The  ARTSGALA  at Wright State University is the ‘bash’ of the year!  It’s on Saturday, March 31st…6:30 p.m. ‘til Midnight in the WSU Creative Arts Center.  The co-chairs are Shelley & Kim Goldenberg.  Diamond Sponsors are ‘BGH Studios’, WHIO-TV’, Morris Home Furnishings, and The Dayton Daily News.  The ‘Silent Auction’ includes Vacation Getaways, WSU Entertainment Package (tickets to the many theatre and music department performances, Non-speaking part in WSU Theatre Dept. Production, Outstanding artwork by WSU faculty, students, and alumni…..etc.  Proceeds from the ARTSGALA provide scholarships for Music, Theatre Arts, Art & Art History departments.

Entertainment includes a Broadway Review, Wind Symphony with special guest conductor Shelley Goldenberg, Musical solos and ensembles, Photography show, student artists creating while you watch, student film festival, dancing in playhouse stage, various performances in the five dining halls – five different
tempting fares…

The Host Committee includes:  Clarence Bowman, Alyce Earl-Jenkins, Harry & Marty Ebeling, Elizabeth Harden, Jerry & Norma Hauer,  Kim & Joanie Haverstick,  Angelia Hopkins, Larry & Marilyn Klaben, Candy Prystaloski, Ed & Laura Rhodes, Ralph & Marilyn Smith, Howard & Sally Stevens, Roger & Lois Sutherland, Tom & Nancy Thickel, Jim & Karen Tinney, Paul & Susie Weaver, and Tom & Cathryn Young.

For info: Theresa Mileo at (937)-775-5512

And this ‘happy-right-from-the-horse’s-mouth’ news item is…that Emma Voight and Jack Matthews are getting married in May!  Best Wishes to Both!

“Let’s go see ‘The Beard of Avon”.  No I did not misspeak…it’s Beard of, not Bard of…  it’s the Dayton Theatre Guild’s production so it’ll be great.”  And it was!  And it’s always great to drive up Salem Avenue – our old Fairview High School stomping grounds – and identify all the old ‘haunts’. The Theatre Guild is in the old Dayton View Post Office building.

When entering the lobby one could hear ‘theatrical voices’ and there was ‘action’ taking place on the floor.  ‘Are we late?  I thought the show started at three p.m.”  “No, you’re not late…that’s a rehearsal/warm-up going on – for the audience to enjoy while they’re finding their seats.”

Cynthia and Bill Butt were finding their seats.  Jess and Dale Smith were across the floor.  

Mike Rousculp, the Minstrel, was in full Elizabethan costume and was serenading the spectators.  Director, Natasha Randall, in blue-jeans-grunge, was critiquing the actors…Renee Frank-Reed, later ‘Queen Elizabeth’ sang a sassy rendition of ‘I Hate Men’ – (not really ‘of the period’ – but apropos).  Where else but ‘off-off-Broadway’ or the Dayton Theater Guild could there be such a great pre-show-show?

 The plot explains how the Earl of Darby, a well educated and well traveled ‘gentleman’ recognized the latent, untutored talent of a country bumpkin, named him ‘Shakespeare’, and convinced ‘Will’ to be his ‘front-man’ and agree to be the ‘author’ of plays the Earl of Oxford wrote but didn’t dare claim, nor could he fraternize with ‘actors’ who were ‘below the salt’ socially.  

Paul Edwards played ‘Will S.’, Megan Cooper was Anne Hathaway, Mark Diffenderfer was Edward DeVere. Matthew Beisner earned  his BFA in Acting at Wright State Univ..  He played The Earl of Darby.  Be sure to put:  …attend DTG productions…on your calendar!