Garage, corner of Main and First streets: Mikee Huber and John Murphy
• The Biltmore, 210 N. Main St.: Dayton Creative Syndicate

While you’re touring about, check out some of downtown’s living options. The following housing units will be open:

• The Cannery Lofts,500 E. Third St.
• First Place,330 W. First St.
• The Landing,115 W. Monument Ave.
• Litehouse Living at Canal Block,135 N. Patterson Blvd.
• Patterson Square Townhomes,237 E. First St.
• St. Clair Lofts,35 S. St. Clair St.

Grown-Ups’ Night Out

Visitors never know what they might see during Urban Nights.

For those families who’d rather drop off the kids before exploring Urban Nights, Mini University at Miami Valley Hospital, 28 Hill St., and Montgomery County’s Mini University, 40 Vista View Dr., will offer discounted childcare. Care will be offered from 6 to 11 p.m., which includes dinner, for $30 per child or $50 for two children. All teachers have been fingerprinted and have completed background checks. Children must be pre-registered; call and reserve a spot at 224-3916.

And for those who’d like to get an early start on Urban Nights ― or stay late ― several venues will host events that fit the bill. The Crowne Plaza Hotel’s Stars Lounge will host “Start and Finish,” a dinner event to bookend Urban Nights, in the rooftop restaurant and lounge. From 4 to 6 p.m., enjoy a happy hour buffet of hors d’oeuvres, free to all bar guests. Join the “10 O’Clock Cast Party” from 10 p.m. to midnight for half-priced light dinners, including burgers, sandwiches and wings. In addition, the bars, restaurants and nightclubs in the Oregon Arts District and throughout downtown will keep the Urban Nights party going past 10 p.m. Click here for a complete list of downtown’s nightlife hotspots.

A weekend-long event also will open during Urban Nights and continue after the event ends. The Dayton Circus Creative Collective will host its seventh annual multimedia arts event, Sideshow 7, at the Yellow Cab building, 700 E. Fourth St. This two-day multimedia arts and music extravaganza includes an event after-party until 1 a.m.

Shop for a variety of one-of-a-kind items, such as original artwork; used and vintage clothing, furniture, records and books; gift items and much more. More than 20 stores downtown will offer sales and special events. Be sure to visit the new Pop-Up Shops:

• American π, 37 S. St. Clair St.: This gift and accessories boutique carries items made in the United States, including handbags, greeting cards, candles and food items.
• Arin 27 S. St. Clair St.: Shop owner and jewelry designer Brooke Medlin collaborates with Dayton’s creatives to showcase beautifully designed goods for self and home, along with Medlin’s line of jewelry. Visitors will be able to watch the creation process in action at Arin’s on-site studio.
• Vintage Barbershop 110 W. Fifth St.: This old-school, classic barbershop offers haircuts, hot steam towel shaves, facials and more.

Of course, all this running is bound to make a person hungry ― and thirsty. More than 30 downtown restaurants, taverns, coffee shops and nightclubs will get into the Urban Nights spirit by offering themed drinks and menu items, special discounts, hosting arts events, and more. For example, look for volunteers from the City of Dayton’s Sister Cities outside Boulevard Haus, 329 E. Fifth St.; check out brewing demos at Press, 257 Wayne Ave.; try one of the more than 60 bourbons and view an exhibit of sculptures by artist Ron Hundt at The Century Bar,10 S. Jefferson St.; try a pint from a firkin of craft beer at Lucky’s Taproom & Eatery,520 E. Fifth St.; and enjoy music by Puzzle of Light at Jay’s Seafood, 225 E. Sixth St.

Urban Nights is presented by the Downtown Dayton Partnership, Montgomery County and the City of Dayton, with additional support from PNC Bank, Montgomery County Solid Waste District, DP&L, Greater Dayton RTA, Bud Light Lime, the Downtown Priority Board, Sinclair Community College, Mix 107.7-FM and the Ohio Arts Council.

Follow Urban Nights on Facebook at www.facebook.com/UrbanNightsDayton for regular updates and more information or call 937-224-1518.

Ira Brukner Exhibit at Blue Sky Gallery

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Medusa Does My Hair, Oil on Panel, 2004

Yellow Springs resident Ira Brukner is a rare example of a self-taught/outsider painter whose imagery is entirely non-objective. His large, powerful canvases recall the Abstract Expressionist gesture painters of the 1950’s, with whom he closely identifies. Like others in the current generation of outsider painters, Brukner is constantly poring through art books, studying painters from the past with whom he feels a kinship. Working obsessively in a corner of his small apartment, he has crammed his living space with a remarkable, decade-long output of lush, expressive paintings. In recent years, he has also begun working in a smaller support format—X-ray negatives—upon which he applies paint in his signature action style.

Ira will be showing his work at Blue Sky Gallery (33 N. Main Street in Courthouse Square next to Boston Stoker) between now and June 15th (open M-F 10 am-4 pm), with an Artist Reception on May 4 from 5-8 pm and again during Urban Nights on May 11 from 5-10 pm.

Blue Sky Project is an internationally-competitive summer artist residency and youth collaborative. Founded and operated from 2005 — 2008 in McHenry County, Illinois, the program is now housed at the University of Dayton, in partnership with the College of Arts and Sciences and ArtStreet.  Visit BlueSkyDayton.org for more info.

Sinclair Theatre Presents The Laramie Project

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Laramie Cast (l to r): Matt Turner, Matthew Smith, Angela Dermer, Robb Willoughby, Rachel Wilson, John Ray and Chris Hammond. (kneeling) Cydnie Hampton and John Dunn

Sinclair Theatre will present the deeply moving drama, The Laramie Project, May 18-26 in Blair Hall Theatre, building 2, Sinclair’s downtown Dayton campus.

The play, by Moisés Kaufman and Members of The Tectonic Theater Project and directed by Scott Stoney, is a powerful portrait of one town’s healing in the face of terrible tragedy. Five weeks after Matthew Shepard was kidnapped, beaten and left to die on the outskirts of Laramie, WY, members of the Tectonic Theater Project traveled to the small town to begin a series of more than 200 interviews with its residents. The result was The Laramie Project, a poignant and deeply moving play that showcases man’s capacity for both brutal intolerance and breathtaking compassion.

Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., one Sunday May 20th matinee at 2 p.m., a Wednesday, May 23rd 10 a.m. school matinee and a Downtown Dayton Thursday Nights performance at 7 p.m. on May 24th.  (Click Here to view entire schedule on the DMM Event Calendar)

All seats are reserved and cost $15 adults and $10 for students/seniors.  For more information or to purchase tickets online now go to: Sinclair.edu/tickets. Box office opens May 11th 11-3 Monday through Friday and one hour prior to performances. 937-512-2808. ALL Thursday tickets cost an additional $5 each and include pre-show appetizers and cash bar for Sinclair’s popular Downtown Dayton Thursday Nights.

[yframe url=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgkwl6Zi4VQ’]

Be a Part of Paul Laurence Dunbar History

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Too often those of us in Dayton don’t look around and see the history, architecture, community and passion that outsiders see. For these reasons, and many more, the Dayton region is attractive to filmmakers, artists and storytellers. Over the past few years, a filmmaker has been working quietly in Dayton, across the state, and in places around the country to tell the story of local poet Paul Laurence Dunbar. This month, a great opportunity is coming up for community members from the Miami Valley to be a part of this project.  In order to learn more, I asked filmmaker Frederick Lewis some questions on this project and his experience.

Can you talk about your history with Paul Laurence Dunbar and what drew you to focus your scholarship on him?

I am co-producing this documentary with Professor Joseph Slade, a colleague in the School of Media Arts & Studies. We have been working on it for several years and are now nearing completion. We hope to complete the project within the next 12 months. Our intended audience is PBS. Two of my previous documentaries have aired widely on PBS stations around the country and screened at many museums and universities.

What trips have you made to Dayton and what have you learned since launching this project?

We have made repeated trips to Dayton over the last three years, and conducted interviews with local Dunbar experts Laverne Sci, Herbert Martin, and Bing Davis. We’ve also conducted interviews with Dunbar biographer Felton Best, a distinguished professor at Central Connecticut State, and author Akasha Hull, who has written extensively on Dunbar’s relationship with his wife, Alice.

Can you discuss your history with this project and how it’s grown?

Interier of Old Courthouse taken from the Visitor's Galley looking down (from Montgomery Co. Collection at Dayton Metro Library)

We plan to interweave the biographical elements of Dunbars’ prolific, but tragically short life, with contemporary links to show his continued relevance. We followed the creation of Bing Davis’ sculpture inspired by Dunbar’s “Negro Love Song,” and James Pate’s new mural which prominently features images of Dunbar. We also recently completed a segment on how Paul Laurence Dunbar High School in Lexington, Kentucky honors their school’s namesake.

Why should a person want to be a part of the shoot on Sunday?

The music video we will be shooting on May 13th will also be woven into the documentary. Inspired by a canvas by Dayton painter James Pate, in which Dunbar is portrayed as a contemporary hip hop artist, we have taken Dunbar’s famous poem “We Wear the Mask,” and had Ohio University student Jean P, a fast rising hip hop performer, put Dunbar’s words to music. The video will feature a myriad of masks created by Dayton’s own Tristan Cupp of Zoot Theatre Co. We have rented the old Montgomery Court House for a scene to be shot on May 13th between 5–7 pm and we need as many extras as possible to help us out. Please dress in contemporary clothing suitable for attendance at a trial. Yes, it is Mother’s Day. Just bring your mother with you! Give her a cameo in a music video for Mother’s Day:) We ALSO need 8 or 10 people earlier in the day to act in several scenes to be shot in downtown Dayton. If you are interested in that aspect of the production please let us know asap!!

How to go:

When: Sunday, May 13, 5-7 PM (time slots available earlier in the day as well)

Where: Old Courthouse in Downtown Dayton on Courthouse Square (5PM Session)

Clothing: Contemporary clothes you have in your closet! You’ll dress in business clothing – something appropriate for a trial (jackets, ties, skirts, etc).

How: Email Frederick Lewis to express your interest and learn more: [email protected]

Coming Up in Cincinnati Theatre: April 23-29

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…BLINK AND THEY’RE GONE

Shaun Sutton as Leopold Bloom, Mary Malloy as Molly Bloom and Ian Weber as Stephen Dedalus.

ULYSSES

UC COLLEGE-CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC

The Story: A masterwork of modern literature comes to life. Using the structure of the Homeric Odyssey, the work takes place during Dublin’s “dailiest day possible,” June 16, 1904, as the protagonist, Stephen Dedalus, makes his way through the streets and haunts of the city. At its most basic level, Ulysses is about Stephen’s search for a symbolic father and Leopold Bloom’s search for a son. But the story, so rich with striking characters and wondrous scenes, becomes an unforgettable quest for self. 
The Dates: April 26-28, 2012
Tickets and More Information: BTC listing

…NEW THIS WEEK

THE CRUCIBLE

The Drama Workshop

The Story: The story focuses upon a young farmer, his wife, and a young servant-girl who maliciously causes the wife’s arrest for witchcraft. The farmer brings the girl to court to admit the lies and it is here that the monstrous course of bigotry and deceit is terrifyingly depicted. The farmer, instead of saving his wife, finds himself also accused of witchcraft and ultimately condemned with a host of others.
The Dates: April 27-May 5, 2012
Tickets and More Information: The Drama Workshop | BTC listing

THE DROWSEY CHAPERONE

Nativity Players

The Story: The show revolves around one musical theatre fan’s obsession with a fictional show from the 1920s – ‘The Drowsy Chaperone’. As he listens to the recording, the characters come to life in his apartment. This is the story of a Broadway actress, Janet Van De Graaaff, who wants to marry the debonair Robert Martin and give up her stage career. Janet’s producer, Mr. Feldzie, must stop the wedding because if she quits show business, he’ll lose his job! Further, gangsters threaten Mr. Feldzie since if Janet quits, they lose their investment.
The Dates: April 27-May 5, 2012
Tickets and More Information: Nativity Players | BTC listing

THE SECOND CITY: LESS PRIDE MORE PORK

Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park

The Story: The world’s premier comedy company will again set its razor-sharp sights on Cincinnati. What’s left to skewer? The Second City was in town long enough to know they haven’t come close to exhausting the material. Not to mention, between now and opening night, entire sports seasons will come and go, politicians will star on reality shows and streetcars may (or may not) be on track. The future holds nothing but promise for comedy at our expense. 
The Dates: April 29-July 1, 2012
Tickets and More Information: Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park | BTC listing

THUNDER KNOCKING ON THE DOOR

Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park

The Story: Once upon a time, a mysterious, blues-playing stranger named Marvell Thunder arrives at the door of the Dupree family with a unique challenge — a “cutting contest,” in which twin guitars are the weapons of choice. If he has his way, the epic musical showdown will change everyone’s life forever. A mystical, magical celebration of love, family and the exhilarating power of music to free your soul. 
The Dates: April 21-May 20, 2012
Tickets and More Information: Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park | BTC listing

…CONTINUING

Kellen York. Photo by Deogracias Lerma.

BLOODY BLOODY ANDREW JACKSON

Know Theatre of Cincinnati

The Story: BLOODY BLOODY ANDREW JACKSON uses the story of America’s controversial seventh president, “the man who invented the Democratic Party, doubled the size of our nation, and signed the Indian Removal Acts that started the Trail of Tears,” to investigate the attraction and terrors of American populism, using a raucous blend of outrageous comedy, anarchic theatricality and an infectious rock n’ roll soundtrack.
The Dates: March 31-May 12, 2012
Tickets and More Information: Know Theatre of Cincinnati | BTC listing

FROZEN

Falcon Theatre

The Story: This taut drama explores the world of three characters who’s lives intersect in the most violent way. A mother,a serial killer and a psychologist take us deep into the events of a terrible crime and its aftermath. The quiet power of this play is at once horrifying and mesmerizing.
The Dates: April 20-May 5, 2012
Tickets and More Information: Falcon Theatre | BTC listing

Jonathan Zeng as Joseph, Michelle Koopman-Wells as The Narrator & Donnie McGovern as Pharoah in JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT..

JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT

Covedale Center for the Performing Arts

The Story: The Biblical, all-sung saga of Joseph and his coat of many colors comes to vibrant life in this delightful parable. Joseph, his father’s favorite son, is a boy blessed with prophetic dreams. When he is sold into slavery by his jealous brothers and taken to Egypt, Joseph endures a series of adventures in which his spirit and humanity are continually challenged.
The Dates: April 19-May 13, 2012
Tickets and More Information: Covedale Center | BTC listing

 

…ENDING THIS WEEK

Justin McCombs as Tom & Sherman Fracher as Ma Joad.

THE GRAPES OF WRATH

Cincinnati Shakespeare Company

The Story: Frank Galati’s Tony Award-winning adaptation of The Grapes of Wrath tells a timeless tale of endurance and hope in a time of hardship. Having survived the drought of the 1930s only to see their home repossessed, the Joad family embarks on a harrowing journey from the Dust Bowl fields of Oklahoma to the fertile orchards of California. But the “promised land” isn’t exactly what they imagined. Can the Joads overcome the injustices that plague a nation in crisis?
The Dates: March 28-April 29, 2012
Tickets and More Information: Cincinnati Shakespeare Company | BTC listing | BTC review

AN INSPECTOR CALLS

Village Players

The Story: The action of the play occurs in an English industrial city, where a young girl commits suicide and an eminently respectable British family is subject to a routine inquiry in connection with the death. An inspector calls to interrogate the family, and during the course of his questioning, all members of the group are implicated lightly or deeply in the girl’s undoing. The family, closely knit and friendly at the beginning of the evening, is shown up as selfish, self-centered or cowardly, its good humor turning to acid, and good fellowship to dislike, before the evening is over.
The Dates: April 20-28, 2012
Tickets and More Information: Village Players | BTC listing

Jon Kovach as Jackson, Lisa DeRoberts as Prudie Cupp, Steve Goers as LM, Sara Mackie as Rhetta Cupp & Brad Myers as Jim. Photo by Matt Steffen.

PUMP BOYS AND DINETTES

The Carnegie

The Story: A piece down Highway 57 from Frog Level is a shabby gas station (with a hot tub out back), the Double Cupp Diner, and the best foot-stompin’ good time you’ve ever had at the theatre. Five rowdy filling station boys and sassy diner waitresses sing and play their own instruments in this hilarious and heartwarming country western music revue.
The Dates: April 13-29, 2012
Tickets and More Information: The Carnegie | BTC listing

Mindy Heithaus & Justin Baldwin in REASONS TO BE PRETTY. Photo by Mikki Schaffner.

REASONS TO BE PRETTY

New Edgecliff Theatre

The Story: When Greg confesses to his girlfriend of four years that she’s not physically perfect, it not only affects their lives, but the lives of their close friends Carly and Kent, whose relationship is anything but perfect. Playwright Neil LaBute takes a long hard look at both physical and emotional beauty and the obsessions we have with both. 
The Dates: April 12-28, 2012
Tickets and More Information: New Edgecliff Theatre | BTC listing

SCHOOLHOUSE ROCK LIVE!

Milford Theatre Guilde

The Story: Tom, a nerve-wracked school teacher nervous about his first day of teaching, tries to relax by watching TV when various characters representing facets of his personality emerge from the set and show him how to win his students over with imagination and music, through such beloved SCHOOLHOUSE ROCK! songs as “Just A Bill,” “Lolly, Lolly, Lolly” and “Conjunction Junction.”
The Dates: April 20-May 5, 2012
Tickets and More Information: Milford Theatre Guilde | BTC listing

…COMING SOON

ALADDIN JR

Cincinnati Black Theatre Company

The Dates: May 5-6, 2012
Tickets and More Information: Cincinnati Black Theatre Company | BTC listing

LIFE COULD BE A DREAM

Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati

The Dates: May 2-20, 2012
Tickets and More Information: Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati | BTC listing

THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA

Footlighters Inc.

The Dates: May 3-19, 2012
Tickets and More Information: Footlighters Inc. | BTC listing

MAMMA MIA!

Broadway in Cincinnati

The Dates: May 1-6, 2012
Tickets and More Information: Broadway in Cincinnati | BTC listing

OVER THE RIVER AND THROUGH THE WOODS

Mariemont Players

The Dates: May 4-20, 2012
Tickets and More Information: Mariemont Players | BTC listing

PLAY IT AGAIN, SAM

Stagecrafters

The Dates: May 5-13, 2012
Tickets and More Information: Stagecrafters | BTC listing