Friday, December 23, 2011
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
A MODERN AMERICAN CLASSIC:
CONVERGENCE-CONTINUUM PRESENTS A MODERN AMERICAN CLASSIC:
THE BOYS IN THE BAND, OPENING, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7
convergence-continuum, continues its 2011 Season at the Liminis with Mart
Crowley's 1968 ground-breaking play, The Boys in the Band.
Set in an Upper East Side Manhattan apartment during a birthday party, the
evening begins as a hilarious and spirited celebration among friends. The
guest of honor is Harold, who is glum about getting older and losing his
looks. Michael, the host, is uncomfortable about his sexuality and
undergoing psychoanalysis, as is guest Donald, a conflicted friend who has
moved to the suburbs to spurn the gay lifestyle. Other guests include
Bernard, an African-American who still pines for the wealthy white boy in
the house where his mother worked as a maid; interior-decorator Emory, who
is openly and extremely flamboyant and the most stereotypical of the
group. Also attending are Larry, who is an aggressively sexual player and
Hank, who passes as straight: a couple living together but disagreeing on
the issue of monogamy. Rounding out the revelers is "Cowboy," a young,
attractive, but less than bright, hustler who is Emory's gift to Harold.
It's all laughs, until an unexpected guest, Alan (Michael's straight
college friend), too much alcohol and a truth-telling game reveal tensions
that rip open the men's souls. The Boys in the Band premiered in 1968 and
represents a major milestone in American theatre as the first play to
openly portray the pleasures, miseries and private lives of gay men.
The Boys in the Band is directed by convergence-continuum company member,
Tyson Douglas Rand, and features actors Curt Arnold, Benjamin Gregg, Zac
Hudak, Jim Jarrell, Dan Kilbane, Clyde Simon, Jonathan Wilhelm, Bobby
Williams and Scott Zolkowski.
The Boys in the Band opens Friday, October 7 and runs at 8 p.m. Thursdays,
Fridays and Saturdays through October 29 at the Liminis, 2438 Scranton
Rd., Cleveland, OH 44113 in the historic Tremont neighborhood. Tickets
are $15 general admission, $12 for seniors (65+) and $10 for students.
Reservations and information are available at
http://www.convergence-continuum.org and 216-687-0074.
Saturday, September 17, 2011
The Guys
SEP 07
2011
BY LORI DEMRES
Want to go?
• WHAT: "The Guys"
• WHEN: 8 p.m. Sept. 9, 10, 16, 17, 23 & 24; 2 p.m. Sept. 11 & 18
• WHERE: Harlequins Theatre, 414 Wayne St. Rear, Sandusky
• COST: $10/ticket
• INFO: 419-621-1311
On the tenth anniversary of 9/11, Harlequins Theatre has chosen to open its 84th season with Anne Nelson's "The Guys," a play that honors those who responded to the tragedy at the Twin Towers.
"I won't kid you, there are parts that are sad," said Jennifer Wertz, one member of the two-person cast. "But the overall show is uplifting in that we are honoring the fallen by sharing their stories. And there is humor in some of the stories. And it's okay to laugh at that humor, because the play is not a dirge. We are
celebrating these men's lives."
Director Lisa Wiley agrees.
"There are moments of levity, when the Captain, in remembering his guys, describes their personalities and their antics," said Wiley. "They were real people, and to keep them real he remembers the vulnerabilities and eccentricities, as well as their acts of heroism."
In celebration and commemoration, Harlequins is donating a portion of the proceeds from ticket sales to local first responder charities, including the development of a 9/11 memorial in Huron County using a support beam from the Twin Towers. First responders will also be granted free admission during the first weekend of the show.
"The Guys" is based on a true story. In the aftermath of September 11, 2001, Nick, a New York City fire captain (played by Rob Albach), must compose several eulogies for those he lost in the Twin Towers. Too overwhelmed and still struggling with such a great loss, he enlists the help of a writer named Joan (played by Jennifer Wertz), who guides him through his grief to re-discover and remember the
camaraderie and friendship he had with his colleagues.
Harlequins is actually reviving this show from when they first performed it five years ago. Both actors and the director returned for this event.
"I did it because it's a powerful show and a wonderful role," said Wertz. "I always look for shows that not only entertain, but educate and enlighten."
"You can never recapture the feelings that were present in a previous performance, just create new ones," said Wiley. "The enormous scope of the tragedy was something that most of us have never witnessed. I wanted to show the transitions people made in dealing with their own feelings, the emotions of those around them and the interaction of both."
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Open Casting For Feature Film - Paid Roles - SAG Eligible
CINEMA Cleveland, in association with the Cleveland Institute of Art (CIA), will host an OPEN AUDITION for the upcoming local film Cleveland, I Love You, on Saturday, Sept. 24 from 10am to 3pm at the Russell B. Aitken Auditorium in Cleveland.
The film, an anthology of 10 love stories set in Cleveland, seeks experienced, local, adult actors to fill several diverse roles.
ALL SPEAKING ROLES WILL BE PAID.
Actors should bring a recent headshot and resume; materials will not be returned. At this time we cannot offer scheduled appointments. A section of the script will be provided at the audition. Actors will have about 20 minutes to reviewr the material before meeting with the casting director.
Actors cast in Cleveland, I Love You will join several beloved local talents who have already been cast in key roles: Cleveland icon Robin Swoboda; television and radio personality Vic Gideon; and soap opera star Robyn Griggs.
Auditions will be held in the CIA's Aitken Auditorium, the official venue of the renowned Cleveland Cinematheque, at 11141 East Blvd., Cleveland. Free, secure parking will be provided in the adjacent CIA lot, located on the north and east sides of the building off East Boulevard. Entrance to the building is through the rear door, just off the parking lot.
For more information visit www.clevelandiloveyoumovie.com
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Thursday, September 1, 2011
'Five Flights' is highly entertaining
'Five Flights' is highly entertaining
THEATER, BY HERB HAMMER
'Five Flights' is highly entertaining
Adam Bock has a habit of writing comedies that veer off in several directions. Take "Five Flights," now being staged by Convergence-Continuum at the Liminis on Scranton Road. While the main thrust of this highly successful play targets one puzzling problem, we find four characters doing a comedy routine while watching a ballet. There is even some business with two hockey players taking a shower together.
Surely Mr. Bock reaches his target audience -- those who find quirky, off-the-wall plays to be just terrific. Playgoers who require constant hand-holding need not bother.
In the beginning, Ed, the middle-aged son of his recently deceased father, gives us a taste of what is going on. His bland monologue gets things going.
It isn't long before we learn what eats at this family. Siblings Ed, Adele and Bobby have a decision to make. They have to decide what to do with the house-sized, decaying aviary built by their father for their long-dead mother.
It is Olivia, an eccentric paint store clerk, who drives the plot forward.
Olivia, Adele's closer-than-close best friend, wants to turn the aviary into her Church of the Fifth Day. According to Olivia, who reads from the Bible, God created birds on the fifth day. She runs the No. 5 up and down to make her point.
The reason for building the aviary in the first place is important. It seems, during the funeral of his wife, the grief-stricken father found that a wren had landed on his shoulder. Certainly, this was his reincarnated wife. So why not build an aviary?
While the nutty characters bob and weave over one problem, brother Ed falls in love with Tom, one of the hockey players. Their kissing scenes are more comical than romantic.
Though Olivia's religious plans are but the dream of a woman trapped in a low-paying job with a Visa bill she can't keep up with, it draws in Ed and the hockey-playing, ballet-loving Tom, as well as Adele. But you know Adam Bock won't let this happen.
The six actors pull all of this off with great skill. Everyone gets a chance to be a bit nutty. The sanest is Bobby, the brother we never see but is only talked about. It's as though he didn't want to get involved.
Director Clyde Simon keeps the action going its bumpy way, obviously having the time of his life. He also has created a fascinating set. At one end of the stage, there is a wall of the crumbling aviary attracting constant attention.
"Five Flights," originally done as an hour-and-a-half one-act, has been split in two with a 10-minute intermission. A wise move. It takes those extra few minutes to absorb the first half before taking on the second.
Religion, passion, the ballet, bird worship and more collapse into 90 minutes of high-speed theater. It's a good time. Call 216-687-0074 for tickets.
Monday, July 11, 2011
THE MIRACLE AT NAPLES, NOW ONSTAGE AT CONVERGENCE-CONTINUUM
"...a thumping tangle of spirited fun." "...does a spanking job of turning raunchy into rollicking." "...a ribald pleasure hunt." (Christine Howey, Plain Dealer)
"...very funny stuff indeed." "...very well written, very well designed, and very well performed. It is also very well directed." "The Miracle at Naples is a romp, pure and simple." (Bob Abelman, News-Herald)
"From its very first line, "To hell with my virginity!" to its
obvious happily ever-after ending, convergence continuum's THE MIRACLE AT
NAPLES is raunchy, ribald and funny. It is definitely recommended for mature audiences who are looking for summer entertainment and aren't uptight." (Roy Berko, The Times Newspapers, coolcleveland.com)
Read Christine Howey's full PD review at http://www.cleveland.com/arts/index.ssf/2011/07/convergence-continuums_miracle.htmland Roy Berko's at http://royberko.info/
The Miracle at Naples is an outrageously smart and bawdy commedia
dell'arte-inspired sex farce about traveling players who land in Naples in
the autumn of 1580 at the time of the annual miracle of San Gennaro, when the rag-tag band of actors and the locals they encounter entangle themselves in a wildly hilarious mire of erotic and sexual confusions.
The Miracle at Naples runs Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm at the Liminis, 2438 Scranton Rd., Cleveland 44113 in the historic Tremont neighborhood. General admission $15, Seniors (65+) $12, Students $10. Reservations athttp://www.convergence-continuum.org or call 216-687-0074.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Miraculous
by David Grimm
directed by Geoffrey Hoffman
July 1 - 23
A wild and bawdy comic romp when a rude and lewd commedia dell arte troupe descends upon the locals in the piazza of 1580 Naples!
Monday, June 13, 2011
What's Going On!?
After moving to Cleveland in December I have been concentrating on doing Voice Overs and trying to find a part time job. But also I was trying to find a new theatre group (s) to hang out with. Well- I found one so far!
I am currently serving as Stage Manager for the convergence continuum Theatre. We are in production for Miracle at Naples. I really like their approach to theatre pieces that aren't quite so "mainstream". I have met some wonderful talent thus far and hope to continue to network. Perhaps soon (dare I say) I might be directing or onstage here in the Cleveland area. Fingers crossed!