Sunday, January 30, 2011

A Musical Haven

Holly's Wholistic Haven in East Stroudsburg, PA held a drumming session on Saturday January 29th to celebrate the arrival of the new moon and Candlemas. The evening was hosted by Holly Avilla began with a potluck dinner served in her kitchen while those attending had an opportunity to share some great food and even greater conversation. As the shadows of the new moon amplified the darkness outside the Haven, it’s luminary aspects shown throughout the drumming session that followed the meal was enhanced as each avenue of music was inspired by the celestial occurrence and the influential beats of each other. These instruments of the heavens and souls who occupy them included Holly, Seth Lewis, Michael Allcock, Peter Taney, Caroline Burgage, and Arline M, Smeltz.

The evening also served as a celebration of Candlemas which is one of the twelve Great Feasts in the Eastern Orthodox Church. It serves as a remembrance of the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple in which (according to the Gospel according to Luke) the parents of Jesus took their baby to the temple 40 days after his birth to complete Mary's ritual purification after childbirth, and to perform the redemption of the firstborn, in obedience to the Law of Moses. They encounter Simeon the Righteous who has been promised that "he should not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ." They also encounter an elderly prophetess named Anna offered prayers and praises to God for Jesus while speaking of his role in the redemption of Israel.

However, it’s widely believed by those who practice what’s become known as the Pagan Faiths, Candlemas is a Christianization of the Gaelic festival of Imbolc (aka St Brigid’s Day) which was celebrated in pre-Christian Europe marking the beginning of spring. Regardless of the origin of the holiday, the warmth shared among those who visited the Haven brought forth a Spring like season through their good will. It was a wonderful thing to experience and I’m eagerly awaiting the next opportunity to partake of it again. You’ll find more photographs in the Music 2011 Gallery at www.facebook.com/forwardian.dude.

In addition to gatherings such as the one described in this article, Holly's Wholistic Haven offers astrology and tarot consultations which specialize in relationship and soul mate astrology. Please Contact Holly's Wholistic Haven at 570-369-2797 for more information about these and other services along with future special events.

Monday, January 24, 2011

Theatrical Review: “Whose Afraid of Virginia Woolf?”

Theatrical Review: “Whose Afraid of Virginia Woolf?”
Written by: Edward Albee
Directed by: Jan Julia
Theatrical Review by: Paul Adam Smeltz

The Shawnee Playhouse in Shawnee on the Delaware, PA presented The Kaleidoscope Players production of Edward Albee’s “Whose Afraid of Virginia Woolf.” The play won numerous well deserved awards including the 1963 Tony Award for Best Play and the 1962-63 New York Drama Critics' Circle Award for Best Play. However, when it was selected for the 1963 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, the award's advisory board objected to the play's controversial use of profanity and sexual themes and overruled the selection committee. Therefore, there were no Pulitzer Prize for drama awarded in 1963. Although much of the objectionable material has become passé to the modern audience, the play’s impact still resonates as it strikes a chord in the psyche of those who experience it.

As eluded to in the Director’s notes, The title of the play derives from an inscription "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" Edward Albee saw written in soap on a mirror in a bar he frequented. He later said, “When I started to write the play, it cropped up in my mind again. And of course, who's afraid of Virginia Woolf means who's afraid of the big bad wolf (from the song sung in Walt Disney’s version of “The Three Pigs.”) who's afraid of living life without false illusions. And it did strike me as being a rather typical, university intellectual joke.” This joke is told throughout the play, but one can hardly find it a humorous one as it’s told in a malicious manner filled with sarcasm and anger.

The play takes place around 2am on a Sunday Morning in the home of a professor of history named George (as played by Patrick Bresnyan) and his wife Martha (as played by Chrystyna Janak). They’ve just come home from a party when Martha informs George she invited a young couple named Nick (as played by Scott Colin) and his wife Honey (as played by Liza Grando) to come over. What begins as the title of the first act of "Fun and Games" suggests as a night of a gentile get together among colleagues (Nick is a biology professor), soon evolves into an evening filled with pain and regret as revealed through the games’ titles such as "Humiliate the Host," "Get the Guests," "Hump the Hostess," and "Bringing Up Baby."

To say the play is about anger is to oversimplify the work. It is not just about anger but about all its manifestations and how they are materialized in human intercourse. It is hurtful to watch but its presentation makes it compelling. From its very first moments when George and Martha returns home, the play begins a barrage upon the senses and it never lets up. It does relent once in a while, but this is only to allow us to catch our breath as we await the next flow of physiological punches.

What makes such punches more effective is the fact the audience don’t get the feel they’re watching a play. One is taken aback how the dialogue is very natural and had no hint of being scripted. Actors don’t wait until others are finished saying their lines before they speak. It also has little regard for the audience as well. The play and its acts begins whether the audience is seated and ready for them to begin or not. There is no sense there is any separation between the audience and the characters they have come to observe. We were invited to the home of George and Martha as well and subject to their whims.

We are more than witnesses of the tools of war George and Martha are so apt at applying. We are, like Nick and Honey, pawns and fresh meat as they hurl the weapons of making distinctions and clarifications in order to keep their prey off guard and defensive. We come as Nick had come as those who proclaim we won’t become emotionally involved in the affairs of others, but we do. And, of course we do. Otherwise, why did we come at all? Wasn’t it to observe the lives of those who inhabit the play we’ve come to see? Wasn’t it to see how they ticked and tocked as they chime at one another? Are we that surprised when we’re faced with our fear of living a life without the false illusions of remaining unaffected by what we experience? When George finally asks Martha "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" One wonder how many members of the audience can refrain from echoing her response “I am.”

To say the acting was suburb would be a gross understatement. It was among the best this reviewer has ever seen on The Shawnee Playhouse or on any other stage. Every moment of the play each actor was in the moment reacting and responding to every instance that occurred on stage and in their character’s mind. The pacing enhanced the production and this is often determined by the play’s director. Kudos to director Jan Julia for establishing this realistic pace which allowed the fourth wall separating actors and audience to dissolve thereby bringing a profound sense of reality to the theatrical experience. It was disturbing, uncomfortable, and revealed more than an audience member would want to reveal to him/herself. But, damn this was good theatre.

The Shawnee Playhouse presentation of The Kaleidoscope Players production of Edward Albee’s “Whose Afraid of Virginia Woolf” was Directed by Jan Julia and was Stage Managed by Irene Garner who also served as part of the production’s set construction crews as assisted by Emily Cioc who also served as part of the production’s lighting set construction crews. The Lighting and Sound Technician was David Schappert who also designed the set. He and Patrick Turner, Levi and Robert Young, Bob Walz, and Marshall Haskell. The Music and Sound Technician was Don Slepian. The Production’s Costumer was Missy Benefield.

The producers of the productions presented at The Shawnee Playhouse are Ginny and Charlie Kirkwood while the group sales manager is Mary Horn. The Box Office Staff includes Chrissy McMannus while Becky Haskell serves as the playhouse’s Sales and Marketing Director. The Executive Director of The Shawnee Playhouse is Midge McClosky.

This presentation of The Kaleidoscope Players production of Edward Albee’s “Whose Afraid of Virginia Woolf” will conclude its run at The Shawnee Playhouse in Shawnee on the Delaware, PA on February 6th. I would recommend seeing this production who would like to face their fears of losing the illusions that define who they are. A popular song says, “You have to get to Hell before you get to Heaven” and while this play doesn’t promise a place in paradise, it does bring one to a better place by seeing it.

Future Shawnee Playhouse presentations will include The Worthington Players production of a full length play written by Larry Rossler who won their 2010 playwright competition titled, “Spanakoptia” being presented February 12th - 20th. This year’s competition is currently accepting original work until Monday January 31st with the Staged Readings for the finalist taking place March 4th, 11th, and 18th. You may obtain information regarding The Worthington Players 2011 Playwright Competition submission procedures from The Shawnee Playhouse.

Other productions include The Shawnee Playhouse productions of “Broadway on the Red Carpet” February 25th - 27th and “Branigan’s Blarney” by Rod Foote March 4th - 20th, The Worthington Players production of “The Skyscraper” by David Auburn March 25th - April 3rd, The Prestige Productions presentation of “Love, Sex, and The I. R. S.” by William Van Zant and Jane Milmore April 8th - 17th, and The Center Stage Players production of “Love Letters” by A. R. Gurney April 22nd - May 1st.

Those who enjoy the Passionate Art Lover level of membership in The Forwardian Arts Society are offered a $3.00 discount off the admission fee of The Shawnee Playhouse Productions (excluding Children Theatrical Productions and those presented by non Shawnee Production Companies). Please contact The Shawnee Playhouse at 570-421-5093 or Explore their website at www.theshawneeplayhouse.com for more information (including submissions for The Worthington Players 2011 Playwright Competition) and to reserve your ticket.

Photograph provided by The Shawnee Playhouse.

Sunday, January 16, 2011

Theatrical Review: Original One Act Plays

The Shawnee Playhouse in Shawnee on the Delaware, PA presented The Worthington Players production of the Original One Act Plays who won their 2010 Playwright Completion. The annual event is a result of inviting playwrights to send in their original works, forming a panel to select the finalist, presenting the chosen plays in a series of staged readings, and tallying the votes received from the viewing audiences to determine which plays will be presented as full productions. This process not only gives a local playwright an opportunity to have his/her work presented on The Shawnee Playhouse stage but also gives the audiences who frequent the venue a chance to experience some new and interesting work.

The first of the one act plays presented was a piece titled, “A Night in the Toll Booth” written by Tom Hudak and directed by Midge McClosky (who also serves as The Shawnee Playhouse Executive Director). The play was about a Toll Booth Collector named Mike T. Fine as played by Kevin Hillman. His line delivery added much to the comedic effect of the work which took place at (as the title suggests) a Toll during the night shift. Although the play did seem to slow down in some spots, it proved to be an amusing theatrical experience creating an anticipation among the audience eager to learn what the author‘s future endeavors may be.

The second of the one act plays presented was a piece titled, “Ethereal Killers” written by Zanne Hall and directed by Amy Cramer. The play took place in a Psychiatrist’s office in which one of the doctor’s more disturbed patients named Fischer (as played by Luke Swierczek) meets with an unsuspecting patient named Midge (as played by Ariel Hudak who also served as a member of the Playhouse‘s Box Office Staff) who begins her first session not knowing she’s doing so with a psychotic killer who recently murdered her doctor (as played briefly by Chris Martinelli). Although the theatrical air still had some comic residual effects of the previous play, it soon became clear there was something sinister transpiring and once this was fully realized the audience began to experience the sense of dread the scenario inspired.

This sense of dread was enhanced as Fischer’s traits which leads to his murderous endeavors were revealed and Midge’s desperate attempts to avoid becoming his next victim found their way to the realm of hopelessness. The audience soon found themselves relating to Midge’s position as each member began to speculate how they might proceed. However, a sudden death brought a finality to all such thoughts by a piercing gun shot which remained echoing in the audience‘s collective minds as a foreboding of what will be the fate of the Doctor‘s future patients.

The final One Act Play presented was titled, “Whimsical Grimm” which was written by Stephen A. Williams and directed by Sara Ferguson. To say this play was funny or even hilarious would be a very gross understatement. This fairytale like work was part surreal, part stream of consciousness, part theatre of the absurd, and had other theatrical elements my theatre teachers mentioned making me wish I paid more attention so I could relate them all in this review. All this reviewer can say for now is “This play was weird. But in a very good way.”

The play mostly focused on the lives of two sets of people. The first was a couple who have been married for 40 years. The husband named Frederick (as played by Dan Eash) finds coming home a frustrating one as his wife Katelizabeth (as played by Kaitie Kaiser) keeps forgetting his name. As the play progresses, it’s discovered this forgetfulness is the least of his marital woes as she is what many in the mental health profession refer to as “a real ditz.”

The second couple consists of a man named Rupert (as played by Chris Martinelli) who experiences a frustration with his maid Gretel (as played by Sarah McCarroll) who seldom cleans, cooks, or do any other maidly things. The situation becomes a bit complicated when Rupert comes home to announce he’s in love and Greta thinks it’s with her. Alas, she discovers it’s with someone else and she is assigned the task of preparing dinner for them. Those audience members who witnessed the antics of these two characters throughout their scene have very little reason not to expect something deviously hilarious is about to transpire and, keeping true to the entirety of the work, it happens in the most delightful way.

The scenes depicting the lives of the two couples were sewn together by two narrator played by Scott E. McIntosh and Amy O’Brian who also portrayed other characters adding to the mayhem. This exceptionally well written play was a joy to experience as was the performances. Although the merits of the previous plays deserved high praise, this was (in this reviewer’s opinion) the best of the bunch and a fitting way to conclude a satisfying evening at the theatre.

The producers of the productions presented at The Shawnee Playhouse are Ginny and Charlie Kirkwood while the group sales manager is Mary Horn. The Box Office Staff includes Chrissy McMannus while Becky Haskell serves as the playhouse’s Sales and Marketing Director. Special recognition for this production was given to Marshall Haskell, Bob Waltz, and Michelle Handy who served in many capacities including that as Stage Manager.

The Worthington Players production of the One Act Plays who won their playwright competition concluded its run at The Shawnee Playhouse in Shawnee on the Delaware, PA on Sunday January 16th. It is unfortunate this reviewer was unable to experience this collection of new and exciting theatrical pieces earlier due to inclement weather conditions. They are worthy of an audience as they are sure to bring an appreciation to the art form. If any of these plays are shown again at The Shawnee Playhouse or any other theatrical venue, it would be well worth it to attend.

In addition to the One Act Plays presented, a full length play also won the 2010 playwright competition. It is titled, “Spanakoptia” and is written by Larry Rossler. It will be presented at The Shawnee Playhouse February 12th - 20th. This year’s competition is currently accepting original work until Monday January 31st with the Staged Readings for the finalist taking place March 4th, 11th, and 18th. You may obtain information regarding The Worthington Players 2011 Playwright Competition submission procedures from The Shawnee Playhouse.

Other Shawnee Playhouse presentations will be The Kaleidoscope Players production of “Whose Afraid of Virginia Woolf” by Edward Albee January 22nd - February 6th, The Shawnee Playhouse productions of “Broadway on the Red Carpet” February 25th - 27th and “Branigan’s Blarney” by Rod Foote March 4th - 20th, The Worthington Players production of “The Skyscraper” by David Auburn March 25th - April 3rd, The Prestige Productions presentation of “Love, Sex, and The I. R. S.” by William Van Zant and Jane Milmore April 8th - 17th, and The Center Stage Players production of “Love Letters” by A. R. Gurney April 22nd - May 1st.

Those who enjoy the Passionate Art Lover level of membership in The Forwardian Arts Society are offered a $3.00 discount off the admission fee of The Shawnee Playhouse Productions (excluding Children Theatrical Productions and those presented by non Shawnee Production Companies). Please contact The Shawnee Playhouse at 570-421-5093 or Explore their website at www.theshawneeplayhouse.com for more information (including submissions for The Worthington Players 2011 Playwright Competition) and to reserve your ticket.

Photograph provided by The Shawnee Playhouse.

Friday, January 14, 2011

A Happy Monkey

The Cheeky Monkey Coffeehouse in Stroudsburg, PA hosted a Comedy Night on Friday January 14th presented by The Off Track Players. The comedy troupe featured local comedians Joseph Carnevale, Kevin Cronk, Penny Dee, Anthony DiSanto, Matt Duffin, and Tiffani Thompson who showcased their talents in a variety of sketches, monologues, and improvisational games which amused their audience. Audience members were invited to participate in this game which enhanced the delight of experiencing the show.

These games included one called, “ABC” in which a location was selected by the audience and each performer had to begin their sentence in alphabetical order in relation to where they were. Another game consisted of members of the troupe being placed in another location and going through the scene while it change4d from one genre to another. The scene for this game was set in a laundry mat with genres that included science fiction and martial arts films. It was quite amusing.

It was a fun night out and a great opportunity to hear some original work by local comics. The next Comedy Night at The Cheeky Monkey featuring The Off Track Players is scheduled for Friday February 11th beginning at 7pm. You’ll find more photographs taken during the January 14th event in The Cheeky Monkey 2011 Gallery at www.facebook.com/forwardian.dude.

The Off-Track Comedy Players offer a plethora of comedic and non-comedic services (including live-action murder mystery shows) and are available for resorts, clubs as well as private or public events. They’ll also be appearing at The Daniels Family Resort in Canadensis, PA sometime in the near future in addition to their next show at The Cheeky Monkey. Please Explore The Off-Track Comedy Players Website at www.offtrackcomedy.com or Call 570-486-6787 for more information.

Other future events at The Cheeky Monkey include The “Just Say It: A Spoken Word Symposium” events which take place every Thursday evening at 7pm. The Cheeky Monkey Coffeehouse offers a variety of coffee, drinks, and culinary treats along with events such as the one described in this article. Please Explore The Cheeky Monkey Coffeehouse Website at www.cheekymonkeycoffee.com or Call 570-420-8222 for more information.

Monday, January 10, 2011

A Celebration of Dreams

The Dreamland Creations in Stroudsburg, PA Celebrated their 9th Anniversary on Sunday January 9th with an Artists Reception featuring the work of the creative artists who adore the bodies of those who enter the studio with their original creations as well as their skilful interpretations of images they transcribe for their human canvases. “The Dreamland Art Show” was filled with images reflecting those found upon those individuals displaying them throughout the region as well as pieces created solely for the sake of being created. These later pieces led those who experienced them to an uncommon avenue of the artists allowing them to a deeper appreciate of their impressive talents. You’ll find more photographs taken during the reception in The Forwardian Arts Society Dreamland Creations 2011 Gallery at www.facebook.com/forwardian.dude.

Those artists participating in “The Dreamland Art Show” include Rendi, Helen Victoria, Abby Braman, Will Mohlenhoff, Franz Hankel, Shereley Escribano, Steve Triglio, Donnie Bones, Heather Babka, and Myke Maldonado. These artist are well know to all who come visit the studios either to chat with its denizens or to partake of their services. The Exhibition continues until February 1st.

The Dreamland Creations in Stroudsburg, PA serves as a studio where individuals can adorn their forms with a variety of body art such as tattoos and piercing reaching out to the vast community of conventional and non mainstream artists throughout the area. Their next Artists’ Reception will feature works artists from the area and beyond creates for their Lyrics Show. The reception will take place Sunday February 6th beginning at 4pm. The Exhibition will continue until March 28th. Please Explore The Dreamland Creations Website at www.myspace.com/dreamlandcreations or call 570-421-6313 for more information about the artists, the current and future exhibitions, and all they have to offer.