Marsha Norman and Jason Robert Brown’s musical “The Bridges of Madison County” (Sept. 13-29, 2024, directed by Tim Rezash), John Cariani’s “Almost, Maine” (Nov. 15-24, 2024, directed by Dawn Roth Smith), Robert Lopez, Jeff Marx and Jeff Whitty’s musical “Avenue Q” (Jan. 24-Feb. 9, 2025, directed by Ray Gambrel), the 2024 FutureFest-Winning Script Production (Mar. 15-23, 2025) and Meredith Willson’s musical “The Unsinkable Molly Brown” (May 2-18, 2025, directed by Brian Sharp).
Dayton Theatre Guild
Sir Arthur Wing Pinero’s “The Enchanted Cottage” (Aug. 23-Sept. 8, 2024, directed by Ray Gambrel), Dayton native Will Allan’s “Campaigns, Inc.” (Oct. 11-20, 2024, directed by K.L. Storer), Susan Hill’s adaptation of Stephen Mallatratt’s “The Woman in Black” (Nov. 29-Dec. 15, 2024, directed by David Shough), Tracy Letts’ “The Minutes” (Jan. 31-Feb. 16, 2025, directed by Melissa Ertsgaard), Robert Masey’s “Chancers” (Mar. 28-Apr. 13, 2025, directed by Margie Strader), and Stephen Adly Guirgis’ Pulitzer Prize-winning “Between Riverside and Crazy” (May 23-June 8, 2025, directed by Robert-Wayne Waldron).
Springboro Community Theatre
Jim Eiler and Jeanne Bargy’s musical “Treasure Island” (Aug. 2-11, 2024), Sarah Ruhl’s “Stage Kiss” (Sept. 13-22, 2024), Heather Hach, Laurence O’Keefe and Neil Benjamin’s “Legally Blonde: The Musical” (Nov. 15-24, 2024), Philip Dawkins’ “Failure: A Love Story” (Jan. 3-12, 2025), John Weidman and Stephen Sondheim’s musical “Assassins” (Feb. 28-Mar. 9, 2025), Agatha Christie and Ken Ludwig’s “Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express” (Apr. 25-May 4, 2025), and Mac Tumminelli’s adaptation of John Dempsey and Dana P. Rowe’s musical “Zombie Prom” (June 20-29, 2025).
“Giselle: Ballet in Cinema”
Internationally acclaimed dancer Olga Smirnova, former principal dancer at the Bolshoi Ballet, returns to the big screen in “Giselle,” which will be screened at Cinemark Dayton South at 3:15 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 21 and 7:15 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 24.
Smirnova previously appeared in the Bolshoi Ballet in Cinema presentations of “La Bayadère,” “Giselle” and “Swan Lake.” Having fled from Russia at the beginning of 2022, she joined the Dutch National Ballet. She will perform the role of Giselle opposite former Bolshoi principal Jacopo Tissi, who integrated the Dutch National Ballet last August. They were last seen together dancing live in cinemas in “Swan Lake” in February 2020.
Tickets are $12.50. Cinemark Dayton South is located at 195 Mall Woods Dr., West Carrollton. For more information, visit cinemark.com.
Area high school students to compete for state poetry title
Arcanum High School senior William Chadwick and Xenia High School junior Houda Loukssi are among the nine Ohio high school students who will compete for the title of Ohio “Poetry Out Loud” state champion at 6 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 9 at the WOSU Public Media’s Ross Community Studio, located at the corner of 14th Avenue and Pearl Street in Columbus.
At the state finals, students will recite their poems in front of a live audience. They will compete in three rounds, with each student reciting one poem per round. Contest results will be determined by the cumulative scores from all three rounds, with the state champion title awarded to the student with the highest score overall. The competition is free and open to the public.
The winner will be awarded a cash prize of $200 and a work of art. Their school library will also receive $500 to support future learning. Additionally, the winner will represent Ohio at the national finals, which will be held in Washington, D.C., from April 30 to May 2.
2024 marks the 19th year of “Poetry Out Loud,” the nation’s largest youth poetry recitation competition presented by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation in partnership with the Ohio Arts Council. According to the Ohio Arts Council, the “Poetry Out Loud” program “encourages high school students to learn about great poetry, master public-speaking skills, build self-confidence, and study their literary heritage.”
Eugene O’Neill Theater Center accepting applications for 2024 Young Playwrights Festival
The Eugene O’Neill Theater Center in Waterford, Connecticut is accepting applications for the 2024 Young Playwrights Festival, which will be held on its campus from May 17-19. Applications will be accepted until Thursday, Feb. 1 at 11:59 p.m. PST.
The annual Young Playwrights Festival offers students a hands-on opportunity to learn about dramatic form and structure as they experience the signature O’Neill play development process firsthand. Five featured playwrights will be selected to receive professional-level support from a dedicated creative team to develop their 10 to 15-page short plays. This development process will culminate in a public script-in-hand reading of their pieces. Additional applicants will be invited to attend the festival as Guest Playwrights and will participate in workshops and hear their scripts read aloud.
“Each year, the O’Neill looks forward to engaging with the stories that matter to this generation of students,” Director of Education Sophia Chapadjiev said in a news release. “It is a privilege to support these young people as they develop their unique artistic voices and to be a part of what is, for many, the first chance they have to hear their work read aloud by actors.”
Applying students must be United States residents between the ages of 12 and 18 and currently enrolled in middle or high school. They do not need to have previous experience as a playwright.
There is no application fee for the Young Playwrights Festival and participation is free for all invited playwrights. However, travel and lodging are not provided.
Founded in 1964, the O’Neill is dedicated to the development of new works and new voices for the American theater. It is also the recipient of two Tony Awards and the National Medal of Arts. For more information about the Young Playwrights Festival and its application process is available at www.theoneill.org/ypf.
About the Author