The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
FIREFISH LINKS FUTURE TO VISION
Collaboration aims to increase creativity at every age, level
Broadway Avenue is the new home for weekend activities and fun in Lorain.
The month-long “ReImagined” FireFish Festival held a grand finale on Sept. 18 on sidewalks and outdoor spaces downtown.
Director Joan Perch says she couldn’t be more pleased with the festival.
“I think people are really excited about us as a homegrown, grassroots organization and recognize that we’re trying to liven up downtown through the arts,” she said. “We don’t always know what the end result will be until it happens, but everything came together in a beautiful way.”
During the festival workshops, performances, art installations, art vendors, murals, and exhibitions are all a part of the happenings downtown, at LCCC City Center, and in “The Bank” at 383 Broadway.
At the LCCC City Center, visitors experienced community arts workshops, sculptures, performances and vendors.
Poetry readings were presented by LaTonya Fenderson-Warren, Rebecca Serfozo, and Jey W, with comedy by Alexander the Comic.
"We’re always getting a new vision. We hope to do it bigger and better every single year."
— Joan Perch, director of FireFish Festival
MAD Factory Theatre presented performances on the sidewalk in preparation of their upcoming production of The Crucible.
Alexia Dudek, 17, has been singing and performing for the past four years.
She participated in MAD Factory Theatre’s production of The Heathers right before the novel coronavirus pandemic.
Dudek says she enjoyed being able to reunite with her castmates and perform at the festival.
“Today we did a little reunion of last winter’s production and we wanted to sing for everyone,” she said.
“It’s good to see everyone’s faces again and I’m really happy to bring back the roles.”
The Crucible production will be held on Oct. 7-9 at the MAD Factory Theatre Company at 2655 Broadway Ave. in Lorain.
“The Crucible is our Halloween production,” Dudek said. “It’s going to be really fun and spooky.”
Dudek says tickets will be available soon on madfactory.org.
Perch says she loves being able to incorporate other local creatives into the festivities.
“It’s really powerful,” she said. “We want people to recognize the arts and come together as a community to celebrate creativity. We love to engage and showcase the youth, especially, at every level.”
The iconic annual finale performance included a choir cabaret performance by Jaclyn Bradley and friends, fireworks and fire and pyrotechnics designed by Daniel McNamara and Ohio Burn Unit’s Schuyler White.
The evening concluded with an after-party at the Main Stage featuring the Sammy DeLeon Band.
Perch says she looks forward to having an even larger impact next year.
“We’re always getting a new vision,” she said. “We hope to do it bigger and better every single year.”