STRUTHERS, Ohio – Selah Dessert Theater will close its season with “Eleemosynary,” with performances over the next three weeks.
The play was written by Lee Blessing, who is best known for “A Walk In the Woods,” which Selah produced several years ago.
“Eleemosynary” is a poignant and humorous memory play that centers on three generations of the Westbrook women.
Dorothea (played by Molly Galano), the eccentric matriarch, is determined that her daughter, Artie (played by Jeanine Rees), will achieve her potential. She tries to make Artie fly by jumping off a 12-foot tower using homemade wings.
Artie runs away to escape her mother’s control and later abandons her own daughter, Echo (played by Sydney Campbell), to Dorothea’s care.
Echo is a brilliant and giving child who loves her grandmother but also yearns for Artie’s love. Echo is a lover of words and wins the national spelling bee by correctly spelling Eleemosynary, which means charitable.
When Dorothea dies, Artie and Echo are forced to face each other as mother and daughter.
Told through the beautiful language that Blessing is known for, the play moves back and forth in time to tell this story.
Directed by Mary Ruth Lynn, the play runs May 14-16, 22-23 and 28-29 at the theater, which is on the second floor of the Selah Restaurant building. The theater is accessible by stairs only. The final weekend of performances includes shows only on Thursday and Friday.
Curtain time is 8 p.m. For tickets, go to SelahDessertTheater.com.
Bugs Bunny Bobbleheads at Scrappers Game
NILES, Ohio – The Mahoning Valley Scrappers will have a special Looney Tunes Bugs Bunny bobblehead giveaway at its Aug. 8 game at 717 Credit Union Field at Eastwood. The team will play the Williamsport Crosscutters at 7:05 p.m.
The limited-edition bobbleheads will be available for the first 1,000 fans through the gate on game night. The night will also feature specialty Looney Tunes jerseys presented by Foxconn, with proceeds benefiting Abilities Unite Foundation of the Mahoning Valley.
Fans can guarantee that they will receive a bobblehead by purchasing a special ticket package, which includes a game ticket and $10 loaded value that can be used for in-stadium concessions or merchandise. Packages start at $25 per person and are on sale now at MVScrappers.com.
Baldassarre Orchestra Coming to Robins Theatre
WARREN, Ohio – The Baldassarre Orchestra will come to Robins Theatre on Oct. 3 for a 7:30 p.m. concert.
The Baldassarre Orchestra celebrates the iconic rock songs and artists that shaped the era of 1965-1975.
Tickets start at $25 (plus fees) and will go on sale at 10 a.m. May 15 at RobinsTheatre.com and the theater box office.
Program Will Portray Dorothy Fuldheim
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – The Jewish Community Center of Youngstown’s J. Newman Levy speaker series will open with “Women in History: Dorothy Fuldheim,” portrayed by living history actor Anne McEvoy, at 5:30 p.m. May 27 at the JCC, 505 Gypsy Lane.
Fuldheim, an Ohioan, was a Jewish-American news journalist and television broadcaster who is credited with being the first woman in the United States to anchor a television news broadcast as well as host her own television show.
Dinner is included. The event is free, but registration is required by May 21. Click HERE to register.
Future events in the series will include Marcia Levy discussing the stories behind some of America’s favorite films; comedian Robin Fox; and the Klezmer Orchestra.
Tickets Are on Sale for ‘The Shark Is Broken’
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Tickets are now on sale for the Youngstown Playhouse’s production of “The Shark Is Broken.”
The comic play looks into the so-called “glamorous life” of Hollywood. It was written by Ian Shaw, who is the son of Robert Shaw, and Joseph Nixon.
Brendan Boyle is the director.
Performances will be June 19-21 and 26-28 at the Playhouse Downtown, 220 W. Boardman St.
“The Shark is Broken” steps aboard the whaling boat Orca during the filming of “Jaws,” where the lead actors – the veteran Robert Shaw and young Hollywood hotshots Richard Dreyfuss and Roy Scheider – are crammed inside and at the mercy of foul weather and a faulty mechanical co-star. Alcohol flows, egos collide and tempers flare on a chaotic voyage that just might lead to cinematic magic – if it doesn’t sink them all.
The cast includes John Cox as Robert Shaw, Chuck Kettering as Richard Dreyfuss and Corban Baker as Roy Scheider.
Friday and Saturday performances are at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday performances are at 2:30 p.m. General Admission tickets are $17 (plus fees) and can be purchased at YoungstownPlayhouse.org, by phone at 330 259 9651 and at the box office, 260 W. Federal St., downtown.
Due to mature language and some adult themes, “The Shark Is Broken” is recommended for mature audiences.
Concert Will Salute Stephen L. Gage
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – The Love Music Legacy concert, a tribute to the late Stephen L. Gage, will take place at 3 p.m. Sunday, May 17, at Stambaugh Auditorium.
Doors will open at 2:15 p.m. A flute choir directed by Kathryn Umble will perform in the lobby before the concert.
The Love Music Legacy concert is in its second year and salutes Gage, who was a longtime professor at Youngstown State University. This year’s performance will include orchestral works and a wind ensemble performance. The inclusion of an orchestra celebrates Gage’s passion for the genre and his tenure with the Youngstown Symphony Youth Orchestra (now the YSU Youth Orchestra) and Dana Symphony Orchestra.
The orchestra will be conducted by Rob Seebacher, and the wind ensemble will be conducted by Dennis Hawkins and Timothy Shade. All three conductors are former students of Gage’s who now work as collegiate band and orchestra directors. Organizers say that 112 musicians are set to perform, including former students, colleagues and friends. The program will include The Barber of Seville (Rossini), Robin Hood (Kamen/Lavender) and Blue Shades (Ticheli).
General admission tickets are $20, including fees, and free for students with an ID. Tickets are available at StambaughAuditorium.com, by calling the box office at 330 259 0555 or at the door.
Throughout his 44-year career in music education and conducting, Gage spent 28 years as the director of bands at YSU. He influenced thousands of musicians as the director of the Youngstown Symphony Youth Orchestra, W.D. Packard Band and countless conducting engagements throughout the United States.
Expert to Lecture on Edgar Allen Poe
LIBERTY TOWNSHIP, Ohio – Mark Dawidziak, a historical novelist and former Cleveland Plain Dealer writer, will present an Edgar Allan Poe program Saturday, May 16, in the meeting room at Denny’s Restaurant, 4020 Belmont Ave.
The event is presented by the William Holmes McGuffey Historical Society. Admission is $15 ($10 for society members). The event will include refreshments, live entertainment and a 50-50 raffle.
Reservations are suggested. Call 330 726 277.
The lecture will delve into Poe’s mysterious death and the many misconceptions about him.
Dawidziak, a Rod Serling Memorial Foundation board member and the author of “Everything I Need to Know I Learned in The Twilight Zone,” has also written five books about Mark Twain. In addition to being an internationally recognized Mark Twain scholar, he has been portraying the iconic writer on stage for more than 45 years.
Dawidziak is also the co-founder of the Largely Literary Theater Company, which performs historically themed programs nationwide. Inducted into the Cleveland Journalism Hall of Fame in 2015, Dawidziak spent most of his journalism career as a television, film or theater critic for newspapers. He also was an adjunct faculty professor at Kent State University.
Audition for ‘In the Heights’ at Playhouse
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Auditions for the Youngstown Playhouse’s production of “In the Heights” will take place from 6-9 p.m. June 28-29 each night in the Moyer Room.
Principal callbacks by invitation only will take place at 6 p.m. July 1.
A dance call will be held at 6 p.m. July 2.
Director Caitlyn Santiago is looking to cast a vibrant, diverse ensemble ages 16 and up. The production team is especially seeking performers who can authentically represent the Latin and Hispanic communities at the heart of this story. Those auditioning should prepare 16 to 32 bars (30 seconds to one minute) of a pop or musical theater song. An accompanist will be provided. Bring sheet music in the correct key or a backing/karaoke track with no voices. Dancers should be prepared to learn a short choreographed dance. Singers can sign up for the dance call as well if they would like to be considered for a dancing role.
Click HERE for more audition requirements and to sign up for an audition slot. All roles are open. The production is nonunion and with no pay. Rehearsals will begin July 14. Performances will take place Aug. 28-Sept. 6.
Clay Colley is musical director, and Amber Ardolino, who has worked on the Broadway productions of “A Beautiful Noise,” “Hamilton,” “Back to the Future, the Musical,” “Funny Girl” and “Head Over Heels,” is the choreographer.
If special accommodations are needed to support an audition and/or involvement in the production, email stage manager Isa Foltz at isabelfoltz4@gmail.com before auditions.
Juried Art Show to Open at the Hoyt
NEW CASTLE, Pa. – The Hoyt Regional Juried Art Competition, juried by Nando Alvarez-Perez of the Buffalo Institute for Contemporary Art, will open May 28 and run through July 23.
The winning entries are:
- First Place: “Bouquet,” a found object sculpture by Gwen Waight, Peninsula, Ohio.
- Second Place: “Hoop,” a photograph by Rick Armstrong, Murrysville.
- Third Place: “No Vacancy,” acrylic painting by Mark Weleski, Natrona Heights.
Awards of Merit:
- “Morning Breakfast,” acrylic and spackle by Aaliyah Burrows, Butler.
- “Blue Horse,” ceramic by Michael High, Chardon, Ohio.
- “Retained, Series 1, Relic 011,” cardboard by Christian Bench, Berlin.
- “Jeanette Blast Furnace,” weaving by William Walker, Austintown, Ohio.
- “Finding Sanctuary 3,” mixed media on wood by Robert Eustace, Conneaut Lake.
JCC to Open Its Logan Campus for Summer
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – The Jewish Community Center of Youngstown will open its Logan Campus, 3245 Logan Way, for the summer May 23.
The outdoor facility offers a variety of options for JCC members and their guests, including a pool, an aquatic climbing wall, pickleball, sand volleyball, tennis, basketball courts, a pavilion and a snack shack. Other activities include family and karaoke nights.
Membership to the JCC includes both the Main Campus, 505 Gypsy Lane, and Logan Campus. The Logan Campus is open Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day.
Go to JCCYoungstown.org or call 330 746 3250 for membership information.
Pictured at top: Molly Galano, Jeanine Rees and Sydney Campbell are the cast of “Eleemosynary” at Selah Dessert Theatre.