It was a busy weekend.  The Dayton International Airport was host to Dayton’s internationally renowned two day air show. The weatherman was considerate of the air show by holding off a torrential storm until Saturday evening.  Not until the national ‘Sunday Morning’ news show  (“dateline: Dayton, Ohio) did word of a fatal crash of an stunt pilot flying a vintage bi-plane make national headlines.  This tragic news evoked memories of Oakwood/Kettering Jim Lynn’s daughter. She was a famous air-show-stunt-pilot who crashed while performing just last year.  Friends remember Jim telling them:  “She was doing what she loved doing…”

Friday evening was the opening performance of ‘Future Fest’ at Blair Hall Theatre in Sinclair College.  This was the seventeenth year for the program. Six new plays were presented in the three-day series.  All are new and are being performed for the first time.  Anne Flanagan’s  ‘ARTIFICE’ was the first on the schedule.  Anne is a Los Angeles writer/actor/private investigator with a long list of theatre-related accomplishments and awards to her credit.

Eight actors comprised the cast. Most were from the Miami Valley.  Theresa Abshear is a professor at Clark State University.  Harold Fox is a retired technical writer. Andrea Young is a junior at Wright State College of Theatre Arts. And this year’s grad from Beavercreek High School and on his way to Ohio State this fall – is Evan Millwood. Oakwood’s Pam McGinnis has starred in many area productions… Cabaret, Annie, Bat Boy. Her role as Mame earned her the DayTony Award. Pam is publications editor for Premier Health Partners by day with a full time job as mother of five.  (Her husband, Carlo McGinnis, is Vice Mayor of Oakwood.)

Greg Nichols and John Bukowski both have a long list of credits in local productions, as does Jen Ortiz who is also a music therapist.  Before the last scene the audience was given ‘the drill’.

“Following the play the audience is invited to participate in the ‘critique’.  The actors will be seated on the stage facing the five Adjudicators who will comment on the play – it’s content, construction, plotting, dialogue etc…  The audience is encouraged to participate…”

Playwright, Anne Flanagan, was busy taking notes on the comments by the Judges.  It was lively scene and was enjoyed by all.  In the audience was theatre and music critic for the ‘Oakwood Register’ – Burt Saidel.  Burt’s ‘presentation’ was a ‘scene stealer’!  Burt had the biggest, blackest, purple-est, eye, cheek and forehead!  When approached by a “…what on earth happened to you?”  - Burt held up a sign tied around his neck.  The sign read:  ‘You should see the tree!’  There were no ‘witnesses’ present so…who knows – but it must have been a large, inflexible ‘tree’.

Saturday evening Bob Margolis was having dinner with friends at Dayton Country Club. The path to his table was worn thin by old friends, sons of old friends, and former employees of Bob’s at The Metropolitan Clothing store.  Dick Welch and Bob had a wonderful “…long time no see” conversation. Tom Parker came over to reminisce with Bob. “I worked for you at The Met at least sixty some years ago…it’s so good to see you…” Bill Gabriele came over to say “…my father was a friend of yours…”  “Yes,” replied Bob – your father, Dr. Gabriele, took care of my Mother….” Emilie Bickmore came over to ‘talk tennis’ with one lady at the table, and to say ‘…I see you every day at Dorothy Lane Market or the Shops of Oakwood,” to another lady in the party,”  “But I rarely see you, Bob!”

Bob’s table was the last to ‘vacate’ the club dining room Saturday evening.

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