Monthly Archives: January 2018

January 29, 2018 · 12:32 pm

Auditions Announced for the GREAT ROOM ESCAPE

MISC_Great Escape Room LogoAre you an actor looking for a job?

We are looking for actors who have a passion for delivering a good time and great customer service. You must be motivated and energetic, fun and free spirited.  We are currently looking for individuals who can be quick witted and fast thinkers because most of the job is improv.

I have roles as an ’80s dance party host who helps guests get the clues they need to get out of the room before mom gets home and you are all grounded, a zombie who chases you around the room and tries to eat your brains before you can figure out how to get out of the room, a professor who is a bit eccentric who is there to give guests a little helping hand should they get stuck on a clue and a game host who teaches guests how to throw axes. All roles are gender neutral so anyone can play any role.

You can audition in person on Thursday, Feb. 1 beginning at 6pm.

We are located in West Chester Township Just off of 747.

Our team members have a good time at work. Where else can you work that allows you to be wild and crazy and play games?

Email Travis@GreatRoomEscape.com for questions or more details.

We would love have you come be part of our team!

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January 29, 2018 · 12:17 pm

One Night Only: Three-Time Tony Award Nominee Rebecca Luker Performs in Dayton

Broadway’s Rebecca Luker to perform in a concert to benefit The Human Race Theatre Company, February 24, 2018 at the Loft Theatre

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Rebecca Luker.

(Dayton, OH) — The Human Race Theatre Company is proud to present Broadway leading lady and three-time Tony Award nominee, Rebecca Luker, in a special concert appearance as she performs many of The Great White Way’s greatest songs written by Golden Age legends Jerome Kern, Rodgers and Hammerstein, Jule Styne, Stephen Sondheim and more, along with newer tunes from some of today’s hottest theatre composers. Ms. Luker will be accompanied on the piano by her music director, longtime Human Race collaborator Joseph Thalken. (Was, Harold and Maude)

“We are thrilled to continue our tradition of bringing the ‘Best of Broadway’ to Dayton,” said Human Race Artistic Director Kevin Moore. “Rebecca Luker has thrilled me numerous times on the Broadway stage, and what an honor to have her perform for our Loft audiences. This concert/fundraiser helps to support a variety of special projects at The Human Race, making education and community engagement possible. Plus, we are able to collaborate with Joe Deer at Wright State University in providing a master class with Ms. Luker and Mr. Thalken for the musical theatre students.”

ABOUT REBECCA LUKER
Three-time Tony Award nominee Rebecca Luker was last seen on Broadway as “Helen Bechdel” in Fun Home. Before that, she played the Fairy Godmother in Rodgers and Hammerstein’sCinderella. Other Broadway shows: Mary Poppins, Nine, The Music Man, The Sound of Music, Showboat, The Secret Garden, and The Phantom of the Opera. Off-Broadway: Indian Blood (Primary Stages), Can’t Let Go (Keen Company) and The Vagina Monologues. Regional theatre: Passion (Clara) at the Kennedy Center, Time and Again(Old Globe) and She Loves Me (Reprise! series is Los Angeles). Concerts: The Boys from Syracuse and Where’s Charley? at Encores! Symphonies appearances include the Royal Stockholm and London Symphonies, Hollywood Bowl Orchestra. She has appeared at Carnegie Hall, the Library of Congress and the White House. Ms. Luker has appeared multiple times with the American Songbook Series in the Allen Room, as well as the Kennedy Center’s Terrace Theater for the Barbara Cook Spotlight Series. Film: Not Fade Away (dir., David Chase) and The Rewrite (dir., Marc Lawrence). Television includes Elementary, Boardwalk Empire, The Good Wife, Law & Order: SVU, CBS TV Movie Cupid and Cate. Recordings include: I Got Love (Songs of Jerome Kern), Greenwich Time, LeavingHome, Anything Goes: Rebecca Luker Sings Cole Porter. Rebecca resides in New York City with her husband, actor Danny Burstein.

Broadway’s Rebecca Luker: One Night Only is made possible through the generous support from Jackie Lockwood, a Friend of The Human Race, and the Berry Family Foundation. Residency Partner is the Musical Theatre Initiative at Wright State University.

PERFORMANCE AND SPECIAL EVENT INFORMATION
Tickets for the performance of Broadway’s Rebecca Luker: One Night Only are $65 and $140 for “VIP” level seat. “VIP” level tickets include a pre-show event with heavy hors d’oeuvres, wine and beer, reserved premium seating and a post-show reception with Ms. Luker. The price includes a $35 tax deductible gift to The Human Race. The performance is at the Metropolitan Art Center’s Loft Theatre, located at 126 North Main Street in downtown Dayton, Ohio. Show time is 8:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 24.

Tickets and performance information on Broadway’s Rebecca Luker: One Night Only are available at www.humanracetheatre.org or by calling Ticket Center Stage at (937) 228-3630, and at the Schuster Center box office.

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Now celebrating its 31st anniversary, The Human Race Theatre Company was founded in 1986 and moved into the Metropolitan Arts Center in 1991, taking up residence at the 212-seat Loft Theatre. In addition to the Eichelberger Loft Season, The Human Race produces new works development and special event programming. Under the direction of President and Artistic Director Kevin Moore, the company also maintains education and outreach programs for children, teens and adults, as well as artist residencies in area schools, and a summer youth program. Human Race organizational support is provided by Culture Works, the Montgomery County Arts and Cultural District, the Shubert Foundation, the Erma R. Catterton Trust Fund, the Jesse & Caryl Philips Foundation, the Virginia W. Kettering Foundation and the Ohio Arts Council, which helped fund this organization with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans. The 2017-2018 Sustainability Sponsors are the ELM Foundation, Anne F. Johnson, Steve and Lou Mason, and Morris Home. The 2017-2018 Loft season sponsor is the Jack W. and Sally D. Eichelberger Foundation of the Dayton Foundation.

 

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January 29, 2018 · 11:57 am

Auditions Announced for ALL THE WAY Presented by Mariemont Players

MPI_logoMariemont Players and director Ed Cohen announce auditions for ALL THE WAY by Robert Schenkkan.

Audition Dates/Times:

  • 7 PM Monday, March 12th
  • 7 PM Tuesday, March 13th

Callbacks:
7 PM Wednesday, March 14th

Location:
4101 Walton Creek Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45227

Performance Dates:
July 13th-29th

***All those auditioning are REQUIRED to prepare a 1-2 minute contemporary monologue.***

Synopsis
1963… An assassin’s bullet catapults Lyndon B. Johnson into the presidency. A Shakespearean figure of towering ambition and appetite, this charismatic, conflicted Texan hurls himself into the Civil Rights Act, a tinderbox issue emblematic of a divided America. Note: Graphic and crude language.

Characters
Seeking 17 men, 3 women. Various ages and types. Several African-American roles. Due to characters being historical figures, non-traditional casting is not possible.

The role of Martin Luther King Jr. has been cast, but all other roles including LBJ are open.

Additional Information

  • Rehearsals will begin after Memorial Day.
  • Please bring a resume and head shot. For more information or to review the script, contact director Ed Cohen: ed3557@gmail.com.

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January 29, 2018 · 9:38 am

GUESS WHO’S COMING TO DINNER Review

GUESS WHO’S COMING TO DINNER presented Cincinnati Shakespeare Company through Feb. 17. I attended the first of two preview performances.

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Caitlin McWethy as Joanna Drayton and Darnell Pierre Benjamin as Dr. John Prentice. By Mikki Schaffner Photography.

Cincinnati Shakespeare Company begins 2018 celebrating the silver anniversary of the silver screen classic, GUESS WHO’S COMING TO DINNER.

Guest director D. Lynn Myers has gathered an excellent ensemble that creates an engaging, heartfelt, and emotionally-true production.

The young, engaged couple of Dr. John Prentice and Joanna Drayton are portrayed by Darnelle Pierre Benjamin and Caitlin McWerthy. Benjamin gives Prentice a quietly- grounded and deliberate personality, countered by McWerthy’s Joanna who is free-spirited, happy and eternally-optimistic. Together the two enjoy a united, easy chemistry as they are confronted with objections to their relationship.

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Annie Fitzpatrick as Christina Drayton. By Mikki Schaffner Photography.

As Joanna’s mother Christina, Annie Fitzpatrick projects a brave face to hide the concerns she has for her daughter’s future. Father Matt (Barry Mulholland) struggles to balance his held beliefs with the realities his daughter would face in a mixed marriage.

The arrival of Dr. Prentice’s parents, Ken Early and Thursday Farrar, only heightens the tension. Farrar brings a quiet dignity to Mary who suffers seeing her husband and son so at odds. As John Sr., Early displays a barely-contained rage at what he sees as a betrayal to the sacrifices he made to give his son the best possibly life.

Rounding out the cast is Kelly Mengelkoch as Hillary St. George, the high-strung manager of Christina’s high-end art gallery; Burgess Byrd as Tillie, the Drayton’s long-time and much put-upon maid; and Jim Hopkins as Monsignor Ryan who is equally adept at dispensing wisdom as he is wise-cracks.

The scenic design by Shannon Moore provides four distinct play areas that speak well to the affluence of the Drayton family. Amanda McGee’s costume designs establish not only the period, but the economic divide of the two families.

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Thursday Farrar as Mary Prentice, Ken Early as John Prentice, Sr., Caitlin McWethy as Joanna Drayton, and Darnell Pierre Benjamin as Dr. John Prentice. By Mikki Schaffner Photography.

After the performance, I half-joked to my guest that I really enjoyed the show, but why did they do it as a period piece. Sadly, the script holds up very well fifty years later. Many of the concerns both families have for the how the world will treat the young, interracial couple are still valid today. In fact, the events of the past few years have re-exposed an ugliness that still infects this country.

But the play also instills hope. Several beautifully-staged scenes elicit tears from the audience as the characters connect over shared experiences and loss. There isn’t a dry eye on stage or off as Matt Drayton delivers his requested decision about their relationship.

Well-staged, emotionally strong and beautifully acted, GUESS WHO’S COMING TO DINNER holds a mirror up to the audience. Do you like what you see?

My rating: 4.75 out of 5.

Click here for more information on the production.

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The cast of Cincinnati Shakespeare Company’s 2018 production of GUESS WHO’S COMING TO DINNER. By Mikki Schaffner Photography.

 

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January 26, 2018 · 3:42 pm

Xavier University Theatre Finds New Challenges and Political Relevance in BLOODY BLOODY ANDREW JACKSON

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Josh Carandang as Andrew Jackson. Photo by Stephen Skiles.

Friday night is SOLD OUT. Only a few tickets remain for the other three performances.

(CINCINNATI, Jan. 26, 2018) — Xavier University Theatre kicks off 2018 with the politically fueled emo rock musical BLOODY BLOODY ANDREW JACKSON. The show, which features music and lyrics by Michael Friedman and a book by Alex Timbers, takes place Feb. 2 through Feb. 4 in Xavier’s Gallagher Student Center Studio Theatre.

BLOODY BLOODY ANDREW JACKSON follows the life of our seventh president in a new form. With the country divided into rich and poor, Andrew Jackson begins his steady climb from a child on the wild frontier to military strategist and populist rabblerouser, then, ultimately, president of the United States. Along the way, he meets his wife, Rachel, takes on the Founding Fathers — and rocks like no political figure has ever rocked before. With a raucous blend of outrageous comedy, anarchic theatricality and infectious music, this wildly entertaining 90-minute show asks the question: Is wanting to have a beer with someone reason enough to elect him? What if he’s really, really hot?

BLOODY BLOODY ANDREW JACKSON will be Xavier’s first musical in its studio space. Choreographer and junior theatre major Annie Mayer believes the show is “one of the biggest technical challenges the department has taken on to date.” In addition to the difficulty of incorporating 17 cast members and a live band into the small black box theatre, Mayer says, “It’s physically impossible to hide anything in the space on both an artistic and technical level, which makes the musical even more raw and in-your-face. BLOODY BLOODY ANDREW JACKSON is a show that demands to be heard and experienced in an intimate way because its message is so relevant and necessary in 2018.”

The narrative of BLOODY BLOODY ANDREW JACKSON proved eerily timely for the cast. Donald Burns, a senior theatre and English major, believes that the show “is a great example and reminder that our perfect nation has experienced failure.”

BLOODY BLOODY ANDREW JACKSON shows both the positive and negative sides of Jackson’s political legacy, highlighting the importance of choosing carefully those we vote into power. According to Stephen Skiles, Xavier University’s director of theatre as well as the show’s director, “In 2006, when this production premiered, the message was ‘Beware.’ Thirteen years later, we think it’s closer to ‘Be Aware.’ The story serves as both a cautionary tale and a call to action for audiences.”

The cast for BLOODY BLOODY ANDREW JACKSON features Joshua Carandang (Andrew Jackson), Sara Ringenbach (Storyteller), Max Carlson (Male Soloist/Citizen/Phil), Dylan Van Camp (Calhoun/Andrew Sr.), Annie Mayer (Red Eagle/University President), Steven Lindner (John Quincy Adams/Cobbler/Messenger/Tour Guide/Florida Man), Michael Rowlett (Van Buren/Keokuk), Hyehyun Hwang (Lyncoya), Donald Burns (Clay/Black Fox), Amara Shroba (Ensemble/Toula), Gigi Relic (Rachel/Florida Woman), Christine Gallagher (Elizabeth/Erica), Christian Hall (Monroe), Ellie Conniff (Female Soloist/Announcer/Naomi), Seth Mobley (Bandleader), Carly Mulert (Ensemble) and Andrew Leonard (Ensemble).

In addition to Skiles, other members of the creative team include Scot Buzza (music director); Joe Beumer (set design/lighting design); Kevin Semancik (sound design); Maggie Dick (costume design); Ellie Deutsch and Caroline Conard (props design); and Annie Mayer (choreography). The stage manager is Katherine Ivins. Assistant stage managers are Emmy Rice and Emily Jorgenson.

Performances take place at 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 2 and 3 and 2 p.m. on Feb. 3 and 4. Tickets for BLOODY BLOODY ANDREW JACKSON are available now through the Xavier University Theatre Box Office. They are $17 each for adults and $12 each for students, as well as Xavier faculty and staff. The show is recommended for mature audiences. To purchase tickets, visit www.xavier.edu/theatretickets or call 513-745-3939.

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