Art & Civil Unions: A Terrific Marriage

To celebrate the January 1 implementation of Delaware’s same sex civil union law, engaged lesbian, gay and transgender couples are invited to take part in ONE LOVE on Saturday, January 7, 2012, at 7:00pm at the Delaware Art Museum.  ONE LOVE is a series of activities that culminates in a collective same sex civil union ceremony. As part of ONE LOVE, the guests of each couple will be able to share in the joy of not just one, but multiple, unions.

Says event co-organizer Nikki Brennan of Lovely Girls Events, “Many LGBT couples and their loved ones have waited years to enjoy a ceremony in Delaware, and they shouldn’t have to wait one more day…nor settle for a courthouse ceremony. For those anxious to wed, I wanted it to be soon, and I wanted it to be fabulous!”

The Delaware Art Museum was delighted to help make this event a reality. “Our stunning galleries and spaces are perfect settings for a wedding. We’re thrilled that ONE LOVE will highlight the creative ways that the Museum can make any big day special,” Says Molly Keresztury, Manager of Marketing & Public Relations at the Museum.

To take part in the ONE LOVE Group Civil Union Ceremony, couples must: RSVP by December 1; acquire a Delaware Civil Union license between January 2 and January 6; and show proof of licensing upon arrival.  Nondenominational officiants and staging areas are provided for each ceremony, as well as music, décor, hors d’oeuvres, and cake.  Couples are encouraged to bring items such as prewritten vows, unity candles, ring pillows, cake cutters, and bouquets or boutonnieres for a personal touch.

A complimentary group toast will take place, and a cash bar will be available. Guests will enjoy passed hors d’oeuvres and a DJ.  BG Productions will photograph the event, and the Wilmington Photo Booth Co. will also be on site with a photo booth. 

In addition, Brennan and her event partners devised the ONE LOVE Couple Contest to add to the excitement of the collective ceremony.  Among the couples taking part in the group ceremony will be three couples who have entered and won the contest.  This Contest awards three prizes to contestants—one to a gay couple, a lesbian couple, and a transgender couple.  Entrants should describe in 100 words or less, “what makes you laugh, what makes you cry, and what makes you unique as a couple.” Entries can be submitted to onelove@lovelygirlsevents.com by November 3, 2011, at Noon EST.  The email should include the names of the couple, a phone number and email address. Winners will be announced on November 5.  The prize packages include a $400 engagement photo/video session; one grand prize will also provide a complimentary floral order and spa or beauty treatment on the day of the ONE LOVE event.

DSO thanks subscribers at Dickinson

On Tuesday, October 25, the Delaware Symphony played at John Dickinson High School, giving their subscribers a thank you concert and joining forces to promote the fantastic Kimball Organ.

The concert allowed the DSO to give yet another performance (the last one was in the 1980s in Washington, DC) of the Saint Saens Symphony No. 3 in C minor, often referred to as the organ symphony. They also played Fratres by Arvo Pǟrt and a fairly unusual piece by Ottorino Respighi called Church Windows (Vetrate di chiesa) which he refashioned from an earlier piano composition he called Tre Preludi sopra melodie gregoriane. For Church windows, Respighi added a movement and scored it for full symphony, pipe organ and tam-tam.

Since it is rare to have a good venue with a full pipe organ which can accommodate a full symphony as well, this performance at Dickinson was a rare treat.

See delawaresymphony.org

DTC Opens Season with "All My Sons"

By Blogger Charles "Ebbie" Alfree, III
After surviving the brutal yet extremely funny production of August: Osage County at the Arden Theatre Company (Philadelphia) yesterday, I was ready for a wholesome classic play by Arthur Miller. My friend Katt and I took a jaunt to the Delaware Theatre Company to see the playwright's family drama set in 1947, All My Sons (the first production of DTC's 2011-2012 season). Although August: Osage County premiered in 2007, 60 years after the premiere of Miller's play, both productions dealt with the same theme—dysfunctional families. (Apparently nothing has changed over the years.)

Cast (from left) P.J. Benjamin as Joe Keller, Robert Eli as Chris Keller,
Jered McLenigan as George Deever, and
Anne-Marie Cusson as Kate Keller. Photo credit: Matt Urban.

Set in post–World War II, All My Sons is the story of successful business owner Joe Keller, who grew up poor and undereducated, and his family. Joe is the kind of guy who will do anything to keep his family happy and living in the lifestyle to which they have become accustomed, regardless of the consequences. Joe's wife, Kate, still holds hope that their eldest son, missing-in-action for three years, will come home. Their younger, more realistic son, Chris, has returned home from the war and now works for his father. The play begins the morning after a harsh storm as the family is preparing for a visit from their elder son's widow. Once she arrives, the layers of family guilt and unethical practices begin to unravel, with help from the family's neighbors.

The cast, directed by David Stradley, found the soul of the play and brought their grueling characters to life. P.J. Benjamin, in particular, gave an award-worthy performance as a loving father with a secret—a complex role perfectly executed. He and his colleagues performed on a set that evoked the feeling of living in a 1940s middle-class American “anytown”. The cast was met with a standing ovation, which was also to recognize everyone involved with this timeless play. I'm sure this cast will see a standing room at the end of every performance!

Driving home, Katt and I contemplated how the theme of the play still rings true today. How many mothers today are hoping their sons and daughters in the current war will come home? How many businessmen are making unethical decisions based on money rather than the greater good?

And, how many families are unable to face their problems and live "normal" lives? Based on these plays and the stories on the nightly news…perhaps not many….oy vey!

See www.delawaretheatrecompany.org.