The Sold Firm Gallery Welcomes New Young Curator

The content of this post comes from an announcement by The Sold Firm...

The Sold Firm — located on 8th and Tatnall Streets in the heart of downtown Wilmington — is an intimate contemporary gallery focusing on the curation of emerging artists of several genres and styles who may be unable to exhibit in larger institutions.

Owner and gallerist Nataki Oliver has kept strong to that mission since opening in 2019, while also hosting broader community events and arts-based workforce development opportunities for Wilmington youth. Recently, Oliver was proud to make the below announcement:

"Many teens have come through the gallery as assistants. The journey finding one dedicated to learning smarter who also 'breathes' the arts was the goal. I knew one day the 'Wright' person would walk in and own their place in The Sold Firm Art Gallery.

I am extremely excited to announce that teen is Nia Rae Wright! Nia Rae has been working hard for a year at the gallery. She is more than I expected but exactly what the gallery needs. The most fitting opportunity for Nia Rae is taking the lead as a paid 2025 Guest Curator.

Nia Rae is currently planning the fist exhibit coming in February 2025. The exhibit will exclusively feature selected visual artists over the age of 60 years old. I will be behind her to make sure she has the support to deliver her vision. Please congratulate Nia Rae on being amazing!"

Wright is a 17-year-old junior at Cab Calloway School of the Arts, majoring in Visual Arts and Theatre (Acting). She says that as much as she enjoys her work as a guest curator at the Sold Firm, she doesn't really see herself pursuing gallery managing or owning as a career.

"I started [with The Sold Firm] last November to collect volunteer hours for my school's National Arts Honors Society," Wright says. "but it ended up going beyond that and now I’m [Nataki's] intern/assistant."

Her favorite aspect of the job is definitely the opening night of exhibits and getting to see people come in and look at the art and discuss it with others.

So, with this experience on her resumé, does Wright have any advice for emerging or aspiring artists? "Whatever it is you want to do just go for it," she says, "whether that’s getting your art into a gallery or experimenting with a new medium!"

Delaware Arts Info wishes Nia all the best in her exciting new chapter and thanks The Sold Firm for providing opportunities like this for Wilmington youth to experience and become involved in the arts!

CLICK HERE to see Nia Wright in action at the gallery...

Ursuline Students Honor Big Voice-Big Hair '60s Nostaglia with Beehive: The Musical

Content of this post comes from a press release from Ursuline Academy...

It was a revolutionary time of female role models with big hair and high boots — the 60s. A time of flower power and girl power. Beehive: The 60s Musical is a celebration of the most powerful and iconic female voices of the 1960s. An uplifting, upbeat salute to female empowerment. Told from the perspective of six women who come of age in this enigmatic decade, Beehive will take audiences on a nostalgic journey through timeless hits of the era. This toe-tapping production features classic chart-toppers that will put a song in your heart and leave you dancing in the aisles.

Beehive: The 60s Musical. Production photo courtesy of Ursuline Academy.

This Broadway musical of the mid-1980s was created by the late Larry Gallagher, who envisioned that an onstage band would celebrate the era along with the cast. Some of the timeless hits of the era performed include My Boyfriend’s Back, Son of a Preacher Man, Natural Woman, It’s My Party, Where the Boys Are, and Cry Baby.

Creative Team: Direction/Choreography - Tori Healy; Music Direction - Joe Louden; Scenic Design - Joe Louden, Jim Lober, Tori Healy; Costume Design - Tori Healy, Dinah Schlecht; Stage Management - Maddie Manley; Student Choreographer/Tech - Annabelle Hayes.

Cast: Wanda - Kaitlyn Kotowski; Pattie - Nicole Boatright; Alison- Jojo Schlecht; Laura - Abby Selzer; Jasmine/Gina - Elle Persoleo.

Band: Piano/Conductor - Joe Louden; Percussion- Jeffrey Dombchick; Guitar-Paul Grey; Bass - Sarah Renz; Trumpet - Evan Roberts; Saxophone - Dave Hopkins.

IF YOU GO

Ursuline Academy Theater Presents: Beehive: The 60’s Musical

November 22 & 23 at 7:30 pm and November 24 at 2:00 pm

Ursuline Academy, Raskob Auditorium

CLICK HERE for TICKETS

Navigating the Rough Crossing with The REP

By Mike Logothetis
Theater reviewer Mike Logothetis grew up in North Wilmington, performing in school and local theater productions. He lives in Newark, but you can find him wherever the arts are good.

The Tom Stoppard absurdist comedy Rough Crossing began its run at the University of Delaware Resident Ensemble Players’ (The REP) campus home this weekend. The show entertains with witty banter and lots of visual pizzaz.

(L-R): Stephen Pelinski, Hassan El-Amin, Mic Matarrese, Elizabeth Heflin, Michael Gotch
star in The REP's production of Rough Crossing. Photo courtesy of The REP.

While its zaniness may go overboard in places, it is a pleasing production which satisfies on multiple levels. Liberally adapted from celebrated Hungarian playwright Ferenc Molnár’s Play at the Castle, the show sees playwrights Sandor Turai (Stephen Pelinski) and Alex Gal (Hassan El-Amin) onboard the SS Italian Castle as they work on their latest musical The Cruise of the Dodo. Both writers are hoping to refresh their careers by working with an up-and-coming composer, the anxious and lovelorn Adam Adam (Michael Gotch).

Adam has a tic which manifests as delayed verbal responses to questions. Naturally, every conversation which includes him loses its way because of his inability to keep up. The nervous Adam is engaged to one of the stars of the show — the glamorous Natasha Navrátilova (Elizabeth Heflin). But when Adam overhears Natasha’s co-star Ivor Fish (Mic Matarrese) agonizingly confess hisunwavering love for her on her cabin balcony 
— “Let the whole world know that I mean nothing to you. I’m a dashed Martini!” — the writers must work to keep Adam engaged and alive. Nautical nonsense ensues on a tropical themed ship set created by scenic designer Stefanie Hansen.

Typically, Stoppard’s work is the star, but for this production the physical theater is the feature. Hansen has created three beautiful and complex settings for the director Ian Belknap to utilize. The most dynamic and lush décor is the setting for Act II: the “Pisa Room.” The performance space has art deco-influenced lines and moving leaning towers (of Pisa). Even the chandeliers sway with the ship’s movements.

In Act II, Natasha and Ivor rehearse their patently awful Dodo dialog in a ridiculous plot which keeps changing, per the direction of Gal and Turai. They take mini smoke and make-up breaks between musical numbers and feedback. Heflin and Matarrese lean into wacky melodrama, prancing around the ship’s rehearsal space and making constant digs at Turai’s ridiculous writing. All the while, the ultimate goal is to get Adam back in a good headspace so they can finish the show.

The running gag for the cabin steward Dvornichek (Lee E. Ernst) is his misunderstanding of Turai’s requests and constantly downing his ordered cognac. Of course, this can only take place after the dim-witted Dvornichek learns proper nautical terminology. As for Gal, the man simply cannot stop grazing on whatever food is present.

Kudos to actor El-Amin for not mumbling lines with a full maw or even choking!

Another highlight is the live music provided by pianist Charlie Gilbert. Gilbert has no lines, but adds accompaniment and interludes during which silent actors Kyle Montanez and Mackenzie Speed entertain. Gilbert can be found either on a rising stage apron or on stage with the cast. The show ends happily in a cabaretstyle finale with curtain call.

Performances of Rough Crossing run November 7-24. Informal talkbacks with the cast take place following the evening performances on Thursday, November 14 and Friday, November 22. Two “prologues” occur on Saturday, November 16 and Sunday, November 24. Tickets prices range from $35-39 with discounts available for students, seniors, plus University of Delaware faculty and staff. 

Tickets can be purchased online at www.rep.udel.edu; by contacting The REP box office at 302-831-2204; or visiting in person at 110 Orchard Road Tuesdays through Fridays from 12:00 to 5:00pm. The show runs approximately 2.5 hours with one 15-minute intermission between acts.

The Thompson Theatre at the Roselle Center for the Arts is located on the University of Delaware’s Newark campus and is ADA-compliant. It is equipped with a hearing loop system, which works with hearing aid t-coils, cochlear implants, and in-house hearing devices. Wheelchair and other seating requests can be made prior to the performance by calling the box office or emailing cfa-boxoffice@udel.edu.

“The women and children don’t give an inch on this boat” – Alex Gal