Jerri Shafer - Page 24

Forty years later, feeling shades of joy, frustration, love, regret, the class of 1970 comes together for a bittersweet high school reunion. Baby Boomers still in love, those yearning for love, those scarred by high school trauma, and those shouldering current crises form a sometimes uneasy bond in How I Got Pluto written and directed by Columbus native Dave Morgan. "Sometimes the best answer to life's slings and arrows is to just go get a good dog". This inaugural opening for Original Productions Theatre will be staged September 13 thru September 22nd at the Abbey Theater of Dublin, 5600 Post Road, Dublin, OH 43017. Make reservations by calling 614-943-1776.

Cowboy Mouth is a rarely produced, semi-autobiographical play, written with Patti Smith over the course of several sleepless days and nights, tells the story of Slim and Cavale, two rock n' rollers holed up in a disheveled apartment await a special delivery in the form of their iconic, visionary savior 'the Lobster Man'. PERFORMANCE DATES: THU 9/6 at 8pm, SAT 9/8 at 11pm, SAT 9/15 at 11pm, and SUN 9/16 at 8pm. For tickets or more info on upcoming dates for the Sam Shepard Festival visit: https://www.warehousetheatre.org/

True West, an American classic, explores alternatives that might spring from the demented terrain of the California landscape. Sons of a desert-dwelling alcoholic and a suburban wanderer clash over a film script. Austin, the achiever, is working on a script he has sold to producer Saul Kimmer when Lee, a demented petty thief, drops in. He pitches his own idea for a movie to Kimmer, who then wants Austin to junk his bleak, modern love story and write Lee's trashy Western tale. PERFORMANCE DATES: FRI 8/31 at 8pm, SAT 9/1 at 8pm, SUN 9/2 at 3pm, FRI 9/7 at 8pm, SAT 9/8 at 7pm, and SUN 9/9 at 7pm For tickets or more info on upcoming dates for the Sam Shepard Festival visit: https://www.warehousetheatre.org/

Last week, the Ohio Artists Gathering celebrated the finale of its inaugural year with presentations of two original shows. The first, Summer of '63 written by York Walker (LA), directed by Alan Bomar Jones (Dayton), and featuring Kendra Lucas (CBus), Shanelle Marie (CBus), Tobie Windham (LA), Asher Grodman (NYC), Lateefah Holder (LA), Taylor Moss (CBus), and John Stewart (NYC). The second, Cubicle Farm written and directed by Broadway actor Asa Somers and featuring Broadway actor Mike Faist. The continued support of the public made this event possible and we thank all of our donors and supporters for everything they have done. Updates on the future of this festival will be posted on social media @ohioartistsgathering or on our website, www.ohioartistsgathering.com

An elderly couple enjoy their latest summer in a cottage on a Maine lake, as they come to terms with the husband's advancing age and his ongoing estrangement from his newly engaged daughter. Performances run Sept 7th thru Sept 23rd at Curtain Players, 5691 Harlem Road, Galena, Ohio  43021.  For more information or to purchase tickets, visit:  http://curtainplayers.org

Join us for a free staged reading of an original musical by Columbus' own Brian Horne! Presented through a partnership with the Westerville Central High School Theatre Department, this is your chance to see a new work from a local artist and help shape the show by providing valuable feedback. Two Nights! 8/30 and 8/31 at 8pm. Second to Sherlock tells the story Daniel Calloway, a down on his luck Irish detective trying to make a name for himself in Victorian London. After taking a case that's finally come his way, Calloway's life gets mixed up in a plot involving an ill-tempered Russian, a bordello proprietor with a peculiar name, Jack the Ripper, and even the world famous detective whose shadow he's trying to escape. Part dashing mystery, part Mel Brooks, and entirely entertaining, Second to Sherlock is a new work that's bound to wow audiences!

Amazing success! On Thursday, August 30th Short North Stage held an open rehearsal for a one man show called Cubicle Farm written by Broadway actor Asa Somers and performed by Tony Nominee and Broadway actor Mike Faist. The Ohio Artists Gathering welcomed the general public into a short viewing of their rehearsal process as they worked through the problematic parts of the script and overcame any physical or emotional barriers that presented themselves. The audience was extremely engaged in what was happening and took plenty of time afterwards to ask questions about the writing the rehearsal process of the piece up until that point. Asa and Mike talked about their background as actors and how they came to meet and begin work on Cubicle Farm. On Friday, August 31st, we will be welcoming Asa and Mike back to Short North Stage for a final presentation of their production. For more info on Ohio Artists Gathering and tickets, email ohioartistsgathering@gmail.com or visit their webpage https://ohioartistsgathering.com/.

Last night, Short North Stage welcomed a wonderful array of people in Columbus theatre to speak with Broadway actor Mike Faist and the general public about the growth of the Columbus theatre community. Represented on our panel was Short North Stage, Madlab Theatre, Columbus Children's Theatre, CAPA, and The Greater Columbus Arts Council. In their discussion, they touched on the many opportunities held within Columbus theatre as well as the potential for growth in the future. Columbus is a booming artistic city with an incredibly active theatre scene. Events such as the Ohio Artists Gathering are encouraging to bring together the many theatres of Columbus so that they may not only connect with each other, but also put Columbus on the map as being one of the best places in the country to go to for live theatre. A huge thank you is due to all who came out and supported the Ohio Artists Gathering last night as well as The Columbus Foundation for making The Big Table discussion a possibility. Visit the Ohio Artists Gathering webpage for more information about the event and more events this week you can attend: https://ohioartistsgathering.com/

The inaugural Ohio Artists Gathering hosted its first public event tonight at Short North Stage! Pictured is the talented cast and creative team of an original show called "Summer of '63" written by York Walker and directed by Alan Jones. Tonight they welcomed the general public to sit in on a brief snippet of the workshop process that the actors must go through in order to take the show from page to stage. They will be performing "Summer of '63" as a staged reading this Friday at Short North Stage. Go to www.ohioartistsgathering.com for tickets and more details. Also, feel free to follow @ohioartistsgathering on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook to keep up on all the events happening this week.

Experience a journey to the heart of FABULOUS! As three friends, Tick (Jeb Bigelow), Bernadette (Doug Joseph) and Adam (Hunter Minor), a glamorous Sydney-based performing trio as they hop aboard a battered old bus to take their show to the middle of the Australian outback. Accompanying them on this wild, funny, musical trip is an outrageous cast of characters played by Shauna Davis, Tirzah Hawley, Elisabeth Tate, Will Macke, Amanda Cawthorne Short, Stephen R. Hanna, Denae Sullivan, Benjamin Hartwig, John Feather, Kara Hancock, Andrew Martin, Scott Raymond Clay, Carson Kittaka, Taryn Huffman, Anita McFarren Rhynes and Nick van Atta. Performances are August 22nd thru September 1st at the Columbus Performing Arts Center, 549 Franklin Avenue, Columbus, OH 43215. For tickets or more information, visit: http://evolutiontheatre.org/

A Midsummer Night's Dream is William Shakespeare writing comedy, romance and magic at their finest. Often cited as the play that led people to a life-long love of Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night's Dream has a special place in the history of Actors' Theatre of Columbus, being the first play ever performed by the company in Schiller Park. Performances are August 9th - September 2nd, 2018. Thursdays through Sundays @ 8pm. Schiller Park (German Village), Amphitheatre Stage, Columbus, Ohio. For information on donations and seat reservations, visit http://theactorstheatre.org

In a small Southern town, Colonel and Christine Penmark live with their daughter, Rhoda. On the surface she is sweet, charming, full of old-fashioned graces, loved by her parents, admired by all her elders. But Rhoda's mother has an uneasy feeling about her when one of Rhoda's schoolmates is mysteriously drowned at a picnic. For the boy who drowned had won the penmanship medal that Rhoda felt she deserved. Performances run August 10th thru August 26th, 2018 at Little Theatre Off Broadway, 3981 Broadway, Grove City, Ohio. For reservations/more info visit: http://www.ltob.org or call 614-875-3919.

A stage version of Norton Juster's beloved children's book. Discover Milo's adventures in the Land of Wisdom, where he's forced to think about many new things. Milo learns of the argument between King Azaz and his brother, the Mathemagician, whose disagreement over words and numbers has led to the banishment of Princesses Sweet Rhyme and Pure Reason. Milo is dispatched to rescue the princesses from the Land of Ignorance. The knowledge and skills Milo picks up on his journey help him to save the princesses. When he must return home, Milo's sorry to leave his friends - but enriched by his experience, he realizes his attitude toward learning will never be the same. Performances are August 3rd - August 5th, 2018 at the Columbus Performing Arts Center, 549 Franklin Avenue, Columbus, OH 43215. Tickets are $5 at the door. For information on upcoming auditions or performances, visit https://www.facebook.com/GCPPlayers/

It's the tail end of the big, bad 1980s in Hollywood, and the party has been raging hard. Aqua Net, Lycra, lace and liquor flow freely at one of the Sunset Strips last legendary venues, a place where sex machine Stacee Jaxx takes the stage and scantily clad groupies line up to turn their fantasies into reality. Amidst the madness, aspiring rock star (and resident toilet cleaner) Drew longs to take the stage as the next big thing (and longs for small-town girl Sherri, fresh off the bus from Kansas with stars in her eyes). But the rock and roll fairy-tale is about to end when German developers sweep into town with plans to turn the fabled Strip into just another capitalist strip mall. Can Drew, Sherri, and the gang save the strip-and themselves-before it's too late? Only the music of hit bands Styx, Journey, Bon Jovi, Whitesnake and more hold the answer. Performances are August 2nd thru August 5th. Doors open 30 minutes prior. Northland Performing Arts Center (NPAC), 4411 Tamarack Blvd, Columbus, Ohio 43229. Visit https:www.imaginecolumbus.orgrock-of-ages.html for information on purchasing tickets.

HELLO, DOLLY! bursts with humor, romance, high-energy dancing, and some of the greatest songs in musical theatre history - "Put On Your Sunday Clothes," "Ribbons Down My Back," "Before the Parade Passes By," "Hello, Dolly!," "Elegance," and "It Only Takes a Moment." The romantic and comic exploits of Dolly Gallagher-Levi, turn-of-the-century matchmaker and "woman who arranges things," are certain to thrill and entertain audiences again and again. SHOWS/DATES: Sunday, July 22 through August 5, 2018. Sunday, August 5, 2 PM, ASL Interpreters will be provided for this performance. ONLINE TICKETS: https://commerce.cashnet.com/oul-theatre

On Sunday July 22nd Little Theatre Off Broadway (LTOB) celebrated the shows and talent that were featured on their stage this past season! Highlights for the evening included Michael Bynes and Heather Carvel received LTOB's highest award called a Gracie. Michael received the award for Technical Direction of Noises Off and Heather received it for portraying Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd. Sweeney Todd also received the BOTL Award for Show of the Year! LTOB thanks everyone that played a part in making this season a fantastic one. For more information on LTOB's upcoming season, auditions or how you can donate to the theatre, please visit: http://ltob.org

Winner of four 2000 Tony Awards, Elton John and Tim Rice's Aida is an epic tale of love, loyalty and betrayal, chronicling the love triangle between Aida, a Nubian princess stolen from her country, Amneris, an Egyptian princess, and Radames, the soldier they both love. Performances July 20th thru the 29th, 2018 at the Peggy R. McConnell Arts Center of Worthington, 777 Evening St., Worthington, Ohio. For tickets and more information, visit http://www.mcconnellarts.org/wct-presents-elton-john-tim-rices-aida/

Puss in Boots, or the Master Cat, is one of the great fairy tales in Western literature. First put to paper by Giovanni Francesco Straparola in the 1550s, Puss in Boots is the story of a talking cat who serves his poor owner by his wits, making his master wealthy, finding him love, and stealing him a kingdom. Ludwig Tieck's 1797 stage version of the play, first performed in German, is a brilliant amalgam of the fairy tale, children's theater, and social satire. Rarely performed in the United States, Tieck's Puss in Boots, a Fairy Tale for Children is a joyous early example of absurdist theater. Directed by Philip J. Hickman and Adam Simon.  Cast includes:  THE KING: Weston McAloney, THE PRINCESS: Dakota Thorn, HINZE: Beth Josephsen, GOTTLEIB: Alec Reusch, CRITIC 1: Angela Joy Baldasare, CRITIC 2: Treasure Davidson, CRITIC 3: Jordan Shear, THE PLAYWRIGHT: Becca Kravitz, FIRST LOVER: Kelsey Hopkins, SECOND LOVER: Samuel B Partridge, PRINCE NATE: Monty Almoro, and LEANDER: Helen Casebolt. Performances are July 19 - August 5, 2018.  Thursdays through Sundays @ 8pm. Schiller Park (German Village), Amphitheatre Stage, Columbus, Ohio.  For information on donations and seat reservations, visit http://theactorstheatre.org

Seemingly comfortably ensconced in his charming Connecticut home, Sidney Bruhl, a successful writer of Broadway thrillers, is struggling to overcome a dry spell which has resulted in a string of failures and a shortage of funds. A possible break in his fortunes occurs when he receives a script from a student in the seminar he has been conducting at a nearby college-a thriller which Sidney recognizes immediately as a potential Broadway hit. Sidney's plan, which he devises with his wife's help, is to offer collaboration to the student, an idea which the younger man quickly accepts. Thereafter suspense mounts steadily as the plot begins to twist and turn with devilish cleverness, and with an abundance of thrills and laughter! Deathtrap written by Ira Levin is directed by Douglas C. Shaffer. The cast includes: Sidney Bruhl: Jim Speegle, Myra Bruhl: Beth Nuzum Cronenweth, Clifford Anderson: Steve Stumphauzer, Helga Ten Dorp: Anita McFarren, and Porter Milgrim: Kevin Doll. Performances are July 19th thru July 29th at the Columbus Dance Theatre, 592 E. Main St., Columbus, OH 43215. For tickets or more information, visit: https://pacecolumbus.com/

A mixture of love, politics and art in a star-spangled comedy set in Washington, D.C., 1990. When Veronica, a self-absorbed movie star in mid-life (think Liz Taylor) agrees to co-star in a play with her favorite ex-husband (think Richard Burton), both egos and calories get burned. The director (who is young, female and attractive) gets a better performance from Veronica's ex-husband off-stage than on. Meanwhile, Veronica's gay assistant falls in love with an old pal, a controversial photographic artist who has just been denounced by Veronica's current flame, a powerful United States senator. When conflicts build between those she adores, the fervently apolitical Veronica is forced to take a position on the one subject she cares about – love. Veronica's position written by Rich Orloff is directed by Jack Petersen. Featuring: Lori Cannon as Veronica, Robert Needham as Harvey, Mark Phillips Schwamberger as Alan, Krista Lively Stauffer as Mallory, Christopher Storer as Ezekiel, and David Allen Vargo as Philip. Performances are July 18th thru July 28th at the Columbus Performing Arts Center, 549 Franklin Avenue, Columbus, OH 43215. For tickets or more information, visit: http:evolutiontheatre.org