Arts & Entertainment

“Real Person” Review Provided at JumpstART

June 14, 2010 By Megan Cooper 1 Comment

So, do you ever wonder what YOU would think of a concert, theatre performance, or art opening? It seems like the people who review these things professionally are just that – professionals who already love the stuff. So – their complaints are so specific and detailed that the review is above your head or when they like it it seems like they they know so much about the history of the show and all the actors – it’s like they’re laughing at inside jokes. What about the rest of us? What about if you’re wondering if this would be a good date night and what you have to wear? Check out JumpstART‘s reviews of local arts events. Most recently posted – Arts Jumper SP comments on Ordinary Days at The Human Race Theatre Co.

http://www.facebook.com/notes/jumpstart/review-ordinary-days-a-musical/434082364852

Did you see the show yet? What do you think?

Dayton Sports Weekly Update: 6/14/2010

June 14, 2010 By Dayton Most Metro Leave a Comment

Good Morning , here are last weeks sports stories from Dayton Ohio, just in case you may have missed them:

The Dragons did pretty well this last week. Though they didn’t see any action at home, they did win 4 games out of 6 including a double header this last Saturday that resulted from a postponed game on Friday against the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers. In the first game of the day, the Dragons managed their second shutout game of the year as well as their largest margin of victory by defeating Wisconsin 10-0. Outfielder Cameron Satterwhite has been on fire this year, hitting .476 over the last 10 games and .375 for the season. He had hits at his first three at bats during the first game of the double header, and achieved his first professional home run that night. Starting pitcher Jacob Johnson won his third straight decision, with 5 scoreless innings; Chase Ware and Jason Braun finished up the game. The Dragons started the second game of the double header by taking the lead in the third inning with a 3 man home run by Chris Richburg (.258). Wisconsin fought back later in the game but never regained the lead.

As I had hoped, the Dragons made a good drive against some less prominent teams in the league but dropping two against Beloit helped them get above .500 this week. Fort Wayne is up early this coming week, but the Dragons still have a good chance at starting strong against them. The Dragons have won 4 of 6 games against the Tin Caps this year, including a three game sweep in early May. This weekend however 5/3rd field will expectantly be packed for a series against the Great Lakes Loons. The Dragons have only played the Loons one other time this year, splitting a four game series 2-2. The Loons have a dangerously good win percentage while playing away (almost .700), so the Dragons need to keep on their feet and show the Loons who’s house it is.

There hasn’t been too much word from the Gems in the last week, and we’re still waiting on the announcement of who is going to actually coach the Gems next year but all was not quiet on the hockey front. As the merger between the CHL and IHL continues to develop, two IHL teams have announced they will not be playing next year: The Flint Generals and the Port Huron Icehawks. Including 13 returning teams from the CHL, that will make for a total of 17 teams to be split into two conferences. These haven’t been decided yet but most likely Dayton will still be playing it’s three adversaries of the IHL from last year. Last time I noted that Dayton is unlikely to continue busing it’s team from game to game, but upon examining the likely conference alignments, there is a pretty good chance few flights may ever be scheduled unless they end up making it to the playoffs. This is definitely positive, but it will mean The Gems will have quite a few long rides ahead of them in comparison to last year. Still, if they were playing in the ECHL, it would be the same story. Here is hoping these two leagues can come to an agreement quickly on how to merge together before the seasons starts.

The Dayton Dutch Lions started last week with their first loss of the season. An uneasy loss of 4-1 against the Indiana Invaders on Wednesday could have meant signs of trouble, but the Lions found redemption back at their home field against the Toronto Lynx three days later on Saturday 2-0. Whatever it was they put in those boys’ coffee that morning most have done the job because they out shot Toronto 14-4. Mounting frustration and unnecessary tackles from Toronto was awarded with 5 yellow cards and an ejection of their coaching staff. I was at that game and the swears coming off the field from Lynx players were loud enough to silence the crowd in the stands. Their aggravation was palpable, needless to say. It only mounted as the second goal from the DDL would come late in the second half as Steven McCarthy pitched the ball back into play near the Lynx goal and with a confounding luck and lack of an organized defense by Toronto, managed to fling the ball right into the net. The game paused around the 85th minute for inclement weather, but was resumed only 15 minutes afterwords, and the Lions took home the win before the clouds opened up that night.

The Lions have 3 games over the next 6 days. As stated last week, they will be travelling to Rochester NY for the first match against the Rochester Rhinos in the US Lamar Hunt Open Cup. On the 17th they’ll play The Cleveland Internationals, and Saturday will be back in town to face The Columbus Crew of the MLS at Baujan Sports Field. Buy your Tickets. Good luck Lions!

I will squeak out a few headlines here:

Several Wright State Baseball players have joined the professional ranks during this years draft. Gerald Ogrinc has signed as a free agent with the Milwakee Brewers and Alex Kaminsky has signed with the independant Northern League. Relief Pitcher Greg Robinson signed with the Arizona Dimondbacks, and second basemen Aaron Fields was drafted by the Cleveland Indians. Not a whole lot else floating around in Raider territory at the moment but congratulations to all those guys.

Last week I had mentioned two track athletes that were competing in the NCAA track and field championship this year. Some news here about how they did. Katie Nagoette finished 17th overall in the pole vault. Junior Mallory Barns placed 19th in the hammer throw and is Dayton’s first ever All-American in track an field. This is a dry spell for any collegiate sports, heck the next date listed on the Flyers page is in August, so that will tell you how quiet the summer can be. Still, as I mentioned before, things will start to pick up for both the Flyers and the Raiders in the next few months, but for now, I humbly pass along the news that is passed to me.

Take care for another week. There will be great games going on in Dayton next weekend with both the Dragons and the Lions, so what are you waiting for? Get to a game!

Academy Award Winner Starts Friday!

June 9, 2010 By Jonathan McNeal Leave a Comment

Hello Everyone.

NEON patrons have been asking for it…and it’s finally here. THE SECRET IN THEIR EYES, this year’s winner of “Best Foreign Film” at the Academy Awards, starts Friday – exclusively at THE NEON.

If you still need to see MOTHER, you only have through Thursday to see it at THE NEON. BABIES and CITY ISLAND will stick around for another week.

Synopsis for THE SECRET IN THEIR EYES: “Benjamín, a former criminal court employee, wants to write a novel about an Argentine case from the 1970s in which a woman was raped and murdered. He confides his intentions to a judge with whom he’s been secretly smitten for years, but she expresses reservations about the idea… Meanwhile, flashbacks set up the central story, unfolding in 1970s Argentina. In that narrative, Argentina has fallen under the control of a military junta and a fair trial has become an increasingly uncommon event in that nation’s courts. A woman is found raped and murdered while her husband was at work, and two immigrant workers are essentially forced into confessing to the crime. Benjamín then teams up with his colleague and friend, the lush Pablo Sandoval, and the two go about identifying and tagging the perpetrator of the original crime. Subtle detail in a photograph alerts Benjamin to the possibility that a man named Gómez may have been the real culprit…as Benjamín and Pablo struggle to have the case reopened, they also find that bureaucracy and power in Argentine government have made this close to impossible.” (All Movie Guide)

Next Thursday – June 17 – The Dayton Pride Partnership and The Downtown Dayton LGBT Film Fest are joining forces to bring a special film to town – PATRIK, AGE 1.5. Here’s the set-up: “Göran always wanted to become a father. He is married to his partner, Sven, and they have been cleared for adoption by the Swedish authorities. The problem is that no country seems to be willing to give a child to a homosexual couple. Göran refuses to give up his dream of having what so many others take for granted; a real family. Göran and Sven receive a letter with an offer from the social services to take care of “Patrik, Age 1.5″ – a Swedish child who needs a new family. They happily accept the offer and prepare the nursery for the baby’s arrival. On the day that little Patrik is expected to arrive, a lanky teenager rings their doorbell. He says his name is Patrik and that he has come to live with them. They realize, horror-struck, that their little baby Patrik is actually a juvenile delinquent. To add insult to injury, he is also homophobic.” The film will screen Thursday, June 17 at 7:00 and 9:40, and a special panel discussion about gay adoption with adoption professionals and a local gay couple who are adoptive parents will occur after the 7:00 screening. Tickets to this film – just $6.00 each – are currently on sale at THE NEON’s box office. http://www.patrikonepointfive.com/

As a reminder, the official Downtown Dayton LGBT Film Festival is set to take place during the final weekend of September. A committee is hard at work determining the line-up for this year’s fest. If you or someone you know (or a business) would like to become a sponsor of the festival, please contact me right away. http://www.daytonlgbt.com/

Thanks for your continued support of THE NEON
We hope to see you soon!
Jonathan

SHOWTIMES for June 11 – June 17:

CITY ISLAND (PG-13) 100 Minutes
Friday, Saturday, Sunday: 12:45, 5:00, 7:20, 9:40
Monday – Wednesday: 5:00, 7:20
Thursday: 5:00

BABIES (PG) 87 Minutes
Friday – Thursday: 3:10

THE SECRET IN THEIR EYES (R) 127 Minutes
Friday, Saturday, Sunday: 1:00, 4:00, 7:15, 9:45
Monday – Thursday: 2:30, 5:00, 7:30

PATRIK, AGE 1.5 (R) 103 Minutes
Thursday: 7:00, 9:40

COMING SOON:
As always, all dates are tentative.
June 18 PLEASE GIVE
June 25 THE SQUARE
July 9 I AM LOVE (My favorite from Toronto!)
July 16 CYRUS
July 30 WINTER’S BONE
July 30 THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT
TBD – MOTHER AND CHILD
TBD – JOAN RIVERS: A PIECE OF WORK
TBD – MICMACS

AIN’T THAT GOOD NEWS…?

June 8, 2010 By Dayton Most Metro 5 Comments

The Bengson's performing on the rooftop terrace of Dayton's Firefly Building

…a butt-kicking, heart-breaking, raucous, Vaudevillian Cabaret!

What?

Yeah…I thought the same thing, the first time I was forcibly encouraged to attend a performance by Shaun & Abigail Bengson. “What are we going to see again? Who are these people? Can’t we just go to Chappy’s instead?”

Then, upon exiting the venue I asked…”What did I just see? Who were those people? When are they performing again? Is there a CD?” The performance WAS heart-breaking, it WAS butt-kicking. I fell in love with these performers, and the 20-some characters from around the world that they introduced me to that evening.

Shaun & Abigail Bengson. Performers like no other. To be frank…you, yes YOU….have NO RIGHT WHATSOEVER to miss their performances whenever their nomadic path winds through Southwest Ohio. Sorry if that sounds too strong for a friendly little blog post, but I am forcibly encouraging you to attend a performance of AIN’T THAT GOOD NEWS by The Bengson’s at the Cincinnati Fringe Festival this week.

Shaun & Abigail Bengson's AIN'T THAT GOOD NEWS

"Not only a tremendous musical talent, but also a raw honesty and sincere righteousness." THE NEW YORK TIMES

Shaun McClain Bengson was a local boy. Bellbrook. You might’ve even seen him perform as a kid…BHS marching band & theater productions, Sinclair Jazz Combo, community theater groups. In 2001 he began to explore beyond the Miami Valley. First he attended college at Indiana University (studied Ethnomusicology & Traditional Indiana Fiddling), then after graduation Shaun moved to New York City as a part of the city’s teaching fellows program. He became a music teacher in NYC. He was assigned to a school for special education students, in a unit for students with Autism. It was in this unit where Shaun crafted programs such as “Little Kids Rock!” and then “The New Manhattan Music Project,” where his students wrote, produced & performed their own musicals. It was at the performance of these musicals where Shaun found love. In walks Abigail Nessen, out walks “The Bengson’s,” and a new band called the “Zombie Nationalists.” They were engaged within two weeks and writing their first musical.

The couple is constantly touring. They have traveled to South Africa, West Africa, El Salvador, Japan, Mexico, Europe as well as many areas of the U.S. They perform while touring, but more importantly they connect to the people they encounter, educating kids and talking with families. They collect stories along the way. These stories…NO…these people become the Bengson’s show.

Those of you who attended last week’s production of RENT in C{space got just a glimpse of Shaun & Abigail. Shaun led the rockin’ band, giving this version of RENT an instrumental style of it’s own. Abigail portrayed “Mimi.” Her Mimi was perhaps a tinge “Joplin-inspired.” She took the dark role & gave it a fierce, hard edge that was probably more truthful to the character than “glam’d” for Broadway.

Currently they are touring with AIN’T THAT GOOD NEWS, finishing up a new album called THE PROOF, and writing their next show which is titled the same as the album. The new show, which will employ a cast of 12 and an 8 piece band, will be developed through a residency in Vermont followed by an Off-Broadway run in 2011.

AIN’T THAT GOOD NEWS is described as

…a raucous vaudevillian cabaret, full of roaring original music and impassioned characters. The Bengson duo evoke the quintessentially American stories of the immigrant and the outcast and play at the heart of the political struggles of our age through a melding of the musical forms of Tin Pan Alley, the Old South, German Weimar and rock and roll. The show is constantly evolving. As the Bengsons travel, they trade songs and drinks for new stories from the personal to the divine, and shift the work to reflect where they’ve been, and each new community they’re in. This work was made possible through support from the Puffin Foundation.

AIN’T THAT GOOD NEWS opened on Sunday night in the Cincinnati Fringe Festival. You have three more chances to catch their show, so you will need to start making arrangements today. Hire a babysitter, make dinner reservations and ORDER YOUR TICKETS before they are gone!

AIN’T THAT GOOD NEWS @ The Cincinnati Fringe Festival

Wed. June 9 at 9:30p / Thurs. June 10 @ 8:45p / Sat. June 12 @ 9:00p

Venue: The Coffee Emporium, 110 E. Central Parkway, Cincinnati, Ohio

Tickets: $12 online at www.cincyfringe.com/aint-that-good-news

More Info: www.bengsons.com or email Shaun & Abigail at info@bengsons.com

When you get the chance to meet Shaun & Abigail after the show, make sure you give them a hug for us…but be careful what you say…you never know, it might just make it into their next musical!

Shane Anderson & David Brush work with locally based Encore Theater Company. ETC recently moved into the new arts collective space in the Oregon District, along with Zoot Theatre Co. & Rhythm in Shoes. Anderson, Brush & ETC are currently preparing for their upcoming Summer season of new musicals in downtown Dayton: Johnathan Larson’s RENT, [title of show] &Next Thing You Know (a developmental production of a new musical by NYC-based writing team of Salzman & Cunningham)

Dayton Sports Weekly Update: 6/7/2010

June 7, 2010 By Dayton Most Metro 3 Comments

Welcome to the first edition of the Dayton Sports Weekly Update. Join us every Monday for a rundown of all of your favorite home teams from the UD Flyers to our newest club, the Dayton Dutch Lions. We’ll try to keep you up to date on anything you may have missed last week, and everything you want to know coming up this week from stats, and scores to the latest news. Enough talking though, let’s jump right in.

The Dayton Dragons are still selling out games but are having a difficult time finding a good rhythm. They’ve dropped six of their last ten games, and out of those, 4 of them have been by one run. What makes that even more difficult is that those one run losses cost them 3 out of their last 4 series. The Dragons play away from home for the next two weeks and won’t be back at 5/3rd field until June 18th.

This week they will be playing at Beloit and Wisconsin, and next week they’ll be playing at Fort Wayne. Currently Fort Wayne is the only team out of those three that stand at a PCT of .500 or greater, so it’s a good week for the Dragons to make up some lost ground against some less challenging teams in the league.

The Dayton Gems had an interesting first year in Dayton. After being competitive for half of the season they embarrassingly slid into last place in the league. Ownership was at one time taken over by the IHL and then transferred to new ownership early on. They also seem mired in an endless list of traded and cut players, which would be fairly typical of any first year team, especially if you don’t know who you’ve got playing for you. Still, with such a difficult end to the year, the big guys upstairs clearly were not happy with Coach Marks and let him go, as well as several other staff members in an effort to right the ship before it falls to far.

If that wasn’t enough, the IHL’s contention as a league was in serious doubt at the end of the season with a flutter of rumors being passed around about their inevitable folding. It was just recently announced however that the IHL and CHL intend to merge together into one large league similar to that of the ECHL, with two separate divisions. This has a lot of implications for the Gems, namely their viability as a team in Dayton and how critical next year will be for them. This will expand their playing area drastically, including a half dozen teams from Texas, Arizona, Missouri, Louisiana, and Colorado, to name a few. Having said that, Dayton can no longer be considered in a “bus league” and will definitely have to hope fans will be curious about this new league to fill seats fast. I for one encourage anyone who hasn’t seen the Gems play yet, do so next year when their season starts. They did great things for the community last year, and though beleaguered as they were, deserve our support.

The Dayton Dutch Lions are doing an amazing job in their first year in Dayton. In the giant unending tangle of a mess that is the United Soccer League, Premier Development League, the Dutch Lions find themselves in second place in the Great Lakes Division, suffering not a singles loss all season. For those who might be unfamiliar with soccer, the Dutch Lions hold a record of 3-0-3 or 3 wins no losses and 3 draws. As a result they are one point behind the Chicago Fire. They tied their last game this weekend against Forest City London 1-1.

With their winning record so far this year, the Dutch Lions have also found themselves qualified for the 2010 U.S. Lamar Hunt Open Cup. As one of 8 PDL teams to make the Open Cup, make no mistake that this is a prestigious honor. The US Open Cup is the longest running cup series in the United States, dating back to 1914. Qualifying teams can be from any tier of the United States Soccer Federation, from amateur teams to the MLS. Since the inception of the MLS back in 1996, they have won the cup every year except 1999, in which the Rochester Rhinos beat out four MLS clubs to claim the championship. The luck of the draw has placed the Rhinos as the Dutch Lions’ first opponent in the tournament starting June 15th.

The Dutch Lions have an exhausting schedule ahead of them before June ends. On the 9th they play an away game against the Indiana Invaders, but return home this Saturday the 12th to play Toronto. Then on the 15th they’ll be travelling to Rochester to take on the Rhinos in the first round of the US Open Cup, followed by an away game on the 17th against the Cleveland Internationals. This will all be topped off by a home game (they are the away team however) against the Columbus Crew at Baujan Sports Field at The University of Dayton. I’ll have my tickets for that one, I hope you will too. All in all one heck of a next few weeks, all the best to the DDLFC.

What to say about university athletics in our town? There is a heck of a lot going on and I will not do them justice here, but I will try to capture what I can about what is going on right now around town. Though inevitably our thoughts will drift back to Basketball here in Dayton, I’ll try to be true to all the student athletes out there who play hard for WSU and UD.

Recently Raider’s Baseball found itself in the Horizon League Championship game after finishing the regular seasons with a 29-23 record. On May 30th however they stumbled against Milwaukee 14-7 to end their season. Though a disappointing end, the Raiders have found themselves as perennial contenders in the Horizon League, finishing the last 5 years over .500.

Women’s Softball also find themselves in the Horizon League Championship this spring, and after winning 4 out of 5, advanced to the NCAA Regionals in Ann Arbor. Though they ended their season there, the Raider posted their second ever NCAA tournament win this season, an encouraging end to a great season.

There is more to mention here about upcoming news for the Raiders, but we’ll have plenty of time to get to it. Check back soon.

The Flyers equally will have plenty to talk about in the upcoming months, especially as fall sports start to pick up steam so bare with me for now. The Flyers had a more difficult time this year in both Baseball and Softball, both finishing with losing records, but the Flyers soccer team faired better in their spring training, going undefeated, and shutting out the likes of Ohio State and Wright State, and finishing with a 2-2 tie against Kentucky.

Dayton has also had great success this year in Track and Field. This week two members will be competing in the upcoming NCAA Championship in Eugene Oregon; Junior Mallory Barnes (hammer throw) and freshman Katie Nageotte (pole vault). But there have also been several other distinguished athletes from various events noted this year, including Ashley Cattran and Sarah Allen who were recieved ESPN acedemic all-district honors this past week. Cattran was also recently announced as the A10 student athlete of the year.

Well that’s it for this week, come back again and we’ll let you know what’s going on in the Gem City. Show your pride for Dayton and those who play here, get out and watch a game!

“So A Dyslexic Walks Into A Bra…”

June 5, 2010 By J.T. Ryder 2 Comments

…and Other Tales From the Fringe of Dayton’s Comedy Scene.

The only sound cutting through the sea of silence is a slight feedback whine as the flop sweat pours from your forehead, reflecting chromatic prisms from the glaring, white-hot spotlight. You clench the microphone with sweat-slicked hands, as your mind becomes an echoing chamber of panic. You can’t even make out the faces in the crowd, the piercing light obliterates their features, changing the warmth of humanity into an amorphous blob of judgment. How could this have happened? Your mom told you that you were funny. The clerk at UDF always laughed at your jokes. Your shadow, nailed against the faux brick wall by the merciless spotlight, seems to shrink as your confidence bids you a fond adieu, leaving you for climes that are more hospitable. You either recover quickly, raining down a torrent of bon mots to cover your previous gaffe, or you walk the longest walk ever made under the glaring reproach of the unamused.

Stand up comedy is one of the least understood and surely one of the most minimally regarded of the performing arts, yet it is one of the most difficult crafts to hone, execute and endure. The constant pressure to produce and perform is unrelenting. Development of a single joke’s precision, synthesis and rhythm is always evolving. The eternal search for material, the sharpening of lines, the shaping of words and the final development of delivery is exhaustive. Ironically, just as perfection is almost within reach, the material is usually scrapped because it is no longer topical or has become tired and mawkish and now, all new material must be captured and crafted.

In an attempt to check out the local comedy scene with an eye for how they all got started, I interviewed several local comics. Some of them are fairly new to the landscape, appearing at open mic nights for very little or no compensation, while others are national road veterans, having amassed quite an impressive resume’. The first question that arises would have to be why anyone would want to pursue a career in comedy in the first place.

A seasoned comedian, Mark Fradl, started his career in 1992 and ran hard until 1999, before abruptly leaving the stage completely for various reasons, including being burnt out on the road and its day to day hustle. He returned to stand up several years ago because the desire for performing live was re-ignited within him. When I asked him recently why anyone would get into comedy, he said, “I think you’ll find most comics have the same story: people told them they were funny. They somehow got up the courage to go up that first time at an open mic night (still the hardest thing I’ve ever done) and they just kept doing it. The dream starts huge – Tonight Show, Letterman, sitcom – but quickly narrows down to more immediate goals – get a strong five minutes, get a strong fifteen minutes, get ANY work, get good work, and then the Holy Grail of goals: quit the day job. I think that’s what keeps people in it, there’s always another little rung to climb. Step-by-step you’re deeper into the life.”

Ryan Singer, who used to be a schoolteacher for Dayton Public Schools and is now on national tours stated candidly, “I just had to. It is that simple. As a kid I remember seeing standup comedians on television and thinking to myself, ‘that is the best job ever!'”

A recent college graduate as well as a fairly current addition to the local comedy scene, Mat Thornburg took a slightly different route to the stage. “I was really involved in theater in high school” he wrote me, “and I always ended up getting cast as the comic relief. People kept telling me that I should try standup comedy, but I had no idea how to get started. Then when I was in college they had a comedy contest to win tickets to see Dane Cook. So I guess you could say the reason I got on stage the first time was because I wanted to see Dane Cook, but really it was something that I was going to do sooner or later and the contest was just an easy way to make that first step.”

Jeff Bang, nicknamed, quite unimaginatively ‘Banger’, is a butcher by day and does stand up locally as well as working at Wiley’s comedy club as a…well…I’m not really sure what Banger does, keeping me company while I stand outside and smoke, I guess. Anyway, when I asked him why he kept doing stand up, he answered my question with a question.

“Why do I keep doing it? Do you know what it’s like to get a good high? A big rush?” To which I replied that not only had I never imbibed in any illicit drugs in the past, I would eschew all illegal substances in the future if in fact any illegal substances were presented to me. He did not believe me, informing me that I was full of bovine fecal matter and continued onto his point. “There is no bigger rush than standing on a stage and making people laugh. There is no bigger rush. You get up there and do it and you have however many people are there, a hundred, a thousand, however many, and they’re in the palm of your hand and they are just hanging on every word. There is no bigger rush than that.”

Mark Fradl echoed Banger’s reasoning with, “…the good shows are great enough to get you through the bad ones. There’s still the insane rush of coming up with an idea and doing it on stage that night and honing it show after show. And there’s still a thrill in seeing how you’re bringing some pure laughter into someone’s life.”

“You’ve got to have that burning desire like 24/7 that makes you want to go out… just want to go out. You’re scared and nervous, but you want to go out there.” remarks James Earl Tompkins from Springfield. Originally from the East Side of Chicago, he landed at Wilberforce and Central State in his mid-twenties. His inspiration actually came from a speech class where he learned how to debate and discuss topics. He saw that he could apply those concepts to comedy and began trying to hone the mechanics at open mic events. His first forays did not always go as planned. “I felt so small on a lot of those days. I just wanted to hide. Hide out for weeks.” He sought solace in books that showed him the pitfalls of failure and how to strike back and overcome over adversity.

Egyptian born Sherif Hedeyat, who lives in a three-bedroom sleeper cell in Centerville and is one of the members of the Axis of Evil Comedy Tour, started in much the same way. While attending Wright State University, he tried out an open mic night at the now defunct Joker’s Comedy Café.

“I remember I was in the lounge at Wright State,” Sherif recalls, “and I remember somebody saying, ‘Hey, you’re pretty funny. You should try doing comedy at Joker’s.’ I went in there one night and just ate it bad. Literally it was like a year between my first and second time on stage because I was sitting there going, ‘Man! That was a painful experience!’ Then the second time on stage…well, it’s kind of like a drug. You start once, then you go back a while later and then you start to want it and you get better and you want it more, and it progressed.”

With ego crushing moments, little or no pay and the constant reworking of material, why would some partially sane person keep subjecting themselves to this potentially abusive mistress? The rush and the possibility of fame and fortune are motivating forces, but definitely not one that ranks the highest in most of the comedians’ minds that I interviewed.

“I keep doing it because there’s nothing else that provides the same thrill or satisfaction.” says Mat Thornburg. “Standup is great because you know instantly how you’re doing. That can be bad when you’re not doing well, but when you are doing well it’s great to hear it in the audience’s laughter. I think another reason I keep doing it is that there’s always room for improvement. There’s always something I can get better at or something I can make funnier and every performance is an opportunity to learn something new about standup and what works for you as a performer.”

I wondered if the national headliners looked down upon the aspiring comedian with disdain. Having already slogged up the mountain, did they view the local comics as untalented plebes or would they remember the arduous journey that they themselves had made and offer some assistance. I asked Banger this question, because he has a unique perspective, hanging out at Wiley’s, doing whatever it is he does there.

“A good headliner will look at an open mic guy that’s ‘got it’, especially the ones who’ve ‘got it’, and encourage them and they’ll give them little tips here and there.” Jeff said, “The ones (headliners) who are stuck on themselves, and they’re not usually the best headliner in the world, those are the ones that look down on the open mic guys.”

Ryan Singer had a slightly differing view, stating, “I think headliners don’t spend much time thinking about the local comedians one way or the other. I think headliners have their own careers to worry about and especially in the business nowadays, it can be brutal because there are so many comedians out there trying to work the same rooms. It is a tough business and when you do find a headliner that wants to help you, it is truly a random act of kindness. There are those that enjoy seeing the local comedians and offer good advice about building a career. Most young comedians don’t want to hear the advice because is all about patience and hard work. It takes a long time to become an overnight success in comedy.”

The Dayton and surrounding area has nurtured many nationally known humorists and comedians. Jonathan Winters, Erma Bombeck, Dave Chappelle, Drew Hastings, Dave Zage, Kenny Smith, Jesse Joyce, Gary Owen, Rob Haney…the list goes on and on. Is the Dayton comedy scene still a vibrant and living player on the national stage?

“Actually, I see a lot of good, up and coming comedians.” said Sherif. “There was a time for several years when we (local comedians) weren’t working ‘together’. I mean, when I came up, Cincinnati had Josh Sneed, Greg Warren and those guys, they were all hanging out together, they were writing together, they were in the clubs hanging out, they were creating that scene. In Dayton, it was almost like everyone was just doing their own thing or they were going to Cincinnati or Columbus to hang out. It seems like ever since the Funnybone opened (in Beavercreek) we got a whole new clientele and audience and we’ve got a whole new crop of comedians.”

To stand at a microphone alone, captured by the spotlight in front of a group of strangers with the intent of making them laugh is a daunting task unto itself. A classically trained actor performing a one man show does not have to carefully gauge the spectators and change up lines in midstream or alter the dialogue to please his audience. If an audience came to see Hamlet, then Hamlet they shall see. Yet how do you please a group that just shows up with the expectation of being made to laugh? Everyone’s sensibilities and sense of humor are truly not the same. The ability to have a rural farmer sitting next to a office worker who is seated near a college student and having them all succumbing to the least understood of all human reactions, that of laughter…well, one is truly encountering art at its most refined.

You can check out some of the best that the area has to offer almost any given Sunday at Wiley’s Comedy Niteclub (check website for details). This coming month, from July 1st through the 4th, Wiley’s will be holding a comedy contest, which I would like to think of as a Comedic Thunderdome-esque Cage Match of Epic Proportions, but Rob Haney just tells me to shut up when I say things like that. Anyway, you can come down and watch the best of the best compete for comedic glory or, since there is enough time, stand in front of a mirror, your dog and your family for a month, spitting the best anecdotes and one liners you can think of, honing your skills for the Big Time! The winner will receive $1,000 in American currency and forever secure their place in the Dayton’s Hall of Humor…well, if we had one of those here in Dayton, I’m sure that you would be secured there. Check out the open mic nights, and especially come out and support the local talent for the Wiley’s Comedy Contest on Thursday, July 1st at 8:30 pm, Friday, July 2nd at 9:00 pm, Saturday July 3rd at 8:00 pm and 10:30 pm and Sunday, July 4th at 8:30 pm. Tickets are a mere $2. To enter the contest yourself, contact via e-mail Jack Wilson funnymayor@aol.com.

Hitchcockian Thriller Opens at THE NEON

June 2, 2010 By Jonathan McNeal Leave a Comment

Hello Everyone.

First off, I have to thank all of you who voted for THE NEON as “Dayton’s Best Movie Theater” in Active Dayton’s annual poll. For the third year in a row, we came out on top! Thank you so much for your continued support.

On Friday we open one of the best reviewed thrillers in years…one that currently has a score of 92% approval on Rotten Tomatoes and has received 100% reviews from publications like the The San Francisco Chronicle, The Wall Street Journal and Entertainment Weekly. MOTHER, the Hitchcockian thriller from Korean director Bong Joon-ho, has an incredible performance at its center by Hye-ja Kim. If you like a good thriller, you don’t want to miss this.

Synopsis for MOTHER: “The latest film from award-winning Korean director Bong Joon-ho (The Host) is a unique murder mystery about a mother’s primal love for her son. Mother is a devoted single parent to her simple-minded twenty-seven-year-old son, Do-joon. Often a source of anxiety to his mother, Do-joon behaves in foolish or simply dangerous ways. One night, while walking home drunk, he encounters a school girl who he follows for a while before she disappears into a dark alley. The next morning, she is found dead in an abandoned building and Do-joon is accused of her murder. An inefficient lawyer and an apathetic police force result in a speedy conviction. His mother refuses to believe her beloved son is guilty and immediately undertakes her own investigation to find the girl’s killer. In her obsessive quest to clear her son’s name, Mother steps into a world of unimaginable chaos and shocking revelations.” (Magnolia Pictures)

On June 17, The Dayton Pride Partnership and The Downtown Dayton LGBT Film Fest are joining forces to bring a special film to town – PATRIK, AGE 1.5. Her’s the set-up: “Göran always wanted to become a father. He is married to his partner, Sven, and they have been cleared for adoption by the Swedish authorities. The problem is that no country seems to be willing to give a child to a homosexual couple. Göran refuses to give up his dream of having what so many others take for granted; a real family. Göran and Sven receive a letter with an offer from the social services to take care of “Patrik, Age 1.5″ – a Swedish child who needs a new family. They happily accept the offer and prepare the nursery for the baby’s arrival. On the day that little Patrik is expected to arrive, a lanky teenager rings their doorbell. He says his name is Patrik and that he has come to live with them. They realize, horror-struck, that their little baby Patrik is actually a juvenile delinquent. To add insult to injury, he is also homophobic.” The film will screen Thursday, June 17 at 7:00 and 9:40, and a special panel discussion about gay adoption with adoption professionals and a local gay couple who are adoptive parents will occur after the 7:00 screening. Tickets to this film – just $6.00 each – are currently on sale at THE NEON’s box office.

We hope to see you soon!
Jonathan

SHOWTIMES for June 4 – June 10:

CITY ISLAND (PG-13) 100 Minutes
Friday, Saturday, Sunday: 12:40, 2:50, 5:10, 7:30, 9:40
Monday – Thursday: 2:50, 5:10, 7:30

BABIES (PG) 87 Minutes
Friday – Thursday: 3:00, 7:40

MOTHER (R) 128 Minutes
Friday, Saturday, Sunday: 12:30, 5:10, 9:30
Monday – Thursday: 5:10

COMING SOON:
As always, all dates are tentative.
June 11 THE SECRET IN THEIR EYES (winner of “Best Foreign Film”)
June 18 PLEASE GIVE
June 25 THE SQUARE
July 16 I AM LOVE (My favorite from Toronto!)
July 16 CYRUS
July 30 WINTER’S BONE
TBD – MOTHER AND CHILD
TBD – JOAN RIVERS: A PIECE OF WORK

THE NEON – Dayton’s Indie Cinema

May 28, 2010 By Jonathan McNeal 4 Comments

Hello DaytonMostMetro.

I’m so glad to be a part of this on-line community, and I’m hoping you’re already familiar with THE NEON. If not, we’re an independent movie theater located in the heart of downtown Dayton – just outside the Oregon District. We have the best first-run movie & concession prices in town and offer a great beer selection (that’s right – beer) at our concessions stand (we also offer a handful of mixed drinks and wine). We show indie films – that means movies that aren’t often found at the multiplexes…titles include smaller-budget films, foreign films, documentaries, and we also work with filmmakers in the region to help gain exposure to their work.

I’ll be updating you on a weekly basis on this site, but you can always find up-to-date showtimes on our homepage at www.neonmovies.com.

Tomorrow we open a new film. This comedy has been getting much better reviews than another comedy with CITY in the title (also set in New York), and it has already been seen by a couple of our regulars. One person saw it in NYC and another saw it in St. Louis…and they both loved it. CITY ISLAND, starring Andy Garcia, Julianna Margulies, Emily Mortimer and Alan Arkin, is the comedic discovery of the season.

Synopsis for CITY ISLAND: “A dysfunctional family living on a picturesque island in the Bronx spares no expense in avoiding the truth about their messed-up lives in writer/director Raymond de Felitta’s dark family comedy. The family patriarch, Vince (Andy Garcia) is a prison guard who is secretly plotting a new career as an actor. Meanwhile, as Vince takes acting lessons on the down low, his daughter moonlights as a stripper and his younger namesake harbors a secret fetish that involves the family’s 300-pound neighbor. Under normal circumstances Vincent’s wife, Joyce (Julianna Margulies), would be the family rock, but lately she’s been preoccupied with uncovering the identity of the hired help, a secret that only her husband knows.” (Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide)

On Saturday & Sunday, we will have a special guest give a short presentation before the 3:00 screening of BABIES. Milly Hubler, resident of Dayton and friend of THE NEON, visited Namibia in March. Namibia is the home of Ponijao – one of the babies in BABIES. Milly will talk to the audience about her adventures in southern Africa and will be available in the lobby after the screening to show off some of the treasures she acquired on her trip.

BABIES didn’t perform nearly as well as we had hoped…even with Oprah’s help. We’re crossing our fingers that things pick up with weekend.

Have a great holiday!
Jonathan

SHOWTIMES for May 28 – June 3:

CITY ISLAND (PG-13) 100 Minutes
Friday, Saturday, Sunday: 12:40, 2:50, 5:10, 7:30, 9:40
Monday: 12:40, 2:50, 5:10, 7:30
Tuesday- Thursday: 2:50, 5:10, 7:30

BABIES (PG) 87 Minutes
Friday, Saturday, Sunday: 1:00, 3:00, 5:15, 7:20, 9:20
Monday: 1:00, 3:00, 5:15, 7:20
Tuesday – Thursday: 3:00, 5:15, 7:20

COMING SOON:
As always, all dates are tentative.
June 4 MOTHER
June 11 THE SECRET IN THEIR EYES (winner of “Best Foreign Film”)
June 18 PLEASE GIVE
June 25 THE SQUARE
July 16 I AM LOVE (My favorite from Toronto!)
July 16 CYRUS
July 30 WINTER’S BONE
TBD – MOTHER AND CHILD
TBD – JOAN RIVERS: A PIECE OF WORK

Jonathan Larson’s RENT @ C{Space in Downtown Dayton

May 26, 2010 By Dayton Most Metro 32 Comments

Jonathan Larson's RENT at C{Space June 3-5 www.RENTdayton.org ~ Win Tickets Below!

On June 3rd Encore Theater Company will open it’s summer season of musicals with a show which has become a cornerstone for the musical theater world of the past decade and a half. ETC will present Jonathan Larson’s Pulitzer Prize winning Broadway musical RENT in C{space on three evenings next week, and if you don’t plan ahead, you just might miss out this highly provocative production in a truly unique downtown venue (Saturday is nearly sold out & tickets are selling fast for the other performances).

The musical, which is based loosely on Puccini’s opera La Boheme, follows a year in the lives of seven friends living the disappearing Bohemian lifestyle in New York’s East Village. AIDS and both it’s physical and emotional complications pervade these characters as they struggle to find their place in a quickly changing world.

We think of RENT as this iconic “rock opera” legend but what RENT was saying and how it was saying it was revolutionary in 1996 and the theater world has never been the same. The number of doors RENT opened for new musical theatre writers was unprecedented. Shows that have followed – like SPRING AWAKENING & 2010’s AMERICAN IDIOT (Yes, the GreenDay one) – are indebted to Larson & his show for their success. RENT’s influence is still profound in shows opening today, fourteen years after it quietly opened it’s Off-Broadway run the night after Larson died of an aortic aneurysm.

When talking with cast members of the show, it’s interesting, almost comical actually, to realize that for many of them, their first knowledge of this show was the 2005 film version. As depressing as that is to this almost-40-year-old, who could’ve been in the original Broadway cast (if he could act & sing that is), it’s also refreshing. This cast is approaching this material with such an infectious energy! They are exploring the souls of these characters, but through a new point of view, in a very different world.

“To be able to experience something so beyond myself in sharing with my fellow castmates and it’s viewers, the very real struggle that these characters live through has been life-changing. This chance to live in love, to spread the message to carry on and be thankful every single day has been a gift.”

Drew Bowen, “Roger”

“Being a part of RENT is something deeply profound that I’ve strived for in my art and I finally have the chance to play my dream role. I’ll carry with me the artistic lessons that I’ve learned from this production as I pursue my stage career.”

JJ Parkey, “Mark”

Since ETC carries as its mission the development and preservation of new musical theatre, it seemed only fitting that we honor Jonathon Larson – the pioneer who made our work and our mission possible. Along with a unique group of collaborators including C}Space, Sinclair Community College Theatre Department, AIDS Resource Center of Ohio, and Project Runway Finalist Althea Harper, ETC invites you to rediscover why you fell in love with RENT all over again and see this generation-defining musical in a fresh innovative production against the backdrop of one of Downtown’s Dayton’s most unique spaces.

Jonathan Larson’s RENT will play June 3, 4 & 5 in downtown Dayton’s C{space at 7:30pm each evening. An additional 11:30pm performance will take place on Friday, June 4th. Tickets for the event are $15 in advance and $18 at the door. You can order tickets by visiting www.RENTdayton.org

WIN TICKETS to RENT!

It’s easy! Just COMMENT to this post before midnight Saturday, May 29th to be entered into a drawing to win a set of tickets to the Encore Theater Company production of RENT. We will be giving away one set of tickets for each 7:30 performance (Thursday, Friday & Saturday, 1 winner per performance)…but you can help DOUBLE the number of tickets we will be giving away! If 50 readers “SHARE” this post, by clicking the FACEBOOK SHARE BUTTON before midnight Saturday…we’ll give away two sets of tickets for each evening’s performance! Start Sharing!

Dayton Dutch Lions Feature Former UD Standouts

May 26, 2010 By Dayton Most Metro 3 Comments

Former University of Dayton men’s soccer standouts Randy Dennis and Jeff Popella are happy to stay in Dayton a little longer than expected after graduation a few weeks ago. Both are playing for Dayton’s newest professional sports team, the Dayton Dutch Lions. “It’s great to be out here with all the guys playing soccer, but I still miss home,” said Randy Dennis, whose family resides in Texas. Dennis was a key member of the Dayton Flyers defense last season, as he played in all 20 games and helped lead them to 14-5-1 record and a regular season Atlantic 10 title.

The Dutch Lions play in the fourth tier of United States soccer, the Premier Development League, and look to win the league title in their first season of play. The team consists of many Dutch players, most of whom have played professionally for top teams in the Netherlands, and many younger American players from various universities and clubs around the United States.

The team, along with guidance from coach Sonny Silooy, looks to combine the precision play of Dutch soccer, with the physical play of US soccer. “Team unity is very important to us as we play different styles of soccer, said Popella. “There is the language difference (Dutch and English) and also trying to blend our styles of play together, so we all need to work especially hard on the team mentality.”

Priding themselves on youth development, the Dutch Lions consider their team the “Gateway to professional soccer” and strive to develop talent with players as young as four. Try-outs for the Dutch Lions Academy begin on June 1 for boys, and June 2 for girls at the Miami Valley South Stadium at 6:30 p.m. For more information on the academy, check out their web site.

The team plays their home games at the Miami Valley South stadium at Bellbrook High School. “The Dutch guys are used to soccer-only fields, so some of them don’t like the lines on the grass from football games,” said Popella. Even with this being the first season of soccer for the team, they have already developed a sizable fan base called the Orange Legion that supports them at every home game.

A few players from the Dayton area are on the Dutch Lions roster, including Popella and midfielder Eric Kissinger. Kissinger attended The Miami Valley School for high school and played D – III soccer at Haverford College. Kissinger looks to experience a successful season with the Dutch Lions as he only enjoyed 12 wins in his four years at Haverford. Popella attended Carroll High School before playing soccer for UD, where he scored seven goals in 11 games for the Flyers, as well as converting two penalty kicks.

Dangerous Curves Ahead: Burlesque comes to Gilly’s

May 19, 2010 By Juliet Fromholt Leave a Comment

Burlesque shows have been enjoying a revival in recent years, and this Thursday night Dayton will get a taste of the glitter and glamor when Brooklyn’s Dangerous Curves Ahead come to town. Billed as “Burlesque on the Go-Go,” this cabaret-style show at Gilly’s starts at 8pm and is only $10. Several members of this year’s show performed to rave reviews in last year’s Monsters of Burlesque, and they’ll be joined onstage by local burlesque performer Champagne Shock.

Bonnett’s Book Store in the Oregon District is helping to promote the show. Kevin Bonnett says, “Burlesque is racy, but it’s about stagecraft and performance; not pole dancing and dollar stuffing. Regardless of the ‘sexy’ involved, these folks know how to put on a show that will make you smile!”

Lights, Camera, Action!

May 14, 2010 By Dayton937 Leave a Comment

Everyone loves a good Tom Hanks movie every now and again. You’ve Got Mail, Castaway, or That Thing You Do will satisfy any Hanks fan’s need. He’s such an appealing actor and seems to have a movie that everyone loves. But what people don’t know is that Tom Hanks has a scholarship program for students in major arts at Wright State University. In 2005 Hanks and his wife donated nearly $5,000 to the Department of Theatre, Dance and Motion Pictures. This was the beginning of the Tom Hanks Scholarship and Visiting Artist Fund. After collaborating with Erik Bork, an alumnus of Wright State, on the television series Band of Brothers and hearing about his experience at WSU, Hanks was bound to create a scholarship program for the students. In May of 2005 a black-tie affair raised over $20,000 for the scholarship.

The quarter I transferred to Wright State I was walking through the Union looking for something good to eat when swore I saw a high school friend by the name of Baxter Stapleton. To my surprise, it indeed was him. We met up for coffee one day and he informed me that he had just transferred to Wright State as well that quarter to attend the film school. In a recent chat with my long time friend he told me why exactly he chose Wright State for his studies. “I decided to transfer since Wright State’s programs complemented perfectly with what I want to do after I graduate. I was immediately attracted to the film program because of my interest in documentary filmmaking and the amazing work I had seen come out of the program” said Stapleton.

Wright State students have been acknowledged for their work in producing and writing feature-length and short form films and winning Golden Globe and Emmy awards. Their work has also been in multiple film festivals winning various awards. Students get the opportunity to work in all different aspects of the film industry through the program, everything from a producer of features to being the director.

Stapleton informed me that the students in the film program work a great deal with FilmDayton and that this year; the students’ work will show up at the FilmDayton Festival this weekend. This is their second annual film festival and is an awesome opportunity for the young film makers of Wright State to get to show their work. “Not only does Wright State have great academic programs, but the University also does a great job of immersing the students into the community” said Stapleton. So if you get some free time this weekend, stop by the film festival and take a look at what the talent of Wright State has to offer!

Burma VJ, A MUST SEE Film Saturday at FilmDayton Fest

May 14, 2010 By Lisa Grigsby Leave a Comment

The following commentary was written by Andy Valeri, when I asked him how by knew about Burma VJ and why he thought it was such an important “get” for the FilmDayton Festival:

“Burma VJ” (VJ standing for “video journalist”) is one of the most important documentary films to be produced in a number of years. Not simply
because of its filmmaking quality in telling a riveting story about the
“Saffron Revolution” which took place in Burma in 2007, but in *how* that
story was told through the use of citizen-based, grassroots media networks.

Ever since I first saw the film upon its initial release a year ago, I knew
it was a potential game-changer in the world of media and its relationship
to movements for political change. I was fortunate to get a chance to see
this film upon its initial release, when my friends filmmakers Steve Bognar
and Julia Reichert were lent a copy by one of their colleagues. Steve
called me up to tell me about this amazing new film which he had just seen,
and invited me over to watch it. Knowing of my ongoing work in media and
human rights, Steve thought I really should see it.

I was deeply moved by the film, again not only for the drama inherent
within the story itself, but what it represented as a harbinger of the
inherent power and potential in the future progress of community-based,
grassroots media networks as as the most important tool available to
confront the cruelty and injustice in our world. It brought to the fore
Gandhi’s principle that the key to confronting injustice was to make it
visible.

It also struck a personal note with me, as I myself was in the same town in
Thailand where the main figure in the movie was based during the time the
events portrayed in the film were exploding forth. When I was there I
couldn’t help but be immersed in the goings ons just over the border. It
was a major concern amongst a number of the Buddhist monks that I would
talk with at the time, and no one was sure what was going to happen, since
nothing quite like this had ever happened before in Burma during the
decades of oppressive rule by the military junta in charge. The monks had
taken to the streets in mass organized protests against the legitimacy of
the government, and the government had resorted to actually shooting them.

And here it was all documented by courageous videographers risking their
very lives to show the world what was going on.

Thus began our interest in bringing the film to Dayton. At first Steve and
I thought it was something that could be presented at the University of
Dayton as part of their groundbreaking Human Rights Studies program. It
certainly would serve as a direct example of my interest in seeing
communication studies incorporated directly into human rights work.

Though the timing for a UD screening wasn’t able to pan out, we are all
more than fortunate to be able to present it at the FilmDayton Festival
this year. And not only that, as the lattice of coincidence would have it,
Steve and Julia ended up meeting and befriending the film’s producer from
Denmark, Lise Lense-Møller at this year’s Academy Awards, in which both
were nominees in their respective documentary categories! And not only
that, but Lise’s husband is from Ohio, and used to be a truck driver, who
would do deliveries to the former GM plant in Moraine about which whose
closing Steve and Julia’s film was nominated for an Oscar as well!

So, along with the Indian film “Kavi” showing at 12:30pm at Gilly’s on
Saturday, followed by Steve and Julia’s “The Last Truck,” and then with
“Burma VJ” running at 5pm at the Neon Movies, Dayton’s humble little film
festival will have THREE Academy Award-nominated films screening on the
same afternoon in the same festival.

For more on Burma VJ, here’s a good article from The New York Times…
“Democracy Now!” did a story this award winning film, which really gives
good insight into what the film is about, and the extraordinary risks
citizen journalists take to get information out of the country.

The Connection of the Collective

May 11, 2010 By J.T. Ryder 1 Comment

The Fifth Annual Sideshow To Be Presented At The Armory

By Kidtee Hello

Walking up the three flights of unfinished wooden stairs, one would not expect to find much more than possibly a storage room filled with forgotten industrial supplies and broken machinery, but upon opening the heavy door to the third floor of the Armory’s loft, you will find nothing but wonder. Dispersed under the exposed and age darkened wooden beams of the loft is a olio of objets d’art. Cascading down from one of these beams is a latticework of vibrantly colored worry dolls, connected, as we all are, by the most tenuous of threads. Your eye will fall upon molten sculptures, hyper-realistic photographs, abstract painting that cry out to the viewer in a silent scream. Stages dot the area, awaiting the humming strum of musicians who will take to them during the Fifth Annual Sideshow to be held on May 14^th and 15^th at the Armory as a part of Dayton’s Urban Nights.

Across the length of the room, crosswise from the main door, a stark black and white photograph hangs, drawing you across the creaking floorboards. The photograph depicts a woman, head thrown back with her eyes closed in a frozen moment of ecstasy. The large picture is adorned with brightly colored flowers which frame and then flow under and in front of it, creating a descriptive display. The photographer is Kidtee Hello and she is the lead organizer of this, the fifth installment of the Sideshow. In speaking with her, I was able to get some of the back history of how the Sideshow was first developed.

By Deloris Bucanan

“When they first started these events, there wasn’t much going on for your average person or artist. Unless you were a graduate of a really good school and had something to show in a really fancy gallery, there wasn’t really anything available except for small art shows like the ones at the Pearl…which actually kind of sparked the Sideshow.” Kidtee went on to describe how the event began. “Laurana Wong wanted to have an event with a little bit of everything and now you see more DYI type art shows…”

Jeff Opt, through an online correspondence, was able to expound on the early days of the Sideshow, having been involved since the beginning and being a part of all the subsequent Sideshows in one form or another since then.

“The original Sideshow idea started with Laurana Wong…it was her idea to throw an art show where the artists worked together to define the show and one that didn’t cost money to throw. It was a community building exercise. There was no theme to the show other than what the participants worked together to create.” Opt went on to say that, “The first show was so successful that it gave birth to the Dayton Circus Creative Collective, a group of like-minded people who wanted to see the spirit of art and community continue year around in Dayton. Since then, the Sideshow has become the premier event for the Dayton Circus.”

This is a perfect depiction of what the Dayton Circus Creative Collective is: a circular energy that feeds and creates itself. The Sideshow begat the Circus and the Circus now gives rise to the Sideshow. It has become a self-sustaining entity of energy and art whose members both feed off of and feed others with a perpetually positive synergy.

With the help of Kate Ervin and Emanuel Cavallaro, I requested Circus members and Sideshow participants to share there thoughts as

By Sean Baumgardener

to what the essence and purpose of the Sideshow was and is. Within an hour, I had at least ten responses, all eloquently espousing the positive contributions that the Sideshow has made not only to the artists and the patrons, but to the community of Dayton as a whole.

“I think what those of us who have been involved with The Sideshow from it’s very first year probably want The Sideshow to become is a cultural institution in Dayton, an event that people can rely on occurring year after year. This is our fifth year, and I’m extremely proud to be involved.” Cavallaro then answered my query directly by saying, “As for what it means to me, personally? Honestly, all my friends are artists or performers of some sort, and from all different backgrounds. Art is what we do and who we are. The Sideshow is a chance for us to share that with the city. And it’s a chance to celebrate and express ourselves. We’re a motley group, and this is a big undertaking that requires weeks and weeks of preparation and hours and hours of hard work, but we somehow find the time to have fun doing it.”

The responses kept coming, all eloquently passionate about what the Sideshow specifically and the Circus in general meant to each individual artist.

“To me, the Sideshow is a multimedia arts event that recognizes local artists of all ages, races, and social classes. It’s an art event for the community. It may be a grass roots production, or seen as an urban underground show, but it’s also a collection of Dayton’s most progressive and Avant-garde artists.” wrote Christine Gaffney, and aspiring film director said. She then added, “The sideshow is more than just an art show, it’s an experience you can’t have anywhere else in Dayton, and it’s only once a year. Dayton is full of Talent. Much of this talent hasn’t made it’s way into the traditional art gallery yet.”

The belief that the Sideshow provided artists a non-traditional venue I which to express and display their non-conforming works was echoed in many of the messages received and conversations I had with the artists, participants and organizers.

Matthew James wrote, “The Sideshow is an opportunity to get outside of the normal space of commercial artwork, a chance for people whose creative works don’t flourish in the ‘normal’ art world to share their contributions with the community. It’s also an opportunity for artists, performers, musicians, and community organizers to get to know one another and come together around a common cause – two nights of outrageous entertainment!”

The very act of trying to draw together all of these divergent artists, secure a location and coordinate the activities of the Sideshow must be a logistics nightmare. While speaking with Kidtee Hello, I asked if this was her first year dealing with all of this as a lead organizer.

“Yeah. Last year I helped Maggie Ottoson with the Sideshow she put together and then this year, I’m organizing it.”

Margaret “Maggie” Ottoson was very direct and emphatic with her description of what the essence of the Sideshow is:

“Empowerment! Freedom to express in any way you like. A collection of the best music art creativity and activism in Dayton.” Ottoson went on to describe what the overall intentions of the Sideshow are, “What is the purpose of the Sideshow? To bring together like minded people who would otherwise have never met and teach that you can do anything if you simply dare to act.”

Tom Watson III wrote that he used his art as a self imposed art therapy regime to help him rehabilitate from a brain stem stroke he

"Worry Dolls"

had suffered. His artwork has turned something that he has feared to reflects a fascinatingly organic view of the brain and the power that it holds.

“It’s one of the artistic highlights of my year!” Tom wrote. “This is my second year as a participating artist and this year is going to be even better than last year’s event. It is a nice way to show my work in an environment that is conducive to free expression and not as restrictive as many venues tend to be. It’s also an opportunity to meet and interact with a lot of other local artists and musicians. It’s also a reunion of sorts for those of us who’ve done it before.

Another factor, almost more important (if not more important) than getting exposure for the artists is the interaction of the artists themselves. The sheer ability to be exposed to each others forms of expression and be influenced to take their own art into areas that they may have never considered possible. Lisa Alexander wrote to express this very aspect of the Sideshow by saying:

“It gives opportunities to local artists to not only showcase their work but to also be involved in a community-building activity.” Alexander succinctly said. “It gives artists a chance to exchange ideas, make contacts, and make friends. It gives the artists a sense of pride in the work they do to help the entire show go off, not just from creating art. It also gives artists a sense of being involved in something bigger than themselves.”

By way of example, Cathy Jeffers described her own experiences as to how the Sideshow influenced her own artwork.

“It really got me to break away too. I usually do art quilts. Last year I did and installation called Fire and Ice.” Jeffers went on to describe the display. “It was a combination of fabric, streamers (representing fire) and white paper mache, (frozen like) figures. I spent hours on it at home and on sight. I really enjoyed the final look…and I could really see the three dimensional impact of the installation in the space.”

Emanuel Cavallaro brought all the elements of the Sideshow and the influence that it has on the artists, the organization and the patrons alike. “The essence of The Sideshow is its malleability. It changes every year. New organizers each year, new artists, new performers, new venue. It’s chaotic as well, because there is never a specific theme. So the artwork, installations and performances are remarkably varied.” Cavallaro “Something very intense can be followed by something very subdued, something appalling by something beautiful. So it can be aesthetically jarring at times, but in a good way, the way in which a roller coaster ride is jarring. In that way, there is something for everyone.”

What: The Dayton Circus Creative Collective’s Fifth Annual Sideshow

When: May 14^th and 15^th from 6:00 pm until 1:00 am.

Where: The Armory – 201 E. Sixth Street (Entrance in rear of building – parking is off of Patterson Blvd.)

Why: See story above

For more information or to see other events that the Circus is involved in, check out their website at www.daytoncircus.org.

FilmDayton Festival goes international, doubles in size, is movie buff’s dream weekend

May 10, 2010 By Lisa Grigsby 2 Comments

Building on the success of the first FilmDayton Festival, the second 2010 edition will present a lively mix of screenings, filmmaking workshiops, parties and special events unlike anything else in town.

It starts Friday, May 14, on Urban Nights, but continues the downtown vibe throughout the weekend at several venues — the Neon, Gilly’s and at a brand new spot: The former Greyhound bus station, now cleaned up and turned into a special lounge area for filmgoers, filmmakers and guests.

The festival will blend Dayton-centric films by local filmmakers, or artists who were trained here in the craft, many from the Wright State Motion Picture program; student films from WSU seniors and talented
high-schoolers who are being trained by FilmDayton and the Muse Machine; international films and documentaries, along with top festival picks from around the nation, that can only be seen at the FilmDayton Festival; and unusual events such as the “Screenless Screening,” an audio-only
presentation by WYSO-FM. This rare combination of films and events has been stirred together by
combining the talents and connections of the Dayton filmmaking community and pushing it outward.

The festival, of course, is just part of the work of FilmDayton. In the year since the first FilmDayton Festival, the two-year-old organization has worked with Wright State University’s Motion Picture program and the Muse Machine to teach student workshops and film classes; partnered with the Sundog Film Festival to boost young local filmmakers; brought local filmmakers together to network and share ideas at monthly “Film Connections” meetings; revamped filmdayton.com to better promote the area as a filmmaking
location; set up offices at the Dayton Convention Center and brought on a director, Eva Buttacavoli,.

The group’s goal is to establish the Dayton area as fertile ground for making movies, both by helping the filmmaking community that’s already here to flourish and by luring more film activity to town. The FilmDayton Festival showcases and pushes all that forward.

FILM DAYTON FESTIVAL SCHEDULE

As of May 10, 2010. Schedule and screening times are subject to change. Check www.FilmDayton.com for the most up-to-date schedule, as well as for a complete listing of workshops and special events.

FRIDAY, MAY 14

DAYTON ROCKS! (free event)
6:30 to 8:30 p.m. // FilmDayton Power Up Lounge
Shelly “GladGirl” Hulce, longtime Dayton music insider, digs into local attics, basements and cyber archives to showcase some of Dayton’s best past and present rock videos, skater films and more.

WSU BIG LENS FILM FESTIVAL ($5, free with WSU student ID)
7 to 9:30 p.m. // The Neon
Students from Wright State University’s award-winning motion pictures program screen their most recent productions in this event filled with compelling, contemporary work.

AFTER PARTY WITH THE LAB PARTNERS ($5 or free with Big Lens Film Festival stub)
9 p.m. to midnight // Gilly’s
Dayton spacerockers the Lab Partners always put on a unique, engaging listening and viewing experience ― which will be seriously amped when the band is joined by Springfield native Rod Hatfield’s ensemble, The Now Device, and their light and film performance.

THE BIG LEBOWSKI ($5)
10:15 p.m. // The Neon
Catch this comedy classic, starring Jeff Bridges as The Dude, on the big screen.

SATURDAY, MAY 15

ROPEWALK ($5)
10:30 to 11:30 a.m. // The Neon
What ties together prehistoric tools, Ben Franklin, trust busting, railroads, drug laws, plastics, nanotubes and space travel? Rope, of course. Learn about ropemaking’s forgotten effects on agriculture and industry in Xenia, Ohio, from the Civil War to the present ― and beyond. This award-winning historical documentary film was produced by The Engineers Club of Dayton.

CONVENTION ($5)
10:30 to 11:30 a.m. // Gilly’s
The story behind the mounting of one of the biggest events of the decade: the 2008 Democratic National Convention. Photography and sound by Daytonians Steve Bognar and Julia Reichert, who were nominated for a 2010 Academy Award for their documentary The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant.

WORKSHOP // KARRI O’REILLY DESTROYS YOUR RESUME ―
AND THEN HELPS YOU FIX IT SO YOU CAN GET A JOB ON A MOVIE (free event)
11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. // FilmDayton Power Up Lounge
Karri O’Reilly has seen literally thousands of production resumes and most of them stink. Find out how to make your resume stand out ― in a good way ― and learn tips that will help you land a job on a feature film. Sign up for 15-minute appointments beginning at 10:30 a.m.

MUSE MACHINE & FILMDAYTON PRESENT STUDENT SHORTS ($5)
noon to 1 p.m. // The Neon
Students who participated in the 2010 48-hour Film Boot Camp and the Muse Machine Film Club at Centerville High School will show off their films.

MADRINA FILMS PRESENTS THE BEST OF INTERNATIONAL SHORTS ($5)
12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. // Gilly’s
Springfield filmmaker Marisha Mukerjee selects the best short films the world has to offer, including the documentary Last Supper for Malthus, winner of the European Independent Film Festival 2010’s audience award. With a billion of the world’s population going to be hungry at night, Last Supper for Malthus sheds light on our permanent food crisis.

RECORDING OF “FILMICALLY PERFECT” (free event)
1 to 3 p.m. // ThinkTV
J. Todd Anderson ― filmmaker and storyboard artists for such directors at the Coen brothers ― and George Willeman ― film archivist, writer and producer ― will record their WYSO 91.3-FM radio show “Filmically Perfect” in front of a live audience. “Filmically Perfect,” hosted by Niki Dakota, WYSO music director, airs at 12:30 p.m. Fridays on the station, when Anderson and Willeman dissect classic films.

GIRL POWER SHORTS: SUNDAY SPIN / THE ACT / RITE ($5)
1 to 2:30 p.m. // The Neon
Girls with secrets is the theme in these short films. Sunday Spin, written and directed by former Daytonian Nichol Simmons, features a 100 percent Dayton cast and crew. First love, BFFs, lip gloss, barbecued carrots and that boy from eighth grade take Eloise on an unforgettable Sunday spin in this sassy take on the after-school special. The Act was written and directed by Pi Ware and Susan Kraker and filmed by former Daytonian Marco Fargnoli. Rounding out this trio of shorts is Rite, written and directed by Kettering native Alicia Conway.

THE 1ST ANNUAL WYSO SCREENless SCREENING ($5)
3 to 4:30 p.m. // The Neon
WYSO 91.3-FM Director Neenah Ellis and program director Juliet Fromholt present a celebration of Dayton stories, sounds and the art of listening. Hear radio magazine feature stories, such as those on NPR’s StoryCorps and Ira Glass’ This American Life, as you never have before ― in a dark movie theater.

THE LAST TRUCK: THE CLOSING OF A GM PLANT ($5)
3 to 4:30 p.m. // Gilly’s
Directed and written by Julia Reichert and Steve Bognar of Yellow Springs, The Last Truck was nominated for an Academy Award for best documentary, short subject. It tells the story of the workers of the General Motors Assembly Plant in Moraine, which opened in 1981 and closed on Dec. 23, 2008. While the workers are shocked they’ll be losing their jobs, the film shows they’re also losing much more: the pride they share in their work, the camaraderie built through the years and the shared concerns about what their collective futures will hold. The Last Truck offers a snapshot of a moment in America where we may be seeing the end of the blue-collar middle class.

BEHIND THE SCENES WITH SUNDAY SPIN (free event)
3:30 to 5 p.m. // FilmDayton Power Up Lounge
Nichol Simmons, writer and director of Sunday Spin, talks about how the film came to be.

MASTER CLASS // ACTING ($15)
4 to 5:30 p.m. // ThinkTV
This class will be taught by a trio of experts: Dave Gewertz, founder of MidwestExtrasDB.com, designed to be the go-to site in the Midwest for people who are interested in being extras in films, television and commercials; Marianne Porter, Wright State University graduate and one of the stars of feature film True Nature; and Stuart McDowell, chair and artistic director of Wright State University’s department of theatre, dance and motion pictures.

BURMA VJ ($5)
5 to 7 p.m. // The Neon
This 2010 Academy Award Nominee for best documentary feature is the true story of an anonymous collective of underground video journalists (VJs) who risked their lives to capture the dramatic 2007 Myanmar uprising, when 100,000 people (including thousands of Buddhist monks) took to the streets in protest. The producer, Lise Lense-Møller, will be in Dayton all the way from Denmark for a Q&A after the film.

FILMDAYTON’S SECOND ANNUAL PITCH-IT! ($5)
6 to 8 p.m. // Gilly’s
Think you’ve got a golden idea for a film? This is your opportunity to prove it. Drop $5 in the hat and pitch your movie in two minutes to a panel of industry experts. The winner takes home the cash and the championship belt, although this lively event is fun for audience and aspiring filmmakers alike. Hosted by Niki Dakota, WYSO 91.3-FM music director, with judges including Stuart McDowell, chair and artistic director of Wright State University’s department of theatre, dance and motion pictures; Nichol Simmons, writer and director of Sunday Spin; and Jennifer Sharp, director of I’m Through with White Girls.

TRUE NATURE MEMBERS ONLY SCREENING**
8 to 10 p.m. // The Neon
Part drama and part supernatural thriller, True Nature is the story of a family reunited when their college-age daughter is found after a year-long disappearance. Written, directed, produced and filmed in Dayton by Dayton’s own Pat Steele and Ann Rotolante. **This screening is for FilmDayton members and Reel Deal and All-Access pass holders only.

RED CARPET, REV. COOL, DJs AND DANCE PARTY DOUBLE FEATURE
8 p.m. to midnight // Gilly’s
Dance around the fringe with The Rev. Cool’s Arkestra & Dance Ensemble, joined by popular local spinmasters Ruckus Roboticus and DJ Scorpius Max.
• FilmDayton Fundraiser: From 8-10 p.m., enjoy themed martinis and catered bites while helping support Dayton’s nonprofit organization dedicated to local film and filmmakers. $15
• General admission: $5 after 10 p.m. or free with True Nature stub

INK & FLESH / FUN IN THE OLD TOWN TONIGHT ($5)
midnight // The Neon
Dayton favorite Andy Copp presents a world and local premiere double feature with classic ’70s era grindhouse trailers in between and a Q&A.

SUNDAY, MAY 16
BOOKSIGNING WITH JAMES GREER (free event)
11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. // FilmDayton Power Up Lounge
James Greer will discuss and sign his most recent book, The Failure, and host a Q&A session about his current movie project, Cleo, a rock musical of sorts, about Cleopatra. Greer wrote the script for this film starring Catherine Zeta-Jones and directed by Steven Soderbergh, who describes the film asTommy meets Viva Las Vegas, with music by Robert Pollard of Guided by Voices. Greer has been a bassist for Guided By Voices, editor of Spin magazine, and is the author of Guided by Voices: A Brief History: Twenty-One Years of Hunting Accidents in the Forests of Rock and Roll and the novel Artificial Light.

SUNDOG FILM FESTIVAL ($5)
1 to 2:30 p.m. // The Neon
Originated in Yellow Springs in 2003, this juried competition is open to young filmmakers in grades 8-12.

PANEL DISCUSSION // FILMING UNDER DURESS (free event)
1 to 2:30 p.m. // FilmDayton Power Up Lounge
What happens when your cameras aren’t welcome or in danger zones? Lise Lense-Møller will discuss the perils of filming under less than ideal conditions. Lense-Møller is the producer of Burma VJ, a 2010 Academy Award Nominee for best documentary feature. It tells the true story of an anonymous collective of underground video journalists (VJs) who risked their lives to capture the dramatic 2007 Myanmar uprising, when 100,000 people (including thousands of Buddhist monks) took to the streets in protest.

FILM CONNECTIONS PRESENTS WORKS IN PROGRESS ($5)
1 to 2:30 p.m. // Gilly’s
Loose, informal and interactive, FilmDayton’s monthly networking program, Film Connections, moves to Gilly’s one time only for this special edition of local works in progress. Hosted by recent Wright State University grad and local filmmaker Rocky Smith.

WORKSHOP // INDEPENDENT FILMMAKING ($15)
1 to 2:30 p.m. // Dayton Convention Center
True Nature director Pat Steele and Ann Rotolante present “Beginning to End: A How-to of Local Independent Filmmaking.” From the big idea to opening night, learn how to create an independent film.

DIRECTING PANEL ($15)
3:30 to 5 p.m. // Dayton Convention Center
Jennifer Sharp, director of I’m Through with White Girls and Mike Webber, director of The Elephant in the Living Room, discuss the ins-and-outs of directing and give workshop attendees a director’s behind the lens view.

WINTER’S BONE ($5)
3:30 to 5 p.m. // The Neon
Get an exclusive first look at this winner of the 2010 Sundance Grand Jury Prize, which doesn’t open to general audiences until June. The film tells the story of a young woman who must fight her way through the Ozark wilderness and local criminal underworld to find her father and save her family.

WSU BIG LENS FILM FESTIVAL, TAKE TWO ($5, free with WSU student ID)
3:30 to 5 p.m. // Gilly’s
Missed this festival on Friday? No worries. This is your second chance to catch students from Wright State University’s award-winning motion pictures program screening their most recent productions in this event filled with compelling, contemporary work. The festival will be followed by a meet-and-greet from 5 to 6:30 p.m.

EXPLODING GIRL ($5)
5:30 to 7 p.m. // The Neon
This drama is the exquisite portrait of a young girl coming of age and finding a deeper kind of love in New York City. Kettering native Bradley Rust Grey directed this independent feature, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival last year. At Tribeca, its lead, rising indie star Zoe Kazan (Revolutionary Road, It’s Complicated, Me and Orson Welles), won the award for best actress.

I’M THROUGH WITH WHITE GIRLS ($5)
7:30 p.m. // The Neon
In this film, winner of the 2007 Block Buster Audience Award at the American Black Film Festival, Jay Brooks is on a quest to find the perfect woman ― but first he must deal with his commitment issues to win his love. Director and Yellow Springs native Jennifer Sharp will be on hand for a Q&A and discussion after the screening.

The FilmDayton Festival thanks its sponsors, without whom this festival would not be possible: DP&L, Cox Ohio Media/Dayton Daily News,activedayton.com, ThinkTV, WYSO 91.3-FM, The Now Device, Dayton City Paper, Wright State University, the Southern Ohio Council for Higher Education and The Ohio Coffee Co.

Former Guided by Voices member unveils new novel at local readings

May 5, 2010 By Juliet Fromholt Leave a Comment

James Greer wrote the book on Guided by Voices…literally. The former editor for Spin Magazine is the author of Guided by Voices: A Brief History: Twenty-One Years of Hunting Accidents in the Forests of Rock and Roll, a book about the band with which he played bass. More recently Greer has been focusing on novels and screenwriting. He’ll be in town this week promoting his new novel, The Failure (Akashic). There are several opportunities to see Greer and learn more about The Failure, which is partially set in Dayton:

-On Wednesday night, I’ll be interviewing Greer on Kaleidoscope on WYSO 91.3FM. The show is 8-11pm and will also feature information on the FilmDayton festival.

-On Thursday, Greer will reading at the Town & Country Books & Co. in Kettering beginning at 7pm.

-On Friday, Greer will hold a private house-show style reading in Dayton. There are still a few slots open for this event. You can find out more and reserve a slot by emailing ohiohouseshows@gmail.com. This reading will also be broadcast live on Ustream beginning at 7:45pm. Click here to sign in as a guest and watch.

-Greer will also be part of a Q&A session about an upcoming film project, Cleo, at the FilmDayton Festival (May 14-16).

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