CAPA Announces 2009 Summer Movie Series Lineup
by Rolanda Copley
CAPA’s 2009 Summer Movie Series,
the longest-running classic film series in America, celebrates its 39th anniversary with a lineup of classics, cult favorites, and most beloved films.
The 2009 series will run July 17 – August 30, at the historic Ohio Theatre (39 E State St), and is made possible
through the generous support of National City, now a part of PNC.
2009 highlights include nine series
premieres, one silent film, five musicals, two Saturday mornings of classic
cartoons, two “Late Nite Fridays,” two “Chick Flick Fridays,” and two “dirty”
movies. With 20 films covering practically every genre, there’s something for
everyone - action, suspense, romance, comedy, drama, sci-fi, musicals, a
Western, and even a little good-humored horror.
In celebration of the 25th birthday of central Ohio’s literary jewel, the Thurber House, the 2009 Summer
Movie Series will hold Thurber Night on Wednesday, August 12. The evening
begins with A Unicorn in the Garden,
a 7-minute animated short based on a 1939 James Thurber short story, followed
by the series premiere of The Male Animal (1942). Starring Henry Fonda and Olivia de Haviland, the film is based on the
1940 James Thurber play of the same title which explores the battle between the
sexes.
This year’s silent film, Wings (1927), features silent film star
and “it girl” Clara Bow in a story of wartime romance. The film, which includes
actual WWI combat footage and stunning aerial photography, earned the very
first Oscar for Best Picture and an additional Oscar for Best Effects. Wings will be shown on Thursday and
Friday, August 13 and 14, and will be accompanied live by featured organist Clark
Wilson on the Ohio Theatre’s original
“Mighty Morton” organ.
“Chick Flick Fridays” are back in
2009 with Dirty Dancing (1987) on
Friday, July 31, and Steel Magnolias (1989)
on Friday, August 28. “Late Nite Fridays” have also returned with 11 pm
screenings of Slap Shot (1977) on
Friday, July 24, and Evil Dead II (1987) on Friday, August 21.
The popular Cartoon Capers return
to Saturday mornings - Saturday, August 1, and Saturday, August 22. Both
showings will begin at 10 am and will feature classic Warner Brothers and MGM cartoons.
The Summer Movie Series will expand
into a limited number of digital presentations in 2009, increasing the pool of
films available for screening. Digital presentations will include Slap Shot (1977), Dirty Dancing (1987), Evil
Dead II (1987), Road to Bali (1952),
and South Pacific (1958). Last shown
as part of the Series in 1987, South
Pacific had become unavailable in a 35mm format, so the new digital format
allows it to be screened once again.
Clark
Wilson, official organist for the CAPA Summer Movie Series, will once again provide
pre-show and intermission entertainment for each screening at the keys of the Ohio
Theatre’s “Mighty Morton” organ 30 minutes prior to show time. Organists Jack
Mader and David Fleischer will also provide live organ accompaniment at select movie
screenings.
CAPA
Summer Movie Series Ticket Strips, one of Central Ohio's best entertainment bargains, can be purchased now through August 9 at
the Ohio Theatre ticket office (39 E State St) or www.ticketmaster.com. Strips of 10
tickets are $25, a savings of
$1.50 per ticket off day-of-show prices. Phone orders for strip tickets can
be placed by calling 614.469.0939. For more information or to download an order
form, please visit www.capa.com. Strip
tickets are good for any film in any combination.
Day-of-show
tickets to individual
films are $4 and go on sale one hour prior to show time at the Ohio Theatre
kiosk. Senior citizen tickets are $3.50. All tickets are general admission and seating is on a first come,
first served basis.
For more information including a
complete schedule of screenings, visit www.capa.com.
Rolanda Copley is Publiscist for CAPA, a member organization of the
Columbus Arts Marketing Association. CAMA’s mission is to promote awareness of
and participation in the arts and cultural opportunities in Greater Columbus
through collaborative marketing and public relations projects, and to provide
professional development opportunities for members. For information visit http://www.camaonline.org.
05.14.09
Soul! Looks at Human Experience through Africa
American Art
Exhibition Opens May 1 at Ohio Historical Center
A new exhibit at the Ohio
Historical Center in Columbus starting May 1 showcases the “art and soul” of
African American history and culture and offers a studio where visitors can
create artwork telling their own stories.
Soul! Art from the National Afro-American Museum & Cultural Center, on exhibit through Feb. 28, 2010, features 119 works dating from 1835 to 2006 that reflect African heritage,
family, self-determination, love, celebration and other experiences. On loan
from the Ohio Historical Society’s National Afro-American Museum & Cultural
Center in Wilberforce, they include pieces in a variety of media by many
renowned artists, including Benny Andrews, Richmond Barthé,
Elizabeth Catlett and Willis “Bing” Davis.
Many Hands Make Great Work
According
to Floyd Thomas of the National Afro-American Museum and Cultural Center, the
museum began collecting works by African American artists before opening in
1988 and since then has acquired many more ─ some through purchases and
more donated in appreciation by artists who’d received national exposure at
major museums after having had their work included in NAAMCC traveling
exhibitions. The museum has also received donations from friends of the museum
and from artists who simply wanted to be represented in its collections.
“We want
to have a collection that’s fully representative of the body of works that African
Americans have produced,” Thomas said. “We also feel a responsibility to
support African American artists.”
Two Ford
Foundation grants have enabled the museum to acquire important works associated
with the Black Arts Movement of the 1960s and 1970s.
A National Collection with Ohio
Connections
Soul! will offer a taste of the National Afro-American Museum & Cultural Center
collection, Thomas said. Visitors will see variety from the figurative to the
abstract. Future exhibitions will offer an opportunity to experience other
exceptional works.
“This
exhibition was conceived to be not so much a history of African American art as
one that would develop visitors’ interest in looking at and understanding art
and in gaining an insight into the African American experience and creative
genius,” Thomas pointed out.
The oldest
piece, dating to the 1830s, is by Patrick Reason, a freeman and artist whose
work illustrated abolitionist publications, making him one of the early published African American artists, according to
Thomas. Reason spent his later years in Cleveland.
“One of
the exciting things about doing this exhibit has been discovering Ohio
connections like this one that we didn’t know existed,” he said.
Conveys Human Experience
“Many of
the pieces are powerful in different ways,” Thomas added. “Soul! uses the African American experience
as a way of looking at the human experience. While it focuses on African
American creative expression, it reflects the human experience─ issues such as injustice, self-determination,
community pride and aesthetic beauty issues that people throughout the world
have faced.”
According
to Thomas, there are both significant differences and commonalities in the LGBT
and African American experience. Though dissimilar in some key respects
the legacy of slavery being the most pronounced both groups have been subjected
to discrimination, bigotry and violence.
“Both have
been denied freedoms and both have been maligned and stereotyped,” Thomas
said. “Both have fought to seek justice and to restore and promote
community pride. Both have engaged in the civil rights movement and have
advanced their cause on the streets, in courtrooms and through local, state and
national government.”
Some of
the artwork in SOUL! reflects the impact of hatred, bigotry and discrimination
that has been endured not only by African Americans, but by people around the
world because of their nationality, ethnicity, religion, sexual
orientation or other characteristic that in some way distinguishes
them in an intolerant society, Thomas pointed out. Other pieces reflect
the universal determination of a people to overcome injustice and the
importance of taking pride in the beauty and dignity of a people and rejecting
the negative assessment of those who seek to diminish and limit them.
“The art
in this exhibition reveals that African Americans share with LGBT and
other communities here in the United States and abroad, the universal
appreciation of aesthetic beauty as essential to the soul,” Thomas concluded.
Jazz and Dance Exhibits Complement Soul!
Two
related exhibits from the National Afro-American Museum and Cultural Center
complement Soul! through Aug. 30, 2008, Making Music:Jazz Photographs by Luis Figgs and Golden Motions:
Celebrating the Art of Dance by Ademola Olugebefola.
In Making Music, 44 stunning
black-and-white photographs by Luis Figgs show some
of the world’s finest jazz musicians from 1977-1994 at work, doing what they do
… making music. Among the greats are Art Blakey,
Eddie (Cleanhead) Vinson, George Benson, Les McCann,
Junior Mance, Ray Drummond, and Jon Faddis.
A
collection of 19 limited edition lithographs celebrates the soul within dance
in Golden Motions. Seemingly simple
lines define the rhythm of a dancer’s body cutting through time and space. Born
in the U.S. Virgin Islands and raised in New York City, Olugebefola has shown his work in major museums, galleries, universities and on television throughout the United States, Caribbean, Africa, Europe and
Japan.
Sponsors of the Soul! project are the Gordon Chandler Memorial Fund and the Helen E. Sandfort Arts-in-Education Fund of the Columbus Foundation. Community partners are the
King Arts Complex and Columbus Jazz Arts Group.
The
Ohio Historical Center is located at I-71 & 17th Ave. in
Columbus. Admission to the Ohio Historical Center is $8/adults (ages 13-59),
$7/seniors (60+), $4/youth (ages 6-12) and free for
Ohio Historical Society members and children 5 years of age and
under. Museum hours are: Thursdays, 9a–9p; Fridays and Saturdays,
9a–5p; and Sundays, noon–5p.
For
information, call the Ohio Historical Society at 800.686.6124 or visit
www.ohiohistory.org/soul.
Kim Schuette is Communications and Media Relations Manager for Ohio
Historical Societya member organization of the
Columbus Arts Marketing Association. CAMA’s mission
is to promote awareness of and participation in the arts and cultural
opportunities in Greater Columbus through collaborative marketing and public
relations projects, and to provide professional development opportunities for
members. For information visit www.camaonline.org.
PHOTO: About Love by Richard Barclift.
New Narratives: Paintings by Ohio Artists
by Jaclyn Reynolds
Since the beginning of
recorded history – from early cave paintings to the art of ancient Rome,
people have been telling stories through art. Early cave dwellers recorded their history on the walls of
caves and Michelangelo told us about mythology and religion through his
paintings and sculptures. Today,
history and storytelling through art live on through
narrative paintings.
Narrative paintings today
depict social issues of many kinds. At the Ohio Arts Council’s Riffe Gallery, many of the paintings in the
exhibition New
Narratives: Paintings by Ohio Artists illustrate a wide range of
historical, political and fictional “stories”. The exhibition offers unique works from 12 Ohio artists ranging
from traditional figurative compositions to others using signs and symbols.
“The 12 Ohio artists in
this exhibition make paintings that deal with war, social, economic, and
political issues, global warming, the effects of chemicals on our health, as well
as matters of race and gender,” said Dominique H. Vasseur. “Their narratives
range from age-old Native American life stories, traditional Ukrainian folk
songs that offer explanations of human emotion and behavior to highly personal
and autobiographical stories that defy easy explanation.”
New Narratives: Paintings by Ohio
Artists is open until July 12,
2009. Artists in the exhibition
include Ron Anderson, Columbus; Adam Brouillette, Columbus; Donna Coleman,
Oberlin; Diane Fitch, Yellow Springs, Edwin George, Kent; Deborah
Morrissey-Goff, Cincinnati; Aka Pereyma, Troy; Lisa Schare, Cincinnati; Michael
R. Stillion, Cincinnati; Laura R. Vinnedge, Akron; Brian R. Williams, Columbus;
and Ronnie Williams, Dayton.
The Ohio Arts Council’s
Riffe Gallery is located in the Vern Riffe Center for Government and the Arts,
77 S. High St., Columbus, OH. Admission is free. Gallery hours are Tuesday, 10
a.m. - 4 p.m., Wednesday through Friday, 10 a.m. - 8 p.m., Saturday, noon - 8
p.m. and Sunday, noon-4 p.m. Closed Mondays, Friday,
July 3 and Saturday, July 4, 2009. Visit www.riffegallery.org or phone
614/644-9624 for more information.
The Ohio Arts Council’s
Riffe Gallery showcases the work of Ohio’s artists and curators, exhibitions
produced by the Ohio Arts Council’s International Program and the collections
of the region’s museums and galleries. The Riffe Gallery’s Education Program
seeks to increase public appreciation and understanding of those exhibitions.
Admission is free. For information, call the Riffe Gallery at 614/644-9624.
The Ohio Arts Council is a
state agency that funds and supports quality arts experiences to strengthen
Ohio communities culturally, educationally and economically.
Jaclyn Reynolds is Communications
Specialist for Ohio Arts Council, a member organization of the Columbus Arts
Marketing Association. CAMA’s mission is to promote awareness of and
participation in the arts and cultural opportunities in Greater Columbus
through collaborative marketing and public relations projects, and to provide
professional development opportunities for members. For information visit http://www.camaonline.org.
04.30.09
EQUUS REVIVAL FIRST IN CENTRAL OHIO
Olympic Theatre Co., Columbus’
boldest, newest bar-based performing ensemble, is proud to present Equus, Peter Shaffer’s Tony Award-winning psychodrama about
societal mores in contemporary culture.
Equus completed its Broadway run earlier
this year after highly acclaimed, blockbuster performances in New York and
London featuring Daniel Radcliffe, star of the “Harry Potter” movies, in the
role of Alan.
Equus tells the story of a psychiatrist
who attempts to treat a young man who has a pathological religious, sexual
fascination with horses. Shaffer was inspired to write Equus when he heard of a crime involving a 17-year-old who had blinded six horses in
a small town near London. He set out to construct a fictional account of what
might have caused the incident, without knowing any of the details of the
crime. The play's action is something of a detective story, involving the
attempts of psychiatrist Dr. Martin Dysart to understand the cause of the boy's
actions while wrestling with his own sense of purpose.
The play explores other themes as well, chiefly religious
and ritual sacrifice, and the manner in which character Alan Strang constructs a personal theology involving the horses
and the supreme godhead, "Equus.” Also important
is Shaffer's examination of the conflict between personal values and
satisfaction and societal mores, expectations and institutions. In reference to
the play's classical structure, themes and characterization.
The show will run at 7p May
1, 2, 8 and 9 at the Q Bar & Nightclub, 205 North 5th St. Tickets are
available in packages of four, at $40 and $50 per table. Call 614.222.2401.
THURBER HOUSE PRESENTS:
Evenings with Authors Pulitzer Prize Winning Journalist
Tony Horwitz, Friday, May 15, and The Summer 2009
Literary Picnics, Beginning Wednesday, June 10
The 2009
Winter/Spring Evenings
with Authors series will end the season with a tale of adventure, heroism,
greed and discovery when Thurber House presents Tony Horwitz,
Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and author of the New York Times bestseller, A Voyage Long and
Strange, May 15, 7:30 p.m., at the Columbus School for Girls, 56 S.
Columbia Ave.
Inspired
by a visit to Plymouth Rock, Horwitz chronicles his
participatory approach to history, as he searches for the genuine bones of
Christopher Columbus and dons the heavy gear once worn by the conquistadors. Equal parts historian, journalist and
adventurer, he pursues the truth behind the myth to determine what really
happened in America from the 1400s through the Pilgrims’ landing.
“What
would it be like, I wondered, to explore the New World, not only in books but
on the ground? To take a pre-Pilgrimage through early America … rediscover my
native land?” Horwitz asked.
During his
quest to find the answers, Horwitz embarked on a
cross-continent odyssey. From
Newfoundland, to an Indian sweat lodge in sub-arctic Canada, onward to the
Dominican Republic, the deserts of Mexico and Arizona and then down the
Mississippi in a canoe, his expedition encountered a variety of
adventures. In the Voyage, he researches
and retraces the routes of Vikings, explorers, friars, castaways and
conquistadors who roamed America long before the Mayflower dropped anchor, and
then he concludes his journey where it all started, Plymouth Rock.
Following
their adventures with Horwitz, Thurber House fans
will return to the safe harbor of the Thurber House Summer 2009 Literary Picnics,
featuring five events and authors with an Ohio connection. From June through August, Thurber House
puts out the welcome mat for authors and guests alike, inviting everyone to
relax on the side lawn for the outdoor picnics at 77 Jefferson Ave.
The
picnics begin with the Thurber Treat, Wednesday, June 10, and special guest
host, Johnny DiLoretto, FOX 28 Good Day Columbus reporter. The Thurber
Treat writing contest, in celebration of the Thurber House 25th anniversary, is asking local authors to write about their Thurber House
unforgettable experiences or memories. Three winners will be chosen to read
their entries at the Treat. Wednesday picnics that follow will feature, among other awards and
accolades received, a Pulitzer Prize winner, a New York Times bestselling author and a
popular Ohio mystery writer. And,
for the first time, the series will present one picnic, NEW VOICES, highlighting emerging,
talented authors of fiction, poetry and creative non-fiction.
The
2009 Literary Picnics’ line-up of guest authors’ readings:
A Thurber Treat,
Wednesday, June 10
Julia Keller, Wednesday, June 24
Winner of the 2005 Pulitzer
Prize for feature writing, her debut book is Mr. Gatling’s Terrible Marvel, a
riveting account of the Gatling gun's invention and impact on the world.
Jennifer Crusie,
Wednesday, July 8
Crusie’s latest novel is Always Kiss Me
Goodnight, her version of The Turn of the Screw, complete with ghosts and orphans.
NEW VOICES: Wednesday, July 22
Christopher Barzak's latest work, The Love We Share Without Knowing, is a
haunting, richly woven novel.
David Giffels' book, All the Way Home: Building a Family in a Falling-down House, is a
memoir of his growing into parenthood while restoring a ramshackle mansion.
Jay
Siegel is an Ohio
native and poet who finds his inspiration in Ohio and small town life in the
Midwest.
P.L. Gaus, Wednesday, August 5
Gaus, author of a popular series of
mystery novels set in Holmes County, Ohio, has written his sixth and latest
book in the Ohio
Amish Mystery series, Separate from the World.
Event
Information:
• Evenings with
Authors tickets:
$18 in advance, $20 at the door, with discounts for students and seniors.
• Literary
picnickers are asked to bring a chair or a blanket for seating, and they may
order a catered dinner or bring their own; 5:20 p.m., free guided tours begin;
6:15 p.m., dinner is served; 7 p.m., the reading begins; Reading only tickets:
Adults, $15; children (ages 12 and under), $5; Dinner and reading tickets: $25
For more event
information, visit www.thurberhouse.org or call 614-464-1032. Patty Donahey Geiger is
Marketing/Media Relations Consultant for Thurber House, a member organization
of the Columbus Arts Marketing Association. CAMA’s mission is to promote awareness of and participation in the arts and cultural
opportunities in Greater Columbus through collaborative marketing and public
relations projects, and to provide professional development opportunities for
members. For information visit http://www.camaonline.org.
04.17.09
World Premiere Brings New Life to Classic Novel
By Alana Manwaring
The F. Scott Fitzgerald novel that used opulent parties, reckless jubilance and thwarted love to showcase the fallibility of The American Dream captivates Columbus audiences in a new adaptation. The eloquent, the elusive and always extravagant Great Gatsby like you’ve never seen him—BalletMet Columbus’ world premiere, The Great Gatsby, takes the stage April 24 through May 2 at Capitol Theatre.
The Great American Novel comes alive in this new ballet, choreographed by BalletMet Company dancer Jimmy Orrante. While The Great Gatsby is his first full-length story ballet, Orrante has choreographed many works for BalletMet during his fourteen years with the Company, including his stunning pas de deux Touch and his nostalgic Ad Infinitum, set to the music of Simon and Garfunkel. BalletMet patrons likely also remember Orrante dancing the title role in BalletMet’s productions of Dracula. Orrante has been recognized nationally as a recipient of the prestigious Choreography Award from the Princess Grace Foundation, dedicated to identifying and assisting emerging talent in the performing arts.
Orrante conveys the complex storyline of The Great Gatsby successfully without using any spoken material. He follows the plot closely with his choreography and includes many pertinent details from the book. Orrante wants the ballet to be easy to follow even for audience members who haven’t read the book. He uses expressive contemporary ballet and traditional ‘20s movement blended with his own style. The result is choreography that is eloquently emotive; Orrante’s innovative partnering and dynamic personal connections immerse the audience in the multifaceted plot.
Historical accuracy is pertinent in the portrayal of this story and elaborate sets and exquisite costumes evoke that decadent era coined by Fitzgerald as The Jazz Age. The costumes, designed by Rebecca Baygents Turk and constructed by BalletMet’s Costume Shop are luxurious and eye-catching. “The costumes are inspired by the period of the 1920s, but are designed to compliment the movement and accurately embody each character,” Turk said.
Popular 1920s dances are inspiration, but audiences will experience more than just the Charleston. Orrante said he is inspired by the careless form and reckless energy of the era’s flapper style of dancing. “They didn’t care how they looked doing it. It has this raw energy, kind of wild movement.” Orrante asked the BalletMet dancers, who are used to conforming to strict choreography, to let their natural style show through. This individual interpretation of vigorous 1920s dance, paired with lively music from the era, recreate the extravagant parties held by Jay Gatsby and take audiences back to the Roaring Twenties.
Poignant choreography conveys the character’s emotions, giving the ballet depth and meaning beyond the elaborate party scenes. “My main focus is to be true to Fitzgerald’s novel,” Orrante said. “It’s a love story that never got to blossom.” Notable pas de deux captivate the audience and expressive acting by the dancers capture the lifestyles of Daisy Buchanan and Jay Gatsby.
“So much was happening in that era. People partied hard and drove big cars and danced carelessly. I hope to show this extravagance and richness in the work, while connecting the key relationships among the few central characters,” Orrante said. The ballet features the seven main characters from novel and the entire BalletMet Company dances in each performance.
If the novel was only required reading in high school, or the movie went unseen, rediscover this classic with BalletMet and let exquisite dance reveal the secrets, the deception and the unfulfilled love of The Great Gatsby.
The Great Gatsby will run April 24 through May 2 at the Capitol Theatre, 77 South High Street 3rd Floor.
Showtimes are as follows:
Fri. April 24, 8p
Sat. April 25, 8p
Sun. April 26, 2p
Thurs. April 30, 7:30p
Fri. May 1, 8p
Sat. May 2, 8p
Tickets: $25-45; MetPass Members: $14.50-$23
Available through Ticketmaster (800.982.2787, ticketmaster.com), or CAPA Box Office (614.469.0939)
Enjoy pre- and post performance talks with choreographer Jimmy Orrante and free 1920s dance lessons from the Lindyroos before select performances. Visit www.balletmet.org for more information.
Alana Manwaring is Marketing and Communications Intern for BalletMet Columbus a member organization of the Columbus Arts Marketing Association. For more information, visit http://www.camaonline.org.
