Something From Nothing

Cincinnati Playwrights Initiative (CPI), in conjunction with the Cincinnati Arts Association (CAA) opens the 2008-09 New Voices Series season with double one-act plays receiving staged readings by local actors.

Tuesday, September 23, 2008, at 7:30 PM
       Aronoff Center for the Arts, Fifth Third Bank Theater.
       Corner of Main and Seventh Streets.

Tickets are only $7 ($4 students).  Reservations may be made in advance at Aronoff Center Box Office, or by calling 513-621-2787,  or online at

http://www.cincinnatiarts.org/event_detail.jsp?event_id=876 Tuesday, , 2008, at 7:30 PM

One Freaky Afternoon in the Office Lunchroom
       Written by A.K. Forbes
       Directed by Nathan Henegar

On the eve of his milestone birthday, a middle aged office worker is visited by a cross-dressing birthday fairy who delivers an exciting, if unexpected, gift: the secret silver lining to being "over-the-hill."

The Cast: (One Freaky Afternoon in the Office Lunchroom)
Mike Burke as Mike
Patrick Downey as Larry
Jef Brown as Birthday Fairy
Teresa Myers as Claudia / Sheila

About the director: (One Freaky Afternoon in the Office Lunchroom)
Nathan Henegar holds a BA in theatre arts from Eastern Kentucky University and has experience as an actor, director and stage manager.  This winter he will direct Epic Proportions for the Village Players in Fort Thomas, Kentucky.

About the Playwright: (One Freaky Afternoon in the Office Lunchroom)
A.K. Forbes (Angela) holds an MA in professional writing and editing from the University of Cincinnati, where she is employed as director of creative services.  An active actor in the local community theatre scene, Angela has recently focused on playwriting.  Her one-act, It's All Fun and Games Until the Iguana Bites, was produced by Sunset Players in February.  She has several additional one-acts in the works.  In 2004, a short story she authored, Beyond Golgotha and the Kwiki Mart, was published in Rosebud as Writer magazine's first place contest winner.

Southern Exposure
       Written by Kelley Kingston-Strayer
       Directed by Mary Jo Beresford

Like a Fuller-Brush man with his foot in the door, Callie sees an opening and announces to her Grandmother, Hattie, that she has fallen in love.  After some not-so-gentle probing, Hattie decides she ain't buyin' what Callie is sellin'.    

The Cast: (Southern Exposure)
Mary Jo Beresford as Hattie
Caitlyn Allison as Callie
Lonna Kingsbury as Aunt Ida Mae
Marian Weage as Aunt Mattie
Alex Strawn as the Boy (offstage)
Craig Boldman as the Baseball Announcer (offstage)

About the director: (Southern Exposure)
Mary Jo Beresford is now in her twenty-seventh year of teaching and directing at NKU.  A few of her directing credits:  Dames At Sea, A Day In Hollywood, A Night In The Ukraine, Tintypes, Biloxi Blues, Assassins, Star-Spangled Girl, Play It Again, Sam, The Pajama Game, and eight Y.E.S. Festival world-premieres.

About the Playwright: (Southern Exposure)
A native Texan, Kelley Kingston-Strayer now lives in Kentucky.  Her short story, Southern Exposure, won the 2004 Dallas County Arts and Letters award for fiction as well as placed third in the Women Who Write prose contest for the state of Kentucky.  Her work has appeared in The Cincinnati Enquirer, The Dallas Morning News, and Calliope.

Posted by /0/ at 12:10 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Click on image for larger view

To order the t-shirt: despair.com

Not a paid ad... meaning they should give me a free t-shirt for this post... 

Posted by /0/ at 01:55 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Posted by /0/ at 08:41 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Washburn first went to China in 1996 when she was the first Asian Studies major at Colorado College and she was offered a reduced-cost trip to help satisfy her "intrigue" about Chinese culture. It wasn't a positive experience, however, as the people she met tended to treat her as a tourist, not as someone interested in serious academic study.

"I was frustrated about how I was perceived very narrowly there," she said. "Not being able to speak the language, we resorted to hand gestures, and anyone who could speak English only wanted to practice their English."

But rather than discourage her study, she only became more determined.

"I took it as a challenge — a lifelong challenge — to find meaning and depth in the world's largest culture," she said.

So after hearing a recording of Doc Watson playing the banjo and realizing that the banjo was about as American as you can get, she learned to play, even though she had no prior musical experience other than singing in a school choir.

In 2004, she had abandoned her plan of studying Chinese law and decided to return as a musician, to be an ambassador of America culture as well as a student of the Chinese.

Once the Nashville circles heard of her trip, she found many volunteers to go with her the next time, and when that time came, the available musicians included banjo virtuoso Bela Fleck, who produced her CD "Song of the Travelling Daughter," cellist Brandon Sollee, who played on the CD, and famed Nashville fiddler Casey Driessen, billing themselves as the Sparrow Quartet.

The group put together an EP following that tour of China and expanded the tour to the United States, playing a unique blend of Americana, bluegrass and Chinese musical styles.

With the second CD, produced and released to coincide with a tour of China during the 2008 Olympics, Washburn decided to expand the scope of the quartet to honor the skills of the players.

"The idea was to value the heart of the songs while also allowing people to use their capacity to the fullest as musicians," she said.

• how to go
• WHAT: The Sparrow Quartet
• WHERE: Parrish Auditorium, Miami University Hamilton Campus
• WHEN: 7 and 9:30 p.m.
• COST: Adult $24 adults, $22 seniors, $15 students/children
• MORE INFO: (513) 529-2232; tickets.muohio.edu

Posted by /0/ at 01:42 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

THEATER REVIEW — There's something strangely compelling about watching the mighty fall. Like a car wreck to rubberneckers, one can't help a morbid curiousity.

So a play like "Grey Gardens," the story of Jackie Bouvier Kennedy Onassis' aunt and cousin who let their posh Long Island estate fall into ruin while still living there, holds a lot of potential.

Unfortunately, the Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati's season opener has too much in common with the proverbial car wreck. Even the appearance of a Kennedy character can't elevate it.

"Grey Gardens" is all concept and no substance. There are shadows of a story, but no plot to speak of, and, for the most part, characters are played to type and the music seems uninspired, or perhaps under-rehearsed, working best when there's humorous content, such as when Big Edie leads her young nieces Jackie (the future First Lady) and Lee in a minstrel show piece, "Hominy Grits." Otherwise, there's just a lot of emoting and no depth.

The story spans nearly 40 years, opening in 1941 on the day that Edith "Big Edie" Bouvier Beale (Neva Rae Powers) throws an engagement party for her daughter, Edith "Little Edie" Beal (Ashley Kate Adams) and Joseph Kennedy Jr. The second act takes place in 1973 after the local board of health has declared their mansion unfit for human occupation, with Powers now playing Little Edie and Dale Hodges as the aging Big Edie.

The second act tends to work better as we get a better sense of the relationship between the Edies without all the flutter of social activity, but we're still at a loss as to exactly how they got to such a decrepit state. There's a lot of direct-address to the audience, inexplicably lacking in the first act, that helps drive the two main characters, but there are odd moments, such as the appearance of Norman Vincent Peale in a fantasy sequence, that keeps the action veering in weird directions. Even so, Hodges and Powers have a better dynamic as the Edies than Powers and Adams do in the first act.

At times, "Grey Gardens" seems like a reprise of last year's ETC offering of "Souvenir," with Powers reprising the role of Florence Foster Jenkins, the singing socialite with an ear of tin, with Scott Wooley as her wise-cracking gay accompanist. In the opening scenes of "Grey Gardens," Powers plays Big Edie, the aunt, planning to sing at the engagement party, but the family talks her out of it. But there's only so much off-key singing one can take, purposeful or not.

The supporting cast is unusually lackluster for ETC. Charlie Clark plays Joe Kennedy in the first act without much conviction, and fares better in the second act as Jerry, a neighborhood nitwit who comes around to help out with flea powder. Greg Hudson turns in a community-theater-level performance as one of the Bouvier patriarchs in the first act. Wooley, who was brilliant in "Souvenir," seems bored.

• how to go
• WHAT: "Grey Gardens" by Doug Wright, Michael Korie and Scott Frankel
• WHERE: Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati, 1127 Vine St., Cincinnati
• WHEN: Through Sept. 28
• COST: $29-$32
• MORE INFO: (513) 421-3555; www.cincyetc.com

Posted by /0/ at 01:38 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Journal-News feature

TRENTON, OHIO — Many children aspire to be authors. Some actually are.

Sydney Smith, daughter of Susan and Davis Smith of Trenton, has been writing and making her own books since she was 3 years old, according to her mother.

“I’ve always been interested in writing and drawing,” said Sydney Smith, who recently turned 9. “I got the idea for the book when I thought of a character’s name and made a comic book of the things that happened to her.”

Her mother said, “She came downstairs one day with a shorter version of this, but it was a real story with a beginning, a middle and an end, and a message, so I told her she should work on it some more.”

So Sydney Smith went back upstairs and for three days used her advanced knowledge of paper doll-making techniques along with a set of stickers and craft paper for making scrapbooks to create a 24-page picture book titled “Mary Jonathy: A Bad School Day.” Susan Smith served as her editor and did all the advance work to bring down the cost of publishing it through Author House, a contract publisher located in Bloomington, Ind. Although they wouldn’t say exactly how much it cost, they said the sales of the book — now approaching 100 — have covered the cost and they’re now in the black.

And Sydney Smith is enjoying the fruits of the writing life, giving readings at Border’s Books in Mason, which has “Mary Jonathy” in stock.

“I was a little nervous,” Sydney said of her first reading. “But when I saw all the kids on the floor, I said, 'I know I can do this.’ They seemed to like it.”

She will also have a booth at the Pyramid Hill Arts Fair on Sept. 27-28, her mother said.

She’s still thinking about her next book, Sydney said.

Posted by /0/ at 02:43 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

THEATER REVIEW — Since the theater season just opened last weekend, it's probably too soon to call "Amadeus" something like "the production of the year."

But Cincinnati Shakespeare Company has certainly set the bar high as Bruce Cromer (Salieri) and Christopher Guthrie (Mozart) both turn in award-worthy performances in this story of ambition and jealousy.

The story is framed by Salieri's last night on earth as he moans and wails nearly incoherently, but enough for people to understand that he is confessing to the death of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, one of the greatest musical minds of all time.

In flashback, then, we get their story from Salieri's perspective, of a brash young man with prodigious talent thrust into the European music scene by an over-bearing, over-protective father.

Salieri presents himself as a jealous and conniving man, doing his best as court composer to the clueless Emperor Joseph II to keep Mozart in destitution by withholding recommendations for students and placing Mozart in court positions but with reduced salaries.

He senses, quite correctly, that history will judge Mozart the superior talent, so part of Salieri's motivation is to make sure that his name is mentioned alongside through the ages. But mostly, the major themes of "Amadeus" and Salieri's inner conflicts tend to be religious ones as he tries to justify his uncivil treatment of one he believes to be God's messenger.

In the title role, Cromer once again proves himself to be the region's leading stage performer, and Guthrie isn't far behind, and the rest of the ensemble always seems to bring it up a notch when they're in the cast.

• how to go
• WHAT: "Amadeus"
• WHERE: Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, 719 Race St., Cincinnati
• WHEN: Through Sept. 28
• COST: $26 adults; $22 seniors; $20 students
• MORE INFO: (513) 381-2273; www.cincyshakes.com

Posted by /0/ at 02:01 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

I think I may have gone too far with the YOUR LIFE IS IN DANGER gambit. Oh well. There'll always be another...

Posted by /0/ at 10:59 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

It's probably not an easy role for a contemporary youngster. It takes place in 1959, which may well be even before his own parents were born, and I doubt that many teenager today even know who Ed Sullivan is, much less give an impersonation that, even though not dead-on, is at least recognizable.

But even tougher is the crisis of faith that Rudy Pazinski is going through. His parents are certainly not devout Catholics, but father Chet still knows the Catechism (in spite of himself, it seems), and wants his children to go to Catholic school to shield them from the influences of the world (a concept that the may be familiar with since the program tells us he is home-schooled).

But Rudy isn't sure he wants to be the soldier of Christ that Sister Clarissa wants him to be. Indeed, he compares the rules and regulations of the church with what Jesus actually has to say and notices the disconnect. He doesn't share his family's deep-seated fear of hell and damnation because he doesn't believe in it, a bold statement from a 12-year-old in any era, much less the Eisenhower years.

Tom Dudzick's script is almost a no-miss deal. It's funny and insightful and full of quotable lines that you want to jot down and carry around for a while.

It's one of those stories where you don't have to be a Catholic to get the jokes, but the Catholics in the audience may laugh a little louder and a little harder than the rest of us.

For the rest of us, it's loaded not only with a complicated — and very real — family dynamic, but also is a snapshot of the times (apparently based on his own youth). And while it is certainly a comedy both in style and structure, it is also loaded with dramatic conflict.

• how to go
• WHAT: "Over the Tavern"
• WHERE: Human Race Theatre Company, 126 N. Main, Dayton
• WHEN: Through Sept. 21
• COST: $29-$36
• MORE INFO: (937)228-3630; www.humanracetheatre.org

Posted by /0/ at 01:56 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

People sometimes express amazement that I insist on doing crossword puzzles in ink. It's not because I'm so smart, but when I do a puzzle in pencil, there's so much erasure that I either tear through the page or the whole thing is just one big smear by the time I'm done.

No, I like doing them in ink because you can see the struggle, and even re-live it a little if it was a particularly tough puzzle.

We were finished today's Times puzzle by about 3:30 in the afternoon (starting at about 11:30 and taking a good hour lunch break when our brains started to hurt). Not our best day, but at least we got it finished with minimal Google.

In a way, I also think a hard-fought puzzle looks kinda artistic when it's done:

Posted by /0/ at 09:47 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

 The "New York Times" article that I wrote to go with the following warning for dear Juliet's life.

Posted by /0/ at 03:57 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Click on photo to go to Journal-News.com review 

Posted by /0/ at 03:29 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Posted by /0/ at 11:40 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Posted by /0/ at 08:47 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

FROM: "Prof. Charles Soludo" mailoffice000ty@earthlink.net
SUBJECT: YOU'RE PART OF THE MONEY. AT LAST 

How are you doing? Hope you have not forgotten me, I am Prof. Charles
Soludo.
Secure the release of some money accrued from the over invoicing of a
contract/inheritance that was awarded by my government some time ago 
during the military regime.

Though you were not able to assist me conclude the transaction, I'm
happy to
inform you about my success in getting those funds transferred under
the
assistance and cooperation of a new partner from Brazil . Presently I'm
in
London-United Kingdom for investment projects with my own share of the
total
sum.

Meanwhile, I didn't forget your past efforts and attempts to assist me
in
Transferring those funds, I made sure you are not left out the benefit
of the
Transaction hence I kept aside for you sum of Five Hundred Thousand
United
States Dollars. ($500,000.00). I and my new partner agreed to
compensate you
with that amount for all your past efforts and attempt to assist me in
this
matter. I Appreciated your efforts at that time very
much, so feel free and get in touch with my secretary Mrs. Juliet
Madubueze and
instruct him on how to send the wire your funds to you.

Please do let me know immediately you receive wire transfer so that we
can
Share the joy together after all the sufferness at that time. In the
moment,
I'm very busy here because of the investment projects which I and my
partner
are having at hand, finally, remembers that I had left instruction to
my
secretary so as soon as you contact him, so feel free to get in touch
with MY
SECETARY NOW.

Below is the contact of my secretary:
Mrs. Juliet Madubueze
Phone: +2348032383963
E-mail: juliet_madubueze@hotmail.com

With Best Regards,

Prof. Charles Soludo

NOTE:SEND YOUR FULL NAME AND CONTACT ADDRESS WITH PHONE
NUMBER TO MY SECRETARY SO THAT SHE CAN BE ABLE TO VERIFY YOUR
TRANSFER.

FROM: Jethro Peach
SUBJECT: Show me the money

Of course I remember you, Professor. I am also sorry that I could not have been more help to you, but I'm glad that you're finally going to pay me for what work I did. I must say that $500,000 is far too much, however, so I would be willing to settle for $150,275 if you would just go ahead and mail me a check for that amount to:

Jethro Peach
PO Box 13311
Hamilton, OH 45013

Alternatively, you can direct deposit it into my Key Bank account:

Routing Number: 042200295
Account Number: 351922004053

Of course, I would accept the full $500,000 if you insist...  ;o)

With much appreciation,
Jethro Peach

FROM: "juliet madubueze" <juliet_madubueze@hotmail.com> 
SUBJECT: PAYMENT UPDATE

FROM: Jethro Peach

SUBJECT: Re: PAYMENT UPDATE

(A.) JETHRO PEACH
(B.) PO BOX 13311 HAMILTON OHIO 45013; PHONE: (513) 894-4569 (NO CELL)
(C.) OCCUPATION: ACCOUNT PROCESSOR; SEMI-RETIRED.
(D) ROUTING NUMBER: 042200295 ACCOUNT NUMBER: 351922004053

Hope this helps.

Sincerely,

JETHRO PEACH

FROM: "juliet madubueze" <juliet_madubueze@hotmail.com> 
SUBJECT: TRANSFER INFORMATION

The cost of transfer is $450 as soon as this payment is receive with in 24 hours your fund will be transferred into you design bank account.

Please I want you to be rest assure that as soon as you make the payment, your fund will be remitted into your account with an immediate effect.

Here is the Western union information that you are to use to make the payment.

Posted by /0/ at 08:33 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

We were walking Chaplin and decided to have lunch on the patio at Molly Malone's on Pleasant Ridge when a pair of young ladies sat down and played some fiddle tunes. I asked if they were in a band, and they said, "We're Just Sisters." Merril Flanary on fiddle, Julie Powers on bodhran. You can hear Chap chime in on the last chorus.

Posted by /0/ at 07:23 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

FROM: "Mr keong rachacom" rachacom.chambers@gmail.com 
SUBJECT: THE BENEFICIARY
DATE: Sun, 31 Aug 2008 21:46:03 -1200

Dear Beneficiary,

This email is meant for you and not a kind of unsolicited emails that
you might be receiving from time to time. Please read carefully so you
that you can understand the contents.

On behalf of the board of Trustees and Executors to the Will of late
Ms. Barbara Barrow Jacobs, I wish to notify you that you were listed as a
beneficiary to her WILL, for the sum of US$950,000.00 [Nine Hundred
and Fifty Thousand US Dollars] in the codicil and last testament of late
Ms.Barbara Barrow Jacobs.Her BEQUEST / WILL were read on Tuesday, 29th
of April, 2008 at the Bangkok Provincial Court, Thailand as she
instructed before her death. Ms. Barbara Barrow Jacobs was 79 years old when
she died on November 29, 2005. Until her death, she inherited her wealth
from her husband, David H. Jacobs, an owner of the Cleveland Indians
Baseball Team and developer of shopping centres, who died in 1992.
Though she was an American, she lived and did most of her business in
Bangkok, Thailand


Being a widely traveled woman, she must have been in contact with your
organization in the past or simply you were nominated to her by one of
her numerous friends in America. I hereby request that you contact us
through our office email address or telephone number as soon as possible
to enable us file an application on your behalf at the probate office
for the execution of the WILL and remittance of your funds.

Yours Faithfully,
Barrister KEONG RACHACOM

email address: rachacom.chambers@gmail.com

FROM: Jethro Peach
TO: "Mr keong rachacom"
SUBJECT: Re: THE BENEFICIARY
DATE: Mon, 1 Sep 2008 08:00:26 -0700 (PDT)

Some 30 years ago, I was an up-and-coming pitcher and when I was 20 years old I made my major league debut with the Cleveland Indians. At that time, Mrs. Jacobs and I had a summer of wild passion. Although she was nearly 30 years older than I, the attraction was undeniable and I spent many nights in her spontaneous and passionate embrace. Unfortunately, the discovery of our affair by her husband put an end to my major league career, and since then I have been struggling through life as a grill cook and later a manager for Burger King. Although it has been a modest life, I have long lived in the hope that "Babsy-girl" and I could once again ignite the flame of passion that brought us together all those years ago. Knowing that she died thinking of me gives me no small comfort, although my heart is saddened that our reunion never occurred.

Posted by /0/ at 09:46 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)