Neon’s Great Stage on Screen Series continues through the fall
Following a well-received recent screening of the London production of the 1999 revival of “Kiss Me, Kate,” the Neon Movies has scheduled additional theater-related offerings for its Great Stage on Screen Series.
On Wednesday, Sept. 12 at 7:30 p.m., the Neon will offer the 2008 televised film presentation of Shakespeare’s epic tragedy “King Lear,” staged by the Royal Shakespeare Company. The film stars Ian McKellen, who received an Emmy nomination for his titular performance. The cast also features Frances Barber, Romola Garai and Monica Dolan.
Fans of Elaine Stritch shouldn’t miss “Elaine Stritch at Liberty,” her acclaimed 2002 autobiographical one-woman show slated to screen Wednesday, Oct. 24 at 7:30 p.m. Filmed live at London’s Old Vic Theatre, the show is a fantastic retrospective of her stage career and includes renditions of “The Ladies Who Lunch” (“Company”), “Zip” (“Pal Joey”) and “I’m Still Here” (“Follies”). Stritch received an Emmy and Drama Desk Award for her performance.
In related news, the Neon will screen Jeff Kaufman’s 2018 documentary “Every Act of Life,” a look at pioneering Tony Awardwinning playwright and librettist Terrence McNally (“Master Class,” “Ragtime”), as part of the 13th annual Dayton LGBT Film Festival on Sunday, Oct. 14 at 3 p.m. The film features Dayton native and Muse Machine alum Micah Stock, who received a 2015 Tony nomination and Theatre World Award for his hilarious portrayal of and Broadway debut as Gus P. Head in the starstudded revival of McNally’s hit comedy “It’s Only a Play.”
Tickets for “King Lear” and “Elaine Stritch at Liberty” are $15 and are only available at the Neon box office. Tickets for “Every Act of Life” are $9 and available online at daytonlgbt. com or the Neon box office. Visit neonmovies.com for additional information. The Neon is located at 130 E. Fifth St., Dayton.
Dayton Playhouse seeks directors
The Dayton Playhouse seeks director submissions for the 2019-2020 season. Anyone interested in directing is asked to submit up to six plays or musicals which they would be interested in directing for the season. Directors may be asked to submit copies of scripts if they are selected as possible works for the season. To submit plays or musicals for consideration, visit daytonplayhouse.com. Directors will be asked to complete a brief online form and attach a resume. Submissions will be reviewed and considered by the Dayton Playhouse Artistic Committee. Submissions will be accepted until Nov. 5. For more information, contact Tina McPhearson at (937) 241-6009 or e-mail dpiartisticcommittee@gmail.com.
Reflections of Stratford Festival
Bound by the theme of freedom, Canada’s Stratford Festival, one of the world’s most esteemed repertory theater festivals, delivers a stellar 2018 season as evidenced in four shows seen Aug. 29 and 30.
Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar,” a timely look at the Roman Republic and a group of conspirators wary of their titular leader’s ambition, leaps forth with intriguing layers of gender-bending subtext due to director Scott Wentworth’s decision to cast women in three pivotal roles written for men. Seana McKenna (an excellently regal and blunt Caesar), Irene Poole (a marvelously instigating Cassius) and Michelle Giroux (a fittingly honorable Mark Antony) command the stage with superb nuance and mastery of the complex text, which finds Rome in upheaval as the citizenry looks to Antony for guidance. As the presence of females fuels the action, Wentworth invites a thought-provoking discussion of strong, qualified and compassionate women in the male-dominated world of politics today, an apt idea from an American standpoint as a record number of women compete in the midterm elections. “Julius Caesar” concludes Oct. 27.
McKenna and Wentworth also respectively partner as emotionally strained spouses Mary and James Tyrone in an impressive production of Eugene O’Neill’s epic drama “Long Day’s Journey Into Night,” pensively directed with haunting overtones by Miles Potter. In a welcomed change of pace, Potter allows morsels of love, tenderness and understanding to flow underneath the hurtful criticisms consuming the dysfunctional Tyrones. The show belongs to the expressive McKenna, whose descent into addiction is a heartbreaker, but Wentworth matches her in tone and spirit, especially in the reflective Act 3. Gordon S. Miller (alcoholic James Tyrone Jr.), Charlie Gallant (sickly Edmund Tyrone), and Amy Keating (maid Cathleen) lend solid support. “Long Day’s Journey Into Night” concludes Oct. 13.
Director/choreographer Donna Feore pulls out the stops for Meredith Willson’s “The Music Man” and Richard O’Brien’s “The Rocky Horror Show,” two exhilarating, inventive, must-see productions worthy of a Broadway transfer. Unafraid to inject 1912 Iowa with 2018 vibes, Feore particularly bolsters “The Music Man” with a tremendous “Seventy-Six Trombones” paying homage to original choreographer Onna White while offering a dance break grounded in contemporary stepping. Still, at the heart of the experience is the inspired casting of Daren A. Herbert, a rare African-American Harold Hill. Herbert’s charisma and skillful showmanship elevates the deceptive yet redemptive Hill as a magnetic Pied Piper, bringing joy to a small town in dire need of rebirth. “The Music Man” concludes Nov. 3.
Feore’s vocally sublime, humorously sensual “Rocky Horror Show,” a refreshingly progressive choice for Stratford led by the surprisingly masculinecentric Dan Chameroy as Dr. Frank N. Furter, is an electrifying campfest. Knockout performances (notably Robert Markus as Riff Raff and Kimberly-Ann Truong as Columbia), terrific costumes, and top-notch projections add flavorful vibrancy. “The Rocky Horror Show” concludes Nov. 11.
The Stratford Festival, founded in 1952 and featuring 12 shows this season including “To Kill a Mockingbird” and “The Tempest,” is located three hours from Detroit and two hours from Toronto. For more information, visit stratfordfestival.ca.