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Yellow Springs Experience: An Immersion into Art & Culture

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The last time I visited Yellow Springs, I went used book shopping at Dark Star Books, walked the trails at the beautiful Glen Helen Nature Preserve and ate a delicious lunch at the popular Ha Ha Pizza eatery.

It was a good reprieve from the my day-to-day stresses.

A day in the eclectic, bohemian village can be a refreshing and invigorating experience.

Just imagine what 10 days can be.

Starting this weekend, Yellow Springs invites the region to become acquainted with everything that makes it special in the form of a 10-day art and cultural extravaganza called Yellow Springs Experience. From July 9-18, the village will be bustling with a flurry of cultural activities. Over 80 events ranging from visual arts workshops, wellness classes, theater and dance performances and art exhibits are scheduled, creating a 360-degree immersive shared experience. The goal was to capture the essence of the community, says Yellow Springs Arts Council administrator Carole Braun.

“There was always the Antioch Writer’s Workshop and the Yellow Springs Kids Playhouse,” says Braun “There were a couple of things that happen in the summer. This is an attempt by the arts council to put together some of the things that were a backbone of entertainment and culture in Yellow Springs. We thought we would try and pull together everything. So there are astrology classes, a sustainable building and farm tours… Glen Helen ecocamps. We tried to get a little bit of everything so that people can experience the flavor of Yellow Springs.”

Events will be located at various venues throughout the village, including Antioch College which will present “Letters Home from Freedom Summer”, a public reading of select writings of some of the over 600 students who organized non-violent protests of the segregation policies of Mississippi in the summer of 1964. “We’ve been able to pull in our educational institutions,” says Karen Wintrow, executive director of the Yellow Springs Chamber of Commerce. “This community is really strong on education.

“Our  job is to bring people to Yellow Springs,” she adds. “We think the festival embodies everything we’re about.”

Braun is optimistic that this will be an annual celebration.  “We’d like to make it a yearly event,” she says. “We’re already excited about next year!”

Most events are ticketed, including those that are free. Tickets can be purchased online at http://www.yellow-springs-experience.org, which also offers a complete list of events.

What can you expect from the 10-day Yellow Springs Experience? Here is a partial listing of some of the events scheduled:

The Grand Hoopla YS Experience Launch Party at the YS Arts Council – July 9, 4-7 p.m.

The Red Tent Women’s Self-Nourishing Time – Daily, 2-4 p.m.

YS Kids Playhouse: The Conference of the Birds – Thursday – Sunday, 7:30 p.m.

Skate Music Fest & Battle of the Bands – July 11, 3-8 p.m.

Cirque Carnival on Dayton Street – July 16, 6-10p.m.

WYSO “Are You Listening” Group Listening Experience, AACW Poetry Jam, movies nightly at the Little Art Theatre, wheel-thrown pottery workshops, yoga meditation, and much more!

Click here for the full experience.

2 Local Premieres + Special Coco’s News!

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Hello Everyone.

In addition to holding PLEASE GIVE for limited screenings, THE NEON will open 2 new films – HARRY BROWN (starring NEON favorite Michael Caine) and THE SQUARE (a thriller that has drawn many critical comparisons to the Coen Brothers).

Synopsis for HARRY BROWN: “Academy Award nominee Daniel Barber makes his feature directorial debut with this gritty critique on contemporary British society starring Michael Caine as an elderly shut-in who’s spurred to action by a senseless act of violence. Harry Brown (Caine) resides in a desolate public-housing apartment block as his sickly wife lies dying in a local hospital. He spends most of his days in solitude, only getting out to play the occasional game of chess at a nearby pub with his best friend, Leonard. The days of basic human decency seem to be a thing of the past, because in recent years barbarous drug dealers and gangsters have overtaken the dilapidated complex. Killing is a way of life for these young thugs, and as a result overburdened detectives Frampton (Emily Mortimer) and Hicock are essentially relegated to knocking on doors and notifying parents when their children have been killed in the latest fracas, instead of investigating the crimes and jailing the guilty parties. When Leonard is murdered just feet from his own apartment, former Royal Marine Harry utilizes the skills he learned while fighting the IRA to take on the aggressive chavs who have intimidated the police into inaction.” (Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide)

Synopsis for THE SQUARE: “Temptation turns a man’s life upside down in this noir-influenced thriller from Australia. Ray Yale (David Roberts) is a construction worker who is married to Martha (Lucy Bell) and is helping to build an upscale resort hotel just outside Sydney. Ray isn’t entirely happy in his marriage, and his roving eye has become focused on Carla (Claire van der Boom), a hairdresser who lives next door. Carla is married to a low-level mobster, Greg (Anthony Hayes), but she craves excitement and is soon having a torrid affair with Ray. Carla knows that Greg has a large bundle of cash hidden in their home, and she hatches a scheme she shares with Ray — they steal they money, set fire to the house, and run off together, with Greg imagining the cash was lost in the blaze. While Ray isn’t interested in a life of crime, he can’t say no to Carla, but when he develops cold feet at the last minute, his attempts to reach Billy (Joel Edgerton), who was hired to torch the house, are unsuccessful, and things take a turn for the worse…” (Mark Deming, All Movie Guide)

I’m very excited about next Friday. On July 9th, we open I AM LOVE – my favorite film from last year’s Toronto Film Fest. I AM LOVE, with an incredible lead performance by Tilda Swinton, has a very interesting food element entwined in the film. Because it seems like a perfect match, we’re partnering with Coco’s Bistro – on Wayne Avenue – during the film’s engagement. Karen Wick, owner of Coco’s, screened I AM LOVE a couple weeks ago and immediately had ideas of a special menu that ties in with the film. While THE NEON is playing I AM LOVE, you can use a NEON ticket stub to receive 15% off your meal at Coco’s. If you go to Coco’s first, you can use your dining receipt to receive a buy 1 get 1 ticket to I AM LOVE at THE NEON. (Offer only valid on the same day.) You won’t want to miss I AM LOVE on the big screen. I promise you…it’s incredible!! Mark your calendars.

We hope to see you soon!
Jonathan

SHOWTIMES for July 2 – July 8:

THE SQUARE (R) 105 Minutes
Friday, Saturday, Sunday: 12:30, 5:00, 7:20, 9:40
Monday – Thursday: 5:00, 7:20

HARRY BROWN (R) 103 Minutes
Friday, Saturday, Sunday: 12:40, 2:50, 5:10, 7:30, 9:45
Monday – Thursday: 2:50, 5:10, 7:30

PLEASE GIVE (R) 90 Minutes
Friday – Thursday: 2:45

COMING SOON:
As always, all dates are tentative.
July 9 I AM LOVE (My favorite from Toronto!)
July 16 CYRUS
July 30 WINTER’S BONE
July 30 THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT
Aug. 20 THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE
Sept. 10 FAREWELL
TBD – JOAN RIVERS: A PIECE OF WORK
TBD – MICMACS

Cleaning House at THE NEON

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Hello Everyone.

Though many audience members really connected with MOTHER AND CHILD, attendance was quite weak…so it has to be on its way out the door. Thursday will be the film’s last day at THE NEON. On Friday, we will start 2 new films – HARRY BROWN (starring Michael Caine) and THE SQUARE (an Australian thriller that Ain’t It Cool News says is “The best film noir since BODY HEAT.”)

My full update will come later in the week.
We hope to see you soon!
Jonathan

Dayton Sports Weekly Update: 6/28/2010

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Week four at the Weekly Update!  That seems like a milestone for me that I should probably write down somewhere.  Hope a couple of you went out and saw a game this last weekend despite the insane heat again.  Here we go.

Ouch, The Dragons had a rough weekend away from home against the Lansing Lugnuts.  They fought some hard games but alas were swept in the series.  This will make the third time this year that the Dragons have lost every game in a series against Lansing.  The only time they have been successful was actually their very first series of the year in which they swept Lansing.  The first game of the series on Friday was a 7-6 loss.  I’ve mentioned the last three weeks that Dayton’s losses frequently have been very close, usually coming by one run which can be difficult for a struggling team.  Out of the Dragon’s last 9 losses including this weekend, 6 of them have been by one run, one was by two and the other was by 4 back against Beloit earlier this month.  Of  course the other one was the Saturday game which was lost 4-1.  That’s not to say there wasn’t a fight, in fact, Friday and Sunday’s (a 5-4 loss) games were both taken into extra inning, and both time the Dragons fell short in the 11th.  I’ll spare you any of the details this week unless you’d like to go read the game wrap ups, but let’s just say there isn’t a lot of great news there right now.

The Dragons have got to show up against Fort Wayne early this week.  They just finished a series with them, all three games were decided by one run (1 win 2 losses) and that little bit of extra effort needs to show here or else this downward spiral might continue.  On the plus side, this weekend during City Folk, they will be home against the Great Lakes Loons again.  Despite the Loon’s great away win record, Dayton has had great luck against them all year.  Let’s hope they can keep it up.

UPDATE: 6/30/2010 Well apparently the Gems press conference was cancelled, stating “unforseen circumstances” as the cause. Your guess is as good as mine as to what this means. It could be someone couldn’t make it today, or it could mean something really big has happened, but we’ll let you know if anything comes up.

Hey guess what?  New head coach to be announced this Wednesday, June 30th.  Bout darn time right?  Check back here for an update on that on Wednesday.  There is also some interesting news involving an 18th team to the new CHL this year.  I mentioned a few weeks ago that two IHL teams would not be making the transfer over as a result of various problems, (Port Huron Icehawks and the Muskegon Lumberjacks)  As it turns out the single -A hockey team in Evansville has purchased the team and transferred them play for their own Icemen.  This means that Evansville will now be playing in the IHL, from the AAHL (getting confused yet?) and we have already mentioned that the IHL and CHL will be tenatively merging before the start of next season SO..  Muskegon will be with the new league in a sense, combine… sort of…, with the already existing Evansville Icemen.

Remember to check back, hopefully we’ll have some news on the Gems’ new coach

The Dayton Dutch Lions managed another loss-less week which included a tie against the Cincinnati Kings and a win against League leader, the Chicago Fire.  The only thing keeping The Lions out of first place right now is the amount of ties they have had.  Although this is definitely better than having a bunch of losses, you can see the main difference between the Fire and the Lions are the Fire’s two extra wins.  Even though they actually have 3 losses to the Lion’s 1, those wins make all the difference in the long run.  Still, the win against Chicago has put Dayton back within two points of the lead, which on the flip side makes having only 1 loss so important.

The Lions were in a prime position to have the lead in the League this week as a matter of fact, as they played a commanding game against Cincinnati.  They took a lead of 2-0 for the majority of the game, and looked as if win was inevitable but Cincinnati wasn’t going to go down without a fight and managed a score at the 70th minute of the game. Though a few free kicks were given to the Lions over the next few minutes, they could not capitalize on them and a potential 3-1 win went belly up as the Kings scored a second time in the 86th minute of the game.  Instead of going home with 3 points (which would put Dayton on top of Chicago this week by 1)  they had to settle for 1 point in a tie.  It should be noted that an estimated 75% of the fans in Cincinnati ths weekend were Dutch Lions fans.

The great victory this week was against the Chicago Fire.  It was a stunted first half however, as the score remained 0-0 after 45.  But shortly after the teams entered the field again, a cross kick from Bas Ent to Geert den Ouden would fly right past the King’s keeper to make it a 1-0 game after 55 minutes.  Defense prevailed for a while but as the 89th minute approached, and the game was winding down, den Ouden was there again, this time with the set up for George Davis IV, scoring another goal as regulation came to an end.  With 5 minutes of stopage time however the Chicago Fire managed to get a good shot off to make the ending result 2-1, and handing the Lions a great victory.  The next game up is against the Michigan Bucks on July 3rd.  I probably won’t be there as downtown will be calling my name, but best of luck to the Lions, another win will keep them in contention for the playoffs.

Would you believe there isn’t any new postings for the Raiders this week?  I had mentioned two weeks ago that former Wright State Pitcher Alex Kaminsky had signed with the Cleveland Indians earlier this year.  In his first game with the Indian’s Single-A affiliate, the Mahoning Valley Scrappers, he threw 5 shutout innings, striking out  4, and won his professional debut game.  Congratulations!

Also it should be noted that Jon Durket signed with the Lake Erie Crushers of the Independent Frontier League as the 3rd free agent this year to enter into professional baseball.  This makes 5 Raiders that have joined the professional ranks this year, the most of any team Wright State has produced, best of luck to all of you guys out there.

Some good news for Flyers women basketball, as they have been awarded a grant for program funding.  This will hopefully build on a lot of momentum that Flyer’s women’s basketball has had over the last year or so.  The intention of the grant is to help increase awareness of the team and the games they play through various outlets and hopefully increase attendance at games.  People should know about this women’s team;  last year The Flyers won their first ever top 10 game with a victory over Michigan State, appeared in the AP and ESPN top 25 for the first time, held an average attendance of 3404 which was highest in the Atlantic 10, 34th highest in the country and if I might add, quite a bit better than some of Dayton’s professional team attendance from last year and this year, and finished last year’s season a staggering 25-8 which ties a modern-era record for most victories in a season.  Congratulations UD, that’s outstanding news.

That’s all for this week, I’m out!  Enjoy this weekend, City Folk is a blast, and with the new pavilion downtown, there isn’t any reason to not be there!

Great Director & Incredible Cast – Now Playing – MOTHER AND CHILD!

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Hello Everyone.

MOTHER AND CHILD, the new film starring Annette Bening, Naomi Watts and Kerry Washington, was directed by Rodrigo Garcia – director of the films THINGS YOU CAN TELL JUST BY LOOKING AT HER and NINE LIVES as well as episodes of some incredible television shows like THE SOPRANOS, SIX FEET UNDER and IN TREATMENT. We hope you’ll come out to see this new film which Rex Reed has given a 100% review – stating, “A flawless film of heartrending realism about the eternal chord that binds parents and children and the emptiness when they are separated.”

Synopsis for MOTHER AND CHILD: “Three women’s lives share a common core: they have all been profoundly affected by adoption. Karen placed a baby for adoption at age 14 and has been haunted ever since by the daughter she never knew. Elizabeth grew up as an adopted child; she’s a bright and ambitious lawyer, but a flinty loner in her personal life. Lucy is just embarking with her husband on the adoption odyssey, hoping for the opportunity to become parents.” (Sony Picture Classics)

PLEASE GIVE will stick around for another week…audiences are loving it!

Be sure to check out our coming attractions below.

We hope to see you soon!
Jonathan

SHOWTIMES for June 25 – July 1:

MOTHER AND CHILD (R) 125 Minutes
Friday, Saturday, Sunday: 1:15, 4:00, 7:15, 9:45
Monday – Thursday: 2:30, 5:00, 7:30

PLEASE GIVE (R) 90 Minutes
Friday, Saturday, Sunday: 1:00, 3:10, 5:15, 7:20, 9:30
Monday – Thursday: 3:10, 5:15, 7:20

COMING SOON:
As always, all dates are tentative.
July 2 HARRY BROWN
July 9 I AM LOVE (My favorite from Toronto!)
July 16 CYRUS
July 30 WINTER’S BONE
July 30 THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT
Aug. 20 THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE
Sept. 10 FAREWELL
TBD – JOAN RIVERS: A PIECE OF WORK
TBD – MICMACS
TBD – THE SQUARE

Dayton Sports Weekly Update: 6/21/2010

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Wow, is it just me or has summer hit full swing already? The sun was so bright I thought I’d see Leo the Lion pass right out at Baujan Field this last Saturday. Here is you weekly update for June 21st.

It’s been a pretty solid week for the Dragons, losing their first series away against the Fort Wayne Tin Caps, and winning their second against the Great Lake Loons in Dayton.  It made for a great weekend unless you saw them play on Sunday afternoon. Dayton had swept their series with Wisconsin to end last week and seemed to bring some confidence to the team as they travelled to Fort Wayne on Tuesday. Over the first 8 innings the Dragons scored 9 runs against the Tin Caps who only returned 4 until the top of the ninth, where they drove in another 4 on reliever Chase Ware, but managed to save the game with a final score of 9-8 to extend the Dragon’s winning streak to 4.  The rest of the series would be disappointing however, as the Dragons would drop the next two, both again by one run, 5-4 on Wednesday, 6-5 on Thursday.

Dayton came home to play over the weekend and managed two solid wins against the Great Lakes Loons who are not only near the top of the League standings but have been very dangerous on the road this year.  Friday night the Dragons had only 5 hits by 5 different players but made them count.  A home run in the second by Tommy Nurre, and one by Josh Garton in the 4th (his 8th of the season) with a man on base was all it took to win the game.  Saturday’s match went from a long night followed by a last minute clincher.  A no score evening seemed wrapped up when the Dragons scored two at the top of the ninth but oddly the Loons felt they had something to say about that and tied up the game with two runs of their own.  Three more innings provided no avail but then at the top of the 13th, the Loons got a runner in and were ahead 3-2.  The Dragons, not to be detoured, cracked out a single from Frank Pfister, and one from Chase Weems.  A bobbled ball by a Loon’s outfielder gave Pfister enough time to round the bases and get home.  One last line drive from Didi Gregorious into right field gave Weems all the time he needed to round third and make it home, the crowd goes wild, Dragons win, 4-3. This is followed up by a less than exciting loss this Sunday 7-5, but how about we just keep that one in the record books?

The Dragons will play away once more this upcoming weekend against Lansing who is  touch above their next opponent, Fort Wayne.  That series will be at home starting next Monday.  Both have pretty similar records right now, at around .520.  The Dragons can improve their standing by taking a few of these games, but it won’t be easy.  There is a pretty big gap between both of those teams and the Dragons, but perhaps since they just finished a series with Fort Wayne, they can be better prepared and know what to expect.

There isn’t much to report for the Gems this week. There hasn’t really been any news out of the CHL, and there is still no word on a possible head coach, or players for that matter.  Check back for more later.

The Dutch Lions had a very difficult week that resulted in not a single victory.  As I mentioned last week the Lions had 3 games on their plate.  The first was up against the Rochester Rhinos in the US Lamar Hunt Open Cup.  A difficult loss of 2-0 for the Lions was a shame but for a first year team in the PDL, they did the city of Dayton proud simply by making it as a result of their undefeated season at that point.  The second stop came on Thursday the 17th, a league match against the Cleveland Internationals.  The Lions started off at a slow trudge but ended up out shooting Cleveland most of the evening.  Though the resulting 2-2 draw doesn’t indicate that, an aggressive offense helped save the Lions from a second loss in league play (or in a row for that matter) and we continue  to see them near the top of the standings.  Lastly the Dutch Lions came home to Dayton on Saturday evening to take on the Columbus Crew of the MLS.  I think like many I had assumed that the Crew would not be playing their starters in this game.  That is nothing against the Lions, but the MLS clearly stands a head above the rest and an exhibition match against a 2008 MLS championship team seemed an unlikely win.  Yet on walked the starters and we all knew we were in for a ride.  Dayton came out lethargic, and who could blame them?  It was unsure to know how the game was going to go, but with the Crew scoring in the first 15 minutes they seemed to snap out of it and kept them from making any impressive shots on goal for the remaining first half, while the Lions, though developed some potentially great shots, failed to capitalize on any of them.

The Crew came out in the second half filled with almost all of their starters and things got ugly as they drove in two more goals past Keeper Oscar Moens.  Though many valiant efforts kept the score way lower than it could have been, the Crew took home the win, 3-0.  Three games in a week will put a kink in any team, and the Lions really tested their metal out there against some traditionally great opponents.  Though I’m sure we would have loved to see a win squeaked by at Rochester or against The Crew, there is always next year.

Dayton has an away game early this week against Cincinnati, and another home game this Saturday against the Chicago Fire.  No, not the MLS team, their PDL development team of the same name.  Aught to be a great match though.

There still isn’t a whole lot going on around Campus, but Wright State’s Men’s basketball coach Billy Donlon announced the hiring of an assistant coach by the name of Chris Moore.  Moore has been an assistant coach and recruiter at Morehead State.  He has been credited for signing two top 40 classes at Morehead State, as well as assisting the team that made it to the second round of the NCAA tournament in 2009.  This is an exciting move for Wright State.  If he can snag the talent he’s been getting in the last few years and have them follow him to Dayton, the Raiders could be seeing a spot in The Tournament again real soon.

Speaking of all this news with The Dayton Dutch Lions and The Rochester Rhinos, the Flyers have a great article up about former player Issac Kissi.  Kissi, now a member of the Rhinos was recently interviewed (though the articles doesn’t mention the journalist responsible.)  He shares some interesting information about his time as a Flyer as well as his budding professional career.

That’s all for now, see you next week!  Since the Dragons wont’ be home until next Monday I expect to see Miami Valley South Stadium packed to capacity!  After all with the World Cup in full swing, it’s soccer season!  And if getting up at 7:30 in the morning to watch a live game from Africa isn’t exactly your idea of fun (or you can’t think of a good way to explain that to your boss) then an evening with the Lions might be just right.

New Comedy – PLEASE GIVE – Now Playing!

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Hello Everyone.

The new comedy from Nicole Holofcener – starring Catherine Keener, Amanda Peet, and Oliver Platt – starts its exclusive engagement at THE NEON today. PLEASE GIVE has received “A” reviews from THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY, THE LA TIMES and more.

Synopsis for PLEASE GIVE: “A family looking for some extra space gets drawn into a difficult relationship with the folks next door in this comedy drama from writer and director Nicole Holofcener. Kate (Catherine Keener) and Alex (Oliver Platt) are a couple living in New York City who run a successful store specializing in vintage furniture. Kate and Alex have a teenage daughter, Abby (Sarah Steele) and their apartment is starting to feel a bit small for the three of them; Kate and Alex own the unit next door to them, and once the flat becomes vacant, they plan to knock out a wall and take over the space. However, Andra (Ann Morgan Guilbert), their tenant, is an elderly woman with a poor disposition who doesn’t seem eager to go anywhere soon, and it’s occurred to Kate and Alex that they’re probably going to have wait for her to die, since evicting her would be very awkward. Hoping to make the best of the situation, Kate tries to strike up a friendship with Andra and her fiercely protective granddaughter Rebecca (Rebecca Hall), but Andra isn’t especially interested in making new friends, and Rebecca’s sister, Mary (Amanda Peet), isn’t much easier to deal with.” (Mark Deming, All Movie Guide)
Visit www.sonyclassics.com/pleasegive for more details about the film.

Be sure to check out our coming attractions below…dates have changed, and our line-up is getting better and better.

And don’t forget that THE SECRET IN THEIR EYES, winner of “Best Foreign Film” at this year’s Academy Awards, is still playing at THE NEON. Check out this fun clip of the score’s composer directing the Argentine National Symphony in front of 1.7 million people!!

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

SHOWTIMES for June 18 – June 24:

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

PLEASE GIVE (R) 90 Minutes
Friday, Saturday, Sunday: 1:00, 3:10, 5:15, 7:20, 9:30
Monday – Thursday: 3:10, 5:15, 7:20

COMING SOON:
As always, all dates are tentative.
June 25 MOTHER AND CHILD
July 2 HARRY BROWN
July 9 I AM LOVE (My favorite from Toronto!)
July 16 CYRUS
July 30 WINTER’S BONE
July 30 THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT
Aug. 20 THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE
TBD – JOAN RIVERS: A PIECE OF WORK
TBD – MICMACS
TBD – THE SQUARE

Extraordinary Days

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Ordinary Days at The Human Race Theatre Co.Ordinary Days at The Loft

It isn’t often that patrons in ANY city get the rare theatrical opportunity currently occurring Downtown Dayton. Currently housed in an extended run in the Schuster Center is – for many – the gold standard for musical theater goers all over the world – Andrew Lloyd Webber’s now iconic THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA. But quietly, intimately, and indeed passionately next door at The Loft, the next generation of musical theater writers is being heralded in by a young composer named Adam Gwon and his remarkable musical ORDINARY DAYS – thanks to the amazing staff and cast at The Human Race Theatre Company. Ordinary Days is anything but ordinary. The small in size – large on theme – musical evening explores several interconnected stories against the backdrop of New York City’s bustling contemporary culture. The music is contemporary – the lyrics are brilliant – the cast is engaging.

Adam Gwon, composer/lyricist of Ordinary Days

Adam Gwon, composer/lyricist of Ordinary Days

I cannot tell you strongly enough how important it is for the future of this artform that as patrons – we make the decision to not make only ‘safe’ choices with our entertainment dollars. Remember that once upon a time someone (whose name no one remembers) told Sir Lloyd Webber that a musical based on Gaston Leroux’s Gothic tale of a creeper with mommy issues stalking a young ingénue was a HORRIBLE idea for a musical. Someone lost their job over that one I am certain. So as wonderful as it is to JOIN an already exciting bandwagon – also take the time to be there from the start of one as well. And Ordinary Days and Mr. Gwon himself are poised to take this industry by storm sooner rather than later.

Ordinary Days continues through June 27 at The Loft.

The Human Race Theatre Company’s executive director Kevin Moore & Ordinary Days composer/lyricist Adam Gwon were recently featured on MusicalWorld discussing the journey that Ordinary Days took to Dayton, Ohio:

Additional Local Theater News:

Opening This Weekend:  BCT’s The Who’s Tommy

Cast of BCT's "The Who's Tommy"

BCT's "The Who's Tommy" with Dean Swann, Aiden Kesson, Lynn Kesson

Beavercreek Community Theatre wraps up its 2009-2010 season with the classic 60s rock opera “The Who’s Tommy.”

Pete Townsend’s tale of a young boy, who becomes catatonic after witnessing the murder of his mother’s lover by his father, will be presented at 8 p.m. on June 18, 19, 25 and 26 and at 3 p.m. on June 20 and 27.

The show includes many hits by The Who including “The Acid Queen,” “Pinball Wizard,” “Sensation,” “We’re Not Gonna Take It.” “See Me, Feel Me” and “Listening to You.

Matt Curry in BCT's "The Who's Tommy."

Matt Curry of Dayton portrays the adolescent Tommy. His parents are played by Dean Swann and Lynn Kesson, also of Dayton. In additiona, the cast includes Matt Owens of Beavercreek, Megan Vonder Kolk and Megan Grabiel of Fairborn, Rick Burnette of Huber Heights, Jillian Varner of Bellbrook, Malcolm Walker of Sidney, T.C. Schreier and Nick Moberg of Springfield, Leah Kushmaul and Montana Iverson of Springboro and Dayton residents Mike Stockstill, Aiden Kesson and Jenna Burnette.

The show, directed by Chris Harmon of Beavercreek, is an Edge of the Creek production, which means it is for mature audiences.

Tickets are $12 for adults and $11 for BCT members, students, and senior citizens.  A group discount of $1 per ticket is available to groups of 10 or more purchased at the same time for the same performance.

Beavercreek Community Theatre is located within the Lofino Adult Enrichment and Cultural Arts Center at 3868 Dayton-Xenia Road in Beavercreek.

__________________________________________

(this week’s ridiculously cheesy sign-off)

Extra, extra, read all about it!  Pinball Wizard in a miracle cure!
Extra, extra, read all about it! Right now, right now, story and pictures
to show times, lessons and actors…
Extra, extra!  onStageDayton with Shane & Dave
only on Dayton Most Metro!

For more Information & Tickets, visit:

Ordinary Days (through June 27) Call Ticket Center Stage at  (937) 228-3630 or visit http://www.ticketcenterstage.com

The Phantom of the Opera (through June 27) Call Ticket Center Stage at  (937) 228-3630 or visit http://www.ticketcenterstage.com

The Who’s Tommy (June 18-27) Contact BCT Box Office at [email protected] or (937) 429-4737  or visit http://www.bctheatre.org

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 in the midst of their summer season of new musicals in downtown Dayton: Johnathan Larson’s RENT, [title of show] & Next Thing You Know.

Casting Call

Beavercreek Community Theatre will hold open auditions for  “The Spitfire Grill” at 7 p.m.  July 5 and 6 at the theater, located within the the Lofino Adult Enrichment and Cultural Arts Center at 3868 Dayton-Xenia Road in Beavercreek.

Doug Lloyd will direct the show, which will be presented on September 17, 18, 19, 24, 25 and 26.  The vocal director will be Dr. James Tipps and the choreographer will be Stacy Gear.

Those wishing to audition should prepare a one-minute Broadway-style song that “shows your belting abilities.”

There will also be cold readings from the script and those auditioning will be taught and asked to perform a short dance number.

For more information call 429-4737, email [email protected] or visit the theater’s Web site at www.bctheatre.org.

2 Audience Favorites Are Leaving THE NEON

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Hello Everyone.

Just a couple quick notes. Two films that audiences have been loving are heading out. Thursday will be your last chance to catch CITY ISLAND and BABIES at THE NEON.  For showtimes, please visit www.neonmovies.com.

On Friday, we will open PLEASE GIVE – the new Sundance hit from Nicole Holofcener – starring the fantastic Catherine Keener.

Tickets for Thursday’s screenings of PATRIK, AGE 1.5 are starting to move. If you want to attend the screening with the panel discussion (7:00pm), I’d recommend getting your ticket in advance or arriving earlier than usual. (There are still plenty of tickets left for the 9:40 screening.) Click the poster below to find out more about the film – winner of the San Francisco Frameline Film Festival’s Audience Award in 2009.

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

“Real Person” Review Provided at JumpstART

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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

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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!

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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…?

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

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.

The Bengson's in C{space 2009Those 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

Shaun & Abigail Bengson…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 [email protected]

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!

SA

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

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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…”

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…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 [email protected].

Hitchcockian Thriller Opens at THE NEON

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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