Sunday, December 15, 2019

City Theater Company Takes You in Search of "The Real" with "Passing Strange"

Passing Strange at City Theater Company runs through December 21.
Photos by Joe del Tufo/Moonloop Photography.
By Holly Quinn
Holly is a longtime reviewer of Delaware theater; in addition to Delaware Arts Info, she has contributed to The News Journal and Stage Magazine. She is the lead reporter for Technical.ly Delaware.

Passing Strange, the layered rock musical by Stew, is a Christmas show. At least tangentially. I'd never looked at it that way, but as it's City Theater Company's December production, I wondered if they were simply being alternative in a season when a lot of arts lovers need a break from the Christmas Carols and Nutcrackers.

After seeing it, it occurred to me how well it fits during this turbulent holiday season. It tackles race and revolution, but it all comes down to love.

Even viewed as a (tangentially) Christmas show, Passing Strange is about as far from traditional as possible. It's the story of a young African American man trying to figure himself out in the suburbs of Los Angeles in the 1970s, and, later, in Europe in the 1980s. It has an all-Black cast that includes a small ensemble that plays multiple characters with wildly different personalities, from members of the protagonist’s childhood Baptist church to members of his teenage punk rock band to his "found families" in Amsterdam and West Berlin.

Youth often found himself 
 quite by his own choices  part of white spaces, but the ensemble doesn't shift to white actors for those roles, a detail of the show established before the show hit off-Broadway. As such, it’s a story about Black experience that never centers on whiteness, even when Youth exists as the only Black person in a space.

Dominic Santos, a respected veteran of Delaware theater at this point, plays Youth from the age of 14 to his early 20s, and does a terrific job of developing the character on stage as he tries to find his identity. Youth feels out of place in Black spaces 
— a crush tells him he needs to be “more Black” (but not so much that he can’t follow a path to suburban comfort), while his choir leader shows him the misery of not being your real self.

Eventually Youth does act “more Black” 
 for Berlin radicals who fetishize oppression and lavish him with the attention he craves.

Meredith Bell, former lead singer for Palaceburn, hits the right emotional notes as the vivacious and long-suffering Mother; Chris Banker, last seen at CTC in Pub Plays, is almost simply part of the soundtrack for much of the show. As the tension in the story builds, so does the Narrator’s place in it.

This show requires an extremely tight ensemble, and this production has it in Jared Chichester, Dana Hoffman, Kyleen Shaw and Philip Anthony Wilson. A mix of newcomers to the Wilmington stage and familiar faces (Shaw was last seen at CTC in Lizzie), the casting couldn’t be more on point. Each plays three to four distinct roles, and each shine in all of them. Part of the fun 
 and this show is definitely fun, even while dealing with some heavy emotional subject matter  is waiting to see how the ensemble actors will change from arc to arc as Youth goes on his journey.

So, how is this story about a young, sometimes misguided man navigating a world he struggles to fit into a Christmas show? I won’t give too much away, but a pivotal moment in the story that centering on family and the holidays is the catalyst to the emotional climax about love, loss and forgiveness. But don’t let that deter you if you’re avoiding traditional holiday shows. This is one not to miss.

Friday, November 1, 2019

A New Play ‘Lands’ at Delaware Theatre Company

By Charles "Ebbie" Alfree, III

Harry Hamlin & Stefanie Powers play three roles
in Joshua Ravetch's play,
One November Yankee.
Photo by Matt Urban.
The second production of the 2019-20 Delaware Theatre Company (DTC) season is Joshua Ravetch’s engrossing new play, One November Yankee. The playwright, who also directs the two-person production, explores the unique relationship between three sets of siblings through three interwoven stories.

Stefanie Powers and Harry Hamlin play the siblings. Maggie and Ralph contemplate their respect and loyalty toward each other as they prepare a major art exhibit; Margo and Harry confront a life-and-death situation as they travel to a family wedding; and while on a hike, Mia and Ronnie come to terms with a past family tragedy that has fractured their relationship. Through the stories, Ravetch skillfully writes of the love and rivalries that typically occur between siblings and the joys and tribulations that come with being in a family.

Although Powers and Hamlin are best known for their film and television work, both are superb on stage. Playing multiple roles requires both actors to demonstrate a range of emotions during the 90-minute performance. Powers plays a staunch art museum curator (Maggie) and a strong-willed amateur pilot (Margo); Mr. Hamlin plays an eccentric artist (Ralph) and an aspiring author (Harry); and they both play bereft hikers (Mia and Ronnie). Powers and Hamlin exquisitely convey vulnerability and strength, making their performances heartbreaking and powerful. However, they also find humor in their characters, helping alleviate the play's heavy subject matter.
Scenic designer Dana Moran Williams has created a startling and effective set. A small yellow plane 'crashed' into the middle of the stark stage serves as a constant reminder of not only the situation that binds the characters, but also a symbol of when their lives are crashing down, they must depend on each other. In addition to some other minor set pieces, a screen on the side of the stage projects videos and pictures of the characters’ current setting and state-of-mind between scenes, which prepares the audience for the next act.

Coping with the pressures of working together, comforting each other during a catastrophic time, and reconciling a strained family relationship, Ravetch does a remarkable job conveying the ups and downs siblings face during a lifetime. It’s not often we have such a distinguished playwright and director work on a new piece in the First State -- and have two extraordinary actors bring it to life every night, so get your tickets today before One November Yankee closes on November 10!

For tickets and additional information, visit www.delawaretheatre.org or call 302.594.1100.

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

DelShakes' "Romeo & Juliet" Community Tour Commences

Wilfredo Amill plays Romeo in Delaware Shakespeare's Community 

Tour of Romeo & Juliet. Photo courtesy of Delaware Shakespeare.
By Mike Logothetis
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 Delaware Shakespeare Community Tour returns this autumn with a touching performance of Romeo and Juliet, William Shakespeare’s classic tale of teenage love gone horribly wrong.

Community Tour productions play in non-theatrical settings such as multipurpose rooms, homeless shelters and gymnasiums. The production values are scaled for those spaces with live music, minimal sets and whatever lighting is available. In this way, the tour exposes live theater to many people who’ve never experienced it.

Producing Artistic Director David Stradley looks for spaces that can hold a seated audience between 40 and 120 people in a four-sided arrangement. Stradley says that the audience will “...never feel the power of Shakespeare’s vital romantic tragedy more immediately than in our Community Tour production, where every audience member is within ten feet of the performers.”

Stradley stressed that Delaware Shakespeare searches for communities which may be underserved by the arts and whose residents might find difficulty traveling to Rockwood Park for its annual Summer Festival. The Community Tour performs for very diverse audiences and the cast reflects that diversity. African-American actor Wilfredo (Freddy) Amill plays Romeo opposite Argentine Sol Madariaga as Juliet. The two have real chemistry as “star-cross'd lovers” whose feuding families make their budding romance taboo.

Romeo and Juliet is a well-known tale of two dreamers awakening to love in a world trying to tear them apart. Director Lindsay Smiling has instructed his cast to be passionate and physically show their feelings, while speaking Shakespeare’s famous words. He has extracted stellar performances from all the actors without them appearing to overstep their roles.

The excellent Cameron DelGrosso plays a spirited Mercutio – riding a crest of bawdy independence until his best friend Romeo settles him down with tales of his budding love. DelGrosso expertly shows that fraternal loyalty and elan are imbued in Mercutio.

Tai Verley also shone as the wise, but dutiful, Nurse to Juliet. Verley was stern when required, but ultimately loving and devoted to her charge.

As previously mentioned, Amill and Madariaga display tenderness toward each other while showing resolve to make their future together a reality. Both are easy to watch and place the audience quickly on their side – the side of true love.

The multiple fight scenes were well choreographed (Jacqueline Holloway) on the small set with only two pieces of scenery. The audience felt right on top of the pithy swordplay. In the same vein, the dance during the party at the house of the Capulets made it feel like the stage was a bigger space than it was. Both were clever illusions.

Cassandra Alexander, Newton Buchanan, J Hernandez, and Maria Konstantinidis round out the top-notch cast, who often play multiple roles.

The Community Tour of Romeo and Juliet takes place in venues throughout Delaware from October 23 through November 17. (Performances at Baylor Women’s Correctional Institution, Howard R. Young Correctional Institution, Sussex Correctional Institution and Ferris School are not open to the public.) 


Admission is free with RSVP at info@delshakes.org or 302.415.3373. There will be two ticketed performances ($18-25) on November 16 and 17 at The Siegel Jewish Community Center. These performances have only 125 tickets available for each show. The running time is approximately 2 hours and 15 minutes with one 10-minute intermission. 

Information can be found at https://delshakes.org/community-tour/.

“A thousand times good night!”

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Christina Cultural Arts Center Opens Concert Season with World Music

Photo by Shervin Lainez.
Live @ Christina, Christina Cultural Arts Center’s (CCAC’s) annual concert series held in its intimate Clifford Brown Performance Space, will kick off this season on Saturday, Nov. 9 at 7:30 p.m. with noted world music ensemble Ajoyo

Each season, CCAC has been fortunate to welcome performances by noted artists like Gregory Porter, Delfeayo Marsalis, Snarky Puppy and Christian Sands.

Headed by French-Tunisian saxophonist, clarinetist and composer, Yacine Boularès, Ajoyo blends sounds of African tradition, jazz and soul with the silken vocals of Sarah Elizabeth Charles. Tickets for the performance are $23 and are available at ccacde.org.

“Our music stems from West and North African rhythmic traditions — Fela Kuti, Salif Keita, Oum Kalthoum and many more,” says Boularès. “But we also bring a lot of our individual experience as musicians. The sum of it all is an upbeat, eclectic brew of jazz, soul, African rhythms and indie rock.”

Last appearing at CCAC in May 2018, Ajoyo happily returns to downtown Wilmington for a repeat performance. “On tour, we tend to develop special relationships with certain audiences, and CCAC was definitely one of them,” Boularès says.

Ultimately, he says, Ajoyo is about creating music for the mind, for the heart, and for the body. “You’ll definitely want to stand up and dance,” he says.

This engagement is made possible through the Special Presenters Initiative program of Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation with support from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Delaware Division of the Arts.

ABOUT CHRISTINA CULTURAL ARTS CENTER
The mission of Christina Cultural Arts Center Inc. (CCAC) is to make affordable arts, education, career training, exhibitions and live performances accessible to youth and adults in a welcoming learning environment. For more than 70 years, CCAC has been an anchor in the Delaware arts community and Wilmington's Creative District, focusing on the tenets of Hope, Knowledge, Inspiration & Passion by providing instruction and performance/exhibition opportunities in music, dance, drama, visual arts and poetry. Christina offers one of the only integrated arts and academic programs in Delaware, utilizing the power of arts to promote school success, career training, and positive social behavior. We collaborate with local and national partners — business, educators, and artists — to promote the creative industry and advocate for the socio-economic impact of the arts in our community. Christina Cultural Arts Center is a member of the Mid Atlantic Foundation Jazz Touring Network. 


For more information visit ccacde.org.

Monday, October 14, 2019

National Portrait Gallery to Feature Selected Works from Pre-Raphaelite Collection

The content of this post comes from a previous press release from the Delaware Art Museum...

Found by Dante Gabriel Rossetti.
File courtesy of Delaware Art Museum.
 
A major new exhibition in London showcasing the women who shaped the Pre-Raphaelite movement will include four pieces from the Delaware Art Museum. 

In the 1880s, American textile mill owner Samuel Bancroft, Jr. was “shocked with delight” upon viewing a painting by Dante Gabriel Rossetti. The Wilmington industrialist purchased his first Rossetti oil painting, Water Willow, around 10 years later. By the time of his death in 1915, Bancroft had amassed what is now the largest and most significant Pre-Raphaelite collection outside the United Kingdom.

In 1935, Bancroft’s family donated his entire collection to what is now the Delaware Art Museum, along with 11 acres of land on Kentmere Parkway to construct a museum.


Sunday, September 15, 2019

Announcing 2019 Governor's Awards for the Arts Recipients

Content of this post comes from a release from the Delaware Division of the Arts...

The Delaware Division of the Arts is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2019 Governor’s Awards for the Arts, which pay tribute to distinguished individuals and organizations that have had a profound and lasting impact on the state’s artistic and cultural life. The 2019 Governor’s Awards for the Arts were coordinated by the Delaware Division of the Arts in conjunction with the Delaware State Arts Council and the Office of Governor John C. Carney.

To celebrate the recipients' achievements, an award ceremony will be held on Monday, October 28, at 4:00pm at the Rollins Center at Dover Downs Hotel & Casino. As part of the celebration, The Music School of Delaware’s Suzuki Academy Honors Program Student String Quartet will perform. A reception with light fare will be held prior to the ceremony from 3:00-4:00pm. The reception and award ceremony are free and open to the public.

2019 GOVERNOR’S AWARDS FOR THE ARTS RECIPIENTS
  • ARTS ADMINISTRATION - Raye Jones Avery
  • ARTS EDUCATION - Charles J. Conway
  • ARTS PATRON, CORPORATE - M&T Bank
  • ARTS PATRON, INDIVIDUAL - Carla Markell
  • COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT - Art Therapy Express
  • PEGGY AMSTERDAM AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT - Debora Hansen
For more information about the Governor’s Awards for the Arts and the 2019 Award Recipients, click here to visit the Governor’s Awards for the Arts webpage.

The Governor’s Awards for the Arts reception and ceremony will immediately follow the 2019 Delaware Arts Summit.

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

Meet Delaware Author/Poet, Corey Banana

Author/Poet Corey Banana. Photo by Tyler Collins.
A’Nyezah Richards (AKA "Corey Banana") is an author, poet, and model from New Castle, Delaware who began writing at age 13. In 2015, Corey graduated vocational high school and went on to study at Wesley College, majoring in Law and Justice Studies. She completed her first book, Dust On The Record, in 2018 and will soon publish her second book, Vessels.

Delaware Arts Info recently met up for a Q&A with Corey.


How did you come to discover your passion for poetry?

I’ve been writing since I was 13, but my passion for poetry came from reading. Growing up, I read fantasy, sci-fi, romance, philosophy and self-help books. I started out writing short stories, and over time I started exploring poetry. I did research and learned about the styles and voices that poetry can take on. I was drawn to poetry because you can write and almost say exactly how you feel. There isn’t a certain 'way' to write poetry — you just write. For example, in other writing styles, you always capitalize “I” — in poetry, it can be lowercase and no one will question it.

Your first book was entitled, Dust On The Record. Where does that title come from?

Actually, I've never mentioned how the title came about. I’m a huge fan of the English musician King Krule. One day, I was watching an interview of his where he was explaining how feelings can be like dust on a record — sitting and piling up over time — and one day someone will walk on over to the record and blow the dust off. I thought, 'Wow, that’s exactly how I feel.' During the period when I was writing, I wanted someone to save me emotionally, and no one did. I thought to myself, 'Why not just name my book Dust On The Record?' In a way, my book saved me and meant that my vulnerability is normal; that it’s okay to feel things through.

When is Vessels due out? How will it differ from Dust On The Record?

A writer needs time and space to think, feel, smell and eat things inside and outside themselves (and I say this figuratively). To fully digest their next body of work, they need time to just lay things on the table without being rushed. In my opinion, the best artists never rush; they take their time. As a writer, you never want your next story to be like your last; the goal is to always perform better. Vessels will be a larger cultural and artistic conversation. I see it evoking and redefining the relationship of the female narrator. Challenging culture and the artistic community to accept a new genre of romance  subtle nature of love. Questions I’ll be exploring are: Can adultery be heroic? How do identification and possessiveness tie into forgiveness? When one confronts love, will it lead to seductive illusions stemming from childhood? I think romance is a sensitive subject, and everyone has their own perspective, which I believe to be narrow-minded. Vessels will push people to believe love has many layers, and you must love each layer.

What does your new work represent about you, and how has your life changed in the past year?
I knew that I was a different person after Dust On The Record was completed. Looking through the pages, I realized I didn’t speak about romance as much as I wanted. I battle with whether or not I deserve to be in love. That’s an insecurity of mine. Vessels represents me becoming the woman I always dreamed I would be: Nurturing and loving myself more than I have before and actually believing I deserve to be loved or that I’m capable of loving. Examining these feelings changed my life completely because it changed the way I view myself and my relationships with others, both platonically and romantically. My friends and family notice how innocent my energy has become. I am calmer, more relaxed and nurturing now than I have ever been in my life. I’m normally detached and unsocial, so I have to be gentle writing Vessels, I can’t be hard on myself, I just have to write my story the way I feel and see it.

What is your favorite piece from your newest work and why?

I'd say Dance of Salome, and that was pretty hard to choose. Each poem is strong. I always go back to make sure each poem has its own theme, life and instruments. Dance of Salome is about a woman who is emotionally all over the place and afraid of judgment from her partner. In the end, he tells her, “You don’t have to love me; it’s up to you become what you want of you, not of me. I beg you a favour ... just be a woman for me, can you? An irresistible untamed natural woman.” That’s when she surrenders to him. She realizes this man didn’t care if she loved him or not; he just wanted her to be herself. What more can you ask of a man who wants to experience you while you experience yourself? It’s groundbreaking and refreshing.

Do you have any words of wisdom for young/emerging artists and entrepreneurs?

I'd say to go within yourself find what you are naturally great at. Study it, learn it and dedicate your time to that craft. Every true artist had to build from somewhere. It’s not given to us. Don’t get discouraged when you don’t always have the results you want. Push through your failures.

What's next for you? Where can people interact with you next?

Vessels is my main priority, I do have plans to write my first science fiction novel after Vessels is finished. I’ve been somewhat writing for that as well. It is a sensitive time for me right now because I am writing for Vessels, but once the project is completed, I'll have a book-signing event and hopefully a speaking tour as well. It will all unfold under the universe's timing. I just have to keep writing. My name is BeneathTheMooon on Instagram and tumblr, I get on every now and then to tease people with new writing of mine, get their opinions on romance and ask how they feel about the literature world. They may not believe it, but I’m more interested in their perspectives than my own. It’s refreshing to see how others think...and of course how many people actually read books!

What are your long-term goals as an artist?

My long term-goal is to constantly and constructively nurture myself with knowledge and love. I depend on those two things for my well-being and to write. I always look forward to the end of the year to reflect back on my skill and character. I always ask myself, "Did I take enough risks? Did I challenge myself enough? Who was I around a lot? Did I make new friends? Did I discover a new city or country?"

Tuesday, September 10, 2019

Call for Artists: The Delaware Contemporary


Take advantage of this great opportunity to showcase your work in front of collectors in an art museum setting and join the emerging, established, and community artists supporting The Delaware Contemporary

Last year, The Contemporary received over 350 pieces of artwork by incredibly talented artists from all over the world. Help them exceed that number for SABA V!

Each donation must be a 6" x 6" (15cm) square piece of wall art. No other sizes or free-standing sculpture will be accepted. Please sign only on the back of the work for anonymous exhibition. Artists may enter works in any 2-D or 3-D medium. Charcoal or pastel must be fixed. Smaller works on paper may be mounted to a 6" x 6" cardstock or board. Clay or metal work thicker than 1/4" must have holes to accommodate pins/nails. There is no limit to the number of works an artist may enter. All entries that meet the specifications will be accepted, however The Delaware Contemporary reserves the right to jury-out work. Entries will not be returned, but artists retain copyrights. There is no entry fee.

Friday, July 19, 2019

Candlelight's Classic "South Pacific" Carries Modern Message

By Charles "Ebbie" Alfree, III

Candlelight Theatre continues its 50th season with Rodgers & Hammerstein’s musical, South Pacific. Although written in the 1940s, some of the show’s themes still resonate with our society’s current social climate.

South Pacific runs through August 25 at Candlelight Theatre.
Photo by 
Tisa Della-Volpe.
Director and Choreographer, Renee Dobson does a superb job bringing this romantic show back to the stage. Two relationships are blossoming on a south pacific island during World War II. Nellie Forbush, a naïve U.S. Navy nurse from Arkansas, is falling for Emile de Becque, a debonair French plantation owner who escaped France many years ago to live on the exotic Bali Ha’I island, while Joseph Cable, a lieutenant sent to the South Pacific to perform a dangerous war mission, is falling for Liat, the daughter of a civilian Tonkinese vendor and friend of the American Seabees, “Bloody Mary." Wanting a better life for her daughter, Bloody Mary is hopeful Cable will marry Liat.

However, life is not just a bowl of jello for the for the four characters. Both, Nellie and Cable are open-minded, but still have to contend with prejudice ideology instilled in them by their families. Nellie is grappling with accepting Emile’s children from his previous marriage to a Polynesian woman, and Cable is torn about loving Liat because of her ethnicity. Both understand their thoughts are based on what they were carefully taught, not the thoughts that either particularly believe are right or true.

The heaviness of the love stories and the war occurring around them are lightened with comical moments mostly provided by Bloody Mary and the American Seabees working on the island, especially during the service men’s stirring numbers, Bloody Mary and There is Nothin’ Like a Dame. Two songs that get the toes a’ tappin!

Ms. Dobson maintains a great pace for the show. Classic musicals tend to be long and can drag if not under the strong supervision of a talented director like Ms. Dobson. The continuous movement of the show is in part due to Scenic Designer, Jeff Reim, who created stunning sets that move seamlessly on and off stage. Timothy Lamont Cannon’s costumes perfectly capture the era of the greatest generation and allow the actors to move and dance freely.

Colleen Clancy as Nellie and Peter Campbell as Emile are superb. They both greatly convey the emotional turmoil their characters are experiencing. And, both are exceptional singers. Mr. Campbell’s baritone voice is transcendent and melts the room, especially during Some Enchanted Evening, while Ms. Clancy, brings smiles on faces during her exuberant number, I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outta My Hair. 

The leads are supported by many fine performers, including Andy Spinosi as the heroic Cable. He finds the right tone and expression needed to convey the significant lyrics in You’ve Got to be Carefully Taught...truly showcasing his masterful vocal techniques. Angelica Feliciano radiates as Bloody Mary. Her stunning rendition of Bali Ha’i captivates and transports the audience to the enchanted island. She along with the wonderful Jared Calhoun as the loveable but always scheming Seabee, Luther Billis, provide comedic relief for this show about war and suppressed love. I would be remiss not to mention the exuberant Seabees and nurses, who are fabulous during their exciting dance numbers!

Don’t miss this classic that still has lessons for our society to learn about love and acceptance. 

For tickets, visit www.candlelighttheatredelaware.org or call 302.475.2313.

Sunday, July 14, 2019

A Merry Romp at Rockwood with DelShakes

By Carol Van Zoeren
Carol is a 40+ year veteran of community theater and retired from DuPont.

I delight every year in DelShakes’ summer festival in Rockwood Park. As far as I’m concerned, it ain’t summer if I haven’t seen Shakespeare at Rockwood! 

It’s been a joy to watch DelShakes evolve over these 17 years (yes, I’ve seen every show). From their start at Archmere Academy, to staging at Rockwood in front of the mansion, to creatively locating the stage at the perfect spot on Rockwood grounds. As a friend noted, “It just gets better every year!” 

Bradley Mott (Falstaff) and Amy Frear (Mistress Ford) in The Merry Wives of Windsor.
Photo by Alessandra Nicole.
Throughout their history, DelShakes’ mission has been to make Shakespeare accessible to all. And they continue to innovate toward that mission, most notably with the addition of the Community Tour in the fall.

DelShakes is ideal for those with little exposure to, and maybe a little nervousness about, Shakespeare. The program always includes a detailed plot synopsis. And during the delightful pre-show picnicking, the audience can enjoy and learn from the student apprentices’ “regular” language preview of the plot. This year, the preshow highlight is a funny homage to the musical Chicago.

The Merry Wives of Windsor is a particularly accessible play. Shakespeare set the play in his contemporary England, and focuses on the domestic dramas of the middle class. In her notes, Director Krista Apple describes Merry Wives as “An Elizabethan sitcom.” Apple sets her production in the suburbs of the 1950s, but this sitcom is no Father Knows Best. It’s more reminiscent of 1990s sit-coms like Home Improvement and Everybody Loves Raymond. As in many of Shakespeare’s comedies, the men are...shall we say, misguided... and the women are the real brains of the operation.

In his set design, Lance Kniskern picks up the suburban theme with the structural outlines of two houses. The partial staircase elements tipped me off that these are the quintessential home of the suburbs 
 the split-level. These structures easily represented a number of locations around the neighborhood. My only quibble is that I was a bit confused with the stage left house  the actors sometimes went through the doorway and other times narrowly skirted downstage of the doorframe, making it difficult to know if the scene was indoors or outdoors.

Merry Wives is often considered a showcase for the character of Falstaff, ably played by Bradley Mott. But what struck me in this production is what a wonderful ensemble piece it is. Through voice and physicality, each actor clearly embodies exactly who their character is, as well as the relationships between them. Brett Ashley Robinson and Amy Frear convey the genuine affection between Mistresses Page and Ford. Gregory Isaac revels in the whiplash jealousy of Master Ford. David Pica squeezes every bit of absurdity from Dr. Caius. 

I was pleased that the college apprentices are prominently featured, moreso than I recall from past shows. Each actor embraces their moment to shine, and together, the ensemble delivers non-stop hilarity.

I encourage everyone, especially Shakespeare newbies, to bring a friend, bring a picnic, and enjoy DelShakes The Merry Wives of Windsor. Maybe Shakespeare at Rockwood Park will become as much a cherished summer tradition for you as it is for me.


Friday, June 28, 2019

Summer Chamber Music Returns to Delaware Scene

By Christine Facciolo

For more than 30 years, chamber music had enjoyed a strong and secure place in the summer arts schedule in Delaware. Aficionados of the art form could count on exciting and intelligent performances each June courtesy of the Delaware Chamber Music Festival.

That came to an ended with the demise of the festival two years ago.

The good news: Thoughtful and well-played chamber music has once again found a place on the local arts scene as Serafin Summer Music debuted at The Music School of Delaware in Wilmington on Thursday, June 20.

“Bohemian Gems” was the umbrella title for the music of Dvorak and Smetana. What’s refreshing about this festival is the diversity of its repertoire with the varied lineup of instrumental combinations, including vocal music.

Case in point: Dvorak’s Terzetto in C major for two violins and viola, Op. 74. Each of the three movements explored a myriad of musical ideas and sentiments, with an emphasis on the cheerful. The playing was excellent, especially in the unison sections, which were polished to a high gloss. The performers were Kate Ransom and Hal Grossman, violins and Luke Fleming, viola.

Grossman and pianist Amy Dorfman were well-matched for a performance of the composer’s Sonatina in G major for Violin and Piano, Op. 100. Its use of Native- and African-American themes place it squarely in the company of the more familiar “American Quartet.” 


Grossman and Dorfman listened attentively to each other as they spun out the charming musical themes. Grossman imparted a poignant — yet tasteful — expressivity to the Larghetto second movement, sometimes extracted as the “Indian Lament,” while Dorfman echoed with measured atmospherics. In perfect synchrony, the performers flexed their interpretative muscle while delivering the stylish nostalgia the composer sought to impart.

The second half of the program featured compositions by the father of Czech nationalist music, Bedrich Smetana. Ransom and Dorfman collaborated on two gentle pieces for violin and piano, From My Homeland. Written in 1880, the title suggests that these lyrical works form a sort of chamber counterpart to the composer’s great cycle of symphonic poems, Ma Vlast, but in fact reflect the peace that the composer, wracked by physical and mental illness, found in the countryside of central Bohemia.

Ransom and Dorfman offered a charming, unassuming and well-played interpretation of this work by a major composer that has not been played to death.

The inaugural concert closed with the composer’s E minor String Quarter, No. 1 (“From My Life”). A happy piece this is not. True, the early movements do offer themes that reflect the composer’s early life, his youth, the joy he found in dancing and his first love, but the tragedy of his inevitable deafness increasingly added somber tones to the score, petering out on just a single chilling note.

Ransom, Grossman and Fleming were joined by cellist Charae Krueger and this ad hoc quartet performed with all the qualities of a veteran ensemble. Both in technique and artistic temperament, these musicians, drew inspiration from one another, coalescing into an instrumental choir, with the individual voices clearly heard, yet singing as one.

Serafin Summer Music continues through the weekend with performances on Friday, June 28, Saturday, June 29 & Sunday, June 30's "Finale Fireworks" of Brahms' Sextet in Bb Major, Op. 18 for two violins, two violas & two cellos and Tchaikovsky's Souvenir de Florence for two violins, two violas, two cellos. Tickets are available at brownpapertickets.com.

Thursday, June 6, 2019

Governor's Awards for the Arts Nominations Now Open

The content of this post comes from a release from the Delaware Division of the Arts...

Governor Russell W. Peterson began the tradition of honoring Delaware artists in 1970. Since then, Delaware has paid tribute to 40 distinguished individuals and organizations that have had a profound and lasting impact on the state’s artistic and cultural life.

Delaware’s Governor’s Awards for the Arts recognize individuals and organizations that have made significant contributions and a lasting and profound impact on the artistic and cultural life of Delaware.

As part of its 30th anniversary celebration, the Delaware Division of the Arts is pleased to be facilitating the 2019 Governor’s Awards for the Arts, on behalf of Governor John C. Carney. Nominations are now being accepted for this prestigious honor in these five award categories:
Categories

Arts Administration – Individual who has shown sustained, impactful, and visionary executive leadership of an arts organization.

Arts Education – Individual or organization that has made significant contributions through leadership and creativity to advance arts education in Delaware’s schools and communities, or in community organizations.

Arts Patron – Individual, foundation or entity that, over time, has sustained and enhanced the arts in their community or the state of Delaware through contributions of their time, effort, or financial resources.

Community Engagement – Individual or organization that works to create or strengthen interactive arts participation among diverse community members while increasing the public awareness about the role of the arts in community life.

Government – An elected or appointed official whose work has resulted in significant support for the arts through local or state government action.

Timeline

Now: Nomination Guidelines and Form available

June 28, 2019: Nominations due

July 2019: Selection Panel meets

September 3, 2019: Awardees announced on website

October 28, 2019: Arts Summit & Governor’s Awards for the Arts



Wednesday, June 5, 2019

Serafin Summer Music Brings World-Class Artists to Delaware

Content of this post originates from a press release from Serafin Summer Music...

Serafin Ensemble, University of Delaware Department of Music and The Music School of Delaware, present Serafin Summer Music. The 10-day festival runs from Thursday, June 20 through Sunday, June 30.

Festival artists hail from China, the Philippines, New Zealand and from around the U.S., including New York City, Oklahoma, Ohio, Kentucky, Atlanta, Florida, Pennsylvania and right here in Delaware. 

“Bringing superb artists together to prepare and share marvelous masterworks with a community of eager listeners is a thrilling creative enterprise in every respect,” comments Kate Ransom, Festival Artistic Director.

The festival’s exceptional lineup features a range of repertoire including works by great classical composers Beethoven, Schumann and Brahms, as well as works by lesser-known composers, such as Smetana, Khachaturian and Faure. Each concert has a unique theme and ensemble configuration of up to six string, wind, piano and vocal performers.

Festival sponsors are Dr. William Stegeman, Ph.D., Jacobs Music Company, Harry’s Savoy Grill, Tonic Bar and Grille, Montrachet Fine Foods, Delaware Today, WDEL and GateHouse Media Delaware.

All performances will be held at The Music School of Delaware's Wilmington Branch, 4101 N. Washington Street in Wilmington. Season subscriptions are $135 for all eight performances; a four-pack of tickets is $70 and single tickets are $20. Purchase by visiting www.brownpapertickets.com or calling 302.762.1132 (the Music School).

Serafin Summer Music Artist Roster
  • Amos Fayette, violin
  • Hal Grossman, violin
  • Kate Ransom,violin
  • Benjamin Shute, violin
  • Lisa Vaupel, violin
  • Amadi Azikiwe, viola
  • Luke Fleming, viola
  • Mary Harris, viola
  • Charae Krueger, cello
  • Lawrence Stomberg, cello
  • Guang Wang, cello
  • Miles Brown, bass
  • Jennifer Nicole Campbell, piano
  • Amy Dorfman, piano
  • Read Gainsford, piano
  • Augustine Mercante, countertenor 
  • Eileen Grycky, flute
  • Christopher Nichols, clarinet
Serafin Summer Music Schedule
Thursday, June 20, 7:00pm - BOHEMIAN GEMS
  • Dvořák “Sonatina” in G Major, Op. 100 for violin and piano
  • Smetana “Two Pieces From My Native Land” for violin and piano
  • Dvořák “Terzetto” in C Major, Op. 74 for two violins and viola
  • Smetana String Quartet No. 1 in E Minor “From MY Life”
Friday, June 21, 7:00pm - IT’S CLASSIC!
  • Michael Haydn Duo No. 2 in D Major for violin and viola
  • Beethoven Piano Trio Op. 1, No.1
  • Schubert song set
  • Schubert “Trout” Quintet for violin, viola, cello, bass, piano
Saturday, June 22, 5:00pm - FRIENDS and MENTORS
  • Brahms Scherzo ("Sonatensatz") in C Minor for violin and piano WoO2
  • Schumann “Fairy Tales” for clarinet, viola and piano
  • Niels Gade Sonata in D Major for violin and piano
  • Dohnanyi Piano Quintet No.1 in C Minor
Sunday, June 23, 4:00pm - OUT OF BAVARIA
  • Mozart D Major Quartet for flute, violin, viola, cello
  • Reger Sonata in G Minor for solo viola
  • Schumann “Fantasy Pieces” Op. 73 for cello and piano
  • Brahms Piano Quartet in G Minor, Op. 25
Thursday, June 27, 7:00pm - FRENCH FORAY
  • Leclair Duo in E Minor for two violins
  • French Song Set
  • Faure Piano Quartet No. 1 in C Minor, Op. 15
Friday, June 28, 7:00pm - THE THREE B’s
  • Bach G Minor Sonata for solo violin
  • Beethoven String Quartet in C Minor, Op. 18, No.4
  • Brahms Piano Trio in C Major, Op. 87
Saturday, June 29, 5:00pm - RUSSIAN ROMP
  • Khachaturian Trio for clarinet, violin, piano
  • Arensky Trio in D Minor, Op. 32 for violin, cello, piano
  • Borodin Piano Quintet in C Minor
Sunday, June 30, 4:00pm - FINALE FIREWORKS
  • Brahms Sextet in Bb Major, Op. 18 for two violins, two violas, two cellos
  • Tchaikovsky “Souvenir de Florence” for two violins, two violas, two cellos

Thursday, May 30, 2019

Enjoying the 'Three Rs' of DSO Music

By Christine Facciolo

Forget the three Bs. The Delaware Symphony Orchestra (DSO) capped off its 2018-19 season with works by 'the three Rs': Respighi, Rachmaninoff and…Rozsa?

You may not know his name, but chances are you’ve heard his music, especially if you’re a film buff. Miklos Rozsa (1907-1995) was a Hungarian-American composer best known for his film scores. Rozsa’s Hollywood career earned him considerable success and recognition, including 17 Oscar nominations and three wins for “Spellbound” (1945), “A Double Life” (1947) and “Ben-Hur” (1959).

Rozsa also remained faithful to his classical music roots with his compositions earning the plaudits of the likes of Jascha Heifetz, Gregor Piatigorsky and Janos Starker, who commissioned the work played this night.

The orchestra eased into the evening with a performance of Respighi’s highly descriptive symphonic poem the “Fountains of Rome.” Composed in 1916, the work remains a fine example of the brilliance with which Respighi uses the resources of the orchestra. (That’s not surprising since he was a student of Rimsky-Korsakov, who wrote the book on orchestration, both literally and figuratively).

The DSO invested its performance which much skill and care. The first movement, The Valle Guilia Fountain at Dawn, conveyed a distinctly bucolic tone, while the buoyancy of The Triton Fountain in the Morning conjured up images of water spouts. The solemnity of The Trevi Fountain at Mid-Day soon gave way to euphoria reminiscent of a classic Hollywood film score. The Villa Medici Fountain at Sunset provided a pastoral conclusion with notable contributions from the woodwinds. The expressive playing led to a distant tolling of a bell — in this instance one of the Kerrigan Bells of Remembrance — heralding the ebb of the music.

Cellist Nicholas Canellakis. Photo courtesy of artist.
Rozsa’s Cello Concerto, Op. 32 offered another palette, not to mention tangy harmonies and the rhythmic flair of the composer’s native Hungarian language. The first movement full of strong ideas and a cadenza of riveting virtuosity. By contrast, the central movement is lyrical and tinged with anguish. The final movement bristles with energy and — once again — rhythmic élan.

This is a stout, boldly communicative work that deserves and demands to be heard much more often. Kudos to DSO Music Director David Amado for programming it and to virtuoso cellist Nicholas Canellakis for learning it for this concert. (The work is so well-hidden that not even the majority of cellists know it exists.)

Canellakis is a highly articulate soloist who not only performs the music; he inhabits it. His impeccable technique enables him to remain confident and in control while executing the fiendishly difficult passages Rozsa throws at him (and there are many). That composure allows him to convert pyrotechnics into phrases that are rich in beauty and meaning.

The audience responded by breaking decorum with applause between movements. After three curtain calls, Canellakis obliged with a performance of the Sarabande from J.S. Bach’s Cello Suite, No. 1 in G major.

Following intermission, DSO Board Chairman Charles Babcock honored philanthropists Gerret and Tatiana Copeland for their support of the orchestra. Mrs. Copeland told the audience that she and her husband had their first date at The Grand. She also told the heartfelt story of how Rachmaninoff — “Uncle Sergei” to her — supported her family during a financial crisis.

The DSO’s rendering of the composer’s final symphony was equally heartfelt. Amado caught all the passion of the first movement while simultaneously retaining its lyrical qualities, defined the poetic elements of the second movement and concluded the symphony with all the energy and enthusiasm a finale deserves.


Museum Purchases Work by Hank Willis Thomas & Chakaia Booker

The content of this post comes from a previous press release from The Delaware Art Museum...

The Delaware Art Museum is delighted to announce recent purchases of art by women artists and artists of color. This spring, the Museum purchased a series of prints by Hank Willis Thomas, an 1871 oil painting by Robert Duncanson, and a 1940 poster by Robert Pious.

These three recent purchases reflect the Museum's continued effort to collect more art by women artists and artists of color. In 2018, the Museum purchased 24 works of art, of which one-third were created by women and one-third were created by African American artists. In total, 74 percent of acquisition funds spent in 2018 went toward acquiring works by women artists and artists of color. 


Hank Willis Thomas' Black Survival Guide,
or How to Live Through a Police Riot (2018)
"It is particularly exciting to acquire as we plan for the reinstallation of several permanent collection galleries in 2020," explains Heather Campbell Coyle, Chief Curator and Curator of American Art. "These works will allow us to share a more inclusive and exciting story of art and artists with our community."

Hank Willis Thomas' Black Survival Guide, or How to Live Through a Police Riot (2018) is the Museum's first major purchase of 2019. Commissioned by the Museum and on view during the summer of 2018, the work is a series of 13 retroreflective screen prints based on photographs from The News Journal and a booklet in the collection of the Delaware Historical Society. Black Survival Guide, or How to Live Through a Police Riot became a catalyst for dialogue during the city-wide reflection on the 1968 occupation of Wilmington by the National Guard.

"Museum visitors overwhelmingly shared their enthusiasm for the project and love of the screen prints," shares Margaret Winslow, Curator of Contemporary Art. "We are thrilled that this series will remain in the city." Once installed, these prints will be added to the Museum's new Social Justice in Art Tour for local students.

In October, 2018, the Delaware Art Museum acquired Chakaia Booker's One Way (2008) for its contemporary collection. The large-scale sculpture was installed in the Museum's Copeland Sculpture Garden to align with the mid-October opening of the Juried Craft Exhibition. Made of recycled tires and stainless steel, One Way is the first artwork by an African American artist added to the Museum's sculpture garden. Chakaia Booker is best known for sculptures made of discarded materials 
— most often recycled tires. Her art explores race, globalization, feminism, and ecology. The interconnecting circles in One Way depict movement and perpetual cycles, and the sculpture conveys her concerns about diversity, mobility, and hope. This significant addition also supports the Museum's ability to showcase the diversity in process, materials, and interests occupying contemporary art today. The contemporary collection also welcomed gifts of work by Charles Burwell and Curlee Raven Holton.

As well as adding to the contemporary collections, the Delaware Art Museum continued the strategic expansion of its collection of modern art by African American artists with purchases of work by Loïs Mailou Jones, Hughie Lee-Smith, William Majors, and James A. Porter. These works add strength to a collection that already features paintings and prints by Beauford Delaney, Aaron Douglas, Jacob Lawrence, and Norman Lewis. Produced between the 1940s and the 1960s, these works provide context for the early career of beloved local painter Edward Loper, Sr., which is well represented in the Wilmington region. Paintings by Loper, Sr., and his son Edward Loper, Jr., launched the Museum's Distinguished Artists Series this spring.

In addition to these works by artists of color, the Museum has focused on acquiring more art by women. Recent exhibitions on British Pre-Raphaelite artists Marie Spartali Stillman and Barbara Bodichon have benefitted from key purchases in years past.

In 2018, the Museum added collections of work by American illustrators Laura Coombs Hills and Rose O'Neill via purchase and gift. O'Neill, who previously had just one work of art in the Museum's collection, was a successful book and magazine illustrator, best known as the inventor of the Kewpies, cupid-like characters who started life in a 1909 cartoon in the Ladies' Home Journal and soon launched into popular culture as dolls, books, and other licensed merchandise. The Kewpie enterprise, which only began to wane toward the end of the 1930s, made O'Neill an independently wealthy woman. Illustration was an important career path for women and this is central to the story of the Delaware Art Museum.

Tuesday, May 14, 2019

Lend Us an Ear: 'Lend Me a Tenor' is a Heckuva Hit!

By Carol Van Zoeren
Carol is a 40+ year veteran of community theater and retired from DuPont.

Lend Me a Tenor (running at Candlelight Theatre now through June 23) is a six-door farce by prolific playwright Ken Ludwig. Originally produced in the late 1980s, the premise is that a world-famous operatic tenor, Tito Merelli (Paul McElwee), is coming to guest star with a mid-tier opera company. All involved are desperate and determined that this be a success, to raise their standing (individually and as a company) in the opera world.

“Desperate and determined” is an excellent foundation for a farce. And each actor has taken this idea to heart. Heading the action is Max (Jared Calhoun), beleaguered yet ambitious assistant to the Company’s General Manager, Saunders (David Wills). Calhoun and Wills clearly enjoy playing off one another. Their scenes crackle, reminiscent of Bialystock and Bloom in The Producers. I must commend these actors who, in an extremely long nose-to-nose silence, manage to keep a straight face so the audience can laugh, at first uncomfortably, and eventually raucously.

McElwee conveys the arrogance of an international opera star, but he really shines when he too becomes desperate and determined. As his wife, Rebecca Schall embodies the hot-tempered Italian firebrand. Hallie Hargus as Maggie, Saunders’ daughter and Max’s girlfriend, captures the rebellious streak of emerging womanhood. Julia Kershetsky plays Diana, the opera’s sultry soprano star. Hargus and Kershetsky are hysterically naughty in their parallel illicit trysts. Gerri Weagraff nails the flighty society type, and rocks a costume that’s another nod to The Producers. Rounding out the cast is Anthony Connell as the star-struck Bellhop. While Connell is an excellent lead actor, he is also a master of smaller roles. He bides his time in the background, and finds the peak moment and precise delivery to wring all the goody out of his few lines.

While the individual performances are all excellent, what truly elevates this production is the ensemble as a whole. There are short-burst, back-and-forth between two or more actors, and the timing is impeccable, punctuated by the precise slamming of doors. I have noticed this before in Bob Kelly shows: each actor is good, and their ensemble work makes the show great. Kudos to him, and to the cast for doing the hard work to get this timing spot on. And another thing 
— under a less-disciplined director and cast, farces can accelerate to runaway trains, leaving the audience as exhausted and confused as the actors. Kelly and cast intersperse short-burst mania with slow burn comedy, carefully mining the text for the best laughs. 

On the technical side, the costumes were effective. I mentioned Weagraff’s above, but also note the Pagliacci costume, makeup and hair that made the mistaken identities totally believable. (Oops, maybe that was a spoiler. Sorry.) And kudos to the scenic designer, Envision Productions. It’s not easy to build a set with doors that are robust enough to endure this much slamming.

Oh, the curtain call is a special treat. Jus’ sayin’.

Bottom line? Candlelight’s production of Lend Me a Tenor is a heck of a lot of fun. Sit back and enjoy!
See www.candlelighttheatredelaware.com

Footnote: In the original late 80s version, Merelli was going to star in Othello, in blackface. Guess that seemed funny at the time. Thankfully, this has been updated to Pagliacci, with the tenor in clown face.

Wednesday, May 1, 2019

DiAE 'Spotlights' the Arts in Delaware in Signature Event

This post content comes from a release from the Delaware Institute for the Arts in Education...

Delaware Institute for the Arts in Education (DiAE) will host Spotlight, An Evening of the Arts on Wednesday, May 8, 2019 at The Queen in Wilmington. DiAE will also honor Delaware's 17th Poets Laureate, the Twin Poets
Delaware State Representative Nnamdi Chukwuocha and Al Mills.

A VIP pre-party kicks off the evening with fare from Food for Thought, a cash bar and a teaching artist experience with Jason Keller of J.K. Percussion. The main event will include a rousing West African drumming and dance performance by artists Tony Vacca, Abdou Sarr and Massamba Diopwho is featured throughout the Academy Award-winning score of Marvel's Black Panther. Guest artists-in-training from Warner Elementary School will have the opportunity to share the stage with the performers. 

DiAE has designed educational experiences with Warner and Stubbs Elementary Schools to prepare students for the performance. Prior to the event, students will participate in an immersive workshop series facilitated by DiAE teaching artist Jason Keller. Students will have the opportunity to learn traditional West African rhythms and play them in unison, experience poly-rhythm techniques and create an ensemble piece to share with their peers. Fifth Grade students from Warner will participate in West African music and dance workshops with Tony Vacca and Abdou Sarr.

The DiAE school arts-integrated residencies, performances and workshops are supported by Light Up the Queen Foundation, with additional support from Children and Families First Delaware, Warner Shortlidge Arts Alliance, Red Clay Consolidated School District and the Delaware Division of the Arts, in partnership with the National Endowment of the Arts. 

Tickets for VIP pre-party & show are $50 (or $35 educator discount); show-only tickets are $15.
All can be purchased online