Feature: What's Happening in Dayton July 17 edition

It has been great to see such a positive response to my new column. I am looking forward to the day when we can all get back to our normal theatre lives and I can have an abundance of information to reflect the rich theatre community here in the Dayton area.

I am still taking submissions to help me name the new column. I will be taking your ideas until July 31, 2020. You can email me at bwwdaytonjenni@gmail.com, or go to our facebook page titled Dayton On Stage. I look forward to your input.

DAYTON PLAYHOUSE PRESENTS 2020 FUTUREFEST

Since 1991, Dayton Playhouse has been bringing the best in new playwrights and their work to the Dayton area with their annual Futurefest celebration. Generally held over the course of one weekend, a series of six plays is presented in a combination of staged readings and fully staged plays. This year's unique challenges required the Board at DPH to think outside of the box. This year, readings of three plays will be produced and streamed online to ticket holders along with talkback sessions with all six playwrights. There will be no winners this year but all will be contributing to this celebration of new works. The following plays will be streamed (descriptions provided by DPH):

A GHOST OF A CHANCE by Kimberly Shimer, directed by Annie Pesch. The afterlife story of Evelyn, a nitpicky, obsessive, know-it-all whom, after dying, finds she can't make it to her final resting place until she reconciles with her husband Harry. Unfortunately, because she made Harry miserable for most of their 30-plus years of marriage, he's not particularly inclined to make nice with her ghost when she pays him a visit.

BEFORE LESBIANS by Elana Gartner, directed by Kim Warrick. When Charlotte and Vivian meet at the courthouse in Shippensburg, PA, they are about to marry their fiancés who are leaving to fight for President Lincoln. After their husbands leave for war, Charlotte and Vivian develop a friendship through letters and visits and suddenly find themselves struggling with their growing romantic and confusing feelings for one another.

THE GOOD DELI by Kevin Cirone, directed by Debra Kent. After visiting her estranged and ailing father in the hospital during serious health complications, a Boston comedian decides to take a road trip with her family to find the Italian deli of her father's youth.

Tickets for FutureFest are $10 for individual productions or all three for $25. Tickets can be purchased at www.daytonplayhouse.com. Ticket holders will get a link in advance of each show and each show will stream for one week. Kickoff is tonight at 7:30 with a Virtual Champagne Toast on Zoom. Reserve your spot and get more information about the kickoff on the DPH Facebook Page/Event.

A GHOST OF A CHANCE will stream from July 17 to July 23 and there will be a talkback with the author at 2 PM on Sunday July 19.

THE GOOD DELI will stream from July 24 to July 30 with author talkback at 2 PM on Sunday July 26.

BEFORE LESBIANS will stream from July 31 through August 6 with author talkback at 2 PM on Sunday August 2.

Check the Dayton Playhouse Youtube channel beginning June 24 for Playwright Dialogue Sessions including all six Futurefest authors. These sessions will be available to view for free.

Dayton Playhouse has cancelled their entire 2020-2021 season in response to pandemic conditions, so please take this opportunity to support the Playhouse so they can continue to bring new and exciting plays to our area each summer. We are lucky to have this festival as part of our theatre landscape here in town.

CANCELLATIONS

Beavercreek Community Theatre announced this week that their October production of BLOODY, BLOODY Andrew Jackson has been cancelled as the next victim of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is in addition to the previously announced cancellation of the September musical TUCK EVERLASTING.

La Comedia Dinner Theatre announced cancellations for their single evening concert events up through their VICTORY CANTEEN show on September 21, 2020. Please contact the box office for refund information at 937-746-4554. Refunds are only being given for shows that have already been cancelled. Follow their facebook page for up to date information on cancellations.

Adding to the cancellation of Springboro Community Theatre's scheduled summer musical in the park, BYE BYE BIRDIE, the fall play THREE DAYS OF RAIN has also been cancelled. Please contact the box office at 888-262-3792 for information if you already have tickets for this production.

If you have show information or cancellations for your theatre, please email me at bwwdaytonjenni@gmail.com. I will do my best to get everyone included.

Be safe and stay healthy!

Jenni

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