Dayton937

Things to do in Dayton | Restaurants, Theatre, Music and More

Arts & Entertainment

November Novel Writing

By Leave a Comment

November is National Novel Writing Month. Put your leftover Halloween candy to use as midnight fuel for frantic writing sessions and gain an easy excuse out of an awkward family Thanksgiving dinner.

In the month of November, a few hundred thousand aspiring novelist attempt to write 50,000 words in a single month. But it’s not for the faint of art: over 200,000 WriMos attempted the Great American Novel last year but only 37,500 novels were completed.

Success Stories

The event has had its success stories though. New York bestseller Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen began as a NaNoWriMo novel, which transformed into a summer blockbuster featuring Reece Witherspoon and Robert Pattinson. And author Erin Morgenstern became an overnight sensation with her fantastical book, The Night Circus, which earned a six figure advance, starred reviews and a movie deal as well.

NaNoWriMo is free to join at the website. The site is notorious for crashing and running sluggishly during the first week of November due to massive traffic. But the staff at Office of Light and Letters, the creators of the NaNoWriMo project, recently converted to Ruby on Rails to prevent these problems. Registering early is key, as it is hard to play catch up once the month begins.

Dayton Events

Dayton has an active writing community and online forum board for its WriMos. There is an online meeting on October 31st at 11pm to countdown that last sane minutes before kickoff at midnight, where any questions can be answered.

The official launch party is on Saturday, November 5th from 1:00-5:30 pm at the Kettering-Moraine Library. The largest attended meeting, you can meet and greet your fellow Wrimos in person, brainstorm plot, snack on goodies and play Word Wars.

The rest of the month features coffee house meet-ups, word wars online, write-ins and TGIO (Thank God It’s Over) party in early December.

NaNoWriMo operates on an honor system where you log in your words online, to be verified at the end of the month. And whether you win or lose, any word count in the busy of month of November is an accomplishment to be celebrated.

You can join the NaNoWriMo adventure at www.nanowrimo.org. Log onto the Dayton forum to meet more aspiring and established local writers.

Wonderland: It’s Larger Than You Realize

By 1 Comment

DPO features multi-talented actress, pop icon, singer, and social advocate Lynda Carter in SuperPops season opener

Where were you in ‘72?

Trick question. Actually, a better one might be “Where were you when you were 21?” In the service? Still in school? Pursuing a career?

Lynda Carter was coming off of four years of uphill climbing chasing the dream of a career in music. She had started in high school singing with Just Us, a makeshift quartet. At 17, she joined The Relatives, an aptly named band consisting of two of her cousins and drummer-cum-actor Gary Burghoff (“Radar” O’Reilly in the television series M*A*S*H). The group performed at the Sahara Hotel and Casino lounge in Las Vegas for three months, during all of which time Lynda had to enter through the kitchen; after all, she wasn’t 21.

Yet.

After a short stint at Arizona State University, Lynda dropped out to sing with a group called The Garfin Gathering with Lynda Carter. Good news: for their first performance the group got booked into a brand new San Francisco hotel. Bad news: the place was so new it didn’t have a sidewalk entrance. Result: they became part of the underground music movement…literally. Their audience consisted mainly of janitors and hotel guests whose cars were parked in the underground garage. She returned to Arizona in 1972, the year she turned 21.

Then things started to happen quickly. Lynda entered a local beauty contest, won, and kept winning until she had become Miss World USA representing the U.S. and reaching the semi-finals of the 1972 Miss World pageant. That’s when most of us first became aware of Lynda Carter.

We started seeing Lynda again, this time on TV in Starsky and Hutch, Cos, and Nakia and in several B-movies. The next time we saw Lynda, 1975, she had become Diana Prince, the alter ego of the title character in the TV series The New Adventures of Wonder Woman, a role that many continue to identify her with. And while that’s a good thing, it presents a most incomplete picture of the depth of artistic talent Lynda actually possesses on so many levels.

Besides the hit TV show, her acting credits span 8 movie and 27 television roles. And that’s just Lynda the actress. There’s also Lynda the singer/musician.

And the body of work she has amassed in that field is equally as impressive.

In the late ‘70s, Lynda recorded Portrait, an album on which she shares credit as co-writer on several numbers. In her appearances on five CBS TV variety specials, she worked with such musical stars as Ray Charles, Merle Haggard, George Benson, Eddie Rabbit, and Kenny Rogers. In the ‘80s, she made singing appearances on the Las Vegas Strip and Atlantic City. In 2005, Lynda appeared as Mama Morton in the West End London production of the musical Chicago. The Chicago: 10th Anniversary Edition CD box set contains her rendition of the song When You’re Good to Mama. In 2007, Lynda began touring the country with An Evening with Lynda Carter, a one-woman musical cabaret show. In 2009, she released her second album At Last; it climbed to tenth on Billboard’s Jazz Album Chart.

Not bad for someone who began her musical career taking singing lessons from a practitioner of homeopathic medicine who lived on an Indian reservation. And therein lays a clue to how Lynda not only developed her musical talent, but also the strength to handle the physical demands of her career.

By her own admission, Wonder Woman “is not a one-note samba.”

In an interview in the April, 2011 issue of Energy Times, Lynda spelled out details of the personal, natural health regimen that has helped her keep her stomach flat, her voice clear, and her strength at optimal levels. It involves taking blood tests to determine a treatment starting point and boosting her immune system with fish oil, vitamin D3, bee pollen, wheatgrass, and herbal teas. Dietary measures include consuming organic berries, almonds, walnuts, pecans, and honey with almond milk for breakfast; noshing favorites include homemade soups, cucumber slices mixed with hummus, salmon, and grass-fed meat and chicken.

And weight-bearing exercise, rowing (on the Potomac River) in a scull, yoga, stretching, and walking comprise her exercise regimen.

She needs to do all this, to keep in shape for her musical career and to keep up a schedule that involves many hours devoted to promoting breast cancer awareness. A stout supporter of the Susan G. Komen Foundation, Lynda has testified before Congress to raise attention to the need for early detection of lung cancer. Her mother had suffered from the need for constant removal of cysts from her breasts, and a friend has died of lung cancer. To debunk the myth that you need to be a smoker to contract lung cancer, Lynda points to the fact that they very air we breathe can be a source of infection. We’ve all read of the dangers of secondary smoke, but Lynda believes that such things as aerosols and pesticides can also be dangerous. And she takes every opportunity she has to warn people of the dangers and enlist support for early detection.

Friday and Saturday, November 4 and 5 at 8pm in the Schuster Center, the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra presents Lynda Carter: The Wonder of Song. There you can see and hear an artist of not only great beauty and talent, but also of great content and character.

Lynda Carter: The Wonder of Song

November 4 & 5, 2011 at 8 pm

Location: Mead Theatre – Schuster Center

Click for Tickets

Family Matters

By 1 Comment

The cast of Lost in Yonkers (Contributed photo)

In the midst of a busy, predominately impressive fall theater season, the Dayton Theatre Guild has effortlessly produced another hit. One month after the luminous local premiere of “Souvenir: A Fantasia on the Life of Florence Foster Jenkins,” the Guild offers an outstanding production of Neil Simon’s 1991 Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning dramatic comedy “Lost in Yonkers.”

A delightfully authentic staging tenderly helmed by Fran Pesch, “Yonkers,” set in 1942-43, charms and captivates as the Kurnitz clan of Yonkers, New York lovingly squabbles with a domineering, opinionated matriarch known for ruling with an iron fist. The fiercely resolute Grandma (exquisitely portrayed with astute perception by Barbara Jorgensen) particularly failed to show a great deal of love for her children, who often describe her as being made of steel due to her harsh German upbringing. Although no one can erase the hurtful feelings  from years of emotional neglect, there is some sense that family wounds will continue to heal based on Grandma’s credo which values strength and survival. As she fittingly reminds her grandson, “It’s not so important that you hate me… It’s only important that you live.”

Jorgensen, as wonderful as she is, doesn’t have to carry the weight of this production on her shoulders. She is truly a key component within an ensemble, which allows her role to properly remain formidable and imposing without becoming overpowering. Philip Stock and Joel Daniel are equally and respectively terrific as Jay and Arty, whose coming-of-age journey under their grandmother’s guardianship frames the action. Perfectly cast as close-knit brothers trapped in a circumstance beyond their control for 10 months, Stock and Daniel endearingly embrace the bluntness, innocence and vulnerability within their colorful characters. Amy Diederich also shines as the incessantly chatty, childlike Bella, Jay and Arty’s doting aunt. Diederich’s superb delivery of Bella’s heartbreakingly poignant Act 2 monologue, in which she shares her desire to become a wife and have a family of her own, will bring tears to your eyes. Saverio Perugini, slick and shady, brings a cool, tough and intimidating edge to Louie, Jay and Arty’s gangster uncle. Rob Breving is nicely understated as Eddie, Jay and Arty’s father. Rachel Wilson delightfully portrays the audibly odd Gert, who prefers silence whenever possible.

In the Guild’s film hands, it’s a comfort to know “Lost in Yonkers” remains a splendid testament to the importance of legacy, unity and forgiveness as well as the invaluable maturity gained from lessons learned.

Lost in Yonkers continues through Nov. 6 at the Dayton Theatre Guild, 430 Wayne Ave. Performances are Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 5 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. Act One: 60 minutes; Act Two: 60 minutes. Tickets are $11-$18. For tickets or more information, call (937) 278-5993 or visit www.daytontheatreguild.org

Fright Farce

By 1 Comment

(L to R) Dean Swann, Jonathan Berry and Darren Brown with Bethany Locklear in Evil Dead: The Musical (Contributed photo)

Just in time for Halloween, Beavercreek Community Theatre’s alternative Edge of the Creek Productions seeks to entertain rather than amaze with its local premiere of the mediocre “Evil Dead: The Musical,” a bloody, naughty, pop culture-friendly spoof based on Sam Raimi’s cult film classics.

Featuring book and lyrics by George Reinblatt and music by Frank Cipolla, Christopher Bond, Melissa Morris and Reinblatt, “Evil Dead” concerns a spring break getaway gone awry in an abandoned cabin in the woods. Hook-ups, dismemberment, killer trees and Candarian demons factor into the mayhem, but the incredibly silly, envelope-pushing material, hindered by a forgettable score chock full of hokey lyrics and melodies, just isn’t clever or hysterical enough to remain totally engaging. The one-liners are seriously hit and miss, and a lack of heart is particularly problematic. It’s entirely possible for an oddball, risqué show like “Evil Dead” to succeed on broad camp appeal and profane thrills, but an audience must ultimately care about the characters. Reinblatt and Co. should have found a way to humanize the humor and transform the story into a simultaneously outlandish and emotional product akin to “Bat Boy: The Musical,” a wonderful example of BCT’s Edge of the Creek programming in 2006.
Thankfully, director/scenic designer/costumer/co-properties master Chris Harmon, enjoyably aided by choreographer Annette Looper, keeps the thin action brisk and lively with a sufficient amount of sight gags to keep you awake. Harmon’s appropriately over-the-top ensemble particularly grasps the material’s tongue-in-cheek intentions with great skill. The versatile Jonathan Berry delivers another full-fledged performance as Ash, a heroic housewares employee. Berry is romantically linked with the lovely Bethany Locklear, who makes the most of the underwritten Linda. Darren Brown and Lindsay Sherman are equally compatible as Scott and Shelly. The infectiously goofy Angelé Price is a joy as Cheryl, Ash’s sister. As the rustic Jake, Michael Shannon humorously embodies the backwoods stereotype. The reliably comical Dean Swann tackles an assortment of featured roles including a talking moose. Lynn Kesson, sharp and precise, relishes her role as the overbearing Annie, who notably proclaims “All the Men in My Life Keep Getting Killed by Candarian Demons.”
If that song title made you giggle, “Evil Dead” might be your cup of tea.

Evil Dead: The Musical continues through Oct. 30 at the Lofino Center, 3868 Dayton-Xenia Rd., Beavercreek. Performances are Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. Act One: 52 minutes; Act Two: 40 minutes. The production contains adult language and themes. Tickets are $11-$13. For tickets or more information, call (937) 429-4737 or visit www.bctheatre.org

The Human Race Presents “Caroline, Or Change”

By 1 Comment

A STORY ABOUT AMERICA, WITH A WHOLE WORLD OF MUSIC

Cast members Malachi-Phree J. Pate, Yvette Williams, J. Miguel Conrado Rojas (photo credit: Scott J. Kimmins)

(Press Release from Human Race Theatre)

It’s 1963. Martin Luther King has just told the world of his dream. John F. Kennedy is about to be assassinated. And in the basement of a Jewish family’s home in Louisiana, their African-American maid spends her days doing laundry and being the only friend of a boy who has lost his mother.

That’s the setting for Caroline, or Change, a musical with its roots in the life of Tony Kushner (Angels in America), who wrote the book and lyrics, and a cornucopia of music styles used by composer Jeanine Tesori (Thoroughly Modern Millie). When it played on Broadway. Time Out New York called Caroline “daring, beautiful and profoundly moving.”

In the production at The Loft Theatre by The Human Race, Dayton’s own professional theatre company, Caroline is played by Tanesha Gary, who was in the Broadway cast as part of a singing radio, one of the show’s many whimsical anthropomorphic characters. She’s often visited in the basement laundry room by Noah, her employers’ young son, played by 11-year old Brendan Plate of Washington Township.

Cast members Tanesha Gary and Brendan Plate (photo credit: Scott J. Kimmins)

“The role of Noah is substantial,” says director Scott Stoney. “Brendan is really good about taking direction. It’s been interesting to watch the relationship of Caroline and Noah build.”

Brendan isn’t the only youngster in the show. Caroline has four children of her own, including two young boys played by 14-year old Malachi-Phree J. Pate of Dayton, a Stivers student, and 9-year old J. Miguel Conrado Rojas, a 4th grader at Cox Elementary in Xenia. “We’re really thrilled that we found these very talented local youngsters,” says Stoney.

Caroline’s oldest son is serving in Vietnam. Her only daughter is played by Julian’s real-life older sister, Yvette Williams, who was recently Homecoming Queen at Wright State. Her best friend, Dotty, is played by Taprena Augustine, a resident of Blacklick, outside Columbus.

Noah’s father is played by Bruce Sabath, who was in the Best Revival Tony-winning production of Company; his stepmother by Adrienne Gibbons Oehlers, who was Kitty in The Human Race production of The Drowsy Chaperone; his grandparents by Resident Artist Kay Bosse and Dayton-area stalwarts Saul Caplan and K.L. Storer.

The anthropomorphic characters include Brittany Campbell (who’s used to non-human parts, since she was once part of a Sesame Street bug choir) as The Washing Machine; Chicago-based Dwelvan David as both The Dryer and The Bus; New Yorker Tonya Thompson as The Moon; and Ashanti J’Aria and Kimberly Shay Hamby of New York and Shawn Storms (Trix in Drowsy Chaperone) as The Radio.

Cast - The Gellman family celebrates Chanukah (photo credit: Scott J. Kimmins)

Behind the scenes, Scot Woolley and Resident Artist Sean Michael Flowers are Music Director and Assistant Music Director/pianist, and Heather Jackson is Stage Manage., Choreographer Teressa Wylie and Scenic Designer Dan Gray are from the Ohio State theatre faculty. Lighting is by Resident Artist John Rensel, costumes by Kristine Kearney, and sound by Nathan D. Dean, with Heather Powell handling props.

Caroline, or Change is the second presentation of The Human Race’s 25th Anniversary Season. It will have a preview performance Thursday, November 3, and officially open November 4, with performances through November 20. Tickets are available via www.humanracetheatre.org, by calling Ticket Center Stage at (937) 228-3630, or at the Schuster Center box office.

Production sponsors for Caroline, or Change are the JPMorgan Chase Foundation, The Harry A. Toulmin, Jr., and Virginia B. Toulmin Fund of the Dayton Foundation, Muse Machine, Tim and Char Scroggins, DP&L Foundation, and Emerson Climate Technologies, with additional support from Mrs. Wallace E. Johnson, Richard and Marni Flagel, The Roberts Foundation, the National Conference of Community & Justice of Greater Dayton, Burhill Leasing, One Lincoln Park, and Bob Ross Buick-GMC & Mercedes-Benz.

FilmDayton Announces New Executive Director

By 2 Comments

The FilmDayton Board of Trustees voted on October 25 to hire Megan Cooper as the new Executive Director. Cooper takes the helm on November 1, 2011.

A two-time graduate of the University of Dayton, Cooper studied theater and communication before beginning a career as a development professional.  An active member of the Dayton community, she is a trustee at Culture Works, featured writer on DaytonMostMetro.com, Updayton board member, and project volunteer with Activated Spaces. As an actor, Cooper has performed on many local stages and for regional radio, film and television spots.

Ron Rollins, President of the FilmDayton Board of Trustees, says, “Many of the board members already knew Megan either through her film work or community involvement. As we consider what FilmDayton can be for the region, we know she has the drive and knowledge to help us grow and meet our goals. We’re looking forward to what the future holds for FilmDayton.”

As the new Executive Director, Cooper is challenged to further the FilmDayton mission to provide opportunities for filmmakers. She will work with a strong coalition of volunteers to plan the annual FilmDayton Festival, facilitate educational programming (such as the Boot Camps and Film Connections), and support economic development in hopes to bring more productions to the region.

Cooper says, “FilmDayton was a great fit. I believe in the future of Dayton, the arts, and economic development opportunities in our region; FilmDayton brings those aspects together. I look forward to serving the organization and sharing my skills to support film in the region.”

Next steps for FilmDayton include an internship collaboration with Wright State University and a renewed dedication to economic development. As reported previously, FilmDayton will continue talks with the Dayton Art Institute and Dayton Visual Arts Center to determine if a partnership could lead to greater sustainability and successful programming.

Monty Python’s Spamalot – Complete with Beautiful Show Girls and Killer Rabbits

By Leave a Comment

Nominated in 2005 for fourteen Tony Awards and winner of three (including Best Musical), Monty Python’s Spamalot is coming to Dayton for a one-night show this Sunday at the Schuster Performing Arts Center.  The popular musical was “lovingly ripped off from” the 1975 film Monty Python and the Holy Grail and follows King Arthur who travels England in search of Knights for his round table who go on a search for the Holy Grail.  While popular with hardcore Monty Python fans, this musical version doesn’t require you to be a “pythonite” to enjoy this crazy brand of British humor that often takes jabs at Broadway itself.

[yframe url=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3yRlnSgu-bY’]

[yframe url=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-fG8c-CMoU’]

MONTY PYTHON’S SPAMALOT

October 30, 2011

Location: Schuster Center

Showtime: Sunday – 7 p.m.

Click here for tickets

Win Tickets

We have FOUR PAIRS of tickets to give away for Sunday’s show!  Simply fill out the form below – we’ll draw winners this Friday morning.  GOOD LUCK!

Contest Closed

And congratulations to our winners – enjoy the show!

Tricia Reynolds

Jamie Werling

Daniel Pfister

Eli Alban

MY AFTERNOONS WITH MARGUERITTE & Hot November Plans for THE NEON

By Leave a Comment

Hello Everyone,

Professor Charles Derry told me that THE DEVIL’S DOUBLE is a combination of SCARFACE and a Bette David melodrama (FYI – that’s a compliment)…and my friend Maddi Breslin said that it was outstanding…and that she “could see it again.”  Unfortunately, the film did not perform well.  Thursday will be your last chance to see THE DEVIL’S DOUBLE at THE NEON.

Conversely, Martin Sheen’s THE WAY (directed by son Emilio Estevez) had a great weekend!  We were way above the national average for the film, and audiences are loving it.  THE WAY is set to stick around for another week.

On Friday, we will open a charming French film with Gerard Depardieu and Gisele Casadesus – MY AFTERNOONS WITH MARGUERITTE.  If you saw THE WAY this weekend, you saw a trailer for this film.  It is only slated to play for one week, so hurry down!

Synopsis for MY AFTERNOONS WITH MARGUERITTE:  “My Afternoon with Margueritte is the story of life’s random encounters. In a small French town, Germain, a nearly illiterate man in his 50’s and considered to be the village idiot by his friends at the local bistro, takes a walk to the park one day and happens to sit beside Margueritte, a little old lady who is reading excerpts from her novel aloud. She’s articulate, highly intelligent and frail…Afternoons spent reading aloud on their favorite bench transform their lives and start them both on a new journey — to literacy and respect for Germain, and to the deepest friendship for Margueritte.” (Cohen Media Group)

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

Next Monday will be the 3rd film in Living City’s VAMPIRE retrospective.  (If you missed Monday’s screening of DRACULA, you missed an absolutely gorgeous 35mm print!)  Single tickets will be available at the door before each screening for $8 each.  Here are the remaining dates and films:

October 31 – THE LOST BOYS (digital video projection)

November 7 – INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE (35mm)

November 14 – BRAM STOKER’S DRACULA (1992 – 35mm).

Here’s the latest regarding our special opening of TAKE SHELTER!  TAKE SHELTER was one of my favorite films from this year’s Toronto International Film Festival.  It has been receiving much-deserved international acclaim, and I hope we hear a lot more about it come Oscar time.  The performances are incredible, the story is great, and the photography is wonderful.  On top of all that, the film was made in Ohio!  We’re so glad to announce that we will bring producer Tyler Davidson to town during opening weekend.  Mr. Davidson will do a Q&A after the following screenings:

Friday, Nov. 4 at 7:00

Saturday, Nov. 5 at 4:15

Saturday, Nov. 5 at 7:00

Advanced tickets (which are regular price!!) are available now at our box office.  To read more about the film, visit the film’s official site.

[yframe url=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5U4TtYpKIc’]

The Ohio Liberty Film Festival is gearing up for its third year this November.  With numerous presenters and sponsors, the festival is able to make admission free to all of their screenings.  Click this LINK to see the entire line-up for various venues around town .  The following are movies that will play at THE NEON:

Friday, Nov. 11 at 3:00 – THE GREAT DICTATOR (The Charlie Chaplin classic)

Saturday, Nov. 12 at 1:30 – AS FAR AS MY FEET WILL CARRY ME

Sunday, Nov. 13 at 1:30 – PATTON

“Help support DATV and be inspired by short films that aim to make a difference in our lives. DATV presents the MEDIA THAT MATTERS SHORT FILM SHOWCASE on Thursday, November 17th at 7:30pm…The festival features 12 jury selected short films that tackle a broad range of social issues with humor, humanity and honesty in 12 minutes or less.  Special thanks to our sponsor Merrill Lynch Global Wealth Management OGDM Group – Centerville, Ohio…Proceeds from the event will benefit DATV.  DATV’s mission is to be a community forum that empowers all citizens to learn, create and express their ideas through electronic media…”  (taken from press notes)  Visit the official site for this event .  Tickets are already available at our box office for $10 each.

I’m very excited to announce that we have booked an incredible film to open in time for Thanksgiving.  Alexander Payne’s new film THE DESCENDANTS (starring George Clooney) is fantastic!  SIDEWAYS (also directed by Payne) was a huge hit for us, and I think THE DESCENDANTS is his best film yet.  (Payne also directed the final short film in PARIS, JE T’AIME – which was also fantastic!)  Thanksgiving weekend is a crucial movie-going weekend for cinemas…and we hope you’ll make plans to see this great film with us!  To find out more about the film, visit the official site.

[yframe url=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWHNXJ1K4yA’]

For remaining showtimes for this week visit our official site.

Hope to see you very soon,

Jonathan

SHOWTIMES for October 28 – November 3:

THE WAY (PG-13) 2 Hrs 1 Min

Friday, Saturday: 12:15, 2:40, 5:00, 7:30, 9:50

Sunday: 12:15, 2:40, 5:00, 7:30

Monday: 2:45, 5:10

Tuesday – Thursday: 2:45, 5:10, 7:40

MY AFTERNOONS WITH MARGUERITTE (NR) 1 Hr 22 Min

Friday, Saturday: 1:00, 3:00, 5:15, 7:15, 9:15

Sunday: 1:00, 3:00, 5:15, 7:15

Monday – Wednesday: 3:00, 5:30, 7:30

Thursday: 3:00, 5:30

THE LOST BOYS (R) 1 Hr 37 Min

Monday: 7:30

COMING SOON:

As always, all dates are tentative.  Some of these dates will change.

In some cases, titles may disappear.

Nov. 4  TAKE SHELTER

Nov. 4   MARGIN CALL

Nov. 18  MARTHA MARCY MAY MARLENE

Nov. 23  THE DESCENDANTS

TBD   THE SKIN I LIVE IN

TBD   MELANCHOLIA

TBD   WEEKENDTBD

THE HEDGEHOG

Specters Of The Past Revealed

By Leave a Comment

Paravizionz Locks Down Ohio’s “Sleepy Hollow”

The Joinery In Bellbrook

Illicit affairs, money, greed, envy…the deadliest of sins prove to be just that, extinguishing lives like a sudden gust of autumn wind douses the flickering light of a candle, creating a haunting lore that seemingly breathes with a murmuring life of its own. While every locale around the world has their own ghost stories and legends, Bellbrook, Ohio has their fair share as well, most of which reach back into the dim mists of a century gone by.

There is the story of a servant girl who involved herself with the town’s very influential Mayor and managed to get herself pregnant in the process. The Mayor refused to acknowledge her anymore and had her removed from the premises. The young lady took to a life of prostitution to get by, quickly becoming the subject of gossip and ridicule. When her baby was born, she would only take it outside with it’s face covered, as it was whispered that the child bore a striking resemblance to the father. It was thought that the young woman had fallen into a downward spiral of madness as she was often seen walking along with her baby safely bundled up from the prying eyes of the townsfolk, singing and talking to the bundle of tattered fabric that shrouded her little one. One night, the weight of her plight must have been too much to bear and she plunged herself and her baby into the cold, swirling depths of Possum Run Creek or, as it is known now, the Little Sugar Creek. A week later, her body was found by two local youths, washed up upon the creek’s bank. Her icy, lifeless arms still clasped the tattered rags that were once wrapped around her child, but the baby itself was never found. It is said that on certain nights, especially those peculiarly still nights in June when the mists rise up into the ebony darkness, you can see her glowing form stumble along the sides of the creek, a lilting singsong sigh being sung to the bundle of rags that she carries.

I grew up in Bellbrook, long before it became the lush suburb that it is today. When I lived there, it was still mostly a bucolically rural town. Carpenter Rd. still had a hair pin turn where, legend has it, that on certain nights, you could see the silhouette of a hanged man…just another person who had decided to end it all when they came to the end of their rope. Back when you would walk along Little Sugarcreek Rd., quickly succumbing to a whistling bravery as you passed Fallis Cemetery after dark. A time when, out of the corner of your eye, you would see skittering shadows and the out of tune tinkling of a piano coming from the music room of the Elementary School. You would hear whispered legends about the creaking madness held within the walls of several of the towns original homes. Stories of the strange behavior exhibited by the living as they face the heady unknown of death, like the undertaker who could not bear the loss of his wife and kept her embalmed body in the front window of his establishment for over a year before singing into the downward spiral of lunacy.

These memories came back to me in a rush as I met up with two gentlemen, Lee Allen and Davis Jones, the founder and co-founder, respectively, of ParaVizionz. ParaVizionz is a paranormal investigation and research team that has completed over 180 paranormal investigation since their inception in 2008. Lee and Jones met in early 2008 when TAPS (The Atlantic Paranormal Society) visited Wright-Patterson Air Force Base to investigate paranormal activity there for their wildly popular television show on SyFy called Ghost Hunters. Jones had managed to weasel his way into the event with little more than an ID on a lanyard and, after befriending the film crew and being allowed to jump to the front of the line, he ran into Lee, who was trying to assemble a team of local paranormal investigators. Since that time, a team of investigators, technicians and mediums have been assembled and the group has gelled into one incredibly in-tune entity who have compiled a list of completed investigations, an archive of EVPs (Electronic Voice Phenomena) and a slew of stories that would make most people cringe.

Paravizionz Investigates The Joinery

There are those that are dismissive of paranormal investigations and make light of others beliefs in otherworldly events…right up to the point when they are standing in the murmuring darkness and feel a cold finger trace the line of their spine. Jones came to believe in supernatural activities while still very young while living in Michigan. He had just moved into an old farmhouse in the woods with his sister, father and his new stepmom. It had been said that one of the previous owners had hung themselves from the apple tree outside the kitchen window, but this barely registered with the young Jones…until the noises began. Creaking footsteps and rocking chairs that were invisibly animated made he and his sister believers in very short order. Another memory he held of that time was his new stepmother’s use of a Ouija board, but he gave it little credence. It was just a Parker Brother’s game, after all.

Conversely, Lee’s induction into the world of the unknown came about through personal loss. He and his wife lost one son, Austin, in infancy and then another older child, a daughter named Caitlyn, some time later. Lee said that after these two incidents, he would hear voices in the children’s rooms and sense their presences from time to time. While I didn’t press Lee as to the association between these events and his sudden passion for the paranormal, one can infer that it would almost become a necessity for one who had suffered such a tragic loss. Even separated by a wall of sleep, a father needs to know that his children are alright and to know what kind of world that they exist in.

This past summer, ParaVizionz has been doing a series of investigations in Bellbrook, Ohio. They have investigated everything from private residences to my old Elementary School and have come away with many personal stories as well as EVPs, which they have posted on their website. Paravizionz has shared their stories online and created the Jonathan Winters Ghost Walk and Historical Tour that ran the weekend of September 30th through October 1st. All of their activities has even garnered them a proclamation from the Mayor of Bellbrook, Mary Graves. All of these goings-on will culminate with the Bellbrook On Lockdown event slated for Halloween weekend, starting at noon on Friday, October 28th and ending at 3:00pm on Sunday, October 30th.

The Bellbrook On Lockdown event will have lectures, celebrities, tours, information, vendors, activities and entertainment. The Master of Ceremonies, a Johnny Depp/Jack Sparrow look-alike, Captain “Larry” Sparrows, will kick off the festivities at noon on Friday at Sugarcreek Plaza, located at 6124 Wilmington Pike in Bellbrook. There are a ton of guest speakers, including Keith Age (a paranormal investigator who founded the Louisville Ghost Hunter’s Society and is the star of Spooked TV), Patrick Burns (star of TruTV’s Haunting Evidence), author Marley Harbuck-Gibson, international medium Robyn Marie, radio personality and comedian Scotty Rorek, paranormal mediums Deborah and Nicholas Lantz, John Brightman (founder of New England Paranormal Research), cryptozoologist Joedy Cook and paranormal filmmakers and stars of the SyFy, Chiller and Spooked TV networks, The Booth Brothers. Entertainment will come in the form of bagpiper Wulf, D.J. Tre and a special guest appearance by escape artist and magician Aron Houdini. A celebrity guided tour of all the haunted areas in Bellbrook is also on the itinerary, including the Dart Construction Building (formerly Penewit Hardware), The Shepherd House, Magee Park and others. The Joinery, which was one of the locations that Paravizionz investigated over the summer, was once a stop on the underground railroad. Their investigation revealed a slew of EVPs, which say things from a whispered voice decalring, “I’m right behind you” to the plaintive plea of a woman saying, “Hide me!”

One of the highlights of the tour has to do with one of the oldest legends of the area. Back in the 1800’s, there was an Englishman named James Buckley whose sawmill was located alongside what is now known as the Little Sugar Creek. He became very wealthy from this enterprise and, as is common as seen through the eyes of avarice, envied by many of the townspeople. One morning, his cabin was forced into and he was robbed and then brutally murdered…decapitated, in fact. His body was found, sans head, outside, covered in blood and mud, but the money…along with his head…were, by some accounts, never found. Other versions of this story state that his head was found some distance away and that the robbers never retrieved any of the money because Mr. Buckley had buried it somewhere near the creek. ParaVizionz is going to have a live, televised treasure hunt utilizing a medium to communicate with the long deceased entrepreneur to try and find the place in which the money was buried. Hopefully they find the money…and only the money. Priorities may change somewhat when a spirit is made to choose between earthly wealth and a part of themselves that was most cruelly taken from them…

[yframe url=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejQTCfpjhe4′]

We all have had experiences. We have all had that unexplainable feeling of being watched as the hairs on the nape of neck stand up. We have all felt the trickling fear, absolutely feeling alone in the dark tide of one of eternity’s moments. We have all seen the spectral movements of light and shadow that we are unable to explain, but which we rationalize when dawn arises. Regardless of how stalwartly pragmatic we feel that we may be and how we may deride the beliefs of those who embrace the spirit world, there are moments in our lives when our depths of spirit are overtaken by the icy isolation of a nameless dread. We have all had experiences. This is a time to share those experiences and to hear those who have had similar occurrences happen within their lives. This is a time to ask the questions that cannot be answered by religions or sciences. This is a time to reflect on what is beyond this realm.

Paravizionz Bellbrook On Lockdown runs from Friday, October 28th through Sunday, October 30th. There are various tiers of payment for admission, ranging from $30 to $150 for the VIP/Ghost Hunt pass. For more information, check out their website for the event at http://bellbrookonlockdown.webs.com/ and make sure to check out the group’s main website at http://www.paravizionz.net to watch video and hear EVPs from their past investigations.

David Sedaris – Funniest Writer Alive?

By Leave a Comment

On Thursday October 27 at 7:30pm, NPR humorist and best-selling author David Sedaris will be sharing his wit and satire with his audience when he appears at the Victoria Theatre as part of Victoria Theatre Association’s Star Attractions Series.  The following is from his bio on his agency website:

With sardonic wit and incisive social critiques, David Sedaris has become one of America’s pre-eminent humor writers. The great skill with which he slices through cultural euphemisms and political correctness proves that Sedaris is a master of satire and one of the most observant writers addressing the human condition today.

David Sedaris is the author Barrel Fever and Holidays on Ice, as well as collections of personal essays, Naked, Me Talk Pretty One Day, Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim, and When You Are Engulfed in Flames, each of which became a bestseller. There are a total of seven million copies of his books in print and they have been translated into 25 languages. He was the editor ofChildren Playing Before a Statue of Hercules: An Anthology of Outstanding Stories. Sedaris’s pieces appear regularly in The New Yorker and have twice been included in “The Best American Essays.” His newest book, a collection of fables entitled Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk: A Modest Bestiary (with illustrations by Ian Falconer), was published in September 2010 and immediately hit the NYT Bestseller Fiction List.

He and his sister, Amy Sedaris, have collaborated under the name “The Talent Family” and have written half-a-dozen plays which have been produced at La Mama, Lincoln Center, and The Drama Department in New York City. These plays include Stump the Host, Stitches, One Woman Shoe, which received an Obie Award, Incident at Cobbler’s Knob, and The Book of Liz, which was published in book form by Dramatists Play Service. David Sedaris’s original radio pieces can often be heard on This American Life, distributed nationally by Public Radio International and produced by WBEZ. David Sedaris has been nominated for three Grammy Awards for Best Spoken Word and Best Comedy Album.  His most recent live album is David Sedaris: Live For Your Listening Pleasure (November 2009).

Tickets to the show can be purchased online here or by phone at 937-228-3630 through Ticket Center Stage.  Check out the video below of a piece that CBS did on Sedaris.

[yframe url=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_aVDExDwcpA&feature=fvsr’]

Film Review – The Way (D)

By 1 Comment

Synopsis:

Tom (Martin Sheen) is an American doctor who travels to France following the death of his adult son, Daniel (Emilio Estevez), killed in the Pyrenees during a storm while trekking The Camino de Santiago, also known as The Way of St. James. Tom’s initial purpose is to retrieve his son’s body. However, a combination of grief and homage to his son inspires Tom to journey on this path of pilgrims. While walking The Camino, Tom befriends others from around the world (Yorick Van Wageningen, Deborah Kara Unger, and James Nesbitt) who are also broken and looking for greater meaning in their lives.

Review:

The potentially appealing idea of real-life father & son, Martin Sheen & Emilio Estevez sharing the screen together is undermined by a wealth of trite, new age-y theatrics in this well-intentioned, yet misconceived drama directed by Emilio Estevez. Estevez’s follow-up to the equally dramatically inert 2006’s Bobby follows every trope of the road movie genre as well as the “man without faith learning to believe” subgenre.

Martin Sheen stars as Tom, an ophthalmologist of conservative beliefs whose estranged son Dan played by Emilio Estevez, has been killed while travelling the Camino de Santiago pilgrim route. Sheen gives the role his all, but proves to be no match for the overbearing schmaltz operating throughout the film. However, he does manage to register brief moments of genuine pathos to the character mainly in moments that utilize silence to convey his grief rather than the false sentiments that permeate the majority of the film. An early scene in which Tom visits his deceased son’s body in the morgue makes effective use of sparse dialogue interspersed with cross cutting to Estevez’s character, Daniel on the verge of meeting his tragic end. Tcheky Karyo, far too briefly appears as a French police captain in the aforementioned scene managing to be the sole actor capable of adequately delivering Estevez’s clumsily written lines with his dignity intact. The level of fluidity and competency displayed in Estevez’s direction all but disappears after this scene.

The remainder of The Way devolves at a rapid pace into a slog of walking montages, each one more laborious than the last, occasionally interrupted with scenes of recycled fish out of water humor of the “Oh that silly American” variety & trite philosophizing. Any undercurrents of honesty from the characters are undercut by direction that is at times awkwardly stilted and uneven. Hallmark card worthy pearls of wisdom such as (“You don’t choose a life; you live one”) are frequently dispensed out of our lead characters. The none too subtle homage to the Wizard of Oz (the emotionally hardened feminist-The Tin Man, the self-consciously overweight Dutchman-Cowardly Lion, and the intrusive writer-The Scarecrow) do nothing more than further illustrate how many more complexities those fantastical characters have compared to these flesh and blood characters.

The utter lack of substance offered to the relationship between Sheen and Estevez’s characters is the most disappointing aspect of this drama. Limited to brief flashbacks serving the purpose of delivering lazy exposition are the only moments we share with these two characters. The lone reason the viewer is given to invest in Tom’s plight is that he’s Daniel’s father therefore we as the viewer should automatically feel his pain. The overused motif of Tom seeing the ghost of Daniel offers zero dramatic impact as Daniel’s ghost remains silent at his every appearance. One verbal exchange between these two characters delving into the intricacies of their relationship would’ve made all the difference yet Daniel remains a silent cipher providing all of the dramatic value of a Where’s Waldo picture. The overbearingly precious and sentimental score by Tyler Bates accompanied by hilariously on the nose song cues from artists such as The Shins, Death Cab for Cutie, & Alanis Morissette do an additional disservice in providing any sliver of subtlety.

Fulfilling the role of Tom’s fellow travelers, only Deborah Kara Unger gets any substantive material to work with. However, her role is mired with an abundance of self consciously hardened women dialogue. By the time Unger and Sheen have a heart to heart discussing the abortion of her unborn daughter, eye rolling seemed to be the only viable option to respond to such an obvious tactic to tug at the heartstrings.Van Wageningen and Nesbitt fare even worse, registering as nothing more than broad strokes than fully realized characters with the former being an overweight hash smoker who learns he shouldn’t eat so much and the latter overcoming his writer’s block. The sights of stunning French country sides and cathedrals end up garnering more of dramatic response than the enlightenment any of these characters reach at the end of their journey.

On a positive note, every 30 minutes or so a joke connected eliciting a minor chuckle and Deborah Kara Unger continues to possess an alluring screen presence as she transitions from sex-pot femme fatale roles in films such as David Cronenberg’s Crash and David Fincher’s The Game into more demure roles. Despite Estevez sincerely wearing his heart on his sleeve through every frame of The Way, the film ultimately adds up to nothing more than a ham fisted Lifetime Movie of the Week.

The Way is currently being screening around the country in a grass roots campaign organized by Estevez and will be screening at The Neon beginning Oct. 21st, 2011.

[yframe url=’http://youtu.be/o5VZKWcgw6c’]

Slasher: A Horrifying Comedy

By 1 Comment

“Slasher: A Horrifying Comedy” (presented by University of Dayton Theatre Program at UD’s Boll Theatre) began with a young woman delivering the usual request to silence our electronic devices and refrain from eating in the theater, with an added warning for those in the front seat: they had unwittingly chosen the “splash zone,” and were advised to move back to avoid the spattering of stage blood.

Despite this, the blood kept very nicely on the stage for the preview (maybe a little too nicely, based on the introduction).  A play about the makings of a horror film, or rather the familial controversy behind it, “Slasher” certainly has its moments reminiscent of typical horror movies (most notably the meat hook). However, unlike most horror films, these people can actually act. The character portrayal is what really made this play, and there were some phenomenal scenes that showcased the talent of the students. An easy example is Kiersten Manifold, who plays no less than nine different characters throughout the show, ranging from the Mormon at the door to the skating waitress at Sonic. Another notable example is the interaction between the director of the film, Marc Hunter, and the lead, Sheena McKinney (played by Patrick Lillis and Julia Puscas), is nothing short of astounding. The sexual tension that develops from them is both awkward and chilling as we move throughout the play, especially during the last scene. Hannah Blosser made a stellar debut as an actress, playing the role of Frances McKinney (Sheena’s lazy, feminist, and deranged mother). The supporting roles of Jody and Hildy, played by Jonathan Golab and Jenna Gomes, gave the play a certain charm and realism. Director of the production, Linda Dunlevy, said that this show required intelligent acting, and that she was grateful to have such people to work with. Linda has been with the University of Dayton for the past 18 years, and is also involved with the Human Race Theater Company and the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, which are both local organizations.

I was privileged to be a part of the set construction team. Remember when I said the play began with “turn off your cell phones”? I lied. In reality, the play began with auditions on Monday, August 29th. From there, hundreds of hours were spent not only practicing lines, but also designing and building the set, selecting costumes and props, and organizing lighting and sound. The special effects proved to be most difficult. That blood I mentioned? Donna Beran and her team tried about every recipe they could find to figure out which ones to use. Not to mention Kiersten’s constant costume changes. Due to the cinematic nature of the play, the scene changes themselves needed to be quick and fluid. This ruled out a number of set designs, according to Darrell Anderson. Ed Larkin, stage manager, noted that he was pleased with how the lighting turned out, despite all the issues with organization. Because I was completely unfamiliar with the play until I saw it, I have to say seeing how the different sets were used for each scene was rewarding.

The play itself is short, clever, funny, and very well done. However, due to the adult nature of the play, I would suggest a babysitter.

Show times are the 21st and 22nd at 8pm, the 23rd at 7pm, and the 27th, 28th, and 29th at 8pm. Location is the University of Dayton’s Boll Theater in J.F. Kennedy Union. For tickets and information, call the KU box office at 229-2545.

The Monster Needs A Mate!

By Leave a Comment

DPO’s Halloween Weekend focuses on family and the sheer horror of marital bliss

(see ticket contest details below the article)

Blind dates. Most of us have either been the one fixing someone up or the one being fixed up. Either way, it’s always a scary proposition. Women worry that the guy might turn out to be a nerdy dweeb or a totally insensitive caveman. Guys worry that the woman might look like their old Aunt Brunhilda and have the moral character of Mother Teresa.

As I said, scary.

Almost as if to underscore the validity of my remarks, the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra will be going out its way to prove the point. It has devoted the entire day, Saturday, October 29, to what frightens us most, both as children and as adults, especially adults of marriageable age.

First, the kids.

The DPO opens its 2011-2012 DP&L Family Series with its annual PhilharMonster concert at 3 pm featuring a musical depiction of the dangers of the wild in Sergei Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf, a piece Prokofiev wrote (words and music) just for kids. It’s a story, told by a narrator with orchestral accompaniment, about a young boy named Peter (string instruments), who defiantly tells his grandfather (a bassoon) that – simply because he lives in his grandfather’s cottage in a forest full of wild animals – does not mean he is afraid of any old wolf. To scold him, his grandfather takes him back into the cottage and locks the gate.

Soon after, a big wolf (French horns) does come, and Peter enlists a cat (a clarinet), a bird (a flute), and a duck (an oboe) to help him as he ropes the wolf and holds him for local hunters (a woodwind theme, with gunshots on timpani and bass drum) to take to the zoo. Full of himself, Peter leads the entourage in a victory parade. At the end, the narrator tells the audience, “If you listen very carefully, you’d hear the duck quacking inside the wolf’s belly, because the wolf in his hurry had swallowed her alive.”

And the narrator?

Niki Dakota, WYSO’s Music Director and Host of the program Excursions. Not afraid of much herself, Niki spent much of her young life moving around the United States with her archeologist mother. By the time the family settled in Cincinnati, Ms. Dakota found herself in pursuit of professional music-making as she headed-up the Alterna-Folk band, Plow On Boy. In the course of her first live radio interview to promote the band, Niki’s keen excitedness manifested itself in extreme chattiness. At the conclusion of the segment, the DJ closed the mic and said, “You need to be in radio.”  She took his advice. That was in 1990. And since 2002 we in the Miami Valley have been the grateful beneficiaries of that advice.

As usual, Neal Gittleman and the DPO orchestra members will all be in Halloween costume.

Next, the adults.

To tell the story of the blind date from hell, Saturday night at 8 pm, the DPO presents its first Special Event of the season, providing live music to accompany the showing of the 1935 film The Bride of Frankenstein. This timeless horror classic features a score composed by iconic Hollywood composer Franz Waxman. And the story? You think you’ve seen some bad blind dates?

You ain’t seen nothing yet.

The film, the first of three sequels to Frankenstein (1931), starts out as a buddy flick. Henry Frankenstein has given up his plans to make living creatures out of bits and pieces of dead ones. But, you see, if he does that, then his horny old buddy, the Monster, will have to do without.

Always.

So Henry, egged on by Henry’s old adviser Dr. Pretorius and the fact that Pretorius has had the Monster kidnap Henry’s missus to give Henry the proper incentive, starts to build his buddy a mate.

It was a dark and stormy night…

Well, it actually was, when Henry completed the last few steps needed to bring the Bride of Frankenstein to life. What happens next is right out of Ben Franklin’s bio. Her body, wrapped in bandages, rises through the roof where lightning strikes a kite and shoots electricity through her. “She’s alive! Alive!” Henry cries, removing her bandages and helping her to stand.

Now this is the part of this blind date where it gets particularly spooky and way out of hand.

Turned on more than any time since Henry originally brought him to life with similar electro-shock therapy, the excited Monster sees his bride, reaches out to her, and uses the lamest of all pickup lines: “Friend?” Well, what else could any self-respecting Monster-Bride-To-Be do but reject him? Twice. And screaming through it all, no less.

PhilharMonster Halloween Concert
DP&L Family Series
Saturday, Octo­ber 29 ~ 2011 ­
Schuster Center, 3 pm
Click for Tickets

Well, the monster’s not all that dumb. He gets it. “She hate me! Like others.” he says, his erector-set heart broken. As Henry’s wife runs to his side, the Monster starts to demolish the lab. Henry tells Elizabeth that he can’t leave. But the Monster, firmly resolved never to let anyone ever set him up again tells Henry and Elizabeth, “Yes! Go! You live!” To Pretorius and his bride, he says, “You stay. We belong dead.”

Bride of Frankenstein with Orchestra
Saturday, October 29 ~ 2011
Schuster Center, 8pm
Click for Tickets

While Henry and Elizabeth flee, the Monster sheds a tear, and his bride hisses (yes, hisses) at him and pulls a lever that destroys the lab and tower.

And should you happen to take a blind date to the concert, don’t worry. Compared to the bride of Frankenstein, he or she will seem heaven-sent.

As opposed to having come from the other place.

TICKET CONTEST

We have FIVE PAIRS of tickets to see the Bride of Frankenstein with Orchestra (courtesy of The Dayton Philharmonic)! Simply fill out the form below and “like” both the On Stage Dayton and Dayton Philharmonic Facebook pages (make sure you’re logged into Facebook first).  We’ll randomly draw five ticket-pair-voucher winners on Tuesday October 25th at 4pm – check back here to see if you’ve won.  GOOD LUCK!

Contest closed…. And the winners are:

Cher Collins (Dayton)

Jennifer Krohn (Yellow Springs)

Julie Westwood (Centerville)

Christa VanHoesen (Beavercreek)

Liz Hudson (Dayton)

Salem’s Shameful Hysteria

By 1 Comment

Allison Husko and Chris Hahn with Angela Dermer (foreground) in The Crucible (Photo by Patti Celek)

Sinclair Community College provides a commendably performed, terrifically designed presentation of “The Crucible,” Arthur Miller’s marvelous 1953 Tony Award-winning parable of 1950s McCarthyism set in Salem, Massachusetts circa 1692.

“The Crucible,” a well-timed season opener for Sinclair considering Wright State University’s production of Miller’s “Death of a Salesman” last month, centers on a God-fearing community grappling with issues of intolerance and morality as accusations of witchcraft by a group of vengeful teenage girls spreads like wildfire. Despite an opening half hour mired in ponderous pacing and off-kilter chemistry, director Stephen Skiles’ staging, neatly confined within Terry Stump’s excellently stark, wooden set expertly lit by Gina Neuerer, ultimately coalesces with gripping results.

As this powerfully relevant tale of betrayal, deceit and hypocrisy unfolds, Chris Hahn’s breakthrough performance as John Proctor firmly remains a towering depiction of a flawed man completely engulfed in rage, bewilderment and regret while circumstances implode beyond his control. Totally grounded and convincing as an earnest, rustic, hard working husband and father reaching his emotional and spiritual breaking point, Hahn wonderfully conveys the disgust and guilt that defines John’s infidelity with vindictive ringleader Abigail Williams (Angela Dermer) and the cold distance fueling his strained marriage to the plain Elizabeth (Allison Husko).

Additional standouts include Kes-lina Luoma as the conflicted Mary Warren, the splendidly sharp, authoritative Patrick Hayes as the unyielding, merciless Deputy-Governor Danforth, John Ray as the inquisitive, eventually distraught Reverend John Hale, and the simply fascinating Tametha Divvleeon as Tituba. Possessing an authentic dialect in her dynamic stage debut, Divvleeon supplies the first theatrical fireworks of the evening during Tituba’s passionate response to claims she conjured the devil in the forest. Embracing the sheer emotional drama of the moment for all its worth, she attacks center stage, arms outstretched and audibly winded, with a strikingly compelling intensity that seems to overtake every fiber of her being. It is an unforgettably riveting highlight within a production that unnervingly and upsettingly provokes just as Miller intended.

The Crucible continues through Oct. 22 in Blair Hall Theatre, Building 2, at Sinclair Community College, 444 W. Third St. Performances are Thursday at 7 p.m. and Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. Act One: 68 minutes; Act Two: 68 minutes. Tickets for the Downtown Dayton Thursday performance are $20 for adults and $15 for students and seniors. Tickets for Friday and Saturday are $15 for adults and $10 for students and seniors. For additional information, visit www.sinclair.edu/tickets

BAM Percussion: The Blue Barrel Show (TICKET CONTEST)

By Leave a Comment

Victoria Theatre Association presents the first show of the 2011-2012 PNC Family Series, BAM Percussion: The Blue Barrel Show, November 5 & 6 at 1pm and 3:30pm in the historic Victoria Theatre.

BAM Percussion features three zany characters that will have you and your family rolling – and dancing – in the aisles. Fabulous drumming is mixed with side-splitting humor, and the results are contagious. With audience participation, quick-witted humor and impeccable timing, BAM Percussion: The Blue Barrel Show is an electrifying and deliriously funny show thathas toured Canada, the United States, South America, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, New Zealand and no less than eleven European countries, making everybody laugh in their own language!

[yframe url=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9VesB5wPf0′]

[yframe url=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GeA7iiK_wwY’]

Tickets for BAM Percussion: The Blue Barrel Show are priced at a family-friendly $18 for adults and $16 for children (ages 12 and under). Tickets are on sale now through Ticket Center Stage, and may be purchased at the Schuster Center box office in downtown Dayton or by phone, at (937) 228-3630 or toll free (888) 228-3630. Ticket Center Stage hours are Monday – Friday, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m., Saturday, noon – 4 p.m., and two hours prior to each performance. Tickets may also be purchased online at www.ticketcenterstage.com.

WIN FREE TICKETS

We have TWO sets of Family Four Packs to give away to see BAM Percussion: The Blue Barrel Show, courtesy of Victoria Theatre Association!  Simply fill out the form below and we’ll announce the two winners here on Friday October 28 at 5pm.  GOOD LUCK!

Contest Closed

And congratulations to our winners – enjoy the show!

Patti Celek

Karri O’Reilly

THE WAY, THE DEVIL’S DOUBLE & Big NEON News!

By Leave a Comment

Hello Everyone,

We’re cleaning house this week.  If you still need to see THE FUTURE, RESTLESS or SENNA, you only have through tomorrow (October 20) to see them at THE NEON.  On Friday, we open two new films.  First is a film from Emilio Estevez – starring his father Martin Sheen – THE WAY.  On our other screen, we’ll open a film based on a true story about the body double for Saddam Hussein’s son – THE DEVIL’S DOUBLE.

Synopsis for THE WAY:  “THE WAY is a powerful and inspirational story about family, friends, and the challenges we face while navigating this ever-changing and complicated world. Martin Sheen plays Tom, an American doctor who comes to St. Jean Pied de Port, France to collect the remains of his adult son (played by Emilio Estevez), killed in the Pyrenees in a storm while walking the Camino de Santiago, also known as The Way of Saint James. Rather than return home, Tom decides to embark on the historical pilgrimage to honor his son’s desire to finish the journey. What Tom doesn’t plan on is the profound impact the journey will have on him and his ‘California Bubble Life.'” (taken from the official site)  Many of you have heard about this film because Sheen & Estevez recently came through Dayton promoting it.  We hope you’ll help us make this film a success in their hometown!

[yframe url=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5VZKWcgw6c’]

Synopsis for THE DEVIL’S DOUBLE: “Summoned from the frontline to Saddam Hussein’s palace, Iraqi army lieutenant Latif Yahia is thrust into the highest echelons of the ‘royal family’ when he’s ordered to become the body double to Saddam’s son – a reckless, sadistic party-boy with a rabid hunger for sex and brutality. With his and his family’s lives at stake, Latif must surrender his former self forever as he learns to walk, talk and act. But nothing could have prepared him for the horror of the Black Prince’s psychotic, drug-addled life of fast cars, easy women and impulsive violence…” (Herrick Entertainment) Click the link to visit the film’s official site.

[yframe url=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhlQOg9abRk’]

Next Monday will be the 2nd of Living City’s VAMPIRE retrospective.  Single tickets will be available at the door before each screening for $8 each.  Here are the remaining dates and films:

October 24 – DRACULA (1931, starring Bela Lugosi – 35mm)

October 31 – THE LOST BOYS (digital video projection)

November 7 – INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE (35mm)

November 14 – BRAM STOKER’S DRACULA (1992 – 35mm).

Here’s some great news!  TAKE SHELTER was one of my favorite films from this year’s Toronto International Film Festival.  It has been receiving much-deserved international acclaim, and I hope we hear a lot more about it come Oscar time.  The performances are incredible, the story is great, and the photography is wonderful.  On top of all that, the film was made in Ohio!  We’re so glad to announce that we will bring producer Tyler Davidson to town during opening weekend.  Mr. Davidson will be able to introduce the film and conduct Q&As following select screenings.  Stay tuned to my updates for the latest details as they develop.  Meanwhile, visit the film’s official site .

On November 17, DATV has rented our space to host their annual MEDIA THAT MATTERS event.  Tickets are already available at our box office for $10 each.  Mark your calendars now, and I’ll include more details in next week’s update…but if you want to read more, visit their official site.

For remaining showtimes for this week visit THE NEON’s site.

Hope to see you very soon,

Jonathan

SHOWTIMES for October 21 – October 27:

THE WAY (PG-13) 2 Hrs 1 Min

Friday, Saturday, Sunday: 12:15, 2:40, 5:00, 7:30, 9:50

Monday – Thursday:  3:00, 5:30, 8:00

THE DEVIL’S DOUBLE (R) 1 Hr 49 Min

Friday, Saturday, Sunday: 12:30, 2:45, 5:00, 7:20, 9:40

Monday: 3:00, 5:15

Tuesday – Thursday: 3:00, 5:15, 7:30

DRACULA (NR) 1 Hr 15 Min

Monday: 7:30

COMING SOON:

As always, all dates are tentative.  Some of these dates will change.

In some cases, titles may disappear.

Nov. 4  TAKE SHELTER

Nov. ?  MARGIN CALL

Nov. 18  MARTHA MARCY MAY MARLENE

Nov. 25   THE SKIN I LIVE IN

Dec. 2   MELANCHOLIA

TBD   WEEKEND

TBD   THE HEDGEHOG

TBD   MY AFTERNOONS WITH MARGUERITTE