Urinetown: Talented Young Actors at the DuPont Theatre

For the third year in a row, Delaware All-State Theatre is producing, in partnership with the DuPont Theatre, a full-scale musical theater show starring some of the area’s most talented and ambitions children. Urinetown, with a cast of 46, opens today, June 18, with performances Saturday and Sunday.

Talking with director/producer Jeffrey Santoro, I learned about the rigorous audition process for the young actors. Hundreds of kids showed up for the audition, with first round held behind closed doors, but the callbacks were held in the open theater. Santoro wanted to create an audition atmosphere similar to what is found in the professional theater: the actors could see their competition, and bring their auditions to the highest level possible. Some of the kids from past productions-Les Misérables and West Side Story- have gone on to professional theater. He estimated that eighty percent of the actors go on to participate in theater at the collegiate level.

The program is completely free, unlike some other children’s musical and theatrical programs in the area. The actors participate in workshops with well-known theatre professionals and have the unique experience of rehearsing and performing on stage with a professional orchestra at the state-of-the-art DuPont Theater.

Let’s support our young actors and future stars by checking out this great show!
For tickets, visit http://www.duponttheatre.com/ or call (302) 656-4401.

Dorothy & Herbert Vogel, Art Collectors Extroadinare

By Lauren McAloon

Lauren is the summer intern for Arts in Media & City Theater Company. She will be a senior at UD this fall.

I enjoy art, however I think there is a difference between appreciating art and understanding it. Art enthusiasts, Dorothy and Herbert Vogel did both. The couple was married in 1962 and purchased their first work of art together in 1963. As Dorothy worked at the Brooklyn Public Library, Herbert was employed at the Post Office. They spent one salary on their living and the other on their art. The Delaware Art Museum is opening the Dorothy and Herbert Vogel Collection: 50 Works for the First State on June 19, 2010. It will be on view until August 29, 2010.

This inspiring couple studied art and art history in school and naturally, became art collectors. Over the years they have collected over 4,000 works! Apparently they house their art in their one bedroom apartment wherever they can. (There’s actually a documentary about them Herb and Dorothy that tells their awesome story!) They teamed up with the National Gallery of Art with the support of the National Endowment for the Arts and the Institute of Museum of Library Services to launch Fifty Works for Fifty States. The Delaware Art Museum received the Vogel Collection and is very honored by the gift. The Collection focuses on contemporary art and it received drawings, paintings, sculptures and collages by 23 artists.

As I walked through the Collection that was expertly introduced and explicated by Margaret Winslow a few pieces of art stood out. There was a piece of cardboard with a large red geometric shape by Judy Rifka. I thought it was awesome that the artist used a piece of cardboard as a canvas. The bright red geometric shape really popped out from the cardboard. The words “abstract expressionism”, “minimalism”, “post minimalism” were used in the explanations of these pieces. Even if I don’t exactly understand what all of these art eras depicted, I know that they were very important.

I am a fan of Andy Warhol and his pop art. Stating that, I thought that the “new imagery” of the 1970s was pretty cool. Most of the artists and pieces that were in that section of the collection used everyday symbols in paintings and left the viewer to interpret the painting. There was one painting that was very odd. I liked it; it looked so interesting, and if you were looking correctly you can see a distorted candle. This artist used a special technique that was very cool looking. I also really liked a piece by Robert Barry. If you took a quick glimpse at the work of art you couldn’t tell what was so special about it. However, if you got closer, you see a hand drawn rectangle and words along side of the lines. Barry rarely used nouns, he let the viewer engage and interpret the words. I thought it was fun to try and think about why he placed the words where he did. A set of words on one line were “quiet”, “private”, “lasting”, “ask”, “toward”, “guess”, “evaluate”, “torment” and more. This work of art may have been my favorite.

I can’t paint, draw or quite frankly even cut a piece of paper in the right direction, but I really appreciate and value art. I think I have that in common with the Vogels. I love that this Collection brings artists to the surface that might have been overlooked in their prime. It’s a great support outlet for Contemporary Art. The Vogels gave thought to all of the collections for each individual institution. I’m sure the Delaware Art Museum knows how lucky they are and is very proud to have the Collection.

Artist, Richard Tuttle, gave the Vogels drawings from his loose-leaf notebook. Watercolors on loose-leaf notebook paper as daily exercises...maybe I should give it a try.

You can check out The Dorothy and Herbert Vogel Collection: Fifty Works for the First State starting on June 19 at the Delaware Art Museum. There’s also a special event: An artist panel, An Afternoon with the Vogels, on Saturday, 6/19 @ 11a.m.-2p.m., free with paid admission.

See http://www.delart.org/.

Jumping into the Loop

The Wilmington Art Loop means something different to so many people. For some, it’s an opportunity to have a different crowd come through their bar or restaurant. For others it’s a chance to exhibit new work, or even exhibiting for first time. For many, it’s a social event or a networking extravaganza. I took the downtown loop bus, with the fabulous Shawn at the helm. He always makes sure it’s a fun time, even though he sometimes has to play the part of Shepherd, corralling stray art-lovers back onto his bus. As usual, I met some fascinating people on the ride — a photographer, a board director of a new local dance troupe, a mathematician, and a retiree.

Colourworks is a photographic and digital imaging lab on Superfine Lane. A converted sugar mill, the exposed brick interior made a rustic backdrop for Heather Siple’s fish-eye lens photography. The magical windows she created each held their own worlds. She told me a friend had showed her how to mount the fish-eye lens onto her zoom lens, but then she discovered interesting effects when mounting it directly onto the camera. Siple loved the shadows and round “frames” this created. In her photo “Golden Mushrooms” she experimented with expired film, and got a very rich, earthy result. Her book, Through the Crystal Ball, a collection of her fish-eye lens photos, was available.

See http://www.sipleart.com.

I was especially moved by Danielle Hamilton’s paintings and mosaics. Mounted in the Wilmington Library, the work of this self-taught artist is full of themes of nature, Africa and womanhood. Hamilton told me she dreams of Africa, but knows she will never visit. Her mosaic/painting “Jewels of Africa” is filled with stones, beads and rubber netting. When I asked her how she knows when a work is done, she told me the work lets her know when to stop. A friend of hers, who works at the library, suggested she submit her art for the loop exhibit. I am so glad she did! Welcome to the Loop, Danielle!